perfect

 

THE PROBLEM OF PERFECTION

by Ray Shelton

 

I.  THE STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM


Jesus commanded in the Sermon on the Mount,

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect”    (Matt.5:48).


This command of Jesus raises the problem of perfection:  what is it to be perfect?   Or more generally, what is perfection?   In order to obey this command of Jesus, we must determine what is the meaning of word “perfect”, of what he is commanding.

 

OUTLINE

II.  THE ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEM

A.  Linguistic Analysis

B.  Historical Analysis

1.  XENOPHANES

2.  PLATO

3.  ARISTOTLE

4.  NEOPLATONISM

5.  AUGUSTINE

6.  THE THREE LADDERS OF AUGUSTINE

7.  ANSELM

8.  THOMAS AQUINAS

9.  THE THREE LADDERS OF AQUINAS

10.  THE PROTESTANT REFORMERS

11.  MARTIN LUTHER

12.  PIETISM

13.  QUAKERS

14.  JOHN WESLEY

15.  WESLEY’S THEOLOGY

16.  HOLINESS MOVEMENT

17.  PENTECOSTALISM

18.  REVIVALISM

a.  THE FIRST GREAT AWAKENING

b.  THE SECOND GREAT AWAKENING

c.  CHARLES GRANDISON FINNEY

d.  LATER REVIVALISM

e.  DEEPER LIFE MOVEMENT


III.  THE CLUE TO THE SOLUTION


IV.  THE SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM


V.  THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE SOLUTION

1.  HOLINESS

2.  THE HOLINESS OF GOD

3.  SANCTIFICATION

4.  THE CHRISTIAN AND SIN


5.  THE CHRISTIAN AND THE LAW

a.  Deliverance from Legalism

b.  The Flesh and the Sinful Nature

c.  The Doctrine of the Sinful Nature

d.  Why the Sinful Nature?

e.  The Christian Life and the Sinful Nature


6.  THE CHRISTIAN AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

7.  THE BAPTISM WITH THE SPIRIT

8.  THE MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE BAPTISM WITH THE SPIRIT