PROPHECY-TONGUES-KNOWLEDGE - BY STEVE FINNELL

Avowed cessationist Steve Finnell makes an attempt to explain away the supernatural gifts of the Spirit by using but a single word of Scripture. We chronicle these attempts to defend cessationism from a variety of sources on a regular basis, because we are genuinely seeking a defense of the cessationist view that relies firmly upon Scripture.

So Mr. Finnell takes one word, "perfect," and builds a doctrine that the gifts have ceased because the perfect has come, and this based on what he infers Paul is "likely" talking about. This is thin evidence, indeed, to extrapolate on a word in order to bolster his preconceptions.

That word, "perfect, "teleion, is found 19 times in the N.T., and no instance is the word referring to Scripture:

Mt. 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (2)

Mt. 19:21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Ro. 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

1Co. 2:6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

1Co. 13:8-10 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

1Co. 14:20 Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.

Ep. 4:13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ.

Ph. 3:15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

Col. 1:28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

Col. 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

He. 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

He. 9:11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation.

Ja. 1:4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (2)

Ja. 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Ja. 1:25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does.

Ja. 3:2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

1Jn. 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

As we can see from these Scriptures, τέλειον cannot mean "complete" every time, as Mr. Finnell claims. But further, Mr. Finnell's claim that the completeness came "...when we had a completed Bible, 96 A.D." can only be arrived at if one possesses an a priori assumption that the Bible is the last thing God had to say. 

It's one thing to appropriate a word. It's quite another to say that word means this or that. There are two leaps here. One, that τέλειον means "complete" as in "all finished;" and two, that this refers to the completed Bible.

As we review the above Scriptures, it becomes apparent that τέλειον seems to indicate "all grown up," having arrived at a place of destination, a characteristic of obtaining what was aspired to. Like Paul, who writes, 

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus. Ph. 3:13-14

Peter counsels us to be the same way: 

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 2Pe. 3:14 

The Holy Spirit is growing us up: 

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2Co. 3:18 

This all is in preparation for the Bridegroom: 

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. Re. 19:7-18 

So we have our own theory, one that is we think a bit more grounded in Scripture, about what 1Co. 13:8-10 means. When the Bride is prepared, pure and spotless, she will be perfect, a fitting consort for the Bridegroom. At that time we know in full. Prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will become obsolete because we will be in perfect union with Christ.
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Many believe that new prophecies from God, the gift of tongues, and the gift of special knowledge that comes directly from God are available today. There are a few problems with that assumption. Their stated position is that prophecies, tongues, and knowledge will only cease to exist when we reach heaven. Is that a valid position to take?

It is obvious that the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and special knowledge will not be needed in heaven. I do not think Paul was stating the obvious. It is more likely he was referring to a point in time before we get to heaven.

1 Corinthians 13:8 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.

Most men agree that gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge will cease to exist. The question remains. WHEN?

WHEN THE PERFECT COMES.

1 Corinthians 13:10 but when the perfect comes the partial will be done away.(NASB)

The perfect means "complete"

1 Corinthians 13:10 But when what is complete comes, then that what is incomplete will be done away with. (International Standard Version)
1 Corinthians 13:10 But when what is complete comes, then what is incomplete will no longer be used. (God's Word Translation)

The perfect or complete is not referring to when Jesus takes His church to heaven.

The complete occurred when we had a completed Bible, 96 A.D. . The church of Christ had all the information it needed in order to be a mature church.

Many like to cite, 1 Corinthians 13:13, as an proof-text to prove that the perfect means, when we get to heaven. The problem is that when we get heaven we will not need faith. We will see Jesus sitting on the right hand of God. THERE WILL BE NO FAITH NEEDED IN HEAVEN. We will not need hope in heaven. OUR hope will already be realized. We will be saved, not hoping for salvation. WE WILL NEED NO HOPE IN HEAVEN.

THE ONLY THING THAT WILL REMAIN IN HEAVEN IS LOVE!

AFTER THE BIBLE WAS COMPLETED THE GIFTS OF PROPHECY, TONGUES, AND KNOWLEDGE WERE NO LONGER NEEDED!