Featured 1 Cor. 12-14

I was going to leave this alone, and go my merry way; but the tone I perceived in the last sentence wouldn't let me.

Exactly! Why would Paul need to rebuke them if they had the proper manifestation of the gift!

1 Cor 14:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.

When you're not married any more.

Who said that an unbeliever could manifest the Holy Spirit?

You're talking in circles. My point was, and always has been, that tongues are a sign for unbelievers (1 Cor 14:22); that Paul taught that our primary purpose should be edification of others and ourselves (1 Cor 14:5, 12, 15, 19, 26).

And I'm sorry you only understand the way you do, using a rebuke to justify a doctrine.

 

If you think about it, a lot of unbelievers spend a lot of time developing teaching that supports why something good from God won't happen, instead of why something good from God will happen. I know that some will not believe until they see it, and some still won't believe even though they do see it, and a few will see the move of God and will call it Satan.

 

No, this time I want to pursue your interpretation.
So when Christ comes knowledge will cease. You say we will meet him face to face so we won't have any need of knowledge.

We won't need to learn anything in heaven? We won't have any knowledge of who anyone else is?

We won't have any knowledge of what Christ has done for us?

Our minds will be completely wiped clean of knowledge--no knowledge whatsoever?? There won't be knowledge in heaven? Just how is that going to work? Are we going to be mindless automatons? Absolutely no knowledge??

 

DHK: Have you ever placed your hands on the sick and prayed?

 

Yes I have. That is not a gift of the Holy Spirit according to 1Cor.12-14, but rather instructions that are given to the local church and specifically laid out for us in James chapter five.

 

Just think for a minute then:

First: Only God is omniscient. Only God knows all things, even in heaven. We will never come to that point. If we did, then we could claim divinity. Omniscience is an attribute of God.

Second, one of the things we can look forward to in heaven is sitting at his feet and learning from him. Yes, even in heaven there will be much to learn. It is one thing I look forward to.

Now having established those two premises, what "knowledge" will vanish away, and when?

 

In Rev.4:4, It says they have crowns upon their heads.
In Rev.4:10, it says that they throw those crowns before the feet of Jesus in an act of worship.

In Rev. 5. It says that all the redeemed "sang a new song." Though we will have a redeemed body, will we know that song automatically or will we "learn" that song even if it is in a very few seconds?

In Rev.19 Christ comes back to earth with his saints (us) to face the enemies of the Jews at the Battle of Armeggedon. The enemies will be destroyed and the Jews will be destroyed. Then the Millennial Kingdom will begin.
It says that we will reign with him. I believe that we will have to "learn" how to reign, that it is not an automatic process or or knowledge. In fact there will be many things in the Millennial Kingdom that we will learn.

After that the Lord will make a new heaven and a new earth. They will be there for our exploration and dominion. We will have much to learn about then. Throughout eternity we will be learning from Jesus. It will never stop.

The knowledge in 1Cor.13:8 is revelatory knowledge, and has strictly to do with partial revelation. It ceased when the Word of God was complete.

Until Christ comes again, the Bible says "knowledge shall increase". It is one of the signs of his coming.

2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Then in heaven we will be taught of Christ, the omniscient One.

 

I believe we will be taught, and thus learn.
Only Christ is omniscient, and knows all things. If we could know all things then we would be God. Not even the angels know all things. The angels look down from heaven in amazement wondering at the redemption of mankind, for they have never been redeemed.

 

The purpose of the sign gifts was to confirm the preaching of the apostles before the word of God was given in final written form, and that the need for these miracle gifts passed when the NT was completed.
Now (during the apostolic age) we see in a mirror, dimly. No single one of (apostles) has received God's full revelation. It is being given to us in portions, like parts of a puzzle. When the Canon of Scripture is completed, the obscurity will be removed and we will see the picture in its entirety. Our knowledge (as apostles and prophets) is partial at present. But when the last book has been written and added to the NT, we will know more full and intimately than ever before.

No matter what view one takes, the abiding lesson is that while the gifts of the Spirit are partial and temporary, the fruit of the Spirit is eternal and is more excellent. If we practice love, it will save us from the misuse of gifts and from the strife and divisions that have arisen as a result of their abuse (William MacDonald).

 

The passage you are questioning is somewhat allegorical in nature. Paul comparing himself to childish or immature is referring to Christianity or the church being childish and immature. During that time, in its early stages, as it is not grown up to maturity it needs help, help that came from the temporary sign gifts. But then Paul matured and became an adult. In time the church grows up. In time the sign gifts are no longer. The did not need to rely on them any longer when they would have the perfect (or completed Word of God). That was the day Paul was looking for--that day of maturity when the Word of God would be completed and the gifts would no longer be needed. He would be able to see himself as he is, as the Word of God would reflect Him to be, just as a mirror would. He wouldn't see darkly "in mysteries" any longer. When all the revelation would be put together every thing would make sense. The puzzle would be complete.

Knowledge will never end. It cannot. The context is revelation. Prophecy is revelation. Tongues is a form of revelation (like prophecy when it has interpretation), and the third is "revelatory" knowledge, not just common knowledge.