Brought to an Intended End (τέλειος)

1 Corinthians 13:10

In 1 Corinthians 13:10, Paul writes of a time when a complete thing (τέλειος) will render ineffective that which is out from a part. Misinterpretations stemming from poor translations and hermeneutical approaches—particularly the rendering of "perfect" instead of "complete"—have caused significant confusion, especially regarding the cessation of specific spiritual gifts and prophecy within the assembly. The Greek word τέλειος (telios), as used in 1 Corinthians 13:10, does not carry the same meaning as the English concept of “perfect”. Rather, it conveys completion through bringing something to its intended end. Whether or not it is without flaw has to do with what the goal, or intent, was for that thing.

When Scripture articulates the concept of maturity in relation to humans, it always refers to a person’s earthly lifestyle rather than their resurrected state. In other contexts, the term indicates completion, as exemplified by the greater and more complete Tabernacle in the heavens that Christ entered to obtain eternal salvation in Hebrews 9:11. In 1 Corinthians 2:6, Paul writes that he speaks a wisdom for the mature, not a wisdom of this malignantly evil age. Paul employs the same concept of maturity while addressing the Christians in Jerusalem, who had reverted to living under the law and failed to train their senses to discern what is proper from what is lacking in character.

Solid food is for the mature, whereas milk is for the inarticulate babbler (Hebrews 5:14). Due to their lack of maturity, they need someone again to teach them the basics of the oracles of God. In 1 Corinthians 4:20, Paul uses τέλειος (telios) for maturity in understanding in contrast to being an inarticulate babbler. In doing things that are wrong, lacking in character, we are to be inarticulate babblers but not in understanding, for the Spiritual gift of speaking in another language was prophesied about and is a sign to the unbelieving Jews.

Through this, we understand that there are specific Spiritual gifts which are no longer active within the assembly because their purpose has been completed. These gifts are the revelatory and sign gifts such as prophecy, word of knowledge, healing, working of miracles, Speaking in another language, and such like. Thus, in 1 Corinthians 13:10, Paul is not writing about our future resurrected state but rather a time when that which is out from a part has been brought to completion.

Since the English concept of “perfect” is not expressed in the original letter to the Corinthians, Paul refers to something that is brought to completion that must be derived from the context of the letter. He writes, “but when the complete (mature) thing comes, the [thing] out from a part is rendered ineffective.” This “completed thing” cannot grammatically refer to humans because of its linguistic form; it refers to an inanimate object.

Up to this point, Paul has been prophesying “out from a part.” However, when the “complete thing” comes, that which is “out from a part” is no longer effective because the mystery will have been fully revealed. Prophecy within the assembly served the purpose of providing new information for the Church. Since its purpose is to reveal instructions from God, it cannot be the “complete thing”. Rather, the “complete” thing that prophecy reveals in parts is the mystery from God, which had not been fully disclosed when Paul wrote to the Corinthian saints.

Paul understood that a day was quickly approaching in which the mystery would be completely manifested. Once that occurred, prophecy and the gift of knowledge would no longer be effective within the Church, as she would then possess the full revelation of the mystery God intended to disclose to her.

On a technical note, the Greek language is an incredibly precise linguistic system. The original books of the Bible were letters without chapter and verse breaks. When we abide by the grammatical rules related to the language and apply proper hermeneutics to this first letter to the Corinthian saints, the meaning of 1 Corinthians 13:10 becomes clear.

The Greek word often translated as “perfect” (more accurately rendered as “mature”) must agree with the noun it modifies. Its grammatical form does not agree with “prophecy” indicating that Paul is not referring to the completion of prophecy itself. Prophecy originates “out from a part,” it is not the entire revelation. Similarly, this term cannot refer to a person in a resurrected state because its grammatical structure does not correspond to the word for "resurrection." Instead, the term "mature" in this passage refers back to the concept Paul introduced earlier in the letter, specifically the "mystery of God" mentioned in 1 Corinthians 2:1. No other word prior to 1 Corinthians 13:8 agrees grammatically with the form of "mature" used in this passage.

To suggest that Paul is referring to the resurrected state by translating the word as “perfect” adds an idea to the text that ignores the context. Paul is discussing Spiritual gifts and their function within the assemblies, not the completion of our redemption. He indicates that when the mystery of God is fully revealed to the Church, the Church will no longer need what was given “out from a part.” When we are of full age, we put aside childish things, just as Christians who mature in understanding leave behind the things of an inarticulate babbler.

At the beginning of the Church, while God was revealing everything He was doing, they saw “as in a mirror dimly lit”. Paul’s use of the word “then” points to a future moment in the Church’s development when the full revelation of the mystery would bring clarity, enabling the Church to see "face to face." However, interpreting “then” to mean seeing Christ in the future is a significant misstep. Such an interpretation violates the context of Paul’s discussion and inserts an idea not present in the passage.

Now that we possess the full revelation of the mystery, we see “face to face”, not as in a dimly lit mirror. God has revealed the entire mystery to us, giving us all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). This enables us to grow into a mature man through the full experiential knowledge of the Son of God to the measure of the stature of who we are in Christ. As a result, we will no longer be tossed around by every wind of doctrine by the teachings of men who seek to deceive the saints.