Love
Bible Verses About Love: What 1 Corinthians 13 Actually Asks of Us
Updated
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Paul wrote these lines to a divided, gifted, argumentative church — not to a wedding. The context matters. Love here is the corrective to spiritual talent that has outrun spiritual character.
Every description is a verb or a refusal, never a feeling. Love is patient describes what love does with time; not irritable describes what love does with provocation. This is love as practice, measurable in ordinary rooms.
Reading the passage with your own name in place of the word love is uncomfortable and clarifying. It moves the chapter from poetry to diagnosis, and diagnosis is where change begins.
Author & editorial board
Written by
Daniel Okonkwo — M.Div., Biblical Studies
Editor, Year for the Word
Daniel writes the daily reflections for Year for the Word. He has spent fifteen years teaching Scripture in local churches and small groups, with a focus on making the whole Bible readable in a single year.
Reviewed by
Rev. Marianne Silva — M.Div., Pastoral Theology
Pastoral Reviewer
Marianne reviews every topical guide for doctrinal accuracy and pastoral tone before publication, drawing on two decades of parish ministry and lay-leader training.
Practical takeaways
- Substitute your name for 'love' in verses 4-7 and note the first phrase that stings.
- Choose one person who is hard to love and do a concrete, unannounced kindness for them this week.
- Practise one delayed response: when provoked, wait an hour before replying.
Frequently asked questions
Start Your Daily Reflection with Year for the Word
Read the whole Bible in a year — one passage, one reflection and one prayer a day. Free, in your language, five minutes a morning.
Begin today’s readingNo sign-up required to read today.