God Is Not Superlatively Perfect

In the English language
The word perfect has a superlative meaning
It means to be the best, above all the rest
At the top. Free from flaw
Impeccable and unsurpassed

So shouldn’t we think of God in this way?
He’s certainly more perfect than we
The problem with this perfect definition
Is that God has never professed
To be perfect in a superlative sense

Over one hundred times in Scripture
The word perfect or perfection is used
Most often in the King James Version
Yet it’s not the superlative sense of perfection
That God has ever meant

As translated from Hebrew to Greek
Perfect in Scripture means
Shalem and Shalom: go in peace
Tamim: be without guile, be blameless
Tamam: to be complete or finished

Perfect means Teleios:
To grow, mature
To reach your goals
In order to be fulfilled

Perfect is Katartízō: to make complete
Epiteleó: to accomplish
Akribeia: in exactness
Holokléria: wholeness as in health

Perfect means Parakoloutheó: to investigate
Or to follow closely
As in perhaps another’s teachings
Perfect means Kalil as in entirely or completely
And perfect is Binah as in understanding

Perfect is Tam as in fullness
And also as in integrity
Perfect is Kun as in established or prepared
Perfect is Diasózó as in rescued or as in cured

These are the scriptural meanings of perfect
None of which mean to be the best
In any superlative meaning
And God is not superlatively perfect
In any superlative sense!

Perfect gods don’t lament their errors
And tell us of their remorse
There is no sorry in superlative perfection
No mistake, nor misstep
No sign of regret

But that is not our God
He has expressed regret
Our God has indeed been sorry
Scripture tells us thus:
God has had remorse

God said that he was sorry
That He had created man
Because man was evil and wicked
Continually in his heart.
Could a God that was perfect
Be wrong from the start?

A superlatively perfect God
Could not have manifest
Such superlative imperfection
In the beings that He created
And deemed to name them Adam

Have you considered the cunning serpent?
Surely a superlatively perfect God
Would have made the serpent much less vexing
To keep Eve from being tempted
And have saved us all the grief
Of knowing good from evil

God told us that the covenant
Given by Him to Moses
Was not perfect in the superlative sense
Because His people went astray
And that He never intended

God said he’d make a new covenant
And write the laws in our minds and hearts
Well, answer me this:
What need would there be for a new one
If the first was superlatively perfect at the start?

And God was so moved to wrath
He destroyed the world in a flash
After which He pondered
And placed the ‘bow near the rain
As a reminder to Himself never to do it again

Moreover God is not superlatively perfect
In loving us all the same
God said that He loved Jacob
But Esau, Jacob’s brother
God stated that He hated

In whatever way we think of hate
In whatever way it is translated
We must accept that God loved Jacob
And God loved Esau less

God in His anger threatened to destroy again
Until besought by Moses not to do this thing
And so our God repented
And turned from the evil
He had intended for His people

And if God does not require perfection
Of Himself, that is, in the superlative sense
Then what He requires of us
Can it be any different?

So with respect to the concept of perfect
As is translated from Hebrew and Greek
God tells us this: Go in peace
Be without guile, be blameless
Walk in integrity
Achieve and accomplish; Be fulfilled:
Grow and mature to reach your goals
And that is perfection to Him