What Does James 1:4 Mean?
But let the bearing up under have its complete work, that you may be complete and entire, with nothing left behind.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.THE KEY
The word “perfect” carries the sense of a process brought to its intended completion.
THE MEANING
Endurance is working in you now, carrying what remains unfinished toward maturity and wholeness. This work has a direction: a life no longer defined by lack.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie that hardship means nothing is happening: this verse calls endurance a work with a path toward completion.
THE ROOT
τέλειον
teleion
GROWS FROM
τέλος
telos
End, goal, or intended completion.
“complete work” in this verse is teleion. The Greek adjective τέλειος (teleios) describes what has reached its intended end or maturity. James repeats this word family for both endurance’s work and the person being formed, joining the unfolding process to its outcome: wholeness.
ALSO GROWS
teleioō: Bring to completion; fulfill.
τελειόω
It shows that “perfect work” carries the sense of work brought through to its end.
teleiotēs: Maturity; completeness.
τελειότης
It makes clear that the result is a state of wholeness and maturity.
THE PATTERN
Endurance under testing becomes a work that carries life toward completion.
And not only that, but we also boast in the pressures, knowing that they work out a bearing up under. And bearing up under, a proving; and a proving, hope.For you have need of bearing up under, so that, having done the will of God, you may carry home the promise.The LORD finishes what concerns me; your faithful love, O LORD, endures for the ages; do not let the works of your hands drop.THE THREAD
Being confident of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will finish it until the day of Jesus the Anointed One.Philippians says God will ἐπιτελέω (epiteleō, bring to completion) the begun work, from the same τέλος (telos, end or goal) word family behind τέλειος (teleios, complete) in James. James names endurance as the work unfolding; Philippians shows that work being carried through to completion.
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