https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/10214874829319745
October 26, 2019
Sing, I was in a discussion on I Cor 12:13 and couldn't remember what you had said you believed what was "the perfect" to come. Can you elaborate a bit for me again?
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Let me copy and paste here from a bible study
note on the subject:
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
attaining 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 (instalments) through many different prophets. cp Heb
1:1. So also was the NT scripture. No one had 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 partial 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 a 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 is 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 afterwards. 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.
