I can't find the post. I think it was CD1, that the greater gift is
With all due respect, based on your reply I see you are seeking to justify what you believe and not seeking/understanding truth. For you to say the exact opposite of what scripture says is not surprising.
As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; Of course you're going to say it doesn't say in the first century.
I think you are doing the same. 'The first century' part is not in the Bible. We were not resurrected in the first century. Paul is still deceased.
We should interpret I Corinthians 13 in light of the rest of the teaching of the epistle. These are some statements from chapter 1.
5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Paul mentions ideas he will go into more detail into in the rest of the book. He describes utterance and knowledge here. Utterance shows up in the treatment of tongues and prophecy later. In verse 7, we see that he wished or expected that they lack any spiritual gift while waiting for the Lord Jesus to come back.
Look at some of the concepts in the passage we are discussing in I Corinthians 13 and compare them to those discussed in the next two chapters.
I Corinthians 13
1. tongues 2. prophecy 3. the coming of the perfect
I Corinthians 14-15
1. tongues 2. prophecy 3. the resurrection of the dead at the return of Christ.
If they didn't cease in the first century, then they're not going to cease.
That doesn't follow, logically.
Also, look at what Paul says in this very chapter we are discussing, I Corinthians 13.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Paul applies this to himself. When the perfect comes, it will make his speech, understanding and thoughts that he had the.... when he was writing scripture.... like a child's in comparison to what they will be like when the perfect comes. At the return of Christ whether we are resurrected or alive and remain, we will be transformed as we see in chapter 15 of this same book. Paul will experience that.
Suppose you want to stretch the interpretation, and say he's talking about the Bible being written in the first century or the KJV being translated in 1611, or something along those lines... but you say he's talking about us, too. So when the Bible was completed, did all Christians become so mature in their speech, understanding, and thought that Paul was like a baby in comparison? I think it is obvious that many believers nowadays do not understand the gospel as well as Paul did. If you are still learning from Paul's writings, you have disproved the idea that Paul was writing about the Bible here.
Growing up one of my best friends dad was an Assembly of God preacher. The only spiritual gift their group had was speaking in tongues.
How do you know that? Did he have no gift of teaching or exhortation? Why would you make such a judgement?
I dated his sister and she had a bad knee that gave her a lot of pain. They tried but couldn't heal her. My friend eventually took over preaching for his dad. He got colon cancer and died at 59. No one could heal him. I've heard of other "spiritual" groups and as far as healing, they look no different than the rest of the world. Why is it only tongues and not the other spiritual gifts.
Did you pray for your friend? Did he get healed? What would you say to the atheist who said your friend died after you prayed for him, and concluded that there was no God. It seems like a lot of cessationists use similar reasoning to some of the atheists, except the argument is about spiritual gifts instead of the existence of God. What would you say to someone who argues that God does not answer prayer?
Also if you say the only gift he had was tongues, how would his not healing her be evidence against the continuation of the gifts of healing? The New Testament says nothing about that gift ceasing.
Better evidence on the topic comes from the people who ARE healed. When I was in middle school, a classmate who had visibly obvious vision problems-- here eyes' were crossed and weren't normal-- who was healed after an evangelist laid hands on her. You could also read Craig Keener's 1000+ page book called 'Miracles.'
