Again, this is a straw man argument. If the perfect comes when Jesus returns, that does not mean that the Greek word for 'the perfect' has to agree grammatically with the word for Jesus.
I think you are overthinking this. I don't think a perfect knowledge of Greek would help you either. It's an issue of semantics. You can see the same thing in English translation. If you way "when that which is perfect is come" refers to what happens when Jesus returns and the dead are raised and transformed (we shall be like Him for we will see Him as He is), 'that which is perfect' does not have to agree grammatically with Jesus. It stands on it's own as a noun phrase.
PAUL WOULD HAVE JUST SAID
WHEN JESUS COMES.
or some variation of Jesus Coming - like
every other time that was his point.
talk about overworking it
can't win with you guys.
If you think that 'that' in 'that which is perfect' is a substantive 'that', a physical thing, your analysis of Greek should be enough to show that there is no support for that. The phrase is a translation of 'to teleion' and others might describe it as 'perfection' or 'the perfect.' Or they might go with a more modern word like complete or mature.
a physical THING?
how many times do i have to say I DO NOT USE THE NOTION OF A COMPLETED CANON - as in the Book you now hold in your hands (if you do). though this is certainly the teleios of all God's Revelation to us....i MEAN when the last word FROM GOD was spoken and circulated.
We don't interpret 'that' in 'that which is in part' to be a substantive 'that', to be a physical object. If you see 'that' as a thing, then wouldn't that mean, according to your interpretation, that when the canon was complete, the parts of the canon in existence in Paul's time would be done away with?
answered above.
neither did PAUL mean a PHYSICAL thing - he was talking about REVELATION (revelatory knowledge - doctrine - understanding - God's Plan - instructions - Will - Plan - full disclosure)...how many synonyms do you NEED?
Definition of REVELATORY
: of or relating to revelation : serving to reveal something
Webster's
is this REALLY that hard?
But that makes no sense in the context. Paul will have far superior knowledge after the perfect comes than he did before it. Paul will know fully as he is known. This makes sense if we are talking about Paul seeing Jesus and being transformed to be like him. It doesn't make sense to propose that we who read Paul's and the other apostle's writings will have far superior knowledge to them.
you DON'T have more information that they did as they RECEIVED IT?
of course you do!
you have IT ALL.
okay......let's pretend YOU are Paul, okay? (apply this to everyone he spoke to face to face in the churches AT THAT TIME...okay?)
there you are Paul - going around after being called and sent out.
The Lord is REVEALING things to you IN REAL TIME. you live in the 1st century, and you have SEEN Jesus...so you are a witness with authority and power.
God is REVEALING things to you for the New Testament documents we NOW call the Bible.
are you with me so far?
...
The Lord has
JUST revealed to you
a MYSTERY - something not fully revealed
until He showed it to YOU, PresidentePaul.
so what do you do?
you WRITE IT DOWN and circulate the NEW information:
1 Corinthians 15
50I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
wow.
so God KEEPS showing you MYSTERIES, Paul...and He keeps revealing new doctrine for you to RECORD for all time, so that everyone will have the COMPLETELY -
Ephesians 3:3
2if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you; 3that
by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4
By referring to this,
when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ
see how it worked?
1) the stewardship of God's grace which was given
to Paul for THEM
2) that
by revelation FROM GOD TO PAUL there was made known to Paul
the mystery (of the Gospel that the gentiles would be FELLOWS HEIRS)
3) as he had
written to them before, in brief
4) and......by referring to these writings -
when you read you can understand his insight into the mystery of Christ.
okay?
so Paul and the other inspired disciples got the information.
they passed it along.
now it's NOT a mystery - RIGHT?
now for the big question:
DID PAUL KNOW ABOUT THE MYSTERIES HE REVEALED TO THE CHURCH
BEFORE HE GOT THEM?
NO - he knew in part.....and Peter knew in part....and the people who received the revelatory SIGN gift of languages THROUGH WHICH they knew....in part.....the Wonderful Works of God, and REVEALED that information to the JEWS at Jerusualem.
was it done yet?
NO! they still kept getting NEW INFORMATION.....until......when?
UNTIL the last words from Jesus Christ - through John were given.
and since it took some time for all the information to be compiled, the gifts continued until the letters and information was ESTABLISHED for the NEW CHURCH.
Ephesians 2:20
Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.
1 Corinthians 3:9
For
we are co-workers in God's service;
you are God's field, God's building.
1 Corinthians 3:11
10According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11For
no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
if you want to keep being foundational guys, HOW MANY TIMES MUST CHRIST BE LAID?
That would also imply that Paul's understanding of the Gospel and of the faith once delivered to the saints was somehow lacking, that he only had bits and pieces of it, and Peter, too, rather than the idea that they all had a complete understanding of it.
?????????????
that's EXACTLY what it's saying!
they got it in REAL TIME, man!!!
Paul came AFTER the others!
anyways.....look.
here are the Aposltes and then James making a decision
in REAL TIME that stands
to this day - is anyone today DARING to over-ride the Council?
Acts 15
6The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
12And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13
After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
16 “‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
17 that the remnantb of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things 18known from of old.’
19Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
please find me an Apostle today with authority to make decisions for the Lord's church ON THIS LEVEL!
or
any apostle regardless.
HEVEEEE SIGH