1 Corinthians 13:9 (KJV)

Passage

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

Nearby Context

1 Corinthians 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

1 Corinthians 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

1 Corinthians 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

1 Corinthians 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "part" and "prophesy". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "part" and "prophesy", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Charity never faileth but whether there be..." into verse 10's "But when that which is perfect is...", so "part" and "prophesy" belong inside that flow. In 1 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "part" and "prophesy" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.