Here is a bible study note done in June 1996.
Study 4: What is ‘that which is perfect has come’ (13:8-13)
11 Jun 1996
Introduction
a. At the end of chapter 12 Paul says he is going to show us a more excellent way. In doing so, he turns our mind away from the special spiritual gifts and focuses our attention upon a supreme spiritual grace - agape.
- In 13:1-8a, the apostle Paul reminds us three important things about agape - a love that is patterned after God's love for us in Christ - love is indispensable, love has distinct character, and love is permanent.
- Love never fails! This abiding love is then contrasted with the spiritual gifts that the Corinthian believers are obsessed with. These spiritual gifts are all temporary - they will fail, they will be abolished. When?
b. Apostle Paul states categorically that these gifts (prophecy, tongues, and knowledge) will fail, cease. etc.
- Note that these gifts belong to a common category. That is why they are mentioned together. These are special revelatory gifts that have to do with the revelation of God's word.
- The certainty that they will fail is indisputable: 'shall fail', 'shall cease', and ‘shall vanish away'.
- The time, though clearly stated, as "when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away" - is the sore point of dispute.
- Our task is to understand this passage before us with three basic rules of interpretation: There is no contradiction in God’s word; the text must be seen in its context; and Scripture itself must interpret Scripture.
- What is "that which is perfect" and has "that which is perfect" come? Let the Scripture speaks for itself.
He who interprets the Scripture without taking its meaning from the Scripture does violence to the Scripture.
1. Some General Observations
a. Verse 9 and 10 constitute one sentence in the Greek text. This means that the subject (the matter under consideration) of the two verses is the same. They are speaking of the same thing.
- The same basic thing is being compared. It was in part (incomplete) at the time when the epistle was written, but it will become complete (perfect) some time in the future, future with respect to Apostle Paul.
- The subject of the "in part" in verse 9 is about the special revelatory gifts of prophecy and knowledge. This is the subject throughout the one sentence in verses 9-10.
- The mention of the special revelatory gifts of knowledge and prophecy would automatically include "tongues" since it is in the same category and is listed between the other two that are mentioned.
- "that which is perfect" (to teleion) is neuter (ie. not masculine or feminine). It means 'the completed thing'.
- "that which is in part" (merous - plural of meros) is also neuter. It means parts of a completed whole.
- The subject is a neuter thing. It cannot possibly refer to Jesus Christ (masculine) or heaven (masculine).
b. "shall be done away" is katargethesetai - third person future passive indicative of katargeo, meaning 'to abolish, to destroy, to bring to an end'. Apostle Paul was inspired to use this very strong word to express the cessation of these gifts. This word implies that the abolition of the gifts was to be a complete obliteration beyond recall, abolished such that they will never be revived again, destroyed and never to be seen again.
2. 'That which is Perfect'
a. 'to teleion' - an adjective in its various gender - masculine (teleios), feminine (teleia), neuter (teleion) is used 18 times in the whole of NT. In all its usage, to teleion is never once used to describe Jesus Christ, or heaven, or the second coming of Christ - the common but erroneous interpretations insisted by the charismatics and some others. The plain meaning of the text excludes these baseless interpretations.
- Kindly check for yourself the 18 occurrences in these passages: Mt 5:28 (2x), 19:21; Rm 12:2; 1Cor 2:6, 13:10, 14:20; Eph 4:13; Phil 3:15; Col 1:28, 4:12; Heb 5:14, 9:11; Ja 1:4 (2x), 1:25, 3:2; 1Jn 4:18.
b. 'to teleion' means "having reached its end or destination, i.e. finished, complete, perfect."
- It is used of persons, primarily of physical development, with its ethical import. eg 1Cor 2;6, 14:20.
- It is used of things, referring to its completeness. eg Rm 12:2; Ja 1:4,25.
- In 1Cor 13:10, it refers "to the complete revelation of God's will and ways..." (Vine)
- At the time the epistle was written, 'that which is perfect' was only in a state of merous - only partial and incomplete. But this partial and incomplete thing was in the process of being made whole and brought to completion/completeness. Can this be a reference to Christ or heaven?
Can there ever be a Christ or heaven in a partial state progressing towards completion??????? Is Christ or heaven ever in a state of progress???????
- This is a plain and simple description of the progression of the revelation of God. The revelation of God was given progressively (in clarity) and cumulatively (in quantity) until it was completed. The revelation of God was in the process of coming to perfection/completion by the completing of the Holy Scripture. Rev 22:18-
c. "we know in part and we prophesy in part" :
- before "that which is perfect has come", this is the manner of God's revelation. The complete Bible did not drop down from heaven. Nor was it given in parts through just one prophet. It was given in many parts (installments) through many different prophets. cp Heb 1:1. So also was the NT scripture. No one had a complete knowledge, each was given a part of the divine revelation. Combined together, they will finally have the complete/perfect whole.
- When apostle Paul was writing the epistle to the Corinthian believers, the OT Scripture was already completed, but the NT Scripture was being revealed. It was also given progressively and cumulatively, given in parts through various different people, apostle Paul being one of them. All of them could only know in part and prophesy in part.
- But once "that which is perfect has come" - once we have the completed revelation of God inscripturated, then the completed revelation of God has come. That which is perfect has come. Knowing in part and prophesying in part have fulfilled their divine purposes. The part-ial manner of revelation, in the process of time has brought in the completed manner of revelation - the completed Holy Scripture. cp 2Tim 3:16-17.
- When the partial has served its purpose of bringing in the completed, the partial is abolished forever.
d. This truth of the revelation of God is described elsewhere in similar way:
- 2Tim 3:15-17: "... The Holy Scriptures... all Scripture is God-breathed... that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." The completeness of the Scripture is emphasized.
- Ja 1:21-25: "... the implanted word... be doers of the word and not hearers only... he who looks into the teleion law of liberty..." All these refer to the revealed word of God.
- When Scripture interprets Scripture, we find that the revelation of God is described as that which is perfect and completed. When the full revelation has come with the completed Scripture, the special revelatory gifts (knowledge, tongues and prophecy), which revealed in part are no longer needed, and are abolished.
e. "And now abide faith, hope, love...": even when Paul was writing this letter to the Corinthians believers, he could see that the abolition of the special revelatory gifts mentions in verse 8 was so certain and soon afterward. These special revelatory gifts were confined to the beginning stage of the gospel age. When all has been revealed, those revelatory means ordained by God is no longer needed, and they are abolished.
- As early as AD 57 (about the time 1Cor. was written) Paul already foretold in the plainest term that these special revelatory gifts shall cease. As far as Paul is concerned, what will abide throughout the gospel age are these three - faith, hope and love, not the special revelatory gifts.
3. The Three Illustrations
a. Note carefully the singular purpose of these illustrations: to contrast the partial with the complete, to contrast the passing away of the partial with the permanence of that which is complete. To press them beyond their intended purpose is to do violence to the purpose, the text and also to the context. Bear this principle in mind as you try to understand the illustrations.
b. "When I was a child...": the picture of a child growing up into maturity. The partial/incomplete state of childhood is contrasted to the relatively mature state at adulthood. State of childhood is equivalent to "that which is in part". The childhood state about many things are partial, not complete – relatively speaking.
- So when the complete (adulthood) way of revelation has come, the partial (childhood) ways of revelation (knowledge, tongues, and prophecy) were abolished. The childhood must give way to adulthood. What is progressive and cumulative must come to completion, arrive at maturity.
- 'When I became a man, I put away childish things' – childish things are things suitable and appropriate for childhood stage. The childish things refer to the special revelatory gifts for the apostolic church – church at its infant stage. They are put away (abolished) when the complete revelation of God was committed to the church.
- The partial means (knowledge, tongues, and prophecy) must give way to the complete (the Holy Scripture).
- Despising the complete and all-sufficient Holy Scripture the charismatics are returning to childish things... they are de-gressing, going backward, refusing to grow up, reverting to childhood days.
c. "For now we see in a mirror...": remember that mirror was made of highly polished metal plate, and therefore its reflection at its best is only partial and incomplete - "dimly". This is contrasted with "to see face to face."
- Try looking at a person's face in a polished metal plate and then looking at him face to face. So the vast difference! In one you see partially, in the other you see completely, pimples and dimples and wrinkles and all.
- "face to face" : what does this phrase mean, meeting Christ at His return? When we see Christ in heaven?
- This same phrase is used in Ex 33:11& Num 12:8. Note carefully the context in which this phrase occurs. In both passages, this phrase is used to describe the manner that God revealed Himself to Moses. It is a comparison of the types of revelation, both infallible, but one in part, the other in whole. cp Heb 1:1
- It is obvious that this phrase describes about something on earth, not in heaven! It is about the giving and receiving of divine revelation, nothing to do with heaven or meeting with Christ, or Christ's return. Scriptures must interpret Scriptures.
d "... shall I know even as also I am known": a rabbinic illustration of a man sitting in a brightly lit room in complete view of a visitor coming into the room. The visitor can see him clearly in the bright room, but when the visitor come into the room, the man shall ‘know’ the visitor just as he is ‘known’ by the visitor, because they now see face to face in the bright room.
e. Historically, the special revelatory gifts of prophecy and knowledge stopped, and tongues ceased, (as foretold by the apostle Paul in verse 8) at the completion of the Bible toward the end of the first century AD.
- Many are deluded in claiming that these signs of the apostles continue today!
- Many are deluded in claiming that there is connection between revelatory gifts and spirituality.
