Paul's most comprehensive treatise on miraculous spiritual gifts is found in First Corinthians 12-14. In the midst of this section, the Holy Spirit inspired apostle discusses the importance, characteristics, and duration of love (1 Cor. 13:1-13). Love was a key element in solving their division problems, which, in part, were fueled by wrong attitudes toward miraculous gifts. In pointing out the duration of love, Paul states the cessation of miraculous gifts.

Overview of the Passage

Three preliminary truths must be understood to help us know the meaning of First Corinthians 13:8-13. First, it begins and ends with "love" ("Charity [love] never faileth....the greatest of these is charity [love]," 1 Cor. 13:8-13). The Corinthians acted as if the miraculous gifts were all that mattered, but Paul shows that love is much more important than miraculous gifts. Second, there is an important comparison between "that which is in part" and "that which is perfect" (1 Cor. 13:9-10). Thus, to whatever aspect the "in part" refers must be the same as the "perfect." Paul is not comparing, as it were, "apples with oranges," but "'in part' apples with 'perfect' apples." Third, there is an important contrast between "now" and "then." What was "now" (in Paul's day) "in part" would at a future time from Paul be "perfect," in which case there would be no need for the "in part." Again, whatever the "in part" represents must be the same as the "perfect" or else the comparison is meaningless.

Miraculous Gifts Were to Be Temporary

Although love will never come to an end, Paul says that "prophecies...shall fail," "tongues...shall cease," and miraculous "knowledge...shall vanish away" (1 Cor. 13:8). The terms "shall fail [be done away, NAS]" and "shall vanish away [be done away, NAS]" come from the same Greek word (katargeo), which means to pass away, or cease. Later in this same context, the word is translated "shall be done away" (1 Cor. 13:10) and "put away" (1 Cor. 13:11). The term "shall cease" is from a Greek word (pauo) that means to stop, cease; be done with (Eph. 1:16; Col. 1:9). Clearly, these miraculous gifts, and representatively all miraculous gifts, were to cease at some point in Paul's future. Note that "tongues," which the Corinthians seemed to value the most highly, are dropped by Paul in the next verse.

"For we know in part, and we prophesy in part" (1 Cor. 13:9) indicates that the miraculous gifts are represented by the "in part." As the illustrations in verses 11-12 will indicate, these miraculous gifts have to do with intellectual understanding of God's will. Before going further, let us note the way in which the "in part" is partial. As some have pointed out, Paul must be referring to partial quantity rather than quality. Every piece of knowledge and prophesying is complete, or perfect, in quality, but the miraculous knowledge and prophesying that came in the first century was not complete, or perfect, in quantity. For example, the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7) is only part of God's revelation. It is complete, or perfect, in quality. It is inspired and inerrant in what it says. However, it is not complete, or perfect, in quantity because it does not contain everything we need to know concerning Christ, His church, and salvation.

"But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away" (1 Cor. 13:10). The word "perfect" (from telios), when referring to things, as in this context, refers to that which has attained its goal and is thus complete, or perfect. From Paul's perspective, whenever this "perfect" comes, then the miraculous gifts (the "in part," 1 Cor. 13:9) would cease to exist. The question now is: To what does the "perfect" refer? The only answer that is consistent with the text and the total teaching of the Bible is that the "perfect" refers to the complete written revelation of God (cf. Jas. 1:25).

Miraculous Gifts Were Part of the Church's Infancy

The two illustrations Paul gives shows that miraculous gifts were to give way to a more mature and universal way. First, the "in part" and "perfect" states are compared to the difference between childhood and manhood: "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" (1 Cor. 13:11). Paul is not talking about diapers or sippy cups, but about intellectual processes ("spake...understood...thought"). As a child learns to speak in piecemeal fashion until he develops a full vocabulary and sense of grammar, so was the revelation of God given, at first in bits and pieces through miraculous gifts, but now "the faith" has been "once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3).

Second, the "in part" and "perfect" states are likened to seeing something obscurely versus seeing it plainly: "For now we see through a glass [mirror, NKJ], darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known" (1 Cor. 13:12). It is usually assumed that the "face to face" vision is of God or Jesus, but this is incorrect. Neither the word "see," nor the word "know" has an object. Both are used in an absolute sense so that whatever was to be seen clearly and known fully at a future time from Paul was already being seen obscurely and known partially by Paul and his readers. They did not have an initial vision of God's person, but of God's will. "Seeing" and "knowing" are used elsewhere to refer to the intellectual grasping of God's will (cf. Mt. 13:13-17). Thus, the "face to face" viewing refers to a clear and full view of God's will due to the "perfect" (complete in quantity) revelation of God as opposed to the dim and obscure viewing that the incomplete (in quantity) miraculous gifts provided.

Conclusion

Miraculous gifts served their purposes of communicating the Gospel without error (1 Pet. 1:11-12), confirming the Gospel as it was being completed (Heb. 2:3-4 cf. Acts 14:3), and enabling the infant church to perform some of its tasks (1 Cor. 12:4-30). Today, these purposes are achieved through the written word of God. The complete Gospel is in our possession (cf. Jas. 1:21-25; 2 Pet. 1:3; Jude 3). The written word of God furnishes us "unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Do we believe and practice this fact?