The Holy Bible Verses

1 Corinthians 13:13

Cited in 13 topics on this site.

Translations sourced from the public-domain WEB, KJV, and ASV. See all sources.

“But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.”

— WEB

“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

— KJV

“But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”

— ASV

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Commentary

And now--Translate, "But now." "In this present state" [HENDERSON]. Or, "now" does not express time, but opposition, as in Co1 5:11, "the case being so" [GROTIUS]; whereas it is the case that the three gifts, "prophecy," "tongues," and "knowledge" (cited as specimens of the whole class of gifts) "fail" (Co1 13:8), there abide permanently only these three--faith, hope, charity. In one sense faith and hope shall be done away, faith being superseded by sight, and hope by actual fruition (Rom 8:24; Co2 5:7); and charity, or love, alone never faileth (Co1 13:8). But in another sense, "faith and hope," as well as "charity," ABIDE; namely, after the extraordinary gifts have ceased; for those three are necessary and sufficient for salvation at all times, whereas the extraordinary gifts are not at all so; compare the use of "abide," Co1 3:14. Charity, or love, is connected specially with the Holy Spirit, who is the bond of the loving union between the brethren (Rom 15:30; Col 1:8). Faith is towards God. Hope is in behalf of ourselves. Charity is love to God creating in us love towards our neighbor. In an unbeliever there is more or less of the three opposites--unbelief, despair, hatred. Even hereafter faith in the sense of trust in God "abideth"; also "hope," in relation to ever new joys in prospect, and at the anticipation of ever increasing blessedness, sure never to be disappointed.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary (public domain)

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