Re: [Church_of_Christ] Re: Spiritual gifts
heb12347 wrote:
Kent wrote:
Perhaps the more appropriate question, as it comes from the context instead of from a jigsaw-puzzle type of approach, is: "Do I fully know, and am I fully known? Do I see distinctly, face-to-face?
I am glad you brought this up because it is the stumblingblock that often prevents understanding. The contrast in verse 12 is 1 Co 13:12 "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known."
The first half of the verse is an allusion to an event in the OT - Numbers 12 - and the contrast between how God's will was revealed to Moses and how it was revealed to Miriam and Aaron. Miriam and Aaron had complained that God spoke thru them too - v 2. God intervened. God told these two that when He speaks thru them (as thru a prophet) God speaks in a vision, in a dream; no so with Moses, v 6. Further, "I speak with him face to face (literally "mouth to mouth"), even plainly, and not in dark sayings" v 8. Paul uses these same OT terms in 1 Cor 13 to inform the Corinthians about the difference between receiving God's revelation piecemeal (in part) and complete (perfect). When it is in part, it is as it was thru Aaron and Miriam, in "dark sayings" (the Hebrew to Greek to English brings it out "as thru a mirror dimly" or "in riddles" (literally in the Greek, see NASV footnote); but then (when complete) "face to face", as God revealed to Moses. Now the point is Moses never literally revceived God's revelation face to face literally. No man has seen God at any time! It is a simple expression that is intended to tell us that Moses received God's revelation much more clearly than Aaron and Miriam.
Fascinating insight. I appreciate you sharing this with us.
The contrast I see in Numbers 12 is a prophecy given by visions and dreams as opposed to one given clearly without riddles. Now Peter and Paul seem to be making the same contrast: Peter says the prophecy of Joel 2 is in effect as of Acts 2, which speaks of "visions and dreams", and Paul says that the church at the time of his writing was waiting for the day when they would see clearly without riddles.
For me, my question still stands: "Do I fully know, seeing clearly without riddles? Or am I still wrestling with 'dark sayings'?
--
Kent
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