promises, dearly beloved, let us CLEANSE OURSELVES from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, PERFECTING

HOLINESS in the fear of God' (2 Cor. 7:1). Perfecting, making what is yours by gift, grace and reckoning `a

fact', per-fect, in other words taking sanctification to its logical conclusion.

(2) Perfection is sometimes placed over against `the beginning'. Hebrews 6:1 urges the believer to leave the

arche `the word of the BEGINNING of Christ', and to go on unto the goal, the end, the conclusion, `perfection'.

So, in Hebrews 12:2 the `Author' the Greek archegos, is placed over against the `Finisher' or `Perfecter',

teleiotes. This emphasizes the presence in all words dealing with perfection of the root telos `the end'.

(3) `The perfect' is sometimes used to indicate an adult, as over against the immaturity of the babe:

`Ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become

such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For everyone that useth milk is unskilful in the word of

righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age (teleios)' (Heb. 5:12-

14). The connection between this passage and the opening exhortation of Hebrews 6 is plain. In Ephesians

4:13,14 we have the perfect man placed over against children, and 1 Corinthians 2 and 3 with its use of

`perfect' and its `babes', its `milk' and its `meat', is another evidence that the writer of Corinthians wrote the

epistle to the Hebrews.

(4) The figure of a race or contest uses these words. Hebrews 12:2 just quoted, associates the `finisher' with

running `the race' (Heb. 12:1), and Paul, who in Philippians was running for the prize of the high calling in

view, confessed that he was not at that time `perfect', is permitted in his last epistle to realize that he had

touched the tape, saying:

`I have fought a good fight (agona) "race"`.

`I have finished (teleo) my course'.

`I have kept the faith, henceforth ... a crown' (2 Tim. 4:7,8).

The alternatives in Hebrews are `going on unto perfection' or `drawing back unto perdition' and we must not so

interpret `perdition' as to leave in the mind that the alternatives are `going on unto salvation' or of `drawing back to

eternal punishment'. The former word `perfection' with its associated meanings, influences the application of the

latter word `perdition' with its associated warnings. Perdition (Gk apoleia) = `waste' (Matt. 26:8).

We have seen the scope of this epistle set out in the structure and have some idea of the meaning of the

alternatives set before the reader. We must now return to the opening chapter to learn what encouragements are

offered and what warnings given to accomplish the twofold purpose of these exhortations. We close the present

study with a comparison. What the Sermon on the Mount is to the calling of the kingdom on earth, and what

Hebrews is to the calling of the Jerusalem which is above, so Philippians is to the high calling of the Mystery. In

*

each we have the alternations Perfection or Perdition (Matt. 5:48; 7:13 ; Heb. 6:1; 10:39 and Phil. 3:12,19*) together

with Reward or Prize. It will therefore be a fitting close to the present study if we exhibit the extraordinary literary

correspondence that exists between Hebrews and Philippians.

PHILIPPIANS

*

A.V. destruction = apoleia = perdition