Bible Reading Challenge #43
From Micaiah Kelly
What do you think of when you hear the word mystery? My first thought is a magnifying glass or an Agatha Christie novel. Maybe you think of something scary—or perhaps a problem to be solved. Maybe, at just the sight of the word, your blood pressure rises and you feel a wave of anxiety. The unknown can be daunting. Thankfully, God has given us tools—and one tool in particular—to help us.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul teaches that as Christians, we must love in all things. In the previous chapter, he had just finished explaining the many gifts that God has given the church and how, in Christ, no one is greater than another. We are called to use our gifts in harmony with those of our brothers and sisters in faith. Now, in chapter 13, Paul reminds us that these gifts—without love—are meaningless.
He writes in verse 8:
“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”
Why do these things pass away? Paul continues in verses 9–11:
“For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”
When Paul speaks of our limited understanding—“we know in part”—he’s reminding us that mystery is part of faith itself. What need would we have for prophets or teachers if God had already revealed everything to us? We live surrounded by mystery and the unknown, but God has given us faith and hope in the resurrection so that our wandering on this earth is not without direction. And He has given us love so that our journey through this world might carry eternal purpose and meaning. While mystery often makes us uneasy, Paul shows us that love gives us stability within it.
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Love is what steadies us when we cannot see the full picture. It calls us to be patient with others, to offer grace freely, and to trust that God is working even in what we don’t understand. When we choose to walk in love each day, we live with purpose—even in the midst of mystery.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are glorious in ways I cannot comprehend. So often, I worry about things that are beyond my control or understanding, and in doing so, I sin against you by turning to earthly things—or even to myself—for help. Thank you, Lord, for your sovereignty, your steadfastness, and your lovingkindness. Help me to trust you more and more, and to come to you first when I am in need. I love you, Lord. Amen.
Bible Reading Challenge #42
1 Corinthians 13:8–12
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
Paul makes a stunning claim — love never ends.
It doesn’t expire.
It doesn’t fade.
It isn’t something we outgrow or move beyond.
Every spiritual gift, talent, or moment of insight will eventually fade away. But love? Love lasts forever.
Or, to quote a modern philosopher — Buzz Lightyear —
“To infinity and beyond.”
That’s the best way to describe the kind of love Paul is talking about.
Love bears to infinity and beyond.
Love hopes to infinity and beyond.
Love believes to infinity and beyond.
Love is patient and kind to infinity and beyond.
Why?
Because the love we’re called to display is simply a reflection of the love we’ve already received.
We must stop being forgiven people who refuse to forgive. (See the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:21–35)
The same principle applies here — we are loved people who love.
We love to infinity and beyond because we have been loved to infinity and beyond.
God’s love doesn’t run out or run dry.
He doesn’t limit our chances or restrict His forgiveness.
His love is infinite — able to cover every sin, every failure, every regret.
That’s the kind of love Paul says never ends.
Bible Reading Challenge #41
Before we dive into Paul’s description of love, take a moment to think about how you would describe it.
What does love feel like?
What does love look like?
What does love act like?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
Paul doesn’t define love by emotion or attraction but by action and attitude. Each phrase paints a picture of what genuine, Christlike love looks like in everyday life.
As people loved by God, we’re called to make His love known through how we live.
Here’s the charge:
Be patient and kind.
Fight against irritability and arrogance.
Lift others up instead of exalting self.
Let go of grudges and quiet envy.
Rejoice in truth, not failure.
Bear, believe, hope, and endure the best in and for others.
When we live this way, we become walking examples of love — in the classroom, in the neighborhood, in the office, at the rec center, on social media, and around the dinner table.
Love isn’t just something we feel.
It’s something we live.
Bible Reading Challenge #40
1 Corinthians 13:1–3
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
Paul makes a bold statement:
It doesn’t matter what you can do — if you do it without love, it’s meaningless. Without love, all your spiritual gifts, your knowledge, your sacrifice, and your faith amount to nothing.
A problem had taken root in Corinth. The people were spiritual, but they weren’t loving. They boasted about their gifts or envied those who seemed more gifted. They desired to look spiritual more than they desired to love others purely.
The modern church isn’t immune to this either.
We often exalt leaders who are charismatic and gifted, yet lack love. Some live with hidden sin, build their own platforms, and mistreat those around them — but because they’re impressive on stage, they’re praised and quoted as heroes of the faith.
Corinth was no different. They were drawn to “superheroes” of Christianity rather than servants marked by love.
But the people of God must be people of love.
Love toward God.
Love toward your spouse.
Love toward your children.
Love toward your coworkers.
Love toward your neighbors.
Love even toward your enemies.
So let’s ask ourselves:
Are we people of love — or just people of spiritual performance?
Do we want to appear spiritual, or do we truly want to love like Jesus?
Because without love, we gain nothing.
Bible Reading Challenge #39
Paul ends chapter 12 with a teaser — a setup for what’s coming next:
“And now I will show you a still more excellent way.”
He’s saying there’s something even better than learning about spiritual gifts.
Something more important, more beneficial, more lasting.
What is that more excellent way? LOVE.
Before we read the passage, let’s pause on the word love itself.
The Greek word Paul uses here is agape — a word that was rarely used in ancient Greece.
Why?
Because the Greeks didn’t admire what it meant.
Agape is not a selfish or self-serving love.
It’s a love that gives rather than takes.
A love that seeks the good of others, not itself.
A love that keeps showing up — even when it costs something.
C.S. Lewis described agape as unconditional love — a divine kind of love.
The best example? God Himself.
He loves with an unearned, gracious, and never-ending love that always seeks the good of those He loves.
So as we read this chapter...
Keep this in mind:
Paul isn’t describing a feeling — he’s describing an attitude.
He’s calling us to a selfless, giving, compassionate kind of love —
a love that’s willing to be hurt, yet keeps on loving.
The Passage: 1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Reflection
Paul’s message is clear:
Spiritual gifts will fade.
Knowledge will pass.
Faith and hope will endure —
but love is what will last forever.
Because love is the one thing that reflects the very heart of God.