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SUBJECT: 1 Corinthians 13:8 “prophecies, they shall
fail”
QUESTION: What does this phrase mean?
ANSWER:
Here is the verse:
1 Corinthians 13:8
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they
shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease;
whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Now the commentary:
1 Corinthians 13:8
[But whether there be
prophecies] That is, the "gift" of prophecy, or
the power of speaking as a prophet; that is, of delivering
the truth of God in an intelligible manner under the
influence of inspiration; the gift of being a public
speaker, of instructing and edifying the church, and
foretelling future events; see the note at 1 Cor 14:1.
[They shall fail]
The gift shall cease to be exercised; shall be abolished,
come to nothing. There shall be no further use for this gift
in the light and glory of the world above, and it shall
cease. God shall be the teacher there. And as there will be
no need of confirming the truth of religion by the
prediction of future events, and no need of warning against
impending dangers there, the gift of foretelling future
events will be of course unknown. In heaven, also, there
will be no need that the faith of God's people shall be
encouraged, or their devotions excited, by such exhortations
and instructions as are needful now; and the endowment of
prophecy will be, therefore, unknown.
~from Barnes' Notes
So we see that we are not taking about prophecy failing but
the gift of prophecy no longer being around.
Here is another commentary:
1 Corinthians 13:8
[Prophecies, they shall fail]
Whether the word imply predicting future events, or teaching
the truths of religion to men, all such shall soon be
rendered useless. Though the accurate prophet and the
eloquent, persuasive preacher be useful in their day, they
shall not be always so; nor shall their gifts fit them for
glory; nothing short of the love above described can fit a
soul for the kingdom of God.
~from Adam Clarke's Commentary
Here is a third commentary:
1 Corinthians 13:8-13
Prophecy must fail, that is, either the prediction of things
to come (which is its most common sense) or the
interpretation of scripture by immediate inspiration.
~from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New
Modern Edition
So we see that we are talking about the gift of prophecy and
the giving of prophecy rather than prophecy itself.
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