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Church of Christ
Sermons and Lessons for 2012 |
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Bobby Stafford |
That Which Is Perfect
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Holy Spirit |
April 22, 2012 |
Sunday PM Sermon |
“That Which Is Perfect”
Introduction:
“Just touch the TV screen and be healed!” So says the TV
evangelist as he claims to perform this miracle of healing. The TV,
radio, and several magazines are full of those claiming to have the
ability to perform miracles. Some say they can heal, others claim
to foresee the future, others handle poisonous snakes without being
hurt, others speak in unknown tongues, and the list goes on. Many
different religious groups, especially Pentecostals or charismatics,
believe that miracles still exist and will do so until Christ
returns. This belief is based largely on I Corinthians 13:10. “But
when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will
be done away.” That which is perfect: Christ; That which is in
part: miracles But to understand this verse fully, one must
examine the immediate context (the entire 13th chapter) and the
remote context (all other verses in the Bible which deal with this
topic). To this study, we now turn.
Text: I Corinthians 13
This chapter is a detailed discussion of Biblical
love.
Verses 1-3: How love is the basis of what we do.
Verses 4-7: How a person acts who is motivated by love.
Verses 8-13: How love is forever!
Love, which is eternal, outlasts things which are temporary.
Prophecies, speaking in tongues, miraculous knowledge are mentioned
as miracles which will vanish some day, (that are in part). These
three spiritual gifts are representative of all spiritual gifts. (I
Corinthians 12:7-10) Paul says then in Verses 11-12 that these
miraculous gifts (which are temporary) are part of the childhood
stage of God’s revelation to man. Childhood is not our goal.
Adulthood is our goal. The infant church would discard (have no
record of) spiritual gifts when the revelation is complete.
See dimly: receive partial revelation; Then face to face: total
revelation (Mirror in Hebrew is the same word as vision.)
Comparing infancy with maturity:
Childhood stage – only partial knowledge, no complete written
record That is one reason these miraculous gifts were
necessary.
Adult stage – complete full, knowledge of god’s will, full
revelation of the gospel (Ephesians 4:8, 12-14)
Therefore, those who claim/desire miracles today, are in reality
wanting the immature stage of God’s revelation, the incomplete
knowledge.
Let’s turn our attention now to Verse 10. First, Verse 10 in
NRSV “but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an
end.” This makes this verse easier to understand. Those who would
have us believe that the “perfect” is Christ must explain several
things.
First: Christ is never mentioned in the entire chapter.
The chapter is not talking about Jesus at all. It is talking about
how miraculous gifts would cease and full revelation from God would
be complete.
Second: From a grammar standpoint, the word “that” in the
Greek is in the neuter gender. Therefore, what it is talking about
must be in the neuter gender as well. But Christ, as an adult male,
is always in the masculine gender.
Third: Verses 9-10 form one complete thought. Know and
prophesy are both modified by the phrase “in part.” That same
phrase “in part” is used of something which will be done away.
Therefore, the inspired preaching and miraculous gifts would end (be
done away with) when that complete revelation from God came. (John
16:13) When Paul penned I Corinthians, the truth had not
been fully received. It did come when John finished writing the
Revelation. (Revelation22:18-21)
To be sure that God’s revelation to man is complete and finished,
we turn to James 1:21. The word is able to save.
Verse 25: Perfect law – same word as in I Corinthians 13:10.
The complete law – gospel – word – doctrine – faith
Lastly: Jude 3
Contend for the Faith 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write
to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to
write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which
was once for all delivered to the saints.
NKJV
Conclusion:
We have in our hands the final, complete revelation of God to
man. All we have left to do is accept it. Will you accept
it?
Bobby Stafford
April 22, 2012
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