1 Cor. 13:8-13, Some Things just “Pass Away”

Here is an incredibly important term.  Sometimes bad things are destroyed.  But other times they are rendered powerless.  They continue to exist, yet they have no power, other than power given by those who decide it should have power.  I believe each of these passages should have the idea of powerless, even those that some translations have rendered “destroyed.”  Think on these things!

katargeō (v): to make ineffective, powerless, idle; abolish, wipe out, set aside

·       Lk 13:7: owner tells man to "cut down" unproductive fig tree in vineyard.

·       Rom 3:3: will Israel's lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all!

·       Rom 3:31: do we nullify the law by the emphasis on faith? Not at all!

·       Rom 4:14: if heirs by law-keeping, faith has no value, promise is worthless (note: we render the promise powerless when we live by the law).

·       Rom 7:2,6: when husband dies woman released fr. law; by dying to what once bound us we are released from the law. (This is key to understand this illustration.)

·       1 Cor 1:28: God chose things that aren't to nullify things that are

·       1 Cor 2:6: wisdom of age & of the rulers of age are coming to nothing

·       1 Cor 6:13: food, stomach: God will destroy both

·       1 Cor 13:8ab,10,11: Love never fails. Prophesies pass away (mid, passive). Tongues cease. Knowledge will pass away (future, pass). When perfection comes the imperfect will pass away (future, pass). When I became a man I put childish ways behind me.

·       1 Cor 15:24,26: Christ hands over Kingdom to Father after all auth- dominion-power destroyed. Last enemy destroyed is death.

·       2 Cor 3:7,11,13,14: leaders couldn't look at Moses' face bec. of glory, even tho it was fading. If that which was fading had glory what of that which lasts. We're not like Moses who covered face while radiance was fading away. Only in Christ is the veil taken away from Jews.

·       Gal 3:17: Law doesn't set aside covenant & thus do away w/the promise.

·       Gal 5:4,11: those seeking justification by law are alienated fr. Christ, fallen fr. grace. If Paul preached circumcision then offense of cross has been abolished.

·       Eph 2:15: Christ made peace, abolishing in his flesh the law w/it's commandments, regulations.

·       2 Th 2:8: Christ to destroy antichrist by splendor of his coming.

·       2 Ti 1:10: Christ destroyed death, brought life, immortality to light by gospel

·       Hb 2:14: Christ, becoming human, destroyed by his death him who holds the power of death.