by R. C. Oliver
[continued from last week]
Notice please that no man had it all, but that each man had a part. Each man had one or more
of the spiritual gifts nine of which are mentioned in 1 Corinthians chapter 12:8-10. Paul said they
would know in part and prophesy in part “but” he states, when “that which is perfect is come, then
that which is in part shall be done away.” That is, all nine of the gifts that are mentioned in 1
Corinthians 12:8-10 will be done away when “that which is perfect is come.” Now the question is
this: What is that which is perfect? Someone replies by saying, why, Jesus is that which is perfect.
However, for one to so affirm not only reflects upon his intelligence, but it is a dishonor to Christ,
for no one who knows anything at all about the language will affirm that the pronouns “that which”
refer to a person. I might say, “he who” or perhaps in a rather awkward and careless manner even
“he which” is my neighbor is a good man. I would never say, “That which” is my neighbor is a
good man. We simply do not refer to a person as “that which”. Only such men as are unlearned or
unstable would do such violence to the language. Peter says that it is the “unlearned and unstable”
who “wrest” or “twist” the scriptures to their own destruction. See 2 Peter 3:16-17. In verse 17 he
tells us “beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own
steadfastness.”
Someone might add, “Is not Jesus spoken of as “that which” in Matthew 1:20, where the
angel speaking to Joseph concerning Mary, says, “That which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Ghost.” Indeed, Jesus in the fetus state is spoken of as “that which” in much the same manner that
we refer to a little baby as “it” today. However, once the child is born, and once the sex is
determined, or made known, we no longer speak of even a baby as “it” today.
“That which” therefore refers to some perfect thing that was to come, and once it came, these
things in part were to cease to be practiced in the church. Now, what is that “which is perfect”?
James speaks of the “law of liberty” the law that liberates us from our sins, as the “perfect law of
liberty”(James 1:25). Once the New Testament law was revealed and made permanent these gifts
then passed away. They ceased being practiced in the church.
Someone might question, “But wasn’t all knowledge to cease whenever that which is perfect
came?” Certainly not “all knowledge” is to ever cease. Only the knowledge of which Paul speaks
in the context was to cease. This is the supernatural knowledge that was given to some of the early
disciples in the form as one of the nine spiritual gifts. This was a knowledge for which these men
did not have to study. It was a spiritual gift and qualified the men to know the will of the Lord. It
qualified certain ones to teach in the early church. Indeed, there will never be a time when all
knowledge in general will cease, and certainly no one who is thinking right will think that such is
going to happen when Jesus comes again. If all knowledge, in general, is to cease when Jesus
comes, this would mean that God would no longer know anything. It would mean that Christ would
no longer know anything. It would mean that the angels would no longer know anything, and it
would mean that we would no longer know anything. Surely there will never be a time when all
knowledge will cease, but supernatural knowledge, as a gift of the Spirit, did cease at the close of
the apostolic age. It ceased when the New Testament in permanent form which is “that which is
perfect” came.
—from Light For Our Age, April 2025
Editor’s Note: R.C. Oliver taught in the Bible and English departments at Freed-Hardeman
University from 1965 until his retirement in 1982. He was an accomplished English grammarian.
He was a gospel preacher and polished debater. His rational, conversational pulpit delivery was
impressive and powerful.