Title: When Perfection Comes
when the perfect comes
“For we know in part and prophesy in part; when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away” (1 Corinthians 13:9-10).
I. text commentary
The text compares the two gifts with love by speaking of the 'partial' limitations of the gifts of knowledge and prophecy and what will happen when they come 'completely'.
II. partial gifts
The gifts of knowledge and prophecy are unique from other gifts in that they are revelatory in nature. However, this also had a limitation, which is 'partial'.
A. In part:
The word 'partially' (?κ μ?ρου?) means 'from part'. The gifts of knowledge and prophecy are important and valuable, but they have taught the church in part what is endowed by the part. This is in contrast to the full and full revelation knowledge to be obtained when the ‘perfect thing comes’.
B. ‘Knowing’ and ‘Prophesying’
Before the completion of the Bible, the gifts of knowledge and prophecy were important means by which God gave revelation to the church. Both gifts are accurate and reliable, and the church relied entirely on them. However, because they depended on partial revelation, they showed only that part.
Ⅲ. when the whole comes
The gift of knowledge and prophecy was a step towards the 'time of perfection'.
A. The whole thing: τ? τ?λειον
'Perfect' (τ? τ?λειον) is a word with the meaning of 'to have reached a goal, to have been achieved, to have grown up', etc. It is a state of being fully achieved. The gifts of knowledge and prophecy were very outstanding and upon which the church relied, but these were only steps toward something more “perfect”.
B. When the Whole Comes
There are two interpretations of the timing of the ‘when the perfect is to come’.
The first is the time when the revelation of the New Testament is completed. Before the revelation of the New Testament was completed, God's will was temporarily revealed through two gifts, but it was closed when the revelation of the New Testament was completed. However, it is unreasonable to regard that time as the end of the New Testament revelation when ‘I know fully as the Lord has known me’ (1 Corinthians 13:12b).
Second, it is interpreted as the ‘time of glory’ when the body is resurrected. This is the time when our salvation is consummated, and at the time of glory, knowledge and love are united and perfected, and prophecy and the gift of knowledge are no longer useless. Therefore, the correct interpretation of ‘time’ is ‘time of cinema’.
IV. conclusion