When The Perfect Comes . . .
God's grace to you upon this day.
We find ourselves today facing a text which is often misunderstood and has been taught in various ways throughout the history of the Church. Here's the text before we begin our discussion.
But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. 1 Corinthians 13:8b-10
There are three things the apostle Paul says are temporary in the life of God's people. Those three are prophecies, tongues, and knowledge. First let's look at these three.
The understanding of prophecy or prophecies is twofold, the first being the simple proclamation of the Word of God, and the second being a foretelling of future events. We see this throughout the Old Testament prophets, as they proclaim the word of God to the people of their day but within the prophecies they gave, there were those instances where the future was foretold. So, is Paul talking about prophecies in the sense of future events, or the proclamation of the Word of God for the people of today? The truth is we cannot really be sure.
The second gift Paul mentions is tongues. There is a great misunderstanding concerning speaking in tongues from the New Testament perspective. There are those who simply want to make it a heavenly language that is not understood unless God gives an interpretation to someone. But more precisely tongues was a gift given by which an individual was able to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a language they did not otherwise know. This enabled the apostles and others to spread the Word of God among cultures and peoples they were not familiar with, and whose language they did not know.
The third thing mentioned by Paul is knowledge. When can we imagine a time coming when knowledge will cease, or more precisely the seeking after knowledge which is what Paul is referring to. Are we not as God's people told to be always maturing in our faith, and seeking to understand more fully what it means to live as the people of God in the world today? So when would there come a point in time that knowledge is no longer something to seek after?
When Paul makes the statement For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end, he is directing us to a time in the future when prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will no longer be sought after because they will no longer be needed. There are two differing interpretations of what this means.
I have heard the first explanation given many times, and that is when the Scriptures, the New Testament as we have it today, was completed and delivered to the Church, there would no longer be a need for prophecies, tongues, or knowledge. We have the New Testament completed, given to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and handed down through the Church from one generation to the other. Is there no longer a need for the preaching of the Word, or the possibility of the revelation of future events? Are there no longer cultures and peoples who have never heard of Jesus who speak languages of which we do not know how to speak? And have we fully arrived in our understanding so that the search for knowledge is no longer needed? The obvious answer to all of these questions is no!
The second explanation given is more reasonable. We only know in part, and we only understand in part, because we are captive in this fallen sinful world where we have limited knowledge and limited understanding. Even with the Bible in hand there is much we do not understand and knowledge which is beyond our reach. Paul's assurance to us is the day is coming when the perfect will be available to us. What in the world does that mean?
What it means is that our life in this world is a temporary journey. So, either when we have completed our time of sojourning in this world and find ourselves standing in the presence of God, or when Christ returns and calls this creation to an end, the perfect will have arrived and that which is partial will no longer be needed.
Imagine if you will what that day will be like. We will know fully even as we are fully known, there will be no seeking after knowledge for all knowledge will have been given. There will be no need to proclaim the Word of God or even to no future events for we will have revealed to us the perfect understanding of all that God has to give to us. We will be standing in the presence of God celebrating as His eternal children. And there will not be a single person who does not know the truth of Jesus, both believers and unbelievers. All will have humbled themselves before him, for we are told that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. When this day has taken place there is no need for tongues to communicate the truth of Jesus to anyone, for all we'll know the truth of who He is as either Savior or Judge.
While it is not a direct application of what Paul is talking of at this moment, it is important for us to remember that this is the day in which we rely upon the Scriptures and all they reveal to guide us in our life as God's children in this world. The gift of tongues, prophecy, and seeking after knowledge, are still callings upon our lives. There are people who have never heard the name of Jesus who need in their own language to have the Gospel proclaimed to them so that their knowledge and understanding in the truth of God's love and grace might grow, and that they might be saved. While we have only what is partial it is what God has given us for our service to Him in this world, and it is sufficient. May we be found faithful in the use of the gifts entrusted to us for the good of people and for the glory of God.
Blessings,
Pastor Russ
We find ourselves today facing a text which is often misunderstood and has been taught in various ways throughout the history of the Church. Here's the text before we begin our discussion.
But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. 1 Corinthians 13:8b-10
There are three things the apostle Paul says are temporary in the life of God's people. Those three are prophecies, tongues, and knowledge. First let's look at these three.
The understanding of prophecy or prophecies is twofold, the first being the simple proclamation of the Word of God, and the second being a foretelling of future events. We see this throughout the Old Testament prophets, as they proclaim the word of God to the people of their day but within the prophecies they gave, there were those instances where the future was foretold. So, is Paul talking about prophecies in the sense of future events, or the proclamation of the Word of God for the people of today? The truth is we cannot really be sure.
The second gift Paul mentions is tongues. There is a great misunderstanding concerning speaking in tongues from the New Testament perspective. There are those who simply want to make it a heavenly language that is not understood unless God gives an interpretation to someone. But more precisely tongues was a gift given by which an individual was able to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a language they did not otherwise know. This enabled the apostles and others to spread the Word of God among cultures and peoples they were not familiar with, and whose language they did not know.
The third thing mentioned by Paul is knowledge. When can we imagine a time coming when knowledge will cease, or more precisely the seeking after knowledge which is what Paul is referring to. Are we not as God's people told to be always maturing in our faith, and seeking to understand more fully what it means to live as the people of God in the world today? So when would there come a point in time that knowledge is no longer something to seek after?
When Paul makes the statement For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end, he is directing us to a time in the future when prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will no longer be sought after because they will no longer be needed. There are two differing interpretations of what this means.
I have heard the first explanation given many times, and that is when the Scriptures, the New Testament as we have it today, was completed and delivered to the Church, there would no longer be a need for prophecies, tongues, or knowledge. We have the New Testament completed, given to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and handed down through the Church from one generation to the other. Is there no longer a need for the preaching of the Word, or the possibility of the revelation of future events? Are there no longer cultures and peoples who have never heard of Jesus who speak languages of which we do not know how to speak? And have we fully arrived in our understanding so that the search for knowledge is no longer needed? The obvious answer to all of these questions is no!
The second explanation given is more reasonable. We only know in part, and we only understand in part, because we are captive in this fallen sinful world where we have limited knowledge and limited understanding. Even with the Bible in hand there is much we do not understand and knowledge which is beyond our reach. Paul's assurance to us is the day is coming when the perfect will be available to us. What in the world does that mean?
What it means is that our life in this world is a temporary journey. So, either when we have completed our time of sojourning in this world and find ourselves standing in the presence of God, or when Christ returns and calls this creation to an end, the perfect will have arrived and that which is partial will no longer be needed.
Imagine if you will what that day will be like. We will know fully even as we are fully known, there will be no seeking after knowledge for all knowledge will have been given. There will be no need to proclaim the Word of God or even to no future events for we will have revealed to us the perfect understanding of all that God has to give to us. We will be standing in the presence of God celebrating as His eternal children. And there will not be a single person who does not know the truth of Jesus, both believers and unbelievers. All will have humbled themselves before him, for we are told that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. When this day has taken place there is no need for tongues to communicate the truth of Jesus to anyone, for all we'll know the truth of who He is as either Savior or Judge.
While it is not a direct application of what Paul is talking of at this moment, it is important for us to remember that this is the day in which we rely upon the Scriptures and all they reveal to guide us in our life as God's children in this world. The gift of tongues, prophecy, and seeking after knowledge, are still callings upon our lives. There are people who have never heard the name of Jesus who need in their own language to have the Gospel proclaimed to them so that their knowledge and understanding in the truth of God's love and grace might grow, and that they might be saved. While we have only what is partial it is what God has given us for our service to Him in this world, and it is sufficient. May we be found faithful in the use of the gifts entrusted to us for the good of people and for the glory of God.
Blessings,
Pastor Russ
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