“ In Matthew 5:48 Jesus says, “And be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The word “perfect” translates teleios, and is certainly not incorrect. However, in modern English, “perfect” generally carries only a meaning of moral perfection. As such, it is a verse that sort of grinds us into the dust as we languish in our sins and failures. Who can be perfect? The verse takes on a very different meaning, though, if teleios, is given a more proper translation. “Be whole, as your heavenly Father is whole.” “Be complete…” or most especially, “Be what your heavenly Father created you to be just as He is Who He is from eternity.” The oppression lifts, and the good news radiates into our hearts.” (Father Stephen Freeman)
“ ‘We should show great diligence, not to fall away from the perfection which is attainable, but to acquire as much as is possible: To that extent let us make progress within the realm of what we seek. For the perfection of human nature consists, perhaps in its very growth in goodness.’…The perfection which is attainable for us is not some heavenly pinnacle or plateau above which we cannot go higher. The attainable perfection is offering as much love as we can or are gifted to give. There is no ‘canon’ or measuring stick which can determine this, for it is always possible to do more or to move to an even higher level of spirituality. We may believe that we can do no more, that is human to come to such a conclusion, but we are called to love and struggle to the same degree that Christ did and does…’ (St. Gregory of Nyssa, Fr. Ted Bobosh)
“...human beings may be brought to perfection, to a maturity in which they can truly know God; and…this perfecting of the creature at the same time manifests the workings of God, displaying His goodness and justice.” (Fr. John Behr)
“God could have created human beings perfect or as “gods” from the beginning, for all things are possible to him. However, created things, by virtue of being created, are necessarily inferior to the One who created them, and so fall short of the perfect: they are of a later date, infantile (St. Irenaeus depicts Adam and Eve as infants), and so unaccustomed to, and unexercised in, perfect conduct. Yet, as it is possible for a mother to give an infant solid food, so also God could have made human beings “perfect” from the beginning, but they, still in their infancy, could not have received this perfection…All created beings are limited, and what is limited cannot be perfect. Created beings are given the possibility of striving toward perfection.” (Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica, Fr. John Behr)
“Fasts and vigils, the study of Scripture, renouncing possessions and everything worldly are not in themselves perfection, as we have said; they are its tools. For perfection is not to be found in them; it is acquired through them. It is useless, therefore, to boast of our fasting, vigils, poverty, and reading of Scripture when we have not achieved the love of God and our fellow men. Whoever has achieved love has God within himself and his intellect is always with God.” (St. John Cassian)
“One thing that should be clear from reading the New Testament is that there is no instant perfection. Rather, we strive, struggle and toil in this world to grow in faith and love. ‘Perfection’ will only be had in that day when Christ becomes all in all and this world as we know it is transfigured into God’s Kingdom. In life, we are to expect struggle and to strive for spiritual growth, becoming more Christ-like with each test and struggle.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)
“…the gifts of the Spirit build up the Body of Christ. Paul says that we should become “a perfect man, stressing the unity of the church.” What is the “perfect man”? The apostle does not mean that we should become “perfect individuals.” But he is speaking of what the whole Body of Christ, the church, should become. The word “perfect” means to be brought to completion, to reach its proper end…That fulfillment is measured by the stature, that is, the maturity…of the “fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). The all-important word “fullness” in Greek means to be “filled up” or to reach completion so that no more can be added…Thus, the apostle writes, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). The Son of God is everything that God is.” (Fr. Basil)
“Perfectionism reveals an obvious or hidden form of egotism. Perfectionists don’t want to lose. They believe in themselves and in their way of doing things, they believe that their plans, choices and efforts cannot be faulted or, if they can, that they’ll be able to correct them. Within themselves, they have an open or hidden demand: that their labors should be recognized. Is this fair? From one point of view, yes. As people, we envy, disregard or don’t understand the efforts of others, and sometimes we aren’t even interested in whether they love us, provided they serve our interests. And so we don’t feel the need to enter into the process of recognizing the justice of the effort and therefore the requirement to thank somebody. Though we’re perfectly prepared to ‘sell them out’ or ‘drop them’ when we’ve achieved our aim.” (Protopresbyter Themistoklis Mourtzanos)
“Focusing on trying to excel over others, or considering perfection as the measure of our personal worth by demanding perfection of oneself, distracts us from task-attention and from making the appropriate choices to achieve success. Such perfectionistic standards are opposed to diligence. A sense of diligence guides us to be conscientious in appropriately paying attention to a specific task and giving it the actions necessary to carry it out to a successful conclusion.” (Fr. George Morelli)
“Perfectionism not only brings us into bondage, it puts others around us into bondage as well. As a perfectionist, we expect those around us to perform with equal dedication and skill. When this demand for perfection in others does not materialize, again come the frustrations, impatience and anger.” (Frank Hammond)
“Paul says that we should become “a perfect man, stressing the unity of the church.” What is the “perfect man”? The apostle does not mean that we should become “perfect individuals.” But he is speaking of what the whole Body of Christ, the church, should become. The word “perfect” means to be brought to completion, to reach its proper end...That fulfillment is measured by the stature, that is, the maturity…of the “fullness of Christ” (OSB Ephesians 4:13). The all-important word “fullness” in Greek means to be “filled up” or to reach completion so that no more can be added…Thus, the apostle writes, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (OSB Colossians 2:9). The Son of God is everything that God is.” (Fr. Basil)
“…human credentials can produce nothing that is pleasing to God (Philippians 3:1-8). Instead of relying on such, Paul urges his readers to trust God for their righteousness (v. 9) rather than their own efforts, and at the same time to press on for the prize that awaits them (vv. 12-14). He argues further that perfection is unattainable in this life (v. 15), yet the level of maturity that one has reached should not for this reason be abandoned (v. 16).” (NET Bible, Philippians 3:15)
“The perfect person does not only try to avoid evil. Nor does he do good for fear of punishment, still less in order to qualify for the hope of a promised reward. The perfect person does good through love. His actions are not motivated by desire for personal benefit, so he does not have personal advantage as his aim. But as soon as he has realized the beauty of doing good, he does it with all his energies and in all that he does. He is not interested in fame, or a good reputation, or a human or divine reward. The rule of life for a perfect person is to be in the image and likeness of God. (St. Clement of Alexandria)
“Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mat. 5:48) These words that Jesus Christ gave to…the multitude on the Mount must be taken to heart by every follower of Jesus Christ…The Fathers were surprisingly realistic in understanding the rich spiritual meaning of these words. They were far from the modern meaning of the term; where "being perfect" is understood as "perfectionism" and regarded as a cognitive-emotional aberration by mental health clinicians and researchers…Ultimately perfection does not come from the individual but from God. "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory in Christ. Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will Himself perfect you and confirm you and establish you" (1 Peter 5:10). The psychological model of perfection is very different. Individuals suffering from this malady are motivated by a fear of failure and sense of duty….When unforeseen consequences challenge these unrealistic perceptual intuitions the person becomes self-critical and experiences anxiety and hostility and becomes vulnerable to depression, disgrace, even suicide, through the collapse of self-esteem…This problem is addressed in scripture and by the Fathers. St Matthew records the dialogue between Jesus and His disciples: "Who then can be saved?"; asked the disciples. "And Jesus beholding, said to them: With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible." What a rock of assurance to all Christians in their struggle to attain "perfection" which is holiness, union with God or theosis.” (Fr. George Morelli)
“The integration of the inner man, by which we become perfect or complete in Christ, requires our cooperation with God.” (Dynamis 3/29/2021)
“Do not seek the perfection of the law in human virtues, for it is not found perfect in them. Its perfection is hidden in the Cross of Christ.” (St. Mark the Anchorite)
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“Ultimately the spiritual cure for perfectionism is given to us by St. Paul: "For if anyone thinks of himself as something, whereas he is nothing he deceives himself" (Gal 6:3). "God forbid I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified in me" (Gal 6:14). Here lies true perfection.” (Father George Morelli)
“In Genesis 2, when God saw all that He had made, He said it was very good, including the creation of the man and woman. God was like a river for man that would lead humanity to perfection. Man was a created vessel on that river intended to follow God’s flow and current. God’s intent was always that the man and woman would continue down that river, reflecting God perfectly as His children.” (Father David L. Fontes, PsyD)
“Probably the greatest source of false guilt is perfectionism—that inner voice that says you can do more, be more, achieve more. Perfectionism is both a driver for great expectations and a reminder that you are not achieving enough. When you compare yourself to this standard of perfection, you can never achieve enough.” (David Hawkins)
"To be sure, I need to desire perfection and strive for it. But it is in God’s power, not mine, to make perfect and to sanctify, at His pace and in His time…Salvation does not require that we achieve perfection in this life, only that we strive for it." (Sr. Dr. Vassa Larin, Father Spyridon Baily)
“made perfect. This phrase means “made complete.” (Foundation Study bible, Hebrew 11:40)
“When Christ says, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48), He’s not speaking of getting a perfect score on a test, but of being whole, being in a state of communion, participating fully in God’s love.” (Jim Forest)
“To make . . . perfect through sufferings does not suggest there was imperfection in Christ before the cross. Rather He voluntarily took on human nature (all of one nature, Hebrews 2:11), which can be saved and perfected only by the suffering of death. Christ is the pioneering captain of the narrow path to God in His suffering for sin, death, descent into hell, Resurrection, and Ascension. In salvation we take on Christ's way of sufferings.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Hebrews 2:10-11)
“The Christian has no other perfection than the perfection of Christ. The deeper his insight into the character of his Lord, as having been made perfect by being brought into perfect union with God’s will through suffering and obedience, the more clearly will he apprehend wherein that redemption which Christ came to bring really consists, and what the path is to its full enjoyment.” (Andrew Murray)
“The road to perfection is not through efforts of self-improvement, at least not in the way most people think. Perfection to Christians means being made complete, not achieving an exalted state of excellence. Self-improvement to Christians is achieved through sacrifice and self-denial. We strive to deny ourselves and our own ego based cravings to unite ourselves to Christ and love others. Because Christ is a wounded healer who assumed our sufferings in His humanity, we become refined and grow towards Him and in Him through our own sufferings and it is in this manner that we become perfected, that is, made complete.” (Sacramental Living Ministries)
"Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mat. 5:48) These words that Jesus Christ gave to His apostles, disciples and the multitude on the Mount must be taken to heart by every follower of Jesus Christ. We can look to the Church Fathers to help us understand what "being perfect" really means. The Fathers were surprisingly realistic in understanding the rich spiritual meaning of these words. They were far from the modern meaning of the term…” (Father George Morelli)
“…perfection, it means one thing in a secular context but should mean quite another if you are Christian...perfected. The Greek term means mature or complete, finished. It does not specifically mean a moral or sinless perfection. Paul is not speaking of moral perfection or righteousness but of reaching the state of completion as a Christian." (Sacramental Living Blog, Foundation Study Bible, Philippians 3:12)
“Noah is called “righteous,” a characteristic further emphasized by his also being called “perfect” (Genesis 6:9). In the original, this word implies that he is effectively a complete or whole person. When Noah is described as “perfect in his generation” (Gn 6:9), we understand that his inner character accords with God’s standard. In other words, he comes very close to being that which every person is meant to be. As a righteous man, Noah is morally predictable and habitually trustworthy: he is reliable in business, in the company of other men’s wives, in handling money and valuables. He is pleasing to God.” (Dynamis 3/5/2018)
“To be perfect, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ. Nothing is gained unless this sacrifice is given freely. The specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Luke 19:21)
“The rule of life for a perfect person is to be in the image and likeness of God.” (St. Clement of Alexandria)
“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48). What did Christ mean? Should we always strive for perfectionism? Is it ever okay for something, or someone, to be just good enough?...is good enough a standard to strive for, or should we strive for perfection? The answer depends on your definitions and understanding of those terms. Standard secular connotations of what perfect and good enough mean are different than how we should understand them in a Christian context…In Christianity,"Perfection is to love everyone.” In the secular world…"being perfect" is understood as"perfectionism" and regarded as a cognitive-emotional aberration by mental health clinicians and researchers.” (Sacramental Living Ministries, Theophylact of Ochrid, Father George Morelli)
"One of the major irrational beliefs that cause and sustain disturbing emotions and unproductive behavior is a perfectionistic personal rule that"one should be thoroughly competent, adequate, and achieving in all possible respects if one is to be considered worthwhile...” The inherent irrationality of perfectionism can be seen by considering that no one can be masterful in all things, and that it is often accompanied by undue anxiety, stress and physical disorders. Focusing on trying to excel over others, or considering perfection as the measure of our personal worth by demanding perfection of oneself, distracts us from task-attention and from making the appropriate choices to achieve success.” (Father George Morelli)
"Tragically, perfectionists think other people will like them better for their perfection. But truthfully, it is just the opposite. People like to be around flexible, tolerant, imperfect people— like themselves. Perfect people frighten them and cause them to withdraw.” (Jim Conway)
“Ultimately perfection does not come from the individual but from God."But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory in Christ. Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will Himself perfect you and confirm you and establish you" (1 Peter 5:10)…The psychological model of perfection is very different. Individuals suffering from this malady are motivated by a fear of failure and sense of duty. They strive to be in first place in all manner of endeavors but their accomplishments never seem to satisfy them. They believe there is a special quality to acquiring"perfection." The flawless expression of particular characteristic such as intelligence or the mistake-free application of a specific skill is the only way to earn self-esteem and achieve the sense of being special.” (Father George Morelli)
"We have within us deeply rooted weaknesses, passions, and defects. This cannot all be cut out with one sharp motion, but patience, persistence, care and attention. The path leading to perfection is long. Pray to God so that He will strengthen you. Patiently accept your falls and, having stood up, immediately run to God, not remaining in that place where you have fallen. Do not despair if you keep falling into your old sins. Many of them are strong because they have received the force of habit. Only with the passage of time and with fervor will they be conquered. Don't let anything deprive you of hope.” (St. Nectarios of Aegina)
"The word perfect means"mature or complete,” not"flawless…In the Bible, perfect usually means completeness or maturity…God wants to make us mature and complete” (Life Application Study Bible, Colossians 1:28-29, Hebrews 5:9, James 1:2-4)
“Perfection is Christian maturity, the result of spiritual growth.” (Orthodox Study Bible, Hebrews 6:1)
“It may sound strange, but frequently a person with a poor self-image tends to be a perfectionist. If you feel inadequate, unsure of other people’s love, then you start saying to yourself,"If only I try harder, if I achieve more, if I’m a better person, then I’ll feel better about myself and other people will love me.” (Jim Conway)
“Human perfectionism is often about the ego. It is about what we can achieve through our own wills and efforts. While not inherently wrong to strive for excellence, we can often get blinded in our self-motivated perfectionism…” (Sacramental Living Ministries)
“I know I will experience a growth and a maturity, the type of perfection Christ advocated, if I live for Him and in Him and strive for it knowing that it is not just my effort alone, but my effort to let Him guide me in my heart and mind. The trick is not to seek perfectionism but to seek perfection through a humble admission of my limitations, yet offering all I have in constant service of Him. It will be through Him and because of Him that I grow towards being perfect.” (Sacramental Living Ministries)
“It’s hard for a perfectionist like me, but I have to admit I can never be good enough. No matter how sound my strategy, how much I study, how hard I work—I’ll always be a failure when it comes to being perfect. Yet God loves me anyway. And believing that gives me the greatest sense of peace, calm, and security in the world.” (Tom Landry)
“Godliness is perfection that is never complete." (St. Philotheos of Sinai)
“Christian maturity involves acting on the guidance that you have already received. We can always make excuses that we still have so much to learn. The instruction for us is to live up to what we already know and live out what we have already learned. We do not have to be sidetracked by an unending search for truth.” (Life Application Study Bible, Philippians 3:16)
"How could I possibly be the apple of God’s eye when my behavior is not yet perfect? Because green apples are apples too! One day I shall be a mature September apple, perfectly formed. But, for now, I am still growing.” (Alice Chapin)
“...perfectionism also fails to realize that God loves unconditionally. God doesn’t withhold love until we arrive at perfection. He loves us while we are growing and even while we are his enemies. His love enables us to change and mature." (Jim Conway)
“The Lord Jesus illumines the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven with two parables, the Mustard Seed and the Leaven. His focus is on our spiritual maturation in relation to Himself…The two parables emphasize the Lord’s role as the primary actor in our spiritual growth… He prepares us for union with Himself so that we may grow and, in turn, leaven the many around us.” (Dynamis 7/16/2014)
"The sign that we are maturing gracefully is contentment with who we are and what we have accomplished." (Rev. Christopher H. Martin)
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