Parmenides’ Legacy (1)
Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48 NASB
Perfect – If I tell you that Yeshua drew this statement from Leviticus 19:2, you would discover rather quickly that the verse in the Tanakh does not require us to be perfect. It says, “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” This should prompt you to ask, “Why does every translation of the Matthew passage use the word ‘perfect’ instead of ‘holy’?” What is the impact of translating teleios as “perfect”?
Brené Brown notices some psychological results. “ . . . much of the world we work and live in is based upon being correct, being perfect.”[1]
“Perfectionism is a form of shame . . . Perfectionism is self-destructive simply because perfection doesn’t exist. It’s an unattainable goal. Perfectionism is more about perception than internal motivation, and there is no way to control perception, no matter how much time and energy we spend trying.
Perfectionism is addictive, because when we invariably do experience shame, judgment, and blame, we often believe it’s because we weren’t perfect enough. Rather than questioning the faulty logic of perfectionism, we become even more entrenched in our quest to look and do everything just right.”[2]
I might add that perfectionism in the hands of religion is also a form of control. If God actually commands you to be perfect, then it soon becomes apparent that you are not perfect and you probably never will be. But if God commands it, then this means you are never going to be acceptable to God. This leads to two equally disastrous conclusions. The first is that grace is a form of perfection escape. God takes you in despite the fact that you are forever flawed. You conclude that what you do really doesn’t matter. God is willing to accept imperfect. The second is that your imperfection is really not your fault. People are born imperfect. It might be Adam’s fault (or it might ultimately be God’s fault), but it certainly is not your fault. There is just something about being human that means you and I are imperfect. So once again, you have an excuse. There is no need to try to be perfect. It’s impossible. Apparently God demands the impossible, knowing you can’t produce it, and then excuses you. It’s simply a shell game. In the end you are completely dependent on His willingness to let the demand slide. In the hands of religion, the demand for perfection means that you and I must do what the church tells us in order to be excused from our daily imperfection.
But holiness is a completely different idea. You and I can be imperfectly holy. Holiness is about willful, voluntary dedication, commitment and execution. Holiness is doing what God asks to the best of our ability. It is not about doing it perfectly. It is about chasing after Him no matter what.
I am not perfect. You are not perfect. But we can still by holy because we can set aside what we do for His pleasure and benefit. We can set aside our imperfect actions for Him. That is holy—separated. And that is all He asks.
Topical Index: perfect, holy, teleios, Matthew 5:48, Brené Brown
[1] Brené Brown, Daring Greatly, p. 136.
[2] Brené Brown, Daring Greatly, pp. 130-131.
Interesting discussion Skip. Perfect would then be the flawless execution of the Torah. Why would Yeshua make such a statement if He came to save the lost sheep…
Holy is separated or set apart. Does this then mean provided with different life processing principle…
Now the points for discussion-
All God fearing people have the same general reference book The Bible…
For the 12 tribes the first five books with their further discussion documents… Being set apart to do. The choice here is to be set apart… Seems like an easy option. 10 guiding rules achieved by executing 613 life principles…
For Israel additional achieve the 10 guiding rules by loving others… Flawlessly. Why? Because Yeshua says if your righteousness not exceed those of the Pharisees and Scribes you shall not enter the kingdom…
Would this not be why perfect is used instead of holy?
“Perfect” is an excellent example of Greek thought (with which Modern Western Philosophy and Religion is infested) vs. Hebrew Thought.
From the Hebrew Matthew this word is translated as: “wholehearted”.
I would also suggest that “Complete”, “Sincere” or “Functional” may help to convey the Hebrew idea.
Jeff A. Benner discussed “Perfect” in Hebrew as follows:
“And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. Genesis 25:27 (KJV)
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one Job 1:1 (KJV)
From these two verses, we could conclude that Jacob was plain, just an ordinary person, nothing special, but Job, on the other hand, was rather extraordinary as he was “perfect.” What you might find interesting is the word “perfect” in Job 1:1 is a translation of the Hebrew word תם tam [H:8535] but so is the word “plain” in Genesis 25:27. So why isn’t Jacob considered “perfect” by the translations just as they did with Job? This is another case of translators relying on the Greek Septuagint for their translation rather than the Hebrew text itself. The Greek uses the word amemptos [G:273], meaning “blameless,” for Job and the word haplous [G:573], meaning “simple,” for Jacob.
The word תם tam [H:8535] can be best defined as “mature in thought and action” and is the parent root of the verb תמם tamam [H:8552] meaning to be whole, finished or completed. From this verb comes the word תמים tamiym [H:8549].
Thou shalt be perfect (tamiym) with the LORD thy God. Deuteronomy 18:13 (KJV)
Can one be perfect? From a Greek perspective, no, because everyone has his faults, but in Hebraic thought there is no concept of “perfect.” A better translation of the verse above is; You will be complete (tamiym) with Yahweh your Elohiym”
Shalom
I like the idea of of “You shall be whole with God.” I’ve heard shalom defined as wholeness, peace, prosperity and blessing. Harmony. And if we obey God, we experience this.
Well I can’t say I’m prosperous at least not by my Greek definition. ?But all the rest, I can say yes.
I lived under guilt, condemnation, etc for 30 years till I started finding out what these words meant. Thank God, I am free of that guilt and condemnation now (I;m still working on other issues)
Pieter thank you for the additional thoughts very enlightening.
Progress, not perfection, is the goal
Amen!
Yes Craig, and we are all in this journey together.
Skip, how does teleios get in this verse instead of holy?
Because teleios can also be translated “complete” or “fully grown,” it picks up some of the nuances of Hebrew but when it is theologically manipulated the translators chose “perfect” rather than “complete.”
I wonder if we struggle with this because we want to understand holiness/perfection/completion/flawness/wholeheartedness from God’s perspective instead of our own? I know that salvation must look very different from His end: He died physically, but that is not what my end looks like. From my perspective, salvation looks like LIFE, for life is my correct response: I must quit (repent) all that death stuff. Now. We obsess over how God views us, but perhaps it would be better if we just focused on how we are supposed to view Him in terms of this subject.
In past discussions, as Skip has been outlining what obedience looks like, perfection is better understood as restored connection in relationship. Perfection, in the Greek world, looks extremely solitary, as a person isolates themselves FROM all pollution (including the pollution of the body). To a Hebrew, though, the Torah requires us to stay in relationship with all, including our own (very) imperfect selves, as well as with God, no matter how flawed we are, or others are. It is easy to relate flawless selves to other flawless selves, but it is HARD to stay in relationship even when everyone is messed up! VERY different applications. To a Greek mind, the three monkeys are the correct response to evil: don’t see it, hear it, speak to it; and for heaven’s sakes, be sure not to step in it! Not a good platform from which to relate…
If the goal of Torah, as it were, is to relate to all at all times, no matter how fragmented, then it becomes important to consider that RELATIONSHIP is not a solitary exercise. Ever. Therefore, obedience to Torah requires non-isolation: in fact, views isolation as the very definition of evil. If sin is the fracturing of the cosmos, righteousness is the restoration of it. I am required to stand in all the relevant breaches I find next to (relevant to) me, as my obedience.
Of completeness, full age, grown man, adulthood, maturity-responsible, accountable.. How ABBA and we desire those qualities in humanity, in society!
These qualities would undoubtedly set us apart from others.
Shalom!