What is “That Which Is Perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10?

 What is “That Which Is Perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10?

1Cor.13
[8] Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
[9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
[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.

Some teach “That Which Is Perfect” refers to the Second Coming of Christ.  Many of this persuasion argue that during this “church age” that people still have the gift of tongues and knowledge.  They even argue that people still receive prophecy from God today.  These people fail to understand the “signs” were for the Jews (1 Cor 1:22) and that tongues were for a sign (1 Cor 14:22).  The Jews privileges, which includes the sign gifts, ended at Acts 28 with the pronouncement of Judicial blindness (Acts 28:25-28).  Others that believe “That Which is Perfect” refers to the Second Coming say that tongues, the gift of knowledge, and prophecy temporarily ceased during this age of grace and will pick back up during the tribulation.  They then argue that these things cease permanently at the Second Coming.  

For me and many others I know, the answer in the past has been “that which is perfect” refers to the completion of the canon of Scripture (i.e. The Completed Bible).  I might even be tempted accept the argument given by some scholars that John’s Gospel, Revelation, as well as First, Second, and Third John were written early, thus making 2 Timothy the last book of the Bible to be written.  If that argument is correct, then Paul completed the Bible with the writing of Second Timothy being the last book added to the canon.  To summarize this position consider the following:

•    During the Acts Period tongues, the gift of knowledge, and prophesy were all in operation to impart revelation from God until the Bible was completed.  When the last book of the Bible was written, there was no need for tongues, gift of knowledge, or prophecy because no more revelation was to be given from God.
•    For those that take an Acts 2 or traditional Mid Acts dispensational view, they argue that tongues, the gift of knowledge, and prophesy operated during a transition period in which the mystery program was gradually ushered in and the kingdom program (which included things such as signs, gift of knowledge, and prophecy) was gradually ushered out. 
•    Those that believe “That Which Is Perfect” refers to the completion of Scripture believe that the ceasing of tongues, the ceasing of the gift of knowledge, and the ceasing of prophecy is only temporary.  After the rapture most believe these things pick back up during the tribulation period.

I am now going to offer an alternative view to the above positions.  During the Acts period when Paul wrote books like 1 Corinthians he is anticipating Israel to repent and God to usher in the Kingdom on earth as was promised (Acts 3:19-21).    When Paul writes Corinthians he is not anticipating Israel rejecting the gospel and there being a long “church age” going out beyond his lifetime.  Paul says in 1 Corinthians the time is short (1 Cor 7:29).  Paul during the Acts period expected to be alive when the Lord returned (1 Thes 4:15).  If Israel had repented in Paul’s day, the tribulation and Second Coming would all have taken place in the first century.  When Christ returns the second time He makes a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah (Jer 31:31 & Heb 8:8-13).  Under the New Covenant all will know the Lord (Jer 31:31-34), so the gift of knowledge will no longer be needed.   Nobody will need to be taught because the law will be written in their hearts.  Jeremiah 31:31-34 states:

[33] But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
[34] And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.   

Also at this time tongues will cease.  Zephaniah 3:9 states, “For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.”  It appears that God reverses His judgment that occurred at the Tower of Babel.

 Zechariah 13 makes it clear there will be no more prophets at this time.  Consider Zechariah 13:1-6

[1] In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.
[2] And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.
[3] And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.
[4] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:
[5] But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
[6] And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.

“Perfection” did not come by the Old Covenant of the law.  Hebrews 7:11 states, “If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?”  Perfection comes by a better testament that is associated with the New Covenant.  Hebrews 7:19-22 states:
[19] For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
[20] And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:
[21] (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)
[22] By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

To repeat when Paul writes Corinthians he is expecting all end time prophecies to be fulfilled during his lifetime of the first century.  He is not expecting tongues, the gift of knowledge, and prophecy to cease for a long “chuch age” of 2,000 plus years and then start back up temporarily.  In fact it appears that when he writes 1 Cor 13 he only expects these things to cease, vanish away, and fail one time and that would be when the New Covenant is implemented with Israel.  Perfection comes not just by Christ’s Second Coming but by Him implementing the New Covenant.  The writer of Hebrews says writes as if the New Covenant would be implemented during the first century, “…A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” (Hebrews 8:13).  Notice the same terminology Paul used in 1 Cor 13:8 “vanish away” is applied to the old covenant by the writer of Hebrews.

In conclusion, I am arguing “That Which Is Perfect” in 1 Cor 13 is not referring to the completed Bible, although I believe the Bible is perfect.  Also I don’t think “That Which Is Perfect” refers just to the Second Coming of Christ, although I believe Christ is perfect.  I think that which is perfect refers to  Christ implementing the New Covenant.  Once that is done there will be no more need of teaching or imparting knowledge.  There will be no need of prophecy (everybody will know as they are known).  Tongues will cease forever, because a pure language will return.  Although under Grace I believe God is no longer using tongues, the gift of knowledge, and prophecies, I think it is doctrinally incorrect to use 1 Cor 13 as a proof text for this argument.  The better argument is to understand that around Acts 28 Israel is “cast off” temporarily and that when Israel is cast off she does not see her signs according to  Psalm 74:1-9:

[1] O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
[2] Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
[3] Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
[4] Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.
[5] A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
[6] But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
[7] They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
[8] They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
[9] We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

Note in verse nine above, the signs cease, there is no prophet, and there is no special “knowledge.”  The reason for this condition is given in verse 1, Israel had been cast off.  Remember a “casting away” of Israel is spoken of as occurring in Paul’s last pre-Acts 28 Epistle (Romans 11:15).  This process could have stopped before Acts 28:28 if Israel had repented of unbelief.  Romans 11:23 states, “And they (Israel) also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.”