In a recent study for JWN, I rediscovered a version of the NT that I bought some time ago. It is Jack J. Blanco's The New Testament — A Devotional Paraphrase to Stimulate Faith and Growth. Here's 1 Corinthians 13 in its entirety, keyed in by my own hand. The bolding here in verse 1 is that of Mr. Blanco. His plain language may bring a fresh perspective and new insights for you all, as it did for me.
1. If I had the spiritual gift of speaking in any language I needed to, including the language of heaven, but didn't have that selfless love for others that Christ had, my gift would sound like a bronze gong and a pair of clanging cymbals.
2. If I had the prophetic gift to predict the future and the gift of knowledge so that I could understand everything, no matter how difficult it is, and if I had the gift to see through all problems, and the gift of faith to work mighty miracles, such as moving mountains, but I didn't have that selfless love for others that Christ had, all these gifts would mean nothing.
3. If I were to give everything I have to the church, and could donate enough money to feed the world, or if I were to become a martyr-hero and unflinchingly face death by fire, but did not have that selfless love for others that Christ had, all such heroic acts would be worthless.
4. The kind of selfless love that Christ had is patient and kind. It never envies. It never puffs itself up. It never thinks of its own importance or serves only itself.
5. This kind of selfless love is never rude or behaves unbecomingly. It's never interested in itself and its own advantages. It never focuses only on what's wrong.
6. The kind of love for others that Christ had is never happy when things go wrong in people's lives, even if they brought the trouble on themselves. But it always finds joy in what's good and in the eventual triumph of what is right.
7. This kind of love believes in people. It is always full of hope, and it always takes what comes its way without complaint.
8. The kind of selfless love that Christ had will never become obsolete, but one day prophesying will, as will the gift to speak in different languages, and even much of what we've learned.
9. The reason for this is simple. Our knowledge is not complete and our prophesying gives us only a small glimpse of the future.
10. When the end comes and God gives us complete knowledge of things, then that which is only partial and incomplete will pass away.
11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, because I understood and thought as a child. But when I grew up and thought as a mature adult should, I stopped talking about things as a child would. My childish thinking was no longer adequate for my adult life.
12. When we compare our present life to the future life, we are seeing only the reflection of things, but then we will see and understand things about ourselves as clearly and perfectly as God understands and knows us now.
13. The only things that are important in life and that really count are faith in God, hope for the future, and having the kind of love for others that Christ had. These are the only three qualities that really matter, and the greatest of these is having the love that Christ had.