But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
Parallel translations
- WEB But earnestly desire the best gifts. Moreover, I show a most excellent way to you.
- KJV But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
- BSB But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
- NASB But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And yet, I am going to show you a far better way.
- NLT So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul urges them to earnestly desire the higher gifts, yet promises to show a still more excellent way. He points beyond gifts to love.
Overview
Paul affirms a right zeal for gifts that build up the church, while redirecting their priorities. The 'most excellent way' he introduces is love, the subject of chapter 13. Gifts have their place, but without love they are empty; love is the indispensable path that gives all gifts their value in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 1 Cor 13:1If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.
- 1 Cor 14:39Therefore, brothers, desire earnestly to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking with other languages.
- Matt 5:6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
- Phil 3:8Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ
- 1 Cor 8:1Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
- Luke 10:42but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
- Heb 11:4By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 12:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.