I am using my web browser (Mozilla Firefox) to find the 7 “perfect” words in James. I figured I had better pick a translation that hits that 7 count. In both the New American Standard Version, and the Authorized Version the word “perfect” appears 6 times, but in the Youngs Literal Translation the word “perfect” appears 7 times as follows:
James
Chapter 1
2 All joy count it, my brethren, when ye may fall into temptations manifold; 3knowing that the proof of your faith doth work endurance, 4and let the endurance have a perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire—in nothing lacking;
13 Let no one say, being tempted—‘From God I am tempted,’ for God is not tempted of evil, and Himself doth tempt no one, 14and each one is tempted, by his own desires being led away and enticed, 15afterward the desire having conceived, doth give birth to sin, and the sin having been perfected, doth bring forth death. 16Be not led astray, my brethren beloved; 17every good giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights, with whom is no variation, or shadow of turning;
25and he who did look into the perfect law—that of liberty, and did continue there, this one—not a forgetful hearer becoming, but a doer of work—this one shall be happy in his doing.
Chapter 2 20And dost thou wish to know, O vain man, that the faith apart from the works is dead? 21Abraham our father—was not he declared righteous out of works, having brought up Isaac his son upon the altar? 22dost thou see that the faith was working with his works, and out of the works the faith was perfected? 23and fulfilled was the Writing that is saying, ‘And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him—to righteousness;’ and, ‘Friend of God’ he was called. 24Ye see, then, that out of works is man declared righteous, and not out of faith only;
Chapter 3
1 Many teachers become not, my brethren, having known that greater judgment we shall receive, 2for we all make many stumbles; if any one in word doth not stumble, this one is a perfect man, able to bridle also the whole body;[1]
My next step is to highlight the word translated “perfect” in YLT in the Wuest NT and insert the literal greek words from the Complete Word Study Dictionary. There are 7 that are at the root form the same, but the strongs number can change based on if it needs grammatical changes or a prefix or a suffix. The three entire chapters of James in the Wuest NT where the 7 “perfect” words appear have been block copied so the below data is more than the above data from YLT.
JAMES
- 1–4 James, a bondslave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes, those in the dispersion. Be constantly rejoicing. Consider it a matter for unadulterated joy [without any admixture of sorrow] whenever you fall into the midst of variegated trials which surround you, knowing experientially that the approving of your faith, that faith having been put to the test for the purpose of being approved, and having met the test, has been approved, [that this approving process] produces a patience which bears up and does not lose heart or courage under trials. But be allowing the aforementioned patience to be having its
- complete τέλειος [See Stg: <G5046>] téleios The Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament.[2] work in order that you may be spiritually mature and
- complete τέλειος [See Stg: <G5046>] téleiosThe Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament.[3]
- in every detail, lacking in nothing.5–8 And if, as is the case, anyone of you [when undergoing these trials] is deficient in wisdom, let him keep on presenting his request in the presence of the giving God who gives to all with simplicity and without reserve [a pure, simple giving of good without admixture of evil or bitterness], and who does not [with the giving of the gift] reproach [the recipient with any manifestation of displeasure or regret], and it shall be given him. But let him be presenting his request in a trusting attitude, not in an expression of that hesitation which vacillates [between faith and unbelief and inclines toward unbelief], for the person who vacillates [between faith and unbelief] is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for let not that individual be supposing that he shall receive anything from the presence of the Lord, [being] a dubious, undecided man, vacillating in all his ways.
- 9–11 Moreover, let the brother who is in lowly circumstances [poor and afflicted] be glorying in his exalted position [namely, in the midst of trials which teach him patience]. But the one who is wealthy, let him be glorying in his humiliation [brought on by his trials and resulting in his being reduced to the level of the man who is poor and afflicted], because as the flower of the grass he shall come to an end; for the sun arises with its scorching heat and the grass withers and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed. So shall also the wealthy person fade away together with his undertakings.
- 12 Spiritually prosperous is the man who remains steadfast under trial, because after he has met the test and has been approved, he shall receive the crown, namely, that crown which has to do with the life [eternal life], which [crown] He promised to those who love Him.
- 13–15 Let no man be saying when he is being solicited to sin, By God I am being solicited to sin, for God is incapable of being solicited to sin, the source of the solicitations being evils, [such as soliciting man to sin], and He himself solicits no one to sin. But each one is being solicited to sin when he is taken in tow and enticed by his own craving. Then when the aforementioned craving has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and this sin when it is
- brings forth death.
- 16–18 Stop being deceived, my brethren, beloved ones. Every good gift and every
- gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the lights [the heavenly luminaries], with whom there can be no variableness nor shadow which is cast by the motion of turning [such as that cast by the movements of the heavenly bodies]. In accordance with His deliberate purpose He brought us into being by means of the word of truth, resulting in our being a kind of first fruits of His creatures.
- 19–21 You know, my brethren, beloved ones, [the aforementioned facts]. Now, let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow with respect to anger, for a man’s wrath does not bring about that which is righteous in God’s sight. Wherefore, having put away every moral uncleanness and vulgarity and wickedness which is abounding, in meekness receive the implanted Word which is able to save your souls.
- 22–25 Moreover, keep on becoming doers of the Word and stop being hearers only, reasoning yourselves into a false premise and thus deceiving yourselves, because if, as is the case, anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, this one is like a man attentively considering in a mirror the face with which he was born. For he took one look at himself and was off, and he immediately forgot what sort of a person he was. But he who with eagerness and concentration has pored over the
- law, the law of liberty, and has continued in it, not having been a hearer who forgets but a doer who works, this person shall be prospered spiritually in his doing.
- 26, 27 If, as is the case, anyone imagines himself to be religious, not holding in check his tongue [with bit and bridle], but is deceiving his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion which is pure and undefiled in the sight of God, even the Father, is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction with a view to ascertaining their needs and supplying them, and to be keeping one’s self unspotted from the world.
- 1–4 My brethren, stop holding your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of the glory, in connection with an act showing partiality [to anyone]. For if there comes into your synagogue [the meeting-place of Christian Jews] a man whose hand is conspicuously loaded with gold rings [and] in brightly shining clothing, and there comes in also a poor man in dirty clothing who is dependent upon others for support, and you look upon the one wearing the clothing which is brightly shining with respectful consideration, and say, As for you, be sitting down here in this place of honor, and say to the poor man, As for you, stand in that place or be sitting down beside my footstool, are you not divided in your own mind [expressing a doubt as to the requirements of the faith you have in the Lord Jesus], and have become judges with pernicious thoughts?
- 5–6a Listen, my brethren, beloved ones. Did not God select out for himself those who are poor in the world’s estimation to be wealthy in the sphere of faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But as for you, you dishonored the poor man.
- 6b, 7 Do not those who are wealthy exploit, oppress, and dominate you, and they themselves drag you into law-courts? Is it not they themselves who revile and defame the honorable name [Christian] which was given you?
- 8–11 If indeed you fulfill the royal law of the scripture, namely, You shall love with a divine and self-sacrificial love your neighbor as you love yourself, you are doing splendidly. But if, as is the case, you are showing partiality [to certain individuals], you are committing a sin, being effectually convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever observes the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all [the commandments]. For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not commit murder. Now if, as is the case, you are not committing adultery, but are committing murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
- 12, 13 In this manner be speaking and in this manner be doing, namely, as those who are about to be judged by a law of liberty, for the judgment will be without mercy to the person who did not show mercy; mercy exults in triumph over judgment.
- 14–17 What profit is there, my brethren, if a person is saying, I am in possession of faith, and he is not in possession of works? The aforementioned faith [namely, that faith which does not result in good works] is not able to save him, is it? If a brother [Christian] or a sister [in Christ] have been poorly dressed for a long time and are lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, Be going away in peace, be warming yourselves and be feeding yourselves to your utter satisfaction, and you do not give them the things needful for the body, what profit is there? Thus also, the aforementioned faith, if it does not keep on having works, is dead in its very constituent elements.
- 18–20 But a person will say, As for you, you have faith, and I have works. Prove to me [your actual possession of] the faith you [profess to] possess apart from any accompanying works, and I will prove to you my [actual possession of] faith by my works. As for you, you give credence to [the doctrine] that God is one. You are doing well. The demons also give credence [to that fact] and shudder. But, do you desire to come to know, O senseless man! that the aforementioned faith [that exists] apart from works is unproductive?
- 21–23 Was not our father Abraham vindicated by works [justified as to his claim to a living faith] in that he offered his son Isaac on the altar of sacrifice? You see that the aforementioned faith was co-operating and working with his works [and thereby was responsible for their production], and by his works was this faith brought to
- in a well-rounded whole. And the scripture was actually and fully realized [brought into operation] which said, And Abraham believed God, and it [his act of faith] was put to his account for righteousness. And a friend of God he was called.
- 24–26 You see that by works a man is justified and not by faith alone. Now, similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also vindicated [justified as to her possession of a living faith] in that she entertained as guests the messengers and thrust them forth by means of a different way [from that by which they entered the city]? For even as the body apart from breath is dead, so also the aforementioned faith apart from works is dead.
- 1–4 Stop becoming many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive a more severe sentence of condemnation, for with reference to many things everybody stumbles [makes a mistake, goes astray, sins]. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, this one is a spiritually
- man, able to hold in check also his entire body. Now if, as is the case, we put bridles in the mouths of the horses in order that they may be obeying us, we also guide their entire body. Behold also the ships, though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, are guided by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the steersman leads him.
- 5–8 Even so the tongue also is a small member [of the human body] and boasts great things. Behold, how great a forest a little fire sets ablaze. And the tongue is a fire, the sum total of iniquity. The tongue is so constituted in our members that it defiles the entire body and sets on fire the round of existence and is constantly being set on fire by Gehenna [hell]. For every creature, quadrupeds and birds and reptiles and marine life, is controlled and has been controlled by mankind. But the tongue no one in the human race is able to control. It is a restless, unstable evil, full of lethal poison.
- 9–12 By means of it we eulogize the Lord, even the Father, and by means of it we curse men who have been made in the image of God. Out of the same mouth there proceeds eulogies and cursings. My brethren, these things ought not thus inappropriately to keep on taking place. The spring does not pour forth out of the same opening the sweet and the bitter [water], does it? A fig tree, my brethren, is not able to produce olives, is it, or a vine, figs? Neither is salt water able to produce sweet water.
- 13–16 Who is wise and well informed among you? Let him demonstrate from the source of a good and beautiful manner of life his works in meekness, which [meekness] is characterized by wisdom. But if, as is the case, you are having bitter jealousy and contentiousness in your heart, stop boasting and lying against the truth. This wisdom is not the wisdom which comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual [having to do with the natural, physical existence as over against the spiritual world of the supernatural], demonic; for where jealousy and contentiousness are, there, in that place, are restlessness and instability and every base deed.
- 17, 18 But the wisdom which is from above is essentially pure, then peaceable, sweetly reasonable, satisfied with less than its due, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free from insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.”[9]
As we have seen, you have 7 instances in YLT but you only have 2 instances in the Wuest NT where téleios is translated “perfect” in the book of James.
This concludes the bible word study on the 7 times the word “perfect” appears in the book of James.
[9] Wuest, K. S. (1961). The New
Testament: an expanded translation (Jas). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
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