Teleios

The Greek word teleios means "perfect," "complete," or "mature"—from telos, meaning "end" or "goal." It describes something that has reached its intended purpose, achieved its design. A teleios apple is ripe, fully developed. A teleiosathlete has reached peak form. This isn't flawless performance but functional completion—the thing has become what it was meant to be.

Jesus's command seems impossible: "You therefore must be perfect (teleioi), as your heavenly Father is perfect (teleios)" (Matthew 5:48). How can finite humans achieve divine perfection? But the context clarifies: Jesus just taught enemy-love, saying "if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?" (Matthew 5:46). To be teleios like the Father means to love indiscriminately, extending goodness to evil and good alike as God does with sunshine and rain. It's about complete, mature love—not sinless flawlessness.

James uses teleios for the result of tested faith: "let steadfastness have its full effect (ergon teleion), that you may be perfect and complete (teleioi), lacking in nothing" (James 1:4). Trials produce maturity, finishing the formation process. Similarly, Paul distinguishes between spiritual adults and infants: "we speak wisdom among the mature (teleiois)" (1 Corinthians 2:6). Maturity isn't sinlessness but development—moving from milk to solid food (Hebrews 5:14).

Paradoxically, Paul claims both to be and not be teleios: "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect (teteleiōmai), but I press on...Let those of us who are mature (teleioi) think this way" (Philippians 3:12, 15). He's mature enough to know he's not finished—genuine teleios includes awareness of incompleteness. True maturity knows it's still growing.

Hebrews applies teleios to Christ himself: "it was fitting that he...should make the founder of their salvation perfect (teleiōsai) through suffering" (Hebrews 2:10). Jesus didn't need moral improvement, but his human nature required completion through the full human experience, including death. "He learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect (teleiōtheis), he became the source of eternal salvation" (Hebrews 5:8-9). The incarnate Son reached his telos through the cross.

Here's what we've lost: Aristotle taught that everything has a telos—an acorn's purpose is to become an oak, a knife's purpose is to cut well. Teleios meant reaching that inherent purpose. But modern culture has no agreed-upon human telos, so we've reduced "perfect" to flawless performance, fueling anxiety and shame. Biblical teleios isn't about never failing; it's about becoming fully human as God intended—which paradoxically includes acknowledging weakness, depending on grace, and loving like God loves. The goal isn't flawlessness but Christlikeness.