In 13:8-13 Paul speaks concerning the excelling of love. In verse 8 he declares, “Love never falls away; but whether prophecies, they shall be done away; or tongues, they shall cease; or knowledge, it shall be done away.” For love never to fall away means that it survives everything, holds its place forever. Love never fails, never fades out or comes to an end. It is like the eternal life of God. All the gifts, whether prophecies, or tongues, or knowledge, are means for God’s operation; they are not life to express God. Hence, they shall cease and be done away. They are all dispensational. Only life, which love expresses, is eternal. According to the following verses, all gifts are for the immature child in this age. They will all be done away in the next age. Only love is of a mature man and will last for eternity. When we live and act by love, we have a foretaste of the next age and of eternity.
Nothing can shake love or remove it. All the other gifts, including prophecy, will eventually be done away with, but love remains. It never falls away. In the coming age there will be love, but there will be no tongues, interpretation, or prophecy. Both tongues, the most childish of the gifts, and prophecy, a more mature gift, will be done away.
In verses 9 and 10 Paul continues, “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is complete comes, that which is in part shall be done away.” In this age we know and prophesy only in part, not in full. The word “when” in verse 10 refers to the next age, the kingdom age. The word “complete” also means mature, in contrast with childish in the following verse. Furthermore, “that which is in part” refers to such things as prophecies and knowledge, as mentioned in verse 8.
Verse 11 says, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” In this age the believers are children, having the childish gifts. The word “child” here means an immature one. To reason as a child is to take account of things as a child. In the next age the mature believers will become men, and all the childish gifts, especially the least ones, tongue-speaking and its interpretation, will be done away. However, we can have a foretaste of the next age by living a life of love in this age. Love matures us in life; gifts keep us in childhood.
In verse 12 Paul goes on to say, “For now we see by means of a mirror obscurely, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall fully know as also I was fully known.” The word “now” refers to this age. Concerning the expression “by means of a mirror obscurely,” J. N. Darby says in his New Translation, “That is, through some medium which, in degree, hinders vision. The word means also ‘a mirror,’ but it is used for window, made, not of clear transparent glass, as now, but of semi-transparent materials.”
The word “then” in verse 12 refers to the next age.
In verse 13 Paul concludes, “But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” The word “but” here indicates a contrast between verse 13 and the preceding verses.
Faith receives the divine things (John 1:12) and realizes the spiritual and unseen things (Heb. 11:1). Hope reaps and partakes of the things realized by faith (Rom. 8:24-25). Love enjoys the things received and realized by faith and partaken of by hope for nourishing ourselves, building up others (1 Cor. 8:1), and expressing God, thus fulfilling the entire law (Rom. 13:8-10). Such a love causes us to grow in life for the development and use of the spiritual gifts, and is the excellent way to have the greater gifts. Hence, it is the greatest of the three abiding virtues. So we must pursue it (1 Cor. 14:1).
Love cares for the Body and builds up the Body. First love unites the Body and then builds it up. Therefore, we focus our attention on the love which builds up the Body. We should pursue love and remain in the Body to enjoy the Spirit.