But when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away.
οταν δε ελθη το τελειον τοτε το εκ μερους καταργηθησεται
11 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Therefore it is not knowledge that will be abolished, but the incompleteness of knowledge, because we shall know not only this, but much more. I will explain this with an example. Now we know that God exists everywhere, but we do not know how. We know that He created all existing things from nothing, but we do not know in what manner. We know that He was born of the Virgin, but we do not know how. Then we shall know these things more fully and more clearly.
When perfect knowledge comes, that is, the knowledge proper to the future life, then we shall no longer know only as much as we know now, but far more. For example, even now we know that God exists everywhere, but we do not know how this is. We know that the Virgin gave birth, but we do not know how this is. Then we shall know something greater and more profitable concerning these mysteries.
As faith working through love begins to penetrate the soul, by its living power it is reflected outward in good. Thus those who are holy and perfect in heart acquire the features of that ineffable beauty, to see which is supreme blessedness. Beginning from faith, we are also perfected outwardly.
Although something greater is continually added to each person according to the measure of his progress, it will never reach perfection until the perfect comes, when that which is in part will cease.
For now we know only in part. Then we shall be able to understand what is perfect. Then no longer the shadow, but the very truth of God’s majesty and eternity, will begin to shine upon us and be opened to our sight.
The Apostle Paul indicated that all gifts of grace will cease, since they cannot know as much as Truth itself contains. We cannot grasp or recount the fullness of truth. For who can make the human tongue encompass all that belongs to God? Thus our imperfection is destroyed, but what is true will not be abolished. Only insofar as it is joined to the imperfect and incomplete will it be destroyed. The cessation of the imperfect consists in this: the imperfect is perfected and filled in the truth.
For childish knowledge is superfluous for those who have reached maturity. The divine Apostle also used this likeness.
[...] St. Nilus also speaks of perfection: "Two perfections must be understood, one temporal and the other eternal. The Apostle writes about the latter: 'When the perfect comes, then what is in part will be abolished' (1 Cor 13:10).
The words 'when the perfect comes' show that here we cannot contain divine perfection."
Again: "Divine Paul knows two perfections. He acknowledges one and the same man as both perfect and imperfect. In relation to the present life he calls him perfect, but in relation to the true perfection proper to him, imperfect.
Therefore he says, 'Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of it.' A little later he says, 'Let us, as many as are perfect, be thus minded'" (Phil 3:12, 15).
Love is the one good that never ceases. "Love never fails, though prophecies will cease, tongues will be silent, and knowledge will vanish."
When will this cessation occur? In the future age. Prophecy will then be superfluous, for the realities themselves will be present. Knowledge of tongues will be useless after their differences have been abolished.
Lesser knowledge will also cease when greater knowledge is given (Theodoret).
"For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when the perfect comes, then what is in part will cease," and so forth.
Therefore it is not knowledge that will be abolished, as St. Chrysostom explains, but the incompleteness of knowledge. For in the future age we shall know much more.
As if returning again to a comparative definition of the significance of love, the Apostle Paul shows its advantage over the others in that it is constant and eternal.
The gifts of prophecies, abilities to speak in various tongues, and forms of knowledge will lose their significance in the future life, because there everything will become manifest.
Love will not only not lose its significance, but on the contrary will attain its highest satisfaction in God and in the mutual love of all the righteous.
The Apostle does not define much about the future. Even the seer of mysteries, John the Theologian, does not define this fully when he says, "It has not yet appeared what we shall be" (1 Jn 3:2).
Yet Paul, wishing to make the thought of the transformation of our future knowledge fully accessible to the Corinthians, gives an example. In it our present knowledge is compared with childish knowledge.
Everyone knows from personal experience that childish knowledge is far different from the knowledge found in maturity.
The Apostle expresses the same thing by comparing knowledge of an object through its reflection in a mirror with direct contemplation of it. In a mirror, objects are always reflected from only one side.
But by direct sight one can see the whole object. To this the Apostle adds that then we shall know all things, as we also are known.
According to St. John Chrysostom's explanation, the meaning of these words is not that we shall know Him, God, as He knows us.
Rather, just as He Himself has now condescended to us, so we shall then attain to Him. We shall learn many things now hidden and be counted worthy of blessed converse and wisdom.
“Therefore it is not knowledge that will be abolished, but the incompleteness of knowledge, because we shall know not only this, but much more. I will explain this with an example. Now we know that God is everywhere, but we do not know how. We know that He created all existing things from nothing, but we do not know in what manner. We know that He was born of the Virgin, but we do not know how. Then we shall know this more fully and more clearly” (Saint Chrysostom).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 9 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS