Many years ago now whilst serving in the RAF in Burma, I had spent a day off in Rangoon and discovered I could not get a lift back to my camp. It was dangerous to make the journey alone, so I went to the YMCA to stay the night. It was fully booked and the secretary suggested I sleep in an armchair in the library. I looked through the book titles and saw a book entitled "The Greatest Thing in All the World". I took it in my hand, went to an armchair and spent most of the night reading it. It was based upon 1 Corinthians 13 and written by Henry Drummond. I was not a Christian at that time and had no real interest in the things of the Lord. Yet I have reason to believe that book that night was making the first impression in my mind of thoughts toward God.
Don't be afraid to read this passage (or any part of the Scriptures) a few times, in order to grasp, first the general content, and then the details. Preferably use the Authorised Version. Give yourself time and opportunity to "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).
Divide the passage into parts or sections, if possible. Find a heading for each section and note the verses included in that section.
Notes on "Charity"
The key word in our passage is "charity". It occurs nine times. The Greek word from which it is translated is AGAPAO. This is true whether we use the traditional text [the Textus Receptus], one of the 27 editions of the Nestle/Aland text, the UBS text or the recent Hodges and Farstad Majority text.
The word is translated commonly in modern versions as "love". The same word in the AV is also translated "love" in Mark 12:31 and John 15:12. Why then did the AV translators use "charity" in I Corinthians 13?
One good reason is that they wanted to give the word special meaning in this particular chapter in which Paul is defining its meaning. In the Greek there are several words which are translated "love", each of which has a distinctive meaning. If only the word "love" is used, as in all modern versions, there is a loss of its higher meaning which involved a self-sacrifice for others. Much that is called love today is selfish lust. Paul is not defining this at all.
Charity [providing we learn the real meaning] is in fact the more accurate word. It denotes an active benevolent love that gives for the sake of others. The Godlike kind of love... "For God so loved the world, that He gave..."
Once again, the AV [when we take the time to consider it] is the more
correct. The word "love" today needs defining as it has been so debased.