The only perfect one who walked the earth was Jesus. All of His followers had flaws, they made mistakes, and were human.
Of course, because Jesus was not human he could be perfect. He set the example for us to attain.
Actually I took a course in University and we discussed this very topic about perfection. It is also one of those words that can be translated in different ways. The understanding we had was that Jesus was trying to teach us to be a whole person, not a perfect person. It's just that the word he used has different meanings and the English translated it to meaning perfect and not whole. But since we can not be perfect, trying to be whole is a more atainable goal. Didn't Jesus say "know thyself"? This to me means to be true to yourself and be comfortable with yourself. Then in turn, you can help others in their quest to be whole.
Step into my study brotha.:cool:
There is a story in the Bible that can be found in Matthew 19:16-21. It is called, The Rich Yong Ruler. He asks Jesus, "What good things must I do that I may have eternal life." Jesus tells him to keep the commandments. The young man said "Which one?" Jesus basically said all of them. Then the young man said "All these thing I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"
Jesus said, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor..."
The word whole does not even fit here. So I went back to the Greek language that the Bible was written in a looked up the definition of the Greek word perfect was translated from. The word in Greek is teleios is from the root word telos. Telos means to set out for a definite point or goal. Teleios is complete as in various applications of labor, growth, mental or moral character. Complete when relating to full age, man, perfect.
A person could use whole but when your read the story and understand its implications in that the young ruler wanted to achieve the goal of eternal life or going to heaven he was looking for a results oriented solution. IMHO it appears he wanted to skip the process and get to the target point. Perfect. Whole has the implications as in a medical term as "not sick." It can also be uninjured, undamaged, or unbroken; undivided as in one piece. Integral not a fraction.
The implications that might be close to what your professor was talking about would be as in whole milk, whole meal, whole day as an example. Neither one of these denote a target or working to a final product.
Mathew 5:48 says, you shall be perfect just as your Father in heaven is perfect. This is the end of Jesus saying to the people love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
I think in both passages the implication here is perfect. Shooting for a target.
More than welcome Mike.
Tom, I guess we know what this issue is now with the new profile picture. You naughty boy.:dodgy:
The only perfect one who walked the earth was Jesus. All of His followers had flaws, they made mistakes, and were human.
Of course, because Jesus was not human he could be perfect. He set the example for us to attain.
Actually I took a course in University and we discussed this very topic about perfection. It is also one of those words that can be translated in different ways. The understanding we had was that Jesus was trying to teach us to be a whole person, not a perfect person. It's just that the word he used has different meanings and the English translated it to meaning perfect and not whole. But since we can not be perfect, trying to be whole is a more atainable goal. Didn't Jesus say "know thyself"? This to me means to be true to yourself and be comfortable with yourself. Then in turn, you can help others in their quest to be whole.
That passage does not come to mind. I really don't think it exists. Can you elaborate or give men the scripture reference?
I stole this (I've sinned) from another site but the words have good meaning.
Taken into account that the Bible, Torah, Koran, and other religious books of other denominations and sects are in fact books of stories passed down through generations? What happens to a story and how much does it change when passed in a room full of people? These books were not only passed through countless generations but were also dissected and changed by the various religious sects and skewed to promote the idealistic views of that particular sect. Hence the need for so many different religions. Use logic in your reasoning. Consider the average intelligence of the people at the time of these writings. The majority of the population were not schooled in a formal education. Reading and writing were reserved for the elite few. That is why the Bible is written as a story for children because the reasoning and logic of a child is not unlike that of the population when these books were originally scribed. Easy to understand makes it easy to follow and to obtain followers. Specifically for those of an inferior intellect who take for granted that it must be the way because someone wrote it down. Not necessarily a bad thing unless taken to extremes; something that happens all too often. How many wars started and lives lost due to religious differences? TOO MANY!!!!!
Religious belief is faith based and really relies on nothing else save a belief in that which we have no real proof of pro or con. Yet the universe itself is based upon proven scientific constants. Faith versus fact. The easiest explanation of fact and the best way to enslave the minds of the populous? For those of us who take comfort in faith in God and in our religious traditions, more power to you. For those of us who determine that reason and logic should dictate our lives, more power to you as well. In either case no one will know for sure which is right until the end...or the new beginning.
Vince, There is more evidence showing the Bible and Jesus are real than actual evidence that evolution is real. Up until about 20 years ago one of the very few things that could not be proven was that King David actually existed. Twenty years ago, give or take 5 years archiololgist discovered a cornerstone to a building that said "The house of David." it was from the right time period. As time continues the evidence mounts higher and higher as people find more archololgical evidence.
Tom, another word for fear is respect.
And Ron,one more time. I've read all of this info before and it has been proven to be a false document. It pops up every few years.
