Good morning, Bereans. Today we are
going to be looking at
"the perfect" from 1 Corinthians 13. This is the passage that Mike taught on last
week, I'm not teaching this to correct anything that Mike said because he did
an excellent job. But I have been wanting to teach on "the perfect" for a while,
so I thought that this would be a good time to do it. Hopefully, I'll come at
it from a little different angle than Mike did.
In 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, Paul speaks of the preeminence of love. He says it is of more value than everything else. Life minus love is nothing. The love we are talking about is agape, which is not an emotional feeling but a deliberate choice to act for the best interests of another person. That is indeed true love. It is to put another's need and fulfillment ahead of your own and to act deliberately to help fulfill that need.
Then in verses 4-7 Paul talks about the practice of love—both the positive and the negative aspects of the practical side of love. I like what Mike said last week about putting your name in this passage, David is patient and kind. That should be true, but too often it is not.
Then in verses 8-13, Paul talks about the permanence of love: love never fails. This is a controversial passage but hopefully we will find its study practical and helpful. For our study this morning, I want us to look at the phrase, "the perfect," which occurs in verse 10.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 ESV
What is "the perfect?" This is the crucial phrase in the whole passage. How you interpret verse 8 and verses 11 and 12 is all dependent on how you interpret "the perfect." So, we want to try to understand this phrase before we look at the passage. There are several interpretations attempting to explain the meaning of "the perfect."
1.Some say that "the perfect" refers to the completion of the Bible. It is the completed canon of Scripture that is the perfect. That is a very common interpretation. They tell us that in the first century, they did not have the New Testament as we have it. They relied upon the teaching of prophets, evangelists, apostles and others who spoke bits and pieces of the mind of God, but as the complete written account of the mind of God took shape to form into the New Testament, all the need for these gifts would pass away. It is the claim of those who teach this that as the Word of God, as we think of it, came into being in the written New Testament, these gifts began to fade so that all of the gifts of prophesying and of tongues and of knowledge have all long since ceased, and we are now shut up to the Word of God.
2.Some say that "the perfect" refers to the rapture of the Church. This is one of the more popular views.
3. Some say "the perfect" refers to the maturity of the Church. This view states that when the church reaches its maturity, that's the perfect thing. This is just another way of identifying the rapture because at the rapture, the church is made mature, perfect.
4. Another view says it is the Second Coming; that is that which is "perfect."
5. Some say it is the coming of the New Heavens and New Earth of Revelation 21 and 22; the New Jerusalem is the "perfect."
Now which is it? Is it the completion of the canon, or the rapture, or the maturing of the church, or the Second Coming, or the New Heavens and New Earth? The answer is—yes!
The perfect refers to the maturity of the body at the rapture of the church, which is the second coming of Christ, in AD 70; bringing in the New Heavens and New Earth which closed the cannon.
The word "perfect" is the Greek word teleion. The literature of the New Testament usually equates the Greek word teleion with maturity. In its eight occurrences in Paul's epistles, six are translated "mature." The phrase "the perfect" is often used in the Greek language to speak of a purpose or a goal. In this context, it is the goal of God for the church. What was God's goal for the church?
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29 ESV
The word "conformed" is the Greek word summorphos, which comes from morphe, meaning "the essential character of something, the essential form which never alters." The word Paul uses here is not morphe but summorphos which means "jointly formed." The prefix "sun" denotes "union; with or together." This "sun" prefix tells us that this is a positional association. God predestined those He loved to share Christ's righteousness. This is corporate transformation.
During this transition, the church was growing to maturity. Believers were "being built" for a dwelling place of God. During the transition period, the church was being transformed into the image of Christ. This is speaking about position and not practice. This growth was completed in A.D. 70 when the Lord returned and consummated the New Covenant bringing in the New Heaven and Earth where we see Him face to face. So, the coming again of our Lord for his people brought them to full maturity and closed the canon of Scripture. If that is true, then spiritual gifts have ended.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 ESV
He is saying that the reason that spiritual gifts are transitory is that when we came into a face-to-face relationship with Christ, we entered into a perfect maturity, so there is no longer any need for spiritual gifts. Gifts were for the purpose of maturing the body, and when the body is completely matured, we will no longer need them.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Ephesians 4:11-16 ESV
The word "until" here is the Greek word, mechri which means "up to a certain point" (as preposition of extent (denoting the terminus). It denotes that He gave gifted men to the Church and that will continue until the action of the following aorist subjunctive katantao: "until we all attain."
According to this passage, the gifts were to be used to bring the church from a state of infancy to adulthood. The word translated "mature" in verse 13 is the same word used in 1 Corinthians 13:10, teleion. The purpose of spiritual gifts is to build up the body; once the body is mature, we no longer need spiritual gifts. In this passage in Ephesians, maturity is defined as "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." This happened at the Second Coming. The eschatological emphasis of 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 must not be overlooked if Paul's argument and point of view are to be properly appreciated.
Can we prove that prophecy ended in AD 70 and thus all the gifts and that the Lord Yeshua the Christ returned at that time bringing the church to full maturity and a face-to- face relationship? I think we can—if we take a close look at some texts from the Tanakh. Let's start by looking at Daniel chapter 9. In Daniel 9, the 70 years for the Babylonian captivity were just about over.
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. Daniel 9:1-2 ESV
In verses 1 & 2, Daniel had calculated the number of years of the Babylonian captivity based upon the prophecy of Jeremiah 29:10. He knew that the time was near and he went to God in prayer asking Him to remember his covenant and to restore Israel. The restoration of Israel is at the heart and core of Daniel's prophecy. The angel was sent to speak unto Daniel and this is what he said:
"Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Daniel 9:24 ESV
Daniel was told that 70 weeks had been determined on his people Israel and their city Jerusalem. By the end of this prophetic time period, God promised that six things would be accomplished. One of the things that Daniel was told would happen by the end of that period was that God would "seal both vision and prophet."
If you have done much study using commentaries, you know that there is little that Bible scholars agree on. That gives great force to this phrase because it has almost unanimous agreement of Bible scholars across the board. The Hebrew commentaries are in agreement on the meaning of to "to seal both vision and prophet." They say it means to give or reveal. It is the process of inspiration. But it's not just that. It also means to confirm by the fulfilling of the prophecy. Keil and Delitzsch, highly respected Hebrew authorities, state in volume 9 page 344 of their commentary that "to seal both vision and prophet" means that "Prophecies and prophets are sealed, when by the full realization of all prophecies prophecy ceases, no prophets any more appear." What does "to seal both vision and prophet" mean? Hebrew scholars agree that it means the end and complete fulfillment of all prophecy.
Even John Walvard, who is Mr. Dispensationalist, says this: "probably 'seal up vision and prophecy' is best understood to mean the termination of unusual direct revelation by means of vision and oral prophecy. To seal means that no more is to be added and that what has been predicted will receive Divine conformation in the form of actual fulfillment."
To "seal both vision and prophet" clearly means to give prophecy and fulfill it. Daniel's prophecy, then, tells of the time when all prophecy would cease to be given and what had been given would be fulfilled. When would this be? Daniel's vision ends with the destruction of Jerusalem that occurred in AD 70 (v26). Let's compare Daniel 9:25-27 with Matthew 24:15f where Yeshua said the Abomination of Desolation and his coming would occur in his generation.
Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. And for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. Daniel 9:25-26 ESV
Who is "the prince who is to come" of verse 26? Some say this is the beast. The nearest antecedent for the coming prince in verse 26 would carry us back to the "Messiah the Prince" (verse 25), who was cut off (verse 26). Therefore, Christ becomes the one and only "Prince" in the whole context. The "people of the prince" speaks of the Jewish people who were the ones responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70, when all of the facts of biblical and secular history are considered.
And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator." Daniel 9:27 ESV
In the middle of the 70th week, comes the abomination that makes desolate. When this happened, prophecy ceased. We know from the teaching of Yeshua when this happened.
"So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Matthew 24:15-16 ESV
The "abomination of desolation" is referring to the Roman army in the holy place, which is the city of Jerusalem.
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. Matthew 24:21 ESV
"Then"—when the Roman armies surrounded and laid siege to Jerusalem in AD 67-70. There is no tribulation to equal what happened in AD 67-70, prior to it or after it. The great tribulation is over; it happened in AD 67-70.
Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Matthew 24:34 ESV
"This generation" is the generation that Yeshua was speaking to. The generation that was listening to Yeshua speak would experience all he had spoken of, including the great tribulation and His Second coming.
So, Daniel tells us that his vision ends with the destruction of Jerusalem, which would bring an end to all prophecy. This is exactly what Luke tells us.
"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Luke 21:20-22 ESV
All prophecy was to cease, and be fulfilled by the time Jerusalem was destroyed, which happened in AD 70. What Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13 is that prophecy will end when the perfect comes. This reflects what Daniel said hundreds of years earlier. Prophecy would cease at the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, when the Lord returned with power and glory.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, Ephesians 4:11-13 ESV
Paul says in verse 13, "until;" and there again you have termination. Daniel says prophecy would cease, and Paul says the same thing in 1 Corinthians 13 and Ephesians 4.
If "to seal both vision and prophet" means to give and fulfill all prophecy and if all prophecy is not yet fulfilled, then all prophecy has not yet been given. That would mean that there is still prophecy being given which would mean that the Bible is not compete, and that the Charismatics are right; God is still speaking through the gift of prophecy. Can you live with that?
The charismatic gifts of the Spirit were to continue throughout the last days according to Acts 2.
But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: "‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. Acts 2:16-20 ESV
The last days began at Pentecost and ended in AD 70. The charismata were to continue until the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. If the Lord has not yet come and the Last Days are still in progress, then the charismata still have to be around. The Holy Spirit was to perform His revelatory functions as Paraclete until Christ returned.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26 ESV
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. John 16:13-14 ESV
If Christ has not yet returned, then the Holy Spirit must still be doing His job of revealing all truth. All the revelatory gifts of the Spirit would still be around and the canon of inspired scripture would not be complete. But if the canon of Scripture was complete in the first century, then the gift of prophecy ceased as well. To further emphasis of this point, look with me at 1 Corinthians 1.:
that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Yeshua the Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Yeshua the Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:5-8 ESV
Are the "revealing," "the end," and "day of the Lord" still future? If so, then all the gifts of the Spirit must still be available today because it says that we would not come short of any of them while waiting for the Lord to return. Let's remember the principle of audience relevance. Paul was speaking to the Corinthians in the first century, THEY were eagerly waiting the Second Coming of the Lord Yeshua the Christ. When the Lord returned in AD 70, the Last Days ended and so did the gifts.
Believing that Christ has not yet returned makes indefensible the position that SOME of the gifts have ceased. Believing the last days ended in AD 70 and that the destruction of Jerusalem was God's "Revelation of Yeshua the Christ," completely removes the dilemma and inconsistency! Preterists are not consistent unless they believe the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased, and the futurists are not consistent unless they believe that all of the gifts are still available. You can't say that the perfect has not yet come but that the gift of prophecy has ceased. That is INCONSISTENT!
Let's look at some other Scriptures from the Tanakh that show us when prophecy was to cease.
"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. Isaiah 51:1-3 ESV
Isaiah is calling Israel to remember the Abrahamic promise. The Abrahamic promise involved the redemption of Israel, that is, spiritual Israel. Who is Zion? It is the heavenly Jerusalem, the bride of Christ, the true Israel of God.
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, Hebrews 12:22 ESV
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." Isaiah 52:7 ESV
We know this is a Messianic prophecy because Paul quotes it in Romans 10:15. Now watch the next verse.
The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the LORD to Zion. Isaiah 52:8 ESV
Isaiah said that Israel would be in a face-to-face position when God, in fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise, redeemed Israel. Israel was to see eye to eye when the Lord restored her. When was the Lord going to restore Israel? At the consummation of the 70 weeks of Daniel 9, which was the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. Daniel 9:26 ESV
Israel would see eye to eye when the Lord restored her. Isaiah said in 52:8 that the Lord would restore Israel at the consummation of the 70 weeks; which was the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, according to Daniel 9:24-27. Six blessings are promised at the restoration of Israel.
"Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Daniel 9:24 ESV
1. "Finish the transgression"—in the New heaven and earth, which came at the end of the seventieth week, transgression would be "finished." Through the covenant of mercy, the New Covenant, the curse of the law would be removed.
2. "Put an end to sin"—Ezekiel prophesies of the time when an end would be made of Israel's sins—a time when Israel would be "clean."
I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36:24-28 ESV
This prophecy is synchronous with the seventieth week of Daniel and the new heaven and earth of Revelation 21. This is the promised New Covenant.
3. "To atone for iniquity"—or "to cover iniquity." The sins of Israel would be atoned for and covered or forgiven of God. It would be a time of redemption.
And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob"; "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." Romans 11:26-27 ESV
When did Christ come out of Zion? Not at his first coming but at his second coming. Daniel said that these things would happen at the destruction of Jerusalem, and Paul says they would happen when Christ comes out of Zion.
4. "To bring in everlasting righteousness"— this is the righteousness of Christ that is given to all who believe. This is all believers' position before Yahweh—we are as righteous as Christ.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
5. "To seal both vision and prophet"—the end and complete fulfillment of all prophecy.
6. "To anoint a most holy place"—or the "holy of Holies." The "holy of Holies" was fifteen feet in length, width, and height, or a perfect cube. It symbolized the dwelling place of God. When the earthly tabernacle was destroyed in AD 70, the heavenly tabernacle, the new Jerusalem, was opened to believers.
By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing. Hebrews 9:8 ESV
The New Jerusalem of Revelation 21 is a perfect cube.
The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. Revelation 21:16 ESV
The perfect cube of the holy of holies now finds its fulfillment in the perfect cube of the city of God.
Now, Paul says that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit would cease when Israel would see face-to-face (v12). Therefore, the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased at the consummation of the 70 weeks. We cannot divorce Israel's promise of seeing eye to eye from 1 Corinthians 13, and therefore, we must acknowledge the first-century cassation of the miraculous gifts.
Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; lift up a signal over the peoples. Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him." And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken. Isaiah 62:10-12 ESV
This is the same theme of Isaiah 52:8. They shall see eye to eye when the Lord brings back Zion. Now look at verse 11. "Say to the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him." Now let's go to Matthew 16.
For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." Matthew 16:27-28 ESV
Whose salvation was Yeshua to be? He was to be Israel's salvation. Is he the promised redeemer of Isaiah 62:11? I don't think anyone would argue that. In Matthew 16:27, Yeshua is quoting from Isaiah 62:11. Now, Isaiah 52:8 and 62:11 both speak of the same time and event—the redemption of Israel at the coming of the Lord. Yeshua, quoting Isaiah 62:11, said that his coming for the salvation of Israel, when Israel would see face to face, would be in the lifetime of his first-century disciples. When Israel saw face to face, the miraculous would cease, and this was to happen in the lifetime of the first- century disciples at AD 70, when Jerusalem was destroyed.
If Matthew 16:27-28 was fulfilled at Pentecost, as some say, then the miraculous ended at Pentecost. But this the time when they began.
So, what have we seen? Paul said that prophecy would cease when the perfect came. Daniel said prophecy is to end at the destruction of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70. Therefore, the "Perfect," of verse 10, has come! The "perfect" referred to the Second Coming of Christ that took place in AD 70. It brought in the New Heaven and Earth where we see Him face to face. So, the coming again of our Lord for his people brought them to full maturity and closed the canon of Scripture. This means that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit have come to an end. The gifts were for the period of the "last days;" so when the last days ended, so did the gifts.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV
Let's talk about seeing the Lord face to face. What does that mean? In Paul's day, a mirror was formed from polished metal, usually bronze, tin, or silver. One's reflection in such an object was dim at best. Yet Paul promises that the dim image (OC) reflecting back from polished metal will give way to a face-to-face encounter (NC).
Seeing God face to face is the idea of being in his presence. Face to face is an idiom for the Day of Atonement. Because on the Day of Atonement the priest could be in Yahweh's presence. It was on the Day of Atonement that the High Priest had to go behind the veil of the Temple into the holy of holies. At that point, the High Priest was face to face with the mercy seat of Yahweh.
Notice what John writes his second epistle.
Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. 2 John 1:12 ESV
The expression "talk face to face" in the Greek is stoma pros stoma which is literally "to talk mouth to mouth.'" John wanted to be with them, to be in their presence, to talk to them in person.
Paul says, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face"— "now" is during the transition period. "Then" is when the perfect comes at the second coming of Christ.
So, since the Lord has returned all believers are fact to face with Him. Do you agree with that? What does it mean to be fact to face with the Lord? This is talking about positional truth. Our spiritual position is that we are in the presence of God. We are seated in heaven.
and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Yeshua, Ephesians 2:6 ESV
This is our position before God. We are in God's presence, seated in heaven, face to face with Yahweh. Where are we in experientially? We are seated in a building at 945 Reon drive. To confuse these will give you a wacky theology. A preterist on YouTube said that "In Christ the present life is the afterlife and immortality." No, it is not. In the present life we have immortality but we are not in the afterlife. The present life is lived in our humanity; we are pilgrims on this earth. Once this body physically dies, we will move into the heavenly realm in a spiritual body. When we die, we will experientially be in heaven and be seated in heavenly places. We will experientially see Yahweh face to face. I think that many preterists act as if we are in our final abode, but we are not. Heaven, the dwelling place of God, is our ultimate destination.
There is a lot of confusion today about Spiritual gifts. Do you know why that is? It's because the gifts were for the last days, and when the last days ended, so did the gifts. This is why so many believers have no clue as to what their gifts are. They don't have one.
Listen carefully to the definition of spiritual gifts: A spiritual gift was a God-given capacity through which the Holy Spirit SUPERNATURALLY ministered to the church. If the gift of teaching was functioning today, wouldn't all teachers be saying the same thing? If it is a supernatural function of the Holy Spirit, would the Holy Spirit be teaching different things?
The talents and abilities that we have come from God and are to be used for His glory. God providentially leads, guides, and uses us for His glory. Spiritual Gifts were for the age of immaturity, and they are no longer needed or given.
I have good news for you. You can stop wasting your time trying to figure out what you Spiritual Gift is and just be busy serving Him with all the talents and abilities He has given you. The perfect is come and love is a priority in this age. Let's focus on loving one another. "The greatest of these is love."