1 Corinthians

522 Dickson Teacher’s New Testament
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in
part.
10 But when that which is complete has
come, then that which is in part will be done
away.
11 When I was a child I spoke as a child. I
understood as a child. I thought as a child.
1 Corinthians 13
But when I became a man, I put away childish
things.
12 For now we dimly see in a mirror, but
then face to face. Now I know in part, but
then will I know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these
three. But the greatest of these is love.
plished their work of revealing all truth to the church,
then the need for the gifts to strengthen the early
churches no longer existed. The miraculous gifts were
to exist only until the time when a loving response to the
word of God maintained the existence and function of
the church (See comments Jn 13:34,35). 9 Know in
part: They knew only a portion of the whole. At the
time Paul wrote this letter, the Corinthians had verbally
revealed to them through himself and their prophets only
portions of God’s complete revelation that would later
come to them through the entire written record of the
New Testament. Therefore, the inspired Scriptures would
eventually supersede inspired prophecy (See comments
2 Tm 3:16,17). Their prophets spoke only a portion of
what would later come as a whole (8:2). The Corinthians
should not emphasize the miraculous gifts (the part),
but focus on what would result from the miraculous gifts
(the whole). 10 That which is perfect: The Greek
word for “perfect” (teleion) refers to that which is complete
or whole. In this context Paul is contrasting the
perfect with that which is only partial. That which was
only “in part” had reference to what they knew, not what
they did through the miraculous gifts (vs 9). What they
knew was revealed to them through the inspired prophets.
Therefore, Paul contrasted the partial revelation of
God’s word by means of the miraculous gift of prophecy
with the complete writing of the word of God that would
guide the church for centuries to come. The Corinthians
knew only the partial revelation of the word of God. However,
they would know all things that God intended that
the church know (2 Pt 1:3). Paul wrote these things in
view of the fact that God would preserve the church
throughout the centuries through the members’ loving
response to the revelation of His directions for them.
Be done away: The Corinthians must understand that
the gifts about which they were competing with one another
were only “in part.” Since the gifts were only “in
part,” then it is assumed that the whole would come. It
was not that the gifts functioned in part. They were only
a part of God’s scheme to establish the church which
would later be based on the fully revealed word of God.
Therefore, when the whole came, the part was done
away because it had fulfilled its purpose. The Corinthians
must not emphasize the part when the whole is coming.
They were concentrating on the performance of the gifts,
whereas Paul here speaks of the foundation of our faith
that is based on the whole. The foundation of our faith
is the word of God (Jn 20:30,31; Rm 10:17). Through a
loving response to the word of God, one maintains fellowship
with God and his brothers in Christ (1 Jn 1:3).
Therefore, the church continues to exist because men
lovingly respond to the word of God.
11 Spoke ... understood as a child: Some men
never put away childish speaking and understanding.
They still excite one another as children over fantastic
stories and competitive attitudes. However, the mature
man puts these things away. When one becomes a
man, he is not driven by childish competition in the invention
of spiritual games. Paul calls on the Corinthians
to grow up. They were behaving as children by their
competitive spirits that were controlled by jealousy and
envy. In their puffed up attitudes they used the blessing
of God as a means of belittling one another’s ministry.
12 When the church was in its infancy, she could only
see dimly in the mirror what would eventually reflect the
full revelation of God. The church could see dimly because
all revelation that God intended the church to have
had not yet been revealed to any one congregation. But
then: There are two possible interpretations to what
Paul here refers. He could be referring to the time when
the church received the full revelation of God that He
intended for the church to have. He could also refer to
his transition into heavenly dwelling. Since in the context
he is contrasting the partiality of the miraculous gifts
upon which the Corinthians were seemingly focusing
their attention with the “whole” that was to come, he
could possibly be referring to the time that as disciples
they must focus on a loving response to the word of
God in order to maintain unity. It would be in this state
of existence that the church would have to depend on
the word of God in order to maintain unity based on love
instead of their childish competitions over the use of the
miraculous gifts. In studying this context, we must not
forget the great emphasis God places on the revealed
written word of God. Since the conclusion of the miraculous
gifts that were given to establish the early
church, God has communicated to the church through
the written word. In studying contexts as this in the New
Testament, we must not forget that the miraculous gifts
were only a brief work of the Holy Spirit in reference to
the centuries that followed wherein the church has depended
on the word of God. I will know: Paul refers to
knowledge. When the entirety of the revelation of God
had been revealed to the church, the members would
know all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Pt
1:3; see comments 2 Tm 3:16,17). 13 Faith, hope and
love must prevail in order that the church continue. Faith
and hope refer to the individual’s personal relationship
with God. However, love refers to the individual’s relationship
with his fellow brother on earth (Jn 13:34,35).
Since the church is the fellowship of God’s people on
earth, love must prevail in order to offer members an
atmosphere of preparation for eternal dwelling. Faith
and hope will have no reward of eternal dwelling if there
is no personal relationship with one’s brother in Christ
(See Mk 12:28-31; Jn 2:16; 14:15; Rm 13:10; 1 Jn 4:7-
21). It is for this reason that love is the primary objective
of the faithful, since it is the loving faithful who will
be rewarded with eternal life in a heavenly environment.
Faith and hope keep one pointed in the right direction,
the direction of heaven. But it is love that will transition
this life into eternal glory.