"Do everything in love."
— 1 Corinthians 16:14 (NIV)
1 Corinthians 16:14 is four words in the NIV, and it is Paul's last short command to a church that had been fighting over leaders, gifts, and rights. This page gives the verse, what the key Greek words mean, where it sits at the end of 1 Corinthians, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see 1 Corinthians 13, Short Bible verses about love, and Bible verses about love.
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The verse
The King James reads: "Let all your things be done with charity."
"Love" or "charity" is agapē (G26), the same word Paul uses throughout 1 Corinthians 13. "Be done" is ginomai (G1096), to happen or come about. Read literally, it says: let all your things happen in love.
Where it sits in 1 Corinthians 16
Verse 14 comes right after a set of four short, strong commands: "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong" (1 Corinthians 16:13). The KJV words are "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." "Watch" is grēgoreō (G1127), "stand fast" is stēkō (G4739), "be courageous" is andrizomai (G407), and "be strong" is krataioō (G2901).
The chapter is the letter's closing: plans for a collection for the church in Jerusalem, travel plans, and greetings. Earlier in the letter Paul had written that "knowledge puffs up while love builds up" (1 Corinthians 8:1) and given the long description of love in 1 Corinthians 13.
What the verse is saying
Verse 13 calls for firmness and courage. Verse 14 makes sure that strength does not turn hard. Standing firm in the faith and doing everything in love belong together.
"Everything" is the point. Not only kind deeds, but arguments, decisions, giving, worship, and correction. Paul had spent the letter dealing with a church that used its gifts and freedoms to compete. His closing word is that all of it should be done for the good of others, the kind of love that "is patient" and "is kind" (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) and that "binds them all together" (Colossians 3:14).
Questions people ask
What does 1 Corinthians 16:14 say?
In the NIV it says, "Do everything in love." The KJV says, "Let all your things be done with charity."
What does "Let all your things be done with charity" mean?
In the KJV, "charity" translates agapē, the same word newer translations render "love." It means that everything you do should be done out of love for others, not for show or to get your way.
What is the context of 1 Corinthians 16:14?
It comes near the end of the letter, right after verse 13: "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong." Paul pairs courage and firmness with love.
Is 1 Corinthians 16:14 about marriage?
Not directly. Paul wrote it to a whole church about all of life. Many couples use it at weddings because it is short and fits any relationship, including marriage.
What verses go with 1 Corinthians 16:14?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (love is patient, love is kind), Colossians 3:14 (over all these put on love), and 1 Peter 4:8 (love each other deeply) are close companions.
