When the perfect comes.

John Farley
Pastor-Teacher
Sunday,
December 15, 2019

 

Christmas service
Sunday December 22
special guest speaker:
Dr. Rich Freeman

“Without Hanukkah there would be no Christmas”

Christmas schedule
Regular Sunday services
No Bible study Thursday December 26th

 

When the perfect comes

1Co 13:4-8a

In verses 4-8a, Paul is giving the Corinthians saints an indirect rebuke by describing what loves does and does not do.

Love is not provoked. Here provoked means to get upset with someone.

Love does not take into account a wrong suffered

Love does not keep a record of the hurtful things others have done.

Love forgives freely.

Eph 4:32

1Co 13:6

Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

There is no limit to love’s burden bearing, faith, hope, and endurance.

Love will always be up to the task, no matter how difficult or impossible the odds.

“Now it is time for you to take ownership of your own behavior. To restrain yourself!”

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

Well, this is good advice for us too!

The more your behavior lines up with these sixteen aspects of love, …

…the more effective you will be in the exercise of your spiritual gift.

1Co 13:8-13

Verses 8-13 put three spiritual gifts – prophecy, tongues, and knowledge - in their proper place.

They were all revelatory gifts. They revealed certain truths that God provided at that time for that audience.

1Co 13:1-2

The first one is between the partial (gifts) and the complete (perfect).

The second contrast is between that which passes away (gifts) and that which abides.

The third contrast is between the child (gifts) and the man (maturity).

The fourth contrast is between seeing dimly in a mirror and seeing face to face.

And the fifth contrast is between knowing in part and knowing fully.

Each of these contrast what exists “now” (when Paul wrote the letter of 1 Corinthians)

with what will be in the future (reckoning from the time Paul wrote 1 Corinthians).

Once again, gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge were revelatory gifts.

1Co 2:6-7

The Lord revealed the mysteries (formerly hidden but now brought to light) progressively -not all at once.

Portions were given to those who had the gifts of prophecy and knowledge.

God gave His word to His people through a prophet.

The gift of knowledge enabled a person to read the Old Testament Scriptures, listen to the prophets, and then,

by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, draw proper and insightful conclusions concerning God’s truth.

But the gifts of prophecy and knowledge did not contain the complete truth that the Lord had to reveal.

1Co 13:8

This verse treats tongues differently from the other two gifts (prophecy and knowledge).

First, gifts of prophecy and knowledge “will be done away”.
But the gift of tongues will “cease”.

We have the same Greek verb used for both the gifts of prophecy and knowledge.

καταργέω

katargeo
 
Both times in verse 8 the form is future passive indicative.

In the passive voice, katargeo means to be rendered useless; to be put out of operation - put away by an outside agent.

The same Greek word, katargeo, is also used in verse 10 where once again it is in the future passive indicative.

1Co 13:10

And we have it again in verse 11. Except now it is in the perfect active indicative.

1Co 13:11

The gifts of prophecy and knowledge would be put away by an outside agent.

They were no longer needed because they were replaced by something better.

 

 


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