Love is Permanent Perfected in Eternity Position in Christ No Divisions God s Wisdom Servants Boast in The Lord Fatherly Warning Keep Church Pure Settle Grievances Not Your Body Marriage Principles Remain with God Build-up Relinquish Rights For The Gospel Run to Win Christian Liberty Imitators of Christ Display God s Glory The Lord s Supper Spiritual Gifts Unified Diversity Excellent Way Love is Permanent Love is Preeminent Spiritual gifts (ch 12) Inordinate focus on speaking in tongues Many [different] members of One Body Gifts are assigned by God Love is preeminent (ch 13:1-7) Higher than the gifts Exercised gifts without love are useless Love is humble and giving 1
Love Rejoices with The Truth God s Truth, not factual truth Rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 3) in God s Truth Righteousness is predicated on God s Truth It starts and stops and is measured here in His Truth Love rejoices in God s Truth Rejoice over each other, our sacrifices, helps, offerings, our walk Genuinely happy about our shared adoption as His children - Eric Love Endures all Things To endure [5278] Hupomeno; to abide in strength, courageous, to persevere under pressure Cannot persevere without love Don t become weak; lean on the enduring love of Christ Love refuses to stop protecting, believing, and hoping the best for each other 2
Love is Central 13:1-7 All the things over which love is preeminent Love never fails! 13:8-13 All the things over which love is permanent 13:8-13 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 3
Love is Permanent Love never ends (ESV); love never fails (NASB) Love is a gift from God, God never fails and He has no end [1 John 4:16] 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. Gifts are temporary Life on earth is temporary Love is eternal Love overcomes all aspects of life, temporal and eternal God will never stop loving you! But as for As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. (ESV) but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. (NASB) but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. (KJV) But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. (NKJV) 4
But as for As for, but if, or but whether Given as a less important alternative or object as an example to magnify the subject The traffic is terribly slow today, but if we were on a horse, it would still take us longer to get home. Tongues will cease Prophecies and Knowledge will pass away, be done, shall fail, will vanish. Not Permanent Will and shall are imperatives absolute, no doubt, no margin to correct, no error in execution Cease [3973] pauo; primary word, passive voice; to come to an end, a willing cessation, like running out [of action, energy, or use] Pass away; done away; fail; vanish away Done [2673], vanish [2673], fail [2673] katargeo; verb; to render inoperative, [to] abolish. To impose an ending upon, as opposed to running out 5
Not Permanent tongues will (shall])cease. Tongues [1100] glossa; a language as distinctive and different from other languages not [2084] heteroglossos; of another language different from the subject language (as in1 Cor 14:2) Not Permanent tongues will (shall) cease. Tongues (the use of) will come to a natural end [will] be used up No longer in the playbook; served its purpose Not preempted by the perfect This term reserved for prophecy and knowledge (v 9, 10) Paul does not clarify why ceasing; If he knew why or when muddy the point The point: Only LOVE will not cease love is permanent No mention anywhere of word, letters, canon, book 6
Sign Gifts Not Permanent Tongues (and miracles and healings) qualified as ended Prophecy and knowledge not sign gifts There is no doctrinal statement about sign gifts ending By interpretation and evaluation of history 1) Specific periods of their use 3 periods of miracles each ~70 years long Moses & Joshua; Elijah & Elisha; Jesus & Apostles Referred to in past tense [Hebrews 2:4] 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. Sign Gifts Not Permanent 2) A sign of Israel's judgement for not listening ( 14:2) A sign to unbelievers, not believers 3) An inferior means of edification ( 14) 4) For confirming the Apostles before the New Testament canon Then no changes to be made extrapolated to include whole bible..?? [Revelation 22:18-19] 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 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. 7
Sign Gifts Not Permanent 5) Found only in early NT books Not James, 1& 2 Peter, 1, 2, 3 John and Jude Isn t mentioned past Acts 19:6 Not commanded as a spiritual responsibility or exercise 6) Has only appeared briefly and irregularly since All Christian historians and theologians don t mention it or agree it has ended; Clement, Martyr, Origen, Chrysostom, Augustine Pentecostalism and charismatics started in the 1960 s Spiritualism and emergent church movements of the last 50 years These deny the deity of Christ, His Lordship, His bodily existence, His sacrificial death for the propitiation of sins, and deny His resurrection Focused on building big, love-filled congregations Sign Gifts Not Permanent Could God miraculously provide tongues, healings, and miracles today? Yes, but their use would never go against His Truth and Love, the gospel, or current revelation [Ecclesiastes 3:14] 14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. [Hebrews 13:8] 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. What was the point? love never ceases 8
Westside Gospel: 15:3-5; 3 that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Repentance: 2 Corinthians 7:10 Confession: 1 John 4:16 Command: Mark 12:30-31 Commission: Mark 16:15 Calling & Unity: Ephesians 4:1-7 Community: Hebrews 10:23-25 Not Permanent Prophecy (prophecies) [4394] propheteia; [prophetic] utterance(s); speaking forth the mind and counsel of God Same as: 2 Peter 1:20-21; 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Knowledge [1108] gnosis; from [1097] ginosko; knowing, understanding, to come to know; recognize, perceive Same as used in 1 Cor 13:9 & 12 9
In Part vs. Perfect 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. in part [3313] meros; verb; a part or portion of the whole, as in not completed, an incomplete whole; not a separate piece VERSUS the Perfect [5046] teleioteros; adjective; by a comparative degree of [5049] teleios; having reached its end, finished and complete [Hebrews 9:11] 11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) Perfect Not a noun or proper name or title Not a verb to indicate any action, as in perfecting or perfected An adjective used to describe something more definitively This something will be completed, come to an end, reach its goal When this is reached is open to controversy The Bible canon? The mature church? The rapture? The millennium? 10
When is Perfect Prophecy and knowledge has not stopped with Completed Bible Knowledge and understanding of the Word comes from the Holy Spirit Mature Church The bridegroom s bride [church] is complete perfect then raptured Rapture Knowledge and prophecy continue through the tribulation Millennium The kingdom state has preachers and teachers of knowledge and prophecy The Imperfect Is any gift from God incomplete or limited? Maybe the people to whom He gives them are limited? Our finite and depraved minds limit us [1 Cor 8:2-3] 2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. In Paul s life s quest to know Christ Jesus; [Phil 3:12] Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 11
The Imperfect David laments in not knowing the Lord better [Psalm 139:1-6] 1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. The Imperfect Visual parallels to help us understand the meaning [ 13:11] 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. In part = child; perfect = adult Having gained knowledge and perspective as an adult No longer believe I know everything [ 13:12a] 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. In part = through a mirror; perfect = face to face How much better is it to be with someone as opposed to a letter, email, text, Facebook, or Facetime and Skype? 12
When is Perfect Even with the completed Bible Only in Him can we have knowledge [Col 2:2] to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, [1John 5:20] 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. When is Perfect Perfect is The Eternal State (of our being) Perfect is a neutral word, not personal or proper When we are with Him face to face (1 Cor 13:12) then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (1 Cor 13:12b) With Him and in heaven we will be mature and perfect Fully seeing, knowing, and understanding No need for prophecy, interpretation or tongues 13
Greatest of these is Love [ 13:13] 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. By faith we can love Him and each other By faith we can hope all things and rest our hope on Him Love is the power (His power) behind it all Love serves others first and endures all things Love for Him helps us obey and gives us the fruit of the spirit [Galatians 5:22-23] 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Love Never Fails Fashioned by God through Christ Jesus our Savior He never fails, love never fails, He loves us eternally Love is the point of meaning from chapter 13 Chapter 13 is the pinnacle of instruction from the book Everything we do must have the purpose of love It all is otherwise useless and divisive 14
Renew everyday in His Love His mercies are new every morning (Lam 3:22-23) For by [His] grace you have been saved (Eph 2:8) Let us put on the whole armor of God [Eph 6:10] and polish it with LOVE, get out of the fortress, and fight the good fight of faith [1 Tim 6:12], pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus [Phil 4:13] who is at the right hand of God; who intercedes for us [Rom 8:34], and who will never let us be separated from the love of God [Rom 8:39]. 15