Love
must ultimately conquer - and hatred will ultimately wither in exile
There are four words in Greek for love, agape the selfless and gracious
fruit of God's miracle of the New Birth,
which is greater than sexual love, and stronger than the love of
friendship is here translated 'charity'.
....yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
1 ¶ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,
and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling
cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I
could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I
give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me
nothing.
4 ¶ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth
not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not
easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things,
endureth all things.
8 ¶ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies,
they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether
there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in
part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a
child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away
childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:
now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the
greatest of these is charity.