1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

1 Corinthians 13:11 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.

1 Corinthians 13:12 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.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "through", "glass", "darkly", "face", "part", "shall", and "even". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "through" and "glass", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "When I was a child I spake..." into verse 13's "And now abideth faith hope charity these...", so "through" and "glass" belong inside that flow. In 1 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "through" and "glass" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.