Summary

Paul concludes his description of love (1 Corinthians 13:4–7) with four positive verbs, all of which highlight the active nature of love. The word all, which introduces each of the four statements, can mean either all things or always.

Love Bears All Things

To bear can be translated either as to cover or as to bear up under (a load). When the verb is translated in the second way, the last statement in the verse (Love…endures all things) essentially becomes a repetition of the first. We therefore prefer the translation to cover.

Love covers the sins of others. This truth is expressed also by Peter: Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). It is found in Proverbs 10:12: Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses, and in Proverbs 17:9: Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.

Love Believes All Things

When Paul writes that love believes all things, he does not mean that love makes a person gullible and naïve. Rather, he is referring to an unshakable belief in God, who works all things for our good (Romans 8:28). This belief liberates us to love others without fear and undue self-protection (see Genesis 50:19–21).

Love Hopes All Things

There is a strong connection between love, faith (as we have just seen), and hope. These three qualities are again mentioned together at the end of 1 Corinthians 13.

When Paul writes of hope, he is referring to the joyful expectation of the fulfilment of God’s promises in Christ. Hope patiently waits for that fulfilment, even when circumstances are dark.

Love Endures All Things

To endure means to stand fast under difficult circumstances. The encouragement to endure is repeatedly found in the New Testament. Towards the end of his life, Paul would remind Timothy that if we endure for the sake of Christ, we will also reign with him (2 Timothy 2:12).

Here the phrase all things clearly refers to suffering. When we are willing to endure suffering for the sake of God and our neighbour, it is a clear proof of our love for both (see, for example, 2 Thessalonians 1:3–4).