These next three days I will be closing out our series on love and 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 by focusing on the last three parts of the verses. Today, we focus on “But where there are prophecies, they will cease”. 

 

An important thing to know about this part of verse 8 is that the word “cease” does not mean stop. The greek word for cease actually translates more closely to “to render idle”, or “to use up”. The same Greek word, katargeó, is used in Luke 13:7 when a vineyard landowner talks of a tree that is using up land but not producing any fruit. 

 

This verse is not saying that prophecies will be used up and no longer available; it’s saying that the prophecies will come to fruition and that when they do, they are no longer needed. For example, there is no reason for us to still wait for a Messiah to be born from Abraham’s bloodline; it has already happened; His name is Jesus. That doesn’t mean the prophecy stopped being accurate or needed, it just means that the prophecy came to fruition and no longer is still in use. 

 

It’s important to recognize that this part comes directly after “Love never fails”. The point that Paul is trying to make is that love will never fail them but that prophecies will. A prophecy does not last the test of time. Once it comes to fruition, it is no longer helpful to continue to wait and put hope in that prophecy. However, love never ends. It doesn’t come to fruition and then become inactive. It never fails. 

 

What are you still waiting for that has already happened? Maybe it didn’t happen the way that you wanted it to or in the timeframe that you were hoping for, but if it has already happened, why are you still waiting for it? How could you replace that waiting with love?