Read 1 Corinthians 13

What would you expect to pay for a scoop of gourmet ice cream? How about $816? The Scoopi Café in Dubai offers the “Black Diamond,” which is ice cream flavored with Madagascar vanilla, Iranian saffron, black Italian truffles, and edible, 23-karat gold sprinkles. This treat comes with a Versace bowl and spoon that the customer keeps. It’s the most expensive ice cream in the world!

The most, the best, the highest—we find superlatives fascinating. When Paul wrote that he would describe “the most excellent way” (12:31), our ears perk up. This chapter is an encomium, that is, a poem written to praise an abstract idea or quality. Paul used poetic techniques such as hyperbole and metaphor to make his points more vividly.

First, he described the worth of love (vv. 1–3). Its value is incalculable, to the point where anything else, lacking love, is worthless or empty. He used examples that we might (and the Corinthians did) think of as spiritually impressive, which made his conclusion that much more shocking. Second, Paul defined or explained love (vv. 4–7). The Greek word is agape, meaning love that is selfless, self-sacrificing, warm, and full of good will and brotherly affection. It prioritizes the well being of others. This list should take our breath away! Who among us can claim to live like this? Only by the power of the Spirit can we grow in this direction.

Finally, this poem extols how and why love does what it does (vv. 8–12). It never fails. It leads us to maturity and completeness. The difference between love and the spiritual gifts is like the difference between a blurry mirror (Corinth was well-known for its high- quality bronze mirrors) and seeing face-to-face; it’s the difference between childhood and adulthood. This is why love is the “greatest” (v. 13).

APPLY THE WORD

How can we grow in love? How can we hope to have the qualities in this chapter describe us? We must become more like Jesus. One helpful book that explores this theme is Loving the Way Jesus Loves, by Philip Ryken, which puts 1 Corinthians 13, the “love chapter,” in dialogue with accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry from the Gospels.

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