280:" with this new one: "Let examine attentively ... the different periods of time, and the persons to whom it was given; and he will admire the wisdom of the divine Legislator, and clearly perceive that it is one and the same Lord, and that each law was to the great advantage of mankind, and wisely adapted to the times of their promulgation. For, if among the first principles of rectitude, these sublime and eminent truths had been found, perhaps neither these, nor the less perfect rules of morality would have been observed; whereas, by disposing of both in their proper time, the divine wisdom has employed both for the correction of the world."
264:: Because the utmost perfection of love cannot go beyond the love of enemies, therefore as soon as the Lord has bid us love our enemies, He proceeds, Be ye then perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. He indeed is perfect, as being omnipotent; man, as being aided by the Omnipotent. For the word ‘as’ is used in Scripture, sometimes for identity, and equality, as in that, As I was with Moses, so will I be with thee; (Josh. 1:5.) sometimes to express likeness only as here.
42:
428:
243:
notes that "this perfection is to be restrained to the subject Christ is upon, love to men, and not to be referred to any, or every other thing". The Qumran followers described themselves as the followers of the "perfect way", in that they were followers of what they believed was perfect dedication
251:
Either (1) in reference to a future state, “if ye have this true love or charity ye shall be perfect hereafter;” or (2) the future has an imperative force, and perfect is limited by the preceding words = perfect in respect of love, i. e. “love your enemies as well as your neighbours,” because your
209:
One commentary offers, "Manifestly, our Lord here speaks, not of degrees of excellence, but of the kind of excellence which was to distinguish His disciples and characterize His kingdom. When therefore He adds, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect—He refers to that full-orbed glorious
225:
Another view is that this is a limited form of perfection that is being asked. Fowler notes that elsewhere in the New
Testament, it is stated that those who believe in Jesus and rely fully upon him for all things is perfect. In Jewish scripture, certain individuals such as
202:, "Originally, it is applied to a piece of mechanism, as a machine that is complete in its parts. Applied to people, it refers to completeness of parts, or perfection, where no part is defective or wanting." Some link the Gospel's use of the term with its use by the
234:
are referred to as perfect because of their obedience to God. In these passages perfect is used as a synonym for complete, and perfect obedience to God is simply complete obedience to God. Barclay argues that the previous verses made clear that man's function is to
197:
The term rendered "perfect" in most
English translations is τέλειοι (téleioi), the same word used in the Septuagint for תָּמִים (tamím) and meaning "brought to its end, finished; lacking nothing necessary to completeness". According to
194:
There is some debate about the meaning of the injunction to be "perfect", since orthodox
Christianity teaches that creatures cannot achieve God's level of perfection.
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270:: For as our sons after the flesh resemble their fathers in some part of their bodily shape, so do spiritual sons resemble their father God, in holiness.
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189:"Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, You shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy."
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422:"Catena Aurea: commentary on the four Gospels; collected out of the works of the Fathers. Oxford: Parker, 1874. Thomas Aquinas"
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completeness which is in the great Divine Model, 'their Father which is in heaven.'" Other scholars believe that
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is here setting a goal that is certain to be impossible, so that we will realize this and be
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The
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges synthesizes several approaches:
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239:, and anyone who does that absolutely can be considered perfect. Similarly,
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51:). Book illustration from Thomas à Kempis (translator: Jurriaen Bouckart ),
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Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
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Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
291:"Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect"
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206:. To them something was perfect if it fully had its intended function.
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161:Ἔσεσθε οὖν ὑμεῖς τέλειοι ὡς ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τέλειός ἐστιν.
123:
431:
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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is important, even if the attainment of it impossible.
360:
Jamies-Fausset-Brown Bible
Commentary, Matthew 5:48.
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110:, and it is a summary of Jesus' earlier teachings.
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252:Father being perfect in respect of love does this.
150:uses the word "complete" instead of "perfect".
384:The Gospel of Matthew: Volume 1 Chapters 1-10.
170:The formulation of this verse is known as the
55:, Jacob Lescailje (publisher), Amsterdam 1663.
880:
509:
416:
414:
342:'s Greek Lexicon entry for Strong's NT #5046.
8:
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184::2, which says in the King James Version:
351:Barnes' Notes on the Bible, Matthew 5:48.
458:
373:Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1992.
308:
106:. This is the final verse of the final
53:De vier boeken der naarvolging Christi
15:
395:Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
7:
386:Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 1975.
1677:The Gospel According to St. Matthew
180::36. The verse might be modeled on
406:The Gospel of Matthew: Volume One.
257:Commentary from the Church Fathers
14:
426:
371:The Gospel According to Matthew.
40:
825:Thou shalt not commit adultery
86:is the forty-eighth and final
1:
176:; a similar verse appears in
452:, accessed 14 November 2022
408:Joplin: College Press, 1968
138:translates the passage as:
1922:
1608:Five Discourses of Matthew
1875:American Standard Version
1701:The Visual Bible: Matthew
1211:Massacre of the Innocents
833:
39:
23:
1628:Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew
1275:Jesus preaches in a ship
444:Homily xviii, quoted in
155:Novum Testamentum Graece
1633:Rabbinical translations
815:Turning the other cheek
47:"Sermon on the Mount" (
1906:Heaven in Christianity
1588:Augustinian hypothesis
1426:Mary, sister of Martha
318:: Common English Bible
1880:World English Version
1598:Matthean Posteriority
1593:Two-gospel hypothesis
1285:Feeding the multitude
1248:Behold the bridegroom
1645:Joseph Smith–Matthew
1330:Crucifixion of Jesus
148:Common English Bible
72:Christian Bible part
1253:Sermon on the Mount
820:Thou shalt not kill
810:Sermon on the Mount
136:World English Bible
104:Sermon on the Mount
102:and is part of the
1870:King James Version
1662:St Matthew Passion
1613:Calling of Matthew
1603:Genealogy of Jesus
1216:Return to Nazareth
382:Barclay, William,
274:St John Chrysostom
230:(Genesis 6:9) and
204:Greek philosophers
126:, the text reads:
120:King James Version
1888:
1887:
1618:Kingdom of heaven
1300:Great Commandment
1280:Calming the storm
1238:Galilean ministry
1223:Kingdom of heaven
1206:Flight into Egypt
1196:Star of Bethlehem
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805:Salt in the Bible
525:Gospel of Matthew
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482:Succeeded by
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268:Pseudo-Chrysostom
218:. The pursuit of
96:Gospel of Matthew
92:the fifth chapter
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66:Gospel of Matthew
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1865:Wycliffe Version
1839:Magdalen papyrus
1665:(Bach, 1727/29)
1583:Textual variants
1401:John the Baptist
1350:Great Commission
1320:Passion of Jesus
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1688:(1971 musical)
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1411:Judas Iscariot
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276:compares the "
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1263:Lord's Prayer
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909:New Testament
905:
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1696:(1973 film)
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1325:Last Supper
1310:Ten Virgins
1268:Golden Rule
1184:and phrases
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49:De Bergrede
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1855:Greek Text
1654:In culture
1340:Empty tomb
1258:Beatitudes
1233:Temptation
795:Beatitudes
303:References
220:perfection
108:antithesis
1901:Matthew 5
1719:Papyrus 1
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244:to God.
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