 |  |
Throughout the series of studies now commencing we shall seek to honour this
God-given structure by continually aligning our comments and discoveries with its
general bearing. Let no one accuse us of bombast; we no more "invented" this structure
than Christopher Columbus "invented" America. We simply discovered what is there
already, and give God thanks.
No.3.
An examination of the alternatives of
Hebrews 6: 1 and 10: 39.
pp. 129 - 134
The two foci "Perfection" and "Perdition" must now be given attention, for if we are
wrong in our apprehension of their respective meanings, we shall necessarily miss the
argument of the whole epistle. The English word "perfect" is made up of per "through"
and facio "to do", and from this same facio comes our word "fact". So, the English word
suggests the salutary idea of "making a doctrinal truth an experimental fact". The Greek
word "perfection" is teleiotes, one of a number of words derived from telos "the end".
The fundamental conception in all the variants of this word, teleios, teleioo, teleiotes,
teleiosis, to say nothing of compounds made with apo, ana, en, epi, dia and sun, is that of
taking whatever is in hand or in view to a finish or conclusion. This feature can be
demonstrated in several ways:
(1)
"Perfecting holiness" (II Cor. 7: 1).
Of all subjects, the one that cannot conceivably be "improved" must be holiness,
and without the context such an expression as "to perfect holiness" seems to be more
senseless and impossible than it would be "to gild the lily or to paint the rose". If
however we observe the context of this exhortation, we shall see that practical
sanctification is in view. Not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers is to "perfect
holiness"; to remember that, if we are looked upon as the temple of the living God,
there can be no possible agreement with idols and with the promise attached to the
separation from any unclean thing, the apostle says "Having therefore these promises,
dearly beloved, let us CLEANSE OURSELVES from all filthiness of the flesh and
spirit, PERFECTING HOLINESS in the fear of God" (II 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". Heb. 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
Heb. 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".