318 - THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY
December 14, 1979
Pastor Henry F. Kulp
I Corinthians 13: 8 - 13
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child,I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I now in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
I want you to notice the Phrase that is in the12th verse “for now we see through a glass darkly.” Many people tell us this means right here on earth, we don’t know very much. But when we all get to heaven, we will know as we were known. They always use this verse to say down here on earth is seeing something that is dark, but when we get to heaven it will be face to face.
1/ We are going to see this teaching has nothing whatsoever to do with moving from earth to heaven. It has nothing to do with not knowing much now and knowing more when we get to heaven. THE CONTEXT IS TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING ALL TOGETHER DIFFERENT AND WE WANT TO SEE WHAT THAT IS THIS MORNING.
2/ First of all I want you to notice two words NOW and THEN. God is not talking about a change of locality. In the Greek we have adverbs of time and not of place. We have a contrast between two eras of time—now and then. It is the difference between the degrees of knowledge. Now in part—then full knowledge.
3/ He says, now in a mirror—then face to face. We need to understand these two words—now and then, so let us go back to I Corinthians 13: 8 Charity never faileth: Here Paul says Charity—love, never faileth. Here is something that will always remain. To fail in the Greek is taken from the Greek drama. It means to be hissed off the stage. One of the worse things that could ever happen to an actor was to be hissed off the stage—so as we look at now and then, we see that love is sure to remain, but then he tells us three things—prophecy, tongues, knowledge. These three stand for all of the nine spiritual gifts.
4/ Notice the next word, But. It is a conjunction of contrast. Contrast between what? A contrast between love and prophecies and tongues and knowledge. Where love continues whenever these three are to stop—not to be operative. Notice, it says, prophecy shall fail. Tongues shall cease, knowledge shall vanish away. You will notice that all three are in the future tense. That means they were in operation, they were being used when Paul wrote this book of I Corinthians. So when he uses the word, now, he is talking about those nine spiritual gifts that were in operation at that time.
5/ Future tense in the Greek is very interesting. It can be used in several ways. First of all, it is used for a command. I wonder if you notice in the New Testament, in the Greek, every time you have one of the Ten commandments quoted, it is always in the future. Thou shall not murder—thou shall not bear false witness—that means it is a command. You are not to do it. But then, future tense in the Greek also means finality, and that is what it means here. It means they are going to come to a complete stop and it will be final as far as the present age is concerned.
6/ MIDDLE VOICE So these words are in the middle voice, and the middle voice means that the subject of the sentence is benefited by the action of the verb, so the believers, those who make up the body of Christ will be benefited when these sign gifts or these spiritual gifts are finished, and that, of course, takes us to the word, then. Now the spiritual gifts are in operation, then they shall not be in operation. And when the nine spiritual gifts cease, then we will be benefited and see face to face.
7/ PAUL LITERALLY DROPPED A BOMB IN THEIR LAPS BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL WRAPPED UP IN TONGUES.
8/ Vs. 9 For we know in part. Knowing has to do with knowledge. So these nine spiritual gifts were for knowledge. But it was knowledge that was only in part. It was not complete. Literally these nine spiritual gifts were for doctrine. Does that seem strange to you? I hope not, for it is true. Vs. 9 is speaking of Paul’ ministry. Vs. 10 is talking of Paul’s ministry, but these two verses are talking of Paul’s ministry divided into two parts. Vs. 9 When Paul had not received the whole message from God, Part two: When he had received the whole message, the complete message, and all of this has to do knowledge.
9/ Vs. 9 Paul did not have the complete message. He only had it partially. So the gifts were needed to make up what was not known. You will remember Paul received this brand new message from God, this message that is not found any place else in the Bible, but he did not receive all at one time, he received it gradually.
10/ So Paul is saying, right now as I am writing, our knowledge is only partial. That is knowledge of doctrine. But he is also saying, we will soon know the full message. The complete message. It was to happen while Paul was still living, while these Corinthians were still living, for he is talking to the Corinthian church.
11/ He is saying we will soon be in the full knowledge bracket. And when we are in the full knowledge bracket, we will not need the nine spiritual gifts.
12/ Vs.10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. This is one of the most important verses in the Bible to understand—Especially in understanding the tongues movement. Again notice the conjunction of contrasts, But. A contrast between the period when Paul did not have the full knowledge, and when he had the full knowledge of the dispensation of the grace of God and all the doctrine concerning it. IF THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY WAS INCOMPLETE, THEIR KNOWLEDGE WAS INCOMPLETE. That is what he means when he says, you know in part. But when that which is perfect is come, than your knowledge will be complete. Full knowledge does not mean that you understand everything, rather it means all true knowledge, all you need to know, is available for you to study.
13/ When he says that which is perfect is come, could read, when the perfect is come. Most think this is Christ, either the second coming or the Rapture, and I want to knock this out of your mind once for all, for this is neuter gender, and it is singular. Jesus Christ is never referred to in the neuter gender, so the perfect does not refer to a person, it must be a thing. It refers to the message that God has given to Paul because it is singular, it means one thing. It doesn’t mean the whole Bible, it means only the message given to Paul.
14/ IS COME this refers to when Paul’s message is complete.
15/ I Corinthians 13 Here we have a contrast we want to see. It is an illustration of the contrast that Paul is bringing out. When you are a child you speak as a child, but when you grow up and become a man, you don’t speak as a child, you don’t do things as a child, you discard them and you become a man. Notice, again, this does not have a change of locality at all. It is not leaving earth for Heaven. It is a matter of a child and man.
16/ Vs. 10 when that which is the perfect. The perfect is TELL-OSE means, FINISHED AS A RESULT OF FULL GROWTH. And it can be translated, mature, or maturity.
17/ Let us look at a couple of references in the Word of God where the same word is used.
I Corinthians 2: 6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught: Here he says, Howbeit, we speak wisdom among them that are perfect. That is our same word and it means mature. You can’t speak wisdom among those who are not grown up, who have not reached maturity, and there is no question this is not speaking of Jesus Christ.
18/ Philippians 3: 15 Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded. Again this word can only mean mature, full grown. Then notice, Colossians 4: 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluveth you, in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. ..and this is our word again, full grown.
19/ Matthew 5: 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Be ye therefore perfect, and you will notice the note in your Scofield Reference Bible. The word implies full development, growth into maturity, not sinlessness. Not perfect.
20/ I Corinthians 13: 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child,I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. Here is an illustration of what Paul was talking about being a child, being an adult. As a child the child has to be cared for in a very special way. The child that God has given to the parents and they watch over that child, but when the child becomes a mature individual, it is on its own. When you are a child you have certain toys to play with, but as you grow older you dispense with them. You can have a three-wheeler, but now you have automobile. So vs. 11 is simply an illustration of what Paul has been talking about.
21/ Vs. 12 But now we see through a glass darkly. Just what does that mean to you? If you did not understand the background of this verse it would not make sense to you. Does it mean dark glasses? Not at all. Let me give it you as it would be in the Greek. BUT WE NOW SEE BY MEANS OF A MIRROR, AN OBSCURE FORM. Corinth was the center for the manufacture of mirrors, and in the ancient world they made the very best mirrors. But even the best left much to be desired. They were usually made out of a brightly polished metal, and when you bought a mirror it was usually furnished with a pumice, (poo - miss stone). So when you got the mirror the first thing you had to do was use the pumice stone. You had to clean it and then you had to polish it. And the more you polished it the better you could see yourself. But when you got finished all you could see at best was an obscure form.
22/ This is compared with seeing someone face to face. Perhaps I can explain it to you this way, or illustrate it this way. Here is a woman sitting before a mirror, she is trying to comb her hair and make herself look presentable, but while she is doing this, someone comes behind her. She doesn’t know who it is because it is an obscure form. She knows someone is there, but cannot make out who it is. As she turns around, and she says, Oh, hello, Mary, or hello, Sue. She now sees that person face to face. That is the difference between the time when Paul was receiving the message and the nine spiritual gifts were in operation, and when he had the full message, and the nine spiritual gifts were done away with, were removed.
23/ The mirror is the Word of God. And literally it is the word that Paul received. So if you see the program for today, you don’t need the nine spiritual gifts, you have the completed Pauline canon and you can turn to it and find out exactly what God expects of you and what God will do for you in this day, and we know this is the age of Grace.The mirror is the Word of God. And literally it is the word that Paul received. So if you see the program for today, you don’t need the nine spiritual gifts, you have the completed Pauline canon and you can turn to it and find out exactly what God expects of you and what God will do for you in this day, and we know this is the age of Grace.
AMEN
Ref: 12/14/1979 / 318 - THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY / 2020
No comments:
Post a Comment