Love Is...1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians is one of the most beautiful statements about love that has ever been written. 

We can see here there are 8 things that love is not (The Message and NLT version is in the brackets):

Love does not envy (is not jealous - want what it does not have) v4

Love does not parade itself (is not boastful) v4

Love is not puffed up (have a swelled head or proud) v4

Love is not rude (doesn’t force itself on others, or demand its own way) v5

Love does not seek its own (is not selfish) v5

Love is not provoked (doesn’t fly off the handle) v5

Love does not think evil (doesn’t keep score of the sins of others) v5

Love does not rejoice in iniquity (is never glad about injustice) v6

...and there are 8 things that love is:

Love suffers long (is patient - never gives up) v4

Love is kind (cares more for others than for self) v4

Love rejoices in the truth (takes pleasure in the flowering of truth) v6

Love bears all things (puts up with others) v7

Love believes all things (trusts God always) v7

Love hopes all things (always looks for the best) v7

Love endures all things (never looks back, but keeps going to the end) v7

Love never fails (will last forever - never dies) v8

1 Corinthians 13 (NKJV)

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3 And 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.

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

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.

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.