Matthew 5:48

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. BE YE THEREFORE, [ Esesthe (G2071) oun (G3767)] - rather, 'Ye shall therefore be,' or 'Ye are therefore to be,' as My disciples and in My kingdom -- PERFECT, [ teleioi (G5046)], or 'complete,' Manifestly. our Lord here speaks, not of degrees of excellence, but of the kind of excellence which was to distinguish His disciples and characterize His kingdom. When therefore He adds: EVEN AS YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT, He refers to that full-orbed glorious completeness which is in the great Divine Model, "their Father which is in heaven." [`Your heavenly Father' -...

48._You shall therefore be perfect. _This _perfection _does not mean _equality, _but relates solely to resemblance. (423) However distant we are from the perfection of God, we are said to be _perfect, as he is perfect, _when we aim at the same object, which he presents to us in Himself. Should it be thought preferable, we may state it thus. There is no comparison here made between God and us: but the _perfection _of God means, _first, _that free and pure kindness, which is not induced by the expectation of gain; — and, _secondly, _that remarkable goodness, which contends with the malice and ingratitude of men. This appears more clearly from the words of Luke, _Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful: _for _mercy _is contrasted with a mercenary regard, which is founded on private advantage....

43-48 The Jewish teachers by "neighbour" understood only those who were of their own country, nation, and religion, whom they were pleased to look upon as their friends. The Lord Jesus teaches that we must do all the real kindness we can to all, especially to their souls. We must pray for them. While many will render good for good, we must render good for evil; and this will speak a nobler principle than most men act by. Others salute their brethren, and embrace those of their own party, and way, and opinion, but we must not so confine our respect. It is the duty of Christians to desire, and aim at, and press towards perfection in grace and holiness. And therein we must study to conform ourselves to the example of our heavenly Father, 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Peter 1:16. Surely more is to be expected from the followers of C...

Verse Matthew 5:48. _BE YE THEREFORE PERFECT - AS YOUR FATHER_] God himself is the grand law, sole giver, and only pattern of the _perfection_ which he recommends to his children. The words are very emphatic, εσεσθε ουν υμεις τελειοι, _Ye shall be therefore perfect _- ye shall be filled with the spirit of that God whose name is _Mercy_, and whose nature is _love_. God has many _imitators_ of his _power_, _independence, justice_, c., but few of his _love, condescension_, and _kindness_. He calls himself LOVE, to teach us that in _this_ consists that _perfection_, the attainment of which he has made both our _duty_ and _privilege_: for these words of our Lord include both a _command_ and a _promise_. "Can we be fully saved from sin in this world?" is an important question, to which this text giv

BE YE THEREFORE PERFECT ... - The Saviour concludes this part of the discourse by commanding his disciples to be “perfect.” This word commonly means “finished, complete, pure, holy.” Originally, it is applied to a piece of mechanism, as a machine that is complete in its parts. Applied to people, it refers to completeness of parts, or perfection, where no part is defective or wanting. Thus, Job Job 1:1 is said to be “perfect;” that is, not holy as God, or “sinless” - for fault is afterward found with him Job 9:20; Job 42:6; but his piety was “proportionate” - had a completeness of parts was consistent and regular. He exhibited his religion as a prince, a father, an individual, a benefactor of the poor. He was not merely a p

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 5:1 AND SEEING THE MULTITUDES; _i.e. _those spoken of in Matthew 4:25—the multitudes who were at that point of time following him. HE WENT UP. From the lower ground by the lake. INTO A MOUNTAIN; Revised Version, _into the mountain _(εἰς τὸ ὄρος);_ i.e. _not any special mountain, but "the mountain nearest the place spoken of—the mountain near by" (Thayer); in contrast to any lower place, whether that was itself fairly high ground (as probably Luke 9:28) or the shore of the lake. The actual spot here referred to may have been far from, or, and more probably ...

BE YE THEREFORE PERFECT, AS YOUR FATHER,.... This perfection is to be restrained to the subject Christ is upon, love to men, and not to be referred to any, or every other thing; wherefore, in Luke 6:36 it is, "be ye merciful, as your Father also is merciful"; and regards not a perfection of degree in that, but objects and quality: that is to say, not that men may, or can, or ought to be as perfect in love, as to the degree of it, as God is; that is impossible: the "as" here, is not a note of equality, but of likeness: such, who profess God to be their Father, ought to imitate him, particularly in their love to men, which ought to be extended to the same objects, as the divine goodness is; that, as he shows regard in a providential way to all men, good and bad, just and unjust, and his tender mercies are over all his works; so ought they to love all men with a natural affection, and hate...

Matthew 5:17. _Think not that I am came to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill._ The life, work, and words of Christ are not an emendation of the Old Testament, or an abrogation of it. It stands fast and firm, fulfilled, carried to perfection, filled to the full in Christ. Matthew 5:18. _For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven._ It is vain to teach the commandments without first doing them. The doi

PERFECT The word implies full development, growth into maturity of godliness, not sinless perfection. (Ephesians 4:12). In this passage the Father's kindness, not His sinlessness, is the point in question. (Luke 6:35)....

5. THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KING CONCERNING HIS KINGDOM. CHAPTER S 5-7 _ 1. The Characteristics of the heirs of the Kingdom.(Matthew 5:1 .) 2. The Confirmation of the Law and its Expansion.(Matthew 5:17 .)_ CHAPTER 5 In the closing of the last chapter we saw our Lord Jesus Christ surrounded by a great multitude of people, which followed Him and who were attracted by the King's presence, before whom the various diseases had to flee. If we turn to the eighth chapter we find the continuation of these scenes we had in the last half of the fourth chapter. Between these two Chapter s are three very important ones, which are as such found only in this Gospel. The contents of the fifth, sixth and seventh Chapter s are in the form of a continued discourse of our Lord, commonly called “t