teleion – Ministry of Grace Church

Tag: teleion

Ephesians 4:13 – Gifts For Unity

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Will

untill we all may come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

Truth to Learn

Christians should all be working for each other.

Behind the Words

The word “until” is from mecri, which marks an endpoint in place or time. There is a similar Greek word, achri, which focuses on the whole duration up to the endpoint. Mecri, however, focuses on the endpoint itself.

“May come to” is the translation of the Greek word katantaō, meaning “to arrive somewhere” or “to attain something.” It is expressed here in the subjunctive mood, indicating the possibility or probability of the occurrence.

“Unity” is from enotēta. This word is derived from heis, meaning one. Enotēta means “unity” or “oneness.”

The word translated “knowledge” is the Greek word epignosis, which means more than simply knowing something. It means “to recognize and understand something,” that is, “to have complete, in-depth knowledge of someone or something.”

“Full grown man” is from the Greek words andra teleion. Andra, a form of anēr refers to “a man,” although as it is used here, it refers to “a person.” Teleion, a form of teleios, means “complete” or “of full age.” Thus, together these two words refer to “a fully grown person.”

The word “measure” is translated from metron, meaning “a measure of length or capacity.”

“Stature” is from hēlikia, meaning “maturity, in age or size.”

Meaning Explained

In today’s verse, Paul tells us some of the reasons that God gave us spiritual gifts. In the opening verses of this chapter, he told us that we are to be humbly and patiently bearing with each other, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit, being bound to one another by peace. In the following verses he talked about why unity is a defining characteristic of the Christian faith. He also told us how Christ came to present gifts to each one of us when He arrived home after His victory over Satan and death. As we learned in yesterday’s verse, these spiritual gifts are given to every believer, and we are to use our gifts to minister to members of the church and, thereby, to build-up the body of Christ.

The first objective of our ministering to each other and building up each other is two-fold. It is to reach that unity Paul talked about in verse three, and it is so that each of us might come to a full knowledge of the Son of God. Here he calls that unity “the unity of the faith.” Even though there have been splits in the Christian church throughout the centuries, and it sometimes seems that every church is going off in its own direction, there are two unifying factors. One is our common faith in what Jesus Christ has done for us. The other is the complete in-depth, experiential knowledge of who Jesus is.

Another objective of our using our spiritual gifts within the church is so that we might become fully grown Christians. And, in using our spiritual gifts in the church, we help each other mature in our relationship with God. This is why the writer of Hebrews said:

And let us consider one another to provoke to love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Application

It is quite apparent that we are in the last days and that Christ could return any day now. Instead of living for ourselves in these last days, let us use our gifts to strengthen each other and to prepare ourselves for our heavenly reunion with the Savior.

In God's service, for His glory,

James 2:22 – Working, Walking Faith

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Will

You see that faith worked together with his works, and out of the works faith was perfected.

Truth to Learn

When we undergo trials in our Christian walk, our obedient works provide evidence of our faith.

Behind the Words

“See” is translated from the Greek word blepō, which literally refers to sight, but is often used metaphorically, as it is in English, meaning “to perceive” or “to understand.”

The words “working together” are translated from the Greek verb sunergeō. This word is made up of sun, meaning “together” and a form of ergon, meaning “work or toil.” Hence, the meaning is a reference to two or more things that work cooperatively together to achieve a common objective. In the current verse the word is in the imperfect tense indicating past continuous action.

Back in James 1:4 we looked at the noun teleion, which refers to “a state of completion.” The verb form of the same word is here translated as “was perfected.” James is saying that works demonstrate the finality or completion of faith. In other words, we could say that the final state of faith is good works.

Meaning Explained

When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we were saved by faith alone. But, as we walk through this life, like Abraham, we are constantly undergoing trials of our faith. Our responses to these trials, our works, are the proof of our faith. As we pointed out in the previous verse, Abraham’s salvation, his having been declared righteous by God, occurred some twenty to thirty years before he offered Isaac on the altar at Mt. Moriah. So what does James mean that Abraham’s faith was perfected by his works? The first thing we have to ask ourselves is, “What faith is he talking about?” Is he saying that Abraham’s salvation, his saving faith, was made complete by works? To answer that question, let’s look at what it says in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews:

By faith, being tested, Abraham offered up Isaac, and he having received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," reasoning that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. (Hebrews 11:17-19)

It is clear from this passage that James is not talking about Abraham’s saving faith, but his walking faith; “for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). When we believed in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ to save us from our sins, that was saving faith. As we walk through life, however, our faith is continually tested by trials. This is our walking faith. During these trials, our faith is tested, and it is proven when we obey through faith.

In response to James’ teaching here, John Calvin once said, “We are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.”

Application

Is your faith being tested right now? Don’t despair! It doesn’t mean that God is mad at you. It means that God loves you and wants to make you more like His son. Give Him thanks for building your faith and show through your obedient works how much you love Him and that you truly believe Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 4:13 – Gifts For Unity

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Will

till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

Truth to Learn

Christians should all be working for each other.

Behind the Words

“Come to” is the translation of the Greek word katantaō, meaning “to arrive somewhere” or “to attain something.”

“Perfect man” is from the Greek words andra teleion. Andra, a form of anēr refers to “a man,” although as it is used here, it refers to “a person.” Teleion, a form of teleios, means “complete” or “of full age.” Thus, together these two words refer to “a fully grown person.”

The word “measure” is translated from metron, meaning “a measure of length or capacity.”

“Stature” is from hēlikia, meaning “maturity, in age or size.”

Meaning Explained

One of the objectives of our ministering to each other and building up each other is a two-fold objective. It is to reach that unity Paul talked about in verse three, and it is so that each of us might come to a full knowledge of the Son of God. Here he calls that unity “the unity of the faith.” Even though there have been splits in the Christian church throughout the centuries, and it sometimes seems that every church is going off in its own direction, there are two unifying factors. One is our common faith in what Jesus Christ has done for us. The other is the complete in-depth, experiential knowledge of who Jesus is.

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Application

In God's service, for His glory,