TL;DR: ‘The perfect’ means church growing up, not Christ’s return, here’s why from context.

One of the most debated phrases in Paul’s writings appears in 1 Corinthians 13:10:

“But when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.”

Many Christians assume and interpret “the perfect” to refer to Jesus’ second coming. But when the phrase is read in its literary, historical, and linguistic context, there is a more natural interpretation; one that fits the flow of 1 Corinthians far better.

I am not tying my position to the cannon’s closure.

This post argues that to teleion (“the perfect”) refers not to Christ’s return, but to the maturing of the church from infancy to wholeness, the very problem Paul addresses throughout the letter.

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Letter-Wide Theme From Immaturity to Maturity

Corinth was not lacking spiritual activity; it was lacking spiritual maturity. Paul repeatedly rebukes the church for behaving like children and urges them toward growth.

Consider how often maturity language appears:

• 1 Corinthians 2:6: “Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature (teleiois)…”
• 1 Corinthians 3:1–2: “I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but as to fleshly people, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food…”
• 1 Corinthians 14:20: “Do not be children in your thinking… but in your thinking be mature (teleioi).”

Paul frames the Corinthians as a church stuck in infancy, unable to handle solid food, wisdom, or ordered worship. This is not an incidental theme; it drives the entire argument of chapters 1–14.

Spiritual gifts, especially in chapters 12–14, are explicitly given “for the common good” (12:7) and for edification (14:26). They are tools for growth, not permanent ends in themselves.

Chapter 13’s Imagery – Growing Up, Not the End of the World

When we arrive at 1 Corinthians 13, Paul does not suddenly switch topics. He intensifies the same argument using vivid imagery:

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” (13:11)

This metaphor is decisive. Paul explains what he means by “the partial” and “the perfect”:

• partial → childish
• perfect → adulthood

Nothing in the chapter suggests resurrection, judgment, or the parousia. Instead, Paul describes development, not consummation.

What About “Face to Face”?

Verse 12 raises the most common objection:

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.”

At first glance, “face to face” sounds like seeing Jesus. But several points matter:

• Mirrors in Corinth were polished bronze, producing distorted reflections. Paul contrasts unclear, fragmented understanding with clarity, not earth vs heaven.
• In Scripture, “face to face” does not always mean bodily sight of God (cf. Exod. 33:11 vs 33:20; Num. 12:8).
• Paul’s concern here is knowledge, not presence: “now I know in part; then I will know fully.”

The contrast is epistemological (how we know), not eschatological (where we are).

“I Will Know Fully” Individual Language, Corporate Meaning

Another objection is Paul’s first-person phrasing:

“Then I will know fully…”

But Paul frequently uses “I” representatively in this chapter:

• “If I speak in the tongues of men and angels…” (13:1)
• “If I have all knowledge…” (13:2)

No one reads these verses as autobiographical. Paul speaks as a stand-in for the church. The same applies here: the knowing “I” is the maturing body of Christ moving from fragmented understanding toward coherence and stability.

This aligns perfectly with Ephesians 4:13 (teleion echoes andra teleion, both signaling corporate maturity):

“Until we all attain… to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

The Greek Matters To Teleion Is Not a Person

ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον
“When the perfect comes”

Key observations:

• To teleion is neuter, not masculine.
• It refers to a state or condition, not a person.
• Paul regularly uses teleios/teleion language for maturity or completeness (2:6; 14:20).
• He never uses teleion as a title for Christ.

When Paul refers to Jesus’ return elsewhere, he is explicit:

• “awaiting the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:7)
• “at His coming (parousia)” (15:23)

The absence of any such language in 13:10 is striking.

Immediate Context Gifts Serve Growth, Not Eternity

Chapters 12–14 form a single unit:

• 12:31 – “Earnestly desire the greater gifts”
• 13 – Love governs the use of gifts
• 14 – Gifts must edify and instruct

Paul does not abolish gifts in chapter 13, as he urges in 14:39: “earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.” He relativises them. They are partial tools suitable for a developing church. Like training wheels, they are valuable during growth, but not the goal itself.

This reading does not require identifying “the perfect” with the completed biblical canon. The argument stands on church maturity, not on a specific historical milestone. Paul’s concern is functional: when the body grows up.

Why “the Perfect” Is Unlikely to Mean Jesus’ Return

Several contextual problems arise if “the perfect” equals the second coming:

• Paul continues to regulate and encourage gifts after chapter 13 (14:39).
• Chapter 15 clearly addresses resurrection—but chapter 13 does not.
• The imagery emphasizes growth, not sudden transformation.
• The problem being corrected is immaturity, not mortality.

Paul answers the Corinthians’ misuse of gifts by calling them to grow up, not by pointing them to the end of history.

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Conclusion

When read in context, to teleion fits naturally with Paul’s dominant concern in 1 Corinthians: a church growing out of childishness into full-grown, loving, unified understanding.

This reading respects:

• the flow of the letter
• Paul’s consistent use of maturity language
• the Greek grammar
• and the immediate purpose of chapters 12–14

Whether one agrees or not, the maturity reading of scripture deserves a most serious consideration because it arises from the text itself, not from later theological assumptions.

The Gospel