“Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” – 1 Corinthians 10:11
(The verses in this post are from the NASB.)
Well, it’s the last day of the year. We can say goodbye to 2021 and all the challenges and disruptions we faced. We made it!
But that’s nothing. According to the verse above, it looks like everything’s over, not only the year. Is the apostle Paul, who wrote 1 Corinthians, telling us the world is ending? Forget 2021; it’s all finished!
But Paul didn’t urge the Corinthians to head for the hills. Though he believed Jesus was returning to earth, he recognized Christians had a job to do until that splendid occasion.
Make disciples.
This means sharing the good news that Jesus is Lord, died for our sins, and rose from the dead. By trusting in Him, forgiveness and everlasting life become ours. That’s how good God is!
It also means helping people grow in their faith. Following Jesus is a lifelong commitment. On a daily basis, the Holy Spirit teaches, corrects, and guides us. He opens our hearts to understand God’s Word. Learning His Word is how we deepen our discipleship.
We benefit ourselves when we take time with the Scriptures. God doesn’t reveal everything to us at once. He’s patient with us; we ought to be patient with the Bible. As we read, reflect, pray, and discuss, we gain insight into the mind of the Lord. We not only learn about Him; we come to know Him better because we understand His heart.
With this in mind, let’s revisit the verse above. Paul isn’t talking about the end of the world. He uses plural words. Not “end” but “ends.” Not “age” but “ages.”
What does this mean?
Let’s step back a moment. Verse 11 is in a passage (verses 1-13) that describes the various sins committed by the Israelites. Paul wants Christians to avoid these failings. Twice he says these transgressions are “examples” for us. In other words, we can learn from the mistakes of our spiritual forebears. We can learn what not to do!
That’s encouraging, but why bring up “the ends of the ages” in this admonition? We’ll answer this by dealing with the phrase in reverse order. If Paul had written “age” as a singular, we could interpret it as a contrast between the old covenant and the new, Old Testament religion versus New Testament faith.
But the apostle opts for the plural because it best encapsulates and expands the meaning of “instruction” in the verse. The examples Paul listed in the passage took place during the 40 year period the Israelites spent in the wilderness. Freed from Egyptian slavery, they didn’t believe they could conquer the Promised Land, so God led them in the desert until that whole generation died off.
That’s one age, but the Old Testament contains several others. We can think of the age before Noah and the flood. There’s also the era of the judges who watched over Israel in the new land. The Bible describes the united monarchy, when a single ruler (Saul, then David, then Solomon) governed the nation. We can read about the divided monarchy, when Israel split from Judah; there were now two nations. And then there’s the exile in Babylon, followed by the return to the land to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.
The Old Testament describes many ages. And each one offers us spiritual lessons if we’re open.
Before mentioning “ages,” Paul mentions “ends.” We know what the end (singular) of an age looks like. World War II ended when Germany, and then Japan, surrendered in 1945 to the Allies. The war lasted from 1939-1945.
The Greek word for “end” (telos), has this meaning of conclusion or termination. But it also embraces the idea of purpose; an end as a goal or intended target. Here’s an example:
“But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith.” – 1 Timothy 1:5
In the case of the church, both meanings are true. The new covenant in Christ completes the former ages. But our new life in Jesus also realizes the aims of these ages. What they pointed to, Jesus perfects.
But Paul goes even further. The verb he uses for the activity of the ages (katantao) refers to traveling: come, arrive, reach a destination. It even has an ideological sense to it, as in attaining a goal. For example,
“Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” – Ephesians 4:13
Now what’s remarkable in 1 Corinthians 10:11 is that we didn’t reach the ends of the ages. Paul says the opposite; the ages came to us. We were their destination.
This is the amazing implication of the gospel. Every work of God, every prophetic promise, finds ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. And as His followers, we Christians are the beneficiaries.
So as we transition from 2021 to 2022, let’s remember how blessed we are who believe in Jesus. God will use our past to lead us into the future He’s planned for us.
The ends of the ages have fallen on us.
Thank You, Lord Jesus!
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