Hebrews and perfection

by David Peterson

The concept of perfection is central to the Epistle to the Hebrews but what is the precise meaning to be attached to the perfecting of Christ and the perfecting of Christians? Is teleioun to be understood in a cultic or ethical sense, or with reference to glorification; or is it employed in a formal sense so that the meaning has to be determined solely from the context? A thorough survey of the background literature suggests to Dr Peterson that it is only the context and, in particular, the object of the verb which can decide its sense on any specific occasion, and it is this method he pursues.