milk, and the Hebrews had brought themselves to this diet, is according to the figure a mere infant, and necessarily ignorant of the teachings and the problems of life. Such a one therefore could not but be without experience of the word of righteousness (Vulg. expers sermonis justitiae ), unprepared by past training to enter upon the discussion of the larger problems of Christian thought.
The absence of the definite articles ( lovgo" dikaiosuvnh" not oJ l. th'" dik. ) shews that the main conception of the phrase lies in the character and not in the concrete realisation of the word. It is not the word of righteousness, the full exposition of the Christian Faith (2 Cor. 3:9), but teaching such as belongs to it, teaching of righteousness, teaching which deals at once with the one source of righteousness in Christ, and the means by which man is enabled to be made partaker of it. The doctrine of Christ's priestly work is based upon these conceptions, which belong to the solid food of the mature believer.
Chrysostom offers two interpretations of the phrase: oJ a[peiro" lovgou dikaiosuvnh", toutevsti, th'" a[nw filosofiva" a[peiro", ouj duvnatai paradevxasqai bivon a[kron kai; hjkribwmevnon : h] dikaiosuvnhn ejntau'qa to;n Cristovn fhsi kai; to;n uJyhlo;n peri; aujtou' lovgon .
The word a[peiro" does not occur again in the N. T. Heb. 5:14. Milk is the food of babes; and he who is fed on milkwhether it be in the due order of nature or by lack of reasonable growthis a babe. But solid food is for full-grown men.
The contrast between babes and full-grown men occurs again Eph. 4:13 f. mevcri katanthvswmen ... eij" a[ndra tevleion, eij" mevtron hJlikiva" tou' plhrwvmato" tou' Cristou' : i{na mhkevti w\men nhvpioi ...1 Cor. 14:20 th'/ kakiva/ nhpiavzete, tai'" de; fresi;n tevleioi givnesqe . 1 Cor. 2:6, 3:1. Comp. Philo, Leg. Alleg. i. § 30 (1:62 M.) tw'/ teleivw/ katj eijkovna prostavttein h] ajpagoreuvein h] parainei'n oujci; dei' ... tw'/ de; nhpivw/ parainevsew" kai; didaskaliva" [ creiva ].
A man is said to be tevleio" who has reached the full maturity of his powers, the full possession of his rights, his tevlo" , his end. This maturity, completeness, perfection, may be regarded generally or in some particular aspect. As compared with the child, the full-grown man is tevleio" physically, intellectually, socially (comp. 1 Cor. 13:10 f.; Gal. 4:3); as compared with the fresh uninstructed convert, the disciplined and experienced Christian is tevleio" (1 Cor. 14:20; 2:6; Eph. 4:13; Phil. 3:15; Col. 1:28; 4:12; James 1:4). There is also an ideal completeness answering to man's constitution in his power of self-control (James 3:2), in his love for his fellows (Matt. 5:48; comp. Heb. 19:21).
He is absolutely tevleio" in whom each human faculty and gift has found a harmonious development and use, who has fulfilled the destiny of man by attaining the likeness of God (Gen. 1:26).
In the same manner any object is tevleio" which completely satisfies its ideal, so that all the constituent elements are found in it in perfect efficiency (1 John 4:18 hJ teleiva ajgavph . James 1:4, 17; comp. Rom. 12:2). Law is framed for the guidance of man in the attainment of his proper end: the perfect law therefore is the law of freedom, which completely corresponds with the unhindered fulfilment of his duty (James 1:25). The Levitical Tabernacle was designed to represent under the conditions of earth the dwelling of God