1 Corinthians_13
Scripture
1 Corinthians 13:8-10
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
Observation
Probably one of my most favorites. Paul is writing to the church of Corinth and, here, he turns to the topic of love – the need for and importance of it as well as some of the characteristics of it.
Understanding
All these years I’ve read and loved 1 Corinthians, I must be honest, I’ve camped out on verses 1-7 and ended it after the first part of verse 8 – Love never fails. I still love those verses – the understanding that THAT is what love is, that we get to experience that perfect love from our perfect Father and that His love never fails. Gets my heart all warm and fuzzy soaking in those verses. But, reading today, I had to dig a little as I did not understand the part that came next.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
And now, after having done some research, I might like this part even more than the first! :)
Matthew Henry’s commentary explains this way (bold emphasis mine)…
“(v. 9) Our best knowledge and our greatest abilities are at present like our condition, narrow and temporary. Even the knowledge they had by inspiration was but in part. How little a portion of God, and the unseen world, was heard even by apostles and inspired men! How much short do others come of them! But these gifts were fitted to the present imperfect state of the church, valuable in themselves, but not to be compared with charity, because they were to vanish with the imperfections of the church, nay, and long before, whereas charity was to last for ever.III. He takes occasion hence to show how much better it will be with the church hereafter than it can be here. A state of perfection is in view (v 10): When that which is perfect shall come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When the end is once attained, the means will of course be abolished. There will be no need of tongues, and prophecy, and inspired knowledge, in a future life, because then the church will be in a state of perfection, complete both in knowledge and holiness. God will be known then clearly, and in a manner by intuition, and as perfectly as the capacity of glorified minds will allow; not by such transient glimpses, and little portions, as here.”
You see, when God’s perfect love is complete, we will know Him and experience Him more and far deeper than we have yet or even can in our human condition. I don’t know about you, but that excites me!
What we’ve experienced with God – even the most impactful encounters we’ve had – are just the beginning!
Life Application
The best is yet to come. Live with ALL the love – as it is a representation of God and all His goodness and it’s one of the easiest ways we can share Him others – here and now; but look forward with anticipation to what’s to come…because we’ve only seen the smallest piece of how truly magnificent it will be.
God, I thank you that you love us enough to reveal your nature to us…in amounts that we can withstand in our human condition. But I look forward to seeing and experiencing you fully! May I take every opportunity to seek you, to love you, to share your love with others today.
Rei
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