Summary: Paul starts off this chapter by explaining the great gift he had ended the previous chapter with, telling us that we should strongly desire these (the best gifts: the fruits of the Holy Spirit). Even though you may have great gifts like the ones previously listed, tongues, miracles, helping the poor- anything for the kingdom of God, but these without love= nothing, it doesn’t mean anything, it profits you nothing. Verse 4 then describes the characteristics of love: suffers long, kind, not envious, not puffed up- not prideful, does not behave rudely, doesn’t seek its own- selfless, not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity but in truth, bears all things, believe in all things, hopes all things, and endures all things: the top 3 (which is repeated in verse 13: summarising it all- abide in faith, hope & love) so vs 7 and 13 are identical- they also tie back to the end of chapter 12 telling us to desire the best gifts (faith, hope & love) and he shows us the most excellent way - telling us about love in the next chapter. Love never fails, whereas others like prophecies n knowledge will vanish away. Vs 9-10 basically tells us that right now we don’t know it all neither are we complete, but we grow in that knowledge and love and will get to a stage where we know better and put away what was previously imperfect, and ultimately perfected- complete, through Jesus. Vs 11-12 explains 9-10, saying while we were children we knew little but as we grew, we knew more, and put away the imperfect parts as we grew. When we became a man (complete) the old imperfect parts were done away. For now we don’t have the full picture but we’re climbing Jacob’s ladder- and will reach the top- when we come face to face with Jesus it will all make sense. And these things which we knew in part is done away cs we no longer know partially but fully. Vs 13 finishes with a summary- telling us to abide in faith, hope and love (the best gifts), to grow in them. These also summarise what we just read- explaining to us how we grow in these step by step, climbing Jacob’s ladder heading towards heaven- the higher we go, the closer we get to Jesus, the more clear picture we have of Him and when we finally get to heaven, we’ll have the full picture (focusing mainly- on love cz from it flows all others)