Is Love Greatest of All?

[spockrates]

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If I were the superstitious type, I’d think this verse is doubly cursed because it has two 13s:

And now these three remain–faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

(1 Corinthians 13:13)

For every time I ask what it means, I’m not lucky enough to get a satisfying answer. You see? Saint Paul says that love is the greatest of these three, and I’m convinced it is greater than faith and hope. But I’m not yet convinced it is greatest of all.

For example, would the apostle agree with this?

And now these [four] remain–faith, hope, [wisdom] and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I’m gambling that this time I’ll win confidence in the truth, but if my losing streak continues, I’ll settle for breaking even with a thoughtful and enjoyable dialog.

 

[MarcoPolo]

Before they had verse numbers put into the Scriptural text, this was a lucky verse then, right?

 

[kmcarl56]

*And now these three remain–faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13:13)

For every time I ask what it means, I’m not lucky enough to get a satisfying answer. You see? Saint Paul says that love is the greatest of these three, and I’m convinced it is greater than faith and hope. But I’m not yet convinced it is greatest of all. …*

The greatest of these three is love because it takes love to have faith and hope. Faith comes from the love of the Lord, and Hope comes from trusting the love from the Lord. Moreover, Jesus instructed us to love ourselves as we love Him, and that we should love our neighbors as well as our enemies as we love ourselves. The ultimate expression of love that Jesus demonstrated to us was his giving his own life to save ours.

With regard to the addition of wisdom to the words of Paul, wisdom comes only from knowledge and understanding, which gives you the reason for love, faith, and hope.

Ask God, He always provides an answer, whether we hear it or not.

​

 

[Loving_disciple]

http://www.physics.drexel.edu/~thoppe/projects/images/poker_img_outlaw.jpg

If I were the superstitious type, I’d think this verse is doubly cursed because it has two 13s:

And now these three remain–faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

(1 Corinthians 13:13)

For every time I ask what it means, I’m not lucky enough to get a satisfying answer. You see? Saint Paul says that love is the greatest of these three, and I’m convinced it is greater than faith and hope. But I’m not yet convinced it is greatest of all.

For example, would the apostle agree with this?

And now these [four] remain–faith, hope, [wisdom] and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I’m gambling that this time I’ll win confidence in the truth, but if my losing streak continues, I’ll settle for breaking even with a thoughtful and enjoyable dialog.

Hope and faith and everything that is good comes from love. God is love. So when it is said love is the greatest that is also saying God is the greatest.

 

[steve_b]

http://www.physics.drexel.edu/~thoppe/projects/images/poker_img_outlaw.jpg

If I were the superstitious type, I’d think this verse is doubly cursed because it has two 13s:
And now these three remain–faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

(1 Corinthians 13:13)

For every time I ask what it means, I’m not lucky enough to get a satisfying answer. You see? Saint Paul says that love is the greatest of these three, and I’m convinced it is greater than faith and hope. But I’m not yet convinced it is greatest of all.

For example, would the apostle agree with this?
And now these [four] remain–faith, hope, [wisdom] and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I’m gambling that this time I’ll win confidence in the truth, but if my losing streak continues, I’ll settle for breaking even with a thoughtful and enjoyable dialog.

When / if a person gets to heaven, they will no longer need faith or hope. All that is then, is love

 

[clmowry]

If I were the superstitious type, I’d think this verse is doubly cursed because it has two 13s:
And now these three remain–faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

(1 Corinthians 13:13)

For every time I ask what it means, I’m not lucky enough to get a satisfying answer. You see? Saint Paul says that love is the greatest of these three, and I’m convinced it is greater than faith and hope. But I’m not yet convinced it is greatest of all.

For example, would the apostle agree with this?
And now these [four] remain–faith, hope, [wisdom] and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I’m gambling that this time I’ll win confidence in the truth, but if my losing streak continues, I’ll settle for breaking even with a thoughtful and enjoyable dialog.

I believe Love IS the greatest of all things (including Wisdom).

That said, I’m not sure I understand your concern.

It seems a little to me like you are trying to compare apples and oranges.

Of the 3 Theological Virtues: Faith, Hope and Love. Love is the greatest (for the reasons Paul explains).

Wisdom is the 1st and greatest Gift of the Holy Spirit (the others being Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord - if I remember my elementary CCE classes!)

Wisdom is the perfection of faith whereby we come to value most those things which God values most.

What does God value most?

To Love God above all things and your Neighbor as yourself.

Ultimately all of these “great” things (the Virtues and gifts of the Spirit) should lead us back to Love of God, Neighbor and Self.

In any case, why does it matter which is “greatest”?

Chuck

 

[CrossofChrist]

http://www.physics.drexel.edu/~thoppe/projects/images/poker_img_outlaw.jpg

If I were the superstitious type, I’d think this verse is doubly cursed because it has two 13s:

And now these three remain–faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

(1 Corinthians 13:13)

For every time I ask what it means, I’m not lucky enough to get a satisfying answer. You see? Saint Paul says that love is the greatest of these three, and I’m convinced it is greater than faith and hope. But I’m not yet convinced it is greatest of all.

For example, would the apostle agree with this?

And now these [four] remain–faith, hope, [wisdom] and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I’m gambling that this time I’ll win confidence in the truth, but if my losing streak continues, I’ll settle for breaking even with a thoughtful and enjoyable dialog.

Nope. Love is greater.

What good was the Crucifixion of Our Lord if love isn’t the greatest of all? If it was wisdom, wouldn’t we all just be platonists?

 

[fisherman_carl]

Faith is belief in something as true. Hope is trusting in the Lord. And love is the greatest because without it we have nothing. It is what gives life meaning. For me it is intrinsically built into the fabric of our very beings that love is essential. Could you imagine being alone and living for eternity without love? Would you live just for the sake of existing? Without love we are mere machines existing for the sake of existing. If you had true wisdom then you would know that love is the greatest. Paul wrote that speaking out of wisdom.

"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 my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

1 Cor 13

 

[fhansen]

http://www.physics.drexel.edu/~thoppe/projects/images/poker_img_outlaw.jpg

If I were the superstitious type, I’d think this verse is doubly cursed because it has two 13s:

And now these three remain–faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

(1 Corinthians 13:13)

For every time I ask what it means, I’m not lucky enough to get a satisfying answer. You see? Saint Paul says that love is the greatest of these three, and I’m convinced it is greater than faith and hope. But I’m not yet convinced it is greatest of all.

For example, would the apostle agree with this?

And now these [four] remain–faith, hope, [wisdom] and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I’m gambling that this time I’ll win confidence in the truth, but if my losing streak continues, I’ll settle for breaking even with a thoughtful and enjoyable dialog.

Still working on this one Spock? What good would a universe be if it were filled with wisdom but without love? Paul also said:
**…21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness…**1Cor 1:21-22

And Jesus said:
At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Matt 11:25