Fire On Your Head

Our text we’ve been dealing with is found in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, and today I hope to primarily focus on the second half of that passage. The purpose of this discussion is to demonstrate not only is God not against us, but that he is for us, and a word study and careful look at the word ‘grace’ and just what God says to Paul in response to his crying out to Him, will demonstrate one aspect of God’s merciful character.

There is a lot to cover in just these few verses and there’s even enough to write books about. But I do feel more strongly about showing people the thorn in Paul’s flesh was 1) not from God, and 2) not a disease or a sickness, and therefore the major concern of mine is already dealt with. However, I wanted to continue to carefully examine the rest of the text for a few more posts, because we are so sickness-minded in the Body of Christ, that we just think God wants us to tolerate everything the devil throws at us and go to the doctor instead of using what The Doctor already gave us and appropriate it. I’m going to be using the same kind of approach as last week, but I totally respect and understand those that differ with my findings concerning v. 9-10. Verses 7-8 I will not back down from, though.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Sometimes we read Scripture with our ‘pre-understanding’–that’s to say, with an understanding already formulated, or lenses or a bias that causes us to interpret Scripture according to what we already think, without carefully reading the Scripture and letting it speak for itself. I believe this is one of those texts. Nowhere does this Scripture insinuate–even if you keep reading–that God was unwilling to do anything about the thorn in Paul’s flesh. In fact, I would like to take you on a journey of how come I feel God already answered Paul’s problem before he went to the Lord, and just wanted to remind him of it.

Word Study

First word:
“grace” GK 5485 “charis” From G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): – acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy). (emphasis mine).

This word never gets translated into words like ‘mercy’ or ‘compassion’ from Greek to English, and those two words come from different roots. When studying a word and its context, it’s necessary in Scripture if we really want to grasp its meaning, to go to the original source and compare other instances of it being translated–either as another word, or just how it’s used in other contexts. An English definition for a word will not give as clear of an idea of what the author of Scripture is saying as does the original language (in this New Testament instance, Greek).

Of the 155 times charis is translated grace, only half or so actually mean something like ‘unmerited favor’. Click here for examples of it denoting a divine ability, enabling, or gifting: Luke 2:40, Acts 4:33, 6:8, Romans 1:5, 12:3, 12:6. From clicking on each of the links to these verses, it’s clear from the immediate context that although grace is unmerited favor, there’s another layer to it denoting spiritual power or ability in these passages.

Another instance of this word charis being used:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace (charis) in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)

An Old Testament example of God speaking to a man in a similar way as He did to Paul here is found in the life of Moses, in Exodus. When Moses brought Israel to the sea, he cried out to God who responded in a way that would offend most Christians:
“Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.” (Exodus 14:15-16). I can almost picture the Lord saying it like “why are you bothering to come to me about it? I already gave you what you need–now use it–lift up your rod!” Likewise, Paul is being told “what I’ve already given you (grace/charis/enablement) is all you need.“

Second word:
“power” GK 1411 “dunamis” From G1410; force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): – ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work. (emphasis mine again)

The following verses, showing power/dunamis being used elsewhere should show that Paul is not being told that God has just enough power for Paul’s emotions to be settled while he goes through whatever he goes through. Rather, power is usually used in Scripture for miraculous denotation.

“And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?” Acts 3:12

“And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Acts 4:7

“And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace (charis again used here) was upon them all.” Acts 4:33

“On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal.“ Luke 5:17

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” Luke 10:19 – though this is in a negative context, it still serves the purpose of demonstrating the word’s use.

“And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49

Third word:
“weakness” GK 769 “astheneia”
From G772; feebleness (of body or mind); by implication malady; moral frailty: – disease, infirmity, sickness, weakness.

Yes. This word does mean weakness or malady. I almost didn’t even really need to show that to you to prove my point. However, depending on the translation you use, Paul lists 5 or 6 things, of which this word astheneia is one of them. That means there’s a 1 in 6 chance (or 5 if you want to cling to whatever translation you use and it only has 5 listed not 6) that at the forefront of Paul’s mind he’s likely referring to his thorn as being a malady. “So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses” (v.10, Amplified Bible)

Non-traditional Approach

So contrary to what is popularly taught, and based what the text says, I hope this clears up some confusion people may have concerning 1) what Paul’s thorn was, 2) that God did not give it to Him and 3) that God’s reaction to Paul is not what is usually taught–that He just kinda told Paul to tolerate it.

This verse is also where the “law of emphasis” comes into play. I don’t know if there is such a law, but I made it up and it sounds good. I say that to describe that from what we’ve already established as being the context of the previous chapter, that clearly sickness is not on Paul’s mind, but he’s saying in passing that it’s one of the things he doesn’t let get him down and let’s Christ be magnified through. It seems to me given his ministry to the Gentiles, and from things he says elsewhere, and also from just plain reading Acts, we can predict or assume that Paul would walk in relatively divine health if he was healing people and ministering with signs and wonders following. Therefore, it’s feasible that something ELSE (or someONE else) is the thorn he has just referred to.

If this post has been beneficial to you, you may enjoy our podcast show where we discuss Paul’s thorn in the flesh and kill some sacred cows in the process:

Paul’s Thorn in The Flesh
Download mp3 (right click and save)

Today is the 36th anniversary of Roe vs Wade (The court decision that legalized abortion in 1973 in America). I thought it would be appropriate to write a few of my thoughts on abortion.

Actually first of all I want to link to one of my favourite preachers and a dream that he had as well as some of his thoughts on abortion

What was it that brought Germany, one of the most civilized nations in Europe to commit the Holocaust? They convinced the people that the Jews were not people, they dehumanized them. Then they were able to do anything to them without harming their conscience.

What was it that brought America, and Great Britain and much of the known world to brutally enslave millions of Africans? They dehumanized them, taught that they were not humans, just animals. And then it was OK, it was socially acceptable.

How is it that we have let more than 4,300 babies die every single day and say not a word? We have dehumanized them, call them fetus (Which by the way is just the Latin word for “offspring”) and can do anything that we want to them?

This breaks my heart more than almost anything else in our country today. I believe it is an issue more pertinent today than even slavery was in the past. This is an issue of entire people group (the unborn) being silenced and ravaged.

I’m not here to condemn anyone, to shame any of the mothers who have had an abortion. To spread hate against the abortion doctors. I’m writing this to stir us up to do something, not with anger or aggression but out of a deep love and compassion for the unborn. Let’s let our voice be heard, and speak up.

By David Ravenhill, www.davidravenhill.net

If you are unfamiliar with the words of this title, let me remind you that they were spoken by Jesus in response to Peter’s rebuke of him. Ahh! Now you recall the incident. Jesus has just asked the disciples what people were saying about him. “Some say you are John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets…” they explained. Jesus went on to tell them that he was going to Jerusalem where he would suffer many things, including the fact that he would be killed. Peter immediately rebuked him for his ‘negative confession’. After all, this was the last thing the disciples had in mind for their beloved master and potential King.

There is little doubt that the disciples fully expected Jesus to overthrow Rome’s dominance and reinstate the Kingdom to Israel by some miraculous display of power. This talk about suffering and death was the furthest thing from their minds. They were looking for a coronation, not a crucifixion. They were anticipating a time of celebration, liberation, and restoration. Not a season of suffering, rejection and opposition. Following his rebuke to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!” Jesus added, “you are a stumbling block to me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s”.

Could it be that the Lord is saying the same thing to the American Church? Like the disciples of old, we have had our hearts set on a Republican ‘coronation’. We prayed earnestly, fervently and passionately that God would answer ‘our interests’. Numerous prophetic words circulated that God was about to turn the tide of popular opinion and give us what ‘we’ wanted – King McCain and Queen Palin.

I’m absolutely convinced that God has His best interests at heart, and that no amount of pleading on the part of the Church is going to change HIS mind. Seldom if ever does the Church thrive during times of prosperity. God warned Israel over and over again that after giving them the Promised Land that they would soon forget him. America has forgotten their God while enjoying a land that ‘flows with milk and honey’.

Yes, things are about to change. I believe we are heading into some rough weather. A major depression looms on the horizon, not to mention a growing movement of hatred against the Church. We have seen only the beginning as an estimated one million gay activists took to the streets recently in protest of their rights to gay marriage. We are going to experience increased pressure from society to accept more and more of their liberal values as the norm. Rejecting them will only further their hatred of the Church. Another time bomb is the growing threat of the militant Muslim agenda already at work throughout our nation.

Jesus warned us about these things by stating “You will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake”. We refused to believe him, believing instead that as Americans we have a Constitution and a Bill of Rights that will come to our defense. Times are changing. America is changing. The Church needs to prepare for persecution, suffering, opposition and rejection.

By now some of you are about to rebuke me for my negative talk. Let’s face it. Whose interests are we really concerned about? God’s or our own? I believe the Church’s best days are still to come. There is nothing like opposition, rejection and persecution to fertilize the growth of the Church. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a sadist who delights in torturing myself, nor do I sleep on a bed of nails or wear a horse hair shirt. I am , though, sufficiently familiar with God’s Word and His ways to know that He will do whatever is necessary to bring forth his purposes. Even if that means putting his interests before our own.

It’s time for some of you to read again the Prophet Habakkuk. This prophetic intercessor cried out repeatedly for God to intervene and do something. Israel was filled with violence, destruction and every type of evil. Everywhere he turned, he saw justice perverted and the Law ignored. Feeling that God was ignorant of what was going on he reminds God repeatedly of what he is seeing. He even seems to blame God for not listening or caring. God eventually responds that He is at work and is raising up the Chaldeans. Habakkuk can barely believe what he is hearing. Let me interpret this for you if I may. Intercessors all over America have been crying out for God to do something, believing that God would turn the nation toward McCain. Instead, God says, “ I am doing something. I’m raising up Obama.”

The last three verses of Habakkuk are so timely for the American Church.

“Though the Republican Party does not win, and there is no hope of a future conservative Supreme Court. Though the Senate and Congress are controlled by the Democrats and taxes will go through the roof. Though we may well be entering another Great Depression with huge unemployment, and the rationing of food due to famine…..

YET will I rejoice in the Lord
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength
And He makes my feet like hind’s feet,
And He makes me walk in high places.”

I have never watched people live in defeat from misunderstanding a passage as much as this one misinterpreted passage of Scripture. Of course I’m talking about how people try telling themselves that God gave them a thorn just like Paul’s, which I politely hope to show is terrible misinterpretation of Scripture.

It is not disputed that Paul may have had an eye problem in his older age. Numerous scholars and theologians teach this, and research can be found easily on the internet I would imagine. However, it would be bad exegesis to use the passage where Paul talks of a thorn in his flesh to arrive at that conclusion. This passage teaches nothing of the sort, and I hope to unravel a few common traditional thoughts that are tied to it.

This will be the first of three posts, because I favor writing in a series as opposed to really long blog posts.  In general, our study will follow like such : 1) what the thorn was, 2) what God’s reaction was when Paul sought to have it removed,  and 3) and why this subject even matters at all.  I basically will break it down and ask questions, sometimes rhetorical, based on observations on the text.  In a way, I’ve been leading up to this study with my entries on faith as of late.  It seemed natural and obvious to flow into the subject of healing after laying down some of those foundations first.

The text I’m referring to is 2 Corinthians 12:7-10:
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me,  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (English Standard Version)

Word study:

First word:
“Thorn” Strong’s number 4647 “skolops”, meaning “withered at the front, that is, a point or prickle (figuratively a bodily annoyance or disability): – thorn.” (emphasis mine)

Something figurative cannot necessarily be treated as literal in the Word of God. For example, texts in the Psalms refer to God being a strong tower (Psa 61:3), also to take shelter in the shadow of His wings (Psa 91:1), and Jesus said “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35) which would not literally mean God is a concrete loaf of bread that has wings! But this use of the word skolops means it can be referred to as a bodily annoyance.

Other instances of it being used in Scripture can give an idea of what is likely to be meant.

Joshua 23:12-13: “But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the LORD your God has given you.”

In this context, the ‘thorn’ has a negative connotation, and is a source of pain and annoyance as a result of failing to drive out the nations in the land Israel is possessing. Thorns are a result of disobedience. God here allowed them, but was not the author or originator of the whips on their back or thorns in their eyes–it was their disobedience and this would be a reminder to them perpetually in generations to come.

Ezekiel 28:24: ” No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns. Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD .”

Again notice that the Lord promises at one point to remove this thorn. And in both texts used so far, thorns are referred to as people–both in the sense that they are ‘enemies’ of God’s people. For other examples, please look at Isaiah 55:13, Hosea 10:8, Micah 7:4.

Our next word to look at will demonstrate why I personally don’t accept that God was the one who gave Paul the thorn. I’ve had someone tell me recently “if God or Paul wanted us to know what the thorn was, we would have been told so.” Well, if we read the text we can find out it was a ‘messenger of Satan’.

Second Word:
“Messenger [of Satan]“ Strong’s number 32 aggelos: “a messenger; especially an “angel”; by implication a pastor: – angel, messenger.”

First observation: the messenger is clearly stated as being from SATAN. That’s reason enough to conclude that God didn’t put this thorn in Paul’s side!
Second observation about the messenger: it’s a person or angel, and clearly NOT a disease.

This Greek word aggelos appears 188 times in the Bible and is translated “angel” 181 times, and “messenger” the other 7 times.  In all 188 instances, it is a person and not a noun or a thing, without any exception.

Examples of this word being used in Scripture–and translated differently you will notice–will demonstrate what Paul is saying and referring to. The times that the word aggelos is translated as messenger, are verses such as Matt 10:11, Mark 1:2, Luke 7:27 which invariably say “Behold, I send my messenger (aggelos) before your face, who will prepare your way before you.”
But notice how it’s translated in Matthew 25:31: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels (aggelos) with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.”

Consider that the thorn was not a physical disease, but a personal figure. The same with a Messenger of Satan. It’s now twice as easy to understand what Paul was dealing with since we are told two things, not just one. The second qualifies the first.
We learn from this word study and the literal definition is either an angel or it’s implied in the Greek that it could mean a pastor. From reading the context we see Paul is in no way talking about a physical problem, but after reading chapter 11, we’re more inclined to see how he could likely be referring to persecution.

Alternative Explanation

“For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “superapostles”…And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. “ 2 Cor 11:4-5, 12-15

For almost all of the rest of chapter 11 Paul lists all sorts of things he’s been through as an apostle, such as shipwrecks, imprisonments, etc… Of all the things Paul mentions, not one of them is a sickness or perpetual infirmity (ie, like the eye problem many teach he may have had), but the physical things he mentions in this list are things like beatings, floggings, and fastings.

So with that flow of thought in mind, and after pouring his heart of love out in writing to the Corinthians about his concern, would Paul really suddenly refer to a disease or sickness in an abstract way that has nothing to do with what he’s been talking about? I highly doubt it. Paul’s thorn is popularly taught to be an eye problem, ophthalmia–I don’t dispute whether he had such a problem because there’s credible evidence elsewhere in Scripture that he might have, but I believe this text isn’t one that supports it. I submit to you for consideration, based on the evidence I’ve provided so far, that the thorn was in fact more likely to be a person–maybe a false apostle, or an angelic figure (demon) and judging from reading statements he peppers 1 and 2 Corinthians with–that this person or these people were false messengers of the Gospel who likely were hindering Paul’s Gospel work and scattering his flock.

Also, does God give revelation to us and then change His mind and beat us half to death because He gave us too much? If the revelation of the things of God were what caused him to get the thorn, to keep him from becoming too conceited, why would God have given him or allowed Paul to obtains such ‘greatness of revelation in the first place? Why would God then turn around and then say “oops, I accidentally gave you too much knowledge and revelation–have this thorn in your side“? There are lots of things God can use to keep people from being too highly exalted, but the following texts show it was not God who orchestrated this in Paul’s life or in his physical body.

In my next entry, I will discuss why God’s response to Paul in v.9-10 is not an indication that God wanted Paul to have the thorn, and what we can do in our own situations like Paul’s to be over comers in the midst of our own ‘thorns’.

If this post has been beneficial to you, you may enjoy our podcast show where we discuss Paul’s thorn in the flesh and kill some sacred cows in the process:

Paul’s Thorn in The Flesh
Download mp3 (right click and save)

“When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.” -Mk. 15.42-43

While on a sabbatical in December of 2005, I stumbled onto the story of Joseph of Arimathea in the Gospel of Luke. Though I had read the story on many occasions over the years, the Lord highlighted it in a fresh way to my heart. In the margin of Luke 23 I wrote, “There is an apostolic sight in Joseph here, and it should be noted how he honored and esteemed the body of Christ.”

While the text is clearly a historical account, and while it was not meant by any of the Gospel authors to be mystified (Joseph’s story is in all four Gospels), the Lord has quickened several things to my heart that go beyond what a natural reading of the text would give us. I believe we need to see a recovery of the kind of perception that was Joseph’s during the historic event of the crucifixion. We’re going to look at it primarily in Mark’s version, though we’ll glean from the other Gospels when necessary. Let’s get into the text to peer into what I believe the Lord is getting at.

“When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea came…”

The crucifixion took place, as you probably know, on the “preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath…”; namely, what we know as Friday. This must have caused a certain measure of haste in getting the body of Jesus down and moving it to the burial site before the sun went down, for the Sabbath was about to commence. Hear Craig Keener on this:

If Jesus died at 3 p.m. and Joseph stopped to seek Pilate’s permission, perhaps only an hour remained before sundown and the prohibition of work. Although anointing and washing the corpse was permissible even on the Sabbath (m. Shab. 23:5), some other elements of the burial could be conducted only in the most preliminary manner for the moment, though undoubtedly hastened considerably through the agency of Joseph’s servants. One could not move the corpse or its members on the Sabbath. (Keener, A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew; Eerdmans, 1999, p. 691)

So this is a crucial note, “When evening had already come…”

There was a measure of urgency in that which Joseph was setting his hand to. He was a faithful member of the Sanhedrin, and did not want to do damage to the Sabbath, so there was little time to work with. Yet there was something driving him inwardly, a holy value, an otherworldly esteem for the One hanging on the cross.

While Rome thought it was fitting for those crucified to hang on the cross for days to be picked apart by scavenging birds and racked by the elements, this was not the desire of the religious authorities in Israel. They sought to bury their criminals by sundown if at all possible. Even murderers and thieves deserved a timely burial in the minds of first century Jews.

The Scriptures make clear, however, that Joseph was not only being driven by customs, or even good human ethics. He was seeing something that the majority of his colleagues were missing, and even most of Jesus’ disciples had withered under the heat of trial that Jesus’ arrest and death presented.

But “…evening had already come, because it was the preparation day…”

I wonder if we realize that evening has already come, and that we are in the midst of the most requiring preparation day that the Church has ever known. In the natural sense Joseph scurried around due to the setting of the sun, and we need to see the recovery of an eschatological consciousness to help us see that evening is already upon us- the end of the age is near. We are in preparation for the greatest times of awakening, glory, tribulation and trial that the world has ever known. Are our lives reflecting this? Are we willing to give ourselves lock, stock, and barrel to the kind of preparation that will fit us for the days ahead?

How aware are we that the evening has already come, and that this is the preparation day?

The apostle Paul said, “…brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on…those who use the world” should live as though not to “make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.” (1 Cor. 7.29b, 31)

Friends, the evening has already come, and the “form of this world is passing away.” The people of God ought to be marked with a sense of urgency, surrendering their lives to the most ultimate kind of preparation in prayer and fasting, witness, study, and service to family and community. Our dealings and interactions with spouses, children and other saints need again to be counted as “holy unto the Lord.” Are we aware that the evening has already come, or are we treating our days as if they are dispensable, without value, hum-drum and mediocre. If we are going from event to event, restaurant to restaurant, movie to movie, conference to conference, and these things have become the high points of our lives, we have been robbed of the kind of Kingdom awareness that God desires us to live in.

Our every day ought to be marked with eternity, with the Spirit of prayer, with an awareness that the evening has already come, and that this is the preparation day. One prophetic man who became a “grandfather” in the faith to me used to tell me that our days should be “charged with remarkable meaning since there really is a Kingdom at hand.”

Joseph had a natural urgency because of the setting sun. He wanted to give Jesus an honorable burial, and he did not want to miss or transgress against the Sabbath.

Saints, the “sun” of this age is setting. History’s final pages are being turned. It is the preparation day like never before. Are you preparing for His coming? Is your heart free from the spirit of this age, it’s allurements, it’s greed, it’s lusts, it’s jockeying for power and position? We need an apostolic kind of seeing in this, for worldly influences are still prevalent in the House of God. The same addictions, bondages and hollow pursuits that the world is caught up with can still be found in the lives of God’s people. The same tactics and earthbound methods that the world utilizes still empower much of what we see in modern ministry. We need to come into the kind of weakness that Paul valued. We need holy perception. We need to value what the Lord Himself values and esteems.

It is not the time to get cozy with the world. It’s time for a baptism of clear seeing to help us find the exit signs in the busy, fast moving train that our culture constitutes. We need to find the exits, and flee to some still and quiet place where we can focus on the counsel of the Lord. We need to hear His heart, what He is after in our lives, and give ourselves without reservation to that holy preparation. History’s evening is already upon us, and the midnight hour approaches. How are you preparing for the Day of the Lord?

“…the day before the Sabbath…”

Again, Joseph did not want to miss out on the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a picture of the reign of God in the lives of His people. Jesus demonstrated the reality of the Sabbath by living under the canopy of the Father’s authority and government. He was working feverishly among the sick and diseased, but he was at rest from human striving and self-conscious ministry. He was suffused with the power of God, driven by the love of God, and having His being in the wisdom of God. What can be said of our ministries? Are they mechanical and methodologically driven, or are they being carried out in the wisdom and power of Christ? There is only one kind of ministry in the mind of the Lord, and its that which He accomplishes through us, and if its His work it will redound to His credit. Who is accomplishing your ministry and who is it unto?

What God was after in the Sabbath was really a preliminary example, or an introduction to the greater Sabbath which came in Christ, and the ultimate Sabbath which will be manifested at the end of the age. When the Lord assumes Kingship over the nations at His return, the entire cosmos will experience a Sabbath that is indestructible, permanent, and beyond anything we’ve ever imagined. The scholars talk about the “indestructibility and inviolability of the covenant,” and we will see its full unveiling during this time, when the Glory of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. The government of Jesus Himself will be spreading with force and rapidity, and the nations will know war no longer. Sabbath will be the mark of our existence, righteousness will flow like a mighty river, and justice like an ever-flowing stream (Am. 5). O, how I long for His return! It’s almost the Sabbath, friends. God will come and make His abode with us. Is that what you’re wanting, or are you clinging to something lesser?

Joseph did not want to miss the Sabbath because he valued it, and I wonder if we value the reality of Sabbath. The fact that we are willing to busy ourselves with programmatic ministry, but not to wait on the Lord for His power and life is a statement that we are not really anticipating the great and permanent Sabbath which is to come. Jesus was no doubt busy in ministry, but He was only doing that which He saw the Father doing. “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” (Jn. 5.17)

Have we rested from our works and been inducted into a resurrection-empowered ministry through communion with the Father? Or are we only operating through our own ideas and creations? There is a Sabbath reality that we are called to walk in, and it is a heavenly peace and rest, out of which will flow the kinds of works that we see the Father doing.

This kind of sabbath reality in our lives will prepare the way for the greater Sabbath to come, when “…the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Rev. 21.3-4)

Are you living in the glory of this sabbath now? Are you anticipating the greater Sabbath to come? Friends, it is “the day before the Sabbath,” and the Lord is calling us away from the buzz and hype of this religious age, to the place of prayer and priestly stillness, where we are able to hear His voice. The man who is formed in the wilderness of waiting with prayer and fasting will emerge as a voice to his generation, and will thereby do the works of God Himself.

“Joseph of Arimathea came…”

There is something to be said for the nature of surrender and response in the lives of Biblical men and women. We are so accustomed to hollow responses to truth that we hardly know what it means to come to the Lord in reality. When the Lord called to Moses from the midst of the bush, he said, “Here I am.” (Ex. 3.4) From the initial call, the Lord had Moses in totality. From the first call, Moses responded as a man, “warts” and all. He came to the Lord, even with insecurity, as he found it difficult to believe that the Lord would set him apart as a deliverer. But the Lord had the man called Moses in the first statement, “Here I am.”

We are more apt to give heroic responses and make emotional commitments, but to decay and diminish in the first season of trial. We will commence heroic fasts, or blast off with some impressive outreach, but we are not accustomed to coming to the Lord in totality, where He has us in the valleys as much as He does on the mountains. But the Biblical men knew what it was to come, and even in weakness, their coming was something more than a hollow response. We’ve got to come into the same kind of consecration and response, lest we find ourselves playing games with the truth when war is breaking out all around us.

I love it when Abraham says, “Here I am.”

When Isaiah says, “Here am I, send me…”

When Elijah says, “The Lord, before Whom I stand…”

When Paul asks, “What would You have me to do?”

When Jesus says, “Not My will, but Yours…”

There you see, that though they are vessels with weaknesses, they respond to the Lord as men, not as religious performers. They are not merely agreeing mentally with the word of the Father. They are laying their lives before Him as men. We need to see the recovery of this kind of totality in surrender. We need our ‘Yes’ to be ‘Yes’ and our ‘No’ to be ‘No’. Joseph’s response was the same:

“Joseph of Arimathea came…”

Why was his coming significant? Why was it something more than the common experience of coming and going? Because his coming was not by choice of pleasure, nor was it self-driven. He was coming as a man who was willing to give honor to One who had been dishonored on a national scale. He was going against the tide of his generation to show value to Someone who had the highest esteem in the invisible courts of Heaven, but was despised in the courts of men. I wonder how brash and biting the wind was against the face of Joseph. What did it require of his soul to follow what he knew to be true of Jesus? He was a prominent member of the Council, but his associates were not tracking with him at all. In fact, they were in an opposing stream, and he was required to swim against the tide.

“Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council…”

I don’t believe that this is an unimportant detail. There is a principle being laid out here. It is very possible that Mark is getting this information from the apostle Peter, as many consider him to be Mark’s primary resource. Perhaps this point was inserted by Peter and Mark to show us the manner of man that Joseph was.

He is called a “secret disciple” in John’s account, and he remained a secret disciple out of fear of his colleagues and kinsmen who did not receive Jesus in the way that he did. So there is a remarkable tension mounting here. You have Joseph, a prominent member of the Council of the Sanhedrin, moving along with his associates during the event of the crucifixion. His heart is breaking as he watches his own colleagues make mockeries of the Messiah, pulling out sections of His beard, spitting upon Him, and hurling abuses at Him with the very Scriptures that were meant to magnify Him. I try to imagine the scene, but I don’t think we have a pinch of understanding regarding how this really felt to that little remnant of disciples: Joseph, Nicodemus, John and the women.

Joseph is walking alongside persecutors, seeing a live example of the deception that comes upon men when they function in a religious system that lacks the reality of God. He sees that men have put the Son of God in chains and depreciated His Manhood. They have been blinded to His deity, and defaced His humanity. The Son of God is being utterly despised in ways beyond description, and here you have a “prominent member of the Council” whose soul is cracking and breaking on the inside. I can almost see him at the back of his circle of colleagues, vision blurred by tears as he looks upon the Man on the cross, while heckling men shout blasphemies that echo down the hill. Joseph is weeping and trembling inwardly, for another wisdom is moving on the inside of his heart. He is losing sight of his prominence, and a love for the Crucified One is rising in His soul.

I don’t think Mark is mentioning this to hype up the Christian testimony. In other words, he is not using the “fame” or prominence of Joseph to validate the Christian witness. I believe he is trying to tell us that Joseph was being compelled to break out of the “course of this age,“ and to do something that could bring reproach and shame upon him, perhaps even threatening his career and future provision.

Therefore, when “Joseph of Arimathea came,“ his coming was not an insignificant detail in the story. He was surrendering to the truth that was flowing like waves through his inner-man. He treasured this Man too much to let Him go without an honorable burial. He did not have the book of Romans to undergird his Christology, but he knew this Man was worthy of honor. He knew that he was seeing something that the others were not seeing. He believed Him, though the disciples had fled and his colleagues had bitterly opposed Him. He had a sight that enabled him to value and esteem that which was being despised by men all around him.

What about you, friend? Are you feeling the resistance of this world’s view of Jesus and the Gospel? Are you willing to go against the tide of this age and to value and treasure the Man on the cross? Do you see the glory of the cross, or is your soul finding treasure in some other place?

Joseph gave away one of his own reserved family tombs to make a place for the body of a Man who had been marked a heretic and a deceiver. It was a lavished place for burial, and one wouldn’t give away a tomb of that quality unless there was a unique appreciation for the one being buried. Joseph was unconsciously fulfilling prophecy, and demonstrating a wisdom that this world cannot fathom or make sense of. When we are seeing by the Spirit, we too will unconsciously fulfill prophecy, and the world will not know what to make of it.

“…who himself was waiting for the Kingdom of God…”

Here we get another glimpse into the kind of man that Joseph was. Though surrounded on every side by religious power and pomp, he had a spiritual longing that grafted him into a continuum with the prophets of old. He is described as was Simeon in Luke’s Gospel: one who was “waiting for the Kingdom of God.” Isn’t it remarkable? Simeon had the discernment to recognize the presence of Israel’s King in a little Jewish infant. Amid the cries of other children being circumcised that day, he saw the “light that lightens the Gentiles and the glory of the people Israel” in the weakness of a common Carpenter’s newborn Son.

Joseph too recognized the glory of Israel, but in a mangled, bloody and bruised, terribly marred Man who was being crucified between criminals. Simeon valued Him in his babyhood, and Joseph valued Him at the place of His death. The incarnation and the crucifixion are the greatest displays of the nature and character of God, and it is utterly impossible to recognize their glory unless you are “waiting for the Kingdom of God,“ and have learned to value what He values.

Are we that sensitive to the presence of the Lord? These men recognized and esteemed Him when men walking in natural wisdom did not even acknowledge His presence. They rejoiced in Him, cherished Him, and exalted Him when there was no logical reason to declare Him as King. Are we missing His presence in the everyday affairs of life? Are we like Simeon, led by the Spirit to acknowledge Him in the midst of the temple traffic, or are we like the men who circumcised Him, caught up in another religious service- one among many that are all too common, mundane, and devoid of awe and wonder?

Have we placed any measure of trust in our own righteousness, in our ability to produce successful Christian programs, or in the power of democracy or other man-centered political paradigms? Simeon and Joseph were waiting for the Kingdom of God on both ends of Jesus’ earthly life, and they were granted a vision into His heart that few were able to see. They valued what He valued, were required to go against the tide of their generations, and were privileged with honor from the Lord. Their names will always be known in annals of Heaven’s history. Where would we like our names to be known?

Are we “waiting for the Kingdom of God,“ or are we hoping for ministerial success so that our bank accounts and reputations will be bolstered up? Are we God-centered servants, or are we being fueled by human influence and prestige? If we are being moved by the praises of men, we may well find ourselves in the same shoes as Joseph’s colleagues, thinking we are doing God’s works, accurate and prominent in leadership attributes, but having a hand in crucifying that which He loves and esteems.

If we are waiting for the Kingdom of God, we will value what He values, even if it is presently mangled and without human attractiveness.

“…and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.”

I don’t know what was required for Joseph to come to this kind of intentionality and resolve. He was bent on burying Jesus honorably, and while it is unlikely that he had a place of influence before Pilate’s throne, he gathered up courage and went before him.

Now Pilate is far from a type of the Lord, but there is something we can draw out of this, and it will require a courage that we have yet to come into corporately.

In the same way that Joseph valued the body of Christ, though it was mangled and disfigured, we have a holy calling to value and esteem Israel and the Church no matter how immature, incomplete, and unattractive they are. It’s not a humanistic, seeker-sensitive value. It’s an intimate enjoinment of our lives and prayers with the life and prayer of Jesus Himself. He is jealous over His people, and while He has severe correctives for the Church in our generation, He is still at the right hand of the Father, ever living to “make intercession” on our behalf.

This is a challenge to all who are “waiting for the Kingdom of God,“ and are jealous for truth, holiness, and the fullness of Christ. When we look upon the Body of Christ, we usually see disfigurement and something less than what we would expect from a royal priesthood. In fact, many of the descriptions that the Scriptures give of God’s people (e.g., “body,” “army,” “family,” “holy ones,” “community,” etc.) do not seem to match what we commonly see in the Church, no matter what segment or movement you look at.

Within our own fellowships, if you have relationship with the saints you will find so many idiosyncrasies, tensions and childish thought patterns that you could grow discouraged at the condition of the Church real fast. There are divisions throughout, compromises, bad doctrines, and faulty teachings much akin to the condition of the Church at Corinth in the 1st century. Yet Paul’s manner of relating to them was not professional, condescending or stand-offish. It was fatherly. He knew that he was looking upon a mangled and disfigured Body that was in need of further death and burial before a resurrection glory would result. For that reason he called them “saints,“ “sons,“ and “holy ones,“ and confronted the erroneous teachings and morals out of an apostolic humility. It was not a humanistic, manipulative attempt at external humility. It was the very experience of the cross. “Death works in me, so life in you.” He was seeing “after the Spirit,“ and like Joseph of Arimathea he had the grace to value the Body of Christ though the natural man would see little or nothing that was worthy of esteem.

We have to realize that the Body is radically connected with the Head, even if that reality is not being manifest in full as of yet. It has been pointed out by numerous teachers that when Saul of Tarsus encountered his Messiah on the road to Damascus Jesus revealed the intensity of His connection to the Body when He asked, “Why do you persecute Me?” Rather than asking, “Why do you persecute my followers?”, He revealed His intimate identification and union with them, and Saul trembled unto salvation.

There ought to be a certain trepidation about our dealings with brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. If you find it easy to heckle and defame fallen leaders, teachers with imbalanced messages, or saints from another stream or denomination than your own, you may well be operating in the same spirit that rested on Joseph of Arimathea’s colleagues. In your attempts at being “correct,” you may well be speaking out against the Body of Christ, and thus Jesus Himself. If you do not have a value and esteem for those believers for whom you carry ‘concerns,’ you are likely ill-fitted to address or bring correction to them.

When Jesus set out to correct the waywardness and error of mankind, He sealed the deal by spilling all of His blood on our behalf. He did not open His mouth in defense or correction, even when he was being portrayed in an inaccurate way. He set the human race aright through death. Can you say that you are looking upon the Body with that kind of mercy and sacrifice? Until you are aligned with His own love, you are incapable of bringing the kind of correction that the Lord appoints. He is still at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us amidst our immaturity and blemishes, and He is requiring the same kind of mercy and intercession from us. Where corrections are needed they will come in His time and through the vessels that He chooses, but our first responsibility is to come into alignment with His heart in the place of prayer. Have you got that kind of selfless value for the Body, though it is currently a bloody mess, emaciated and unattractive?

Though Pilate is no type of the Lord, it will require the same type of courage for us to lay aside our arrogance, personal kingdom building, religious correctness and self-will to go before the King of heaven and “ask for the Body of Jesus.” If we are not “waiting for the Kingdom of God” we may be satisfied with asking for the success of our own ministries. We may be satisfied with feeling like our doctrine is superior to “those other guys in that other movement.” But if we have Joseph’s perception, we will go against the tide of religious prestige and the arrogance of heady knowledge to gather up courage, prostrate our lives before the King, and ask for the Body of Jesus, which is “the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.”

I don’t know about you, friends, but I’m not interested in starting my own movement or denomination. I want to see the fullness of Christ expressed through a people comprised of saints from every tribe and tongue. I have my own spiritual disfigurements, my own fellowship has immaturity and imperfect doctrines, and so does the rest of the Church. “We see in part.”

But if we are “waiting for the Kingdom of God,“ if we want His glorification only, we can look with forbearance upon our fellowships, and upon other Christian movements and denominations. We can gather up courage to intercede for the Body of Christ, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4.13)

I’m asking for the Body of Christ, and I want to treasure it, even in it’s dying, so that a resurrection can result. There is no resurrection without death, and if we have hopes of reviving something that has never before experienced true life we negate the necessary process of God. There must first come a death to our self-seeking and self-reliance if we want to see Christ magnified in His Body. But we ought not think that we have that life by the accuracy of our paradigms or ecclesiological conclusions. There is only one gateway to the resurrection life of Christ, and it is through death. Death to our arrogance, death to our achievements, death to our uppity correctness.

In the valley of the dry bones of Israel, Ezekiel was asked, “Son of Man, can these bones live?” We would be quick to give the Lord a verse about the resurrection, or to say, “Yes, Lord. Remember Lazarus? If You can do it for him, surely You can do it for them!” Ezekiel was on a whole different plane. He was not responding out of a pre-packaged correctness. He was utterly dependent upon the resurrection life of God, so he replied, “Lord, You know.”

It was that radical hope in the God of resurrection that caused the Lord to put the ball back into his court, “Prophesy to these bones…” When Ezekiel refused to play the know-it-all, the Lord said, “Ah. He knows something about dependency. He knows something about his own limitations. He knows something about my wisdom and power. He is fit to bear the authority to prophesy to the dead bones of his nation- to command life to come back into them.”

We think we’ve got the New Testament model of Church all hemmed in. We think our groups are superior to the others, our books are the most anointed, our services are the most impressive. We think we know what it means to be apostolic and authentic. The Lord is looking down upon our presumption and saying, “They won’t be fit to prophesy until they are broken and completely cast upon the Rock.” We’ve got to be able to say with Ezekiel, “Lord, You know.”

Can you pray for that death to have its full work in the Church without looking upon her with condescension? This is the mystery of apostolic sight. Paul could call the saints at Corinth “holy ones” (1 Cor. 1), though they were far from complete or mature. He gave himself to intercessions on their behalf, that Christ might be formed in them.

It’s easier to criticize and write negative articles than it is to come into this kind of identification with a Body that is mangled, disfigured, and unattractive to our religious hopes. But the Son of God displays another wisdom, and we see glimpses of it in Joseph of Arimathea.

It’s going to require courage, friends. We’ve never prayed quite like this before. We’ve never ascended Golgotha to this altitude before. But the joy is set before us. For after this process played itself out, “he granted the body to Joseph.” (v. 45b)

If we identify with the Son of God in His intercessions for the Church, we will see the formation and emergence of His Body, and it will be a witness unto Israel and the nations. It will bear His own nature and character. It will be immersed in the Scriptures, walking in holy power, Divine love, and true Godly meekness. It will be marked by the fear of the Lord and the beauty of His holiness. Men will take notice and be transformed, some will fear and oppose it, but the reality of God will again be known in the earth. The powers of darkness will again be made to tremble, as they did when God’s wisdom was openly displayed on the cross.

Since Joseph valued the body of Christ, even in death and disfigurement, a context was provided for the resurrection glory to spring forth from. Death is not the end, friends. Death is a gate to eternal glory. Just as Jesus was raised by the Father, so shall the Church be raised up, fit to overcome in the midst of the most trying times mankind has ever known. We will be fit to bear witness to the love of Christ, even to the point of death.

Friends, God is coming to the earth. We need to cry out for a heavenly perception.

Are you aware that “evening has already come?“

Are you giving yourself to Him in this “day of preparation?“

Are you willing to forsake whatever “prominence” you have if it hinders or impedes God’s desires and purposes?

Are you “waiting for the Kingdom of God?“

Are you “asking for the Body of Jesus?“

O, for Joseph’s perception! O, that God may have a people who walk in the fear of the Lord, demonstrating the mercy and wisdom of God until Christ “shall be all in all.”

Father, we ask for the recovery of Joseph of Arimathea’s perception, for the willingness to go against the tide of this age and all it represents, to value that which You value. We recognize our weakness. We are waiting for the Kingdom of God, for there is no other answer to the predicament of the nations. Would you breathe upon the Church, in all of our immaturity and incompleteness, and give us a Kingdom view? Would you take away our blindness, and give us Your perception? We are not willing to pursue mere success in ministry, and we are weary of being absorbed with our personal callings and destinies. We are asking for the Body of Jesus. We are asking for the formation and emergence of a people who exemplify Your own heart, and bear a resurrection witness to Israel and the nations. Give us the right perception, give us courage, and let Your name be glorified from this time forth, and forever. Amen.

What is a backslider?  How do know that you are not a backslider?  The Bible warns us that “the backslider in heart shall be filled with His own ways“.  Allow me to ask your conscience a few pointed questions to allow you to “examine yourself, whether you be in the faith“, and if you see that you are, in fact, backslidden in heart, you would certainly want to know wouldn’t you?  If you have no concern about this then you are not a backslider, but a hypocrite. If, after examining yourself in the light of these questions, you see that you have backslidden, you must immediately return to your “first-love” and do your “first-works” or else…
Consider:
If you have lost your spiritual appetite, and have developed an appetite for the things of this life, you are beginning to backslide, and must repent and return to Christ.
If you have lost your zeal for the lost, and are less involved in soul-winning than you once were, you are sadly backslidden.
If your friends and family have commented that you are beginning to return to your old ways, you are definitely backslidden in heart. If you can remember a time when you were more intimate with the Lord, and more on fire for souls and more fervent in prayer than you are right now, then you are definitely backslidden and must repent. If you were ever truly converted to Christ and born of God, you know what it is to love Him more than anything, and to be willing to lay down your life and take up your cross to follow Him. So if you have layed these things aside, you can be sure that you are a backslider in heart.

If you prefer watching a movie or just “hanging out” with your friends instead of attending a prayer meeting, you can be sure that you are a backslider. While a Christian’s heart is ablaze with the love of God, the prayer meeting will be the most important and interesting event of the week. But when the heart is backslidden, prayer is a burden, and a backslider will use any excuse to avoid meetings that bring him into such close communion with God. Therefore, if you find yourself neglecting early morning prayer-meetings without good reason (by the way, self-denial is a condition of discipleship according to our Lord Jesus Christ), or any scheduled prayer-meeting, this is strong evidence that you are backslidden in heart.
If you find yourself reading God’s word more as a duty, than as pleasure, know for certain that you are backslidden in heart. While the love of God remains in your heart, no book is as precious to you as the word of God. To read it and meditate on the scriptures is as satisfying to you as a good meal is to a hungry man. But, when you have left your first-love, you begin to fill your heart and mind with other things, and even the thought of reading God’s word is somewhat repulsive to you.
When we indulge in junk food we have no appetite for the healthy nutrients that make our bodies strong and able to fight off disease. In the same way, when we indulge in worldly amusements and entertainment, we have no appetite for godliness. Therefore, if you notice that you are making time for worldly entertainment or amusements, but find that you have little or no time to pray or read and sudy the word of God, it is because you really don’t have a heart for godly things. Therefore, you see prayer and Bible study as a duty instead of an awesome privilege. You have abandoned your first-love, have come again under the control of a self-pleasing spirit and must repent deeply or nothing will change. It will only get worse.

The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways.
You know you are a backslider if you are always feeling condemned. You attend meetings at Church, and you know you’d rather be somewhere else, so you feel condemned. You stay away from meeting and you feel condemned also. You try to read your Bible and your heart is not into it, so you feel condemned. You neglect your Bible and you feel condemned also. You try to spend time in prayer, and your heart and mind wander and do not get into it, so you feel condemned. You neglect to pray and feel condemned also.

Why?
Because you are a backslider! You have left your first love. You have become a “lover of pleasure more than a lover of God”.
If you are a backslider, you will notice that you no longer have a tender conscience about little things. Now your conscience has become “seared as with a hot iron”. The small things that once bothered you don’t seem so bad now. When a person backsides, they will make allowances for things that Jesus Christ would NEVER allow. A backslider in heart will go to a video store, and they are pulled to the PG-13 and R rated movies. They don’t want to watch something clean. Clean movies are boring to the backslider. If you are a backslider, you will notice that you are becoming more and more “worldly-minded” and less and less “spiritually-minded”. Many times, backsliders will get with other professing Christians who are cold also, and all of them will waste hours of precious time filling their mind with vain amusments and worldly entertainment. When confronted, they will reply, it’s not “that bad”.
WHAT!
Remember,”you are bought with a price, and you are not your own”.
When the heart is right, worldly amusements and entertainment are repulsive. When the heart is full of the love of Christ, it finds it’s greatest enjoyment in prayer, winning souls, searching the scriptures and worshiping the Lord. But when the heart is backslidden, these things are boring and repulsive, and you will instead fill up all your free time with worldly things.

Would a true follower of Jesus waste hours watching sports on television, perhaps even wasting God’s money, that they should be using to build up His Kingdom to purchase more and larger entertainment centers. Have you forgotten that you have surrendered your life to the Lord Jesus Christ? All your time, all your talents, your possessions, your money, your influence, are no longer your own, to do with as you please. Remember, “Whoever does not forsake all that He has cannot be my disciple”.

How is it with YOU?

Was there a time when you were more zealous, more useful, prayerful, tenderhearted and loving than you are today? Are you drawing closer or sliding backward?
Are you now trusting in your good works to save you or are you trusting in the blood of Christ?
Are you seeking worldly pleasures or do you find your greatest pleasure in serving Jesus Christ.
We naturally enjoy spending time with the one we love most, and we naturally find our greatest pleasure in doing the things that please them. We are jealous of anything that would get in the way of that, or that might grieve the one we love. So, if you find yourself gaining interest in things that grieve the Spirit of God or that occupy the time you once spent in His presence and service, then you are a backslider in heart. You are filled with your own ways.
Listen to your conscience. It will do no good to pretend you are not backslidden when you know you are not as on fire for God as you once were. Unless you return to God now you will not get better, you will only grow worse. Why continue to grieve the Spirit of the Lord and harden your heart?
Allow the Holy Spirit to bring godly sorrow upon you that works repentance to salvation, not to be repented of. Humble yourself NOW, return to your first love and be renewed and revived. Then do your first works over again.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Check out this video by Joel Crumpton called Have You Backslidden?

A Study of 1 Corinthians 13:10

For we know in part and we prophecy in part; but when the perfect­ comes, the partial will be done away with.

This is an awesome and powerful statement. Therefore, in order for the meaning to be derived we will take an exegetical approach as we examine the context, the meaning of the times, and the application as applied to us today.

 

Schools of Thought

This is a much debated passage that primarily falls into two schools of the thought: The first being the cessationist. The cessationist believe that the gifts of the Spirit ceased in the church after the death of the last biblical apostle or after the completion of the canon of scripture. The second view is primary adopted by Pentecostals and Charismatics. They believe that the gifts of the Spirit are still in operation in the church today.

 

The passage we are studying is one of the primary sections of scripture that cessationist use to validate their view of the doctrine. They believe that the passage makes declaration of the gifts not being needed, therefore ceasing, when the perfect comes; the perfect being the completion of the scriptural canon, i.e. the finished Bible. Now that the bible is complete, we do not need the gifts of the Spirit, the have passed. To them, the early church was immature and childish (cr ref. Eph 4:11-13, vv 11), the gifts of the ministries and the Spirit were given to mature the church. Now that the church is full grown, with a bible, the things which caused the growth are no longer relevant.

 

The Pentecostal/Charismatic view of the passage is that the perfect speaks of the fulfillment of the ages, when we see Jesus face to face. The gifts were given to grow and mature the church into the body and image of Christ. The bible is the living Word that guides us in the ministries and functions of the gifts. The Charismatic view is that all of the gifts of the Spirit and gifts of the ministries are still in operation today, building up the body to the fullness of Christ.

 

Author and Background of the Letter

The apostle Paul wrote at least 4 letters to the church that he planted in Corinth. This is the 2^nd written around 55 AD. The first letter is probably lost, however part of it may be included in 2 Cor 6:14-7:1; and he makes reference to the third in his last correspondence, 2 Corinthians. The letter was written to address a variety of problems in the assembly, accounting for his sudden shifts in the subject matter.

 

Paul begins the letter reinserting that he is a “sent one” or apostle of Christ. This establishes his authority to address issues at hand. In Ch 1 he starts with a division that has occurred over this issue. Some were declaring their leaders as Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas. He responds with the power of the cross. They were concerned over which man they were under, and he revealed the foolishness of this. They should not boast in man but in God.

 

From this perspective we enter the 2^nd chapter. Here he solidifies the statement:

 

And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,

4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. 1 Cor 2:1-5 NASU

 

This is the foundation of their testimony in the Lord and the pretext from which Paul builds on in the remainder of the letter. Their experience was a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. Preaching not from man’s wisdom, but from God’s power will produce faith in the hearers, just as it had for them. And as he continues, he writes that the Spirit is the One who reveals to us the knowledge of God.

 

9 but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.”

10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

1 Cor 2:9-13 NASU

For without the revelation of the Spirit we will not be able to accept the things of the Spirit of God.

 

14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Cor 2:14-16 NASU

 

We are a spiritual and “peculiar people.” We are people of the Spirit. We have authority and power in the supernatural because the Spirit of God lives inside us (vv 3:16). Paul continues in Ch 3 on the same theme. Through a demonstration of power they came to believe in God and now have access to life and knowledge in the Spirit. This is the building that the Lord is constructing in the earth. And when we are in His church, not only are we being built, but we are also building up (vv11-12). He reiterates that we are building according to God and not divisions of men, for we are of the Spirit.

 

16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are. 1 Cor 3:16-17 NASU

 

When we believe the Spirit of God takes up residence and makes His dwelling inside of us. In the OT, only one priest, one time per year could enter into God’s presence in the temple, the holy of holies. There he made the atonement for the sins of Israel. Now Jesus has made the permanent atonement for the sins of all mankind, ripping the veil that kept us from God’s presence. Now we are the temple, we have access to God’s presence all the time. And from this understand we realize that we owe everything to Christ and He is the One we should boast in.

 

Chapter 4 begins in this way: 4 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. 1 Cor 4:1-2 NASU

 

Paul has established that they are a people born of the Spirit (Jn 3:6), and this allows us access to the power, knowledge, and revelation of God. This is the Gospel that we proclaim, the mysteries of God. And if this is our calling, then we should steward the mysteries of God in a trustworthy manner.

 

This sets the tone for the remainder of the letter; he address a variety of things that they are doing out of the Spirit and in the flesh that does not properly demonstrate the kingdom that God is building in the earth, to the city around them, and even to members of their own body.

 

Developing the Context of the Verse

The following chapters cover various concerns Paul has for the church, which may prevent it from functioning in a trustworthy manner in the Spirit; from lawsuits, to immorality, marriage, and use of liberty… This brings us to Ch 12, and the use of spiritual gifts. Before we tackle the issued, remember the context that we have established for these chapters: a people of the Spirit that must function properly.

The twelfth chapter is a description of all of the gifts flowing together. One is not more important than the other, but all are needed for the “common good” (v 7). He then compares the gifts to a human part and how each part is necessary. This is a set up for the underlying issue that he was addressing. In the church in Corinth, there were people in the church who were not using the gifts in an edifying manner. Some would stand and declare whole messages in tongues, without interpretation, and no one knew what was going on. Next, someone else would stand and try to outdo the last person, and so on.

 

They were members of one body, growing in the giftings the Father had given them, to bring about maturity. In the process, they veered off track, and began to try to operate spiritually, in the flesh (Ch 1). They were not trying to build each other up, but it was a contest to see who was most spiritual, which is why some were even picking captains like Paul and Peter.

 

They were basically assembling together and making a bunch of noise. They were missing the one ingredient that would bring them together in unity that would create a harmonious sounding orchestra; love, thus bringing us to Ch 13.

 

13 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 1 Cor 13:1-3 NASU

Now that context and background has been established, this passage makes more sense. The Corinthians were not loving each other but were in competition with each other. They missed the purpose behind the giftings.

 

35 ” By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

God loved us and desires for us to love each other. Love binds us together in the Spirit. As a body we must love one another. If they had love, they would not have been competing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Cor 13:4-7 NASU

 

This statement is not specific for this section but caps off what we have studied thus far. It solves the problems the church is facing. They are a church being built in the Spirit, and they must keep their vision on the love of Christ, or they begin to digress and get their vision on themselves (Mt 16:23).

 

So in light of the context, if we read the next verses in view of the progression through the book, and at face value; removing all external notions; how would we perceive the interpretation?

 

8 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, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will 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. 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. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor 13:8-13 NASU

 

In vv 8-9, He is showing that these gifts are simply part of a greater whole. The very reason we have fellowship is to love one another and contribute to the revelation of Jesus in each of our hearts. And if we are not using them in love they are not effective, because one day it will not be like this. We will not see in part, we will see in whole. Now we get prophetic glimpses of Jesus from His Word, His Spirit and His people, but one day, we will see Him face to face.

 

We will study the Greek in a bit, but I am trying to present this in “an as” mode. How would you interpret this if you just read straight through for the first time, like a story? In the context of the book, and the purpose of the content, it is clear that this means that they need to get spiritually focused because the God that Paul has been basing his letter on will be staring us in the face and the important thing is that we used His gifts in love, because now everything is revealed and we need not prophesy about some that is now known fully. You will see Him. Why would I describe or speak in a heavenly language to you about somebody if you were standing right next to them. They will not be needed, but in that moment, love will remain.

 

This section of 1 Corinthians is a major discourse with a purpose of being aware of the Spiritual gifts (12:1). Paul is describing that love must be present for the gift to function properly. The gifts give us a view into the mystery of Christ. In the end, the perfect state will be our earthly relationship with Him culminates into a heavenly one that will last for eternity. “When we see Him we will be like Him.” We will no longer see parts, we will see Him face to face. We will no longer know only partially what He is like, we will know fully, just as He knows us fully.

 

14 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 1 Cor 14:1 ESV

 

Now the foundation is set for the operation of the gifts. We are to pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts. If he had just made a case for them to cessede in this present age, why would he go on to tell them to earnestly desire them? Reading this through, you would not even think that is what he meant. We are to approach the next section with the understanding of love. This is the obvious flow of scripture here. Why would this section even be in here if it was going to go away with the writing of this letter, which is the Bible, part of the canon? If its part, then its part, you cannot pick and choose a date, there are too many in church history to guess at. If this is the inspired word, then it is sealed in the Spirit as it’s written.

 

Chapter 14 is where he specifically addresses the issues we discussed earlier; the proud tongue sermons that needed to go because they did not edify anyone but the person doing it. Now they are free to continue in their gifts in love, which does edify.

 

This teaching on the spiritual gifts starts off in this way:

12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. 1 Cor 12:1 NASU

The teaching concludes in this way:

37 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. 38 But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. 40 But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner. 1 Cor 14:37-40 NASU

 

The Lord’s commandment is for us to prophecy and to speak in tongues. It simply has to be in orderly manner. This is the point of the context.

 

(On a side note, vv34-35, women were not permitted to speak in church. This was also a problem at the Corinthian church, they would speak out of turn and interrupt. They sat on the opposite side from their husbands and would yell across the isle, asking what the speaker meant. This is kind of conduct is what Paul was stopping; we was not permanently barring women from speaking in church.)

 

Context is the key to making proper interpretation and application to understanding scripture in the Spirit. With the understanding of the surrounding verses, v 10 is sandwiched right in the middle, the correct interpretation of the word perfect, should be perfectly clear.

 

Applying the Greek

First, we will give several Greek definitions and applications of perfect. Next, from the meaning, we will derive a context for the Greek, just as we performed an exegesis earlier.

 

Perfect

 

I. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

PERFECT (ADJECTIVE AND VERB), PERFECTLY

A. Adjectives.

1. teleios (‎te/leio$‎, NT:5049) signifies “having reached its end” (telos), “finished, complete perfect.” It is used (I) of persons, (a) primarily of physical development, then, with ethical import, “fully grown, mature,” 1 Cor 2:6; 14:20 (“men”; marg., “of full age”); Eph 4:13; Phil 3:15; Col 1:28; 4:12; in Heb 5:14, RV, “fullgrown” (marg., “perfect”), KJV, “of full age” (marg., “perfect”); (b) “complete,” conveying the idea of goodness without necessary reference to maturity or what is expressed under (a) Matt 5:48; 19:21; James 1:4 (2nd part); 3:2. It is used thus of God in Matt 5:48; (II), of “things, complete, perfect,” Rom 12:2 1 Cor 13:10 (referring to the complete revelation of God’s will and ways, whether in the completed Scriptures or in the hereafter); James 1:4 (of the work of patience); v. 25; 18.

2. teleioteros (‎teleio/tero$‎, NT:5046), the comparative degree of No. 1, is used in Heb 9:11, of the very presence of God.

3. artios (‎a&rtio$‎, NT:739) is translated “perfect” in 2 Tim 3:17: see COMPLETE, B.

B. Verbs.

1. teleioo (‎teleio/w‎, NT:5048), “to bring to an end by completing or perfecting,” is used (I) of “accomplishing” (see FINISH, FULFILL); (II), of “bringing to completeness,” (a) of persons: of Christ’s assured completion of His earthly course, in the accomplishment of the Father’s will, the successive stages culminating in His death, Luke 13:32; Heb 2:10, to make Him “perfect,” legally and officially, for all that He would be to His people on the ground of His sacrifice; cf. 5:9; 7:28, RV, “perfected” (KJV, “consecrated”); of His saints, John 17:23, RV, “perfected” (KJV, “made perfect”); Phil 3:12; Heb 10:14; 11:40 (of resurrection glory); 12:23 (of the departed saints); 1 John 4:18, of former priests (negatively), Heb 9:9; similarly of Israelites under the Aaronic priesthood, 10:1; (b) of things, Heb 7:19 (of the ineffectiveness of the Law); James 2:22 (of faith made “perfect” by works); 1 John 2:5, of the love of God operating through him who keeps His word; 4:12, of the love of God in the case of those who love one another; 4:17, of the love of God as “made perfect with” (RV) those who abide in God, giving them to be possessed of the very character of God, by reason of which “as He is, even so are they in this world.”

2. epiteleo (‎e)pitele/w‎, NT:2005), “to bring through to the end” (epi, intensive, in the sense of “fully,” and teleo, “to complete”), is used in the middle voice in Gal 3:3, “are ye (now) perfected,” continuous present tense, indicating a process, lit., “are ye now perfecting yourselves”; in 2 Cor 7:1, “perfecting (holiness)”; in Phil 1:6, RV, “will perfect (it),” KJV, “will perform.” See ACCOMPLISH, No. 4.

3. katartizo (‎katarti/zw‎, NT:2675), “to render fit, complete” (artios), “is used of mending nets, Matt 4:21; Mark 1:19, and is translated ‘restore’ in Gal 6:1. It does not necessarily imply, however, that that to which it is applied has been damaged, though it may do so, as in these passages; it signifies, rather, right ordering and arrangement, Heb 11:3, ‘framed; ‘it points out the path of progress, as in Matt 21:16; Luke 6:40; cf. 2 Cor 13:9; Eph 4:12, where corresponding nouns occur. It indicates the close relationship between character and destiny, Rom 9:22, ‘fitted.’ It expresses the pastor’s desire for the flock, in prayer, Heb 13:21, and in exhortation, 1 Cor 1:10, RV, ‘perfected’ (KJV, ‘perfectly joined’); 2 Cor 13:11, as well as his conviction of God’s purpose for them, 1 Peter 5:10. It is used of the Incarnation of the Word in Heb 10:5, ‘prepare,’ quoted from Ps 40:6 (Sept.), where it is apparently intended to describe the unique creative act involved in the Virgin Birth, Luke 1:35. In 1 Thess 3:10 it means to supply what is necessary, as the succeeding words show.” See FIT, B, No. 3.

From Notes on Thessalonians by Hogg and Vine, p. 101.

Note: Cf. exartizo, rendered “furnished completely,” in 2 Tim 3:17, RV; see ACCOMPLISH, No. 1.

C. Adverbs.

1. akribos (‎a)kribw=$‎, NT:199), accurately, is translated “perfectly” in 1 Thess 5:2, where it suggests that Paul and his companions were careful ministers of the Word. See ACCURATELY, and see Note (2) below.

2. akribesteron (‎a)kribe/steron‎, NT:197), the comparative degree of No. 1, Acts 18:26; 23:15: see CAREFULLY, EXACTLY.

3. teleios (‎te/leio$‎, NT:5049), “perfectly,” is so translated in 1 Peter 1:13, RV (KJV, “to the end”), of setting one’s hope on coming grace. See END.

Notes: (1) In Rev 3:2, KJV, pleroo, “to fulfill,” is translated “perfect” (RV, “fulfilled”). (2) For the adverb akribos in Luke 1:3, KJV, see ACCURATELY; PERFECT in Acts 24:22, KJV, see EXACT. (3) For the noun akribeia in Acts 22:3, see MANNER. (from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

II. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

NT:5046 te/leio$, ‎telei/a‎, ‎te/leion ‎(‎te/lo$‎), in classic Greek sometimes also ‎te/leio$‎, ‎te/leion ‎(cf. Winer’s Grammar, § 11,1), from Homer down, the Sept. several times for <l@v*‎, <ym!T*‎, etc.; properly, brought to its end, finished; lacking nothing necessary to completeness; perfect: ‎e&rgon‎, James 1:4; ‎h( ‎‎a)ga/ph‎, 1 John 4:18; ‎o( ‎‎no/mo$‎, James 1:25; (‎dw/rhma‎, James 1:17); ‎teleiotera ‎‎skhnh/‎, a more perfect (excellent) tabernacle, Heb 9:11; ‎to/ ‎‎te/leion‎, substantively, that which is perfect: consummate human integrity and virtue, Rom 12:2 (others take it here as an adjective belonging to ‎qe/lhma‎); the perfect state of all things, to be ushered in by the return of Christ from heaven, 1 Cor 13:10; of men, full-grown, adult; of full age, mature (Aeschylus Ag. 1504; Plato, legg. 11, p. 929{c}): Heb 5:14; ‎te/leio$ ‎‎a)nh/r ‎(Xenophon, Cyril 1, 2, 4f; 8, 7, 6; Philo de cherub. § 32; opposed to ‎paidi/on ‎‎nh/pion‎, Polybius 5, 29, 2; for other examples from other authors see Bleek, Brief a. d. Hebrew ii., 2, p. 133f), ‎me/xri ‎… ‎ei)$ ‎‎a&ndra ‎‎te/leion‎, until we rise to the same level of knowledge which we ascribe to a full-grown man, until we can be likened to a full-grown man, Eph 4:13 (opposed to ‎nh/pioi‎, 14); ‎te/leioi ‎‎tai=$ ‎‎fresi/ ‎(opposed to ‎paidi/a ‎and ‎nhpiazonte$ ‎‎tai=$ ‎‎fresi/‎), 1 Cor 14:20 (here A. V. men); absolutely, ‎oi( ‎‎te/leioi‎, the perfect, i. e. the more intelligent, ready to apprehend divine things, 1 Cor 2:6 (R. V. marginal reading full-grown) (opposed to ‎nh/pioi ‎‎e)n ‎‎Xristw=|‎, 3:1; in simple opposed to ‎nh/pio$‎, Philo de legg. alleg. i. § 30; for /yb!m@‎, opposed to ‎mantanwn‎, 1 Chron 25:8; (cf. Lightfoot on Col 1:28; Phil 3:15)); of mind and character, one who has reached the proper height of virtue and integrity: Matt 5:48; 19:21; Phil 3:15 (cf. Lightfoot as above); James 1:4; in an absolute sense, of God: Matt 5:48; ‎te/leio$ ‎‎a)nh/r‎, James 3:2 (‎te/leio$ ‎‎di/kaio$‎, Ecclus 44:17); as respects understanding and goodness, Col 4:12; ‎te/leio$ ‎‎a&nqrwpo$ ‎‎e)n ‎‎Xristw=|‎, Col 1:28 (cf. Lightfoot as the synonym above: see ‎o(lo/klhro$‎, and Trench, § xxii.).* (from Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, PC Study Bible formatted Electronic Database. Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)_

 

III. Strong’s

NT:5046 te/leio$ teleios (tel’-i-os); from NT:5056; complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); neuter (as noun, with NT:3588) completeness:

 

NT:5056 te/lo$ telos (tel’-os); from a primary tello (to set out for a definite point or goal); properly, the point aimed at as a limit, i.e. (by implication) the conclusion of an act or state (termination [literally, figuratively or indefinitely], result [immediate, ultimate or prophetic], purpose); specifically, an impost or levy (as paid): (Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

 

Perfect here is according to the Greek, the definitions and language used referring to a state of perfection, in which all things are complete. It has almost an apocalyptic tone to it. This the fulfillment of the Body of Christ into perfection. I gander it is safe to say that that has not yet happened, and can only see true fulfillment when the church is glorified in His presence.

 

Originally I was going to hit all of the surrounding Texts, highlighting the key words with their Gr definitions, and that would cause this study to turn into a book. For the remainder of this section I am just going to report to what I have studied.

 

Partial

This is the Greek word meros, from the word, meiromi. It means the receiver’s of one’s portion; a part; a share; case. This is the same Gr word used for “part” in vv 9 and 12.

 

Perfect and partial are the two contrasting elements here. The perfect is the complete, the whole, the end, perfection. The partial is individual pieces of that whole. As the pieces come together, as they were supposed to in proper function within the Corinthian church, then a revelation of an aspect of the mystery of Christ that the Spirit was speaking at the time would have unfolded, causing them to become more mature, growing up into all things, leaving the childlikeness (v 11) resulting in manhood. This is Christian growth.

 

They Lord may give me yellow and you blue, and unless they come together, we will never see green. This is the beauty of the fellowship of believers, the church. This is the masterpiece God is painting in the earth.

 

Eying the Perfect

The Greek language in the following verses I believe is key into tying in the interpretation of the Gr context, specifically v 12.

 

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. 1 Cor 13:12 NASU

 

Have you ever looked at your reflection on a unpolished or blemished surface? You may see your reflection, an it may even look like you, but it still imperfect, still is not the real thing. In the time of the Corinthians, this is all that they had:

1 Corinthians 13:12

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Through a glass ‎di’ ‎‎esoptrou‎. The English Revised Version (1885): “in a mirror.” Through ‎dia ‎is “by means of.” Others, however, explain it as referring to the illusion by which the mirrored image appears to be on the other side of the surface: others, again, think that the reference is to a window made of horn or other translucent material. This is quite untenable. ‎Esoptron ‎“mirror” occurs only here and James 1:23. The synonymous word ‎katoptron ‎does not appear in the New Testament, but its kindred verb ‎katoptrizomai‎, “to look at oneself in a mirror,” is found, 2 Cor 3:18. The thought of imperfect seeing is emphasized by the character of the ancient mirror, which was of polished metal, and required constant polishing, so that a sponge with pounded pumice-stone was generally attached to it. Corinth was famous for the manufacture of these. Pliny mentions stone mirrors of agate, and Nero is said to have used an emerald. The mirrors were usually so small as to be carried in the hand, though there are allusions to larger ones which reflected the entire person. The figure of the mirror, illustrating the partial vision of divine things, is frequent in the rabbinical writings, applied, for instance, to Moses and the prophets. Plato says: “There is light in the earthly copies of justice or temperance or any of the higher qualities which are precious to souls: they are seen through a glass, dimly” (“Phaedrus,” 250). Compare “Republic,” vii., 516.

Darkly ‎en ‎‎ainigmati‎. Literally, “in a riddle or enigma,” the word expressing the obscure “form” in which the revelation appears. Compare ‎di’ ‎‎ainigmatoon ‎“in dark speeches,” Num 12:8.

Face to face. Compare “mouth to mouth,” Num 12:8.

Shall I know ‎epignoosomai‎. American Revised Version, rightly, “I shall fully know.” See the note on “knowledge,” Rom 3:20. The King James Version has brought this out in 2 Cor 6:9, “well known.”

I am known ‎epegnoostheen‎. The tense is the aorist, “was known,” in my imperfect condition. Paul places himself at the future standpoint, when the perfect has come. The compound verb is the same as the preceding. Hence, the American Revised Version, “I was fully known.” (from Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)_

We have yet to see Jesus face to face. We have a relationship with Him and the Spirit and the Word. They are here to guide us, to make us more like Him until we get to see Him as He is in His glory. This has not happened yet, so we need the gifts that He has given us by His Spirit, along with the Word to help lead us through this like so we can mature and grow and become complete in Him. This is why I entitled this Eying the Perfect, for we are beholding an image, the image of God, greater than our selves. The more we see this image, the more we are changed into that image, transformed from glory to glory.

Application of the Times

In the times in which Paul wrote this letter, this is what he meant. We will never have the correct application for our day without an understanding of what was meant when it was first written. With this knowledge we can then apply it to our day and generation. This is why some people think women still have to wear their hair in a bun. There is a need in the earth for the truth, a plumb line that stretches throughout Scripture to be revealed. The following are some excerpts from commentaries to add to the background of the passage.

IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Teatament

1 Corinthians 13:8-13

13:8-13. As in verses 1-3, Paul demonstrates here that love is a greater virtue than the gifts; in this case it is because love is eternal, whereas the gifts are temporary. Some *Old Testament prophets predicted the outpouring of the *Spirit in the final time, accompanied by ability to speak under the Spirit’s inspiration (Joel 2:28); but other *prophecies noted that all the citizens of the world to come would know God, hence there would be no reason for exhortation (Jer 31:33-34). Paul believes that the time of the Spirit’s gifts, including mere human knowledge, is the current time, between Jesus’ first and second comings (cf. 13:10,12).

 

Mirrors (13:12) were often made of bronze, and given the worldwide renown of Corinthian bronze, would perhaps strike the Corinthians as a local product (also 2 Cor 3:18). But even the best mirrors reflected images imperfectly (some philosophers thus used mirrors as an analogy to describe mortals’ searching for the deity); contrast the more open revelation of Ex 33:11; Num 12:8 and Deut 34:10.

(from IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by Craig S. Keener Copyright © 1993 by Craig S. Keener. Published by InterVarsity Press. All rights reserved.)

Barnes’ Notes

1 Corinthians 13:10; 1 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Corinthians 13:12

 

1 Corinthians 13:10

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

[But when that which is perfect is come] Does come; or shall come. This proposition is couched in a general form. It means that when anything which is perfect is seen or enjoyed, then that which is imperfect is forgotten, laid aside, or vanishes. Thus, in the full and perfect light of day, the imperfect and feeble light of the stars vanishes. The sense here is, that “in heaven” – a state of absolute perfection-that which is “in part,” or which is imperfect, shall be lost in superior brightness. All imperfection will vanish. And all that we here possess that is obscure shall be lost in the superior and perfect glory of that eternal world. All our present unsatisfactory modes of obtaining knowledge shall be unknown. All shall be clear, bright, and eternal.

1 Corinthians 13:11

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

[When I was a child] The idea here is, that the knowledge which we now have, compared with that which we shall have in heaven, is like that which is possessed in infancy compared with that we have in manhood; and that as, when we advance in years, we lay aside, as unworthy of our attention, the views, feelings, and plans which we had in boyhood, and which we then esteemed to be of so great importance, so, when we reach heaven, we shall lay aside the views, feelings, and plans which we have in this life, and which we now esteem so wise and so valuable. The word “child” here

neepios

denotes properly a baby, an infant, though without any definable limitation of age. It refers to the first periods of existence; before the period which we denominate boyhood, or youth. Paul here refers to a period when he could “speak,” though evidently a period when his speech was scarcely intelligible-when he first began to articulate.

[I spake as a child] Just beginning to articulate, in a broken and most imperfect manner. The idea here is, that our knowledge at present, compared with the knowledge of heaven, is like the broken and scarcely intelligible efforts of a child to speak compared with the power of utterance in manhood.

[I understood as a child] My understanding was feeble and imperfect. I had narrow and imperfect views of things. I knew little. I fixed my attention on objects which I now see to be of little value. I acquired knowledge which has vanished, or which has sunk in the superior intelligence of riper years. “I was affected as a child. I was thrown into a transport of joy or grief on the slightest occasions, which manly reason taught me to despise” – Doddridge.

[I thought as a child] Margin, “Reasoned.” The word may mean either. I thought, argued, reasoned in a weak and inconclusive manner. My thoughts, and plans, and argumentations were puerile, and such as I now see to be short-sighted and erroneous. Thus, it will be with our thoughts compared to heaven. There will be, doubtless, as much difference between our present knowledge, and plans, and views, and those which we shall have in heaven, as there is between the plans and views of a child and those of a man. Just before his death, Sir Isaac Newton made this remark: “I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself by now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, while the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me” – Brewster’s Life of Newton, pp. 300,301. Ed. New York, 1832.

1 Corinthians 13:12

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

[For now we see through a glass] Paul here makes use of another illustration to show the imperfection of our knowledge here. Compared with what it will be in the future world, it is like the imperfect view of an object which we have in looking through an obscure and opaque medium compared with the view which we have when we look at it “face to face.” The word “glass” here

esoptron

means properly a mirror, a looking-glass. The mirrors of the ancients were usually made of polished metal; Ex 38:8; Job 37:18. Many have supposed (see Doddridge, in loc. and Robinson’s Lexicon) that the idea here is that of seeing objects by reflection from a mirror, which reflects only their imperfect forms. But this interpretation does not well accord with the apostle’s idea of seeing things obscurely. The most natural idea is that of seeing objects by an imperfect medium, by looking “through” something in contemplating them.

It is, therefore, probable that he refers to those transparent substances which the ancients had, and which they used in their windows occasionally; such as thin plates of horn, transparent stone, etc. Windows were often made of the “lapis specularis” described by Plint (xxxvi. 22), which was pellucid, and which admitted of being split into thin “laminae” or scales, probably the same as mica. Humboldt mentions such kinds of stone as being used in South America in church windows-Bloomfield. It is not improbable, I think, that even in the time of Paul the ancients had the knowledge of glass, though it was probably at first very imperfect and obscure. There is some reason to believe that glass was known to the Phenicians, the Tyrians, and the Egyptians. Pliny says that it was first discovered by accident. A merchant vessel, laden with nitre or fossil alkali, having been driven on shore on the coast of Palestine near the river Belus, the crew went in search of provisions, and accidentally supported the kettles on which they dressed their food upon pieces of fossil alkali.

The river sand above which this operation was performed was vitrified by its union with the alkali, and thus produced glass-See Edin. Encyclopedia, “Glass.” It is known that glass was in quite common use about the commencement of the Christian era. In the reign of Tiberius an artist had his house demolished for making glass malleable. About this time drinking vessels were made commonly of glass; and glass bottles for holding wine and flowers were in common use. That glass was in quite common use has been proved by the remains that have been discovered in the ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii. There is, therefore, no impropriety in supposing that Paul here may have alluded to the imperfect and discolored glass which was then in extensive use; for we have no reason to suppose that it was then as transparent as that which is now made. It was, doubtless, an imperfect and obscure medium, and, therefore, well adapted to illustrate the nature of our knowledge here compared with what it wilt be in heaven.

[Darkly] Margin, “In a riddle”

en

ainigmati

. The word means a riddle; an enigma; then an obscure intimation. In a riddle a statement is made with some resemblance to the truth; a puzzling question is proposed, and the solution is left to conjecture. Hence, it means, as here, obscurely, darkly, imperfectly. Little is known; much is left to conjecture; a very accurate account of most of that which passes for knowledge. Compared with heaven, our knowledge here much resembles the obscure intimations in an enigma compared with clear statement and manifest truth.

[But then] In the fuller revelations in heaven.

[Face to face] As when one looks upon an object openly, and not through an obscure and dark medium. It here means, therefore, “clearly, without obscurity.”

[I know in part] 1 Cor 13:9.

[But then shall I know] My knowledge shall be clear and distinct. I shall have a clear view of those objects which are now so indistinct and obscure. I shall be in the presence of those objects about which I now inquire; I shall “see” them; I shall have a clear acquaintance with the divine perfections, plans, and character. This does not mean that he would know “everything,” or that he would be omniscient; but that in regard to those points of inquiry in which he was then interested, he would have a view that would be distinct and clear-a view that would be clear, arising from the fact that he would be present with them, and permitted to see them, instead of surveying them at a distance, and by imperfect mediums.

[Even as also I am known] “In the same manner”

kathoos

, not “to the same extent.” It does not mean that he would know God as clearly and as fully as God would know him; for his remark does not relate to the “extent,” but to the “manner” and the comparative “clearness” of his knowledge. He would see things as he was now seen and would be seen there. It would be face to face. He would be in their presence. It would not be where he would be seen clearly and distinctly, and himself compelled to look upon all objects confusedly and obscurely, and through an imperfect medium. But he would he with them; would see them face to face; would see them without any medium; would see them “in the same manner” as they would see him. Disembodied spirits, and the inhabitants of the heavenly world, have this knowledge; and when we are there, we shall see the truths, not at a distance and obscurely, but plainly and openly.

(from Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

 

Life in the Spirit New Testament Commentary

 

Love in an Eschatological Context (13:8-13). The opening and closing statements of this section underscore the eschatological context: “Love never fails”; faith hope and love remain… “but the greatest of these is love.”

 

Verse 8-10 highlight the permanence of love and the impermanence of spiritual gifts: “Love never fails [pipto]” (v 8). Pipto means to fall, collapse; in context, it here means that love will never cease to exist. On the other hand, prophecies, tongues and knowledge (word of knowledge?) will cease “when the perfect comes” (v 10). They function, nevertheless, in the here and now and contribute to the upbuilding of God’s people. “Knowledge and prophecy are useful lamps in the darkness, but they will be useless when the eternal day has dawned” (Robertson and Plummer, 297). The termination of these gifts is expressed by two different verbs: katargeo, used with “prophecies” and “knowledge,” means to render ineffective or inoperative, to cease or pass away; pauo, used with “tongues,” means to stop or cease. Paul is not suggesting a subtle difference between the two words, the variations is for rhetorical reaons (see Carson, 66-67).

 

The reason for the cessation of the gifts is that knowledge and prophesying (also tongues?) are only “in part” and are consequently imperfect (vv. 9-10); they will no longer be needed when “the perfect” (NASB) comes. Knowledge in this present life, whether acquired by human effort of by revelation, will never be complete. The statement about the coming of the perfect must be understood here in an eschatological sense, as the consummation of all things (Hering, 141-142). At the coming of the Lord, we will be like Him (1 John 3:2) and will transcend the need for partial, imperfect, and temporary insights and revelations.

 

Verses 11-12 illustrate the imperfect-perfect contrast in two ways. (1) Speaking in the first person. Paul says that childhood speech, thinking, and reasoning are appropriate for a child, but the child must not remain a child. There is a twofold purpose in what Paul says: (a) The Corinthians are in a state of arrested spiritual development (3:1-3), particularly in the present context in their understanding of spiritual gifts. (b) In this present life all Christians are immature to some degree. Complete maturity will take place at Parousia.

 

(2) Paul draws on the analogy of a mirror. “Now we see in a mirror dimly [en ainigmati]” (NASB). The English word “enigma” (riddle) transliterates the Greek noun ainigma; in using it Paul probably had in mind Numbers 12:6-8. First century mirrors were polished metal; some of the finest were made in Corinth. Only the more wealthy could afford a mirror of good quality, and even those were not always free of imperfections. Furthermore, a mirror by its nature distorts because its reflection is the reverse of the person or object before it. But someday we will see “face to face,” which is “almost a formula in the Septuagint for a theophany” (Carson 71, who cites Gen. 32:30; Duet. 5:4, 34:10; Judg. 6:22; Ezek 20:35).

 

The now-then motif continues: “Now I know [ginosko] in part; then I shall know fully [epiginosko], even as I am fully know [epiginosko].” Epiginosko is a compound form of ginosko and here denotes knowledge that is full and complete. For the believer such knowledge will take place at the coming of the Lord. The last clause is best understood to mean, “as I was fully known [by God]” (see comment on 8:3). God’s full knowledge of Paul is already complete; Paul’s full knowledge of God is yet future.

 

Throughout this chapter Paul corrects the mistaken notion of some Corinthians that they had already entered the age to come. Applications of his teachings on love to that situation are obvious though chapter 14 will make some of them specific. (Life in the Spirit New Testament Commentary, 879-880.)

 

Conclusions

God is building His people in the earth. A nation, Israel was formed through which a Messiah would come to save the world by restoring their relationship to the Father in the Holy Spirit. Jesus life was an example and testimony of how to live this way. He died and resurrected to reproduce Himself in individuals that constitute a church, His body; doing grater things than He did in the earth.

 

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 ” Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

John 14:12-14 NASU

 

If He died to create this in the earth then why would He undo shortly thereafter?

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Rom 8:18-22 NASU

I have studied a number of cessationist’s views and their reasoning comes primarily down to two things. They believe that the Bible is the perfect in itself, the fulfillment of Christ in the earth. The bible is the key to unlocking the fullness in someone’s life through the power of the Spirit living in them. And to, simply, they wither do not see miracles, so the gifts, they conclude, must have passed, or they just don’t believe.

 

After the joining of the church with Rome the ones of the Spirit became a remnant that spanned throughout church History. Just because the church compromised, and the gifts were rarely seen by the powers that be, doesn’t mean that the gifts ceased. I am reminded of a comment made in church history. One said, “The church can no longer say, silver and gold have I none,” in which the other responded, “No longer can we say, In the name of Jesus, rise up and walk either.” The world needs a demonstration of the Spirit’s power in His people (1 Cor 2:4). We are supposed to be a supernatural people reflecting Jesus in the earth.

 

Do you honestly think that the church today is the fulfillment of the Body of Christ in the earth, the mature man walking in fullness. I mean seriously, the canon being closed, how do we get that, unless we add it. The canon being applied to this term in context would not make sense because the people he was writing to would have been dead for three to five hundred years before the matter was finalized. The bible is here to guide us to maturity, to be Christ like, He was the embodiment of power from on high, and the church is now supposed to be that image in the earth doing greater things. If the canon was the fulfillment then why are we here? Oh? we have to preach to the nations? Preach what?, read this book, no we illustrate the book by walking in power it describes!!!

 

The point of these letters was the need for the gifts to reach maturity, and that is why we read them today. Where is the transition into the supernatural? We were not created to live mundane, natural; we are the children of God the nations long to be revealed. Why read a book full of power, stories, and experiences with God that clearly states that the promise is for us too, on a greater level, and then say we don’t need that because we have the book! This is missing the whole point. It is the same thing the Pharisees did that caused them to miss what God was doing in their generation. They looked for something in the letter so intently that they missed the application of the heart. The book is here for the experience, to ignite our relationship with God into a fire that lights up the whole earth.

 

How will those around us see Jesus, through the mirror of our hearts. This is a dim view, but soon they will come to know Him personally, which is the means to seeing Him face to face. What do I have to prophecy about Jesus when I am looking Him in the face? There will be no need. But here The mystery is constantly being revealed, and The Holy Spirit leads us in His likeness and shows us in essence, ”what would Jesus do?”

 

If we are His body, and He we know from the BIBLE, would heal someone, then how can we justify that we have a book, so we should not, when the very book commands us to? One word in one verse doesn’t eliminate chapter after chapter of the absolute essentialness of the Gifts of the Spirit and the relationship with His Spirit to effective minister the Gospel in the earth.

 

An instruction manual will not put together a new cabinet for you, it will guide you properly.

 

Read the Bible for what it says and start a revolution against the powers of darkness. Kick out diseases, and enforce the kingdom saving power of grace preaching the word at all times everywhere the opportunity presents itself.

There comes a time in every believers life that the opportunity for growth comes. It is my experience that those waho are hungry for the truth are fed by the Lord. The truth is Jesus. The Christian life is one of growth, and growth brings discipline, change, trials, pruning, and also maturity and fullness for those who are willing for it. It is no accident that the those who seek truth fine it. Often they find themselves in situations they did not anticipate nor expect that require change that they did not know they needed, in order to engae in a greater reality than they realized even existed. This is the very process being described in 1 Corinthians 13:10-13.

 

Father, I pray in the Name of Jesus that Your words prevail in this teaching. May that which is of the flesh fall to the ground and that which is of the Spirit bring life and fruit. May all who read this be ignited with a passion for you and a desire to function in a worthy manner of love in the gifts of the Spirit. May all of us be eying the perfect. Amen!

Over the past few months I started writing down some of the things that God has done in my life and in the lives of my friends. The Psalmist says “One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4. So I just want to take this time and talk about some of the things that happened in my last trimester of FIRE school of ministry.

I was at a prayer meeting and I told a guy named Ernie that I felt like there was anger and fear coming against him. It turns out there is a lot of anger coming against him.
I was emailing my friend Matt back home and I just wanted to encourage him that I was praying for him and not to feel alone because God is with him. And he emailed me back really encouraged and said that he had felt alone because he had just moved into a duplex from a dorm and was feeling really alone.

In the mall I prayed for Heather with a brace on her arm and all the pain went away except when she stretches sometimes.

God gave me the opportunity to go home from school to be at my grandmother’s funeral and on the way back in the airplane I met a really cool hunter from Colorado named Steve. And God just gave me the boldness and grace to share the gospel message with him. It was the first time I had ever done that on a plane so it was a cool day for me and he was a really genuine and nice guy.
At my brother’s wedding I got to pray for my best friend Rob for his voice to get higher again and Rob kept praying after that and God totally restored his voice range one day.
At Christmastime we prayed for my good friend Thomas because of intense sleep problems, they were really messing him up and two days later it broke and he was able to sleep great again!

My roommates and I were all praying together one monday night and Mike Prayed for our neighbours to hear the gospel. And then honestly like just a minute or two later they walked into the house and totally sobered up when they stepped on the carpet even after they drank 12 beer that day. Mike shared the gospel with them and really challenged them to have more than just a mental assent to who God is, they need to live their life for Him.
Mike and Eddy and I were at the Circle K during treasure hunt time and we talked to the lady at the counter and Mike asked her about her daughter and how she was doing. She said “My daughter was kidnapped a year ago” somebody just came to me today asking about her. It’s the saddest thing in my life, I wanted to commit suicide. And we prayed for her and she just felt a refreshing I think and a bit of her burden lift. It was really cool.

Mike and I were walking out of Sam’s club and he sees a big black woman and he asks her if she has “arthritis” she says yeah and we ask if we can pray for her and she says “Yes, as long as you don’t lay hands on me” so that was kind of interesting, we prayed and she said thanks and walked away quickly.

At the bass pro shop we see a guy in a motorized cart. We pray for his ankle that he hurt in a fight and he gets up, he’s like 6′7″ and he looks at us like “Whoah, what did you guys do?” but then as he tests it out the pain started returning to the level that it was normally. But it was really exciting at first!

At Wal-Mart today God blessed us with a lot of people in our path that wanted a touch from him. We prayed for a few people and they were really appreciative and one of the guys named Chuck said “I feel something that I can’t even describe”.

Last week I was in worship and I saw an angel feather fall into my hand and then disappear immediately. The day before another hit my chest and dissapeared. It was just a really cool reminder that God is working and there are things going on in our midst that we can’t even alway see.

We prayed for my sister as a house and she stopped needing sleeping pills for the next while.

Mike prayed for my stuffy nose and all the snot turned to liquid and started pouring out.

I just had been feeling this week that Mike had been thinking less of me that I was wasting time when I would study on my computer. And so I just asked God to remove any bitterness in my heart but I also asked God that Mike would appreciate me and understand me better. And honestly like 30 seconds later he opens my door and says “You’re awesome David”. And we had a really good conversation. It was just a simple little thing but it meant a lot to me.

Wade and a some roommates pray for Mikes back and almost all of the pain goes away

Praise God!!! Every testimony that we hear sets a standard as to what is possible and what is available to us. I’m even just encouraged hearing these again. Feel free to post any of your own in the comments section. God bless.