1 Corinthians 13

Which worship songs are based on 1 Corinthians 13?

If I Don't Have Love — Leeland, Lauren Sloat (2023) 1 Corinthians 13:1-8
The song closely adapts Paul’s description of love as patient, kind, humble, hopeful, enduring, and unfailing. Its chorus also follows Paul’s warning that tongues, prophecy, extraordinary faith, generosity, and bodily sacrifice amount to nothing without love.
Menorah — Jackie Hill Perry & nobigdyl. (2025) 1 Corinthians 13:1
The pairing of loveless zeal with a noisy gong and clanging cymbal directly invokes Paul’s warning that impressive spiritual speech is empty without love.
The Way of Love — Tenielle Neda (2025) 1 Corinthians 13:2
The repeated assertion that without love one is nothing echoes the sentiment found in 1 Corinthians 13:2, emphasizing the fundamental importance of love in life.
wannabe — Danny Gokey (2024) 1 Corinthians 13:4
The description of divine love as patient and kind directly adopts the opening attributes in Paul’s definition of love.
No Conditions — Hannah Kerr (2024) 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
The song directly adopts Paul's description of love as patient, kind, forgiving, persevering, trusting, hopeful, and enduring.
Has anyone ever left you high and dry? — ELEVATION RHYTHM, Ryan Ellis (2022) 1 Corinthians 13:4
The song directly adopts Paul’s description of love as patient and kind, then echoes his teaching that love perseveres rather than giving up.
I Love You (Always) — Paul Baloche (2020) 1 Corinthians 13:4
The opening description of God closely echoes Paul’s characterization of love as patient and kind, applying those qualities directly to God’s unchanging nature.
Never Known — Seph Schlueter (2025) 1 Corinthians 13:4
The bridge directly adopts Paul’s opening description of love’s character, applying its qualities to the steadfast divine love celebrated throughout the song.
I Want To Thank You — Kelly Price (2021) 1 Corinthians 13:4
The song directly invokes Paul’s description of love through the paired qualities of patience and kindness.
Lean Back (feat. Amanda Lindsey Cook & Chandler Moore) — Chandler Moore & Amanda Cook & Maverick City Music (2020) 1 Corinthians 13:4
The song directly adopts Paul’s description of love as characterized by patience and kindness, applying those qualities to God’s love.
Mad — Travis Greene & Jonathan McReynolds (2025) 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
The bridge directly draws on Paul’s description of love as patient, kind, slow to anger, and unwilling to keep an account of wrongdoing.
She Loves Jesus — Chase Matthew (2022) 1 Corinthians 13:4
The narrator directly invokes the opening description of love in Paul’s teaching, applying its emphasis on patience to the woman’s willingness to love an imperfect partner.
Who I Thought You Were — Olivia Lane (2024) 1 Corinthians 13:4
The paired description of God as patient and kind closely follows Paul's opening description of love and supports the song's revised understanding of God's character.
What A Love — John Mark Pantana (2024) 1 Corinthians 13:5
The description of Jesus not maintaining an account of the singer’s offenses closely paraphrases Paul’s characterization of love as not keeping a record of wrongs.
This Is How I Thank The Lord — Mosaic MSC (2022) 1 Corinthians 13:5-7
The description of God removing the accounting of wrongdoing and responding with charitable trust closely echoes Paul’s portrayal of love as not keeping an account of wrongs and always trusting and hoping.
This Is How I Thank The Lord - Live — Mosaic MSC (2022) 1 Corinthians 13:5-7
The description of God retaining no account of wrongdoing and believing the best closely follows Paul's description of love as neither recording wrongs nor ceasing to believe.
The One You Love — Elevation Worship (2022) 1 Corinthians 13:8
The bridge repeatedly uses Paul's concise declaration about love's enduring character, applying it specifically to God's love for the worshipper.
When It Was Over — Sara Groves (2025) 1 Corinthians 13:8
The bridge directly invokes Paul’s declaration about love’s unfailing character and applies it to enduring relational commitment.
Why It Matters — Sara Groves (2025) 1 Corinthians 13:8
The description of unfailing love directly invokes Paul's declaration about love's enduring character.
Friend — Tasha Cobbs Leonard (2025) 1 Corinthians 13:11
The decision to leave childish ways behind while growing older closely echoes Paul's description of maturity as putting away the things of childhood.
Worth the Wait — Terrian (2024) 1 Corinthians 13:11
The repeated description of abandoning childish ways closely paraphrases Paul's illustration of spiritual maturity as putting childhood behind oneself.
Touching God (feat. Yebba & Blood Orange) — Blood Orange & Daniel Caesar & YEBBA (2025) 1 Corinthians 13:11
The bridge directly adopts Paul's contrast between childhood speech and thought and the maturity of adulthood.
Walking in Daylight — Cosmic Cathedral (2025) 1 Corinthians 13:12
The lyrics reference seeing 'through a glass darkly' which directly quotes the biblical passage about the limitations of human understanding and the promise of clarity in the future.
Keep On Keeping On — Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (2021) 1 Corinthians 13:12
The expectation that present uncertainty will give way to fuller understanding in a future face-to-face encounter closely echoes Paul's contrast between partial knowledge now and complete knowledge then.
This Side Of Heaven — Seph Schlueter (2025) 1 Corinthians 13:12
The anticipated transition from present struggle to seeing God directly evokes Paul's contrast between incomplete perception now and face-to-face knowledge in the age to come.
Come Jesus Come — CeCe Winans (2024) 1 Corinthians 13:12
The expectation that believers will one day encounter Christ face to face reflects Paul’s contrast between present partial knowledge and future complete vision.
Revolution — Skillet (2024) 1 Corinthians 13:13
The bridge presents faith, hope, and love together and in the same order as Paul's enduring threefold virtues. It adapts the biblical triad into the foundation for the song's envisioned movement.
Faith Hope Love — We Are Messengers (2026) 1 Corinthians 13:13
The song directly quotes the concept that faith, hope, and love are the enduring virtues that remain, echoing the message found in 1 Corinthians 13:13.

1 Corinthians 13 (King James Version)

¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

⁴ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

⁸ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

⁹ For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

¹⁰ But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

¹² For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

¹³ And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.