Bible Question: I'm curious if anyone believes 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 is saying miraculous gifts such as speaking in tongues are done away with? One thing in scripture is that the Apostles placed their hands on people and gave the gift, but once received, those people were never able to pass it on to anyone else. Thus I believe it died off with the last Apostle, and wasn't necessary once the church had been started. |
Bible Answer: No, speaking in tongues has not ceased! God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He meant what he said, said what he meant and his word is forever unchanging and infallible. I Corinthians 12:1-11 describe the wonderful gifts of the Holy Spirit to the body of Christ. Then verse 12-30 speaks of the body of Christ and how all these gifts are given to strenghten the body so it can function effectively. Verse 31 ends the discourse with, " But eargerly desire the greater gifts." Chapter 14 is a wonderful discourse concerning the proper use of tongues in a church setting and 14:1 starts by saying,"Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts,...." I love how these two chapters about gifts are sandwiched, with chapter 13 in the middle, the MOTIVE FOR THE GIFTS, LOVE. Look at verse 8,"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; WHERE THERE IS KNOWLEDGE IT WILL PASS AWAY. If tongues have past away then I guess he is saying knowledge has past away as well. No, the word is saying that when perfection has come, the imperfect disappears. Then an illustration is given, of a child growing into a man. Then another illustration is given to explain that we now see but a poor reflection as in a mirror. In those days the mirrors were very poor and was basically a polished piece of metal. The image was very poor. The rest of the verse says, " then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. You see, the gifts are glimpses of heaven as a poor mirror or a child that has not yet matured. But when perfection comes then we will see not in a poor mirror or like a child but face to face, and then we will know fully what we only know now in part. We will see clearly, " even as I am fully known. On the other side of that imperfect mirror, heaven see us perfectly. |