Completeness
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Definition and Concept:
Completeness, in a biblical context, refers to the state of being whole, entire, or lacking nothing. It is often associated with spiritual maturity, fulfillment of God's purposes, and the perfection found in Christ. The concept of completeness is woven throughout Scripture, emphasizing the sufficiency of God and His work in the lives of believers.

Old Testament Insights:
In the Old Testament, completeness is frequently linked to the idea of perfection and integrity. The Hebrew word "tamim" is often translated as "complete" or "blameless." For instance, Noah is described as "a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time" (Genesis 6:9). This completeness is not about sinlessness but about wholehearted devotion to God.

The sacrificial system also reflects the idea of completeness, as offerings were to be without blemish (Leviticus 22:21). This requirement pointed to the need for purity and total dedication in worship.

New Testament Insights:
In the New Testament, the Greek word "teleios" is often used to convey the idea of completeness or perfection. Jesus calls His followers to "be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). This call to perfection is a call to spiritual maturity and completeness in love and obedience.

The Apostle Paul frequently addresses the theme of completeness in his epistles. In Colossians 2:10, he writes, "And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority" . Here, completeness is found in the believer's union with Christ, who fulfills all spiritual needs.

Paul also prays for the Thessalonians, "May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23). This prayer reflects the desire for believers to be complete in every aspect of their being.

Theological Implications:
Completeness in the Christian life is not achieved through human effort but through the work of the Holy Spirit. It involves growing in the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18) and being conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). The process of sanctification is a journey toward completeness, where believers are progressively transformed into the likeness of Christ.

The doctrine of completeness also underscores the sufficiency of Scripture. As Paul writes to Timothy, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Word of God provides everything necessary for a life of godliness and completeness.

Practical Application:
Believers are encouraged to pursue completeness by abiding in Christ and His Word. This involves a commitment to spiritual disciplines such as prayer, study of Scripture, and fellowship with other believers. The pursuit of completeness is a lifelong journey, marked by dependence on God's grace and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

In relationships, completeness is reflected in love and unity within the body of Christ. Paul exhorts the Ephesians to "make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3). This unity is a sign of maturity and completeness in the church.

Ultimately, the hope of completeness is fulfilled in the eschatological promise of Christ's return, when believers will be made perfect and whole in His presence.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(n.) The state of being complete.
Greek
3647. holokleria -- completeness, soundness
... completeness, soundness. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: holokleria
Phonetic Spelling: (hol-ok-lay-ree'-ah) Short Definition: perfect soundness ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3647.htm - 6k

5047. teleiotes -- completeness, perfection
... completeness, perfection. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: teleiotes
Phonetic Spelling: (tel-i-ot'-ace) Short Definition: perfectness, perfection ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5047.htm - 7k

5046. teleios -- having reached its end, ie complete, by ext. ...
... Definition: perfect, full-grown Definition: perfect, (a) complete in all its parts,
(b) full grown, of full age, (c) specially of the completeness of Christian ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5046.htm - 8k

4012. peri -- about, concerning, around (denotes place, cause or ...
... In comparative, it retains substantially the same meaning of circuit (around),
excess (beyond), or completeness (through). see GREEK peran. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4012.htm - 8k

4862. sun -- with, together with (expresses association with)
... beside, with. In composition it has similar applications, including completeness.
see GREEK meta. see GREEK para. (sun) -- 128 Occurrences. 4861, 4862. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4862.htm - 7k

5071. tetrakosioi -- four hundred
... [ stands for "completeness/inclusiveness," so 10 2 expresses "" which emphasizes
the inclusive (universal) sense of .]. Word Origin pl. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5071.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew
8537. tom -- completeness, integrity, also part of the high ...
... tom. 8538 . completeness, integrity, also part of the high priest's breastplate.
Transliteration: tom Phonetic Spelling: (tome) Short Definition: integrity. ...
/hebrew/8537.htm - 6k

8502. tiklah -- completeness, perfection
... completeness, perfection. Transliteration: tiklah Phonetic Spelling: (tik-law')
Short Definition: perfection. ... perfection. From kalah; completeness -- perfection. ...
/hebrew/8502.htm - 6k

4357. miklah -- completeness, perfection
... 4356, 4357. miklah. 4358 . completeness, perfection. Transliteration: miklah
Phonetic Spelling: (mik-law') Short Definition: purest. ...
/hebrew/4357.htm - 6k

4359. miklal -- completeness, perfection
... 4358, 4359. miklal. 4360 . completeness, perfection. Transliteration: miklal
Phonetic Spelling: (mik-lawl') Short Definition: perfection. ...
/hebrew/4359.htm - 6k

7965. shalom -- completeness, soundness, welfare, peace
... 7964, 7965. shalom. 7966 . completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
Transliteration: shalom Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-lome') Short Definition: peace. ...
/hebrew/7965.htm - 6k

8503. taklith -- end, completeness
... 8502, 8503. taklith. 8504 . end, completeness. Transliteration: taklith
Phonetic Spelling: (tak-leeth') Short Definition: boundary. ...
/hebrew/8503.htm - 6k

Library

Completeness and Universality of his Character.
... THE PERSON OF CHRIST. COMPLETENESS AND UNIVERSALITY OF HIS CHARACTER. THE next
feature we would notice is the completeness or pleromatic ...
/.../schaff/the person of christ/completeness and universality of his.htm

The Completeness of the Bible Demonstrates Its Divine Perfection
... Chapter Ten The Completeness of the Bible Demonstrates its Divine Perfection. The
antiquity of the Scriptures argues against their completeness. ...
/.../pink/the divine inspiration of the bible/chapter ten the completeness of.htm

Of the Seventh Day, in which Completeness and Repose are ...
... Book XI. Chapter 31."Of the Seventh Day, in Which Completeness and Repose
are Celebrated. But, on the seventh day (ie, the same ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 31 of the seventh day.htm

The Prooemium. --Motives for Undertaking the Refutation; Exposure ...
... The Prooemium."Motives for Undertaking the Refutation; Exposure of the Ancient
Mysteries; Plan of the Work; Completeness of the Refutation; Value of the ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/the prooemium motives for undertaking the.htm

The Two Covenants: the Transition
... An insight into the completeness of the transition, as seen in Christ, prepares
us for apprehending the reality of the change in our life, when, "like as ...
/.../murray/the two covenants/chapter viii the two covenants .htm

The Finished Life
... only have lived to sixty and had had thirty years for his ministry instead of three!"
And yet, as Jesus said, it was a finished life; for completeness in life ...
/.../peabody/mornings in the college chapel/lxv the finished life.htm

Of the Words Themselves in General.
... Are we dead? He is the life. Concerning this fulness and completeness of his, we
would mark these things: ... 5. It is also a satisfying completeness. ...
/.../brown/christ the way the truth and the life/chapter ii of the words.htm

What Children of Light Should Be
... But, still further, mark how there must be an all-round completeness in order that
we shall fairly set forth the glory and power of the light of which our ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/what children of light should.htm

The Eighth Beatitude
... We have seen the description of the true subjects of the kingdom growing into form
and completeness before our eyes in the preceding verses, which tell us what ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the eighth beatitude.htm

The Hope of the Calling
... It is clear enough that this is so, inasmuch as, unless there be a heaven of
completeness for us who have yielded to the summons and obeyed the invitation of ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/the hope of the calling.htm

Thesaurus
Completeness (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Completeness (2 Occurrences). Ephesians 1:23 the completeness
of Him who everywhere fills the universe with Himself. (WEY). ...
/c/completeness.htm - 7k

Perfect (205 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) Brought to consummation or completeness; completed; not defective nor redundant;
having all the properties or qualities requisite to its nature and kind ...
/p/perfect.htm - 47k

Perfection (30 Occurrences)
... are translated "perfect." Perfection is the translation of various words so translated
once only: kalil (Lamentations 2:15); mikhlal, "completeness" (Psalm 50:2 ...
/p/perfection.htm - 25k

Defect (62 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) Want or absence of something necessary for
completeness or perfection; deficiency; -- opposed to superfluity. ...
/d/defect.htm - 25k

Defective (2 Occurrences)
... is utterly a fault among you"), that ye have lawsuits one with another." "Defect"
means "want or absence of something necessary for completeness" (the Revised ...
/d/defective.htm - 8k

Round (664 Occurrences)
... 40. (vt) To surround; to encircle; to encompass. 41. (vt) To bring to fullness or
completeness; to complete; hence, to bring to a fit conclusion. 42. ...
/r/round.htm - 40k

Complete (246 Occurrences)
... I say, (BBE). Ephesians 1:23 the completeness of Him who everywhere fills
the universe with Himself. (Root in WEY BBE). Ephesians 3 ...
/c/complete.htm - 37k

Person (807 Occurrences)
... THE TEACHING OF THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS Hebrews 2:1; (1) Background of Express
Deity (2) Completeness of Humanity (3) Continued Possession of Deity III. ...
/p/person.htm - 49k

Number (2370 Occurrences)
... In this way perhaps 40 came to be used as a round number for an indefinite period
with a suggestion of completeness, and then was extended in course of time to ...
/n/number.htm - 40k

Version
... tenth century. Only five manuscripts of the New Testament approaching to
completeness are more ancient than this dividing date. The ...
/v/version.htm - 37k

Resources
What does it mean that tongues will cease? | GotQuestions.org

What is the biblical significance of the number seven/7? | GotQuestions.org

What are the seven pillars of wisdom in Proverbs 9:1? | GotQuestions.org

Completeness: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Completeness (2 Occurrences)

Ephesians 1:23
the completeness of Him who everywhere fills the universe with Himself.
(WEY)

Ephesians 3:19
yes, to attain to a knowledge of the knowledge-surpassing love of Christ, so that you may be made complete in accordance with God's own standard of completeness.
(WEY)

Subtopics

Completeness

Related Terms

Despised (96 Occurrences)

Completeness (2 Occurrences)

Completest (1 Occurrence)

Stedfastly (23 Occurrences)

Obedience (61 Occurrences)

Lying (203 Occurrences)

View (86 Occurrences)

Christ (573 Occurrences)

Completely
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