1 Corinthians 16:14 (KJV)

What does 1 Corinthians 16:14 mean?

In 1 Corinthians 16:14, Paul tells the Corinthian believers that love should shape everything they do. The KJV word “charity” means love, not simply giving money to people in need. Paul makes love the manner in which their actions are to be carried out.

The instruction comes after Paul’s brief calls to courage and strength in verse 13. Verse 14 shows that those qualities belong alongside love as the Corinthians deal with one another.

The Greek behind 1 Corinthians 16:14

• “charity” — ἀγάπη (agapē): The Greek word carries the sense of love. Here, the KJV uses “charity” in that broader sense, rather than the narrower modern sense of donating to a cause.
• “Let … be done” — γίνομαι (ginomai): The Greek word can carry the sense of something happening or being carried out. Here, the sentence directs how the Corinthians’ actions are to take place.

Why 1 Corinthians 16:14 matters

• Love has a place across the Corinthians’ shared life, not just in one kind of activity. Paul says “all your things,” giving the instruction a broad reach.
• Love is tied to the way actions are performed. The phrase “with charity” describes the manner of their actions, rather than naming one more task on a list.
• Paul’s closing instruction echoes his earlier discussion of love. In chapter 13, he describes love as patient and kind and says that impressive actions without love amount to nothing.