Expiration Date

1 Corinthians 12:8-9

What do you trust in? Have you ever considered what, at the end of the day, do you trust in to always be there? I always trust that my wife will be there for me, even though I understand logically we will both age and eventually graduate to our heavenly dwelling. I trust that my children will always love me, even though I went through seasons in my life when I was not the biggest fans of my parents. So, what is it that will truly last forever? Paul's answer in our reading today is love. Not just the emotion or thought of love, but the true Spiritual Love that he has been speaking to us about. That kind of love will "never fail" as he puts it. But, that's the not the end of the message here. After Paul describes the forever nature of love, he then illustrates that Spiritual Gifts do not have the same eternal existence. Prophecies will cease. Tongues will be stilled. Knowledge will pass away. Most scholars agree there will be a time when the Spiritual Gifts that we see described in the text will cease. There is however great debate over when exactly that will happen. I am not going to try and defend an entire theological position here today, but I do want to point out what this verse says (and what it doesn't say). Clearly, Paul is illustrating that there will be a time when the Spiritual Gifts as we see them in Scripture will no longer exists. Prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will all pass away when "the complete" has come. Paul connects prophecy, tongues, and knowledge as three things that are all "partial" now and will no longer be needed when "the complete" comes. Though there is debate on what "the complete" means, there is no debate over what happens when it does. The arrival of the complete will erase the need for prophecy, tongues, and knowledge. One theory that has been floated about this verse that I do want to dispel is that "the complete" refers to the completion of the canon or the Bible. There is no reason expect that the first century church at Corinth would expect or even understand this as the correct interpretation. Tomorrow we will get more into this, but let's leave today with the idea that the Spiritual Gifts we have not meant to last forever, love is. 

Prayer: 
Gracious God, thank You for your everlasting love. Thank You for the Gifts you've given to me. Please help me to use them well before they pass away. Amen. 

Reflection: 
Does the fact that Spiritual Gifts have an expiration date change the way you view them?
How does this affect the way we use them?