Original Text
βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι δι’ ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον· ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην.
Literal English Translation
For now we see through a mirror, in a riddle; but then, face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall fully know, just as I also have been fully known.
Mirror, Riddle, and the Horizon of Knowing
The present indicative βλέπομεν (“we see”) frames perception as current and continuous. The preposition δι’ + genitive ἐσόπτρου (“through a mirror”) suggests indirectness. In Classical usage, ἔσοπτρον refers to polished metal surfaces—not the glass mirrors we think of—often with dim or reversed images (cf. Plutarch, Plato Alcibiades). The phrase ἐν αἰνίγματι (“in a riddle”) connects to αἴνιγμα, found in Plato and Sophocles, implying something obscured, cryptic, or symbolic. The image as a whole evokes philosophical perplexity and prophetic obscurity.
Face-to-Face: From Distance to Intimacy
τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον – “but then, face to face.” This construction is both vivid and intimate. The word πρόσωπον in Classical Greek means “face,” “mask,” or “person.” In tragic theater, it refers to the physical mask of an actor. Here, the repetition and preposition πρὸς (“toward”) expresses direct relational encounter—without veil, distortion, or barrier. The phrase recalls Moses’ unique relationship with God in LXX Exodus 33:11: “The LORD spoke to Moses face to face.” Paul baptizes this Old Testament intimacy into eschatological hope.
Knowing Now, Knowing Then
- ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους – “Now I know in part.” The present active γινώσκω reflects present, limited understanding. The phrase ἐκ μέρους (“in part”) mirrors earlier verses and occurs in Classical oratory (e.g., Isocrates) to describe partial possession or incomplete information.
- τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι – Future middle indicative of ἐπιγινώσκω (“I shall fully know”). The compound adds intensity: deeper, clearer recognition. This future contrast turns epistemology into eschatology.
- καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην – “just as I also have been fully known.” The aorist passive ἐπεγνώσθην presents God’s completed, perfect knowledge of the self. The symmetry here is astonishing: Paul longs to know God as God already knows him. In Classical texts, such exact symmetry in verbs and clauses is rare outside high rhetoric (e.g., Thucydides). Paul wields it here with emotional force.
Comparison in Contrast
| Concept | Now | Then | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perception | δι’ ἐσόπτρου | πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον | From blurred to immediate encounter |
| Understanding | ἐκ μέρους | ἐπιγνώσομαι | From fragment to fullness |
| Perspective | γινώσκω | ὡς ἐπεγνώσθην | Aspiration to divine-level knowledge |
Final Reflection
This sentence moves between time zones—ἄρτι (“now”) and τότε (“then”)—and between degrees of knowledge. What begins in mystery (mirror, riddle) ends in encounter (face-to-face). The language is Greek, but the longing is eternal. The structure, balancing repetition and reversal, would impress even a Sophist, but the voice is that of a soul straining for clarity in the presence of God.
