explaination of scripture

[HAZARD]

1 Corinthians 13

8Love 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. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Who or What is the word perfect refer to?

Hi Ray,

In a nutshell, Greek, "teleios" that which as reached an end. Prophecies that have been fulfilled have reached an end. Tongues and knowledge will be superseded by a more complete knowledge and means of communication. Three things that man puts away (v10 Speaking like a child, understanding like a child, Thinking like a child. The Greek for put away is "katargeo" and means the things that cease are to be superseded by a more complete life along the same lines and in the same ways that adulthood is so far advanced beyond childhood as to be on another plane entirely. There will be no need of prophecies when we shall know as we are known (v 12). There will be no need of the gift of tongues when we shall know all languages of the universe. There will be no need of stumbling around in ignorance with our partial knowledge when we will have super-knowledge and complete and perfect insight into eternal things.

"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall shall I know even as also I am known (v. 12). Greek "espotron" mirror, A dark saying, a riddle, It is the same as our English word enigma. Life is like a riddle. The future state, although somewhat clear from the many revelations about it, is still like a dream, It is hard for man to realize just how wonderful it will be like due to our lack of experience. We shall also know each other in Heaven and on the Earth forever as stated in (1 Cor. 15:35-58).

[ray]

interesting thoughts, all this is all so interesting so many persepectives on this some are very good some i'm just not sure about need to think on this more, but thanks for your help

[juan77]

Who or What is the word perfect refer to?

In the Greek, the word "perfect" denotes complete maturation, which is why Paul went on to talk about when he was a child, he saw the world through a child's eyes, but when he became a man (or more mature) he saw the world thru the eyes of a man. Paul was illustrating the human maturation experience and showing that we mature spiritually just as we do physically. In another passage, Paul talkes about going from "glory" to "glory" and he is simply illustrating that as we spiritually mature, we go from one level to another, just as we do in physical maturation. We start out as an infant totally dependant on others and progress through crawling, walking, speaking, rational thinking, etc. until we become an adult or a "man"/"woman" through the natural physical maturation process.

I agree with this and with the Greek meaning.

Also keep in mind that 1Cor 13 goes with 1Cor 12 and 14. 1Cor13 explains the love in wich we must practice spiritual gifts.

Just the other day a pastor told me that in those days their mirrors was not as clear as ours. it was made out of bronze and one could only see a vague image of oneself.

Taking this into account we can understand that what we now know is only as vague as an image in a bronze mirror, but one day we will know fully and see clearly as God does.

[MrLuke]

The thought that "that which is perfect" refers to the completed New Testament is a fallacy. If you go back on your mind to the time and place when Paul and the other Apostles were around, the Scriptures, completed, infallable and true, for them was the Torah. I know at one point Pauls writings are equated as Scripture but to think that they were expecting or writing about a new canon of scripture is just an illogical conclusion to come to.

The only perfect thing they (the Apostles/disciples) knew of and recognised as perfect was Jesus - God in the flesh, pure and sinless.

Because also, unless you can read the original Greek and Hebrew and understand all of the symantic ranges of the language and words, you are never going to have the/a "perfect" translation of the Bible. You will have it as good as it can be put across into whatever language you have it in, but it's always going to translated slightly different because some words have various meanings. Hence why we have so many translations nowadays - and I mean just English ones, not even taking into consideration other languages!