Divine Completeness: τέλειος (Strong’s G5046: teleios) Reflects God’s Perfect Nature

Strong’s G5046: An adjective denoting completion, perfection, or maturity. Derived from τέλος (end, goal), it describes the state of being complete, fully developed, or having reached its intended purpose. Used in spiritual contexts to describe both divine perfection and Christian maturity.

U – Unveiling the Word

τέλειος carries the profound concept of completeness, perfection, and maturity in both secular and spiritual contexts. In the New Testament, it appears most notably in Matthew 5:48, where Jesus commands believers to be perfect as their heavenly Father is perfect. The word doesn’t merely suggest flawlessness but rather the idea of fulfilling one’s intended purpose or reaching full maturity. Early church fathers understood τέλειος as describing both God’s absolute perfection and the progressive spiritual maturity of believers. This dual meaning remains significant today, challenging believers to grow toward spiritual completeness while acknowledging that true perfection belongs to God alone.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: τέλειος, teleios, tel’-i-os
• Phonetic Guide: tel (as in “tell”) + eye + os (as in “dose”)
• Part of Speech: Adjective

Etymology:

• From τέλος (telos) – end, goal, purpose
• -ειος (-eios) – adjectival suffix indicating pertaining to or characterized by
• Related to τελέω (teleō) – to complete, finish

D – Defining Meanings

• Complete, perfect
• Mature, full-grown
• Accomplished, reaching its end
• Having attained its purpose
• Whole, entire

Translation Options:

• “perfect” – emphasizes the completeness aspect
• “mature” – captures the developmental aspect
• “complete” – balances both aspects of full development and achievement of purpose

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ὁλόκληρος (holoklēros) – complete, entire See G3648
• ἄρτιος (artios) – complete, adequate See G739
• πλήρης (plērēs) – full, complete See G4134

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Adjectival Features:

• Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative
• Number: Singular and Plural
• Gender: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter
• Declension: Second declension

Examples:

• Masculine nominative singular: τέλειος (perfect)
• Feminine nominative singular: τελεία (perfect)
• Neuter nominative singular: τέλειον (perfect)
• Plural forms follow standard declension patterns

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

Lexical sources provide rich understanding of τέλειος. BDAG emphasizes both its ethical perfection and maturity aspects, while Thayer’s highlights its connection to purpose fulfillment. LSJ traces its classical usage from “having reached its end” to “complete” and “perfect.” Vine’s notes its contrast with νήπιος (infant, immature), emphasizing spiritual growth. Strong’s connects it to the goal-oriented root τέλος. Moulton and Milligan document its use in papyri for describing complete inventories and fully qualified persons. The collective evidence suggests τέλειος carries both static (completion) and dynamic (development) aspects.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“Therefore you are to be perfect [τέλειοι], as your heavenly Father is perfect [τέλειός].” Matthew 5:48

Additional References:
Matthew 19:21, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 2:6, Ephesians 4:13, Philippians 3:15, Colossians 1:28, James 1:4, James 3:2

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

τέλειος reveals both the absolute perfection of God and the path of spiritual maturity for believers. While only God is inherently perfect, believers are called to grow toward completeness in the Messiah. This word encourages us that through His grace, we are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory. The good news is that while we strive for spiritual maturity, our perfection is ultimately found in Him who is making us complete in His perfect love.

D – Did You Know?

• τέλειος was used in mystery religions to describe fully initiated members
• The word appears 19 times in the New Testament
• In ancient athletic contexts, it described athletes who had reached full training

Strong’s G5046: An adjective denoting completion, perfection, or maturity. Derived from τέλος (end, goal), it describes the state of being complete, fully developed, or having reached its intended purpose. Used in spiritual contexts to describe both divine perfection and Christian maturity.

Part of speech: Adjective

Tags: perfection, maturity, completion, holiness, growth, sanctification, wisdom, spiritual-development, divine-nature, purpose​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​