G5046 — τέλειος (téleios)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G5046
Original: τέλειος
Transliteration: téleios
Pronunciation: tel'-i-os
Part of Speech: adjective
Root: From G5056 τέλος (télos) — end, goal, purpose
Occurrences: 17 unique verses (19 tokens) across 9 NT books
First Occurrence: Mat 5:48 — "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From G5056 τέλος; complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.); neuter (as noun) completeness: — of full age, man, perfect.

Outline of Biblical Usage: Mat 5:48 (2×), 19:21; Rom 12:2; 1Co 2:6, 13:10, 14:20; Eph 4:13; Php 3:15 (2×); Col 1:28 (2×), 4:12; Heb 5:14, 9:11; Jas 1:4 (2×), 1:17, 1:25, 3:2; 1Jo 4:18.

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Primary Domain: 88.004 — Perfect, Perfection
Subdomain: τέλειος (G5046), τελειότης (G5047), τελειόω (G5048), τελείωσις (G5050)
Additional domains: 88.013 (Mature Behavior), 68.003 (Complete, Finish, Succeed), 79.029 (Perfect — Features of Objects), 73 (Genuine, Phony)

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
perfect	8	47.1%
a perfect	2	11.8%
are perfect	1	5.9%
be perfect	1	5.9%
is perfect	1	5.9%
men	1	5.9%
more perfect	1	5.9%
of full age	1	5.9%
the perfect	1	5.9%

Combined "perfect" translations: 15 of 17 verses (88%). The two non-"perfect" renderings are "men" (1Co 14:20) and "of full age" (Heb 5:14) — both conveying mature adulthood rather than abstract flawlessness.

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
James	4	3.7
Colossians	2	2.1
1 John	1	1.0
Philippians	1	1.0
1 Corinthians	3	0.7
Hebrews	2	0.7
Ephesians	1	0.6
Matthew	2	0.2
Romans	1	0.2

Strongest density in James (3.7/100v) and Colossians (2.1/100v). Notably absent from the Gospels (Matthew only, both in Jesus' teaching), Acts, and Revelation. Heavily Pauline + General Epistle distribution.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Moral/Spiritual Maturity (of Persons)¶

Mat 5:48 — "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Mat 19:21 — "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor..."
Col 1:28 — "Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus"
Php 3:15 — "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you."

2. Mature Understanding (Discernment Beyond Infancy)¶

1Co 2:6 — "Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought"
1Co 14:20 — "Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men (teleioi)."
Heb 5:14 — "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age (teleiōn), even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
Eph 4:13 — "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ"

3. Complete / Lacking Nothing (Wholeness of Things or States)¶

1Co 13:10 — "But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."
Jas 1:4 — "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
Jas 1:17 — "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
Jas 1:25 — "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."

4. Perfect Quality (Love and Devotion)¶

Rom 12:2 — "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
1Jo 4:18 — "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."
Col 4:12 — "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God."

5. Superior / Heavenly (vs. Earthly)¶

Heb 9:11 — "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
θεός (theos)	G2316	4x (24%)	divine perfection standard (Mat 5:48); "perfect will of God" (Rom 12:2)
πᾶς (pas)	G3956	4x (24%)	totality/wholeness: "every perfect gift" (Jas 1:17), "every man perfect" (Col 1:28)
Χριστός (Christos)	G5547	4x (24%)	"perfect in Christ" (Col 1:28), "servant of Christ" context (Col 4:12)
ἔχω (echō)	G2192	4x (24%)	possession: "let patience have her perfect work" (Jas 1:4)
ἀγαθός (agathos)	G18	3x (18%)	"good, acceptable, and perfect will" (Rom 12:2), "every good gift and every perfect gift" (Jas 1:17)
ἀνήρ (anēr)	G435	2x (12%)	"perfect man" (Eph 4:13, Jas 3:2)
ἔργον (ergon)	G2041	2x (12%)	"perfect work" (Jas 1:4), "doer of the work" (Jas 1:25)
θέλημα (thelēma)	G2307	2x (12%)	"perfect will of God" (Rom 12:2, Col 4:12)

Word Family / Cognates (τελ- Family)¶

G5056 τέλος (télos) — end, goal, consummation (root noun)
G5048 τελειόω (teleióō) — to make perfect, complete, bring to maturity (verb, 24v)
G5047 τελειότης (teleiótēs) — perfection, completeness (noun, 2v)
G5050 τελείωσις (teleíōsis) — perfection, fulfillment (noun, 2v)
G5055 τελέω (teléō) — to finish, accomplish, fulfill (verb, 26v)
G2005 ἐπιτελέω (epiteléō) — to bring to full completion (verb, 10v)
G4931 συντελέω (synteléō) — to complete thoroughly, finish (verb, 7v)

Synonyms¶

G3648 ὁλόκληρος (holóklēros) — complete, entire, sound (paired with teleios in Jas 1:4: "perfect and entire")
G2675 καταρτίζω (katartízō) — to complete thoroughly, mend, restore (also translated "perfect" in KJV, 2v overlap)

Antonyms¶

G3516 νήπιος (nḗpios) — infant, child, minor (contrasted with teleios in 1Co 2:6, 14:20; Eph 4:13-14; Heb 5:13-14)

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
τέλειος	G5046	perfect	the state adjective: complete, mature, lacking nothing
τελειόω	G5048	perfect (5v KJV)	the process verb: bringing to completion; passive-dominant 57%
καταρτίζω	G2675	perfect (2v KJV)	mending/fitting together what was broken; restoration emphasis
πληρόω	G4137	perfect (1v KJV)	filling to fullness (quantitative); not goal-oriented completion
שָׁלֵם (shālēm)	H8003	perfect (14v KJV)	Hebrew OT counterpart — complete, whole, at peace (LXX PMI 8.34 bridge)
תָּמִים (tāmîym)	H8549	perfect (13v KJV)	Hebrew OT counterpart — entire, without blemish (LXX PMI 6.36 bridge)

Hebrew Source¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	PMI Score	Co-occurrences
שָׁלֵם (shālēm)	H8003	14.94	5
תָּמִים (tāmîym)	H8549	10.23	4

Primary LXX bridges: H8003 shālēm (5 co-occ, PMI 8.34) and H8549 tāmîym (4 co-occ, PMI 6.36). The teleios concept in the NT inherits both the completeness/wholeness of shālēm and the unblemished integrity of tāmîym.