THE COMPLETION OF SCRIPTURE TERMINATES SOME SPIRITUAL GIFTS

1 Cor 13:8

Morning Meditations 1/23/16

We will consider the termination of the three spiritual gifts mentioned in this text: “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”

The first thing that needs to be said in the explanation of this verse is that the subject of Chapters 12,13,14 are on Spiritual gifts. Chapter 12:1 says, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” This subject begins here and runs through three chapters. What Paul is doing is clearing up “ignorance” on this subject.

Paul explains the gifts as they work in the local church in Chapter 12. Since there are diversities of gifts, and that diversity has a tendency to divide, he inserts the great chapter on love which will unite people with diverse gifts. In Chapter 14 he deals with the problem of the over emphasis on tongues.. At the same time he emphasizes the importance of prophecy in contrast. He also gives guidelines for the use of tongues.

Now lets look at verse 8. The words “Charity never faileth” emphasizes the importance of charity in contrast to the other Spiritual gifts. The word “faileth” (ekpipto) means “to fall out of, to fall down from, to fall off.” It is made up of two words “ek” meaning “out” and “pipto” means “to fall.” Josephus uses it of the collapse of buildings, to falling of animals to the ground and the falling of snow.” (Theological Dict. of the New Testament). Love will never “fall out of use as a Spiritual gift.” This comment would not be necessary out of this context. God is love and when we get to heaven we will be in the presence of love forever. However, Paul is dealing with some Spiritual gifts that will cease so far as their use in this age. So, he is emphasizing the importance to “Charity” (love) that will not fail in this age to the Corinthian’s wrong emphasis on gifts that are only temporary.

The words “but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail” name the first Spiritual gift that is contrasted to “Charity.” Paul mentions one of the most important Spiritual gifts first. If you will read chapter 14 you will find that Paul clearly states that the gift of prophecy is more important that tongues. The words “they shall fail” (katargeo) translate a word that means “to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative.” This verb is a future passive indicative. This means that sometime in the future the prophecies that bring divine revelation to the congregation at Corinth will be rendered idle or that they will no longer be employed. The passive voice means that the prophecies will be rendered idle by an outside source, i.e., they will not fall out of use of themselves. I will tell you a little later what will bring the unemployment to prophecies.

The words “whether there be tongues, they shall cease” tell the Corinthian Church that tongues are not permanent. There is coming a time when the Spiritual gift of tongues will no longer be employed by the Holy Spirit as a means to get the gospel out. “They will cease” (pauo) means “to make to cease or desist, to leave off.” The verb is a future middle indicative. The future tense means not right now but at a future time. The middle voice is where the subject (tongues) participates in the result of the action. This means that tongues will cease or desist, or, leave off of themselves. They will die out of themselves in the future from the time of this writing. Tongues were given in Acts chapter 2 for the purpose of preaching the gospel to people from the different language groups gathered in Jerusalem for the celebration of Pentecost which was a Jewish celebration. People in many different languages heard the gospel in their own tongue. The result was 3,000 conversions on that one day. Paul is telling them that in the future, tongues will die out of themselves.

The words “whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away” tell us that there is coming a time when the Spiritual gift of knowledge will vanish away. The word “knowledge” (gnosis) means according to Kittel: “The ordinary use is for intelligent comprehension (‘to perceive,’ ‘to understand,’ ‘to know’), at first with a stress on the act.” This is knowledge given by the Holy Spirit as a gift. The person who was given this gift had not gained his knowledge through the ordinary process, i.e., study. This is the way the Bible was written. The writers were given the gift of the knowledge of God’s will on the various subjects and situations and they wrote it down. Thus we have the verbal, inspired, inerrant, Word of God. The words “it shall vanish away” (katargeo) are the same word that was used for failing prophecies. This verb is also a future passive indicative. It is the same as prophecies. It will be stopped by a source outside itself. Tongues will cease of themselves. But prophecies will be terminated. They will not quit of themselves.

Let me restate the verb tenses. The Spiritual gift of prophecy and knowledge will be terminated by someone or something outside themselves. The gift of tongues will eventually cease of themselves. Prophecy and knowledge have passive voice verbs meaning the same things. Tongues have a different verb in a different voice (middle).

When in the future (from the time Paul was writing) will this take place? I believe verses 9 and 10 tell us: “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” The words “We know” refers to those who have the gift of knowledge. The word for “know” (ginosko) is the verb form of the noun “know” used to describe the gift of knowledge. This word is a present active indicative verb. This means what we know right now. We know in part. The word “part” (meros) means here “a part of the whole,” the whole being, the whole of the divine will declared, i.e., all there is to know about God’s will for man on this earth. Each one who had the gift of knowledge or prophecy only had part of the whole. God revealed His will to man through many different people. No one had the whole revelation.

“When that which is perfect is come” tells us when “that which is in part shall be done away.” The word “perfect” (teleios) means “brought to its end, finished; wanting nothing necessary to completeness.” The words “is come” is an aorist active subjunctive verb. The aorist tense looks to that point of time in which this takes place. The subjunctive mood means that it is potential from the time Paul wrote. The words “shall be done away” (katargeo) is a future passive indicative and has already been defined above. This is pointing out the time that “prophecy” and “knowledge” will no longer be employed by the Holy Spirit in the Church.

Again, when is that time? “When that which is perfect is come.” If we can find out what Paul means when he says “that which is perfect” we will know. Here is where Bible scholars disagree. I have men I respect who will not agree with the following. I will not cease to love and listen to their views if they disagree.

I believe “that which is perfect” is the Word of God. I believe Paul “knew in part” and says so here. But there would be a time in the future that “the perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25) would be in the possession of the Church. The Scriptures were in the process of being written at the time Paul was speaking to the Church at Corinth. There would be a time when the Scriptures would be brought together and become what we now call the Bible. 2 Tim. 3:16-17: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” The words “throughly furnished” (exartizo) means “to complete, to finish, to furnish perfectly.” It is a passive voice verb which means that the Word of God acts on us “to perfectly furnish” us. In other words, if the man of God will turn the Bible loose on people, it with effect the perfect will of God in their lives if they will respond to it in faith.

I believe when the Scriptures were completed and brought together for and in the Church, the need for the Spiritual gifts of “prophecy and knowledge” ceased. The gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church is the Scriptures. We no longer “know in part.” We have the whole of the divine revelation. The gift of tongues eventually died of themselves. Prophecy and knowledge as Paul spoke of it here ceased with the completion of the perfect Word of God.

I know this brings forth a lot of questions. I can’t answer them all here. First, if “that which is perfect” is talking about the return of Christ, then divine revelation did not stop with the coming of the Scriptures. It will brought to a stop at the Second Coming. This gives me a real problem. I believe the reverse will take place then. We will have knowledge as we never had it before. Isaiah 11:9 says: “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea..” I do not believe there has been divine revelation since the Word of God was completed. I believe it stopped with the completion of the Scriptures.

What about the statement: “then shall I know even as also I am known?” If “then” (tote) meaning “at that time” doesn’t refer to the Second Coming, how can it refer to the Bible? Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” I ask you how does God know you? He knows you inside and out. He knows how you think. When Paul says “I will know” he is talking about knowing himself. “As I am known” is speaking about how God knows him. Have you ever been in a service where the Word of God was being preached and you thought your wife had told the preacher on you? Jesus answered peoples thoughts in many of His addresses.. When the Word of God sheds it’s light on my inward life, I know myself as God knows me. I’m going to have to tell you, I do not like what I see. It caused Paul to say, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”(Rom 7:24). It caused him to call his body a “vile body” in Phil. 3:21.

I have no trouble walking in brokenness when I allow the word of God to give me knowledge of myself even as God knows me. Then is when I can sing amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me...” Excuse me while I have a camp meeting spell. No wonder when we see believers in the heavenly scene in the Book of Revelation that they are on their faces worshiping and doing it with a loud voice (Rev 5:12,14).

Sorry that this got so long. I hope this helps someone. If you don’t agree, hit del!

In Christ

Earl White