Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Corinthians 13:8

"Love never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall be done away; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall be done away." — 1 Corinthians 13:8 (ASV)

Charity never faileth.—From the positive and negative qualities of love described and enumerated in the preceding passage, the Apostle now turns to contrast the imperishable character of love and other graces with the ephemeral nature of gifts. The Corinthians held an exaggerated estimate of the value of gifts such as tongues and prophecy, and undervalued the graces of faith and love. Now the Apostle shows that they were thereby preferring the things that are temporary to the graces that are eternal.

One faction, indeed, exalted to the highest place a gift—that of tongues—which was the most ephemeral of all Christian gifts. Regarding “tongues,” see Note on 1 Corinthians 14:2. “Prophecies,” in the plural, suggests the varied gradations of power possessed by the preachers, in some cases including that deep spiritual insight into the realities of the present which enabled the preacher to foretell distant events.