Love Never Fails (Unless You Don’t Speak in Tongues)
There are entire denominations that use this passage to teach that prophecy and speaking in tongues have ceased and were only in operation during the apostolic period.
They actually teach that after the last apostle, John, died, that all of the supernatural spiritual gifts stopped operating. Their reasoning? Since all of the Word of God was now complete, we are now living in the time when “that which is perfect has come.”
First, those who teach this great error fail to realize that Paul not only said that prophecy and tongues would cease, he also said that KNOWLEDGE would cease.
How can they justify teaching that only two of the three have ceased, if in fact ANY of them have ceased?
Do they realize how self-defeating this teaching really is? If in fact prophecy and tongues have ceased because we have entered the time when that which is perfect has come, then knowledge has also ceased.
And without knowledge, we cannot know anything! We can’t teach the Bible because we can’t know the Bible. Knowledge ceased and so we can’t know anything. And if they can’t know anything, how can they justify their teaching?
They can only do it by ignoring part of the verse. And that’s exactly what they do!
But the second glaring problem is how they look at our current situation. They consider us to be living in the time when that which is perfect has come. They interpret this statement as the time of having the complete Bible, where nothing else is to be added to it.
I absolutely agree that the Bible is 100% complete! There is nothing more to come in this regard. Anything like the book of Mormon, or one of the supposedly “lost” books that Hollywood will tell you somehow got missed, were actually missed for a reason. They AREN’T the Word of God!
Now I don’t know about you, but my struggles testify to me that I am NOT living in a time which is perfect. Yes, I have the Bible. But I am working out my faith as I learn how to apply it to my life.
And this is usually done imperfectly because I don’t know everything yet. I know in part. But I prophecy in part too!
But if I actually read the rest of the Bible, I am going to come to the conclusion that the time of perfection will not arrive until all of God’s people are standing before Jesus Christ, looking at Him face to face, in heaven.
It isn’t until we get to heaven and all of redemption is 100% complete that all of the spiritual gifts that are provided for us to operate in God’s power for effective ministry will no longer be needed. Only then will they cease.
But for now, we desperately need all the power of God that has been provided for us so that we can minister to the needs of one another effectively.
We are told here that love never fails. But without the power of supernatural ministry in effect, there would be no proof that love never fails.
We are told elsewhere that God, Himself, is love. And here we are told that love never fails. So God never fails because He is love!
And yet, if you look at churches where this erroneous teaching exists, we see Christians not being healed, dying prematurely, and struggling with lack, fear, anxiety, and depression.
It’s really hard to see “love never fails” in that scenario.
It’s a scenario that shouldn’t exist! But false teaching actually takes away the effectiveness of God’s love.
Love really does NEVER FAIL. But false teaching will put you out of alignment with that love so that you cannot experience it.
God’s love never stops flowing from His throne. But believing a lie can make it impossible for God’s love to flow through you. The blockage occurs on your end, not God’s end.
Prophecy and tongues have not ceased. Neither have any of the other miraculous gifts that God has for us so that we can be effective ministers of His love.
You cannot be walking in love if you aren’t speaking in tongues. Why? Because you have shut down the manifestation of God’s love in your life and now you are unable to communicate His love in your ministry.
It is impossible to operate in God’s love in your own limited human power. And that’s why it’s so critical to be baptized in the Holy Spirit! How can you love people if you can’t meet their needs?
Love never fails. But you will. If you listen to false teaching that takes away the power you need.