Original Word: ἐπιτελέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: epiteleó
Pronunciation: eh-pee-tel-eh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (ep-ee-tel-eh'-o)
KJV: accomplish, do, finish, (make) (perfect), perform(X -ance)
NASB: accomplished, complete, completion, erect, finish, finished, perfect
Word Origin: [from G1909 (ἐπί - over) and G5055 (τελέω - finished)]

1. to fulfill further (or completely), i.e. execute
2. (by implication) to terminate, undergo

accomplish, do, finish, make perfect.

From epi and teleo; to fulfill further (or completely), i.e. Execute; by implication, to terminate, undergo -- accomplish, do, finish, (make) (perfect), perform(X -ance).

see GREEK epi

see GREEK teleo

Word Origin
from epi and teleó
Definition
to complete, accomplish
NASB Translation
accomplished (1), complete (1), completion (1), erect (1), finish (1), finished (1), perfect (1), perfected (1), perfecting (1), performing (1).

STRONGS NT 2005: ἐπιτελέω

ἐπιτελέω, ἐπιτελῶ; future ἐπιτελέσω; 1 aorist ἐπετελεσα; (present middle and passive ἐπιτελοῦμαι);

1. to bring to an end, accomplish, perfect, execute, complete: substantively, τό ἐπιτελέσαι, 2 Corinthians 8:11; τί, Luke 13:32 (R G); Romans 15:28; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 2 Corinthians 8:6, 11; Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 8:5; τάς λατρείας, to perform religious services, discharge religious rites, Hebrews 9:6 (similarly in secular writings, as θρησκείας, Herodotus 2, 37; ὁρτας, 4, 186; θυσίαν, θυσίας, 2, 63; 4, 26; Herodian, 1. 5, 4 (2 edition, Bekker); λειτουργίας, Philo de som. i. § 37). Middle (in Greek writings to take upon oneself: τά τοῦ γήρως, the burdens of old age, Xenophon, mem. 4, 8, 8; θάνατον, Xenophon, Apology 33; with the force of the act.: τί, Polybius 1, 40, 16; 2, 58, 10) to make an end for oneself, i. e. to leave off (cf. παύω): τῇ σαρκί, so as to give yourselves up to the flesh, stop with, rest in it, Galatians 3:3 (others take it passively here: are ye perfected in etc., cf. Meyer).

2. to appoint to, impose upon: τίνι παθήματα, in passive 1 Peter 5:9 (τήν δίκην, Plato, legg. 10 at the end).

Overview

The verb behind Strong’s Greek number 2005 speaks of bringing a matter through every necessary stage until it stands fully accomplished. Across its ten New Testament appearances the word surveys the sweep of God’s redemptive plan, the believer’s ongoing sanctification, and the church’s ministry responsibilities. Each text displays the same heartbeat: what is begun under God must be carried through to a God-honoring finish.

Divine Completion of Salvation

Philippians 1:6 anchors the doctrine of perseverance: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” The finished work of Christ guarantees the finished work of Christ in the believer. Paul draws an unbroken line from the initial act of grace to its eschatological consummation, assuring the saints that their spiritual formation is not left to personal resolve alone but rests on divine faithfulness. Likewise, Romans 15:28 portrays Paul’s missionary offering as a concrete act that must be “completed,” mirroring God’s own resolve to finish what He designs. These passages nurture confidence that salvation is secure not merely because it has started but because God Himself presses it to its appointed end.

Sanctification and Practical Holiness

In 2 Corinthians 7:1 the apostle exhorts, “Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” The participle “perfecting” signals an active, ongoing pursuit whereby believers, having been set apart, now bring holiness to fuller expression. Galatians 3:3 warns against the opposite trajectory: “After starting in the Spirit, are you now finishing in the flesh?” Here the verb exposes the folly of attempting to complete a spiritual journey by human effort disconnected from the Spirit’s enabling. Together, these texts chart sanctification as a Spirit-dependent progress toward moral and spiritual maturity, insisting that the believer’s cooperation never supplants the Spirit’s power.

Stewardship of Ministry and Giving

A cluster of occurrences in 2 Corinthians 8 centers on the Jerusalem relief offering. Titus is urged “to complete this act of grace” (8:6), and the Corinthians are commanded, “Now finish the work” (8:11). The vocabulary frames giving as a ministry assignment that must not stall at good intentions. Enthusiasm, planning, and commencement are only half the story; the grace of giving reaches its goal when the funds are actually delivered. The passage offers a timeless pattern for stewardship: (1) eager willingness, (2) proportionate participation, and (3) diligent follow-through.

Shared Suffering and Perseverance

1 Peter 5:9 comforts embattled believers with the knowledge that their “brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.” The verb pictures sufferings running their ordained course under God’s sovereign hand. Trials are not random; they are purposeful processes that accomplish God’s refining objectives. Recognizing their corporate and temporal nature steels the church to resist the adversary in steadfast faith.

Covenantal and Cultic Contexts

Hebrews 8:5 recounts Moses charged to erect the tabernacle precisely according to the heavenly pattern. The word denotes the meticulous execution of God’s blueprint—every socket and curtain brought to completion so that earthly worship might echo its heavenly archetype. Hebrews 9:6 then notes that the priests “performed their sacred duties” after the tabernacle had been fully prepared, underscoring orderly, God-prescribed worship. These cultic scenes foreshadow the ultimate completion accomplished by Christ, the true High Priest, whose once-for-all sacrifice fulfills every shadow.

Theological Synthesis

1. God’s initiatives are never abandoned; His nature guarantees completion (Philippians 1:6).
2. Human participation is required yet Spirit-enabled; fleshly substitutes distort the process (Galatians 3:3).
3. Ministry is measured not by promise but by performance; generosity must move from desire to delivery (2 Corinthians 8).
4. Suffering is an ordained means toward a sanctified end; it will accomplish its course and then cease (1 Peter 5:9).
5. Old Covenant rituals illustrate the precision and finality with which God brings His purposes to fruition (Hebrews 8–9).

Historical Reception

Early church fathers drew on Philippians 1:6 to combat both perfectionism and despair, stressing God’s ongoing workmanship. Reformers highlighted the same verse in articulating assurance of salvation. Missionary movements have often cited Romans 15:28 as a model for finishing assigned tasks before embarking on new fields. The Puritans mined 2 Corinthians 7:1 for its call to “perfect holiness,” balancing justification with progressive sanctification.

Contemporary Ministry Application

• Leadership should guide congregations from vision casting through completed execution, mirroring Paul’s stewardship of the Jerusalem offering.
• Counseling can leverage Philippians 1:6 to instill hope in believers struggling with besetting sins, assuring them that God has not abandoned the process.
• Teaching on suffering may reference 1 Peter 5:9 to place personal trials within the global, corporate experience of the church.
• Worship planning should reflect the principle of precise obedience seen in Hebrews 8:5, aiming for reverence and fidelity rather than novelty for its own sake.

Conclusion

Strong’s 2005 gathers disparate settings—temple worship, apostolic fundraising, personal sanctification, global suffering—into a single melody line: God and His people pursue every assignment to its ordained completion. From the tabernacle in the wilderness to the Day of Christ, Scripture bears witness that beginnings are precious, progress is essential, and completion brings glory to the One who works all things according to His perfect will.

επετέλεσεν επιτελειν επιτελείν ἐπιτελεῖν επιτελεισθαι επιτελείσθαι ἐπιτελεῖσθαι επιτελεισθε επιτελείσθε ἐπιτελεῖσθε επιτελεσαι επιτελέσαι ἐπιτελέσαι επιτελεσας επιτελέσας ἐπιτελέσας επιτελεσατε επιτελέσατε ἐπιτελέσατε επιτελεσει επιτελέσει ἐπιτελέσει επιτελεση επιτελέση ἐπιτελέσῃ επιτελεσθήσεται επιτελέσουσιν επιτελέσω επιτελουμενον επιτελουντες επιτελούντες ἐπιτελοῦντες επιτελώ epitelein epiteleîn epiteleisthai epiteleîsthai epiteleisthe epiteleîsthe epitelesai epitelésai epitelesas epitelésas epitelesate epitelésate epitelese epitelesē epitelesei epitelései epitelésēi epitelountes epiteloûntesInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts