Matthew 5:48 (KJV)

Passage

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Matthew 5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "perfect", "even", "father", and "heaven". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "perfect", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "And if ye salute your brethren only...", giving immediate footing for "therefore" and "perfect". In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "therefore" and "perfect" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.