The Issue of "Tongues"— Part 9

THAT WHICH IS PERFECT

“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 (I Corinthians 13:9-10).”

The Bible states that these gifts would end for good when that which is perfect was come. Our understanding of when these gifts ceased for all time hinges upon this. I believe that the perfection that was to come spoke of the completion of the Holy Scriptures and that the passage to follow bears this out.

The word translated “perfect” most often carries the meaning of “mature”. I believe that it does so in this case as well. There is this element of maturity or completion even in our modern use of the term “perfect”. It seems that Paul is contrasting partial revelation with fuller, complete revelation that was to come. He says, “We prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect (mature, complete) is come that which is in part (partial revelation) will vanish away.”

What complete, full, mature, perfect revelation of God is there other than His Word? It is certainly enough to make its followers mature and complete![1] There is no other!

MEN AND CHILDREN

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things I Corinthians 13:11).”

Verse eleven serves to reinforce this point. A child, because of his limited maturity, often only sees part of a situation that he goes through, becoming fixated upon smaller or fewer details. An adult going through the same situation understands and can remember more of the whole. This is the point of comparison being brought out here. The believer, prior to the complete, perfect revelation of completed scripture, grasped but a portion of the whole because the revelatory gifts gave but a portion! They prophesied “in part.” When the completed Scripture came, the partial revelatory gifts were “put away” or “ceased” in the sense that they were replaced by that complete revelation. The child’s limited understanding is replaced by fuller understanding as he grows older.

When my sister-in-law Elisabeth was much younger, she was taken to McDonalds by my father-in-law. When they arrived there, Elisabeth was both surprised and somewhat frightened to see someone dressed up like Grimace. For those of you who are familiar with Grimace, you will know that he is entirely purple. Elisabeth was very small at the time and was very taken by the part of Grimace that she was able to see best because of her height- his feet. She recounted the tale to others when she got home, but was fixated upon the fact that Grimace had purple feet. In fact, that was basically all that she had to say about Grimace, even though all of Grimace was purple, and there were many other unusual features that would bear recounting! She “saw in part” because of her immaturity.

Just as a person puts aside an immature and incomplete understanding to replace it with a fuller mature understanding when older, so the incomplete understanding given by the revelatory gifts was replaced with the completeness of full revelation given in Scripture.

[1] Paul write to Timothy- “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 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, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (II Timothy 3:14-17)”