The Greatest Gift (Manifestation) of the Holy Spirit

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, chapter 13, has been quoted at weddings, written on greeting cards, and memorized by believers for centuries. It’s known as the love chapter, and for good reason. But if it’s only read as a beautiful piece of poetry about love, something crucial is missed. This wasn’t just a nice interlude or a standalone meditation on love. Paul wasn’t writing this to make people feel warm and fuzzy. He was correcting something.

Corinth was a city with a serious reputation. It was a melting pot of Greek philosophy, Roman ambition, and every kind of religious practice imaginable. It was a city of wealth and excess, but also of deep spiritual hunger. The church in Corinth reflected the culture around it—divided, competitive, and obsessed with status. The believers there had been given incredible spiritual gifts, but they had lost sight of the reason behind them. They had started to view spiritual gifts as a way to prove their own importance, as a measure of personal greatness. Some gifts were considered more impressive than others, and those who had them were seen as more spiritual, more powerful.

Paul had been addressing these issues from the very beginning of his letter. He tackled division, pride, immorality, and the misuse of spiritual gifts. But in chapter 13, he shifts the conversation. It’s like he steps back and says, you’re so focused on these gifts, on what you can do, on who has what—but you’re missing the most important thing.

Then he begins:

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:1).

The Corinthians would have recognized this imagery immediately. Pagan temples in their city were filled with loud, crashing cymbals meant to stir up spiritual frenzy. Much like many of the churches of today do. Without love, even the most impressive spiritual speech—whether human language or angelic tongues—was nothing more than empty noise.

The word Paul uses for love here is agapē (ἀγάπη). This wasn’t just any kind of love. Greek had several words for love—philia (φιλία) for friendship, eros (ἔρως) for romantic desire, storgē (στοργή) for family affection. But agapē was different. It was selfless, unconditional, sacrificial. It wasn’t based on emotions or attraction or even mutual benefit. It was the kind of love that gives without expecting in return. The kind of love that God Himself demonstrates.

Paul doesn’t stop there. He keeps pushing the point:

If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love (agapē), I am nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2).

This is a direct challenge to the Corinthian mindset. They valued prophecy. They valued deep spiritual insight. They valued mountain-moving faith. These were seen as signs of spiritual greatness. But Paul says, without love (agapē), they are nothing. Not just less powerful. Not just less effective. Nothing.

The Greek word he uses here is outhen (οὐδέν), meaning utterly without value, void of meaning. The gifts might still be operating, but the person using them? Without love, they are empty.

And then he makes an even more extreme statement:

If I give away all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body so that I may boast, but do not have love (agapē), it does me no good (1 Corinthians 13:3).

Even the most dramatic acts of charity and sacrifice—giving everything away, even laying down one’s life—amount to nothing without agapē. It’s not about the actions themselves. It’s about the heart behind them.

And then Paul shifts. He moves from what love isn’t to what love is.

Love is patient, love is kind.

The Greek for patient is makrothumeō (μακροθυμέω). This isn’t just waiting without complaining. It means long-suffering. The ability to endure without growing bitter. The strength to bear with people, even when they frustrate or mistreat you. This was critical for the Corinthian church, where conflicts were common.

The word for kind is chrēsteuomai (χρηστεύομαι). This isn’t just about being nice. It’s active, practical goodness. It means looking for ways to bless others, even when it’s inconvenient.

Then Paul starts listing things love does not do.

Love does not envy (zēloō - ζηλόω). It doesn’t burn with jealousy. In a church where people were competing for status, this was a direct challenge.

Love does not boast (perpereuomai - περπερεύομαι). It doesn’t brag, it doesn’t show off. It doesn’t try to make itself look better than others. In a culture obsessed with honor and recognition, this was radical.

Love is not arrogant (phusioō - φυσιοῖ). It isn’t puffed up with self-importance. Corinthian society was built on climbing the social ladder. Paul is telling them to climb down.

And then he gets even more practical.

Love does not act unbecomingly (aschēmonei - αἰσχημονεῖ). It doesn’t behave rudely or disgracefully.

Love does not seek its own (zētei - ζητεῖ). It isn’t self-centered. It doesn’t put itself first.

Love is not provoked (paroxynetai - παροξύνεται). It doesn’t have a short fuse. It doesn’t get easily irritated or angry.

And one of the hardest ones:

Love does not take into account a wrong suffered (logizomai - λογίζομαι). This is an accounting term. Love doesn’t keep a record of offenses. It doesn’t hold grudges. It doesn’t keep score. In a culture built on honor and revenge, this was completely upside down.

Then Paul brings it all to the final, unshakable truth:

Love never fails.

The Greek word here is pipto (πίπτω), meaning to fall or collapse. Everything else—prophecies, tongues, knowledge—will eventually fall away. But love? Love is eternal. It’s the one thing that lasts.

Even faith and hope—two of the most essential things in the Christian life—will one day no longer be needed. Faith will become sight. Hope will be fulfilled. But love will remain.

And that’s why Paul ends with this:

And now abide faith, hope, love (agapē), these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

At the core of everything, beyond all the gifts, beyond all the knowledge, beyond all the miracles—love is what matters most.

And this is the true manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Not just tongues. Not just prophecy. Not just miracles. The greatest manifestation of the Spirit is agapē—the love of God, flowing through His people.

If the Spirit is truly at work, it’s not just about supernatural power. It’s about supernatural love. Because without love, even the most incredible gifts are empty. But with love? That’s where true power is found.

I hope this message blessed you. If so, please leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you.

Anna M. C. Hazen  2025

The image is AI generated on chatgpt.