ach the state of unity, knowledge, and perfection, here
mentioned. And certainly the church did not enjoy these during
her apostasy, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, and the period of her flight into
the wilderness, Revelation 12:6. Nor has she reached this state
of unity, knowledge, and perfection, since the labors of Martin
Luther. The church today is almost
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infinitely below this state of unity, knowledge, and perfection.
And not until the Christians of the last generation of men shall be
brought to the enjoyment of it by the last warning message, and
all the means God may employ to prepare them to be translated
to heaven without tasting death, will the ultimate design of the
gifts be realized.
But Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13, has distinctly shown when the
gifts would cease. In the first part of this chapter the apostle
discourses upon the pre-eminence of love (improperly translated
charity) to the gift of tongues, gift of prophecy, faith, liberality to
the poor, and courage to give one’s body to be burned. These,
in the absence of love, are valueless. He then describes the
virtues and riches of love, closing with these words: “Charity
[love] 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.” Verse 8. While love is not only
the crowning Christian grace here, but will reach forward to all
eternity, and be the crowning glory of the redeemed, the gifts will
cease with faith and hope. At the glorious appearing of the Lord,
faith will be lost in sight, hope in fruition, prophecies will fail
to be any longer a light to the church, tongues will cease to be a
sign, and the faint knowledge of the present dim night will vanish
before the perfect knowledge of the perfect day, as the dim rays
of the moon vanish before the light of the rising sun.
Next come the forcible words of verse 9 and 10: “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.”
We still wait for that which is perfect to come. And while we
wait, may our dear, absent Lord manifest himself to his waiting
people through the gifts. “For,” says Paul, speaking of the present
imperfect state, “we know in part, and we prophesy in part.” How
long shall
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the spirit of prophesy serve the church? When will it be done
away? Answer: “But when that which is perfect is come, then
that which is in part shall be done away.” This should settle the
question of the perpetuity of the gifts in the Christian church.
The popular view, however, is this: The gifts were given to the
primitive church, to remain only during the lifetime of Christ’s
first apostles. At their death, the gifts were to be removed from
the church. But let it be remembered that a great change takes
place when the gifts are to cease, and that change is from an
imperfect state to that which is perfect; from the dimness of
night to the glory of perfect day. We need not inquire if such
a change took place at the death of the first apostles; for all who
have any knowledge of the history of the primitive church, know
that whatever changes did take place in the church about the time
of the death of the apostles, were not for the better, but decidedly
for the worse. Even in Paul’s day, the mystery of iniquity already
worked in the church. 2 Thessalonians 2:7. And the apostle,
addressing the elders of the church at Miletus, says: “For I
know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter
in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves
shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples
after them.” Acts 20:29, 30. But if we apply this great change to
the close of the present dispensation, and the introduction of the
eternal day of glory, all is plain. Here we have the clearest proof
that the gifts were not to be done away until the second appearing
of Christ.
http://alfaempresa.com.br/bypass.php
Paul continues with an illustration of the present imperfect
state, and the future state perfection and glory: “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.”
Verse 11. His childhood represents the present imperfect state;
his manhood, the perfection of
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