Sacred Fulfillment: τελείωσις (Strong’s G5050: teleiōsis) Reveals God’s Perfect Promise

Strong’s G5050: A feminine noun denoting the act of completion or fulfillment, particularly of divine promises and sacred duties. Used in contexts emphasizing the perfect accomplishment of God’s word and the completion of spiritual responsibilities.

U – Unveiling the Word

τελείωσις represents the process or state of bringing something to completion or perfection. In the New Testament, it appears significantly in contexts of divine fulfillment and priestly service. In Luke 1:45, it describes the certainty of God’s promises being fulfilled in Mary’s life, while in Hebrews 7:11 it relates to the perfection unattainable through the Levitical priesthood. The early church understood τελείωσις as expressing both the completion of God’s promises and the process of spiritual perfection. Today, it continues to affirm God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His word and His ongoing work of perfecting believers.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: τελείωσις, teleiōsis, tel-i’-o-sis
• Phonetic Guide: tel (as in “tell”) + eye + oh + sis
• Part of Speech: Noun

Etymology:

• From τελειόω (teleioō) – to perfect, complete
• -σις (-sis) – noun suffix indicating action or process
• Ultimate root τέλος (telos) – end, goal, purpose

D – Defining Meanings

• Completion
• Fulfillment
• Perfection
• Accomplishment
• Consummation

Translation Options:

• “fulfillment” – emphasizes the completion of promises
• “perfection” – highlights the qualitative aspect
• “completion” – captures the process of reaching an end

E – Exploring Similar Words

• τελειότης (teleiotēs) – completeness, perfection See G5047
• πλήρωσις (plērōsis) – fulfillment See G4138
• τέλος (telos) – end, goal See G5056

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Nominal Features:

• Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative
• Number: Singular
• Gender: Feminine
• Declension: Third declension

Examples:

• Nominative: τελείωσις (completion)
• Genitive: τελειώσεως (of completion)
• Dative: τελειώσει (to/for completion)
• Accusative: τελείωσιν (completion as object)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

Lexical sources provide rich understanding of τελείωσις. BDAG emphasizes its use in contexts of fulfillment and completion, particularly of divine promises. Thayer’s notes its connection to priestly service and spiritual perfection. LSJ traces its classical usage in religious and philosophical contexts. Vine’s highlights its relationship to the completion of God’s purposes. Strong’s connects it to the concept of reaching a goal. Moulton and Milligan document its use in religious contexts in papyri. The combined evidence suggests τελείωσις represents both divine accomplishment and spiritual maturation.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment [τελείωσις] of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.” Luke 1:45

Additional References:
Hebrews 7:11

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

τελείωσις beautifully expresses God’s faithfulness in bringing His promises to completion. From Mary’s faith in the fulfillment of God’s word to the perfection found in the Messiah’s priesthood, this word testifies to divine reliability. It proclaims that our God is the perfect completer of His promises, and through the Messiah, He is bringing us to spiritual completion. This word reminds us that our hope rests not in human systems but in God’s perfect work of fulfillment through His Son.

D – Did You Know?

• τελείωσις appears only twice in the New Testament
• The word was used in ancient priestly ordination ceremonies
• Early church writers used it to describe spiritual perfection in Christ

Strong’s G5050: A feminine noun denoting the act of completion or fulfillment, particularly of divine promises and sacred duties. Used in contexts emphasizing the perfect accomplishment of God’s word and the completion of spiritual responsibilities.

Part of speech: Noun

Tags: fulfillment, completion, perfection, promises, priesthood, accomplishment, Mary, faith, spiritual-maturity, divine-faithfulness​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​