13:4-7 Galatians 5:22-23 says, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Nine things are listed, but the verse says “fruit” not “fruits.” This shows that love is THE fruit of the Spirit, and the other eight things listed are characteristics of love. We see this in the description of charity found in 13:4-7. The below is my opinion of which of the eight characteristics of love (joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance) is mentioned in each description of charity found in 13:4-7:

“Suffereth long” = longsuffering
“Kind” = gentleness
“Envieth not” = peace
“Not puffed up” = meekness
“Seeketh not her own” = meekness
“Not easily provoked” = temperance
“Thinketh no evil” = goodness
“Rejoiceth in the truth” = joy
“Beareth all things” = longsuffering
“Believeth all things” = faith
“Hopeth all things” = faith
“Endureth all things” = longsuffering

Contrast this with Revelation 13:15 which says that, for the last half of the tribulation period, the false prophet will “cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” Matthew 10:21 says that Satan will get family members involved in this: “And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.” What a world of difference there is between God’s love and Satan’s hate! Honestly, it is the difference between heaven and hell.

This should teach us that, as far as God is concerned, the end does not justify the means. Therefore, we should not try to trick or coerce people into believing the gospel or sound doctrine. Instead, God’s love would have us suffer long with others, be kind, do not envy how many people are on Satan’s side or their higher standing in the things of this world, do not be puffed up about knowing more truth than others, do not seek our own well-being, do not be easily provoked into an argument, do not think evil of others, rejoice when we have the opportunity to share the truth with others, bear with their unbelief, believe that they can still be saved, have hope that they will believe, and endure with them until they finally believe the gospel and learn sound doctrine (13:4-7). This is charity applied. It is how God’s love comes through us to others in order for them to be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth.

13:8-11 When 13:8 says, “Charity never faileth,” it does not mean that, if we share charity with others, they are guaranteed to believe the gospel and/or sound doctrine that we are trying to show them. “Faileth,” in this context, refers to no longer existing. We know this to be true based upon the next statement: “Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail” (13:8). Obviously, God’s prophecies do not fail in the sense that they fail to come to pass. Therefore, “fail” must mean that they will cease. Basically, Paul is saying that charity will last forever.