You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse isn't just asking us to be generally good, but to be "perfect" in the sense of being complete and whole, particularly in our love. This means our love shouldn't be selective, stopping at friends or those who are kind to us, but should extend even to enemies, mirroring God's own impartial goodness. This kind of all-encompassing love is presented as the ultimate mark of true discipleship.
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just expanded on the Old Testament commands about murder, adultery, and oaths, pushing beyond outward actions to the heart. He's challenged his followers to love their enemies, just as God sends his sun and rain on everyone, regardless of their goodness. This verse is the conclusion to that teaching, calling them to an ultimate standard of character.
Jesus calls us to be 'perfect.' What does that really mean for our everyday lives?
When Jesus says "Be perfect," He's not calling for an impossible, sinless state. Instead, the original word points to being complete or finished. Think of a well-built structure that is sound in every part, or a skilled artisan whose work is fully realized.
In this context, Jesus is calling for a completeness in love. It's about letting our love extend beyond our friends and family to include those who oppose us, just as God's love and provision extend to everyone. It's about a proportionate and consistent love that shapes all our interactions, not just the easy ones.
How can we possibly imitate a perfect God? Jesus gives us a surprising clue.
The call to be perfect like our heavenly Father isn't about matching God's infinite power or holiness. Instead, Jesus points to a specific, imitable quality: God's impartial goodness.
Look at how Jesus describes God in the verses leading up to this command: 'He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.' God's generosity and provision aren't based on who deserves it; they flow from His very nature.
Our call to be 'perfect' means reflecting this same kind of selfless, unconditional love. It's about extending kindness, grace, and goodwill even when it's not deserved or reciprocated, mirroring the Father's own boundless generosity.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
teleios · Greek Adjective
Reaching its end, finished, or complete; biblically, it refers to spiritual maturity or moral wholeness, reflecting God's own character.
ouranios · Greek Adjective
Pertaining to or belonging to heaven; used to describe the divine nature, origin, or dwelling place of God.
patēr · Greek Noun
A male parent; theologically, it signifies God’s role as Creator and the intimate, authoritative relationship He shares with His children.
This passage directly parallels Matthew 5:48 by commanding believers to 'Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful,' highlighting the aspect of God's character we are called to emulate.
1 Peter 1:15-16Peter echoes Jesus' call to holiness, stating 'but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, because I am holy,'' reinforcing the imperative nature of reflecting God's perfect nature.
Colossians 1:28This verse speaks of presenting everyone 'mature in Christ,' which aligns with the concept of 'perfect' (telios) as completeness or wholeness, urging believers toward the full stature God intends for them.
Ephesians 4:13It describes striving toward 'the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,' further illustrating the goal of perfection as becoming fully like Christ, mirroring God's perfection.
barnesMatthew 5:48: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Be ye therefore perfect ... - The Saviour concludes this part of the discourse by commanding his disciples to be "perfect." This word commonly means "finished, complete, pure, holy." Originally, it is applied to a piece of mechanism, as a machine that is complete in its parts. Applied to people, it refers to completeness of parts, or perfection, where no part is defective or wanting. Thus, Job J Obadiah…
calvinMatthew 5:43-48: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy."
- Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love they neighbor, and thou shalt hate thy enemy. 44. But I say to you, Love your enemies: bless those who curse you: do good to those that hate you: and pray for those who injure and persecute you: 45. That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth ra…
The verse isn't just asking us to be generally good, but to be "perfect" in the sense of being complete and whole, particularly in our love. This means our love shouldn't be selective, stopping at friends or those who are kind to us, but should extend even to enemies, mirroring God's own impartial goodness. This kind of all-encompassing love is presented as the ultimate mark of true discipleship.
Jesus has just expanded on the Old Testament commands about murder, adultery, and oaths, pushing beyond outward actions to the heart. He's challenged his followers to love their enemies, just as God sends his sun and rain on everyone, regardless of their goodness. This verse is the conclusion to that teaching, calling them to an ultimate standard of character.
Jesus has just expanded on the Old Testament commands about murder, adultery, and oaths, pushing beyond outward actions to the heart. He's challenged his followers to love their enemies, just as God sends his sun and rain on everyone, regardless of their goodness. This verse is the conclusion to that teaching, calling them to an ultimate standard of character.
"You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." — The verse isn't just asking us to be generally good, but to be "perfect" in the sense of being complete and whole, particularly in our love. This means our love shouldn't be selective, stopping at fr…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026