"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
— 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)
1 Corinthians 13:13 is the last verse of the love chapter. Paul names three things that remain — faith, hope, and love — and then says the greatest of these is love. This page stays with that verse: the words, what they mean after verses 8 through 12, and how the line is used. The vernacular phrase is The greatest of these is love. Faith, hope, and love as people type it is Faith, hope and love Bible verse. The longer study of love as the greatest is 1 Corinthians 13: love is the greatest.
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The verse
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV): "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
In context, verse 8 has said love never fails while prophecies, tongues, and knowledge cease. Verses 9 through 12 say we know in part and see in a mirror dimly. Verse 13 is the landing: what remains is faith, hope, and love. Through a glass darkly is the vernacular for verse 12. The whole chapter is 1 Corinthians 13.
What 1 Corinthians 13:13 means
"Remain" (or "abide" in older English) sets these three against the temporary gifts the church was ranking. Faith trusts God. Hope waits for what he has promised. Love is the patient, kind, unfailing way Paul defined in verses 4 through 8.
Love is the greatest because it is not only a stance toward the future. It is the present way of treating people, and it does not expire when partial knowledge ends. Paul does not throw faith or hope away. He ranks love first among the three that last. Love never fails two verses earlier is the claim this ranking rests on.
How it is used
Churches read the verse at weddings and at ordinary services when the point is what outlasts gifts and seasons. The first readers were believers arguing in Corinth, not a bridal party. The application still fits a marriage, a friendship, and a congregation. Ceremony lists that include this line are Wedding Bible readings and Wedding Bible verses.
Questions people ask
What does 1 Corinthians 13:13 say?
It says, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 13:13?
After saying temporary gifts pass away and that we know only in part, Paul names faith, hope, and love as what remains, and love as the greatest of the three. Love here is the same love defined earlier in the chapter: patient, kind, and unfailing.
Why does Paul say love is the greatest?
Because love is the way of life that does not end when partial knowledge ends. Faith and hope look forward. Love is already how God and his people treat others, and it remains.
How does verse 13 relate to verses 4 through 8?
Verses 4 through 7 describe what love does. Verse 8 says love never fails. Verse 13 closes the argument: of the three that remain, that love is the greatest. Read What 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 means for the middle of the chapter.
Where should I read next?
For the search phrase, read The greatest of these is love. For faith, hope, and love together, read Faith, hope and love Bible verse. For the longer greatest-is-love study, read 1 Corinthians 13: love is the greatest. For the chapter, read 1 Corinthians 13.
