By Pastor Dave Farmer
The Church Age is divided into two periods. We are calling then the Pre and Post-Canon periods. This is important to the proper interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13 and 14.
The Doctrinal Summary of The Periods of The Church Age
1. The Church Age began on the Day of Pentecost in 30 A.D. Acts chapter two records what happen on that day. It was inaugurated by the First Advent of the Holy Spirit and the evangelistic campaign in the Temple in Jerusalem where 3000 Jews came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah. The Apostle Peter calls this the beginning in Acts 11:15.
2. The Church Age will conclude with the Rapture of the Church, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
3. Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 divides the Church Age into two periods. The major event that separates the two periods is the formation of the New Testament Canon of Scripture. In verse "but when the perfect has come."
4. The two divisions we are calling the Pre-Canon and the Post-Canon periods. We can approximate the dates for there is ample historical evidence when the 29 Books of the New Testament were written and circulated.
5. The Pre-Canon period of the Church Age can be dated from 30 AD to 96 AD. We start with the Day of Pentecost and conclude the period with the writing of the Book of Revelation.
6. The Completed Canon period is from 96 AD to present. We are living in the Post-Canon period.
7. Paul is explaining that spiritual gifts fall into two categories. Some were temporary and to be exercised during the Pre-Canon period; such as, prophesy and speaking in tongues. These gifts, like others in the category of temporary, were distributed by the Holy Spirit until the New Testament was written. These gifts would no longer be necessary, 1 Corinthians 13:8.
8. These gifts were indispensable for the revelation of Church Age doctrines before they were written.
For instance, if I asked you where in the New Testament is the doctrine of the Rapture of the Church, hopefully one passage that would come to your mind would be 1 Thessalonians 4:11-17. This passage is a primary text for the Bible's teaching on the Rapture of the Church. Paul wrote this text of Scripture from Corinth in 51 AD. In that letter he commends the Thessalonians for turning from idols to serve the living God and to wait for his son from heaven, 1 Thessalonians 1:10 . They knew about the Rapture! They knew Jesus was coming again and they were in a state of readiness for his return.
The point is this. They knew about the Rapture before it was written down in 1 Thessalonians for they had received it orally. The oral message existed before the written message. God through the Holy Spirit gave the spiritual gifts of apostleship, prophecy, and knowledge to the Church to ensure that every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ would have the doctrines necessary to grow in Christ.
The Old Testament Canon existed and was a great benefit to all believers, but the Old Testament is not the rule of life of the Church Age believer. The Christian way of life and its teaching cannot be found in the Old Testament, Romans 16:25. So how did the church age believer receive the doctrines needed for their growth? The answer is they received them orally, Acts 2:42. The communication gifts played a major role in teaching Church Age truth to believers; such as apostleship, prophesy, wisdom, knowledge, and teaching.
During the Pre-Canon period of the first century, the church possessed the Old Testament Canon plus an oral message given by those who possess the gift of apostleship, prophecy, and knowledge. During this period the New Testament Canon was being written by the apostles through the recall ministry of the Holy Spirit, John 16:12-13.
God the Holy Spirit would provide through the medium of the temporary spiritual gifts; such as, apostleship, prophesy, knowledge the mystery doctrines for the church. They were supernaturally given the ability to accurately remember what Jesus said and what he did. It was given to them to write down or supervise [inspiration] the writing of the New Testament Canon.