Posted on 10/30/2006 8:56:41 AM PST by Rightly Biased
Others may beat me to it.
I'm going back to pottery.
However, posting Scripture doesn't force anyone to believe it.
In my experience, biases on this topic trump all kinds of Scriptural evidence.
Sad, that.
The kingdom is the church, and Christ is ruling at the right hand of His Father in heaven. But you missed my point. The reference to "that which is complete" in the verse is referring to complete revelation. That is the Word of God.
I'll believe it
9For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
There. Let's read 1Cor 13:10 in context. We're talking about Love: The one thing that will remain, even after Christ returns, and we are all made perfect, in Him.
You see, when we are in eternity with Jesus, there will be no more need for prophesy, tongues, or even prayer. We will be 'face to face', knowing fully.
While we are here on earth, in our earthly bodies, we don't have perfect knowledge, therefore we are looking through a glass dimly, prophesying in part, being the imperfect people we are.
These gifts are nothing, he goes on to say, without Love. (Which is kinda the meaning of the whole passage.)
You might also want to consider why the Jews consider Malachi the last prophet, and have recognized none since. The book of Malachi is the last book of the Old T in our bibles, and... the story is continued with the birth of.... John the Baptist, the real last prophet.
There. Let's read all of Luke 16:16. The Law is the first part of the Old Testament. The Prophets are, well, the prohets. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekial, Daniel, etc.
The Law and the Prophets had been taught to the people up until the time of John, who came preparing the way for Jesus, and the 'good news of the kingdom of God.
Yes, the good news. THat Jesus, son of God, came to earth as a man, lived a sinless life, showed us how to conquer our enemy, gave us the weapons of our warfare (the Word, and the Holy Spirit) and finally, died an excruciating death to pay the price for our sins, our sicknesses (by His stripes we ARE healed), and our defeat of the enemy (He overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb)
I am overcome with awe at your Love for us, Holy Father, Precious Son, Spirit of the LIving God.
Paul references things that are "in part". He then talks about "that which is perfect" or "that which is complete". The things that are referred to as being "in part" are tongues, prophecy, and knowledge. The function of all of these gifts was to reveal the will of God. In order for the comparison between "in part" and "that which is perfect" or "that which is complete" to be valid, the thing that is perfect or complete would have to also refer to the revealed will of God. We have that in the Word of God, the Bible.
I prayed for a friend through his wife in church one day. He had a bad headache. When she got home, he told her the time the headache stopped and it was exactly the time we were praying for him.
My husband went to the hospital one day to visit a former pastor of our church. The man in the next bed was in a coma and the pastor asked him to pray for the man. He did and the man came out of the coma and accepted Christ as his savior. He went back into the coma right afterwards. My husband is so humble that he never talks about it, but it was amazing to me. God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise!
Yes, I do. I've spoken in tongues for years but not as often as I should. It's meant to edify, build up, the believer.
There is the gift of tongues (to be used in a church setting with interpretation to follow) and prayer language, something a believer uses in private.
Please provide Scriptural support for a "prayer language".
You are SO wrong and God is going to show us more and more miraculous things as we go into the end times. Don't close your mind to Him and what He intends to do.
The Jews consider the OT to be the ONLY part of the Bible they believe. Of course Malachi would be the last prophet. They don't believe in Jesus and the NT. There are still prophets in the world and apostles as well. They just don't wear long beards and robes and sandals (well, most don't anyway).
Who are these "apostles"?
Well, of course, because we are imperfect people using them. The "perfect" and "complete" hasn't come. We are still living in this fallen world. Satan hasn't yet been locked away. We are still people, created by God, seeking after a supernatural relationship with our Heavenly Father .. in all three persons.
The function of all of these gifts was IS to reveal the will of God.
There. Fixed it.
In order for the comparison between "in part" and "that which is perfect" or "that which is complete" to be valid, the thing that is perfect or complete would have to also refer to the revealed will of God.
But it's NOT complete. We still know in part, and see through a glass darkly. Until He returns and we are with Him face to face, the Word, the ENTIRE Word hasn't been lived out.
We have that in the Word of God, the Bible. Yet we still see that through a glass darkly. We don't know fully. It's not complete. Christ hasn't come back for His Bride. At that time, all the need for these things will go away. But in the mean time, we are to be ministering to one another, healing the sick, casting out demons, using the power that Jesus demonstrated for us to use.
Oh, Lord Jesus, that your church would wake up and operate as you intended. Preaching your good news .. and bringing Your kingdom to earth.
testing
Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.
I say that you don't know what you are talking about.
In the Christian Church there are evangelists, prophets, pastors, teachers, and apostles, not just evangelists.
Paul stated that he prayed in tongues 'more than you all'. And he was glad that he did it so much.
This issue should not die.
That is simply not accurate.
First of all, speaking in tongues is NOT a gift. The Greek word is pneumatikos which means 'matters of the spirit', not 'gifts of the spirit'.
Speaking in tongues is for the individual where as interpretation of tongues and prophesy are for the congregation. The 'best' gift is the one that is needed and will bless the most.
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