• Perfection
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • into one.” (Col. 3:14; John 17:23) Obviously the perfection of this unity is also relative, and does not mean that all differences of personality, such as individual abilities, habits, conscience and similar factors, are eliminated. When attained, however, its fullness does lead to unified action, belief and teaching.—Rom. 15:5, 6; 1 Cor. 1:10; Eph. 4:3; Phil. 1:27.

      THE PERFECTION OF CHRIST JESUS

      Jesus was born as a perfect human, holy, sinless. (Luke 1:30-35; Heb. 7:26) His physical perfection, of course, was not infinite but was within the human sphere; he experienced human limitations, became tired, thirsty, hungry, was mortal. (Mark 4:36-39; John 4:6, 7; Matt. 4:2; Mark 15:37, 44, 45) Jehovah God’s purpose was to use his Son as his High Priest on behalf of mankind. Though a perfect man, Jesus had to be ‘made perfect’ (Gr., te·lei·oʹo) for such position, completely filling the requirements his Father set, being brought to the appointed end or goal. The requirements called for his becoming “like his ‘brothers’ in all respects,” enduring suffering, learning obedience under test, even as his “brothers” or footstep followers would. Thus he would be able to “sympathize with our weaknesses, [as] one who has been tested in all respects like ourselves, but without sin.” (Heb. 2:10-18; 4:15, 16; 5:7-10) Additionally, following his death as a perfect sacrifice and his resurrection, he would have to receive immortal spirit life in the heavens, thus being “perfected forever” for his priestly office. (Heb. 7:15–8:4; 9:11-14, 24) In a similar way, all those who will serve with Christ as underpriests will be ‘made perfect,’ that is, be brought to the heavenly goal they seek and to which they are called.—Phil. 3:8-14; Heb. 12:22, 23; Rev. 20:6.

      The “Perfecter of our faith”

      Jesus is called “the Chief Agent [or Chief Leader] and Perfecter of our faith.” (Heb. 12:2) True, long before the coming of Jesus Christ, Abraham’s faith was “perfected” by his works of faith and obedience, so that he gained God’s approval and became party with God in an oath-bound covenant. (Jas. 2:21-23; Gen. 22:15-18) But the faith of all those men of faith living prior to Jesus’ earthly ministry was incomplete or imperfect in the sense of their not understanding the then unfulfilled prophecies regarding him as God’s Seed and Messiah. (1 Pet. 1:10-12) By his birth, ministry, death and resurrection to heavenly life, these prophecies came to fulfillment and the faith about Christ had a strengthened foundation, one filled out with historic facts. Thus, faith in this perfected sense “arrived” through Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:24, 25), who thereby proved to be the “leader” (AT), “pioneer” (Mo) or Chief Agent of our faith. He continued to be the Perfecter of the faith of his followers from his heavenly position, as when pouring down holy spirit on them at Pentecost and by revelations that progressively filled out and developed their faith.—Acts 2:32, 33; Heb. 2:4; Rev. 1:1, 2; 22:16; Rom. 10:17.

      “NOT MADE PERFECT APART FROM US”

      After reviewing the record of faithful men of the pre-Christian period from Abel onward, the apostle says none of these got “the fulfillment of the promise, as God foresaw something better for us, in order that they might not be made perfect apart from us.” (Heb. 11:39, 40) The “us” here clearly refers to anointed Christians (Heb. 1:2; 2:1-4), “partakers of the heavenly calling” (Heb. 3:1) for whom Christ “inaugurated . . . a new and living way” into the holy place of God’s heavenly presence. (Heb. 10:19, 20) That heavenly calling includes service as heavenly priests of God and of Christ during Christ’s thousand-year reign. “Power of judging” is also granted them. (Rev. 20:4-6) Paul evidently refers to such placing of these called ones in their glorious heavenly positions and functions when speaking of the “revealing of the sons of God” for which the creation eagerly awaits. (Rom. 8:18, 19) Logically, then, the heavenly life and privileges that the called ones receive is the “something better” that God foresaw for such anointed Christians. (Heb. 11:40) The revelation of them, however, was to result in bringing liberation from enslavement to corruption for those of creation attaining “the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:19-22) Hebrews 11:35 shows that faithful men of pre-Christian times maintained integrity under suffering “in order that they might attain a better resurrection,” evidently one better than that of the “dead” referred to at the start of the verse, persons who were resurrected only to die again. (Compare 1 Kings 17:17-23; 2 Kings 4:17-20, 32-37.) For these faithful men of pre-Christian times, therefore, their being “made perfect” must relate to their resurrection or restoration to life and thereafter their being “set free from enslavement to corruption” by the services of the priesthood of Christ Jesus and his underpriests during the millennial rule.

      MANKIND’S RETURN TO PERFECTION ON EARTH

      According to the prayer, “Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth,” this planet is due to experience the full force and effect of the execution of God’s purposes. (Matt. 6:10) This means the removal of all faults and defects so that what remains meets God’s standards of excellence, completeness and soundness. That this will include perfection of earthly conditions and of human creatures is evident from Revelation 5:9, 10. There it is stated that persons ‘bought for God’ (compare Revelation 14:1, 3) become a “kingdom and priests to our God, and they will rule as kings over the earth.” The duty of priests under the Law covenant was not only to represent persons before God in the offering of sacrifices but they also were charged with guarding the physical health of the nation, officiating in the cleansing of those who were defiled and judging when healing had taken place in cases of leprosy. (Lev. chaps. 13-15) More than this, the priesthood was responsible to aid in the mental and spiritual uplift and health of the people. (Deut. 17:8-13; Mal. 2:7) Since the Law had “a shadow of the good things to come,” it is to be expected that the heavenly priesthood under Christ Jesus functioning during his thousand-year reign (Rev. 20:4-6) will perform similar work.—Heb. 10:1.

      That “mankind” will experience the removal of tears, mourning, outcry, pain and death is guaranteed by the prophetic picture at Revelation 21:1-5. Through Adam, sin, and consequent suffering and death, entered the human race (Rom. 5:12), and these are certainly among the “former things” due to pass away. Death is the wages of sin and, as the “last enemy, death is to be brought to nothing” through Christ’s kingdom rule. (Rom. 6:23; 1 Cor. 15:25, 26, 56) For mankind this means a return to the perfect state enjoyed by man at the beginning of human history in Eden. Thus, humans will be able to enjoy not only perfection as to faith and love but perfection as to sinlessness, measuring up fully and faultlessly to God’s righteous standards for humans. The prophecy at Revelation 21:1-5 likewise relates to the thousand-year reign of Christ, since the “New Jerusalem,” whose “descent” is linked with the removal of mankind’s afflictions, is shown to be Christ’s “bride” or congregation, hence those composing the royal priesthood of Christ’s millennial rule.—Rev. 21:9, 10; Eph. 5:25-32; 1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 20:4-6.

      Mankind’s perfection will be relative, limited to the human sphere. Yet it will certainly afford those gaining it the ability to enjoy earthly life to the fullest degree possible. “Rejoicing to satisfaction [or “to the full”] is with [Jehovah’s] face,” and God’s ‘tenting with mankind’ shows that obedient mankind is meant, those toward whom Jehovah’s face turns with approval. (Ps. 16:11; Rev. 21:3; compare Psalm 15:1-3; 27:4, 5; 61:4; Isaiah 66:23.) Perfection does not mean an end to variety, however, as persons often assume. The animal kingdom, which is the product of Jehovah’s ‘perfect activity’ (Gen. 1:20-24; Deut. 32:4), contains enormous variety. Perfection of the planet Earth is likewise not incompatible with variety, change or contrast; it allows for the simple and the complex, the plain and the fancy, the sour and the sweet, the rough and the smooth, the meadows and the woods, the mountains and the valleys. It embraces the stimulating freshness of early spring, the warmth of summer with its azure-blue skies, the loveliness of autumn colors, the pure beauty of freshly fallen snow. (Gen. 8:22) Perfect humans will thus not be stereotypes of identical personality, talents and abilities. As the initial definitions have shown, this is not a necessary meaning of perfection.

  • Perga
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • PERGA

      (Perʹga).

      A prominent city in the Roman province of Pamphylia. The ruins of ancient Perga are believed to be near the modern village of Murtana, about eight miles (13 kilometers) inland from the S coast of Asia Minor and some five miles (8 kilometers) W of the Cestrus (Ak Su) River. It appears that anciently, according to the Greek geographer Strabo, this river was navigable as far N as Perga. However, nearby Attalia on the coast of Pamphylia seems to have served as Perga’s harbor and, in time, even displaced Perga in importance.—Compare Acts 14:24-26.

      It was to this city that the apostle Paul and his associates came early in the course of his first missionary journey. (Acts 13:13) Toward its close they ‘spoke the word in Perga,’ but whether any of the populace accepted Christianity is not known.—Acts 14:24, 25.

  • Pergamum
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • PERGAMUM

      (Perʹga·mum).

      A Mysian city in the NW part of Asiatic Turkey (Asia Minor) and the location of one of the seven congregations to which the apostle John addressed letters as recorded in The Revelation. (Rev. 1:11; 2:12-17) The city was about fifty miles (80 kilometers) N of Smyrna and fifteen miles (24 kilometers) from the coast of the Aegean Sea. Close to the site of ancient Pergamum (or Pergamos) lies modern Bergama. Pergamum was originally a fortress on a steep, isolated hill between two rivers. In time the city spread into the valley below, and the hill became the acropolis.

      HISTORY

      There is uncertainty as to the origin of the people of Pergamum, but some evidence points to Achaia in Greece. By 420 B.C.E. the city was striking coins, and in the next century Xenophon mentioned it as a fortified city. After the death of Alexander the Great it became part of Lysimachus’ territory. Lysimachus’ lieutenant Philetaerus became ruler of the city and surrounding territory, beginning the reign of the Attalids under whom Pergamum became a wealthy and important city. King Attalus I (241-197 B.C.E.) sided with the Romans against the Macedonians. His successor, Eumenes II, built up an immense library that rivaled the famous library in Alexandria. Supposedly at this time writing parchment (charta Pergamena) was invented in the city. Also, by this period the kingdom of Pergamum controlled most of W Asia Minor. In 133 B.C.E. Attalus III, on his deathbed, willed Pergamum to Rome, whereupon the city became the capital of the Roman province of Asia. (See ASIA.) Even when it ceased to be the capital, Pergamum continued to hold great importance as an official administrative center.

      RELIGION OF PERGAMUM

      Pagan religion was greatly stressed in Pergamum. It seems that Chaldean Magi (astrologers) fled from Babylon to Pergamum, setting up their central college there. Eumenes II built a huge marble altars to the god Zeus to celebrate his defeat of the Gauls. The remains of it have been unearthed and show that it was decorated with an enormous relief depicting gods battling giants. The sick from all parts of Asia flocked to Pergamum because of its temple of Aesculapius, the god of healing and medicine.

      An especially noteworthy aspect of religion in Pergamum was its worship of political rulers. About 29 B.C.E. the city built a magnificent temple for the worship of Caesar Augustus. Thus it was the first city to have a temple dedicated to the imperial cult. During the days of Emperors Trajan and Severus, two more such temples were constructed there, so that the Encyclopædia Britannica calls Pergamum “the chief centre of the imperial cult under the early empire.” (11th ed., Vol. 21, p. 143) Such worship of the Roman emperor doubtless served politically to weld all the various conquered countries of the empire together under a common god; they could each worship their local or national gods, but all must also worship the emperor.

      “WHERE THE THRONE OF SATAN IS”

      In the apostle John’s letter to the congregation in Pergamum he mentioned that the city was “where Satan is dwelling” and the Christians were thus living “where the throne of Satan is.” (Rev. 2:13) Likely John was in part referring “to the official position of Pergamum as the centre of the imperial religion. . . . Worship of the emperor had been made the touchstone of civic loyalty, so that a faithful Christian, however loyal to the secular authority of the State, was branded as a traitor.” (The New Bible Dictionary, edited by J. D. Douglas, p. 968) Since the martyrdom of Antipas is mentioned in the same verse as “the throne of Satan,” he may have been killed for refusing to worship Caesar.

      Perhaps an additional factor bearing on the identification of “where the throne of Satan is” was the prominent worship of Zeus or Jupiter, the chief god among all the pagan gods and goddesses. Legend said that from the hill where Pergamum was built certain gods had witnessed the birth of Zeus, and the immense altar later located on the acropolis is considered one of the marvels of the age. Persons worshiping Zeus could have other gods but were to view them as subordinate to him. The Christians in Pergamum were commended, though, because they held fast to their exclusive devotion to the true God, Jehovah, and did not deny the faith despite dwelling ‘where the throne of Satan was.’

      “TEACHING OF BALAAM”

      However, in the congregation there was the undermining influence of those “holding fast the teaching of Balaam.” (Rev. 2:14) This expression calls to mind the Mesopotamian prophet Balaam, who, after unsuccessful attempts to curse Israel, suggested using pagan women to draw male Israelites into the lewd worship of false gods. As a consequence of the resulting sexual immorality and idolatry, 24,000 Israelites died. (Num. 25:1-18; 1 Cor. 10:8; see BALAAM.) Evidently some in the Pergamum congregation, those “holding fast the teaching of Balaam,” were condoning fornication. (Jude 4, 11; 2 Pet. 2:14, 15) Pergamum was noted for an elaborate temple of Aphrodite (Venus), the goddess of sexual love, and sensuous religious practices were common.

      Some in the congregation had also been influenced by the teaching of “the sect of Nicolaus,” and they were urged to repent of that.—Rev. 2:15, 16.