Lessons #469 and 470
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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Permanence of Love (1 Cor 13:8-13)
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
The message of this section of 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 that we stated in our last study is: The permanency of love is the primary reason for its supremacy over gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge and over faith and hope. In our last study, we gave the first reason for the supremacy of love over the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge which is that it will never end while these other spiritual gifts will come to an end as far as their usefulness to the church of Christ. So, we continue our study today by considering the second reason.
The second reason for the supremacy of love over the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge is that these gifts are limited in nature in that they partially fulfill their functions. It is this reason that is given in 1 Corinthians 13:9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
The clause of 1 Corinthians 13:9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part is used to provide reason for eventual cessation of spiritual gifts as well as the reason for the supremacy of love over spiritual gifts. We say this because the word “for” that begins the clause is translated from a Greek conjunction (gar) that has several usages. For example, it can be used as a marker of inference with the meaning “so, then, by all means” or it can be used as a marker of cause or reason for something in which case it may be translated “for, because.” In our passage of 1 Corinthians 13:9, it is used as a marker of reason for what was stated in verse 8. As we indicated, what was stated in verse 8 is the permanency of love and the temporariness of spiritual gifts. It is for this reason that we stated that the clause we are considering provides reason both for the permanency of love and temporariness of spiritual gifts.
Anyway, the apostle used two sentences to convey that spiritual gifts are limited in their nature in that they partially fulfill their functions to the church of Christ. The first sentence the apostle used is in 1 Corinthians 13:9 we know in part. The word “know” is translated from a Greek word (ginōskō) that may mean to arrive at a knowledge of someone or something, hence “to know, know about, make acquaintance of.” Thus, it may be used to arrive at understanding of truth, as it is with this meaning that the word is used in Jesus’ declaration of being set free by knowledge of truth in John 8:32:
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
In the same meaning, it can refer to arrive at the knowledge or even be acquainted with someone as it is used by Apostle Paul regarding Christ in 2 Corinthians 5:16:
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
The translators of the NIV used the meaning “to regard” in translating our Greek word here since, for example, the sentence we once regarded Christ is more literally we have known Christ. The word may mean to acquire information through some means and so means “to learn (of), to ascertain, to find out.” Thus, it is in the sense of to find out something that our Greek word is used to describe Apostle Paul’s desire to learn about the faith of believers in Thessalonica, as we read in 1 Thessalonians 3:5:
For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.
The word may mean to grasp the significance or meaning of something and so means “to understand, comprehend” as it is used to indicate the disciples of Jesus did not comprehend what He said to them about His coming death and resurrection when they were on their way to Jerusalem as reported by Luke in Luke 18:34:
The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.
Of course, it is in this meaning of grasping the significance of something that our Greek word was used in the apostolic prayer of Paul for the Ephesians to comprehend Christ’s love for them although our word is translated “know” in Ephesians 3:19:
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
The word may mean to be aware of something, that is, “to perceive, notice, realize”, as it is used to describe that the woman Jesus healed of her bleeding, realized or perceived it, as recorded in Mark 5:29:
Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
The sentence she felt is more literally she knew, that is, she realized or perceived that she had been healed because her bleeding stopped. The word may mean “to acknowledge, recognize” as it is used in Galatians 4:9:
But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?
Although the NIV translated our Greek word with “know” twice but the sense of the Greek word in this passage is that of “to acknowledge.” Thus, the clause now that you know God is translated in the NEB as now that you do acknowledge God. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 13:9, the word is used in the sense of “to know (experientially),” that is, “to know or have knowledge about (someone or something); normally as acquired through observation or the senses.” Thus, the apostle indicates that the knowledge we have is limited because of the phrase of 1 Corinthians 13:9 in part.
The word “part” is translated from a Greek word (meros) that has two major meanings. The word may mean “part” in contrast to the whole as Apostle Paul used it to describe members of the body of Christ in Ephesians 4:16:
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
The word may mean “share” of or in something as the word is used to refer to the warning of the eternal punishment of those who reject the prophetic message of the book of Revelation, and by implication the rejection of the gospel message, presented in terms of being excluded from participating in the fruit of the tree of life in the holy city as we read in Revelation 22:19:
And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 13:9, the word is used together with a Greek preposition (ek) that may mean “from” but in our context because of the word “part,” it has the sense of “partially,” that is, “in part or in some degree.” In effect, it conveys the sense of “not wholly.”
The apostle simply stated in 1 Corinthians 13:9 we know in part or that we have limited knowledge similar to what the apostle stated about limited knowledge in the context of food sacrificed to idols as we read in 1 Corinthians 8:2:
The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.
When the apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:9 we know in part he did not tell us the objects of limited or partial knowledge. However, based on the apostle’s epistles and the Scripture in general, we can state some of the ways we have partial or limited knowledge. We have partial or limited knowledge of God in that we are limited to what we know of His thoughts beyond what He has communicated to us in His word as implied by what Apostle Paul states in the question recorded in 1 Corinthians 2:11:
For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
We have limited knowledge of languages of the world let alone the language of angels; that is the reason the apostle conveyed that the gift of speaking in tongues is not useful in the local church if there is no one to interpret it as we read in 1 Corinthians 14:9–11:
9 So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10 Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11 If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me.
We have limited or partial understanding of Christ’s love for us hence the prayer of Apostle Paul for the Lord to grant the Ephesians and so all believers the ability to grasp the significance of His love as we read in Ephesians 3:19:
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Certainly, we are all limited in our knowledge of God’s ways as implied in Hebrews 3:10:
That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’
No matter how much we struggle by learning the Scripture, we are limited in our knowledge of God’s ways so whatever knowledge we have based on the Scripture is partial and incomplete since there is so much to God that we cannot know with the bodily limitation we have. Thus, there is no gift of knowledge that could cause us to know fully God’s nature or ways on this planet. Anyway, the first way the apostle tells us that spiritual gifts are limited in their nature in that they partially fulfill their functions is that we are limited in our knowledge.
The second way Apostle Paul conveyed to us that spiritual gifts are limited in their nature in that they partially fulfill their functions to the church concerns the activity of prophecy. It is this that is given in the second sentence of 1 Corinthians 13:9 we prophesy in part.
The word “prophesy” is translated from a Greek word (prophēteuō) that basically mean “to prophesy” that is understood in three general ways. “To prophesy” may mean “to proclaim an inspired revelation” as it is used to describe the activity of the church in Corinth that would bring a sinner to admit that such individual is indeed a sinner as we read in 1 Corinthians 14:24–25:
24 But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
“To prophesy” may mean “to tell about something that is hidden from view” as the guards who guarded Jesus during His trial used it to taunt Him by asking Him to tell the one who hit Him since He was blindfolded as we read in Mark 14:65:
Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.
“To prophesy” may mean “to foretell something that lies in the future” as it is used to describe what the high priest Caiaphas said about the death of Jesus that it would be better for Him to die than for the whole nation of Israel to perish as we read in John 11:51:
He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 13:9, it means “to proclaim an inspired message either of proper behavior to a standard, or of future events.” Thus, the apostle indicates that the proclaiming of inspired message or predicting of future events is limited or partially carried out as in verbal phrase of 1 Corinthians 13:9 prophesy in part.
The assertion that we prophesy in part means that whenever the gift of prophecy functions that what is uttered is not usually the total picture of what is in God’s plan. You see, prophesy is nothing but God disclosing His plan to us to the extent He wants us to know. Thus, we know that the OT prophets that spoke of the coming of the Messiah and our salvation declared their messages in such a way that it was difficult to know more precisely or fully what they prophesied. It is this reality that is conveyed by Apostle Peter regarding OT prophets and their prophesies concerning our salvation accomplished by the Lord Jesus as we read in 1 Peter 1:10–12:
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
In the NT times, the recorded prophecies that involved future events were such that the information given can at best be described as incomplete. The two examples of the prophecies of Prophet Agabus prove our point. He predicted of famine that was to occur in the entire Roman world that was fulfilled as we read in Acts 11:27–28:
27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)
The prophecy concerning the famine was incomplete in that it did not tell how long that will last or what will come after the predicted famine. Another example of the prophecy of Agabus that we consider partial or incomplete is his prediction of the arrest of Apostle Paul by the Jews who would turn him over to the Romans as we read in Acts 21:10–11:
10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”
The Holy Spirit did not give Agabus any more detail than what we have recorded. God had a plan for Paul to be in Rome for the purpose of witnessing for Christ. This was not revealed to Agabus meaning that his prophecy was partial or in part. However, the Lord also revealed to Paul partially what would happen to him but not the entire picture as we read in Acts 23:11:
The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
According to the information we have in this verse, the Lord did not tell Paul what would happen after he testified about Him in Rome. Thus, the prophecy of Paul was partial or incomplete. The point is that because God does not fully reveal His plan all at once or even to one person, any prophesying that occurs must be considered partial or in part.
We have considered two ways the apostle conveyed to us that spiritual gifts are limited in their nature as it involved knowledge and prophecy. There is no reference to tongues in 1 Corinthians 13:9 and so some take this to mean that the gifts of tongues would cease before even the other spiritual gifts. This position is not supported by the entire text where Paul addressed some of the gifts he mentioned. The fact that the apostle indicated that what we know is limited or partial implies that he was concerned with various limitations to knowledge. We have previously mentioned limitation of languages so that an interpreter is needed when the gift of tongues is exercised if the speaker could not interpret it. If the one that exercises the gift of tongues could not interpret what the person said that means the individual knows in part and so it would be wrong to say that because the apostle did not include tongues in verse 9 that that meant the gift of tongues would cease before the other spiritual gifts. All the same, the second reason for the supremacy of love over the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge is that these gifts are limited in nature in that they partially fulfill their functions in the church. This brings us to the third reason.
A third reason for the supremacy of love over the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge is that they will end when the perfect comes. It is this reason that is given in 1 Corinthians 13:10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. This clause is not only concerned with the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge but with every spiritual gift. Furthermore, it defines for us the time when all spiritual gifts would come to an end.
The interpretation of the clause we are considering has caused great difficulties among scholars. To understand the major problem of the clause, let me give you the literal translation of the clause from the Greek. Literally, the Greek reads But when the perfect comes, the in part will be done away. The literal reading indicates that the problem is how to interpret the phrase the perfect.
The word “perfect” is translated from a Greek adjective (teleios) that the Greeks used in different ways. It was used as a technical term of the mystery religions to refer to one initiated into mystic rites so means “initiated.” The Greeks used it in the sense of “whole” especially with reference to sacrifices. But they also used it to describe stages of learning – beginning, advance, and maturity. When a person reaches the limit of his professional ability, he was considered perfect in that profession. I can relate it to the professorial ranks in the university – assistant professor, associate professor, full professor. Full professor is the perfect professor in that it is the completed rank. So, in their philosophy, the Greeks viewed a perfect man as one who has attained “firm and true views, insight and philosophical knowledge, and the goods which these things carry with them.” The Jewish writer Philo considered a perfect man as one who is pure in word, deed and in his whole conduct. Even in the OT the idea of perfect also implies “unblemished, undivided, complete.” The point is that the word “perfect” carries the sense of “completeness” or “wholesomeness.” However, it has several nuances in the NT. The word may mean “perfect” as it pertains to meeting the highest standard of things, as it is used by James to describe gift that comes from God in James 1:17:
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
It may mean “perfect” as it pertains to being fully developed in a moral sense as the word is used in James 3:2:
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
The word may mean “mature” in the sense of spiritual maturity as in Hebrews 5:14:
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 13:10, the Greek word has the sense of “perfection,” that is, the state of being complete and without defect or blemish. However, in the Greek our word is used with a definite article so that there is problem with how to interpret the Greek phrase. The difficulty in part is due to the fact that the Greek phrase used is in the neuter gender and so may be translated “what is perfect” or more literally “the perfect.”
The question is what does “the perfect” mean? The answer is important in the debate concerning cessation of spiritual gifts. We have considered this question in detail in our introduction of the study of Hebrews where we relied primarily on the 1989 doctoral dissertation of Jon Mark Ruthven published in 1993 under the title “On the Cessation of the Charismata: The Protestant Polemic on Post-Biblical Miracles.”. We will review the necessary portion of our treatment of the interpretations of what “the perfect” means in 1 Corinthians 13:10.
To me, the weakest interpretation is that which takes “the perfect” as a reference to the Scripture, specifically the New Testament so that the clause when perfection comes refers to the completion of the New Testament canon. This, to me, is the weakest interpretation of the passage for it is a case of reading into the Scripture someone’s bias. There is nothing in the context or anything in the Scripture that remotely suggests this kind of interpretation. But the scriptural basis for rejecting this interpretation is the context. You notice that verse 12 that we will consider later reads Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. Apart from the fact that the Apostle Paul was speaking, using himself to make his point about what will happen in the future, to take the interpretation that the clause when perfection comes is a reference to completion of the Scripture has an implication that is hard to fathom. The implication is that when the Scripture is completed then believers, since we possess it, will know more of the truth of God’s word than the Apostle who wrote these words. This is unthinkable, so for that very reason we see how weak this interpretation is. Because of this, we need not spend any further time with this interpretation, thus we move to two most serious interpretations of what the perfect means.
A first serious interpretation takes the Greek word (teleios) translated “perfect” as a reference to what is “mature” or “complete.” Those who adopted this meaning interpret the clause of 1 Corinthians 13:10 when perfection comes in various ways such as “when the church is mature” or “when the Gentiles are included in the church” or even “when the Scripture is completed.” The last two interpretations have been recognized by many as no longer valid so the interpretation that is still peddled by many is that the clause refers to when the church is mature. In this way, the fact that the church is described figuratively as the body of Christ implies that church is growing up since the time of Pentecost but gradually will mature especially once it has complete revelation of God in the NT canon. This interpretation will incorporate the view that the maturity is mature love that will be in the church that makes the childish desire for the spectacular gifts unnecessary.
Several justifications are provided for this interpretation. First, it is argued that Paul’s use of the Greek word translated “perfect” is never in the sense of absolute perfection. Included in this argument is the fact the Greek word (teleios) in question is used two other times in 1 Corinthians in the sense of maturity in Christian life (1 Corinthians 2:6) and human maturity (1 Corinthians 14:20, NIV used the word “adult” for the literal meaning of “mature”) in connection with one’s thought process. Of course, this is not a strong argument since the meaning of words is determined by context. Second, that it is this view that gives an adequate sense to the illustrations of verses 11 and 12 in the passage of 1 Corinthians 13. In that in verse 11 a relative maturity is signified, while in verse 12 absolute maturity is indicated. Third, Ephesians 4:13-14 more explicitly presents the picture of the maturing of Christ’s body collectively. It is argued then that there are striking similarities between 1 Corinthians 13 and Ephesus 4. For example, in both chapters the general subject of discussion is spiritual gifts. Both passages use figure of human body to represent the church. Growth from childhood to maturity is emphasized in both. It is true that both passages are somewhat similar but the context in which spiritual gifts are mentioned is different. In 1 Corinthians 13 the apostle interrupted his teaching on spiritual gifts to teach on the importance of love but in Ephesians 4 the apostle makes a plea for unity and then discussed spiritual gifts necessary to prepare believer to attain maturity of the type that will only occur in a heavenly state. Fourth, this view is argued provides for Paul’s uncertainty as to the time of the Second Coming and status of a written canon. There is nothing in the context that suggests that the apostle had in mind completion of the written canon let alone being uncertain as when that will occur.
A second serious interpretation of this passage is in which the Greek word (teleios) used is taken in the absolute sense of “perfect” so that the clause when perfection comes refers to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Some commentators admit that it is difficult to decide which of these two views is intended but in the end most of those with the cessationist theory adopt the first serious interpretation. This notwithstanding, the second interpretation is the one I believe to be what the apostle intended and is consistent with the passage of 1 Corinthians 13:8-13. We adopt this view for several reasons.
First, it is the view that is in keeping with the context of 1 Corinthians. We know that context is very important in the interpretation of a passage or in the meaning of a word used in a passage. Without careful attention to the context, one could take any meaning of a Greek word to suit his agenda. The context of 1 Corinthians that is relevant to the issue of spiritual gifts is what the apostle said about spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 1:4-8:
4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way — in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Right after his greeting to the Corinthians, the apostle enters into thanksgiving for them not because of their character but because of the grace of God given to them in Christ Jesus. This was his first reason for the thanksgiving. The mention of “grace” sets up the context for whatever the Apostle had to say about the Corinthians. The word “grace” is translated from a Greek word (charis) that no doubt means kindness displayed to an individual that certainly does not deserve it, hence the word means “favor, grace.” This Greek word is related to another Greek word (charisma) that means “spiritual gift” the apostle used later in verse 1 Corinthians 1:7. You hear some believers use the word “charismata” or “charismatic”; both are from this Greek word (charisma). Now the apostle’s use of the word “grace” as he begins his thanksgiving is, no doubt, intended to remind the Corinthians about the grace of God and that whatever they have is a result of God’s grace to them. It seems that some of the Corinthians because of their spiritual gifts have a feeling of superiority or they think that they have arrived spiritually. It is for this reason that the apostle not only reminds them that all they have received in their spiritual life is a matter of the grace of God. Not only did the apostle remind them of this, but he rebuked them for arrogance of thinking that they have arrived spiritually, as we note from 1 Corinthians 4:7-8:
7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? 8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings — and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you!
So, it should be clear that the context of this first epistle to the Corinthians indicates that the Corinthians were in spiritual pride of having arrived since this understanding will help in the interpretation of the section where the apostle spoke of spiritual gifts. It is true that the word “grace” as used in 1 Corinthians 1:4 by the apostle is intended to remind the Corinthians of God’s favor towards them as something to keep in mind as they read this epistle, but in context the word “grace” probably refers to the “sum total of God’s gifts considered as a whole.” This is because verses 5 and 7 of 1 Corinthians 1 are concerned with gifts.
In any case, another reason the apostle offered his thanksgiving to God is because what results from God’s grace or His gift towards the Corinthians constitute their spiritual enrichment. For we read in 1 Corinthians 1:5 For in him you have been enriched in every way. The word “enriched” is translated from a Greek word (ploutizō) that means to cause someone to be rich. To be sure that the Corinthians understood that this richness is spiritual, the Holy Spirit through the apostle first tells them that it is richness that is in Christ with the phrase in him. Then he goes on to tell them in what way they are rich. He mentions speech and knowledge in the phrase in all your speaking and in all your knowledge. A more literal rendering is in all speech and all knowledge.
We used the word “speech” because the Greek noun (logos) used in this context refers to communication whereby one expresses what is in his mind. Hence, the Greek word can mean “utterance, chiefly oral.” The fact that the apostle used the word “all” in connection with the Greek word translated “speech” or “utterance” and the word “knowledge” indicates he was thinking of the spiritual gifts that involve communication that leads to knowledge of truth. In effect, he has introduced the spiritual gifts that involve communication such as tongues, prophesying, and interpretation of tongues, and the resultant knowledge associated with them. In short, in mentioning “speech” and “knowledge” the apostle has introduced the gifts he will later reference in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10:
8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
The apostle in 1 Corinthians 1:5 merely introduced what he will deal with later. But before he continued to write of the richness of the Corinthians, he reminded them that these gifts associated with communication are miraculous in nature. This, he did by comparing these gifts to the miraculous work done among them during the preaching of the gospel as he stated in the clause of 1 Corinthian 1: 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. The word “because” of the NIV is one way to translate the Greek adverb (kathōs) used. This adverb in 1 Corinthians 1:6 could be used either as “a marker of similarity in events and states” in which case it means “just as, even as” or “as a marker of cause or reason, often with the implication of some implied comparison,” hence the meaning “in as much as, because.” The meaning “because” conveys the sense that gifts the Corinthians received came as a result of the preaching of the gospel to them, which is true; but it seems that the apostle had much more in his mind as he wrote 1 Corinthians 1:6. Hence, in this passage the Greek adverb is used to make comparison of the spiritual gifts the Corinthians received as a result of the preaching of the gospel to the miraculous confirmation of the gospel to them. Confirmation of the gospel was done through miracles, as we may gather from Acts 14:3:
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.
The apostle spoke of preaching the gospel with such power that involved miracles, as he stated in Romans 15:19:
by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
The point is that as the gospel was confirmed with miracles among the Corinthians, the apostle wants them to remember that the communication gifts that he introduced in 1 Corinthians 1:5 are miraculous gifts. Be that as it may, once the apostle established that the gifts he introduced in 1 Corinthians 1:5 are miraculous in nature, he then told the church in Corinth that their richness in spiritual gifts is complete. This is the essence of the clause of 1 Corinthians 1:7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.
Two points should be noted about verse 7. It tells us that the church in Corinth has all the spiritual gifts that God has given to the church. The implication of this assertion is that all local churches should expect to have all the spiritual gifts that God has given to the church. Another point about verse 7 is that it answers the question regarding the duration of these spiritual gifts. They are to be with the church until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as in the clause of 1 Corinthians 1:7 spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. The expression “spiritual gift” is translated from the Greek word (charisma) we mentioned previously that in the context refers to “spiritual gift.” If the spiritual gifts given to the church of Corinth will continue during the duration of Jesus’ physical absence from the earth, it is difficult to conceive how it can be said that the miraculous gifts have ceased. This brings us to the context issue that is essential in interpreting the word “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10.
The apostle indicated that Jesus Christ will sustain the church until He returns as we read in 1 Corinthians 1:8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our interest is with the word “end.”
The word “end” is translated from a Greek noun (telos) that in our passage could mean either “a point of time marking the end of a duration,” hence, “end, termination, cessation” or “the goal toward which a movement is being directed,” hence “goal, outcome.” Because of these two meanings some take the Greek word here to mean “maturity,” while this is possible, but two facts should exclude this meaning. First, the expression “keep… strong” is translated from a Greek verb (bebaioō) that in our passage means “to increase in inner strength, with the implication of greater firmness of character or attitude,” hence means “to establish, strengthen.” Since it is the church that is addressed, it is the strengthening or establishing of the church during a period of time that is involved in the verse instead of reaching maturity. Second, the context that indicates the spiritual gifts will continue until the Second Coming requires that we take the Greek word to mean “end” rather than “maturity” as some contend. If we accept that the Greek word (telos) used in 1 Corinthians 1: 8 should be translated “end” as the context suggests, we should expect that when the apostle used in 1 Corinthians 13:10 a related Greek adjective (teleios) that means “perfect” in the context of spiritual gifts then the Corinthians will be thinking of the Second Coming of Christ and not the maturity of the church. Therefore, the first reason for accepting the interpretation that states that spiritual gifts should continue until the Second Coming is the context of the book.
Second, we take the clause of 1 Corinthians 13:10 when perfection comes as a reference to the Second Coming of Christ because that is the interpretation that fits the context of 1 Corinthians 13:8-13. This section of 1 Corinthians 13 is introduced to make the apostle’s point about the superiority of love because of its permanent nature. All the miraculous spiritual gifts that some of the Corinthians were boasting about are temporary in that they will one day come to an end but not so for love since it will continue into the permanent state with God. Therefore, it is the time period that demonstrates its superiority that the miraculous spiritual gifts will cease which will be in the eternal state or when Christ returns.
Third, the clause when perfection comes is a reference to the Second Coming of Christ because it is the interpretation that best fits the assertion of 1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. We will examine this passage in more detail later in our study. We simply reference it to support the fact that the interpretation of that when the perfect comes refers to the Second Coming of rather than maturity of the church or completion of the NT canon.
In any case, the apostle indicates that something will happen when Christ returns as in the last sentence of 1 Corinthians 13:10 the imperfect disappears. Literally, the Greek reads the in part will be done away. The use of the definite article leads to the interpretation that the phrase the in part is a reference to “the imperfect.” In the context, “the imperfect” refers to all spiritual gifts not only those of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge. When Christ returns, there will be no need for any spiritual gift since the Lord of the church is personal present with His own. Thus, every spiritual gift will end. You see, the word “disappears” is translated from the same Greek word (katargeō) we previously indicated means “to end” in 1 Corinthians 13:8. Therefore, it is proper to state that all spiritual gifts will end or disappear in the words of the NIV. This brings us to the two pairs of comparisons the apostle made that we would consider in our next study.
11/18//22