1 Corinthians 13:8-13

 

1 Cor 13:8 (KJV)
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

Love is the greatest trait because it never fails. Love will continue on into the new Heaven and the New Earth. The Lord Jesus Christ, who loved His own in this world, proved this by going to the cross for them and preparing a place for them in Heaven.

(John 13:1 KJV) Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

(John 14:2 KJV) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

The verse is not saying that the prophecies contained in the Bible will not come to pass. In fact, there are no more prophecies to be fulfilled before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ on the last day. Prophecies will be done away with upon fulfillment. Then the languages of the earth will also be done away with and whatever knowledge man has obtained since creation shall cease. When will this take place since man needs language for communication and needs knowledge to continue to live upon this earth? This section deals with the return of the Lord Jesus Christ and only then will the things we need on this present Earth be abolished since there will be a new Heaven and New Earth where righteousness dwells. (Rev 21:1 KJV) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

 

1 Cor 13:9 (KJV)
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

At this time, or any time in history we have only had partial knowledge and therefore we are only able to prophesy in part. Prophesying has to do with declaring the Word of God, not receiving divine revelations as in Paul’s day. No one can claim they fully know everything in the Bible. We have the completed Scriptures but we do not have completed understanding of the Scriptures. Without a complete understanding, we are only able to know and prophesy what we do know, which is only partial. No human can ever search the depths of the knowledge of God in the Scriptures. (Psa 139:6 KJV) Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

 

1 Cor 13:10 (KJV)
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Many claim this passage is speaking of the Bible but as I previously stated, we only have partial understanding of the Scriptures, even though we have the completed Scriptures. Once the Lord Jesus returns for His Elect, then the Elect will have full knowledge and will no longer have partial knowledge. The parts of Scripture which we did not understand will be made clear when we are in His presence. So this passage speaks of the Lord Jesus and His return, and then our knowledge will be complete. We could never have completed knowledge about divine things on this side of Heaven.

 

1 Cor 13:11 (KJV)
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.

When were all children we had only a children’s understanding of life. I remember when I was a toddler, when I said the 23rd Psalm, I could never figure out why people didn’t want the Lord. (Psa 23:1 KJV) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. When I learned how to tell time I thought that quarter after the hour was 25 minutes after the hour, simply because a quarter was 25¢ and I was thinking that a quarter is 25, no matter what the application. This is how we tend to see things when we are not properly trained. However, there is a time when we grow up and as we mature we begin to make proper associations and we begin to properly understand things as we go through life. The way we understood things as a child does not have any bearing on how we understand things as an adult. Can I honestly still say that quarter after the hour is 25 minutes?

Now spiritually speaking, the children of God have only the understanding of a child when it comes to the spiritual realm. All one has to do is look at the plethora of interpretations of Bible passages. How many can honestly say they have full understanding of the Bible? None I hope! The knowledge that we will have in Heaven, will be as different as the knowledge a 5 year old has from a 50 year old. The heavenly knowledge will be complete in every aspect.

 

1 Cor 13:12 (KJV)
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

The word “darkly” carries with it the meaning of “a riddle.” Now our knowledge is really hindered by the fact that we are only in part. When we see the Lord Jesus face to face in Heaven, then the partial is done away with in favor of the completeness. Right now we are in a situation where we have many mediums to help us understand what we can such as theology books and teachers, but when we get to glory, those will be done away with along with all their speculations and then our knowledge will no longer be incomplete. Then in the end of that verse Paul states that when he gets to Glory, he will then have full knowledge, he will know as he is known, in other words, Paul’s knowledge will be akin to the way God knows him. As God knows him fully and through and through, Paul’s knowledge will also be full and thorough. The same thing applies to every child of God. As God knows us, we will know Him which is a great mystery to us now but will be made clear on that day.

 

1 Cor 13:13 (KJV)
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Paul now says until that day, we are to continue on in faith, hope, and charity. Faith and hope are great tenets of the Christian Faith but Charity is the greatest of all these traits. We are to continue to have faith in God and continue in hope for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Once we are in Heaven, faith and hope will both be abolished but love will continue on into eternity.

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