1 Corinthians 13:6
“Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
Within the love chapter, Paul describes love's moral character, distinguishing it from any affection that would excuse or delight in wrongdoing.
What Does 1 Corinthians 13:6 Mean?
Paul names what love refuses to celebrate and what it gladly welcomes. Love "rejoiceth not in iniquity" -- it takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, whether its own or others'. And it "rejoiceth in the truth" -- it delights when what is right and true prevails. Love has moral direction; it is not indifferent to good and evil but is drawn toward the truth and repelled by sin.
This corrects a sentimental view that imagines love as endlessly approving of everything. Real love does not cheer when someone falls into sin, nor does it find satisfaction in another's moral failure, gossip, or scandal. It refuses to gloat over wrong. Instead, love finds its joy in truth -- in honesty, in righteousness, in things being as they ought to be. Notably, Paul pairs truth with love, showing they belong together rather than standing in tension. To love rightly is to love what is true; to embrace truth is part of loving well. This means love is willing to face hard realities and to rejoice when truth comes to light, even when comfortable illusions are exposed. Genuine love wants the best for others, and the best always aligns with truth, never with iniquity. Love and truth, for Paul, are inseparable companions.
In the Original Language
The Greek "adikia" (iniquity) means unrighteousness or injustice. "Synchairei tē alētheia" (rejoiceth in the truth) pictures love sharing joy together with the truth.
Cross References
“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.”
- Romans 12:9
“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”
- Ephesians 4:15
“I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth.”
- 2 John 1:4
Application
Let your love be honest and morally grounded -- refusing to delight in wrongdoing or gossip, and rejoicing whenever truth and righteousness come to light.