The Corinthians were richly endowed with spiritual gifts (1:5), but they were using them to elevate themselves. Here, Paul shows that love is sacrificial in its attitude and behavior towards others. It must motivate us in our use of the gifts if this is to be worthy of God.

Love never breaks down. In contrast, even the greater gifts (12:31) will fail: prophecies will be ended when nothing more is to be fulfilled; knowledge in the form we acquire it today will no longer be needed when we know perfectly all that God wants us to know. In passing, Paul mentions the gift of tongues, the ability to speak known languages without learning them, which was so prized by the Corinthians. This sign gift to unbelievers (14:22) would cease of its own accord, which happened in the first century. The modern tongues-speaking we hear about so much today is not seen in Scripture.

Paul uses himself as an illustration. When he was a child, he spoke, felt, and thought immaturely; when he became an adult, he was done with childish things. Similarly, if we have bad eyesight, our vision is limited by the kind of lens we need to see clearly; if our eyesight is perfect and we are right in front of something, we see it with complete clarity. This is what “face to face” means: to perfectly experience the immediate presence of God (Jude 24). We will know as we are known (1 Cor. 13:12)—not everything, which is impossible for finite beings even in heaven, but all we need to know to enjoy God’s presence. This surpasses the blessing even the spiritual gifts bring now.

But praise God for His love, which pervades those heavenly courts above. Love never changes though we will be changed (15:51). When our Lord brings us home to the Father’s house, the love that fills that wonderful place will be a well-known love.