Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

PERFECTION

Heb. tāmîm, šālēm; Gk. téleios and cognates typically mean “complete,” “whole,” “mature,” “unblemished,” or “undivided.” It is in contexts where the focus is on human or divine disposition that the theological conception of perfection becomes sharpened.

Apart from Matt. 5:48, there is no direct biblical statement that God is by nature perfect. Absent also is any abstract notion of perfection as found in Greek philosophy, though Jewish and Christian philosophical speculation certainly addressed this matter. Christian apologists utilized philosophical categories to describe God’s nature, and Philo called God “the perfect” in Greek fashion.

The biblical focus is largely upon that which makes human beings “perfect” in relation to God. In the OT šālēm is frequently used with “heart” to describe persons undivided in their exclusive worship of Yahweh (1 Kgs. 8:61; 11:4; 15:3, 14; 1 Chr. 28:9), while tāmîm is used of those commanded to be blameless in obedience to God’s commands (Deut. 18:13; cf. Gen. 6:9). Frequently in Psalms (e.g., Ps. 119:1; 101:6) and Proverbs (e.g., Prov. 11:20; 28:18) tāmîm is used with “walk” to describe blamelessness in obedience to God’s law.

In the NT perfection is understood positionally. Christians stand perfect in relation to God as partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). They are given the Spirit and embrace God’s wisdom in Christ crucified (1 Cor. 2:6-16) and are enabled to appear before God by virtue of Christ’s perfect priestly work (Heb. 7:19; 10:1). Perfection is also understood in terms of maturity, defined as living and growing in the power of the cross and resurrection of Christ (Rom. 12:2; 1 Cor. 2:6; 14:20; Eph. 4:13; Phil. 3:15). Perseverance is thus crucial for progressing in maturity and perfection (Jas. 1:4), and producing this maturity is the goal of Paul’s apostolic ministry (Col. 1:28). Perfection also entails an ethical component. This is clear in Matt. 5:48, where believers are commanded to be perfect as God is perfect. The immediate context suggests that the focus of this perfection is love. Believers must love all persons as God loves them. The love of God for humanity, demonstrated in the sacrifice of Christ, is the foundation of the Christian’s ability to love God and one another and thereby be perfected in divine love (1 John 2:5; 4:12, 18). The path to perfection is obedience to the commandment to love God and neighbor completely (Mark 12:30-31). Love is the bond through which all other Christian virtues are perfected (Col. 3:14).

Perfection is related to sanctification, suggesting that relative perfection is presently attainable. While absolute sinless perfection is available only in eternity, perfection in the present is a goal worthy of aspiration (Phil. 3:12-15). Paul’s dictum in Phil. 3:16 is programmatic: “Only let us live up to what we have already attained” (NIV).

Bibliography. H. K. La Rondelle, Perfection and Perfectionism (Berrien Springs, 1971).

Jeffrey S. Lamp






Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)

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