Wednesday Evening

Review

1 John 4 tells us that God is love. It applies this by telling us that if we don’t love, it is because we are not of God.

Then we looked at the “more excellent way”. A church filled with division, confusion over gifts and sin, and even open sin. What do they need? The gospel and love.

Lastly we looked at:

The gifts in there largest amounts would be meaningless without love.

Love is the motivation behind our actions.

Love Endures:

Love is better as works are meaningless with it.

Love is better as it motivates all our works.

Love is better as it alone endures.

1 Corinthians 13:8 “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”

Prophecies: They will fail. (come to be idle) There will be a time in the future that we will not be seeking prophecies, they will all be fulfilled. There is a time like this coming.

The prophecies of the past, of the first coming of Christ, of Abraham inheriting the land, of Joseph in Egypt.

These show us the power and faithfulnes of the God’s Words.

They also show us that when God says something, it will happen as He said. (appocoliptic litterature) alligories. (medifors and similies, but not alligorical)

Future prophecies give us comfort and hope.

What do we Know from the Bible?

That Day and Night, springtime and harvest will continue.

That the earth is reserved for a time of Judgment of Fire.

That we have a hope of eternal life with God. First with Him in the third heaven and latter in the New Jerusalem.

Wheather there are tongues, they will cease.

Cease… to die out of its own accord.

Here is their great debate, their boosting. Yet Paul simply says that it will cease. (54-56 AD)

It has a time, a place and reason, but that time place and reasons will one day cease to be.

Tongues are not part of Salvation.

Tongues are not a integral part of the Church or Heaven.

Tongues were to glorify God, but we have used them to glorify man.

Acts 2:11 “Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.””

1 Corinthians 14:21 “In the law it is written: “With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” says the Lord.”

The reason for tongues ended in 70 AD with the fall of Jerusalem.

It’s need ended with the writting of the bible.

It was always a very imperfect means of edification.

It’s need ended as their use is only mentioned in the newer NT books.

By AD 94 there are references implying it had ceased

By AD 400 it is openly stated that it was only for the time of the Apostles.

Knowledge, it will vanish away.

This seemed to be a gift of understanding of spiritual things.

IF you read the New Testament, it reads very different than the Old.

Yet both are open and clear.

Yet this supernatural knowledge would vanish. Dissapear in time.

That which is perfect

1 Corinthians 13:9–10 “For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.”

Paul moves from the gift of Tongues and now just looks at prophecy and Knowledge gifts.

That which is in part will be done away.

Something will end it from the outside.

Hebrews 2:2–4 “For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”

These were sign gifts to authenticate Jesus and then the Apostles.

Here by Ad 67-68? the writter of Hebrews looks at this job and says that it has been completed. It was already over at this time???

2 Corinthians 12:12 “Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.”

These were not the normative experiences of the church, but signs given by God to confirm Jesus and the Apostles.

Knowledge and Prophecy would be completed when that which is perfect has come.

Perfect: Complete / adult comes.

Two views:

When the Word of God is Complete: (gift of Knowledge / Prophecy)

Ephesians 4:13 “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;”

Colossians 1:28 “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”

Revelation is the closing of all true foretelling.

Negative:

There isn’t a word of God that is being talked about, a New Testament.

If Paul was thinking of this body, then he would have had to explain it so others would understand. This is one of the very first letters being written to help the church.

The Perfection we are called to is in Matthew 5:48 “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Prophecy / Prophets cheif job was to declare “Those sayeth the Lord!” This ministry remain today, unchanged.

It is listed in Ephesians 4:11 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,”

It is not part of the sign gifts the way tongues were, but for the edification of the church.

The other answer is that our perfection with be in Glory. Then the gift of Knowledge and Prophecy remain, in the knowing and preaching of God’s Word.

This time Verses 11-12 into it as well.

We will be truly perfect in glory, no more looking at God through the veil of the book, but then face to face.

2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”