Reference: Perfection
Easton
See Sanctification.
Hastings
The various Biblical terms connoting 'perfection' differ in shade of meaning between wholeness, the attaining of an end or ideal, complete adjustment, full equipment in fitness for an appointed task. They are sparingly applied to God; In OT His way, work, knowledge, law are 'perfect' (Ps 18:30; De 32:4; Job 37:16; Ps 19:7); in NT the same term is used of His will, His gifts, His law (Ro 12:2; Jas 1:17,25), while Christ describes the Father in heaven as 'perfect,' and therefore as the source and pattern of moral ideals (Mt 5:48). The sense in which perfection is attributed to or urged upon men must naturally vary according to the moral conceptions of the time.
1. In OT.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
These the generations of Noah; a just man, and was complete in his generations: Noah walked with God.
And Abram shall be the son of ninety years and nine years: Jehovah shall be seen to Abram and will say to him, I am God Almighty; walk thou before me, and be complete.
For I am Jehovah, your God, and ye were consecrated and ye were holy, for I am holy: and ye shall not make your souls unclean by any creeping thing creeping upon the earth.
Speak to the assembly of the sons of Israel, and say to them, Ye shall be holy, for I Jehovah your God am holy.
The Rock, his work complete: For all his ways judgment: A God of faithfulness and not of iniquity Just and right is he.
And your hearts be perfect with Jehovah our God to go in his laws, and to watch his commands as this day.
And it will be at the time of the old age of Solomon his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God as the heart of David his father.
And he went in all the sins of his father which he did before him: and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah as the heart of David his father.
Because David did the right in the eyes of Jehovah, and turned not aside from all which he commanded all the days of his life, only in the word of Uriah the Hittite.
And he will do the straight in the eyes of Jehovah, only not with a whole heart.
A man as in the land of Uz, Job his name; and that man was blameless and upright, and fearing God, and departing from evil.
And Jehovah will say to the adversary, Didst thou set thy heart to my servant Job? for none like him in the earth; a man blameless and upright, fearing God and departing from evil.
And he will take to him a pot sherd to scrape himself with it, and he will sit in the midst of the ashes.
Shalt thou know upon the poisings of the cloud, the wonders of the complete of knowledges?
And I blameless with him, and I will watch myself from mine iniquity.
With the kind thou wilt show thyself kind; and with the blameless man thou wilt be perfect
God, blameless his way: the saying of Jehovah being refined: a shield to all trusting in him.
The law of Jehovah is blameless, turning back the soul; the testimonies of Jehovah being faithful, making wise the simple.
Also withhold thy servant from arrogant things; they shall not rule over me: then shall I be blameless, and I was acquitted from much transgression.
Jehovah will know the days of the blameless, and their inheritance shall be forever.
For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the blameless shall remain in it
The justice of the blameless shall make straight his way, and in his injustice the unjust shall fall.
Think not that I have come to abolish the law, or the prophets: for I have come not abolish, but to complete. For verily I say to you, Till heaven pass away, and earth, one iota, or one mark, should not pass away from the law, till all should be read more. Whoever therefore, should loose one of the least of these commands, and so teach men, he shall be called least in the kingdom of the heavens: but whoever should do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens. For I say to you, That except your justice abound more than the scribes and Pharisees, ye should not come into the kingdom of the heavens. Ye have heard that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not kill: and whoever should kill shall be subject to judgment: But I say to you, That every one becoming angry with his brother, shall be subject to judgment: and whoever should say to his brother, Raca, should be, subject to the council: and whoever should say, O foolish, shall be subject to a hell of fire. If therefore, thou bring thy gift upon the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother has anything against thee, Let go there thy gift, before the altar, and retire; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then, having come, bring thy gift. Be kindly disposed to thy opponent quickly, while thou art in the way with him, lest thy opponent should deliver thee to the judge, and the judge should deliver thee to the assistant, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say to thee, Thou shouldst not come out thence, even till, thou shouldst give back the last fourth. Ye have heard that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say to you, That every one seeing a woman, to eagerly desire her, has already committed adultery with her, in his heart. And if thine eye give thee cause of offence, take it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members be destroyed, and not thy whole body be cast into hell. And if thy right hand give thee cause of offence, cut it off, and cast from thee; for it is profitable to thee, that one of thy members should be destroyed; and not thy whole body should be cast into hell. And it was said, That whosoever should loose his wife, let him give her a repudiation. But I say to you, That whosoever shall let go his wife except for the reason of adultery, makes her to commit adultery; and whosoever should marry her having been loosed, commits adultery. Again, ye have heard, that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not swear a false oath, and thou shalt. return to the Lord thine oaths. But I say to you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, it is the throne of God: Neither by the earth; for it is the footstool of his feet: neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great kings Neither shouldst thou swear by thy head, for thou cant not make one hair white or black. But let your word be Yea, yea, and No, no: but that above this is of evil. Ye have heard, that it has been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say to you not to resist evil: but whosoever shall smite thee with a rod upon thy right cheek, turn to him also the other. And to him wishing to be judged with thee, and to take thy coat, let go to him also thy garment. And whoever shall compel thee to carry dispatches one mile, go forward with him two. To him asking thee, give thou, and him wishing to borrow from thee, thou shouldst not turn away. Ye have heard that it has been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies, praise them cursing you, do well to them hating you, and pray for them threatening you, and driving you out. So that ye might be sons of your Father, which in the heavens: for he makes his sun rise upon evil and good, and rains on the just and unjust. For if ye love them loving you, what reward. have you? do not also the tax collectors the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye above ordinary? and do not the tax collectors the same? Therefore, be ye perfected, as your Father which is in the heavens is perfected.
Therefore, be ye perfected, as your Father which is in the heavens is perfected.
Therefore, be ye perfected, as your Father which is in the heavens is perfected.
Therefore, be ye perfected, as your Father which is in the heavens is perfected.
Therefore, be ye perfected, as your Father which is in the heavens is perfected.
Therefore all whatever ye would that men should do to you, so also do ye to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
Then Peter, having come to him, said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I let him go? Till seven times? And Jesus says to him, I say not to thee, till seven times; but till seventy times seven.
Jesus said to him, If thou wished to be perfected, retire, sell thy possessions, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
And he going in the way, one running and having fallen upon his knees, asked him, Good teacher, What shall I do that I might inherit eternal life And Jesus said to him, Why sayest thou me good? none good, except the one God. read more. Thou knowest the commands: Thou shouldst not commit adultery; Thou shouldst not kill; Thou shouldst not steal; Thou shouldst not bear false testimony; Thou shouldst not defraud; Honour thy father and mother. And he, having answered, said to him, O teacher, all these have I watched from my youth. And Jesus having looked upon him, loved him, and said to him, One thing is wanting to thee retire; whatever thou hast, sell, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, having taken up the cross. And he, being sad at the word, went away being grieved: for he had many possessions. And Jesus having looked round, said to his disciples, With what difficulty shall they having property enter into the kingdom of God And his disciples were amazed at his words. And Jesus again having answered, says to them, How difficult, children, is it for those trusting in property to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier labor for a camel to come through the hole of a needle, than for a rich one to come into the kingdom of God. And they were struck with amazement, excessively, saying to themselves, And who can be saved And Jesus having beheld them says, With men impossible, but not with God: for all things are possible with God. And Peter began to say to him, Behold, we have left all things, and have followed thee. And Jesus having answered, said, Truly I say to you, There is none who has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, for sake of me, and the good news, Except he should receive a hundred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mother, and children, and fields, with expulsions; and in the time coming eternal life. And many first shall be last; and the last first.
And he said to him, Thou hast answered rightly; this do and thou shalt live.Translation PDF from Google If you can fill in this text please contact e-sword Uers
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Teacher, having done what, shall I inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to him, Why sayest thou me good? none good except the one God. read more. Thou knowest the commands, Thou shouldest not commit adultery, Thou shouldest not kill, Thou shouldest not steal, Thou shouldest not bear false testimony, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I watched from my youth. And Jesus having heard these, said to him, Yet one thing fails thee: all whatever thou hast, sell and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And he having heard these things, was sorely grieved: for he was very rich. And Jesus having seen him being sorely grieved, said, With how much difficulty shall they having possessions come into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to come through the hole of a needle, than for a rich one to come into the kingdom of God. And they having heard, said, And who can be saved? And he said, The things impossible with men, are possible with God. And Peter said, Behold, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said to them, Truly I say to you, That there is none who has left home, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for sake of the kingdom of God, Who should not receive many fold in this time, and in life coming, eternal life.
Therefore, as by one man sin came into the world, and by sin death; and so death passed upon all men, in that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: and sin is not charged, being no law. read more. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, and upon them not having sinned upon the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is the type of him about to be. But not as the fall, so also the favor. For if for the fall of one many died, much more the grace of God, and the gift in grace, of one man, Jesus Christ, has abounded to many. And not as by one having sinned, the gift: for truly the judgment of one to condemnation, but the favor of many falls to justification. For if by the fall of one, death reigned by one; much more they receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of justice in life shall reign by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the fall of one for all men to condemnation; so also by the justification of one for all men to justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were constituted sinful, so also by the obedience of one shall many be constituted just. And the law entered, that the fall might abound. And where sin abounded, grace superabounded: That as sin reigned in death, so grace might reign by justice to life eternal, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin, that grace might abound It may not be. We who died to sin, shall we yet live in it? read more. Or know ye not, that as many of us as were immersed in Christ Jesus, we were immersed into his death? Therefore were we buried with him by immersion into death: that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so also we should walk in newness of life. For if grown together we have been in the likeness of his death, but also shall we be of the resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man was crucified together, that the body of sin might be left inactive, for us no more to serve sin. For he having died was justified from sin. And if we died with Christ, we believe we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death has no more power over him. For he who died, died to sin once: but he who lives, lives to God. So also ye reckon yourselves truly to be dead to sin, and living to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I an oppressed man: who shall save me from the body of this death? I return thanks to God by Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore truly with the mind I serve the law of God; and with the flesh the law of sin.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwell in you. And if any have not the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.
And be ye not conformed to this life, but be transformed by the renovation of your mind, for you to prove what the good, and the pleasing, and the perfected will of God.
Love unfeigned. Hating evil; fastened to good.
Owe ye nothing to none, except to love one another: for he loving another has completed the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false testimony, Thou shalt not covet; and if any other command in this word it is summed up, in it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. read more. Love works no evil to the neighbor: love therefore the completion of the law. And this, knowing the time, that already the hour ye should be awakened out of sleep: for now our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night has advanced, and the day has drawn near: therefore let us lay down the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light. As in the day, let us walk becomingly; not in revelries and drunkenness, not in coition and licentiousness, not in strife and envy. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not consideration for the flesh, for the passions.
And I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same, and there be no divisions in you; and ye be set in order in the same mind and in the same knowledge.
But we speak wisdom among the perfected: and the wisdom not of this life, nor of the rulers of this life, they being left unemployed:
And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as spiritual, but as carnal, as babes in Christ.
Brethren, be not children in reflection: but in wickedness act like children, and in reflection be ye perfected.
And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith,
And they of Christ have crucified the flesh with the passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
For this I bend my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom all the family in the heavens and upon earth is named, read more. That he might give to you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power by his Spirit in the interior man; For Christ to dwell by faith in your hearts; in love being rendered firm, and the foundation laid, That ye might be fully able to comprehend with all the holy what the length, and breadth, and depth, and height; To know also the love of Christ, surpassing knowledge, that ye might be filled in all the fulness of God. And to him being able to do above all things more abundantly above what we ask or think, according to the power being energetic in us,
And to him being able to do above all things more abundantly above what we ask or think, according to the power being energetic in us,
Striving earnestly to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. One body, and one Spirit, as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; read more. One Lord, one faith, one immersion,
Being darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God by ignorance being in them, by the hardness of their heart;
Be ye therefore imitators of God, as dearly beloved children;
Confident of this same, that he having begun a good work in you will complete till the day of Jesus Christ:
For God is working in you also to will and to work by benevolence.
Not that I have alreaedy attained or have been already perfected: and I pursue, if I also may overtake, for which also I was overtaken by Christ Jesus.
Therefore, as many as are completed, let us have this in mind; and if in any thing ye think otherwise, God will also reveal this to you.
Rejoice in the Lord always: again say I, Do ye rejoice. Let your fitness be known to all men. The Lord is near. read more. Rave anxiety about nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with gratitude let your desires be made known to God. And the peace of God, surpassing all understanding, shall watch your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. As to the rest, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever venerable, whatever just, whatever pure, whatever lovely, whatever prosperous; if any ability, and if any praise, reckon up these things. And what things ye learned, and received, and heard, and saw in me, these do; and the God of peace shall be with you.
I am strong for all things in Christ strengthening me.
He also having manifested to us your love in the Spirit. For this also we, from the day which we heard, ceased not praying for you, and asking that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
For this also we, from the day which we heard, ceased not praying for you, and asking that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; For you to walk worthy of the Lord in all pleasing behavior, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; read more. In all power being able according to the strength of his glory, in all patience and longsuffering with joy. Returning thanks to the Father, having rendered us fitting for the portion of the lot of the holy in light: Who saved us from the power of darkness, and transferred into the kingdom of the Son of his love: In whom we have redemption by his blood, the remission of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: For by him were all things created, things in the heavens, and things upon earth, things visible and invisible, whether thrones, whether dominions, whether beginnings, whether authorities: all were created by him, and for him: And he is before all, and all things have been established by him. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that he might be the first in all For in him was he pleased that all fulness should dwell: And by him to reconcile all things anew to himself; having made peace by the blood of his cross, by him, whether things upon earth, whether things in the heavens. And you, once being alienated and enemies in mind by evil works, and now has he reconciled In the body of his flesh by death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable before him: If indeed ye remain in the faith, founded and firmly fixed, and not moved aside from the hope of the good news, which ye heard, being proclaimed in all creation under heaven; of which I Paul was a servant;
Whom we announce, reminding every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfected in Christ jesus:
And over all these, love, which is the bond of completion.
Epaphras, who of you, greets you, a servant of Christ, always contending for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfected and completed in all the will of God.
For it became him, for whom all things, and by whom all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the chief of their salvation by sufferings.
And being perfected, he became to all them lending a willing ear to him the origin of eternal salvation
Of whom great is the word to us, and difficult of interpretation to speak, since ye have been sluggish in the hearing.
Therefore having left the word of the beginning of Christ, we should go on to perfection; not again laying down the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
If truly therefore completion were by the Levitical priesthood, (for the people received legislation by it,) what further need according to the order of Melchisedec for another priest to be raised, and not according to the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being transferred, of necessity also is a transposition of law. read more. For he of whom these things are said partook of another tribe, of which none held to the altar. For it is manifest that our Lord has sprung out of Judah; to which tribe Moses spake nothing of the priesthood. And it is yet more abundantly manifest: that according to the resemblance of Melchisedec has another priest risen, Who according to the law of a fleshly command was not born, but according to the power of an indestructible life. For he testifies, Thou a priest forever, according to the order of Melchisedec. For there is truly an annulling of the command going before by its weakness and unprofitableness. (For the law completed nothing,) but the bringing in of a better hope; by which we draw near to God.
For the law establishes men chief priests having weakness; but the word of the sacrifice sanctioned by solemn oath, after the law, the Son, having been perfected forever.
Which a parable for the time placed in, according to which both gifts and sacrifices are brought near, not being able for consciousness to perfect him serving;
For by one offering has he perfected forever the consecrated.
God having foreseen something better for us, that without us they should not be completed.
To the assembly of people, and church of the firstborn, transcribed in the heavens, and to God the Judge of all, and. to the spirits of the just perfected,
Put you in proper order in every good work for doing his will, doing in you the thing pleasing before him, by Jesus Christ; to whom glory for the time of times. Amen.
And let patience have a perfect work, that ye be perfect and entire, being left behind in nothing.
Every good donation and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom not one change, or shadow of turning.
And he having stooped into the perfect law of liberty, and remained, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of work, he shall be happy in his doing.
For in many things we all stumble. If any stumble not in word, this a perfect man, able to govern by a bridle also the whole body.
Whom not having seen, ye love; in whom, now not seeing, but believing, ye are transported with joy unalterable, and highly valued: