PERFECTION
Matthew 5.48
48.”Therefore, you are to be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect."
Can we be perfect as our GOD? I think Matthew meant humanly possible perfection. I do not think that a human being can achieve perfection of GOD, but to imitate GOD'S perfection, this is possible for everyone, just like possible to fulfill Commandments of the Law.
Matthew 19.21
21.Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect (NRSV) (Matthew 19.21) (Philippians 1.6) (Hebrews 7.19, 12.22-23), go, sell your possessions and gave the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven, then come follow Me.”
So far only NRSV Bible placed the word "perfect" under context of verse 21. And I think that this is the best translation of this passage so far.
In this statement of Christ in Matthew 19. perfection has a single specified meaning. When Christ finished first part of His conversation with a young man and conclusion was made that young man saved for the Kingdom of GOD by obeying the Commandments of GOD (Commandments of the Lord give Life: (Leviticus 18.5) (Deuteronomy 8.3) (Nehemiah 9.29) (Ezekiel 20.11.13) (Matthew 4.4, 19.17) (Luke 4.4) (John 12.49-50), then Jesus turned to a second part of His conversation.
In the second part of conversation Jesus actually revealed to young man that he can do much more when just obeying Commandments of the Law, which already gave him salvation, but to make himself even more better and perfect he must do something else. So, in what kind of way the young men can make himself even more perfect?
Jesus Himself immediately led a young man to a final conclusion of perfection by saying, "go, sell your possessions and gave the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven, then come follow Me."
So, if obedience and fulfillment of Commandments of the Lord saves a human being for eternal life in the Kingdom of GOD, but would not make him of her perfect, the proposal of Christ to give up everything and follow Him definitely would make a person perfect in his/her faith and dedication to GOD. Apostles of Christ also drop everything and followed their Master, and many men of GOD long before Christ give up their homes and their families to be prophets of GOD.
Matthew 19.27
27.Then Peter answered and said to Him, "We have left everything and followed You, what then will there be for us?"
And so, what perfection will do for a person who are already saved? Is this is not the ultimate goal of all the Christians just to be saved? It seems that Kingdom of GOD has a certain hierarchy in its midst. Some angels and spirits higher than others and they have different responsibilities and duties.
For the Apostles of Christ the Lord prepared them following "treasure" or in other places of the Bible it is also called as "rewards":
Matthew 19. 28
28.And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matthew 19.28) (Luke 22.30)
So I think that perfection will play very important role on the status and responsibilities of everyone who would achieve a certain amount of perfection here on Earth in order to gain much higher status and rank in the Kingdom of GOD. And this is perhaps will be the "treasure" of those who will enter the Kingdom of GOD, what ever it may be, that Christ mentioned to the young man.
I also understand perfection as growth in spirituality and in Christ, imitating the Lord in all aspect of His life on Earth, combining with detailed and deep study of the Bible on the scholar level will certainly improve any individual to the level behind just obeying Commandments of the Law.
Matthew 5.48
48.”Therefore, you are to be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect."
Can we be perfect as our GOD? I think Matthew meant humanly possible perfection. I do not think that a human being can achieve perfection of GOD, but to imitate GOD'S perfection, this is possible for everyone, just like possible to fulfill Commandments of the Law.
Matthew 19.21
21.Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect (NRSV) (Matthew 19.21) (Philippians 1.6) (Hebrews 7.19, 12.22-23), go, sell your possessions and gave the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven, then come follow Me.”
So far only NRSV Bible placed the word "perfect" under context of verse 21. And I think that this is the best translation of this passage so far.
In this statement of Christ in Matthew 19. perfection has a single specified meaning. When Christ finished first part of His conversation with a young man and conclusion was made that young man saved for the Kingdom of GOD by obeying the Commandments of GOD (Commandments of the Lord give Life: (Leviticus 18.5) (Deuteronomy 8.3) (Nehemiah 9.29) (Ezekiel 20.11.13) (Matthew 4.4, 19.17) (Luke 4.4) (John 12.49-50), then Jesus turned to a second part of His conversation.
In the second part of conversation Jesus actually revealed to young man that he can do much more when just obeying Commandments of the Law, which already gave him salvation, but to make himself even more better and perfect he must do something else. So, in what kind of way the young men can make himself even more perfect?
Jesus Himself immediately led a young man to a final conclusion of perfection by saying, "go, sell your possessions and gave the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven, then come follow Me."
So, if obedience and fulfillment of Commandments of the Lord saves a human being for eternal life in the Kingdom of GOD, but would not make him of her perfect, the proposal of Christ to give up everything and follow Him definitely would make a person perfect in his/her faith and dedication to GOD. Apostles of Christ also drop everything and followed their Master, and many men of GOD long before Christ give up their homes and their families to be prophets of GOD.
Matthew 19.27
27.Then Peter answered and said to Him, "We have left everything and followed You, what then will there be for us?"
And so, what perfection will do for a person who are already saved? Is this is not the ultimate goal of all the Christians just to be saved? It seems that Kingdom of GOD has a certain hierarchy in its midst. Some angels and spirits higher than others and they have different responsibilities and duties.
For the Apostles of Christ the Lord prepared them following "treasure" or in other places of the Bible it is also called as "rewards":
Matthew 19. 28
28.And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matthew 19.28) (Luke 22.30)
So I think that perfection will play very important role on the status and responsibilities of everyone who would achieve a certain amount of perfection here on Earth in order to gain much higher status and rank in the Kingdom of GOD. And this is perhaps will be the "treasure" of those who will enter the Kingdom of GOD, what ever it may be, that Christ mentioned to the young man.
I also understand perfection as growth in spirituality and in Christ, imitating the Lord in all aspect of His life on Earth, combining with detailed and deep study of the Bible on the scholar level will certainly improve any individual to the level behind just obeying Commandments of the Law.
