For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV
Often people misinterpret this verse to mean that a time is
going to come when we will know all of God as we are known by Him. But
this is far from what this verse is saying. When this passage is
examined closely, it will be realised that the key word is 'glass'. The
KJV translation poses a problem because the reader's mind immediately
goes to a transparent glass. Yet, the word rendered as glass in the KJV
is best rendered as mirror. When you look at a mirror, it is obvious who
you see: yourself. You don't see someone else. Now what this passage
means is that at the present time, you don't know everything about
yourself, just as when you look at the mirror, you don't see everything
in you.
But according to our passage, a time will come when you
will cease to see yourself dimly, as when you looked at the mirror; you
will know yourself as you are known by God. The reason this passage
cannot apply to knowing God as He knows you is that God is an infinite
being, and there will never come a time when we will become infinite
like God and be able to know all things at the same time. If that were
possible, it will make us all knowing beings like God, and nothing in
scripture suggests that this is a possibility. Through all eternity, we
will continue to know God in part, even though that knowledge will be
more accurate than we now know Him, this, however, will not translate
into knowing Him fully. Through all eternity, we will continue to know
God in truth, but never shall we know Him fully as some think that we
will.
Toni
