What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 13:9? For • The word “For” links verse 9 to the broader flow of chapter 13, where Paul contrasts temporary gifts with the enduring supremacy of love (1 Corinthians 13:8). • It signals an explanation: Paul is about to illustrate why gifts like knowledge and prophecy are only partial. • Similar connective reasoning appears in Romans 8:18—“I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us”—where the conjunction introduces perspective-shifting truth. We know in part • “Know” points to the spiritual gift of knowledge (1 Corinthians 12:8), yet even Spirit-given insight remains limited. • Paul reminds us of our finite grasp of God’s vast wisdom (Romans 11:33). • The limitation is deliberate; God withholds full understanding so that we walk by faith, not sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). • Old Testament precedent: Moses affirmed, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God” (Deuteronomy 29:29). • Practically, this guards us from pride: recognizing partial knowledge fosters humility and dependence on Scripture. And • The conjunction ties together knowing and prophesying, showing they share the same limitation. • Both gifts serve the church now (1 Corinthians 12:7), but neither exhausts God’s revelation. • The linking “and” emphasizes balance: knowledge without prophetic proclamation—or prophecy without rooted understanding—would be incomplete. We prophesy in part • New-covenant prophecy (Acts 2:17) edifies, exhorts, and comforts (1 Corinthians 14:3), yet remains fragmentary until Christ’s return. • Unlike the full and final revelation in Christ (Hebrews 1:2), present prophetic utterance offers glimpses, not the whole panorama. • Paul looks ahead to the day when “the perfect comes” (1 Corinthians 13:10), when every partial word will give way to complete clarity—mirroring how the Old Testament foreshadowed Christ, then gave way to His appearing. • Until then, prophecy must be tested against Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21), acknowledging that no single message captures the entirety of God’s plan (2 Peter 1:19). summary 1 Corinthians 13:9 teaches that both our knowing and our prophesying are genuine yet limited. God, in His wisdom, grants only partial insight so that we cherish love above every gift, remain humble, and anticipate the day when imperfect glimpses will be replaced by perfect, face-to-face fellowship with Christ (1 Corinthians 13:12). |
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