Life is the element of God; love is the expression of God as life. Hence, God is love (1 John 4:16). God as life is expressed in love. All the fifteen virtues of love listed in vv. 4-7 are the divine virtues of God's life. Such a life differs from the outward gifts listed in ch. 12. The Corinthians were pursuing the outward gifts, but they neglected love, the expression of God's life. Hence, they were still fleshy, fleshly, or soulish (1 Cor. 3:1, 3; 1 Cor. 2:14). They needed to grow in life (expressed by their love in caring for the Body of Christ), pursuing love, not the outward gifts, that they might be spiritual (1 Cor. 2:15).

Some MSS read, that I may be burned.

As a martyr.

Lit., in a riddle.

In the next age.

In this age.

In the next age.

Faith receives the divine things (John 1:12) and substantiates the spiritual and unseen things (Heb. 11:1). Hope reaps and partakes of the things substantiated by faith (Rom. 8:24-25). Love enjoys the things received and substantiated by faith and partaken of by hope, for nourishing ourselves, building up others (1 Cor. 8:1), and expressing God, thus fulfilling the entire law (Rom. 13:8-10). Such love causes us to grow in life for the development and use of the spiritual gifts, and it is the most excellent way to have the greater gifts. Hence, it is the greatest of the three abiding virtues. So we must pursue it (1 Cor. 14:1).

I.e., survives everything, holds its place. Love survives everything and holds its place forever. It never fails, never fades out or comes to an end. It is like the eternal life of God. All the gifts, whether prophecies, or tongues, or knowledge, are means for God's operation; they are not life, which expresses God. Hence, they will cease and be rendered useless. They are all dispensational. Only life, which love expresses, is eternal. According to the succeeding verses, all gifts are for the immature child in this age. They will all be rendered useless in the next age. Only love is characteristic of a mature man and will last for eternity. Hence, when we live and act by love, we have a foretaste of the next age and of eternity.

The same Greek word as for bear in 1 Cor. 9:12 (see note there). This word means not only
1) to contain, to hold (as a vessel ),
2) to cover (as a roof ) others' mistakes, but also
3) to shelter and protect by covering (as a roof ).

The totality of unrighteousness is Satan, and the totality of truth is God. Love as the expression of the divine life does not rejoice over Satan's unrighteousness but rejoices with God's truth.

In the next age — the kingdom age.

Or, mature; in contrast to being a child in the next verse.

I.e., prophecies, knowledge, etc., as mentioned in v. 8.

In this age the believers are children, having all the childish gifts.

I.e., immature.

Lit., reckoned.

In the next age the mature believers will become men, and all the childish gifts will be rendered useless. However, we can have a foretaste of the next age by living a life of love in this age. Love matures us in life; gifts keep us in childhood.

In this age.

Some sources say that this is to see through a window. "That is, through some medium which, in degree, hinders vision. The word means also`a mirror,' but it is used for window, made, not of clear transparent glass, as now, but of semi-transparent materials" — J. N. Darby in his New Translation.