1 Corinthians 13
Written to a church in conflict, not to a couple in love.
Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
What’s happening here
The Corinthian church was divided over leaders, suing each other, arguing about spiritual gifts, and humiliating the poor at the Lord’s Supper. Chapter 13 sits between two chapters on spiritual gifts and answers the question of what those gifts are for. Every line of “love is” is a description of what the Corinthians were not being: patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, not rude, not self-seeking. It is one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible and it was written as a rebuke. Which is why it works at a wedding: it describes love as something you do when it is hard, not something you feel when it is easy.
How it gets misread
Read as a sentimental description of romance. It is a demanding standard aimed at people who were failing it.
How to use it
Excellent for weddings if the couple is told what it is. Also the right passage for a church, a family, or a team in conflict.
Read it with its neighbors
Context is the whole method. The search shows any verse with the ones around it.
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