The Eternal Significance of Love – 1 Corinthians 13:8-10

Brandon Werner - March 23, 2025

The Eternal Significance of Love

Sermon Manuscript | Pastor Brandon Werner | Together Church

March 23, 2025 | Series: Love Never Fails

We’re going to get into some really deep Bible study today over just three verses in the Love Chapter. So, if you have your Bible…

Main Idea:

Love always matters, so spend your life doing what will always matter.

EXPOSITION

Let’s look at these three verses we are about to deeply study…

1 Corinthians 13:8-10

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

We need some deep study because this passage contains a controversial verse…

Here’s the controversial verse:

1 Corinthians 13:10

But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

Let’s do some expositing here. Why is this so controversial?

What’s made this passage controversial is not the passage itself but the way people have tried to interpret key phrases. Specifically, people have struggled with how to interpret what the “perfect” is and what is “in part” that will “be done away”.

Clearly, Paul is saying that something perfect is coming. He’s also saying that, upon the arrival of the perfect, something that is in part will be done away with.

That’s a pretty big deal! When something perfect arrives, something that is partial is going to disappear! And how we interpret what these things are will massively shape our understanding of this passage.

So, what are they?

Let’s start with the one everyone tends to agree about.

It is widely agreed that the thing that is “in part” that will be done away with are the spiritual gifts.

Put it back into context…

Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 12-14 revolves around spiritual gifts, including his teaching in the Love Chapter.
Paul’s big point in the Love Chapter is nothing matters unless it is done in love… not even impressive spiritual gifts!
Paul mentions several spiritual gifts in the Love Chapter. In the first three verses of this chapter alone, Paul mentions the gift of…
- Tongues (of men and angels)
- Prophecy
- Knowledge (understand all mysteries)
- Faith (so I could remove mountains)
- And he also implies the gift of service or giving
And in today’s passage, Paul mentions three specific spiritual gifts in verse 8…
- The gift of prophecy (it will fail)
- The gift of tongues (it will cease)
- The gift of knowledge (it will vanish away)

Why did Paul talk so much about spiritual gifts in the Love Chapter?

The Corinthian church was enamored by spiritual gifts! They were greatly impressed by things that appeared very impressive.

But Paul knew that they lacked love. In fact, Paul knew that even the way they were exercising spiritual gifts lacked love! That’s why Paul end 1 Corinthians 12 and transitions into 1 Corinthians 13 (the Love Chapter) with this verse…

1 Corinthians 12:31

31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

Paul wasn’t opposed to the spiritual gifts… he knew they were a significant blessing from God! But Paul knew the spiritual gifts, even the higher gifts, ultimately amounted to nothing if they were not done in LOVE. That’s why Paul’s more excellent way is the way of LOVE.

And, in today’s passage, Paul made it clear that LOVE was far more excellent, far more impressive than any spiritual gift! In fact, in the text, Paul contrasts LOVE with three spiritual gifts: prophecy, tongues, and knowledge. And his point in all three? The gifts will FAIL, CEASE, and VANISH AWAY… but LOVE WILL NEVER FAIL.

1 Corinthians 13:8-10

See how Paul says the gifts will fail but LOVE WILL NEVER FAIL? And look at what gifts Paul says will fail… these are impressive gifts!

PROPHECY

The Holy Spirit has gifted people with prophecy from the earliest moments of human history!
- The gift of prophecy is a Spirit-empowered ability to speak God’s message, which may include revealing truth, calling people into repentance, or foretelling future events.
- The Bible is full of examples of the gift of prophecy at work in people through the power of the Holy Spirit…
  - Noah speaks prophecy right after the ark rested on dry ground.
  - Jacob prophecies over his sons before their death.
  - God’s Spirit moves on Balaam’s donkey and empowers that donkey to speak prophecy!
  - And this is just the beginning of hundreds of prophecies recorded in the Bible!
- And, in a sense, all scripture is given through prophecy!
  - The Holy Spirit revealed God’s truth to men who wrote down His Words through the inspiration of the Spirit.
- Prophecy is an impressive gift that the Holy Spirit has been using for nearly as long as people have been alive!
  - The gift of prophecy is the Spirit-empowered ability to speak God’s message and reveal truth, call to repentance, or foretell future events.
  - What an impressive gift Paul mentions in today’s passage! But Paul said this gift would FAIL.

KNOWLEDGE

The Holy Spirit has also gifted people with knowledge from the earliest moments of human history!
- The gift of knowledge is the supernatural ability to know something that would have otherwise been impossible to know apart from God revealing it.
- The Bible is also full of examples of the gift of knowledge, including examples in the Old and New Testaments…
  - Joseph supernaturally knew what the dreams of the baker and cupbearer meant in prison.
  - Elijah had such knowledge of what the enemies of Israel were going to do that a servant of the enemy king said, “It is like he is listening to what you say in your bedroom!”
  - Danial had supernatural knowledge that allowed him to interpret the dreams God had given the king of Babylon.
- Knowledge is an impressive gift that the Holy Spirit has been using in people for a very long time!
  - The gift of knowledge is the supernatural ability to know something that would have been impossible to know apart from God revealing it.
  - And the gift of knowledge is mentioned in today’s passage! But Paul says knowledge will vanish away.

TONGUES

Paul also mentions the gift of tongues.
- This gift was the new kid on the block. While there are prophecies in the Old Testament about the gift of tongues, there are no examples in the Old Testament of the gift of tongues being used.
- The gift of tongues is the ability to speak in a language that is not you do not already know – whether the tongue of men or of angels. An accompanying gift for the gift of tongues is the ability to understand what is being said and interpret it.
- While there are no examples of this gift in the Old Testament, it is clear from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that this gift was present in their church and very important to many of them.
- The gift of tongues is an impressive gift from the Holy Spirit! But Paul said tongues would cease.

All three of these gifts – the gift of prophecy, the gift of tongues, and the gift of knowledge – are mentioned in today’s passage. And Paul says these gifts will fail, cease, and vanish away.

And when scholars interpret this passage, they widely agree that which is “in part” is a reference to spiritual gifts. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Paul says when the perfect comes, that which is “in part” will be done away.

And Paul uses the ending of spiritual gifts to emphasize the eternal value and supreme worth of love.

Do you get that? We agree on that! But here’s the controversy…

Many do not agree on WHEN these gifts will cease. The disagreement comes from how some have interpreted the phrase “when that which is perfect has come”.

What creates controversy here? How do some interpret this phrase?

Some scholars have argued that the “perfect” Paul is refereeing to is the canonization of the New Testament portion of our Bibles.

The most common reason this claim is made is because those who make it believe the gifts of the Spirit have ceased. They interpret this passage to mean that the “perfect” is the completion of the Bible as we have it today as an explanation of why the gifts of the Spirit have already ceased.

Bad things tend to happen when we bring our preconceived notions to the Bible and then look for passages to support what we believe.

I’m just going to tell you right up front… the interpretive tactics used to arrive at this conclusion are misguided at best (and divisive and damaging at worse)…

There is nothing in this passage about the canonization of the Bible! There’s no reason in the text to believe this was Paul’s intended point.
The context of this passage gives no clues that the “perfect” is a reference to the completion of the Bible.
On the contrary, when we approach this text with healthy interpretive principles, it is easy to see that Paul tells us what the “perfect” is in the text!

The arrival of the “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13 is not the arrival of the fully canonized Bible. That conclusion requires shoddy interpretive practices that are typically applied to prove a preconceived notion that the gifts have already ceased. This interpretation of the “perfect” is not faithful to the text.

So, if the arrival of the perfect is not the arrival of the fully canonized New Testament, what is the “perfect” that arrives that will bring an end to spiritual gifts?

Paul tells us. In the text, the best answer to this question is that the perfect arrives in glory when we see Jesus face to face.

Unlike the canonization of the Bible, this explanation of the perfect is immediately present in the text. Without any changes of topics or transitions, Paul says this just two verses after he talks about the coming of the “perfect”…

1 Corinthians 13:12

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.

The context points specifically to seeing Jesus face to face in glory. The immediate context makes this the best way to understanding the perfect.

But that’s not all. Understanding the coming of the “perfect” as seeing Jesus in glory is also the best interpretation because…

This understanding of this word perfectly harmonizes with Paul’s primary point in this passage.

What is Paul’s big idea here?

He is showing us that love never fails! That love is eternal! That, unlike impressive spiritual gifts, love will not end, it will not cease, it will not stop, and it will not fade away. Paul’s trying to convince them that the spiritual gifts aren’t nearly as impressive as love!

Paul’s elevating love by showing them that love will always be relevant… even in the new heaven and earth when we are will Jesus forever face to face! Love will be part of that Kingdom, but the spiritual gifts will not…

The gift of prophecy will not be needed in glory! We will not need the Spirit to use people to supernaturally reveal new truths about God because God will constantly dwell among us!
The gift of tongues will not be needed in glory because we will no longer be divided by language!
The gift of knowledge will not be needed in glory because we will no longer see as in a mirror dimly! Instead, we will see face to face and know just as we also are already known.

The “perfect” arrives with the arrival of the new heaven and earth and we are face to face with Jesus forever in glory!

And when the perfect arrives, the gifts of the Holy Spirit being manifested through us will fail, cease, and vanish away… they will no longer be needed in that place.

BUT! LOVE WILL ALWAYS BE NEEDED!

And that is Paul’s big point in this passage!

Love is WAY more impressive than spiritual gifts because love never fails!
Love is the “more excellent way” because love lasts forever!
“The greatest of these is love” because love will matter to us for all eternity!

We won’t need or have spiritual gifts when the perfect comes, but we will still share LOVE. We were made for love. God made us to exist in an eternal love relationship with Him and with each other.

Love is more impressive than even the most impressive spiritual gifts, because the gifts are passing away, but love will last forever.

APPLICATION

And with this understanding, we are ready for the only point of this message…

Because love always matters, spend your life doing what will always matter… spend your life doing what LOVE DOES.

If we get the interpretation of this text right, then that message surfaces easily. Love always matters because love lasts forever! So spend your life doing what will always matter… spend your doing what LOVE DOES.

The Corinthian church was putting way too much stock in the supernatural giftings of the Spirit that were being exercised in their church. And Paul knew that these giftings were often being performed outside of love. That’s why Paul told them he will show them “a more excellent way” than spiritual gifts… Paul wanted them to see the excellence of love!

And Paul knew that the things they were valuing as very significant – the spiritual gifts – were actually insignificant compared to love.

An impressive manifestation of a spiritual gift does not impress God and does not matter for eternity if it is not done in love.
But when we do what love does, those actions are highly valued by God and matter for all eternity!

Some of you are playing the comparison game with other Christians. You look at their actions and abilities and compare them to yours, and then you determine that they are way more significant than you!

What Paul says about love in today’s passage speaks directly against that lie!

Beloved in Christ, God is not impressed by what others call great! God is impressed by LOVE. God does not assign worth or value based on performance like others do, God values every act of love. Don’t sideline yourself… LOVE is always great in God’s eyes.

Jesus never told you to become great in the eyes of people, He said the greatest is the servant of all. God is not looking for impressive spiritual gifts, abilities, or skills… God is looking for people who do what LOVE DOES! And God is a rewarder of those who live in love.

CONCLUSION

Let’s bring this home. How do you know if what you are doing is pleasing God because it is being done in love? How can you tell if you are DOING what LOVE DOES?

The American understanding of what qualifies for love is completely misguided.

In American ideology, and in the minds of many American Christians, what matters most is a person’s intent.

“What’s in your heart?”

“Well, it’s the thought that counts!”

If we aren’t careful, we can start to believe that God is primarily looking at our hearts when He is evaluating our love.

Certainly, God sees our hearts!

Certainly, doing what love does is impossible if our hearts are not right!

Certainly, love actions should be properly motivated by love!

But listen carefully…

When God is evaluating your love, He is NOT just looking at your intentions! Yes, He sees your heart, but the primary evaluation of our love is not just what’s in our hearts…

The primary evaluation of love comes from what we actually DO.

Let me say it this way…

An evil work motivated by love will not be rewarded by God.

You already inherently know that bad works, even if they are done with a good heart, will not be rewarded by God.

ILLUSTRATIONS:

A wife allowing her husband to cheat so he will be satisfied or able to have a biological child (Sarah).
A husband allowing his wife to spend their family into financial ruin because he is willing to make that sacrifice so she can shop.
Parents who allow their children to steal or who steal for their children to try to make their children happy.

Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned but have not love, it profits me nothing!

The action can be well intended! But if the action does not look like love, it is not a love action.

For what you do to matter for all eternity, you need your actions to not just be motivated by love… you need your actions to look like love!

Nowhere in the entire New Testament does God’s Word ever say that Jesus will reward us for having good intentions. Every time eternal rewards are spoken about, those rewards are given based on what we HAVE DONE… whether good or evil…

In 1 Corinthians 3, our WORKS are tested by fire to see what will remain. If it does not look like love, it will not last forever!
In 2 Corinthians 5, what we HAVE DONE is judged by Jesus at the bema seat. He will determine whether or not our works were GOOD OR EVIL.
In Revelation 19, we – Jesus’ bride – are clothed in white linens. What are those linens? The righteous DEEDS of the saints.
In Matthew 16, Jesus said that when He returns in the glory of the Father with His angels, He will repay each person according to what they HAVE DONE!

Do you want to DO what will matter for all eternity? Do you want your life to count forever? Do you want to lay up treasures in heaven? Do you want to please your Father and be rewarded?

Then you cannot just be well intended! You must DO love! What I’m saying is… YOU NEED TO BE TRAINED IN LOVE.

To be trained in love, you need to be around love constantly. You will become like those you share your life with!

You need to be around Jesus! He is the ultimate expression of love.
You need to be around His Word! His Word is the final authority for what we believe and practice. Our feelings and flesh mislead us about love, but God’s Word is always truthful and tells us exactly what love is.
You need to be around His people! You cannot be trained in love without discipleship. You need more mature followers of Jesus in your life that will show you how to grow in love.

And if you’ve been blessed to be around love and be discipled by those who know love, you need to do what love does and lay down your life to disciple others into love.

We can grow in love in quantity (love more often), but we must also grow in love in QUALITY (do love better). Well intended acts do not automatically equal love. If we want what we do to matter forever, we must work to be fully trained in LOVE.

INVITATION

Have you been well intended to do love but guilty of not being trained?
- Do you really know how to do love in difficult situations?
- What does love look like…
  - Feeling angry with your spouse?
  - Dealing with a difficult child?
  - Hear a bad report about someone you don’t like?
  - Dealing with sin in your life or in someone else?
- Do you know God’s love?

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