What does perfect mean in 1 Corinthians 13:10?

I asked someone for an argument for the cessation of sign gifts, and I was directed to 1 Corinthians 13.

The only verses I can detect that refer to the end of sign (or miraculous) gifts are found in 1 Corinthians 13:8-12. The following is from the NASB.

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.

The words that seem to have significance to our study are ‘perfect’, ‘done away’, ‘cease’, ‘known’. So we will examine their meaning, as well as where these words are used, to get a good understanding of them.

The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon defines the word translated as’perfect‘ found in 1 Corinthians 13:10 as,

Strong’s Number: 5046	Browse Lexicon
Original Word Word Origin teleio� from (5056) Transliterated Word TDNT Entry Teleios 8:67,1161 Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech tel’-i-os Adjective
Definition
brought to its end, finished wanting nothing necessary to completeness perfect that which is perfect consummate human integrity and virtue of men full grown, adult, of full age, mature

The Greek word is found in the following places:

Mt 5:48	“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Mt 19:21	Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Ro 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

1Co 2:6	Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away;
1Co 13:10	but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
1Co 14:20	Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be babes, but in your thinking be mature.

Eph 4:13

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 fulness of Christ.

Php 3:15

Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;

Col 1:28	And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ.
Col 4:12	Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.

Heb 5:14	But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
Heb 9:11	But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;

Jas 1:4	And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Jas 1:17	Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.
Jas 1:25	But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.
Jas 3:2	For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.

1Jo 4:18

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon defines the word translated as ’done away‘ found in 1 Corinthians 13:8 and 10 as,

Strong’s Number: 2673	Browse Lexicon
Original Word Word Origin katargeo from (2596) and (691) Transliterated Word TDNT Entry Katargeo 1:452,76 Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech kat-arg-eh’-o Verb
Definition
to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative to cause a person or thing to have no further efficiency to deprive of force, influence, power to cause to cease, put an end to, do away with, annul, abolish to cease, to pass away, be done away to be severed from, separated from, discharged from, loosed from any one to terminate all intercourse with one

The Greek word is found in the follow verses:

Lu 13:7

“And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’

Ro 3:3	What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?
Ro 3:31	Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.
Ro 4:14	For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;
Ro 6:6	knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin;
Ro 7:2	For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.
Ro 7:6	But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

1Co 1:28	and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are,
1Co 2:6	Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away;
1Co 6:13	Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food; but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord is for the body.
1Co 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.
1Co 13:10	but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
1Co 13:11	When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
1Co 15:24	then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:26	The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

2Co 3:7	But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,
2Co 3:11	For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
2Co 3:13	and are not as Moses, who used to put a veil over his face that the sons of Israel might not look intently at the end of what was fading away.
2Co 3:14	But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.

Ga 3:17	What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.
Ga 5:4	You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
Ga 5:11	But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.

Eph 2:15

by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,

2Th 2:8

And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;

2Ti 1:10

but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

Heb 2:14

Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;

The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon defines the word translated as ’cease‘ found in 1 Corinthians 13:8 as,

Strong’s Number: 3973	Browse Lexicon
Original Word Word Origin pauo a root verb (“pause”) Transliterated Word TDNT Entry Pauo None Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech pow’-o Verb
Definition
to make to cease or desist to restrain a thing or person from something to cease, to leave off have got release from sin no longer stirred by its incitements and seductions

The Greek word is found in,

Lu 5:4	And when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
Lu 8:24	And they came to Him and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.
Lu 11:1	And it came about that while He was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”

Ac 5:42	And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
Ac 6:13	And they put forward false witnesses who said, “This man incessantly speaks against this holy place, and the Law;
Ac 13:10	and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?
Ac 20:1	And after the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he departed to go to Macedonia.
Ac 20:31	“Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
Ac 21:32	And at once he took along some soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

1Co 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.

Eph 1:16

do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;

Col 1:9

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Heb 10:2

Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins?

1Pe 3:10	For, “Let him who means to love life and see good days, Refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile.
1Pe 4:1	Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon defines the word translated as ’known‘ found in 1 Corinthians 13:12 as,

Strong’s Number: 1921	Browse Lexicon
Original Word Word Origin epiginosko from (1909) and (1097) Transliterated Word TDNT Entry Epiginosko 1:689,119 Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech ep-ig-in-oce’-ko Verb
Definition
to become thoroughly acquainted with, to know thoroughly to know accurately, know well to know to recognise by sight, hearing, of certain signs, to perceive who a person is to know i.e. to perceive to know i.e. to find out, ascertain to know i.e. to understand

The Greek word is found in,

Mt 7:16	“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?
Mt 7:20	“So then, you will know them by their fruits.
Mt 11:27	“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
Mt 14:35	And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick;
Mt 17:12	but I say to you, that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”

Mr 2:8	And immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?
Mr 5:30	And immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?”
Mr 6:33	And the people saw them going, and many recognized them, and they ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them.
Mr 6:54	And when they had come out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him,

Lu 1:4	so that you might know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.
Lu 1:22	But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute.
Lu 5:22	But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?
Lu 7:37	And behold, there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume,
Lu 23:7	And when he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time.
Lu 24:16	But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.
Lu 24:31	And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

Ac 3:10	and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Ac 4:13	Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
Ac 9:30	But when the brethren learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.
Ac 12:14	And when she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate.
Ac 19:34	But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Ac 22:24	the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way.
Ac 22:29	Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately let go of him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains.
Ac 23:28	“And wanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Council;
Ac 24:8	ordering his accusers to come before you.] And by examining him yourself concerning all these matters, you will be able to ascertain the things of which we accuse him.”
Ac 24:11	since you can take note of the fact that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship.
Ac 25:10	But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know.
Ac 27:39	And when day came, they could not recognize the land; but they did observe a certain bay with a beach, and they resolved to drive the ship onto it if they could.
Ac 28:1	And when they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.

Ro 1:32

and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

1Co 13:12	For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.
1Co 14:37	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.
1Co 16:18	For they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.

2Co 1:13	For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end;
2Co 1:14	just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.
2Co 6:9	as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death,
2Co 13:5	Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you– unless indeed you fail the test?

Col 1:6

which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;

1Ti 4:3

men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.

2Pe 2:21

For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them.

The word translated as ‘done away’, katargeo, basically means to inactivate, or cease. While the word translated as ‘cease’, pauo, basically means to cease, end, or stop.   So, the use of these terms used as they are to describe what will happen to three different gifts (prophecy – done away, tongues – cease, knowledge – done away), is what is known as parallelism. Parallelism is defined by Dictionary.com, The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/parallelism accessed: February 17, 2009) as, “the use of identical or equivalent syntactic constructions in corresponding clauses or phrases.” This is where either the same or different terms say roughly the same thing. This was a common method of reiterating or comparing things in Hebrew. It is also commonly used today in English, particularly when trying to make a point or in poems. So in essence, ‘done away’ and ‘cease’ mean the same thing.

When we look at the word translated as ‘complete’, teleios,we see it means complete, perfect, or mature. But there is no indication of what this refers to. What we do see is that verse 12 tells us we will ‘see face to face’ and ‘will know fully’. The term translated as ‘known’, epiginosko, means to know, recognize, ascertain. This word is used in verse 12 to indicate we will be ‘fully known’.

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.

But to what does this refer? Let us realize the gifts of prophecy, knowledge, and tongues will be done away, cease. So it is obvious this means they will end. Why and when are the questions at hand.

We have to recognize that this will occur in Paul’s future. Otherwise Paul would not have then gone on to present regulations for the use of tongues and prophecy in chapter 14. But we are not told many details of when this would happen. What we ARE told is that these things are only partially effective. That is to say verse 9 tells us

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

Therefore, it is obvious that any knowledge or prophecy is only incomplete knowledge or prophecy – incomplete information sent by God. I say by God because in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 we see,

⁴Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. ⁶ There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

⁷ But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸ For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

So God gives these gifts, for the common good (most likely of the Church). But this still does not address either when or why they (or some part of them, sign gifts), will cease.

But I think that why these gifts will cease is tied to when when these gifts will end, which we see in verses 10-12

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.

They will cease when we know fully. They will cease BECAUSE we will know fully. We will have no further need for messages from God. We will know fully.

As we’ve seen, the term translated as ‘perfect’ can mean finished, complete, perfect, or mature. The perfect must refer to either Christ upon His second coming, judgement day, the New Jerusalem (Galatians 4:26), or when we are in heaven, or the codification of the Bible.

It can not be the latter, because there will be prophecy in the last days  (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17; Revelation 11:3). So we will still not know fully until after the last days. Obviously, the Scriptures do not allow us to ‘know fully’ (verse 12). Additionally, although we cannot be certain, I doubt Paul had the idea the codification of the New Testament  in his mind when he wrote that. We certainly see no evidence of the codification of the New Testament in scripture, nor that Paul thought it would occur.

When the gift of knowledge is done away with, there will be no more knowledge that people get only from God that others do not. But the 144,000 sealed servants of God will know a song that no one else can learn. Therefore, it can not refer to Christ on His second coming (Revelation 14:1-5).

Likewise, since we are with Christ (who is on the throne in heaven), it can not be heaven. I say this because many believers have fallen asleep, as Paul put it. Yet prophecy and knowledge will still be gifts when Christ returns.

It could conceivably be Judgment Day (Revelation 20:11-15), as there is no mention of knowledge given by God to someone that others do not have after that point. However, There is still knowledge that people do NOT have – what each person has done for which they are being judged.

Therefore, I think it is more likely that it is when the new heaven comes (Revelation 21). It is at this point when God will dwell with men and says, “It is done” (Revelation 21). It is at this point when men will see God’s face and there will no longer be any curse (Revelation 22:3-4).

Thus, we see the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge, will be done away when men are with God in the new heaven, when they see Him face to face, when we know fully.

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