PERFECTION
PERDITION
12
OR
Perissoteron and perissoteros, more abundantly, more exceedingly, with the exception of Mark 7:36 and 15:14,
are limited to Paul's epistles and Hebrews; the former in 1 Corinthians 15:10; Hebrews 6:17; 7:15, and the latter ten
times in the epistles of Paul and twice in Hebrews. These are peculiarly Pauline words, as is also the word stauros,
cross. Apart from its occurrences in the Gospels, this word is confined to the apostle's writings, where it occurs ten
times and once in the epistle to the Hebrews `Looking unto Jesus ..., Who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross ... (12:2). Peter, James, John and Jude do not use the word in their epistles, either as a noun or a
verb, which may appear surprising.
When we come to the connecting particles we find more links with Hebrews and Paul's epistles. Te is of
frequent occurrence in Luke's writings, some 143 times in the Acts and seven times in his Gospel. In the epistles its
usage is practically confined to Paul and Hebrews. It occurs twice in James 3:7 and once in Jude 6. The apostle
uses it 26 times and Hebrews 22 times.
Kathaper, as, even as, is only found in Paul's writings and Hebrews, 11 in the former, and twice in the latter.
Mepo, not yet, has only two New Testament references, namely Romans 9:11, and Hebrews 9:8. Likewise:
Toigaroun, therefore, wherefore, being found only in 1 Thessalonians 4:8 and Hebrews 12:1.
The above are some of the verbal links between the apostle Paul's writings and the epistle to the Hebrews. They
are not haphazard occurrences, but, as we have demonstrated, have a similar background or thought, showing the
same mind, if not the same hand. Archdeacon Paley, in his Horae Paulinae p. 196, writes:
`Whoever writes two letters, or two discourses, nearly upon the same subject, and at no great distance of time,
but without any express recollection of what he had written before, will find himself repeating some sentences,
in the very order of the words in which he had already used them; but he will more frequently find himself
employing some principal terms, with the order inadvertently changed, or with the order disturbed by the
intermixture of other words and phrases expressive of ideas rising up at the time; or in many instances repeating
not single words, nor yet whole sentences, but parts and fragments of sentences'.
Not only do we find the repetition of words used in a similar way between Hebrews and Paul's epistles, but there
are other links between the two which we will now consider.
The Pauline characteristic of digression
Amongst the peculiarities of the apostle Paul's style of writing and argument may be mentioned a species of
digression. It is a turning aside from the subject, upon the occurrence of some particular word, which causes him
temporarily to forsake the train of thought then in hand, and enter upon a parenthetic sentence in which that word is
the prevailing term or idea. An example of this can be seen in Ephesians 4:8-11.
`Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now
that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended
is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He gave some,
apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers'.
In verse 8, the thought and the importance of the Ascension causes Paul to digress from the gifts of Christ, and
the digression is shown in the words contained in brackets. In the eleventh verse he returns again to the gifts of the
Ascended Christ, `And He gave some apostles' etc. In chapter 3 we have yet another example. After the great
climax of revelation at the end of chapter 2, where the Church changes from the figure of a Body to a holy temple,
designed as a permanent dwelling place for God, the apostle is constrained to pray. He started to do this in 3:1 `For
this cause I Paul' - he was going to follow with the words `bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ',
which he does in verse 14, but after giving his title, `the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles', he deviates and
devotes verses 2-13 to explain this title and its relationship to the new revelation he had received from Christ,
connected with a secret (mystery), hid in God from the ages (verse 9; Col. 1:26) about which he now aims to
`enlighten all'.
We see the same characteristic in Ephesians 5:13-15: `But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the
light: (for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the