Paul in writing to the Philippians (3. 12) makes it quite clear that he does not claim to have attained to the resurrection of the dead or to be already perfect, but rather that that is his one aspiration. So forgetting what is behind he reaches out for what is ahead, pressing onward towards the goal to win the prize. His exhortation is, “Let us therefore . . . be thus minded”.
Yet the full text of verse 15 is, “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded”. There can be no thought of a contradiction between the two verses, although it may appear so on the face of it. When we look into the meaning behind the word “perfect” in verse 15, we find it has a different shade of meaning from the perfection of verse 12 to which Paul has not yet attained.
Present “perfection” in the sense of verse 15 is a direct command of Jesus recorded in Matthew 5. 48, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect”. Despite our limitations, Jesus considered we could attain this “perfection”, and therefore our energies should be directed to its achievement. But what do we strive after? The Greek word for perfect in this case is “teleios”, and it is again used in 1 Cor. 14. 20, being translated in the A.V. by the word “men”. Our instruction here is that we are not to be children in understanding but in understanding to be men. There is a marginal alternative of “perfect”: “of a ripe age’, and this gives us a clue to the type of “perfection” that is meant.
We are told that Philo classified his students into three classes, namely, those just beginning, those making progress, and those beginning to reach maturity. The word used for the third class of student is a kindred one to the word we are considering, so we may translate Paul as saying, “Let us therefore, as many as are beginning to reach maturity, be thus minded”. The basic idea then is one of maturity. “Let those of us who are mature . . .” is the R.S.V.translation. This maturity means that as we grow in the Truth we should have a deeper grasp, not only of the facts, but also of the significance of our faith. It means that the reflection of Christ should be more and more apparent as we rid ourselves of old faults and acquire new virtues.
The writer to the Hebrews (5. 14) elaborates this when he says, “Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age . . .” The phrase, “of full age” being a translation of the word “teleios”, with a marginal alternative of “perfect’ . Bro. J. Carter comments,
“It is as much a matter of reproach with us as with those Hebrews, when with the passing years there is not growth in understanding. More than this, it is a matter of peril; for there is no standing still, and if there is not progress made, the little which had been gained will be lost. Instead of ears becoming more sensitive to the message, they will become dull; the eyes will fail to see and the heart to understand. This is the law of life. The obvious thing is ‘exercise’, and this by ‘use’ or ‘habit’. It is not spasmodic study that trains . . . it is the habitual ‘thinking on these things’ that makes full growth and ‘ripe understanding’.”
How Paul strove for this among the ecclesias in his care! The Ephesians (4. 11-16) are told that the gifts of Christ are for the building up of the body of Christ . . . to mature (teleios) manhood so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine. To the Colossians he declares, “Him we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man mature (teleios) in Christ. For this I toil, striving with all the energy which he mightily inspires within me” (Col. 1. 28-29 R.S.V.). Epaphras added his prayer that they “may stand mature (teleios) and fully assured in all the will of God” (Co. 4. 12) R.S.V.
Now it is our turn and this involves us in the change that living beings undergo in the course of their growth. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (teleios)” (Rom. 12. 2) R.S.V. So, then, as we begin to reach maturity, having a riper understanding, we comprehend the “perfection” of God in that His love was poured out toward us whilst we were His enemies. He still makes his sun rise on wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous. This is the principle which is the measure of our spiritual adulthood or maturity: and its application is found in our compliance with the wish of Christ, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you” (Mat. 5.44).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One