Greatest of these is love

Most Christians know about 1st Corinthians 13. Many have had portions of it recited at their wedding, even if they're not overly religious or Christian. It's a great chapter about love.

Anything else? Let's take a second look:

1Cr 13:8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

This expresses a contrast between the eternal, which is love, and the temporary. That's right, these other things will end, while there is no end to love.

1Cr 13:9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part;

This life is a finite life, and no matter how much we study we will never learn everything. No matter how we strive to discover and discern, we can never see it all in this life. No matter what we think of God, in this life we will always have a limited vision.

1Cr 13:10,11 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

When we come to the end of our finite self, what is left is the only thing that is eternal-- love. There will be no more reason to study or limit to our vision. Just as teens no longer play with building blocks like when they were toddlers, we will have no more reason for human rituals.

1Cr 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

1Cr 13:13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

For now, we have faith, hope, and love. But the particulars of faith end up to be training wheels that are removed from our bikes. Similarly, hope will eventually be unnecessary!

Faith and hope will both be unnecessary!

Some are adamant that we are saved by God seeing our good works, which also demands having the absolutely correct vision and definition of God.

Others are equally as certain that we are all saved by God's grace.

But there will come a time when we are past these disputes, and we will see them as the childish babblings that they really are.

And what will be left? Love. Love is eternal. Love is God, and God is love. Love created us, love sustains us, and we become love.