1Corinthians 13:8 Charity never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
‘Charity never faileth …’ This is the 11th New Testament prophecy in 1 Corinthians (13:8-13).
‘But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.’ Three things that will fail or be superseded: prophecies, tongues, and knowledge.
‘Fail’ [Greek: katargeo] to make useless or void; abolish; leave unemployed (Rom. 3:3; 4:14; Gal. 3:17; 5:4). It is translated “fail,” “vanish away,” “done away” and “put away” (13:8, 10, 11). Here it literally means that when the completeness of communication and knowledge comes, tongues will be no barrier and partial knowledge will be superseded by the perfect or complete (13:9-10). People in eternity will be able to speak all the languages – or just one language – of all others in the universe, thus doing away with present-day language barriers. The partial knowledge will be superseded by perfect knowledge. It is only that which is in part that will be done away or come to an end (13:9-10).
In 1Corinthians 13:11-12 Paul further makes clear his meaning, when he compares the next life to something as far advanced over this one as adulthood over childhood; and when he declares that we now see darkly into the future, knowing only a few things, whereas then, face to face with God, we shall know other persons and things as now known by God. Don’t use this Scripture as an excuse of not knowing the Bible (2Tim. 3:16).
Living the Word 