Not sinless perfection — 'perfect' here means spiritual maturity.
Les Feldick teaches that the word 'perfect' in Scripture never refers to sinless perfection but always to spiritual maturity. Noah is shown as a just man who found grace and whose obedient faith built the ark for the saving of his household. His 'perfection' was therefore a mature, God-honoring spiritual life.
Genesis 6:9 — This is the verse that calls Noah 'perfect in his generations' and says he walked with God.
The Bible records that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). Hebrews 11:7 says, 'By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.' The writer of Hebrews also declares, 'But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him' (Hebrews 11:6). Thus Scripture connects Noah's standing with God to faith, not to moral flawlessness.
Les Feldick makes it a rule of interpretation that 'the word perfect in Scripture, Old Testament or New, never means a sinless perfection. It means a spiritual maturity' (Clip 2). He uses God's command to Abram, 'walk before me and be thou perfect' (Genesis 17:1), to illustrate that the call to be perfect is a call to spiritual maturity, not sinlessness. Les contrasts this with Adam, who was 'perfect in every way,' sinless, immortal, and placed in a perfect environment (Clip 6). When he speaks of Noah, he emphasizes that Noah was a righteous man who found grace (Clip 4), a preacher of righteousness for the 120 years it took to build the ark (Clip 3), and a model of the obedience of faith (Clips 1 and 7). So the Bible's description of Noah as 'perfect' points to his mature faith and walk with God, not to an absence of sin.
No. Les Feldick states plainly that the word 'perfect' in Scripture never means sinless perfection. It always means spiritual maturity. So when Genesis calls Noah perfect, it is describing his mature spiritual walk with God, not claiming he never sinned.
Noah's maturity showed itself in obedient faith. Hebrews 11:7 says that being warned of God, Noah moved with fear and prepared an ark to the saving of his house. Les points out that this was the obedience of faith—when God said build an ark, Noah built it (Clips 1, 7). Noah also found grace in God's eyes (Clip 4) and spent 120 years as a preacher of righteousness while building the ark (Clip 3).
Les describes Adam as perfect in every way—sinless, immortal, and placed in a perfect environment (Clip 6). But when the same word 'perfect' is used of believers in Scripture, it refers to spiritual maturity rather than sinlessness (Clip 2). Noah's perfection is the mature faith of a believer walking with God.
Why God Destroyed the Earth with a Flood (Genesis 6 Explained)
Welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick, a 30-minute walk through the Scriptures, teaching in-depth Bible truths that change people's lives. Now, here's your host, Les Feldick. We're going to pick right up where we left off last week. Once again, for those of you joining us on television, we just love to have you find a Bible, find a place if you can sit down and just share these things with…
Noah's Faith Example
Les cites Hebrews 11:7 to show that Noah acted on God's warning by faith, preparing the ark even though rain had never fallen.
Perfect = Spiritual Maturity
Les teaches that the word 'perfect' in Scripture never means sinless perfection; it always means spiritual maturity, using God's command to Abram to walk before Him and be perfect.
Preacher of Righteousness
Les notes that Noah's 120 years of ark-building served as a sermon of coming judgment, showing his faithful public walk.
Noah Found Grace
Les notes that after God declared judgment, 'Noah found grace' — the love of God for that righteous man led to the instructions for the ark.
The Curse of Canaan & Origin of Races: Genesis 9 Bible Study
Now, I think you and I would just as soon skip verses 21 through 23, because it's not a very pretty picture. But God doesn't do that. He doesn't gloss over. He doesn't cover up. Even His choicest servants, such as Abraham, David, Moses, when they failed, God still puts it out there in front of us. All right, now look what happens to Noah, verse 20. And Noah began to be a husbandman.
Adam's Sinless Perfection
Les describes Adam as perfect in every way and sinless, providing a contrast to the word 'perfect' when used of believers like Noah, which means spiritual maturity.
Obedience of Faith
Les explains that Noah's building of the ark was the perfect lesson of the obedience of faith — he simply did what God said.
Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
This verse establishes that faith is central to pleasing God, undergirding Noah's mature obedience.
Hebrews 11:7: By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
This verse directly describes Noah's faithful response to God's warning, showing the kind of mature spirituality that 'perfect' points to.
No. Les Feldick teaches that the word 'perfect' in Scripture never means sinless perfection. It means spiritual maturity. Noah was a mature believer who walked with God, not a man without sin.
Les defines it by contrast: the word 'perfect' refers to a mature spiritual life, as seen in God's command to Abram to 'walk before me and be thou perfect' (Genesis 17:1). It is not sinlessness but a mature relationship of faith and obedience.
Noah found grace in God's eyes, heeded God's warning by faith, and built the ark to the saving of his household. He also spent 120 years as a preacher of righteousness while building the ark.
Watch the Teaching: Why God Destroyed the Earth with a Flood (Genesis 6 Explained)