This is a controversial subject I know. The word "perfect" in these forums bothers some Christians a lot as they've demonstrated to me in my other threads. However it is a word and subject in the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. Therefore as Christians we should find out what it means to be perfect according to God in His Word. The way to do that is read most or all the scripture on the subject in both Testaments and find out what it means.
Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).
What did/does He mean when He asks us to be "perfect"? After all, everybody echoes "nobody's perfect," let alone perfect as our Father in heaven! This passage has been an ongoing source of both irritation and inspiration for various Christian camps and a catalyst for much debate.
The words "perfect Christian" sometimes conjure up images of humans that have achieved the status of some sort of sterile, stainless steel, sanctified robots that have a direct cable to Heaven from which they receive their remote control signals.
At first glance we might assume that Jesus is asking us to be some sort of inhuman, angelic androids, but perhaps a closer look at several words would provide a better picture. In the KJV New Testament, the word "perfect" appears 42 times and is usually translated from the Greek TELEIOS (tel'-i-os), meaning "complete in labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc., of full age" (Strongs). Here are a few other examples where teleios is used:
"I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one" (John 17:23);
"Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded" (Philippians 3:15);
"If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man" (James 3:2).
The word "perfect" is found in the Old Testament about 57 times, and it is usually translated from the Hebrew word TAMIYM (taw-meem'), meaning "entire, integrity, truth, without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely, sound, without spot, undefiled, upright, whole" (Strongs).
"Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:9);
God said to Abraham, "I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect" (Genesis 17:1);
"Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God" (Deuteronomy 18:13).
Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).
What did/does He mean when He asks us to be "perfect"? After all, everybody echoes "nobody's perfect," let alone perfect as our Father in heaven! This passage has been an ongoing source of both irritation and inspiration for various Christian camps and a catalyst for much debate.
The words "perfect Christian" sometimes conjure up images of humans that have achieved the status of some sort of sterile, stainless steel, sanctified robots that have a direct cable to Heaven from which they receive their remote control signals.
At first glance we might assume that Jesus is asking us to be some sort of inhuman, angelic androids, but perhaps a closer look at several words would provide a better picture. In the KJV New Testament, the word "perfect" appears 42 times and is usually translated from the Greek TELEIOS (tel'-i-os), meaning "complete in labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc., of full age" (Strongs). Here are a few other examples where teleios is used:
"I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one" (John 17:23);
"Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded" (Philippians 3:15);
"If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man" (James 3:2).
The word "perfect" is found in the Old Testament about 57 times, and it is usually translated from the Hebrew word TAMIYM (taw-meem'), meaning "entire, integrity, truth, without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely, sound, without spot, undefiled, upright, whole" (Strongs).
"Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:9);
God said to Abraham, "I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect" (Genesis 17:1);
"Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God" (Deuteronomy 18:13).
Last edited: