Complete

Complete - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

COMPLETE, a.

1. Having no deficiency; perfect.

And ye are complete in him who is the head of all principality and power. Col 2.

2. Finished; ended; concluded; as, the edifice is complete.

This course of vanity almost complete.

In strict propriety, this word admits of no comparison; for that which is complete, cannot be more or less so. But as the word, like many others, is used with some indefiniteness of signification, it is customary to qualify it with more, most, less and least. More complete, most complete, less complete, are common expressions.

3. In botany, a complete flower is one furnished with a calyx and corolla. Vaillant. Or having all the parts of a flower.

COMPLETE, v.t.

1. To finish; to end; to perfect; as, to complete a bridge, or an edifice; to complete an education.

2. To fill to accomplish; as, to complete hopes or desires.

3. To fulfil; to accomplish; to perform; as, the prophecy of Daniel is completed.

Perfect - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

PER'FECT, a. [L. perfectus, perficio, to complete; per and facio, to do or make through, to carry to the end.]

1. Finished; complete; consummate; not defective; having all that is requisite to its nature and kind; as a perfect statue; a perfect likeness; a perfect work; a perfect system.

As full, as perfect in a hair as heart.

2. Fully informed; completely skilled; as men perfect in the use of arms; perfect in discipline.

3. Complete in moral excellencies.

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. Mat 5.

4. Manifesting perfection.

My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor 12.

Perfect chord,in music, a concord or union of sounds which is perfectly coalescent and agreeable to the ear, as the fifth and the octave; a perfect consonance.

A perfect flower, in botany, has both stamen and pistil, or at least another and stigma.

Perfect tense, in grammar, the preterit tense; a tense which expresses an act completed.

PER'FECT, v.t. [L. perfectus, perficio.] To finish or complete so as to leave nothing wanting; to give to any thing all that is requisite to its nature and kind; as, to perfect a picture or statue. 2 Chr 8.

-Inquire into the nature and properties of things, and thereby perfect our ideas of distinct species.

If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4.

1. To instruct fully; to make fully skillful; as, to perfect one's self in the rules of music or architecture; to perfect soldiers in discipline.

Perfection - (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

See [467]SANCTIFICATION.

Perfection - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

PERFEC'TION, n. [L. perfectio.] The state of being perfect or complete, so that nothing requisite is wanting; as perfection in an art or science; perfection in a system of morals.

1. Physical perfection, is when a natural object has all its powers, faculties or qualities entire and in full vigor, and all its parts in due proportion.

2. Metaphysical or transcendental perfection, is the possession of all the essential attributes or all the parts necessary to the integrity of a substance. This is absolute,where all defect is precluded, such as the perfection of God; or according to its kind, as in created things.

3. Moral perfection, is the complete possession of all moral excellence, as in the Supreme Being; or the possession of such moral qualities and virtues as a thing is capable of.

4. A quality, endowment or acquirement completely excellent, or of great worth.

In this sense, the word has a plural.

What tongue can her perfections tell?

5. An inherent or essential attribute of supreme or infinite excellence; or one perfect in its kind; as the perfections of God. The infinite power, holiness,justice, benevolence and wisdom of God are denominated his perfections.

6. Exactness; as, to imitate a model to perfection.

kom-plet': In the King James Version for pleroo, the verb ordinarily used for the coming to pass of what had been predicted. the King James Version translates this "complete" in Col 2:10; 4:12 to express the final and entire attainment of what is treated, leaving nothing beyond to be desired or hoped for; otherwise rendered in the Revised Version (British and American) ("made full"). In the Revised Version (British and American), c. appears once for Greek artios, from aro, "to join," in 2Ti 3:17, in sense of "accurately fitted for," where the King James Version has "perfect."

pur'-fekt, per-fek'-shun (shalem, tamim; teleios, teleiotes):

1. In the Old Testament:

"Perfect" in the Old Testament is the translation of shalem, "finished," "whole," "complete," used (except in De 25:15, "perfect weight") of persons, e.g. a "perfect heart," i.e. wholly or completely devoted to Yahweh (1Ki 8:61, etc.; 1Ch 12:38; Isa 38:3, etc.); tamim, "complete," "perfect," "sound or unblemished," is also used of persons and of God, His way, and law ("Noah was a just man and perfect," the Revised Version margin "blameless" (Ge 6:9); "As for God, his way is perfect" (Ps 18:30); "The law of Yahweh is perfect" (Ps 19:7), etc.); tam, with the same, meaning, occurs only in Job, except twice in Psalms (Job 1:1,8; 2:3, etc.; Ps 37:37; 64:4); kalil, "complete," and various other words are translated "perfect."

Perfection is the translation of various words so translated once only: kalil (La 2:15); mikhlal, "completeness" (Ps 50:2); minleh, "possession" (Job 15:29, the King James Version "neither shall the prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth," the American Standard Revised Version "neither shall their possessions be extended on the earth," margin "their produce bend to the earth"; the English Revised Version reverses this text and margin); tikhlah, "completeness," or "perfection (Ps 119:96); takhlith (twice), "end," "completeness" (Job 11:7, "Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?" 28:3, "searcheth out all the Revised Version (British and American) the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "to the furthest bound"; compare Job 26:10, "unto the confines of light and darkness"); tom, "perfect," "completeness" (Isa 47:9, the King James Version "They shall come upon thee in their perfection," the Revised Version (British and American) "in their full measure"). the Revised Version margin gives the meaning of "the Urim and the Thummim" (Ex 28:30 etc.) as "the Lights and the Perfections."

2. In the New Testament:

In the New Testament "perfect" is usually the tr of teleios, primarily, "having reached the end," "term," "limit," hence, "complete," "full," "perfect" (Mt 5:48, "Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect"; Mt 19:21, "if thou wouldst be perfect; Eph 4:13, the King James Version "till we all come .... unto a perfect man," the Revised Version (British and American) "full-grown"; Php 3:15, "as many as are perfect," the American Revised Version margin "full-grown"; 1Co 2:6; Col 1:28, "perfect in Christ"; 4:12; Jas 3:2 margin, etc.).

Other words are teleioo. "to perfect," "to end," "complete" (Lu 13:32, "The third day I am perfected," the Revised Version margin "end my course"; Joh 17:23, "perfected into one"; 2Co 12:9; Php 3:12, the Revised Version (British and American) "made perfect"; Heb 2:10, etc.); also epiteleo, "to bring through to an end" (2Co 7:1, "perfecting holiness in the fear of God"; Ga 3:3, "Are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "perfected in the flesh," margin "Do ye now make an end in the flesh?"); katartizo "to make quite ready," "to make complete," is translated "perfect," "to perfect" (Mt 21:16, "perfected praise"; Lu 6:40, "Every one when he is perfected shall be as his teacher"; 1Co 1:10; 2Co 13:11, "be perfected"; 1Th 3:10; 1Pe 5:10, the Revised Version margin "restore"); akribos, "accurately," "diligently," is translated "perfect" (Lu 1:3, "having had perfect understanding," the Revised Version (British and American) "having traced .... accurately"; Ac 18:26 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "more accurately"). We have also artios, "fitted," "perfected" (2Ti 3:7, the Revised Version (British and American) "complete"); pleroo, "to fill," "to make full" (Re 3:2, the American Standard Revised Version "perfected," the English Revised Version "fulfilled"); katartismos, "complete adjustment," "perfecting" (Eph 4:12, "for the perfecting of the saints").

Perfection is the translation of katartisis "thorough adjustment," "fitness" (2Co 13:9, the Revised Version (British and American) "perfecting"); of teleiosis (Heb 7:11); of teleiotess (Heb 6:1, the Revised Version margin "full growth"); it is translated "perfectness" (Col 3:14); "perfection" in Lu 8:14 is the translation of telesphoreo, "to bear on to completion or perfection." In Apocrypha "perfect," "perfection," etc., are for the most part the translation of words from telos, "the end," e.g. The Wisdom of Solomon 4:13; Ecclesiasticus 34:8; 44:17; 45:8, suntelia "full end"; 24:28; 50:11.

The Revised Version (British and American) has "perfect" for "upright" (2Sa 22:24,26 twice); for "sound" (Ps 119:80); for "perform" (Php 1:16); for "undefiled" (Ps 119:1, margin "upright in way"); for "perfect peace, and at such a time" (Ezr 7:12), "perfect and so forth"; for "He maketh my way perfect" (2Sa 22:33), "He guideth the perfect in his way," margin "or, `setteth free.' According to another reading, `guideth my way in perfectness'"; "shall himself perfect," margin "restore," for, "make you perfect" (1Pe 5:10); "perfecter" for "finisher" (Heb 12:2); "perfectly" is omitted in the Revised Version (British and American) (Mt 14:36); "set your hope perfectly on" for the King James Version "hope to the end for" (1Pe 1:13).

3. The Christian Ideal:

Perfection is the Christian ideal and aim, but inasmuch as that which God has set before us is infinite--"Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48)--absolute perfection must be forever beyond, not only any human, but any finite, being; it is a divine ideal forever shining before us, calling us upward, and making endless progression possible. As noted above, the perfect man, in the Old Testament phrase, was the man whose heart was truly or wholly devoted to God. Christian perfection must also have its seat in such a heart, but it implies the whole conduct and the whole man, conformed thereto as knowledge grows and opportunity arises, or might be found. There may be, of course, a relative perfection, e.g. of the child as a child compared with that of the man. The Christian ought to be continually moving onward toward perfection, looking to Him who is able to "make you perfect in every good thing (or work) to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen (Heb 13:21).

W. L. Walker

Definition

In the New Testament, the term “perfect” means to be mature in our Christian life. To perfect something means to work at it until it is excellent and without flaws. Old Testament sacrifices needed to be “perfect” or “complete,” that is, without blemish.

• Being perfect and mature means that a Christian is obedient, not sinless.
• The term “perfect” also has the meaning of being “complete” or “whole.”
• The New Testament book of James states that persevering through trials will produce completeness and maturity in the believer.
• When Christians study the Bible and obey it, they will become more spiritually perfect and mature because they will be more like Christ in their character.

Translation Suggestions

• This term could be translated as “without flaw” or “without error” or “flawless” or “without fault” or “not having any faults.”

(See also: blemish)

Bible References

• Hebrews 12:2
• James 3:2
• Matthew 5:46-48
• Psalms 19:7-8

Word Data

• Strong’s: H3632, H3634, H4359, H8003, H8503, H8537, H8549, H8552, G01990, G26750, G26760, G36470, G50460, G50470, G50480, G50500