"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
— 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)
1 Corinthians 13:12 is the verse people mean when they search the reference for "through a glass darkly" and "see face to face." This page is the passage and a plain reading. The familiar phrase page is Through a glass darkly. The line-by-line study is 1 Corinthians 13:12 meaning. The gifts that pass just before it are in 1 Corinthians 13:8. What remains after it is 1 Corinthians 13:13.
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The verse
1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV) reads: "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
The KJV's "through a glass, darkly" is the same clause in older English. Paul is explaining why prophecies, tongues, and knowledge will pass away: our knowing now is partial.
What the verse is saying
Ancient mirrors were dim compared with a face-to-face meeting. "Now" is the age of knowing in part. "Then" is when we see clearly and know fully, as God already knows us. The verse is not saying love is unclear. It is saying our present knowledge is incomplete — which is why ranking gifts as if they were the whole story is a mistake.
Verse 11 used childhood speech and thought as the same kind of picture. Verse 13 then names faith, hope, and love as what remains.
How people use 1 Corinthians 13:12
People look up the reference for the mirror image, funerals and hope sermons, and the KJV phrase "through a glass darkly." It fits when someone needs language for living with partial sight without giving up on clarity to come. See Through a glass darkly.
Questions people ask
What does 1 Corinthians 13:12 say?
It says now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
What does through a glass darkly mean?
It is the KJV wording for this verse: seeing dimly now, then face to face. Start with Through a glass darkly and 1 Corinthians 13:12 meaning.
Is this about romantic love?
No. Paul wrote it inside a chapter about spiritual gifts and love in the church. The mirror is about how much we know now, not about dating.
How does this connect to love never fails?
Verse 8 says love never fails while partial gifts pass. Verse 12 explains the partial knowing. Verse 13 says faith, hope, and love remain. Read 1 Corinthians 13:8 and 1 Corinthians 13:13.
Where should I read next?
For the phrase, read Through a glass darkly. For the study, read 1 Corinthians 13:12 meaning. For what remains, read 1 Corinthians 13:13.
