A more hexcellent way than desiring gifts....earnestly desire love. The gifts of the Spirit work by love.
We see the sick and suffering and we love them earnestly as our own souls...we will desire them to be healed.
We see those in any kind of trouble, we love them earnestly from the heart....God will work through us.
That is Paul's more excellent way.
I respectfully disagree.
His point is that the gifts will cease when their intent reaches it's perfection or intended end.
That when they do, only faith, hope and love (charity) will remain because they are the intent that God is working towards via the gifts in these assemblies back then.
That, that being the case (the gifts ceasing one day), the Corinthians would do well to live by those three now, for that was a part of why they had been given, and that was what would remain - faith, hope, and love - as those three are able to hold one fast in the Lord in all things.
As, say, those saints at Thessalonica had.
1Thess. 1
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
I'm well aware that to subscribe to this understanding appears a negative to some.
But it is not.
Due to that more excellent way that replaced the gifts, once said gifts had reached the means by which their intended perfection is instructed in.
Thus, Paul's last words on this means that had once been "we know in part," 1 Cor. 13. 10.
Paul's last word on this issue, now that he had it in his hand - 2 Tim. 3:
2Tim 3:
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Tim. 4:
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
The Scripture is now the means of said perfection in hope, love, faith.
The Corinthians "laboratory" wherein the Spirit had worked those three was in the midst of the Corinthians tendency toward narcissim.
While the Thessalonians' "laboratory" had been the persecutions they had had to endure - in faith, hope, and love.
Each assembly had it's chief, collective issue.
The Galatians' "laboratory" had been the misapplication of Law someone had corrupted their sense of faith, hope, and love through.
And so on...
We learn those three - faith, hope, and love (charity) and then we go out and apply them in our dealings, not only with one another, but with all people.
The problems and temptations one encounters as one attempts to live out the Christian life on the basis of this more excellent way, is the very "lab" in which those three are perfected.
Say we disagree with one another on some point - do we practice those three, or do we bite and devour one another, for example?
The best to you in those three - faith, hope, and charity.