When miracles were performed in the first century, they gave the speaker credibility (Mark 16:20). When the Holy Spirit empowered someone to perform a miracle, the listeners more readily believed the message spoken.
One miraculous gift was the ability to speak in a language that was not the speaker’s mother tongue. It should be noted that “tongue” (Acts 2:4 ASV) is used as a synonym for “language” (Acts 2:6 ASV), so on that Pentecost morn, the travelers who had converged upon Jerusalem heard the preaching in their own “language” wherein they “were born” (Acts 2:8), that is, their native language.
While the books of the New Testament were still in production, various Christians were given gifts of the Holy Spirit (conferred by the apostles). Nine gifts of the Spirit are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.
Some in Corinth were selfishly using such gifts to gain personal attention. Paul had to stress that each Christian is important, and one member should not be elevated above others (1 Corinthians 12). Those who had been showing off needed to learn the “most excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31); they needed to learn to serve out of love (Chapter 13), rather than for self-aggrandizement.
Those who had been gloating in their miraculous ability needed a dose of ego-deflation. They needed to learn that the special gifts were temporary. “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9). Such revelation was piecemeal. Paul wrote of a time when such would no longer be needed. He explained, “but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away” (1 Corinthians 13:10). This verse is woefully misunderstood. Some folks claim the “perfect” speaks of Jesus coming again.
However, the New Testament was originally written in Greek, and therein lies great help. The word rendered in our English versions as “perfect” is from “teleion” and is in the neuter gender in the original – thus, not a person (masculine gender) but a thing. This term, when used of quality carries the meaning of perfect, but when used of quantity it is better translated “complete” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary). The context is contrasting fragmented revelation with complete revelation. Spoken revelation is contrasted with written revelation.
The part by part revelations by miraculous prophesying would be “done away” (1 Corinthians 13:10) once the complete thing was available – that is the completed, written revelation. The last written document of the New Testament collection is the Book of Revelation (ca. A.D. 96). The written New Testament is complete (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Jude 3).
