The Perfect Law of
By
Shelby G. Floyd
Partial
Revelation Has Been Done Away
In
contrast to the incomplete state of revelation which prevailed, at the time
that Paul wrote First Corinthians, he anticipated a time when that would be replaced
by something which would be perfect, complete, whole, for he says, “But when
that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.”
(1 Corinthians 13:10.) The term “when” in this verse is an adverb of
time, and is used in connection with a thing that is really to occur, but the
time of that occurrence is not definitely stated in this verse. Here, it is used in the original with the subjunctive
aorist verb which means that it was to occur at a definite point of time.
It had not occurred when Paul wrote the letter, but it definitely was going to
occur; therefore, it was just one step away from reality. The point is this:
whenever, that which is perfect came into being, that which is in part was to
be done away.
We have already established that “that
which is in part” has reference to knowledge, tongues, and prophecies. The
same word in the original that is used to describe the end of prophecies is
that which is used to describe the end of that which is in part. Prophecies
were to fail, and that which is in part was to be done away;
therefore, there was to be a definite time when all miraculous gifts were to
cease, vanish, fail, and to be done away. They were to be done away when that
which is perfect is come. When that which is perfect came into being; when it
showed itself forth; when it found place or
influence among men; then that which is in part, that is, prophecies, tongues,
knowledge, etc., were to be done away.
Perfect
Revelation Is Here
To understand at what point in human
history miraculous gifts ceased, it is necessary for us to identify that thing
which is perfect, which was to come. The word perfect is used here properly to
mean, “Brought to its end; finished; wanting nothing necessary to
completeness; perfect.” (Thayer, p. 618.) The
perfect thing which was to come is something that was to be complete, finished,
and whole and brought to its proper object or goal. What was that thing? The
Bible is its own best commentary. In the book of James we have two verses that
definitely help us in identifying “that which is perfect.” We are
advised that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh
down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of
turning.” (James 1:17.) The word perfect as used in this verse indicates that
which is complete, finished, brought to its end, that which is whole. According
to James, every good gift, and every complete gift comes from the Father above.
The
New Testament Is “The Perfect Law of
In this same chapter James says, “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (Jas. 1:25.) According to James, the perfect law of liberty, that is, the New Testament, is that complete law of liberty; it is that good gift and that complete gift which came down from God out of heaven, into which everyman can look and see his spiritual image. Therefore, the complete New Testament is that thing which is perfect, which was to come and when having come, that which is in part (miraculous gifts) was to be done away.
Near the end of Paul’s life he wrote a
letter to a young preacher and companion, Timothy, in which he said, “All scripture is given by inspiration of
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17.) The reason the holy
scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect or complete is because they
are perfect or complete. (Jude 3.) Therefore,
when the New Testament came into being in its complete or finished form that
which was in part (miraculous gifts) such as prophecies, tongues and knowledge
ceased, passed away and was finished.
Miraculous Gifts Were the State of
In further illustration of the temporary nature of
miraculous gifts Paul said to the Corinthians, “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.” (1 Corinthians 13:11.) As in previous verses, that
which was in part has been put in contrast with that which is perfect; so in
this verse the state of a child is put in contrast with the state of a man. The
spiritual gifts such as prophecies, tongues and knowledge are compared to a
child in his speaking, understanding and thought; whereas, the complete and perfect
New Testament is compared to a man’s speaking, understanding and thought. The
point of illustration is this: just as the speech, understanding and thought of
a child is incomplete and partial, so the understanding which came from
prophecy, tongues and knowledge was incomplete and partial. Just as the
transition from a child to a man took a certain period of time, so the
transition of revelation from that which was in part to that which was perfect
took a period of time.
The New Testament Is the State of
It
would be just as foolish for a man who has completeness of understanding and
speech to desire the incomplete state of a child as it would be for the church
today to desire to leave the complete and perfect New Testament and go back to
the incomplete state of miraculous gifts. Paul said when he became a man he put
away childish things. The word used to emphasize the end of childish things is “put
away”; it is the same word that Paul used to describe the end of
prophecies, and the end of that which is in part. Therefore, today, let us put
away all foolishness and have more confidence in the complete and perfect will
of God which lives and abides forever. Copyright © 2006 All Rights Reserved