By: Gen. Jim – 5/10/22
“… God is LOVE, & he who abides in LOVE abides in God, & God in him.” – 1 Jn. 4:16. “There is no FEAR in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casts out FEAR…” v.18 (NKJV). In between these 2 verses we find the word “perfected,” i.e. “matured,” as found in The New American Bible/NKJV, which is the correct meaning for “matured.” Perfect, in this context does not mean sinless but mature. 1 John 4:13-21 is the testimony of the Spirit & that of faith joins testimony of love to confirm our knowledge (knowing) of our God. Christian/Biblical love is not abstract but lived in the concrete manner of love for God & for one another in real time.
Chapter 4 of first John we find “God is love” in vv.7,8, & 16 (note: the overarching character of God in “Love” but within that character is also “hate” (see my articles on things He HATES).
How Does Love Cast Out Fear?
“There is no FEAR in love, but perfect (mature) LOVE drives out FEAR because FEAR has to do with punishment, & so one who FEARS is not yet perfect (mature) in love.” – 1 Jn. 4:18, NAB.
WOS 4/5/22
Let’s pay heed to this prophetic Word of the Spirit, aka Words of the Spirit, given by Deborah Green: “Do not be afraid in these turbulent times when the nations are shaking & the whole world is in the grips of DEMONIC FEAR! I do not call you to live in FEAR, I call you to live in FAITH… Have I not called you to be aware of My omnipresence & My consistency of LOVE… when you see the unrest, the violence, the turmoil, the deprivation & cruelty… be thankful unto Me… you will be kept… you will be Spirit guided… when you see the FEAR that is gripping humankind, be thankful for the peace that I give… I AM the One who gives to you the sustaining bread by which you can live in these times… I intend when times are hard that you grow all the more in Me… Therefore, be glad for your trials, not resenting the same… There are many who are now in My Kingdom who once lived in the PRISON HOUSES of SIN & were chained to the DEMONIC POWERS that controlled them… others have chosen the wrath of their own accord… of DESTRUCTION & DAMNATION… you are not meant to go down under the choices of others… the WAY of the Son is the WAY you are called to be walking in.”
Spirits Made Perfect
We are told in Heb. 12:23 that we have come “to the spirits of just men made perfect.” There is that word “perfect,” i.e., “mature.” The author of Hebrews was writing about himself (and us today) being surrounded by a cloud of witnesses (12:1). [note: contrasted by what Paul wrote in Phil. 3:12: “Not that I have already attained, or am already PERFECTED; but I press on…” The NAB reads: “… not that I have already taken hold… or have already attained perfect maturity…” Some believe Paul may have been writing about the concept in the “mystery religions” of being an initiate admitted to divine secrets(?).
Fear: Enemy of Faith
Yes! fear will prevent us from being made perfect/mature. Before the author of Heb. 12 wrote about the cloud of witnesses, he gave a lengthy review of those who lived by faith, e.g. cpt.11. He finishes with, “all these, having obtained a good testimony thru faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us (N.T. saints), that they should not be made PERFECT apart from us.” – Heb. 11:39 & 40.
No one can be perfected without the Son of God! The author of Hebrews (Paul?) wrote about Jesus “… having been PERFECTED, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” – Heb. 5:9. Jesus (God in flesh) had to go thru a painful process of growing & learning that culminated in His death. His maturity/perfection gives us great hope for the same. He went before us & prepared the way for spiritual perfection.
Again
Again, we find the word “perfect” in Heb. 2:10: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things & by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation PERFECT thru sufferings.” – Heb. 2:10 (NKJV). The NAB reads: “… should make the leader to their salvation perfect thru suffering.” Hebrews 7:28 we find yet again the word perfect or perfected: “For the law appoints us high priests – men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been PERFECTED forever.”
Hebrew/Greek Definition
If you have a Hebrew/Greek concordance you can look up the words perfect, perfected, perfecting, perfection, perfectness etc.
Hebrew language has various definitions for perfect: tâmîym = entire (lit. or fig.), complete: shâlêm = complete, whole: miklâh = completion, wholly: tâm = complete: gâmar = completion, come to an end: kâlal = make perfect, complete: kâlîyl = complete whole, entire: shâlam = completed, end, finish, full, make perfect. [look up how these Heb. words are used in context/content.
Greek language: teleios = complete, (in mental/moral character): katertizō = thoroughly complete; holoklēria = perfect soundness: akribeia = perfect manner: akribesteron = more perfect: epiteleō = accomplish, make perfect: artios = complete: plēroo = finish, accomplish, fulfill, full, perfection.
Book of Hebrews
The words perfect/perfected/perfection are found in the Book of Hebrews (as we’ve seen). The Greek words teleioō (consummate /mature in character, e.g. Heb. 2:10/ /5:9/ /7:19/ /9:9/ /10:1/ /11:40/ /12:23) & teleios (complete in mental & moral character, i.e. mature, e.g. Heb. 9:11) are found in the Book of Hebrews.
The word perfection is found in Heb. 6:1//7:11 = teleiōsis (completion, absolution or absolute performance, e.g. Heb. 7:11; the word teleiōtēs – consummator, finisher, e.g. Heb. 6:1) is found.
So
In order to become perfect/mature in Christ is to refuse fear & walk in faith. There is no other way.
In Short
“But above all these things (vice list of 3:5-7) put on love, which is the bond of PERFECTION” – Col. 3:14 [Gk. teleiotēs = completeness, i.e. “perfect.”]