What does "the partial will pass away" teach about temporary spiritual gifts? The Passage in View “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be restrained; where there is knowledge, it will be dismissed. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.” (1 Corinthians 13:8-10) What “Partial” Means • Greek phrase ek merous = “in part, fragmentary, incomplete.” • Paul points to gifts that deliver truth in fragments—moment-by-moment insights rather than the whole counsel of God. • These fragments are useful yet temporary by design; they belong to an early, immature stage of the church’s life. Which Gifts Are Called Partial Verse 8 names them: • Prophecy – Spirit-given messages before the New Testament was complete. • Tongues – unlearned languages, signs to unbelievers (1 Corinthians 14:22). • Knowledge – revelatory insight beyond ordinary study. All three communicate divine truth but only “in part.” When Does “the Perfect” Arrive? • to teleion = “the complete, finished, mature, perfect.” • Paul’s child-to-adult and mirror-to-face analogies (vv. 11-12) show a contrast between the church’s infancy and its maturity. • Supporting passages: – Ephesians 2:20 — the church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” A foundation, once laid, is not relaid. – Hebrews 2:3-4 — sign gifts “testify” to the once-for-all gospel, implying a limited timeframe. – James 1:25; 2 Timothy 3:16-17 — Scripture is called “perfect” and “fully equips” believers. • Therefore, “the perfect” is best understood as the completed, sufficient revelation of Scripture and the church’s transition to doctrinal maturity rather than the eternal state (where faith and hope, mentioned in v. 13, would also disappear). Implications for Spiritual Gifts Today • Gifts tied to ongoing revelation—prophecy, tongues, revelatory knowledge—were temporary. Once the New Testament canon closed and the apostolic foundation was finished, these “partial” means passed away. • Other gifts for edification, service, and evangelism (teaching, mercy, giving, administration, etc.) remain; they do not add revelation but apply it. • Believers now rely on the “perfect law of freedom” (James 1:25) and the Spirit illumining that written Word, not new prophetic data. Why Love Remains When Gifts Do Not • 1 Corinthians 13:13 — “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.” • Love is not a channel of revelation; it is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and the very character of God (1 John 4:8). • It survives every era because it is essential to both earthly obedience and eternal fellowship with Christ. Living Out This Truth • Treasure Scripture as God’s complete, sufficient revelation. • Pursue maturity through diligent study rather than seeking new revelations. • Exercise the abiding gifts in the framework of love, which outlasts every temporary manifestation. |
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