τέλειος G5046
Perfect, complete, mature: having reached the intended goal or end; fully developed in character or quality.
Rooted in telos ('end, goal'), teleios describes what has arrived at its intended completion. When Jesus says 'be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect' (Matt 5:48), the call is not to flawless performance but to wholeness of character—love extended even to enemies. Paul uses it for mature believers who grasp deeper wisdom (1 Cor 2:6) and contrasts it with the partial and childish (1 Cor 13:10). James similarly ties it to endurance that produces completeness (Jas 1:4). Spanish 'perfecto,' French 'parfait,' and German 'vollkommen' all echo this dual sense of moral completeness and developmental maturity.
Senses
1. perfect, complete, mature — Fully developed, complete, or mature—whether of persons, sacrificial animals, or abstract qualities. In Matt 5:48 Jesus calls disciples to a wholeness of love modeled on God's impartial generosity. Paul distinguishes teleios believers capable of solid teaching from spiritual infants (1 Cor 2:6; Heb 5:14). In 1 Cor 13:10 the 'perfect' (to teleion) is the consummation that renders partial gifts obsolete, pointing toward eschatological fullness. 19×
AR["الأَكْمَلِ", "الكامِلينَ", "الكامِلَةُ", "الكامِلُ", "الكَامِلينَ", "الْكَامِلَةُ", "كامِلونَ", "كامِلينَ", "كامِلًا", "كامِلٌ", "كامِلٍ", "كامِلَةٍ", "كَامِلًا", "كَامِلٌ", "كَامِلِينَ"]·ben["আরও-সম্পূর্ণ", "পরিপক্ব", "পরিপক্বদের", "পরিপক্বদের;", "সম্পূর্ণ", "সম্পূর্ণ,", "সম্পূর্ণ।", "সিদ্ধ", "সিদ্ধ,"]·DE["vollkommen"]·EN["a-perfect", "complete", "mature", "more-perfect", "of-mature", "perfect"]·FR["parfait", "vollkommen"]·heb["הַשָּׁלֵם", "לַשְּׁלֵמִים", "מֻשְׁלָם-יוֹתֵר", "שְׁלֵמִים", "שְׁלֵמָה", "שָׁלֵם", "תְמִימִים", "תָּמִים"]·HI["परिपक्वों-के-लिए", "परिपुरन", "पुरन", "पूर्ण", "सम्पुरन", "सिद्ध", "सिद्धतर", "सिद्धों"]·ID["dewasa", "orang-dewasa", "sempurna", "sempurna,", "yang-dewasa", "yang-lebih-sempurna"]·IT["perfetto", "teleioi", "teleios"]·jav["diwasa", "langkung-sampurna", "sampurna", "sampurna,", "sampurna.", "sampurna;"]·KO["더-완전한", "성숙한-자들이", "온전한-것이", "완전하고", "완전하기를", "완전하신", "완전한", "완전한,", "완전한-것을", "완전한-자들", "완전한-자들-가운데", "완전한-자들의것이니"]·PT["Dos-maduros", "maduros", "mais-perfeita", "perfeita", "perfeita.", "perfeito", "perfeito,", "perfeitos"]·RU["совершен", "совершенная", "совершеннейшую", "совершенного,", "совершенное", "совершенны", "совершенные", "совершенный", "совершенный,", "совершенным", "совершенными", "совершенных"]·ES["de-perfectos", "maduros", "más-perfecto", "perfecta", "perfecto", "perfectos"]·SW["kamili", "kamilifu", "kamilifu-zaidi", "kuwa", "makamilifu.", "mkamilifu", "ukamilifu", "wakamilifu", "walio-wakamilifu;", "waliokamilika", "waliokomaa"]·TR["daha-mükemmel", "mükemmel", "o-", "olgunlar", "yetişkin", "yetkin", "yetkinlerin"]·urd["بالغوں", "زیادہ-کامل", "کامل", "کاملوں", "کامل٬"]
Matt 5:48, Matt 5:48, Matt 19:21, Rom 12:2, 1 Cor 2:6, 1 Cor 13:10, 1 Cor 14:20, Eph 4:13, Phil 3:15, Col 1:28, Col 4:12, Heb 5:14 (+7 more)
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
τέλειος and τέλεος, α, ον, in Trag., Attic dialect, and Doric dialectalso ος, ον, Refs 5th c.BC+ is alone used by Refs 8th c.BC+, neither form in Refs 8th c.BC+; τέλεος is alone used by Refs 5th c.BC+ are recommended by Refs 6th c.AD+; τέλειος first in Refs 2nd c.BC+, frequently in Papyri Refs 3rd c.BC+ adverb is sometimes τέλεονRefs 2nd c.AD+, etc., τέλειον Refs 2nd c.AD+: the form τέλεως,…