The apostle Paul in his first letter to the corinthians explains: "but when the perfect comes, what is in part disappears", 1 Corinthians 13:10.
This statement of Paul must be undertood within the context of the letter. Paul teach us about the spiritual gifts and the preeminence of love:
"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophecy in part" 1 Corinthians 13:8-9
Perfect means complete, mature, that nothings is missing in terms of his development and nature. For example the fruitful tree is the perfection of the seed.
Jesus in the christian faith represents the perfect, the complete: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect", Matthew 5:48; also "The disciple is not above his master, but every one that is perfect shall be as his master" Luke 6:40
"When the perfect comes" in this teaching of Paul cannot represent anything else than Jesus. Jesus is "son of man", Jesus represents the perfections and the qualities of God. Jesus is the light (John 8:12), the resurrection (John 11:25), the bread (John 6:35), the good shepherd (John 10:11).
Love is so important in Paul's teaching, that in the consummation of the eschatological hope, the second coming of Jesus, the prophecies and the tongues will cease but the love of charity will remain: "what is in part disappears"
The theme of the spiritual gifts is fundamental in the first letter to the corinthians. Probably in the church of the Corinthians there would have been a discussion about which were the most important spiritual gifts.
Paul with this statement is trying to solve the hierarchy of the spiritual gifts: "when the perfect comes, what is in part dissapears". Then the apostle Paul concludes: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love", 1 Corinthins 13:13
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