We see in this episode that the miraculous sign gifts—prophecy, tongues, and healing—were temporary tools God used during the “childhood” stage of the dispensation of grace to reveal His Word before Scripture was finished. Paul shows that these gifts would “fail,” “cease,” and “vanish away” once the completed revelation of God’s Word—especially the full mystery given to Paul—had come. Because the early Church only had partial knowledge, these gifts operated for a time, but were eventually no longer needed and therefore stopped.