Chapter Summary

Love, the supreme gift of the Spirit, and its governing power over other gifts.

Discussion Questions for 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13

1. What does Paul mean by "angelic languages" (HCSB) in verse 1? In what ways is this connected to spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit in chapter 12?
2. Why is love such an important virtue for God's people? In what ways do you struggle to show love to those around you?
3. What is the relationship between the external actions in this chapter, and the internal posture of "love" (HCSB)? In what ways do "works" and "the heart" go together?
4. How does this passage lead us to view "legalism"? How do you avoid doing nice or godly things just for the sake of doing those things?
5. Is Paul saying that we should never do anything nice if we don't have the right heart behind it? How then does that explain all the generous deeds of people in the world who do not know Christ?
6. Compare the negative and positive attributes of "love" (HCSB). If you were to do an inventory of your own life, how many of these characteristics would you see present or missing? How would you work on incorporating the Biblical concept of love into your everyday life?
7. Why will love "never" end, but the other spiritual gifts will? Does the Bible give us a time frame for when the spiritual gifts will end? If not, how would you interpret verses 8-10?
8. 1 Corinthians 13 is commonly known as the "love chapter". In what ways are love and spiritual gifts mutually dependent? How does the context of the "Body" (HCSB) of Christ help more fully explain the purpose of spiritual gifts?
9. What is the purpose of Paul mentioning all of the childish things he did? How does this relate to expressing love? In what ways are you maturing in your Christian walk in your speech, conduct, and thoughts?
10. Why is love the "greatest" (HCSB) of all? How would you say that God's love in your life is superior? How is expressing love to others superior to all other gifts and characteristics?

Key Words/Phrase

Love, v. 1 (charity).

Characters

Paul.

Strong Verse(s)

1-3, 12, 13.