I Corinthians 13:8-13: "Love Never Fails"
The last section closed with the words, "love endures all things". In this section, Paul begins with this thought and builds on it as he writes, "Love never fails". This is not referring to love always being successful, but rather to the permanence of it. MacArthur writes, "Fails (from pipto) has the basic meaning of falling, especially the idea of final falling, and was used of a flower or leaf that falls to the ground, withers, and decays. Never refers to time, not to frequency, and the idea is that at no time will divine love ever fall, wither, and decay. By nature it is permanent. It is never abolished". To a Christian, love is life, it encompasses all aspects of life. For a Christian, God is their center, He is their everything and God is love, therefore, it will never cease. To the Corinthians who sought after so many earthly treasures and praise, Paul wanted to make them aware that love was the most important thing they should seek out, because it was the one thing that would "never fail". Paul points out that, "if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away". The Corinthians were eagerly seeking after the gift of prophecy, as it was a popular gift that Paul spoke of earlier. Here Paul is telling them that prophecy is temporary. At one point in time prophecy will no longer be necessary, however, love will never fail. Paul's point here was to show them that they ought to seek love above the gift of prophecy as one is temporary and the other is permanent. MacArthur points out, "done away is from katargeo, which means 'to reduce to inactivity', or 'to abolish'. The gifts of prophecy and knowledge one day will be made inoperative. Both forms of this verb in verse 8, as well as its form in verse 10, are passive; that is, something or someone will cause them to stop". Therefore, Paul wanted to downplay the importance of the showy gifts that the Corinthians were seeking after, in order to lift up a more important thing to seek after: Love. Paul had already established the importance of love in the previous verses of this chapter, he now had given them another reason because of its permanent nature.
Paul also mentions the gift of tongues, however, he uses a different word than he did for prophecy or knowledge. He writes that tongues "they will cease". MacArthur explains the distinction from these other gifts. "Cease is from pauo, which means 'to stop, to come to an end.' Unlike katargeo, this verb is here used in the Greek middle voice, which, when used of persons, indicates intentional, voluntary action upon oneself. Used of an inanimate object it indicates reflexive, self-causing action. The cause comes from within it is built in. God gave the gift of tongues a built-in stopping place. 'That gift will stop by itself,' Paul says. Like a battery, it had a limited energy supply and a limited lifespan. When its limits were reached, its activity automatically ended. Prophecy and knowledge will be stopped by something outside themselves, but the gift of tongues will stop by itself. This distinction in terms is unarguable". The point is that tongues was created for a specific time and place to establish the early church and the authentication of its apostles. It was not predicated on an outside force to end its time, as in the case of knowledge and prophecy, which is said to be done away when the "perfect" comes.
To quickly summarize MacArthur's view on the cessation of tongues:
1. Tongues was a sign gift and, as with the gifts of healing and miracles, it ceased to operate when the New Testament was completed.
2. Its purpose as a judicial sign of Israel's judgment ceased to apply at that time. Because Israel refused to listen and believe when God spoke to them in clear language, the prophet said the day would come when He would speak to them in a language they could not understand, as a testimony against their rejection of Him (I Cor. 14:21; cf. Isa. 28:11-12).
3. Tongues ceased because they were an inferior means of edification. When properly interpreted, tongues had the ability to edify in a limited way (I Cor. 14:5; 12-13; 27-28).
4. Tongues has ceased because its purpose as a confirming sign of apostolic authority and doctrine ended when the New Testament was completed. Revelation of God's Word was completed when the New Testament was completed, and to that nothing is to be added or subtracted (Rev. 22:18-19).
5. It is reasonable to believe that tongues have ceased because their use is mentioned only in the earlier New Testament books. Most of the books, in fact, do not mention it.
6. Since the apostolic age, it has reappeared only spasmodically and questionably throughout nineteen centuries of church history. The gift of tongues is nowhere alluded to or found in any writings of the church Fathers".
Paul continues, "for we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away". Here Paul refers back to the two gifts that he says will be "done away with", knowledge and prophecy. Paul has placed love as an eternal thing to be sought after, he then placed prophecy and knowledge as temporary gifts that would cease when the perfect comes, and tongues as a gift that ceased at the end of the early church. The problem with the Corinthians spending so much time and effort seeking after these inferior gifts, was not only that they were temporary, but they were only partial. We can only know "in part" and "prophecy in part". MacArthur writes, "God's gifts are complete, but those to whom He gives them are limited. Paul included himself in the we. Even the apostles knew in part and prophesied in part. Paul had cautioned the Corinthians that 'if anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know' (I Cor 8:2). . . . Through God's Word and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, we can have 'a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,' but even our true knowledge is still imperfect knowledge, because only in Him 'are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' (Col. 2:2-3)".
Therefore, Paul has set up that tongues will cease on their own, and knowledge and prophecy we have only in part, and will cease when the "perfect comes". In this context the "perfect" refers to the eternal state. MacArthur briefly explains what the perfect is not:
1. It is not the completion of Scripture other wise prophecy and knowledge would have already been stopped, and believers since that time would have been without benefit of two of the most important gifts for proclaiming, interpreting, and understanding Scripture.
2. It is not the rapture because if knowledge and prophecy have been permanently done away, they could no more be resumed after the rapture and during the Tribulation or the Kingdom.
3. It is not the maturing of the church because such a completion would amount to the rapture, which this view eliminates.
4. The perfect is not the second coming because "perfect" is in the neuter in the Greek (teleion), eliminating the possibility that it relates to a person.
Therefore, we can see that "the perfect" refers to the eternal, heavenly state of believers. MacArthur writes, "The eternal state allows for the neuter form of the perfect and allows for the continuation of knowledge and prophecy during the church age, the Tribulation, and the Kingdom. It fits the context of Paul's emphasis on the permanence of love. It also fits his mention of our then seeing "face to face", which will come about only with our glorification, when we will be illumined by the very glory of God Himself (Rev. 21:23). Finally, only in heaven will we 'know fully just as [we] also have been fully known' (I Cor. 13:12)."
To further emphasize the superiority of love over the gifts the Corinthians so coveted, Paul writes, "When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child, when I became a man, I did away with childish things". Paul is showing us that right now we are living as children. Our gifts and understanding of all that is happening is limited by our finite, imperfect minds. In essence we are living as spiritual children, who seek after what we think is wise, but clearly is not. However, when the "perfect comes", when we are in our glorified state, we will be able to understand and see more clearly as a spiritual adult. Paul concludes, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known". MacArthur writes, "In this present life, even with God's Word completed and the illumination of His Spirit, we see in a mirror dimly. In our present state we are not capable of seeing more. But when we enter into the Lord's presence, we then will see Him face to face. Now we can only know in part, but then [we] shall know fully just aw [we] also have been fully known".
To reiterate his main point Paul reminds the Corinthians, "But now abide, faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love". Paul mentions three of the greatest spiritual values we can have. It is evident the importance of our faith in Christ, our hope in His promises, however, the greatest most supreme thing we can seek out is love. Specifically our love for God and others. MacArthur concludes, "Because faith and hope will have no purpose in heaven, where everything true will be known and everything good will be possessed, they are not equal to love. Love is the greatest of these not only because it is eternal, but because even in this life, where we now live, love is supreme".
Paul also mentions the gift of tongues, however, he uses a different word than he did for prophecy or knowledge. He writes that tongues "they will cease". MacArthur explains the distinction from these other gifts. "Cease is from pauo, which means 'to stop, to come to an end.' Unlike katargeo, this verb is here used in the Greek middle voice, which, when used of persons, indicates intentional, voluntary action upon oneself. Used of an inanimate object it indicates reflexive, self-causing action. The cause comes from within it is built in. God gave the gift of tongues a built-in stopping place. 'That gift will stop by itself,' Paul says. Like a battery, it had a limited energy supply and a limited lifespan. When its limits were reached, its activity automatically ended. Prophecy and knowledge will be stopped by something outside themselves, but the gift of tongues will stop by itself. This distinction in terms is unarguable". The point is that tongues was created for a specific time and place to establish the early church and the authentication of its apostles. It was not predicated on an outside force to end its time, as in the case of knowledge and prophecy, which is said to be done away when the "perfect" comes.
To quickly summarize MacArthur's view on the cessation of tongues:
1. Tongues was a sign gift and, as with the gifts of healing and miracles, it ceased to operate when the New Testament was completed.
2. Its purpose as a judicial sign of Israel's judgment ceased to apply at that time. Because Israel refused to listen and believe when God spoke to them in clear language, the prophet said the day would come when He would speak to them in a language they could not understand, as a testimony against their rejection of Him (I Cor. 14:21; cf. Isa. 28:11-12).
3. Tongues ceased because they were an inferior means of edification. When properly interpreted, tongues had the ability to edify in a limited way (I Cor. 14:5; 12-13; 27-28).
4. Tongues has ceased because its purpose as a confirming sign of apostolic authority and doctrine ended when the New Testament was completed. Revelation of God's Word was completed when the New Testament was completed, and to that nothing is to be added or subtracted (Rev. 22:18-19).
5. It is reasonable to believe that tongues have ceased because their use is mentioned only in the earlier New Testament books. Most of the books, in fact, do not mention it.
6. Since the apostolic age, it has reappeared only spasmodically and questionably throughout nineteen centuries of church history. The gift of tongues is nowhere alluded to or found in any writings of the church Fathers".
Paul continues, "for we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away". Here Paul refers back to the two gifts that he says will be "done away with", knowledge and prophecy. Paul has placed love as an eternal thing to be sought after, he then placed prophecy and knowledge as temporary gifts that would cease when the perfect comes, and tongues as a gift that ceased at the end of the early church. The problem with the Corinthians spending so much time and effort seeking after these inferior gifts, was not only that they were temporary, but they were only partial. We can only know "in part" and "prophecy in part". MacArthur writes, "God's gifts are complete, but those to whom He gives them are limited. Paul included himself in the we. Even the apostles knew in part and prophesied in part. Paul had cautioned the Corinthians that 'if anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know' (I Cor 8:2). . . . Through God's Word and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, we can have 'a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,' but even our true knowledge is still imperfect knowledge, because only in Him 'are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' (Col. 2:2-3)".
Therefore, Paul has set up that tongues will cease on their own, and knowledge and prophecy we have only in part, and will cease when the "perfect comes". In this context the "perfect" refers to the eternal state. MacArthur briefly explains what the perfect is not:
1. It is not the completion of Scripture other wise prophecy and knowledge would have already been stopped, and believers since that time would have been without benefit of two of the most important gifts for proclaiming, interpreting, and understanding Scripture.
2. It is not the rapture because if knowledge and prophecy have been permanently done away, they could no more be resumed after the rapture and during the Tribulation or the Kingdom.
3. It is not the maturing of the church because such a completion would amount to the rapture, which this view eliminates.
4. The perfect is not the second coming because "perfect" is in the neuter in the Greek (teleion), eliminating the possibility that it relates to a person.
Therefore, we can see that "the perfect" refers to the eternal, heavenly state of believers. MacArthur writes, "The eternal state allows for the neuter form of the perfect and allows for the continuation of knowledge and prophecy during the church age, the Tribulation, and the Kingdom. It fits the context of Paul's emphasis on the permanence of love. It also fits his mention of our then seeing "face to face", which will come about only with our glorification, when we will be illumined by the very glory of God Himself (Rev. 21:23). Finally, only in heaven will we 'know fully just as [we] also have been fully known' (I Cor. 13:12)."
To further emphasize the superiority of love over the gifts the Corinthians so coveted, Paul writes, "When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child, when I became a man, I did away with childish things". Paul is showing us that right now we are living as children. Our gifts and understanding of all that is happening is limited by our finite, imperfect minds. In essence we are living as spiritual children, who seek after what we think is wise, but clearly is not. However, when the "perfect comes", when we are in our glorified state, we will be able to understand and see more clearly as a spiritual adult. Paul concludes, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known". MacArthur writes, "In this present life, even with God's Word completed and the illumination of His Spirit, we see in a mirror dimly. In our present state we are not capable of seeing more. But when we enter into the Lord's presence, we then will see Him face to face. Now we can only know in part, but then [we] shall know fully just aw [we] also have been fully known".
To reiterate his main point Paul reminds the Corinthians, "But now abide, faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love". Paul mentions three of the greatest spiritual values we can have. It is evident the importance of our faith in Christ, our hope in His promises, however, the greatest most supreme thing we can seek out is love. Specifically our love for God and others. MacArthur concludes, "Because faith and hope will have no purpose in heaven, where everything true will be known and everything good will be possessed, they are not equal to love. Love is the greatest of these not only because it is eternal, but because even in this life, where we now live, love is supreme".
posted by amesfam | 9:37 AM
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