To Fully Know

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

TO FULLY KNOW

1 Cor 13:8-13

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 perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When 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. 12 Now 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.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

NIV

Although there are several independent nuggets or jewels of truth among these verses, it would have been unfair, even wrong to not include the whole, thus not having the benefit if its context. Nevertheless, this first section may well have been misunderstood by some. We have heard teaching that this passage proves the gifts of the Spirit or at least the Pentecostal gifts have vanished. But this is not what the word says here. Because the point here is when perfection comes. This world and all the glory it may hold, being a creation of the Almighty God, is not perfection, for it is simply a reflection of His perfection. This world is temporary, at best, thus it is not eternal, as some may believe. According to God, he will do away with the world, however, that looks no one is sure. Nevertheless, everything in this world is only here for a while, a certain predetermined time by God. The only thing that will last is love, and we have to believe this is about the love of God. But then, as we stand in the eternal city of God, where there is no need of the sun or the moon, for His glory will give all the light that is needed, we will be filled to the brim with love for Him. So, in that sense, it is true that prophecy, tongues, and human knowledge will all pass away, for all else will pass away as well. All the imperfection will disappear in the face of perfection. This is the example that is used here to show how it will be. The difference between being and thinking like a child and being and thinking like an adult. This temporary world and what we see in it, or how we live in it is as if we were children, not really understanding everything, reasoning about the things of this world like little children. Someday, when perfection comes and all this childish thinking disappears, and we become fully man, as God intends, and we abide in His eternal city, as eternal beings, fully adult, then we will truly know. All we can see now is this world, which is only a reflection of the Glory of God, but when we stand in His presence, seeing face to face, we will know fully, even as we are fully known by Him.