WEBVTT 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:04.160 We're going to begin this morning with a little bit of a history lesson. 00:00:04.719 --> 00:00:16.320 1906 was the year, and on the streets of Los Angeles, reports began to circulate of strange activity taking place. 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:25.519 Reports began to come in of people who had the power to speak in tongues and the gift to heal people. 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:37.920 This event later became known as the Azusa Street Revival, and it sparked the beginning of a movement within Christianity known as the Pentecostal Movement. 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:48.799 And if you're familiar with some of the different denominations and churches, you know that the Pentecostal denomination is one of the major denominations within Christianity today. 00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:58.960 In fact, the Pentecostal and other charismatic offshoots account for approximately 25% of all Christians. 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:14.560 What mainly distinguishes these denominations from other Christians is their belief that the miraculous and revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit are still operative today. 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:23.519 This includes the gifts of healing, prophecy, dreams and visions, and the gift of tongues. 00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:36.159 Which for us this morning means we must consider the question: are these miraculous gifts of the Spirit still functioning today? 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:44.640 In our context, in the book of 1 Corinthians, we have begun in chapter 12 with a discussion on the spiritual gifts. 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:53.680 And we have been noticing specific instructions that Paul has been giving with regards to how to use these spiritual gifts. 00:01:53.920 --> 00:02:03.040 And here now in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, in the passage we're going to dig into today, we are going to learn about the answer to this question. 00:02:03.439 --> 00:02:09.919 1 Corinthians chapter 13, we will begin this morning in verse 8. 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:15.039 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 8. 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:20.319 Love never ends. 00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:24.879 As for prophecies, they will pass away. 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:27.759 As for tongues, they will cease. 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:30.400 As for knowledge, it will pass. 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:35.039 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:38.960 But when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:46.080 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:50.240 When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:54.080 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. 00:02:54.400 --> 00:03:01.759 Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:10.159 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love. 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:12.639 Let's pray, and then we'll dig into the text together. 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:14.240 Heavenly Father, thank you for today. 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:23.439 Thank you now for this opportunity we have to open up your word, and we ask, as we always do, that your spirit would help us to understand what the Bible says. 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:29.680 And we approach your word this morning with humility and a desire to learn and to grow. 00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:42.080 And Father, I pray that as we approach your word that way this morning, that your spirit would work in our hearts and in our lives, draw us nearer to yourself, make us more like Jesus, and help us grow. 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:43.919 It's in Jesus' name we pray. 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:44.879 Amen. 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:57.759 You'll notice in our text this morning that these verses must be read in the larger context of chapters 12 through 14. 00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:05.840 And if you recall, from last week, we just spent a whole sermon talking about love. 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:08.400 All about love last week. 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:12.000 And we learned what true, genuine biblical love is. 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:20.959 And Paul gives that incredible definition and explanation of biblical love in this context of spiritual gifts. 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:38.399 And if you remember from last week, those verses are meant to teach us that if we serve using spiritual gifts without love, that serving, that utilization of those gifts is ultimately meaningless and worthless. 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:40.480 There's no value to it. 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:50.000 Paul's point is to say you can have all of these amazing gifts, but what must be infused in your serving in the church is love. 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:53.120 You must infuse your serving with love. 00:04:53.199 --> 00:05:02.319 And so if you're doing, doing, doing, serving, serving, serving, and you have no love, Paul's point is what you're doing is fruitless. 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:03.439 It's worthless. 00:05:03.519 --> 00:05:04.879 Don't waste your time. 00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:15.199 Now, this was meant to call out the Corinthians because, if you recall, the church at Corinth really highly valued spiritual giftedness. 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:21.279 And the problem in Corinth wasn't that they were lacking in spiritual giftedness. 00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:24.319 In fact, it appears as though they had an abundance. 00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:29.360 They were very gifted, and they were using those gifts to serve. 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:38.000 But instead of the church becoming a healthy church because everybody was serving with their gifts, the church was in an awful state. 00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:41.279 And here we get to the crux of the matter. 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:48.079 The church had all of these issues and problems, not because people weren't serving, but because people weren't loving. 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:50.399 And Paul says, you need to love. 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:51.439 You need to love. 00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:59.759 Now, verses 8 through 13 think of these verses as the exclamation point to that challenge. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:04.319 Verses 8 through 13 are the exclamation point to the challenge. 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:12.800 To use your spiritual gifts to serve, but to do so with love, because love is more important. 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:16.480 Love is more important than serving. 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:20.879 So that's where the context is taking us. 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:34.639 In verse 8, we notice the very first thing that Paul says is that is that love never ends, but in contrast to love, there are other things that will end. 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:36.399 Other things will end. 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:40.399 He says that they will pass away in verse 8. 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:43.360 He uses that verb twice in verse 8. 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:50.639 The word that he uses there is the same word that you'll notice in a few different places in 1 Corinthians. 00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:57.040 In each of these cases, the word indicates that there is an expiration date. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:01.839 There is a point in time where the end of something is reached. 00:07:02.160 --> 00:07:08.480 You may think today of the the, some people say it's a conspiracy theory. 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:21.439 I think it's 100% true, that technology is developed today with an intentional point in time where that technology becomes obsolete, where it stops working. 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:26.480 And so the conspiracy theory has to do with like your phones today, those smartphones. 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:32.399 And you, if you'll, if you've noticed, if you've had a phone for a long time, what eventually happens to that phone if you've hung on to it for a long time? 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:33.920 What happens to that phone? 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:38.079 Starts going slower, doesn't work as well anymore. 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:39.759 I'm 100% sold. 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:43.279 I think that they make their phones to eventually stop working. 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:44.639 Because why? 00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:46.959 Because then you have to buy a new one. 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:49.279 It's all a scheme. 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:52.160 Okay, that's my crazy, my crazy theory this morning. 00:07:52.240 --> 00:07:55.279 It's all a it's all a scheme to get us to keep on buying more phones. 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:55.680 Right? 00:07:55.759 --> 00:07:58.079 There's this built-in obsolescence. 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:05.120 We can see that in a in a less conspiratorial way this morning just by looking at technology over time. 00:08:05.519 --> 00:08:08.480 You you ask anybody today about a floppy disk. 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:12.639 In my mind, there's like a disc and it's like this rubber disc. 00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:14.399 I'm thinking, like, a floppy disk. 00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:15.519 What is that? 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:18.959 Oh, it's like old technology. 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:20.959 It becomes obsolete. 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:22.639 It passes away. 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:24.560 This is the idea of the verb here. 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:30.480 This is the idea that there is a point in time where this thing passes away. 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:32.480 It becomes obsolete. 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:42.320 And Paul's use of the word here indicates that there are some spiritual gifts that have a built-in obsolescence. 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:48.879 Some spiritual gifts that were purposefully designed by God to be temporary. 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:53.120 And notice the contrast: love isn't built that way. 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:55.759 Love extends forever. 00:08:55.919 --> 00:08:59.039 But these spiritual gifts, they have an expiration date. 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:04.799 So the question is, what spiritual gifts in particular are designed to become obsolete? 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:07.759 And you'll notice he states them here in the text in verse 8. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:14.720 We have a reference to prophecy, the gift of prophecy, the gift of tongues, and the gift of knowledge. 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:20.960 And interestingly enough, all of these gifts have already been referenced by Paul. 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:27.600 Preaching and teaching is the interpretation of an already inspired text. 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:32.159 On Sunday morning, we come and I preach, I teach the Word. 00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:36.399 This is an interpretation of revelation that has already been given. 00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:39.279 You come on Sunday, you're not getting anything new. 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:45.440 You're getting something from at least 2,000 years ago that God has already revealed. 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:48.399 It's just being interpreted, it's being explained. 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:50.399 Prophecy is different. 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:54.399 Prophecy is the transmission of new revelation. 00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:59.120 Prophecy is revelation just received and then communicated. 00:09:59.279 --> 00:10:00.799 This is the gift of prophecy. 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:10.720 In the Old Testament, we read about the prophets, and oftentimes the prophets begin their messages or they're introduced with the phrase, the word of the Lord came to. 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:12.879 It's almost personified. 00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:19.759 This message that came, this new message has come, and now the prophet is sharing it. 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:21.440 So this is prophecy. 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:22.159 Tongues. 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:27.840 We'll get to the gift of tongues, especially in chapter 14, where there's a full explanation of this gift. 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:37.519 But the gift of tongues was the spirit-enabled gift to speak this new revelation in different languages, languages not native to the speaker. 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:41.279 We see an example of this in Acts chapter 2 at Pentecost. 00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:48.000 Knowledge was a reference to divine knowledge that was given directly by God through the Spirit. 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:52.639 Knowledge that is revealed to a person through supernatural means. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:59.120 So if we take all of these gifts and we ask the question, why are they all grouped together in this specific context? 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:07.840 It begins to become clear to us that each of these gifts are singled out by Paul because they share a common bond. 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:12.720 They are what we refer to as the revelatory gifts. 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:15.120 These are the revelatory gifts. 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:19.600 In other words, gifts that revealed the word of God. 00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:26.240 Prophecy, tongues, knowledge, all gifts that are related to the revealing of the Word of God. 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:30.240 Now, there's something else that is significant about these gifts. 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:35.759 And as I've already mentioned, the Corinthians cherished their spiritual gifts. 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:37.679 They valued them. 00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:42.000 They took pride in them, and they used them selfishly. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:46.879 And it's interesting that Paul mentions these gifts, especially the gift of tongues. 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:51.679 The gift of tongues appears to have been an especially valued gift by the Corinthians. 00:11:51.919 --> 00:12:11.519 It's interesting that because we have already been challenged to infuse our serving with love, this exclamation point on this argument that Paul is making is that these revelatory gifts that you cherish so much, these gifts of the Spirit that you love so much and think are so valuable, guess what? 00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:13.519 They aren't gonna last. 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:15.679 They're gonna pass away. 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:21.120 There's gonna come a day when they're no longer even going to be necessary or utilized anymore. 00:12:21.279 --> 00:12:26.720 And Paul's, so how is that an argument for the for the for the importance of love? 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:35.279 Well, I remember before I was married, um, I used to hang on to socks as long as I could. 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:38.960 I thought, why get rid of a good pair of socks? 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:49.039 And and uh I'd wear these socks, and people girlfriend would notice you there's a hole in your sock. 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:51.200 Future mother-in-law would notice. 00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:54.240 Why are you wearing a sock with a hole in it? 00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:55.919 I said, what do you mean? 00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:58.080 It's a perfectly good sock. 00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:00.240 I can keep wearing this sock. 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:07.840 And uh eventually the message was communicated to me that that old holy socks, they're disposable. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:09.840 You're supposed to throw them away. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:11.200 Guys, I didn't know this. 00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:13.120 I was just, what's wrong with it? 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:14.320 It's got a bunch of holes in it. 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:16.240 That's what wrong, that's what's wrong with it, right? 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:19.200 You're meant to dispose of it, it's meant to go away. 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:24.240 Meaning that a sock is not something particularly valuable, is it? 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:30.559 It's not necessarily something that you should that you should cherish and and value. 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:32.559 They're cheap. 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:34.639 So just buy some new ones. 00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:39.759 Now you take that, you take the sock, and you contrast that with perhaps like a wedding ring. 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:45.120 And and when it comes to a wedding ring, that's a that's a cherished possession, isn't it? 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:46.480 That's valuable. 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:49.039 You hold on to that, you're careful with that. 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:51.759 You place a lot of weight on the on the wedding ring. 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:55.679 That's an important, that's an important piece to your clothing, isn't it? 00:13:55.840 --> 00:13:57.039 There's a contrast. 00:13:57.200 --> 00:13:57.440 Why? 00:13:57.600 --> 00:14:01.200 Because one of those things is temporary and disposable and doesn't last. 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:07.200 Whereas the other thing is meant to be a lifetime, it's meant to last a very long time. 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:09.120 And so you see how we do this. 00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:15.200 We we are we just naturally we place weight and value in those things that last a long time. 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:19.759 And this is the idea that Paul's trying to get across here. 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:24.320 Love is forever, love extends into eternity. 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:27.360 So place weight and value in love. 00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:35.600 And don't place so much weight and emphasis and value in these spiritual gifts that aren't gonna last forever, that are gonna pass away. 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:44.960 It's really a question of prioritizing what am I going to make most important in my life and in my walk with the Lord and in my walk with other Christians in my church? 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:46.240 What's most important? 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:48.240 The thing that lasts forever. 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:49.360 That's most important. 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:51.919 This is the exclamation point Paul is making here. 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:58.480 So then the question naturally becomes we already understand that these revelatory gifts, they will pass away. 00:14:58.559 --> 00:15:00.399 There's coming a time when they will cease to exist. 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:02.799 The question then becomes, well, when is that? 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:03.759 When is that? 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:08.639 And I do believe Paul answers this question in the text. 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:11.279 So look with me in verse 9. 00:15:13.600 --> 00:15:18.240 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:24.639 But when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:30.000 So we have this contrast here between the perfect and the partial. 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:32.159 The perfect and the partial. 00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:38.559 The word there for perfect is literally completion, something that's completed or finished. 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:42.320 In fact, it's the same word that Jesus uses on the cross when he says it is finished. 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:43.519 It's the same word. 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:46.799 When something is completed, when something is finished. 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:57.519 And Paul is making the argument here that at the time of his writing of the book of 1 Corinthians, he says, now we know in part and we prophesy in part. 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:05.039 And meaning in Paul's day, at this point in time, our knowledge is partial. 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:06.960 It's incomplete. 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:13.600 It's interesting to notice these are direct references to the revelatory gifts we just mentioned in verse 8. 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:14.720 Do you notice that? 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:18.559 We know in part, verse 9, that's the gift of knowledge. 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:21.440 We prophesy in part, the gift of prophecy. 00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:28.240 So Paul is directly referencing these revelatory gifts, these gifts that revealed the Word of God. 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:32.000 And he's saying that for now it's partial. 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:39.840 And he's saying that there's coming a time when this partial will pass away. 00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:49.039 Which means that there's a time when these revelatory gifts that partially reveal the Word of God will pass away. 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:53.279 And when is it when that partial will pass away? 00:16:53.759 --> 00:17:00.320 When the perfect comes, when that which is completed comes, when that which is finished comes. 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:02.799 And the question is, what is the perfect? 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:04.160 What is the completed? 00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:10.400 Well, I think there's only one way to understand it and interpret it correctly, and it's in its direct context. 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:13.599 And in the direct context, Paul is talking about what? 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:17.680 Revelation, the revealing of the Word of God. 00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:21.599 And so his point is right now it's partial, it's not finished. 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:27.920 But when the finished version comes, that which is partial will pass away. 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:32.319 So the finished version of revelation is another word for what? 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:35.759 Anyone want to take a guess and shout it out this morning? 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:37.359 No. 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:42.559 This. 00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:45.359 This is the completion. 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:47.359 This is the perfect. 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:50.240 The completed word of God. 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:52.799 This is what Paul is referring to here. 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:57.759 He's saying, right now we have the partial, the incomplete, the unfinished. 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:04.160 The gifts that are used to communicate the revelation of God's word will cease. 00:18:04.319 --> 00:18:12.720 They will pass away when God's word is fully revealed, when it's completed, when it's finished, when it's perfect. 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:18.880 So another way to say this is that this is a reference to the completed canon of Scripture. 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:20.640 The completed canon of Scripture. 00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:28.559 Now, if you look at the metaphors Paul uses, the metaphors Paul uses in verses 11 and 12 reinforce this concept. 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:36.880 So in verse 11 we read, When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:41.279 When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:51.759 So Paul's point here is not to denigrate the revelatory gifts as childish in the sense that they are immature or foolish. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:55.279 They were useful. 00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:56.799 They were given for a reason. 00:18:56.880 --> 00:18:59.519 They were meant to be utilized when they were used. 00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:03.920 His point, though, is that they are age appropriate. 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:05.920 They're age appropriate. 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:14.960 So if you think about like a child, you would say that there is a time when it's appropriate for a child to use training wheels on a bike. 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:17.279 There's a time when that's appropriate. 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:24.640 But there's also a time when the child is meant to mature to a stage where they no longer need those training wheels. 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:30.000 And maybe some of you are here this morning and saying, I never got to that stage. 00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:37.440 But in general, the idea is there's a point in time when the training wheels are necessary. 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:43.839 But there comes a time when the child matures, when the child grows, when those training wheels, they're no longer necessary. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:44.960 They're no longer needed. 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:47.680 They would no longer be appropriate for that child. 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:49.519 Baby food. 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:52.480 There's a time when you give a baby baby food. 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:55.680 There comes a time though when it's no longer appropriate. 00:19:55.920 --> 00:20:00.960 I don't know about you, but when I sit down for dinner, I don't sit down with a heaping pile of baby food. 00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:03.680 That would be inappropriate for my development. 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:11.599 I've matured, I've aged, I've gotten older, I no longer engage in those things that are appropriate for a small child. 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:15.200 So why is Paul using this illustration, this metaphor here? 00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:25.279 His point is that the revelatory gifts, the partial, were appropriate for a certain period of time, a certain point in time when these were appropriate. 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:31.839 But there was coming a time when they would no longer be appropriate, no longer necessary for the church. 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:35.839 Understand how logically this makes sense to us. 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:42.079 The book of 1 Corinthians is believed to have been one of the earlier epistles that Paul wrote. 00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:54.160 In fact, if you look at the full canon of Scripture, books like Colossians, Philippians, Romans, Peter's epistles, the book of Hebrews, John's Gospel, and his epistles, and the book of Revelation were all yet to be written. 00:20:54.319 --> 00:20:55.920 They hadn't even been written yet. 00:20:56.160 --> 00:21:03.119 And that's not even to mention the circulation of these letters, the circulation of Revelation. 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:07.759 It's not like today where you can say, hey, Paul's newest epistle just dropped. 00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:12.400 Let me blast it on my social media and send it out on the church email so everybody gets it. 00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:24.480 This was at a time in which it took a long time for letters to circulate and travel among churches and for that revelation to be shared with multiple churches in multiple different locations across the Roman Empire. 00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:34.400 So this is a point in time when there was a lot of truth and revelation that the Corinthians did not have access to. 00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:43.599 Which means the revelatory gifts in the early church were necessary to supplement what the early church did not have. 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:46.000 The completed canon of Scripture. 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:48.960 They were necessary, they were needed. 00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:56.160 But there was coming a day when the child would become a man. 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.759 There was coming a day when God would be finished speaking. 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:05.519 And the revelatory gifts would no longer be appropriate or necessary. 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:20.240 In fact, in the Book of Revelation, chapter 22, verses 18 and 19, we read, I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. 00:22:20.400 --> 00:22:24.480 If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:33.759 And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city which are described in this book. 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:38.880 An interesting warning at the very end of the final piece of revelation God gave. 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:47.440 There's nothing more to be added. 00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:53.440 So don't add to what God has already revealed. 00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:59.039 We notice the second metaphor Paul uses in verse 12 is the metaphor of the mirror. 00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:03.680 We read, For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. 00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:10.880 Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:17.279 So some look at this verse and they would interpret this to be a reference to when Jesus comes back. 00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:24.000 And the reason they say that is because when Jesus comes back is when we will see Jesus face to face. 00:23:24.160 --> 00:23:25.519 We'll see him face to face. 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:30.079 And so they would say this this passage isn't really talking about the completion of the canon. 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:32.720 It's talking about the return of Jesus. 00:23:33.039 --> 00:23:39.200 And it is true that when Jesus comes back, and we're with Jesus, we will see him face to face. 00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:39.759 That is true. 00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:41.279 We'll be in the presence of the Lord forever. 00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:43.599 That's a wonderful truth and one we look forward to. 00:23:43.839 --> 00:23:47.119 Enjoying the blessings of being in the presence of God forever. 00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:51.119 That's our culmination of the culmination of humanity right there. 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:56.240 But I don't think that's Paul's point here in 1 Corinthians chapter 13. 00:23:56.400 --> 00:23:58.400 And the reason why I say that is twofold. 00:23:58.559 --> 00:24:04.240 One, the context has already established he's talking about revelation, he's not talking about the return of Jesus. 00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:07.680 But the second reason is because the metaphor doesn't even make sense. 00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:10.160 Because what does he say in verse 12? 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:15.200 Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. 00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:21.119 So let me ask you when you look in a mirror, whose face is looking back at you? 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:24.880 Some of you are afraid to admit it. 00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:27.519 It's my face. 00:24:27.839 --> 00:24:28.640 It's my face. 00:24:28.799 --> 00:24:32.640 So the illustration, the metaphor here isn't talking about seeing another person face to face. 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:33.599 Who's it talking about? 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:34.960 Who do you see in the mirror? 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:36.160 Yourself. 00:24:36.400 --> 00:24:37.359 Yourself. 00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:52.240 So again, what's the I think the better, the better connection is if you go to the book of James, and in James chapter 1, Paul actually actually uses this exact same metaphor in James chapter 1, verse 22. 00:24:52.400 --> 00:24:57.200 He says, But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 00:24:57.519 --> 00:25:06.160 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:08.559 For he looks at who? 00:25:10.079 --> 00:25:15.200 Himself, and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:29.359 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:30.559 Interesting. 00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:36.720 So in the book of James, James uses the same mirror illustration, and what does he equate the mirror to? 00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:39.039 The word of God. 00:25:39.440 --> 00:25:40.960 It's the word of God. 00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:47.200 James's point is when you look into the mirror of God's word, you see yourself reflected back. 00:25:47.519 --> 00:25:56.400 Meaning you see how the word of God convicts and challenges and calls you to conform yourself into the image of Christ. 00:25:56.559 --> 00:25:58.799 You see yourself reflected in the word. 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:02.640 Have you ever been reading the Bible and thought, ooh, that hurt? 00:26:03.119 --> 00:26:08.079 Have you ever been in a sermon and saying, ooh, pastor's talking about me this morning? 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:09.599 Has that ever happened to you? 00:26:09.759 --> 00:26:10.079 Right? 00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:18.640 That's the word of God reflecting back to yourself and saying, here is where you need to grow and change and become be conformed into the image of Christ. 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:26.400 And interestingly enough, this perfectly fits the exact metaphor that Paul's using in 1 Corinthians chapter 13. 00:26:26.559 --> 00:26:28.480 Because again, what's he talking about? 00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:30.880 Revelation, the word of God. 00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:34.319 And what's his point in chapter 13 and in 1 Corinthians? 00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:37.920 His point is now we see dimly. 00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:42.880 Now I know partially. 00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:45.279 Why? 00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:48.160 Because the revelation isn't completed. 00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:50.240 The canon isn't finished. 00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:57.920 But when the day comes when the canon of scripture would be completed, would be finished, then you've got a clear mirror. 00:26:58.240 --> 00:27:05.839 A mirror where you can look, we have this, we have this entire canon of scripture to see ourselves clearly. 00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:09.759 And how we're called to repent, grow, change, become more like Jesus. 00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:11.839 We can see it with clarity now. 00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:13.920 Because we're not missing half the book. 00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:15.920 We've got the finished copy here. 00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:17.920 We've got the finished copy. 00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:26.799 Paul's point is that with the partial revelation, we see ourselves in God's word partially. 00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:30.960 But when the word of God is completed, we get the full picture. 00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:38.480 It is simply another metaphor that Paul uses to refer to the day when the church would have the full completed canon of God's Word. 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:43.680 Now, what about verse 13? 00:27:44.079 --> 00:27:47.680 I think verse 13 ties everything all together. 00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:57.039 So in verse 13, he says, so now faith, hope, and love abide, these three. 00:27:57.359 --> 00:27:59.839 But the greatest of these is love. 00:28:01.359 --> 00:28:13.279 Paul concludes his teaching on love and spiritual gifts by mentioning these three attributes, faith, hope, and love. 00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:17.680 And he says that these three abide. 00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:22.960 They abide, which means they remain or they continue. 00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:27.599 So once again, we notice a contrast between what is passing away. 00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:34.960 So the partial, the revelatory gifts, they'll pass away. 00:28:35.200 --> 00:28:40.319 He says, but but then faith, hope, and love, they'll abide. 00:28:40.480 --> 00:28:41.359 They'll continue on. 00:28:41.440 --> 00:28:42.880 They will remain. 00:28:46.079 --> 00:28:50.400 This is used in contrast to these revelatory gifts that will come to an end. 00:28:51.119 --> 00:28:58.079 But if we notice the flow of the passage here, we notice a timeline unfolding. 00:28:58.319 --> 00:29:01.200 We notice there's a timeline that unfolds. 00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:05.759 There will come a time when the revelatory gifts will cease to operate. 00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:07.119 When is that the case? 00:29:07.279 --> 00:29:10.160 Well, it's when the canon of Scripture is completed. 00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:16.079 But after the canon of Scripture is completed, there's some things that will continue to remain. 00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:18.400 Paul says, faith, hope, and love. 00:29:18.559 --> 00:29:22.319 So after we have God's word, we may not have the gift of prophecy anymore. 00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:26.319 We may not have the gift of tongues anymore, but we still have faith, hope, and love. 00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:36.079 And those are meant to be primary attributes of the Christian, primary characteristics of who we are as believers, to live in faith, to live in hope, and to live in love. 00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:42.319 This reference to the time in which faith, hope, and love abide is a reference to now. 00:29:42.799 --> 00:29:43.599 Right now. 00:29:43.839 --> 00:29:45.359 Revelatory gifts have passed. 00:29:45.519 --> 00:29:50.480 We have the completion of the canon, but we're living still with faith, hope, and love. 00:29:50.720 --> 00:30:02.559 But what's interesting is that once again, Paul draws a contrast because he says at the end of verse 13, out of all those attributes, which is the greatest? 00:30:05.359 --> 00:30:06.000 Love. 00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:07.519 Love is the greatest. 00:30:07.599 --> 00:30:12.240 So there's another distinction that's being drawn in the text. 00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:15.759 Faith, hope, and love, the distinction being love. 00:30:17.119 --> 00:30:31.200 Now, interestingly enough, if you go to the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, Hebrews chapter 11, the great faith chapter. 00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:37.039 And the author of Hebrews begins that chapter with a definition of faith. 00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:40.480 And what does he say in Hebrews chapter 11, verse 1? 00:30:40.799 --> 00:30:52.799 Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, the conviction of things not seen. 00:30:53.200 --> 00:30:59.759 Romans chapter 8, verses 24 and 25. 00:31:03.119 --> 00:31:05.359 For in this hope we were saved. 00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:08.480 Now hope that is seen is not hope. 00:31:08.799 --> 00:31:10.880 For who hopes what he sees? 00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:16.480 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:19.039 So notice a correlation here. 00:31:19.359 --> 00:31:23.680 Faith and hope both are looking forward to something. 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:25.920 They're looking forward to something. 00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:35.440 And if you look in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, we notice what faith and hope are looking ahead to. 00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:39.359 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:47.200 Verses 6 and 7. 00:31:47.599 --> 00:31:49.519 So we are always of good courage. 00:31:49.759 --> 00:31:53.920 We know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. 00:31:54.319 --> 00:31:59.359 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:14.559 So in the timeline of 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the only way this actually makes sense is if you interpret it this way: to say that the partial, the revelatory gifts, they'll pass away, and after they're gone, faith, hope, and love will still remain. 00:32:14.720 --> 00:32:19.920 Well, there needs to be a period of time between when the partial passes away and when Jesus comes back. 00:32:20.160 --> 00:32:23.519 Because guess what's going to cease when Jesus comes back? 00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:26.640 Faith and hope. 00:32:26.960 --> 00:32:28.160 Did you know that? 00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:32.240 When Jesus comes back, you won't need faith anymore. 00:32:32.559 --> 00:32:33.200 Why? 00:32:33.519 --> 00:32:35.839 Your faith will become your sight. 00:32:36.240 --> 00:32:38.559 You will see Jesus face to face. 00:32:39.680 --> 00:32:44.960 You won't have to trust faith is not will not be the conviction of things not seen anymore. 00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:46.240 Because guess what? 00:32:46.480 --> 00:32:47.440 You'll see. 00:32:47.759 --> 00:32:51.359 You'll see what you're what you're hoping for. 00:32:51.599 --> 00:32:57.519