The word “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10 refers to a state of completeness and maturity in the Christian life and in the church. In the broader context of 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul is writing about love and spiritual gifts. He emphasizes that love is greater than any spiritual gift, and love will continue on even when the gifts like prophecy and tongues cease and pass away.
In verse 10, Paul writes: “but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.” The “partial” refers to the spiritual gifts which are incomplete and temporary. The “perfect” refers to something more complete and lasting that will come in the future. There are a few main views on what this “perfect” refers to:
1. The perfect is the completed Bible canon
Some believe the “perfect” refers to the completion of the biblical canon. Right now, the gifts like prophecy and tongues provide partial revelation. But when Scripture is complete, the temporary spiritual gifts will no longer be necessary. This view sees the “perfect” as the full and final revelation of God’s Word.
2. The perfect is when we are with Christ
Others see the “perfect” as referring to when believers are fully with Christ at the second coming or in eternity. Right now, we only know and prophesy “in part” while we are on earth. But a day is coming when we will have full knowledge and communion with Christ face-to-face. The gifts are temporary until that final perfect state arrives.
3. The perfect is the maturity/unity of the church
Some interpret the “perfect” not as a fixed event but as a process – the maturation and unity of the church over time. As the church grows and reaches greater maturity in Christ, the need for sign gifts like prophecy and tongues will pass away. The gifts are scaffolding for the immature church but will be unnecessary as the church grows. This view sees the perfect as a process rather than a point in time.
Context and application
Looking at the broader context, Paul seems to be comparing the partial, incomplete nature of spiritual gifts to the greater and enduring nature of love. The gifts are temporary, while love is permanent. This doesn’t mean the gifts have ceased, but they have a temporariness in comparison to the permanence and priority of love.
Paul’s main point is that love is supreme over any spiritual gift. Even extraordinary gifts are meaningless without love. Though the gifts have benefit for now, they are just glimpses and portions of what is to come in eternity. In the end, only faith, hope, and love remain.
Some implications for believers today:
– We should eagerly desire and use the gifts, but keep them in perspective. They are aids to the church in this age, but not ends in themselves.
– We should prioritize cultivating love in our lives and churches above exercising any gift. The gifts are tools to build up others in love.
– We live in the in-between, having the gifts of the Spirit but awaiting their perfection. We know only in part for now. This should keep us humble and dependent on God.
– The gifts like prophecy may continue until the return of Christ or the maturation of the church. We cannot definitively say when “the perfect” will come and make them obsolete. God determines when that time is.
While we may not fully understand the meaning of “the perfect,” this passage reminds us that love is supreme. We are to use the gifts to build up the church in love until we see clearly and know fully in eternity. Then the partial gifts will pass away in the light of that perfect and permanent faith, hope, and love.
1 Corinthians 13:8-13 in context
It is helpful to look at the broader passage where verse 10 is found:
“Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:8-13)
Paul compares the temporary spiritual gifts (prophecy, tongues, knowledge) to childhood ways that are partial and imperfect. But a time is coming when we will have clarity, maturity, and fullness in the presence of Christ.
Though we have the gifts now, they are like looking in an ancient mirror that reflects dimly. But future perfection with Christ will bring full understanding, just as we are fully known by God.
Until then, faith, hope, and love remain. And the greatest virtue is love, which never ends.
Key themes
Some key themes we see in this full section:
– Love never fails or ends; it is permanent. The gifts are temporary.
– We know and prophesy only in part while on earth. Our understanding is limited now.
– A time of perfection, completion, and full knowledge is coming in the future for believers.
– The partial and temporary gifts will pass away when that complete state arrives.
– For now, faith, hope, and love remain as the lasting virtues.
– Love is greater and supreme, outlasting all the gifts. It should be our priority.
So in summary, the “perfect” refers to a future state of completeness, maturity, and full relationship with Christ for believers. This will make the partial and temporary spiritual gifts obsolete. Until then, we pursue love as supreme and use the gifts to build up others in love.
Prophecy, tongues, and knowledge
To better understand this passage, it is helpful to consider the temporary gifts Paul mentions that will pass away:
Prophecy – The supernatural gift of delivering divine messages to instruct, encourage, or warn others. In the early church, prophets provided partial and incomplete guidance for the growing churches.
Tongues – The spiritual gift of speaking in unlearned languages to praise God and deliver messages from him. Tongues communicated partial mysteries and revelations from God.
Knowledge – The supernatural gift of receiving insight, wisdom, and understanding from the Spirit. Paul refers to “knowing in part” with this temporary supernatural knowledge.
These miraculous spiritual gifts were active in the early church and provided partial glimpses of truth and the work of God. But at the coming of the “perfect,” they would no longer be needed with the arrival of clarity, wholeness, and maturity for believers and the church.
Problems with claiming the perfect has already come
Some claim that “the perfect” has already come in the completed Bible or the mature church. But there are issues with claiming this:
– No one can decisively prove when this perfection has come. It requires reading meaning into the text rather than deriving the meaning from it.
– It is questionable that the church has reached complete maturity and unity, making gifts unnecessary even today. Disunity, immaturity, and doctrinal confusion still exist.
– The gifts like prophecy are still encouraged and mentioned positively even in later New Testament books. Their cessation is not definitively stated.
– Viewing the perfect as only the completed canon can minimize openness to the miraculous gifts still operating today as God wills.
– If the perfect has already come, it creates confusion on why gifts are still desired and practiced today. Claiming perfection now requires explaining why imperfections still remain.
Overall, claiming the arrival of the “perfect” requires making assumptions that go beyond the text itself. It is difficult to definitively state when this transition has happened based on this passage alone. As long as imperfections remain, it is reasonable to allow that the partial gifts may still operate until that final perfect state.
Views on spiritual gifts today
There are a few perspectives on whether the miraculous spiritual gifts like prophecy operate today:
Cessationist view – The gifts have ceased with the completion of the biblical canon and are no longer active in the church today. God no longer gives or empowers these gifts.
Continuationist view – The gifts can continue today and may still be practiced and received from God. The Spirit gives gifts to believers as He determines is helpful for ministry.
Open but cautious view – The gifts may possibly continue today but the focus should be on cultivating love more than pursuing gifts. Exercise gifts with care and biblically test any modern revelations.
Many continuationists believe we cannot claim to have reached “the perfect” state yet during our imperfect current age. While cessationists often see the perfect as the completed biblical canon. But this text alone does not definitively prove when this transition may occur.
The wise approach seems to be continually elevating love, eagerly desiring gifts, yet carefully testing and validating any gift’s use for the ultimate goal of building up others. This allows for openness to the Spirit’s working while avoiding gullibility and lack of discernment.
Principles for the gifts
Regardless of one’s view on the gifts today, some helpful principles on exercising gifts from 1 Corinthians 13:
– Use gifts out of love, not selfishness or pride. Love must be the motive.
– All gifts are temporary and partial compared to eternal love. Keep them in perspective.
– Gifts have purpose now but are not ultimate or complete in themselves.
– No gift makes someone superior to others. Humility must accompany gifts.
– Eagerly desire gifts that build up others while loving others more than exercising any gift.
– Use gifts to serve, instruct, and encourage the church until the perfect comes.
– Focus on growth in love above anything else until we see and know fully in Christ’s presence.
The supreme principle is that love transcends and outlasts all gifts. Loving others is far more important than any spiritual gift or the pursuit of spiritual gifts. This must be the priority.
Warnings and guidance on prophecy today
For those who believe prophecy continues today, here are some warnings and guidance:
– Test modern prophecies carefully against Scripture and reject anything contradicting the Bible.
– Beware prophecies becoming manipulative, controlling, or causing divisions.
– Prophecies should not contradict known doctrine or be used to set doctrine. Stick to core doctrines.
– Prophecies must be weighed and validated by church leadership, never blindly accepted.
– Prophets must have godly character and submit to authority. They are not unquestionable.
– Prophecies should focus on repentance, encouragement, and comfort more than predicting future events.
– Prophecies must not enrich prophets or become shows of their giftedness. They are to serve others.
– Even valid prophecies only reveal a portion of God’s truth. Only Scripture gives full divine revelation.
– Hold prophecies loosely and focus more on growth in Christlikeness over any prophetic gift.
– All prophecies are subject to human fallibility as vessels of divine truth. Discern and test carefully.
The wise approach is pursuing holiness and obedience more than any prophetic gift. Any prophecy must expound Scripture, exhort to righteousness, and bring glory to Christ alone.
Conclusion
In summary, 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 provides a crucial perspective on spiritual gifts and their temporary nature compared to eternal love. The time is coming for ultimate perfection that will supersede the partial gifts operating now.
Until then, we pursue love, use gifts carefully for others, and remain open to how the Spirit may operate in diverse ways. We focus on maturity in Christ above any spiritual gift, knowing our knowledge and prophecies now are but glimpses.
The supreme gift is to love God and others from a pure heart. This is the only eternal gift. As we walk in love and holiness, the Spirit can use us through temporary gifts as He wills, in accordance with His word. Any gift finds its proper place when love is the supreme aim.
