tongueschart.pub Faith and Hope (see ‘A’ on back page) There is only one faith and one hope (Eph. 4:4-6) and they are in our unseen Lord. We are told that “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see ... hope that is seen is no hope at all ... we live by faith, not by sight” (Heb. 11:1; Rom. 8:24; 2 Cor. 5:7). So, when we see Jesus our faith and hope will be complete. 1 Cor. 12:9 tells us that faith is one of the gifts to the church and like all the other gifts it will not continue on into eternity but will cease when we see Jesus. Only love is eternal. The word ‘remain’ 1 Cor. 13:13 says, “and now these three remain: faith, hope and love.” The word ‘remain’ implies that something else does not remain. If we go back to 1 Cor. 13:8, we are told of the things which will not remain (tongues, prophecy and knowledge). From these verses we can see that the three items in v. 8 must cease at some point in order for the three items of v. 13 to remain. Downloaded from: http://www.ChristianIssues.biz/ Email: leeandmick@gmail.com (KJV also available) Some items cease, leaving some to remain From the previous two sections we can see that: 1. Faith, hope and love remain until Jesus returns and 2. Tongues, prophecy and knowledge must cease before that time. It is not possible for the items which are targeted to cease to actually remain until Jesus returns as this would be saying that nothing will cease and all will remain. The Scriptures clearly tell us that tongues, prophecy and knowledge will cease while faith, hope and love will remain (see ’A’ on back). The question now is, “When were tongues, prophecy and knowledge meant to cease?” Prophecy, knowledge and perfection 1 Cor. 13:9-10 tell us that when “perfection” comes, the “imperfect” will disappear. When our perfect Lord comes everything will change. However, the coming of the “perfection” spoken of in 1 Cor. 13:9-10 will change only two things and they were said to be “in part”. Why is this? The reason prophecy and knowledge were said to be “in part” was because, when 1 Corinthians was written, the Bible itself was still “in part” so the prophecy and knowledge available to mankind was incomplete. When the Bible was completed (perfect) it then contained all the prophecy and knowledge which God wanted us to have … perfection had come to the written Word and as prophecy and knowledge were no longer “in part” these gifts disappeared. For this reason, nothing can be added to the Bible today. Tongues, being a sign to the Jews, ceased as its purpose had also been served. [The prophecy and knowledge which have ceased are future prophecy and supernatural knowledge such as God’s salvation plan, church guidelines etc which God gave to particular men to write the Bible. Today, we are told to grow in Biblical knowledge and to prophecy in the form of Biblical exposition, as in 1 Cor. 14:24-25, which will edify believers and convert souls.] Summing it up 1. For things to remain, things had to cease. 2. Tongues, prophecy and knowledge were targeted to cease when the Bible was completed. 3. Faith and hope continue to remain with us but will only remain until the appearing of our blessed hope (1Pet. 1:9, Tit. 2:13). 4. Love, being eternal, will never cease because it is the greatest of all … 1 Cor. 13:13. For a more detailed explanation, download the following two books and small articles from http://www.ChristianIssues.biz/tongues.html - Today’s Tongues ............................................................. http://www.christianissues.biz/pdf-bin/tongues/todaystongues.pdf All About Speaking In Tongues ...................................... http://www.christianissues.biz/pdf-bin/tongues/allaboutspeakingintongues.pdf 1) Tongues Have Ceased - A Brief Summary ................. http://www.christianissues.biz/pdf-bin/tongues/tonguessummary.pdf 2) Comments on 1 Cor. 14 .............................................. http://www.christianissues.biz/pdf-bin/tongues/1cor14.pdf 3) 1 Cor. 13:10 and the term ‘face to face’...................... http://www.christianissues.biz/pdf-bin/heraldofhope/qanda/18.pdf 4) Face to face and the Laver........................................... http://www.christianissues.biz/pdf-bin/tongues/thelaver.pdf 5) Tongues As A Sign Of Judgment................................ http://www.christianissues.biz/pdf-bin/tongues/tonguesasasign.pdf A SIMPLE TONGUES CHART Modified 28 May 08 (NIV version) The term ‘face to face’’ 1 Cor. 13:11 speaks of maturing in the here and now, not when Jesus returns. V.12 mentions a mirror - mirrors are for reflection ... to see ourselves. Jam. 1:23-25 connect the perfect Word of God with a mirror and it is through the Bible that we mature and come ‘face to face’ with our sinful self as it “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). Also, just as God knows us fully, through the Bible we can fully know His plans and purposes from Genesis to Revelation. [Before service to the Lord, the priests washed in the Laver which was made from the women’s brass mirrors. Today, the priesthood of God is cleansed by washing in the water of the Word (Eph 5:26)] (see ‘B’) A SIMPLE TONGUES CHART This chart plus the books Today’s Tongues, All About Speaking In Tongues and Tongues Shall Cease are all free to download from: www.ChristianIssues.biz/tongues.html Mick Alexander leeandmick@gmail.com www.ChristianIssues.biz (Please read other side first) A - Faith and hope cease when we see Jesus. It is often argued that there is more than one faith but Eph. 4:4-6 tell us that "There is one body and one Spirit ... one hope ... one Lord, one faith, one baptism .. one God and Father of all." The Bible tells us that "we live by faith, not by sight" and that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (2 Cor. 5:7 & Heb. 11:1). Our faith is in Jesus, to return and bring us to eternal life as stated in Heb. 9:28 ... "he will appear a second time ... to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Our faith will end with the salvation of our souls as we are told in 1 Pet. 1:9 ... "you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." The word 'goal' in this verse can be translated as end, conclusion or termination so when we see Jesus our salvation will be complete and our faith will have reached its conclusion. Regarding hope, Titus 2:13 states that "we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" so clearly our hope is in seeing Jesus. When we see the Lord, hope will end as "hope that is seen is no hope at all". Rom. 8:24. In 1 Cor. 13:8-13 there are six items mentioned. Consider them to be six brothers - Tongues, Prophecy, Knowledge, Faith, Hope and Love. The first three die (cease) at some point in time leaving the other three to live on (remain). Some time later, the next two pass on and this leaves the last brother, Love, who lives forever. This is the timing sequence given in 1 Cor. 13:8-13. Tongues, prophecy and knowledge cease first, then faith and hope cease when Jesus returns, leaving love to remain forever. B - Face to face, mirrors and the perfect Word of God. In Ex. 33:11, Moses spoke to the Lord face to face. We know that this is figurative because in v.20 the Lord said that no one could see His face and live. We have the same thing in 1 Cor. 13:12. Just as Moses received the Word of God from God Himself, without seeing His face, we can come face to face with Him through the Bible. Note how James 1:23-25 links the perfect Word of God with a mirror. [The Laver was made from the women's brass mirrors and used by the Priests to wash themselves before service to the Lord while today the church (the priesthood of God) is made holy "by the washing with water through the word" (Eph. 5:25- 27).] 1 Cor. 13:12 says that 'now' - before the coming of the perfect - believers saw poorly, just like the poor reflection in the brass mirrors of that time. The verse goes on to say 'but then' - when perfection comes - believers would see face to face, just as with today’s good mirrors. The letters to the church give us full insight into our sinful nature and God's future plans. Before Scripture was completed believers could only see things dimly but when the full revelation came they could then see their wicked selves fully and also fully know God's plan and purpose from Genesis to Revelation, just as He knows us fully. 1 Cor. 13:11 speaks of manhood and putting away childish ways. In 1 Cor. 14:20, with regards to speaking in tongues, the Corinthians are told to stop thinking like children and the text goes on in vs. 21-22 to say that tongues is simply a sign to 'this people', the Jews.