Expert: Todd Tyszka - 11/5/2010

Question
Hi Todd. How is your day? We know as believers that what is so wonderful about this Christian life is our relationship with our Father God through faith in Christ Jesus in hope of eternal life (John 17:3). In light of this blessed hope we also know from Scriptures that our now physical bodies will be resurrected and we will become actual spiritual beings, with a glorified body. And just as the Lord Jesus before He left the earth and ended His ministry promised the Holy Spirit to the apostles (then disciples) and forthcoming believers, we know without a doubt that He is coming back for His own.
I was rereading the book of 1 John today (my daily Bible reading)and in 1 John 3:2, the apostle John writes that it does not appear what we shall be, but we know that when He appears we shall see Him as He is. We can only imagine and nowhere fathom how God is like --- we KNOW from Scriptures and have been taught from Scriptures that He is love, that he is HOLY, he is perfect, and is immortal.
My question is from 1 Corinthians 13: 9,10. I am trying to put my mind in the mind frame of the apostle Paul when he was writing AT THAT TIME. He says that we (once again putting my mind in his mind frame I translate that to mean the believers or prophetic messengers at his day in age) prophesy in part, but we know in part. At the time Paul writes this, the Lord had not yet revealed to the apostle John the things to come, and John had not yet written the Book of Revelation. I remember also reading somewhere in 2 Peter that no prophecy of scripture was of any private interpretation; but that it was written as the men of God were moved by the Holy Spirit. Paul was then writing this verse as the Holy Spirit spoke to him! He wrote as the Holy Spirit was speaking. How beautiful then would it be for him to be alive now, today, for example, and see the amount of false teachers in the church! The apostle Paul goes on to say: "But then when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part will be done away." Relating this to 1 John 3:2, since we already know (have full knowledge from Scriptures) who God is, and his very being, AND have account of the life and ministry of His Son as written through the apostles, and knowledge of what is to come from the Book of Revelation; no more prophecies are being written, and Scriptures has been completed and the New Testament fulfilled (except the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and more signs of the end times), is it safe then to say that the PERFECT that Paul is referring to is the Holy Scriptures? I would then take ‘the part’ to mean no more direct revelation. Thus when prophesy as believers, it must be in accordance to Scriptures, and nothing more. Am I correct in my analysis?  This is a question worth a lot of thought, and I just thought that I should ask...if you could please explain. Thanks a lot for your time.
Blessings in Him, Tianna  

Answer
Hi Tianna,
My day is great, thanks! Thank you for the excellent questions!

There isn't much historical context to look at in interpreting this verse "at that time" but we can look at the Scriptural context and the wording used (the Greek). ! Corinthians 13:9-10 are controversial verses and the truth of the matter is that it is not clear what Paul meant by the word "perfect" or "perfection" used here. The Greek for this word (τέλειος or teleios) can mean "brought to it's end," "fulfillment," "completeness," "finished," or "maturity." Some think this verse refers to the second coming of Christ, others to a Christian's death, others to the establishment of maturity of the Church, and others to the completion of the Canon. However, the next verse (v. 12) seems to shed some light and speaks pretty clearly about seeing Christ face to face, which could be the second coming or the death of the Christian, which may or not be connected with the "perfection" mentioned in verse 10. Sorry but we cannot be certain what Paul is referring to.

Regardless, I hope this helps and thanks again for the excellent questions!

Todd