Perfection?

Part 3 of 11

The Bible is clear that the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit WILL indeed one day be done away with. Paul says in First Corinthians 13:8-13, “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 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. 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.” The major controversy surrounds simply WHEN this event is to transpire. Is it past tense? Or is it yet to occur?

Though there are some varying viewpoints, Cessationism most often interprets “when that which is perfect is come” as the completion of the canon of Scripture: With the cannon completed, there would be no more need for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be operating in the church. The basic argument for this view is a “logical” presumption that those who now have the Scriptures do not know partially or prophesy partially, but rather, they now know in some form of fullness. This is tied to Ephesians 2:20 as part of the foundation laying of the church, and Jude 3: “…the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” With this revelation, the gifts (primarily knowledge, prophecy and tongues) would then no longer be needed.

Cessationism also makes an appeal to James 1:23-25 on the basis of rhetorical imagery: The same metaphorical imagery of “mirror”, “face”, and “perfect” occur in both passages. In James the Scriptures are compared to a “mirror” wherein one may behold his “face”. Furthermore, the Scriptures are referred to as the “perfect law of liberty”. Cessationism casually suggests that the lexical imagery is used in the same way. The point then that Paul was making to the Corinthians is that because only a part of the overall canon had been given to the body of Christ, they yet saw “dimly”. However when the “perfect” (i.e., the completed Scriptures) comes they would see their reflection clearly, “face to face”.

But is this viewpoint at all accurate? I do not believe so. First of all, James was written before First Corinthians and “the perfect law” is most likely referring to the Old Testament Scriptures. If the law (Scripture) is perfect in James why is it partial and still to come in First Corinthians?

Secondly, there is much debate over when actual canonization occurred. In fact, there is historical evidence of at least 5 different canonization attempts taking place within the Christian community. Church fathers, such as Origen Adamantius, Irenaeus, Athanasius, the Bishop of Alexandria, and St. Augustine all disagreed over which New Testament writings were to be included in the canon of Scripture. These men lived at different times in history, so the canon was never really a settled issue. Even later dated scholars, such as Martin Luther, tried to remove certain canonical books (Esther, Hebrews, James, Jude and Revelation). Interestingly enough, full and fixed articulations of the canon were not established until the mid 1500’s, long after Cessationism claims the gifts ceased. We can see, therefore, that the date of “true Protestant canonization” is not even agreed upon. If Cessationists cannot agree on the date of true canonization, then how are they expected to accurately pinpoint the occasion when gifts and ministries of the Holy Ghost expired? It is a complete contradiction of thought.

Thirdly, First Corinthians 13:12 presents additional requirements for the Cessationist’s argument to be valid: “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 the canonization interpretation to be accurate, we would have to now see God face to face, and know Him even as we are known. Do we? No. Despite the fact that we have a sufficient revelation in the Scriptures, we do not know fully, as the numerous and varying interpretations of this passage demonstrate, and definitely not as we are fully known by God. Nor have we seen God’s face: Jesus said, “… the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape” (Jn 5:37). First John 4:12 says, “No man hath seen God at any time…” If such a knowledge and personal encounter with God are of the requirements for the canonization theory to be true, then we plainly see it to be false. No man readily and perpetually beholds God’s natural face. This must be referring to a future event. Rather, perfection in Scripture mostly refers to the people of God. The writer to the Hebrews says, “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let US go on unto perfection…” (6:1). Notice he says “us”. The people of God are who are being perfected. Again, Scripture says, “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you” (1 Pet 5:10). And yet again, Paul says: “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Col 1:28). It is “every man” that is progressing toward this “expected end” (Jer 29:11), not the canon of Scripture. Nowhere in Scripture does it refer to the canon at all, much less it's completion as some “event” that would replace the ministry of the Holy Spirit. In fact, most scholars agree that Paul, nor the Corinthians, would not have even realized the need for a coming canon.

Friends, we cannot read hundreds of verses on “perfection” related to the people of God, and then read one verse on “perfection” and connect it to the binding of a book; that is very poor hermeneutics. Peter tells us “that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation” (2 Pet 1:20). In fact, the only time the Bible speaks of God’s Law as “perfect”, it does so in a present tense association: It never refers to Scripture becoming perfect. James calls it “the perfect law of liberty” (1:25; present tense), and again David says, “The law of the LORD is perfect” (Ps 19:7; present tense).

It is upon the completion and perfection of God’s people that such ministries and gifts will no longer be necessary and essential: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: UNTIL we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ…” (Eph 4:11-13). For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then [at the unity of the faith and knowledge of Jesus, unto a perfect Christ-like corporate man] I shall know just as I also am known. The Word of God is a progressive revelation. There will be a time when a people fully know Him! We shall know Jesus fully, just as He knows us fully. Until then, however, the gifts and ministries of the Holy Ghost are necessary and essential! My heart aches for those who casually neglect the Holy Spirit!

To be continued...