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THAT WHICH IS PERFECT

“But when the completeness comes, what is in part disappears” (1 Corinthians 13:10, TNIV).

When we study scripture, it is important to keep the historical and cultural context in mind. We also need to keep in mind God’s overall purpose, which in my mind is redemptive fellowship. That makes understanding some texts difficult. Such is the case of the above text. It has been translated in the following ways.

“But when that which is perfect is come” (KJV, NKJV)

“But when the perfect comes” (NASB)

“But when perfection comes” (New Century Version, NIV)

“But what is perfect will someday appear” (Contemporary English Version)

“But when the end comes” (New Living Translation)

“But when the Complete arrives” (The Message)

“But when the complete comes” (NRSV)

The perfect and the complete are the two main ideas found in translations. What do they mean? The word itself means mature but what is the mature that comes?

The first thing we need to do is understand that Corinth was a divided church and that the culture of the day was affecting that congregation. According to Bruce Winters, Corinth was in a cultural shift from a Roman dominated culture to a return to its Greek roots. This was causing problems within society, as any cultural shift will. If there were divisions in the city of Corinth, we should not be surprised that they were also in the church.

One of the problems at the church in Corinth was the assembly (chapters 11-14). Involved in this was women and men in prayer, the Lord’s Supper, spiritual gifts, love, and the edification of the assembly. How were they to handle these disagreements. Paul begins chapter twelve with a discussion of spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit, and it appears that some were of the miraculous nature. This prompted boasting on the part of some over others who did not have such gifts which in turned caused jealousy. Paul concludes chapter twelve by saying that they should “eagerly desire the greater gifts” (12:31). What then are the greater gifts?

Chapter thirteen opens with Paul saying that gifts do not matter if one does not have or operate out of love, that is, seeking what is best for another. Paul describes love in verses four through eight. Then he says that prophecies and knowledge will be stilled or pass away or cease. Verses eleven and twelve Paul speaks of a child who looks at things in one way but as a adult, one sees things differently. Or it is like looking at a mirror and seeing in part but then turning around and seeing the real thing, face to face. There will be a time when we will know fully or completely. He concludes that love is the greatest gift.

That’s the context but what does the perfect or completeness mean? There are three views within churches of Christ that we will look at.

The first view is that the perfect is the completed word of God. This is based on the passing of prophecies and the completion of knowledge. When the word or scripture is completed, then we will be mature or perfected. Since miraculous gifts have cease, so goes this argument, and they stopped when the word was completed at the end of the century, and only the apostles could pass on miraculous spiritual gifts, then when these people died, the miracles ceased; the New Testament was completed.

This view draws much from other texts, and while it might have much truth in it, it does tend to ignore the context of Corinth. Having gifts and knowledge without love does not accomplish anything. It seems that it is arguing without taking into account the need for love. We can have the word today, but the word does not complete us; it only points us in the direction that we need to go. So while this is probably the most popular view in churches of Christ, and fits in with our traditional interpretations of a number of texts, it just seems to be something read into the text of 13:10.

The second view is that the perfect is mature love. This keeps the context in view since the chapter opens and closes with love. The first three verses of chapter thirteen speaks about an attitude of love in the use of various gifts such as giving to the poor and using knowledge. If we grow in love, seeking what is best for others, then we are maturing in Christ. One thing the Corinthians definitely needed was to love one another, a willingness to disagree and yet be one in Christ.

This is a needed attitude today. Unless we love the way Jesus taught and showed us, we will not mature, and we will not treat people in a godly way. Too often we want our way, put regulations on how we will help others, and fail to operate out of love. Too many have been mistreated in congregations because they desire to live as Jesus, and traditions get in the way. If there is anything we need to practice, and there are a number of things, it is our love for one another and others.

This view has much to commend for it. It keeps the context in view, and if we expand it to the assembly, it is certainly something worth practicing.

The third view is that the perfect relates to the end of the world, the coming of Jesus, and/or the beginning of the new heavens and the new earth. This is based on that one day we will see everything the way it is suppose to be as God intended. It looks at completion as God completing His work. It certainly keeps verses eleven and twelve in mind.

However, love seems to be the most important idea in the text. While I like this view, I’m not sure if Paul had it in mind. We just cannot keep the immediate context and needs of Corinth as something in the future, since the rest of the book up to this time has dealt with those immediate needs. Yet considering chapter 15, maybe it’s something to consider.

While views two and three are more to my liking, we need to understand that we can disagree and still be one. Since there are several legitimate views, we do not have to be dogmatic about any of them. Someday we will all understand it better.

George B. Mearns