Someone wrote in [personal profile] larvatus 2005-03-28 09:05 am (UTC)

teleios

"teleios" is better translated "complete" than "perfect". Obviously no human can be "perfect" for Christians since it is written "If any man says he does not sin, he makes God a liar", if he sins, he is not perfect. There is a sense in which perfection is achieved by the assumption of the identity of Christ by the believer in the eyes of God, e.g. by God's forgiving of the sins of the believer, s/he becomes perfect in the eyes of God, and hence also perfect. This perfection, achieved by becoming one with Christ is also being completed. This would be the consistent reading of "teleios" and wouldn't support the kind of requirements you make on men to be perfect -in themselves- except inasmuch as they all ought to have faith, those with faith are perfect no matter what they do. Those without are damned no matter what they do.

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