Lexicon

G5056 - telos

Strong's: G5056 · BLB lookup Pronunciation: tel'-os Part of speech: neuter noun NT occurrences: 41

Semantic range

End, termination, conclusion, the temporal-finalizing sense
Goal, purpose, aim, the teleological-purposive sense
Outcome, result, consequence, what ultimately happens
Completion, fulfillment, what was set in motion is brought to fruition
Tax, custom, payment in a few legal-economic contexts

The Greek philosophical tradition (Aristotelian telos) emphasizes the goal-directed nature of beings, what they are for. NT telos uses preserve this teleological force alongside the temporal-end sense.

Theological force

Eschatological telos, the end of the age

The most theologically loaded use is the eschatological end:

Matthew 24:6, 13-14, "the telos is not yet"; "the gospel must first be preached… then the telos will come"
Mark 13:7, 13, parallel
Luke 21:9, parallel
1 Corinthians 1:8, "blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ"
1 Corinthians 15:24, "then comes the telos, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father"
Hebrews 6:11; 7:3, telos
1 Peter 4:7, "the telos of all things is at hand"
Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13, Christ as the telos, "the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the telos"

The eschatological-telos texts present:

A definite future-end of the present age
Christ as the agent of that end (His parousia brings it)
Final judgment + resurrection consummating the end
Christ Himself as the telos, the goal toward which all history moves

Christ as telos of the Law, Romans 10:4

Telos gar nomou Christos eis dikaiosynēn panti tō pisteuonti., "For Christ is the telos of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes."

This verse contains a famous interpretive crux. Two main readings:

Christ as the terminus / end of the Law, the Law has come to an end as a way of righteousness; Christ is the conclusion of the Mosaic-covenant economy
Christ as the goal / fulfillment of the Law, the Law was always pointing forward to Christ; He is what the Law was for

Both readings have substantial defenders. Most modern conservative scholarship combines them: Christ is both the goal and the end, the Law's purpose was always Christ; in Him the Law-as-way-of-righteousness is concluded; the New Covenant supersedes the Old (without abolishing the moral force).

Telos as goal / purpose

Romans 6:21-22, "what fruit were you having? Telos of those things is death… but now… you have your fruit, resulting in sanctification, and the telos, eternal life"
2 Corinthians 11:15, "their telos will be according to their deeds"
Philippians 3:19, "their telos is destruction"
1 Timothy 1:5, "the telos of our instruction is love from a pure heart"
Hebrews 6:8, "telos is to be burned"
James 5:11, "you have seen the telos of the Lord's dealings" (regarding Job)
1 Peter 1:9, "the telos of your faith, the salvation of your souls"

The pattern: telos often signals the outcome / destiny of a course of action, a teleological-tracking of where something is going.

Telos in Aristotelian / philosophical tradition

Greek telos is the technical term for final cause in Aristotelian metaphysics. Beings have a telos, a goal / purpose for which they exist. This grounds teleology, the study of purposes / ends in nature.

Modern philosophical engagement:

Mechanism / Darwinism, denies natural teleology; nature has no goals; everything is mechanical / random
Aristotelian-Thomistic realism, natural teleology is real; living beings have intrinsic goal-directedness
Intelligent Design, extracts design-inference from apparent teleology

The biblical anthropology presupposes teleology, humans are for something (relationship with God, image-bearing, dominion stewardship). See Argument from Purpose Meaning and Hope.

Telos and the perfect (teleios)

Cognate vocabulary:

telos, the goal / end (noun)
teleios (G5046), perfect / complete / mature (adjective; goal-having-been-reached)
teleioō (G5048), to bring to perfection / completion (verb)

Hebrews 5:9, Christ "having been teleiōtheis", "made perfect" / "brought to His goal"; this becomes the source of eternal salvation.

Notable verses

Matthew 10:22; 24:6, 13-14, eschatological telos
John 13:1, Jesus loved His own eis telos, "to the end" / "to perfection"
Romans 6:21-22, telos of sin / sanctification
Romans 10:4, Christ as telos of the Law
Romans 13:7, telos (tax / due)
1 Corinthians 1:8, telos in the day of Christ
1 Corinthians 10:11, "the telē of the ages have come"
1 Corinthians 15:24, telos when Christ hands over the kingdom
2 Corinthians 1:13, "to the telos"
Philippians 3:19, telos is destruction (the lost)
1 Timothy 1:5, telos of instruction is love
Hebrews 3:6, 14; 6:11, telos-perseverance
James 5:11, telos of the Lord (regarding Job)
1 Peter 1:9, telos of faith
1 Peter 4:7, "the telos of all things is at hand"
Revelation 21:6; 22:13, Christ as Alpha and Telos

Patristic / scholarly note

The telos / Aristotelian teleology connection:

Patristic engagement (Augustine; Aquinas) integrated Aristotelian teleology with Christian providence
Medieval Scholasticism systematized the teleological framework
Reformation: Calvin engaged teleology in providence-doctrine

Modern engagement:

Robert Spaemann (Persons, 2007)
Edward Feser (Aristotle's Revenge, 2019; Aquinas, 2009)
Alasdair MacIntyre (After Virtue, 1981), virtue-ethics-teleology
Jonathan Pennington (The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, 2017), biblical-teleological reading of Mt 5-7

Notes

Lexical workspace for telos.