Holiness As Perfection in Love
The Christian Sense
Keywords:
Holiness, Love, ChristianityAbstract
Like the door to a building or light during the day, we have become so used to the presence of some realities that we take them for granted. Though they are necessary it seldom occurs to us to question why they are there or what they mean. In the history of spirituality, the "call to holiness" has often been associated with Matthew 5 : 48 : "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." It is one of those scriptural "realities" which "should be there" or 'immediately come to mind" when talking about Christian moral development or sanctity. So, from the monastics to Francis of Assisi and Francis de Sales, to the Protestant reformers and John Wesley, this passage had held a fascination for many and even inspired a theology of "perfection.'
References
R. Newton Flew, The Idea of Perfection in Christian Theology, (New York : Humanities Press, 1968).
Walter M. Abbott, ed. The Documents of Vatican Il, (New York : Guild Press, 1966) p.66.
J. J. Van Rensburg, "Sanctification According to the New Testament", Neotestamenticca, Vol. I (1967), p. 73.
K. Grayston, "Sermon on the Mount", The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 4 (New York : Abingdon 1962), p. 279.
A. W, Argyle, The Gospel According to Matthew (Cambridge : 1963), p. 44.
I. Abrahams, Studies in Pharaism and the Gospels, The Library of Biblical Studies (New York : KTAV, 1967), p. 151.
Herman Hendrickx, The Sermon on the Mount (Slough : St Paul Publications, 1975)
T. W. Manson, The Sayings of Jesus, (London : SCM Press, f 964), p. 55.
Paul J. duPlessis, TELEIOS, The Idea of Perfection in the New Testament, (Kampen : 1959), p 168
John Piper, Love Your Enemies (New York : 1979), p. 146.
W. D. Davies, The Sermon on the Mount (Cambridge • 1966), p. 146.
Leopold Sabourin, ' 'Why is God Called Perfect in Matthew 5 : 48 Biblische Zeitschrift, Vol. 24 no, 1, (1980), p. 267.
G. C. D. Howley, New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1969), p. 146.
Gerhard Delling, "Teleios" in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. vill (Grand Rapids : Eerdmans, 1972), pp. 72 - 73.
Paul J. duPlessis, "Love and Perfection in Matthew 5 : 43 - 48", Neotestamentica, Vol. 1, (1967), pp. 32 - 33.
Gottlob Shrenk, ' 'Pater" in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids • Eerdmans, 1970), p. 991.
Abbott, Walter M. , ed. The Documents of Vatican Il, New York, 1968.
Abrahams, I. Studies in Pharisaism and the Gospels, (The Library of Biblical Studies), New York, 1967.
Argyle, A. W. The Gospel According to Matthew, Cambridge, 1963.
Davies, W. D. The Sermon on the Mount, Cambridge, 1966.
Delling, Gerhard "Teleios" The Theological Dictionary ef the New Testament, (Grand Rapids, 1972), pp. 67-78.
duPlessis, Paul J. "Love and Perfection in Matthew 5 : 43 —48", Neotestimentica I, (1967), pp. 28 — 34.
duP1essis, Paul J. TELEIOS, The Idea of Perfection in the New Testament, Kampen, 1959.
Flew, R. N. The Idea of Perfection in Christian Theology, New York, 1968.
Grayston, K. "Sermon on the Mount", The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, IV (New York, 1962), pp. 279-289.
Hendrickx, Herman The Sermon on the Mount, Slough, 1975.
Howley, G. C. D. A New Testament Commentary, Grand Rapids, 1969.
Manson, T. W. The Sayings of Jesus, London, 1964.
Piper, John Love Your Enemies, New York, 1 279.
Sabourin, Leopold "Why is God Called Perfect in Matthew 5 : 48 ?" Biblische Zeistchrift 24 (1980), pp. 266 — 268.
Shrenk, Gottlob ' 'Pater" Theological Dictionary of the New Testament V (Grand Rapids, 1970), pp. 945—959.
Van Rensburg, J. J. "Sanctification According to the New Testament", Neotestimentica I (1967), pp. 73— 87.
Von Balthasar, Hans Urs "The Gospel as Norm and Test of All Spirituality in the Church", Concilium IX (New York, 1965),
