First we must remember the context of the passage. It is speaking about spiritual gifts. What was the purpose of the spiritual gifts? To edify the body. To edify them how? Spiritually.
Remember, at the time this was written there was no New Testament. The New covenant was introduced and there was not yet any written instructions on what is and is not allowable under this new covenant. For instance. Do we still need to be circumcised? To answer that question I could not just go to Galatians and read what Paul had said. The Lord, therefore, gave some people the "gift of knowledge" to let them know that this was the new way. I mean think about it. There is a "gift of knowledge." The Bible is clear that not everyone will have the same gifts. Are you saying that until Christ comes some people can NEVER gain spiritual knowledge? That doesn't make sense.
So when we look at what the purpose of the gifts were for, we can see more clearly what Paul was saying. What did we know in part? We only knew that Christ died for our sins and rose again, but we were just learning about the freedom that came with that sacrifice. That his sacrifice, did away with the law, not added to it. We can now read the entire word of God, see fully man's condition, see fully man's failure to rectify the situation by keeping the law, see fully Christ's complete sacrifice, and receive His Spirit that will lead us into all truth to continue to see fully that which is revealed in His Word.
We also look at the evidence. Though I am certain most people aren't aware of this fact. Historically tongues were stilled until the very late 1800s to early 1900s. At the turn of the century there was a movement that said the "spiritual gifts" had returned. This movement was the foundation for the UPC and other pentecostal and charismatic churches. Of course, now they say they were never "stilled," but you will be hard pressed to find any legitimate biblical use of tongues and other such gifts. Even today, those who profess the gifts use them in violation of scriptural commands. When we examine this lack of any real gift against 1 Corinthians 13, it becomes self explanitory.
For instance. We see all these phony faith healers, but why don't we see the real thing? If someone TRULY had the gift of healing, why doesn't he go to a hospital and heal those in need? In the NT there was no doubt that people were healed. They were healed of external provable illnesses, we do not see this today. No, people are seeking gifts that are easily faked, that can't be proven. Tongues is not only hard to prove it is practiced by several pagan religions world wide, yet we are told by Christians that this is the "Evidence" of God's Spirit? I think not.
~Lorelei
