Christian Maturity

In the New Testament, a word derived from the Greek term [telov] (Strong's #5056) is often translated as “perfect.” It is also translated as “mature,” “fulfil,” and “finish”.

The [telov] derivative [teleiov], Strong's #5046, is translated as "mature" twice in 1 Corinthians:

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature <5046>; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away (1Co 2:6);

Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature <5046>.(1Co 14:20).

The following passages all use the same Greek word. Some passages translate the Greek as “mature,” some translate it as “perfect.” The meaning is about the same in each passage.

Eph 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature <5046> man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Php 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect <5046>, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;

Col 1:28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete <5046> in Christ.

Col 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect <5046> and fully assured in all the will of God.

The idea of maturity is more fully developed in Hebrews:

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.

But solid food is for the mature <5046>, who because of practice have their senses trained,<1128> to discern good and evil.

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity<5047>, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

And this we will do, if God permits (Hebrews 5:13-6:3).

Note that the mature [perfect] are those who through practice have trained<1128> their senses to discern good from evil. Paul admonished Timothy to train or discipline himself for the purpose of godliness (1 Timothy 4:7).