A Short Exegesis of I Corinthians 13:8-14:40

Good day to everyone and I do hope this writing finds each of you doing well. I want to let you all know that I am really under the weather here and ask for your prayers on my behalf. I have not felt up to the challenge of much study or writing so I am once again going to take advantage of some others who have written some great articles that I believe we all need to see and learn so we can help others in return. This one is from my friend J. Scott Sheridan and I have broken it up into four sections due to space. I do not want to give you too much to try to devour in one setting. So read it, and read it again and know what God's Word says. I will have part two next week. I have had requests for this subject anyway, and this is a good place to start. So God bless and enjoy.



A Short Exegesis of I Corinthians 13:8-14:40
By J. Scott Sheridan


"Following is an exegesis of I Corinthians. 13:8-14:40 using the NASB translation. To understand the "tongues" discussion in chapter 14 you must start back in chapter 13, and also understand the situation at Corinth. Paul had been there and had bestowed many with spiritual gifts (by the way, the only way ANYONE obtained spiritual gifts was to have an apostle lay hands upon them, including tongues). The Church at Corinth became very arrogant and puffed up thinking their gifts made them better than other Christians, and it, caused factions (see chap 1) within the Church. Paul wrote this letter to scold them for everything they were doing wrong. Corinth is not the Church we want to look to for orthodoxy. My comments will be in bold.
The one thing the Corinthians were not doing was loving one another.
(1 Corinthians 13:8-13) "Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, will be done away."

Paul has emphasized love. Love is more important than the spiritual gifts, which he will now elaborate. Love never fails BUT prophecy and knowledge will be "done away" and tongues shall just "Cease." The KJV and NIV are both very inconsistent in this verse. The Greek word Paul uses that means "done away" has the connotation of "to be replaced." It is the same word he uses in verse 11 (did away). It means it will be replaced with something better, just as Paul "did away" with childish things and replaced them with adult things. Tongues however, would simply cease. The Greek word is “pauo" and means to stop, cease. Tongues would not be replaced, just stopped.

When he speaks of prophecy, he does not mean foretelling the future. A prophet was someone who spoke in God's behalf. Only occasionally did that mean future telling. Prophecy would be replaced. Knowledge would also be replaced. He does not mean everybody will be stupid, he is referring to directly revealed knowledge. These would be replaced when "the perfect comes" (v. 10).
{9} For we know in part and we prophesy in part; {10} but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. Knowledge and prophecy was incomplete. It was only given in specific places to individual Churches, which meant (1) no Church had a complete revelation and (2) the revelations given were not widely distributed, even with their best efforts. However, when this perfect comes that will replace the incomplete stuff. The word "perfect" is the Greek word "teleon" which more accurately means "complete." It is also neuter in gender, so it is not referring to a person. A better translation would be "when the complete thing comes, the partial shall be done away."

{11} When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

Paul now uses an illustration to show that this process of replacing incomplete things is only natural
{12} For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

Mirrors in ancient times were not exactly the best at reflecting. They were usually a polished metal and the images were usually somewhat distorted. He says that now, i.e., the time he is writing, revelation was like looking in a mirror in a poor light. But when the complete thing comes it will be like looking at someone's face rather than a poor reflection. At the time of his writing, he only knew in parts, but when the complete thing comes it will be like having someone there to tell all there is."

This concludes part one. God bless until our next time. snowme1955@gmail.com