That Which is Perfect

“But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” 1 Corinthians 13:10

As hard as we might try, I don’t think it is possible for us to fully appreciate what living in another time was like. Even if we divest ourselves of all technology and go into the woods with nothing but basic tools and know-how, the memory of modernization would be ever with us. If nothing else, the clothes we wear, the tools we carry, and the lessons that our forefathers had to figure out but we learned from would give us an advantage over someone living even 100 years ago!

Although I’ve been writing about how we would carry on our daily activities, that is not all that has changed in our world. In Christianity we see slow, gradual changes. These are changes not in fundamental doctrine, but in the way we see and apply some portions of scripture. The main area in which this is seen is in end times prophecy. What seems clear to us today was a mystery to Christian theologians just a few hundred years ago. They had an outline of eschatology, but it wasn’t a fully-formed set of beliefs. If we consider that Peter himself stated he didn’t understand everything Paul wrote about the end times (2 Peter 3:15-16), it is no surprise that our understanding of prophecy has grown and matured as we approach the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This week I bought a new Bible. It is still a King James Version, of course, but it is a little Thomas Nelson Thinline. It had great reviews, a nice cover, and a very readable font for such a small Bible. I didn’t really NEED a new Bible, but I bought it anyway. (Thomas Nelson is not paying me a dime to say nice things about this Bible, I just really like it. If Thomas Nelson is reading this and would like to send me a check, however, I’ll gladly cash it!) 

While I was patiently waiting for Amazon to fulfill my order, I began thinking about how fortunate I am to live in the 21st century with all of its conveniences. We are living in a time when the Word of God is more accessible than any other time in history.

For around $15 I bought this new Bible, and Amazon (with help from the United States Postal Service) delivered it to my house in about 40 hours; less than 2 whole days. I can now use it, give it away, or put it on my shelf with my 25 or so other Bibles. 

In Old Testament times, the Word of God wasn’t nearly as easy to get. The biggest problem, of course, is that the canon of scripture was not completed. Even at the end of Malachi’s life (the last Prophet before the birth of John the Baptist approximately 400 years later), the Bible still had 27 books to be included, what we call the New Testament. 

Back then they had to rely on the Word of God coming to them through either prophets, priests, or leaders. Moses was the first of these “Holy men of God,” who, “spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:21. Down through the ages, these men delivered the Word of God, either through writing or orally. Most of the names we would recognize from Sunday School; David, Solomon, Ezra, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and on and on we could go. 

But there were problems with this system. Some nefarious characters through the ages would claim that they spoke for God when, in fact, they were trying to make a reputation for themselves or someone they worked for. That is why God gave the Israelites very specific instructions on how to weed out false prophets in Deuteronomy.

There were also times in which God spoke through dreams to His people or a person. This happened to Joseph, Pharaoh, and King Nebuchadnezzar. Again, this system could be abused, but God used it several times for His purposes. 

Thankfully, we don’t have to rely on prophets or dreams in order to know what God wants us to know. It’s a good thing, too, because no person who claims to be a prophet today passes God’s litmus test found in Deuteronomy 18:21-22. Instead we have what the Apostle Paul described in 1 Corinthians 13:10 as “perfect,” the complete Word of God. We might debate or disagree about what one passage or another means or how it should be applied, but we have the word of God readily available. It is a gift that we probably take for granted way more than we ought to.

We live in an age where we can be thankful for so many things. The internet, central air conditioning, hand-breaded chicken sandwiches at nearly every major restaurant chain. But one of the greatest blessings we have apart from salvation is our ability to own, read, and study the Word of God for ourselves. Don’t ever take that for granted.