John,
I want to share some thoughts I had while reading Matthew 5. I enjoyed each verse, but when I came to verse 48, I paused to consider what Jesus was saying. “Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.” I tried to imagine what the disciples may have been thinking after hearing these words: “Be perfect, just as your Father (Jehovah) … is perfect!” “Wow! How is that possible?”
I soon found out that I was wrong trying to use the modern day definition of “perfect” to understand what Jesus was saying. Some modern definitions of perfect are: something that is flawless, exact, or completely suited for a specific purpose, (e.g. “a perfect score” or “perfect weather for a picnic”).
I decided to research the ancient Greek meaning of the word “perfect”. Here is what I found: Teleios (perfect) as an adjective means having attained an end or purpose, complete, full grown, whole-hearted. Some comments I found said, “Something that has reached its intended completion or maturity, rather than merely ‘flawless’”. And, “something is perfect when it functions exactly as its designer intended.”
One example I saw compared a modern day definition to an ancient one using an acorn. A modern perspective would see that an acorn is shiny, symmetrical, not cracked, and otherwise perfect. An ancient Greek perspective may have been that the acorn is perfect (teleios) because it will become a fully grown oak tree, mature, and bearing fruit.
I still wasn’t quite satisfied with my understanding of Jesus’ words. So, I decided to go to your Matthew study posted on the YouTube channel, “The Spirit Is the Witness”: Matthew Study (5:31-48) – John D. Clark, Sr. (This is a wonderful video. I highly recommend it.) There, you explained that Jesus was not giving commandments in chapter 5. He was describing a way of life, specifically his and his Father’s way of life. You went on to say that in the Old Testament, God required His people to be holy because He is holy. However, in this New Covenant, we are holy as He is holy. Jesus has made a way that we can be like him and His Father. The verses in chapter 5 describe a way of life that was impossible for those listening to Jesus to live at that time. However, “What is impossible for men, is possible with God.”
Later that evening, Suzi and I continued our reading your book God Had a Son Before Mary Did.* I still had the thought of Jesus’ words in my mind, “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Then we read the following text: “God’s children are happiest when they occupy their appointed place in the order of God and acknowledge the places occupied by others. When you are in the place that you were created to be, you feel contentment, for your place is not an it. Your place is a who – you! The “place” God has for you is your life as the person God intended you to be from the foundation of the world. Only in that place, only in being yourself in Christ, will you ever experience perfect peace and joy. That is why envy is compared with cancer (Prov. 14:30); it eats away at a person’s gratitude for the who that God has made him. Envy is a tacit way of grumbling about God’s order, and it stirs up strife (Rom. 13:13; Phip. 1:15). To avoid envy and strife, we need only be thankful for who God’s order is and for where we belong in that order, for as we follow the right who into the knowledge of God, we stay content with our portion from God.” (God Had a Son Before Mary Did, pg. 446, 1st. par., hard bound book)
John, I believe that what you wrote in the text above describes what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 5, particularly verse 48. Living the way that God has created for us is perfection by any standard. It is void of the fear of making mistakes.
I am thankful for you and your work. May we be perfect (together) as our heavenly Father is perfect.
Tom
On a side note: I noticed that Jesus said in verse 48 to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. He did not say be perfect as I am perfect.
However, he also said in another place, “When you see me, you see the Father.” (John 14:9)
*Going to Jesus.com – God Had A Son Before Mary Did (Pg. 194 digital copy)