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Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd.   P.O. Box #3762   Gillette, WY  82717   (307) 686-1516

 

- Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 -

 

 

 

DIFFICULTIES IN CHURCH WORSHIP (CH 11-14):

THE USE AND ABUSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS (CH. 12-14)

1Co 13:8b  (1/11/12)

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

I.     INTRODUCTION

A.    Paul subject of discussion was spiritual gifts and the Love chapter is found between two chapters (12, 14) dealing with this gifts.

B.    It was love that the Corinthians lacked in their use of spiritual gifts as well as every other area of their lives. For this reason they were involved in major quarrels, selfishness, and jealously.

II.    SUPERIORITY OF LOVE OVER SPIRITUAL GIFTS (1-3)

III.  DESCRIPTION OF THE ATTRIBUTE OF LOVE (4-8a)

IV.  LASTING QUALITY OF LOVE OVER SPIRITUAL GIFTS (8b-13)

 

A.    [1Co 13:8b] - To show that the Love Chapter (1Co 13:4-8a) was part of Paul’s discussion on spiritual gifts, he continued with the discussion of the gift of prophecy, knowledge, and tongues.

1.     The gift of prophecy has been defined as, “the spiritual gift with the ability to receive divine revelation for the purpose of fore-telling and forth-telling God’s truth (1Co 13:10; Act 11:28; 2Pe 1:20-21 cp. Deu 18:20).”Fore-telling implies the telling of future events and truth. Forth-telling implies the telling of known truths necessary for the edification of God’s people. Fore-telling was limited to the first century until the completion of the Scriptures. At that point, fore-telling was no longer needed, but forth-telling, whether through the gift of prophecy, teaching, or pastor/teacher was especially needed. Though Paul’s use of prophecy included the idea of fore-telling, he argued that emphasis was upon forth-telling throughout this section (i.e the direct).

2.     (Ch. 13-14; the same would be true for the gift of knowledge which Paul also makes mentions (1Co 13:8; 14:6).

a)    Only the ability to forth-tell is profitable to the church (1Co 14:6).

b)    Only the ability to forth-tell gives understanding (1Co 14:8), meaning (1Co 14:11), and edification (1Co 14:12).

c)     Only the ability to forth-tell is profitable to the believers (1Co 14:22).

d)    Only the ability to forth-tell can bring conviction and submission to God (1Co 14:24-25).

3.     Paul continues to argue for the necessity of love stating that spiritual gifts will be done away, particularly when the church is in heaven, is perfected, and no longer needs edification. He refers to three gifts to prove his point, namely, prophecy, tongues, and knowledge.

a)    The Greek word katarge,ō is used to show the removal of these gifts. Katarge,ō in its basic meaning is “idle, inactive, or set aside.” It can refer to rendering inoperative (Luk 13:7; Rom 3:31; 6:6; Heb 2:14), removal (1Co 2:6; 1Co 6:13; 1Co 13:10; 1Co 15:26), or abolish (1Co 15:26; 2Th 2:8; 2Ti 1:10).

b)    Prophecy and knowledge will be removed and abolished when the church enters the eternal state. There will be no need for the church to be perfected because they will be holy and complete in heaven (1Jo 3:2; Rev 21 & 22). Though we will probably grow in knowledge in heaven, we will have a complete knowledge (cp. 1Co 13:9-12), but will not have the omniscience of God.

c)     Yet note the difference between the gift of prophecy (and knowledge) and the gift of tongues. Prophecy and knowledge will be abolished when “the perfect” brings it to an end. This is verified by the fact that the two usages of katarge,ō (“done away”) are both future passives. The idea is that something or someone other than themselves will cause them to be removed at a future time (See discussion on 1Co 13:9-12 for further detail). However, tongues will “cease” on their own. “Cease” is the Greek word pau,ō and means to “stop, leave off, fizzle out” and because it is a future middle, will stop of “itself.” In other words, the gift of tongues will cease or fizzle out when it is no longer needed in the preceding dispensations. Prophecy and knowledge will continue to be needed in this dispensation but not the future. Tongues have already ceased around the turn of the first century, being no longer needed (See discussion on 1Co 12:10).

B.    [1Co 13:9] - Paul explains the abolishing of prophecy and knowledge to show that love lasts eternally. But this next section of Scripture has its interpretive difficulties. What or who, labeled as “the perfect” will cause prophecy and knowledge to be done away?

1.     For the present, all believers have partial (me,ros - a portion but not the whole) “knowledge” (present indicative of ginōskō - intelligent comprehension, understand) of God’s truth. Though God’s truth is given to us in the His Word, believers are growing in the understanding of the truth beyond the dogma clearly explained by the apostles in the Scriptures.

2.     The obstacles to a complete understanding of God’s truth are a lack of our diligence to study and the fact that God has not revealed everything to us. But make no mistake; God has revealed to us everything we need for life and godliness in this life (2Pe 1:3). Yet there are things that God has not revealed (Deu 29:29) especially in regard to all the details of future things.

C.    [1Co 13:10] - Yet that partial knowledge will be “done away” (same word and parsing as the knowledge of vs. 8) and become complete knowledge at some point in a new dispensation.

1.     The timeframe is described as the indefinite future “when” (hotan) the “perfect” comes ([whenever it] “might come” - aorist subjunctive of erchomai). Identifying the “perfect” will help determine the “when.”

2.     The identification of “the perfect” (to te,leion, construction used only here) has left the church with various interpretations. Some of the major interpretations of “the perfect” are: 1) The Completion of Scripture, 2) The Second Coming of Christ, 3) Christ Himself, and 4) The Eternal State

a)    The Completion of Scripture

(1)   While we see the completion of Scripture as a perfect revelation of God’s truth with transitory merit in regard to some gifts, the Corinthians would not have understood this concept.

(2)   The aspect of those gifts which proclaim and teach (“forth-tell”) God’s Word are vitally necessary for today and have not been “done away.”

(3)   In addition, prophecy will also be active in the future and in the Millennium (Rev 11:3; Joel 2:28; Act 2:17).

(4)   Paul also uses the phrase, “face to face” (1Co 13:12) to identify a timeframe for the future yet to come.

b)    The Second Coming of Christ

(1)   Though Argument A4 could apply to the Rapture or Second Coming, Argument A3 would eliminate the possibility of this view because prophecy will be exercised.

(2)   Paul makes it clear that when the gifts end they will end permanently (i.e. “done away”).

(3)   The Millennium, after the Second Coming, will be characterized by teachers, knowledge, and those who will hear the words of the book (Isa 11:9; 29:18; 32:3-4).

c)     Christ Himself

(1)   The Greek adjective to te,leion (neuter, singular, nominative in contrast to, ho te,leios) is a neuter and eliminates the possibility of referring to a person.

(2)   Christ is the preeminent person because of His person and work, the major figure in the Rapture and Second Coming, and even the central focus in the eternal state, but Paul apparently was referring to something else when he penned “the perfect.”

d)    The Eternal State

(1)   This view sees “the perfect” as “the perfect state” or “the complete state” as opposed to our present incomplete state. Thus it would refer to the eternal state in heaven. Though the saints will be perfect, the neuter precludes it meaning specifically the saints.

(2)   It refers to a perfect and complete state when prophecy and knowledge of God’s truth and everything else is a perfect and complete state.

(3)   It is in the eternal state that believers will “fully know” and come “face to face” with God (Rev 19:11-13; 22:4) that follows the Millennium.

(4)   This view fits all the criteria and supports the point that love will last for all eternity while spiritual gifts will not because they will no longer be needed.

 

V.    OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

 

A.    Love being an attribute of God is eternal. It will be displayed in eternity along with all His other attributes (holiness, righteousness, mercy etc.). God’s love is described as an everlasting love for His people (Jer 31:3). Therefore, both His love and truth (Word) are established on earth and in heaven (Psa 119:89).

B.    Even though spiritual gifts will be set aside and removed in the eternal state, they are necessary for today. However, spiritual gifts are rendered inoperative today when believers are not motivated to use them by love (1Co 13:1-3).