1 Corinthians 13:1-3
1 “If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions to charity, and if I surrender my body so that I may glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.”
But do not have love: Paul’s point is not that there is such a thing as a tongue of angels that believers can somehow express, but rather, he is speaking in hyperbole. Paul’s point is all spiritual gifts are nothing compared to love. Love is the greatest gift given to believers from God. It is God’s very love for the individual transmitted to people.
But do not have love, I am nothing: God’s love is the essence of Christianity. God wants people to know His love and transmit it to people. Furthermore, He wants us to transmit God’s love in everything we do including all spiritual gifts we may possess. Love is the ultimate Christian experience on the planet. Notice that love is even pitted against giving possessions to charity. This means that one can give possessions to charity without love.
