Paul continues the discussion with a plea to “earnestly desire” the best gifts. The Greek allows for two possibilities, either Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to covet, or is merely stating that desiring the best gifts is what they are doing. Whatever the case, he sets before them an even better way.49 In some ways the Corinthians strove for spirituality, and they thought spiritual gifts were a measure of it. Paul says that the real measure of spirituality
1 Corinthians 12:31–13:3