In 1 Cor. 13, charity is compared to prophecy, tongues, knowledge, faith, and hope. Charity is superior to all five of these things.

Charity is greater than prophecy because prophecies will fail (v.8). When Jesus returns to this earth, most prophecies will have been fulfilled. And what hasn’t been fulfilled will come to pass as written in the Bible or revealed directly by Jesus Christ himself. Thus, anyone who prophesies when Jesus is here is to be killed (Zech. 13:1-3).

Charity is greater than tongues because tongues will cease (v.8). According to 1 Cor. 14:22, "Tongues are for a sign." And according to 1 Cor. 1:22, "Jews require a sign." So, when all Israel is saved at the second coming of Jesus (Rom. 11:25-26) there will be no more need for the gift of tongues. Actually, the gift of tongues is the gift to speak in a language that is unknown to the speaker but known to the audience (Acts 2:6-8). The gift of interpretation is the ability to translate a language that is known to the speaker but unknown to the audience (1 Cor. 14:27-28). [This modern day tongues movement is not Biblical.]

Charity is greater than knowledge because knowledge shall vanish away (v.8). When Christ returns, or when "that which is perfect is come" (v.9), "they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying Know the Lord: for all shall know me from the least to the greatest," (Heb. 8:11). This concerns all who are in the new covenant.

Charity is greater than faith (v.13) because, when Christ returns, there will be no more need to believe him by faith, you will be able to see him (Rev. 1:7). After all, "faith is the evidence of things not seen," (Heb. 11:1).

Charity is greater than hope (v.13) because, when Christ returns our blessed hope will appear (Titus 2:13). Like Rom. 8:23-24 says, "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."

In other words, charity is greater than all of these because they all come to an end some day, but charity never does. Charity never faileth. And look at all the great qualities of charity that are found in verses 4-8.

As a matter of fact, Paul tells us that we can have all the faith anyone has ever had, speak with more tongues than anyone else, understand all the mysteries and prophecies, know everything there is to know, give all of our money to the poor, and submit our lives to martyrdom and without charity we would end up a total blank. Sadly, many modern Christians are more concerned with prophecy, knowledge, spiritual gifts, faith, giving and spiritual heroics than they are with genuine charity.

The underlying motive for everything we do in life, therefore, should be our love for Jesus Christ and our love for others (Col. 3:14, 1 Jn. 4:16-21). Without charity, the things we do in the name of Christ, for which we hope to be rewarded, will "profit [us] nothing." Conversely, if we follow after charity (1 Cor. 14:1), we will be the best that we can possibly be down here on earth, and we will have done something that Christ can reward up there in heaven.

Hope this helps,

Pastor Welder