When the spiritual gifts stop....
1 Corinthians 13:8–10 does say that certain gifts would cease:
“Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease… For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.”
So Scripture clearly states that some gifts are temporary. The real issue is when “that which is perfect” comes. The passage itself does not mention the New Testament, the closing of the canon, or the establishment of the church as the moment when this happens. Those ideas are interpretations added to the text.
Three common interpretations are usually suggested: that “the perfect” refers to the completed New Testament, the maturity of the church, or the return of Christ. However, the first two options do not fit the wording of the passage. Nothing on earth is described as “perfect” in that absolute sense—not the completion of a book, not the maturity of the church, and not even the present condition of the Body of Christ. Believers are still in mortal, sinful flesh and still “know in part.”
Paul clarifies the meaning in the next verse. In 1 Corinthians 13:12 he says, “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.” The contrast is between the present state of partial understanding and a future state where believers see “face to face” and possess full knowledge. That description does not match the completion of Scripture or church maturity. It describes the future state when believers are fully transformed and no longer limited by the present condition.
The language therefore points to the time when the Body of Christ is glorified. Only when believers are raised and changed into glorified bodies will the partial state completely disappear. At that point we will no longer see “through a glass, darkly,” but will see clearly and fully know. That moment corresponds with the future gathering of the Body of Christ to the Lord, when believers are transformed and fully redeemed.
Therefore, if we stay strictly with the wording of Scripture, the passage teaches that partial gifts will pass away when the perfect state arrives, which aligns with the glorified condition of believers with Christ. The text does not say that this occurs when the New Testament is completed or when the church reaches maturity. Those conclusions go beyond what the passage itself states.
For a more study & background on this topic:
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