I was raised on cessationism, which basically claims that some or all of the gifts of the Spirit ended, either with the completion of the Bible or the establishment of the early church.
Often cited by its proponents are the following verses:
1 Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke 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 we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
You should never put too much weight on a single word or verse, especially choosing an ambiguous phrase such as “that which is perfect”, but instead should let scriptures interpret scriptures by using the parallel verses, biblical context and occasionally, historical context to confirm and remove all doubt.
1: There is a Clear context of the “body of Christ” in the surrounding chapters.
When examining “that which is perfect”, there is no explicit identification spelled out in the verse. However, the straightforward context of the “perfect” (Greek: “teleios”) is the perfection of the body of Christ that Paul has been discussing in these chapters (1 Cor 12-14). And, if we practice good hermeneutics and allow scripture to interpret scripture, we will see the identity very clearly.
2: The church has never been perfected as of yet
Some claim that the “perfect” or “teleios”, within “that which is perfect” is referring to the bible or even that it was the establishment of the early church, given the obvious context of the body of Christ.
Has the church at any point been perfected? Certainly not. It is clear that the church has never been “perfected” and is always suffering from divisions, and that problem has only increased with time, despite Paul’s many warnings about unity in the body of Christ.
3: Plenty of historical evidence that the supernatural gifts were witnessed for several centuries
Some say Paul refers here to the completion of the Bible, assuming as most agree, that biblical canon ends with the book of Revelation.
The first problem is one of actual history. According to early church writings, the gifts of the Holy Spirit were spoken of and in use long after the completion of biblical canon, with the completion of Revelation around 95 AD.
In 180 AD, Irenaus spoke of the miracles, prophecies, tongues, and healings still occurring, including even the dead still being raised and continuing to live. In 197 AD, Tertullian wrote of the active work of God in healings and divine revelation. In 230 AD, Origen wrote of the miraculous healings being done in the name of Jesus. When speaking against the Montanist heresy in 232 AD, Urbanus explains how Paul taught the perpetuity of these gifts until the return of Christ. It was apparently due to the outbreak of false manifestations of these gifts, that a backlash against the gifts ensued, and these gifts eventually became obscure or seemingly disappeared altogether. Eusebius lamented how the gifts were diminished (though still active) all the way into the 4th century.
4: Paul had no need or demonstrated interest in looking forward to the completion of canon
Now Consider:
- How would the completion of biblical canon allow Paul to see more “face to face” and “perfectly” than the direct revelation he was already divinely receiving? Paul says of this time that “then I shall know”.
- The Bible was always perfect (“teleios”), but was yet to be completed (“pleroo”), and the gifts were in use long after this completion. So, if this was referring to the completion of canon, why did he choose those words to describe it?
- The “teleios” perfection of the body of Christ (not the “bible”) is referenced with similar verbiage in parallel verses. What does exegesis reveal when we let scripture interpret scripture?
- There is no additional, straightforward reference in the bible to the completion of Scriptures as being worth noting or some new, hidden covenant relationship to support such a strong claim. To reject the entire future supernatural works of God as previously demonstrated throughout the bible, based on this one verse puts a lot of weight on a highly questionable conjecture in attempting to identify “that”.
Paul had directly heard from Christ already with his conversion and claimed to be a steward of the mysteries of God. Since he penned a large portion of biblical canon himself, he wouldn’t personally have much reason or need to look forward to additional biblical canon, and his comprehension wouldn’t have been as limited regarding canon as this proposed interpretation would suggest.
5: Seeing “face to face” is tied to this time of “perfection”
While Paul had a direct revelation from Christ, it is still not as direct as the future encounter we all will one day experience with Christ’s return, when the gifts will for obvious reasons, serve no purpose. Would the addition of more biblical canon help Paul to know Jesus in a more personal way, as if it were such a “face to face” meeting? Certainly not, and yet Paul completes his thought by saying that he looks forward to the time where he can “know even as also I am known”. It seems much more plausible that Paul was continuing his discourse on the body of Christ, pointing to the perfection of the body of Christ as the “spotless bride” is prepared for the return of Christ, as we also see in parallel verses. At that point of actually seeing Christ Himself, we will receive this direct experiential knowledge, or “epiginosko”, of Christ spoken of in verse 12. Sure, the scriptures help us learn about Jesus, but it is not the personal, experiential future knowledge of seeing someone in person, pointed to here.
6: The Bible was already perfect when Paul was writing
If Paul wanted to contrast “partial” simply with “completeness”, it seems he would have chosen “pleroo” (“fullness”) instead of “teleios” (“becoming perfect”). The bible was always perfect, even before it was completed, so it seems strange the bible would need “perfection” instead of “completeness”. Paul in Colossians 4:12 distinguishes these terms by saying “you may stand perfect (teleios) and complete (pleroo) in all the will of God.”
7: A coming “perfect” body of Christ was already an established concept in the bible
We have biblical precedence before Paul to explain this concept. Jesus Himself uses this term of perfection or “teleio” in describing a future unified Christianity, which of course refers to the body of Christ:
John 17:22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect (telio) in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
8: Spiritual gifts are expected until the Day of the Lord
We see this very same set of concepts of the gifts tied to the perfection of the body of Christ leading into the second coming earlier in this same letter from Paul to the Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 1:7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
These verses directly refute the notion that gifts ended by suggesting that we should not lack in spiritual gifts until the return of Christ, while also confirming this same concept of the perfected body of Christ (“perfectly joined together”). In fact, throughout the letter to the Corinthians were specific instructions for using these gifts to build the church. Are we not taught in 2 Tim 3:16 that all scripture “is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”? Yet, we are expected here to ignore significant New Testament instructions on how to use the gifts to build and edify the church in accordance with God’s Will?
9: Parallel verses clearly interpret it
Paul repeats this concept in Ephesians 4. Listen how it begins by instructing us that we will be receiving the gifts and offices for all of these purposes that would have every bit of impact today, and that their use and relevance will again cease with the “perfection” of the body of Christ, here referred to as “saints”:
Eph 4:7 But to each one of us, grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive And gave gifts to men. 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
God makes it abundantly clear to us through several parallel scriptures that these gifts would be necessary until the perfection of the body would be accomplished leading into Christ’s return.
10: Offices of apostles and prophets do not cease until the unity of the faith
In verse 7, we see that these gifts are imparted to EVERY ONE of us that are in Christ. We then see the roles necessary to edify the church, such as prophets and apostles. All of these roles serve to edify the church, by supporting the Holy Spirit’s work. Again, note in verse 13, that these are necessary until we receive the unity of the faith, the experiential knowledge of the son of God, until that “teleios” or “perfect” man.
Conclusion
In summary, we know that Paul is in the midst of discussing the body of Christ and we know the gifts and callings are in clear context here. It should be reasonably obvious when reading the parallel verses, that Paul is again referring to the body of Christ as being the “perfect, spotless bride” upon His return. In contrast, there is no biblical support that the end of written canon is of any note whatsoever by the biblical authors, much less to derive huge covenantal doctrine that would negate much of the directives of the New Testament. One would think by simple reasoning alone that if God intended such a massive shift in covenant relationship, it wouldn’t be relegated to a questionable interpretation of a single, vague phrase with no corroborating biblical support.
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