I think it means that when Jesus returns, all prophecies will be done away with (Greek καταργηθήσονται), because they all will have been fulfilled, tongues will be silenced or stilled (with awe perhaps), and knowledge will be done away with (same word καταργηθήσονται) - this is because Christ will bring a new heaven and new earth into existence in which God will dwell with His people (Revelation 21) and there will be no more tears, death, mourning, crying, because the old order of things will have passed away.
At the moment all our knowledge is only partial, prophecies only give us part of the story, language can never convey reality perfectly - but when we see God (and God is love) face to face, that’s when “the perfect comes” - everything partial will pass away.
Seeing in a mirror dimly - the only mirrors they had in those days were polished bronze - it was a dim, imperfect image - Paul is saying everything we know now is imperfect and partial like a child’s view of the world - very imperfect - when we see God face to face we will know Him just as He now knows us.
The greatest of the three is love - because faith and hope can both go wrong especially without love - but love (in this sense, the type of love God has for us) never can go wrong - ultimately.
Thanks for that great words, what is the meaning of the second half starting from, But where there are prophecies, they will cease?
I think it means that when Jesus returns, all prophecies will be done away with (Greek καταργηθήσονται), because they all will have been fulfilled, tongues will be silenced or stilled (with awe perhaps), and knowledge will be done away with (same word καταργηθήσονται) - this is because Christ will bring a new heaven and new earth into existence in which God will dwell with His people (Revelation 21) and there will be no more tears, death, mourning, crying, because the old order of things will have passed away.
At the moment all our knowledge is only partial, prophecies only give us part of the story, language can never convey reality perfectly - but when we see God (and God is love) face to face, that’s when “the perfect comes” - everything partial will pass away.
Seeing in a mirror dimly - the only mirrors they had in those days were polished bronze - it was a dim, imperfect image - Paul is saying everything we know now is imperfect and partial like a child’s view of the world - very imperfect - when we see God face to face we will know Him just as He now knows us.
The greatest of the three is love - because faith and hope can both go wrong especially without love - but love (in this sense, the type of love God has for us) never can go wrong - ultimately.
Crying.