The first seven verses of 1 Corinthians 13 describe what love is. As we read this passage, we must remember that love is, at its core, a person: God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). Knowing God and His infinite and unconditional love surpasses everything. If we do not have and know that love, we are nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2).
1 Corinthians 13
8 Love never fails, but prophecies will come to nothing, tongues will cease, knowledge will come to nothing.
Finite and endless
Love never fails, God’s love is infinite and limitless. As the Statenvertaling (State Translation) and New International Version say: love never ends. This contrasts with the gifts mentioned here: prophecy, speaking in tongues, and the gift of knowledge; they will be abolished or simply cease.
Not a complete word of God
We must remember that the time in which Paul wrote this and in which the Corinthians lived was a special period. They did not have access to the word of God, as we do. They had the Tanakh, our Old Testament, and probably also some early letters of Paul, such as the Thessalonians and Galatians. Presumably, the letter of James already existed, and perhaps they had the Gospel of Mark. But they did not yet possess the complete word of God, as we do.
Change
The time in which the Corinthians lived was a transitional period, described in Acts. Israel rejected the Messiah, and salvation was sent to the nations (Acts 13:46-47; Acts 28:28). Israel was God’s chosen people, but was temporarily set aside. God’s plan for Israel ceased, and a previously hidden program was revealed through the apostle Paul (Eph. 3:3-6; Col. 1:25-26).
Truths Regarding the Ecclesia
In the time between Israel’s rejection and their acceptance (Rom. 11:11, 15) in the future, salvation went to the nations, and God is gathering a people from all nations for His name (Acts 15:14). This is the ecclesia, the body of Christ.
New
New truths regarding this plan of God were revealed through the apostles that had not yet been recorded in writing. To equip and build up believers during this transitional period, God gave temporary gifts such as prophecy, speaking in tongues, and knowledge. These gifts, however, were temporary, for something better would take their place: the recording of these truths in Scripture.