3. Is “When That Which Is Perfect Is Come” a reference to When the Bible Is Completed?

Let’s take another look at the verse whose phrase is in question: “But when that which is perfect (complete) is come, then that which is in part shall be done away” (1 Cor. 13:10). As previously mentioned, this verse says nothing about us going anywhere, but it does teach that something is coming to us. The question is, “What was it that was coming?” What was coming was the completed “word of God.” We should look again at the verse in its context.

“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. ⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰But when that which is perfect (Gk., teleious, complete) is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 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. ¹² For now (during the Acts period) we see through a glass, darkly; but then (when “the word of God” is “complete”)” face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. ¹³ And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (1 Cor. 13:8-13)

1 Corinthians 13 is the heart of Paul’s three-chapter discourse on spiritual gifts and “the dispensation of the grace of God.” The Corinthians were spiritually immature, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal (fleshly), even as unto babes in Christ. ² I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. (1 Corinthians 3:1-2) It is in this context that Paul tells them they will soon have full revelation of the completed “word of God” to replace the imperfect ‘knowledge gifts.’

They had spiritual gifts (1Cor. 1:7), but they were misusing and abusing them (1 Cor. 12:1–14:40). Rather than focusing on sound doctrine to build up “the body of Christ,” the Corinthians, like today’s charismatics, were too engaged in emotional experiences, especially the gift of tongues (see the 40 verses of 1 Cor. 14). Paul wrote chapters 12-14 as correction, to show them that their Christian meetings were not functioning properly, and if they did not correct their thinking, when the spiritual gifts would fall away, their Christian lives would fall apart!

• 1 Cor. 13:11: “When I was a child, I spake as a child.” This would be a reference to the gift of tongues (v8), the ability to speak forth God’s Word in intelligent human languages they never had formally learned.
• 1 Cor. 13:11: “When I was a child… I understood as a child.” This would be a reference to the gift of knowledge (v8), the supernatural ability of knowing and understanding deep spiritual truths of God’s Word before they were written down in Scripture (see v2).
• 1 Cor. 13:11: “When I was a child… I thought as a child.” This would be a reference to the gift of prophecy (v8), the ability to speak and preach and miraculously identify God’s Word before it was fully written, particularly in reference to predicting the future.
• 1 Cor. 13:11: “But when I became a man, I put away childish things.” This would be spiritual maturity, when all revelation from God is given. It is then that we do away with the immature things.

Paul wrote that there was coming a day when the gift of prophecy would fail, the gift of tongues would cease, and the gift of knowledge would vanish away (verse 8). The “church… the Body of Christ” would move away from doctrinal immaturity and into doctrinal maturity. In other words, the completed revelation from God would be given, and this would bring about mature saints, people who fully grasped what God wanted them to know;

“he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors (shepherding elders) and teachers; ¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: ¹³ Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: ¹⁴ That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (Eph. 4:11-14)

Let us look again at 1 Cor. 13:12: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I (Paul) know in part; but then shall I (Paul) know even as also I am known.”

Here above Paul acknowledges that he had not yet received all of the information God wanted him to have and give to us. Then in 2 Cor. 12:1, Paul wrote that there was more revelation to come to him;

“I will (yet) come to visions and revelations of the Lord.”

It was years after receiving such further revelation that Paul wrote his ‘prison epistles’ - Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 1& 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon. These epistles present the full revelation of God for this present age of “the dispensation of the Grace of God” (Eph. 3:2).

Paul wrote in Col. 1:25-26 that one of his divinely-ordained roles was to “complete” God’s Word.

“… I ((Paul) am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me (Paul) for you (Gentiles), to fulfil (Gk. pleroo, complete) the word of God; ²⁶Even (that is) the mystery (“the secret” plan of God, Rom. 16:25)” which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: (Col. 1:25-26)

Everything written in the Bible before Paul was of and for Israel, including much prophecy of things to come for Israel. Then after Paul’s writings, we have the Hebrew epistles of Hebrews through Revelation - all for Israel in the Tribulation and Millennium. Paul completed the word of God in that he was given and wrote of information that had “been keep secret since the world began.”

“Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my (Paul’s) gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, ²⁶ But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: (Romans 16:25-26)

We learn the knowledge that God first revealed to Paul by reading (Eph. 3:1-5) his epistles of Romans through Philemon. His last seven epistles, his highest, came AFTER the books of Acts was closed. The book of Acts covers about 30-year period, while there was a transition from Israel “under the Law” to “the body of Christ” … under grace. Thus, Paul wrote; “… for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Rom. 6:14b)

So, “when that which is perfect is come” is a reference to when limited knowledge and prophesying (speaking forth) are done away… soon after the book of Acts. “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away (Gk. kartargeo, put away).” This is talking about the time when the Bible’s canon of books is complete; to include All thirteen of Paul’s revelatory inspired epistles, being added into the written “word of God,” as Scripture!

Once Paul wrote his last epistle (2 Tim.), the Bible was “complete.” There was no more revelation to be received from God for this age of grace. “All scripture (Gk. graphe, the written word) is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷ (so) That the man of God may be perfect (complete), thoroughly (fully) furnished unto all good works.) (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

This then is the only view that the context of 1 Cor. 13:10 allows. God would have us to grow up spiritually (see #3), not when we go to heaven (view #1) nor when Jesus comes back (see #2). God would have us to mature now... as those who have grown in “the grace and knowledge of the Lord.” (cf. 2Peter 1:2, 3:18)

The word “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10 is not sinless perfection, it is the ‘completion’ of God’s revelation (the Holy Bible) and the spiritual maturity it brings to those who read and believe it. Notice some examples of how the Scriptures use the term “perfect” in that sense:

• Philippians 3:15: “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”
• Colossians 1:28: “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:”
• Colossians 4:12: “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
• Hebrews 5:14: “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full (complete, mature) age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”