<p>3:14- see on 1 Cor. 13:11.</p><p><i>And above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection<em>- </em></i>Moses' spiritual pinnacle was characterized by arriving at a profound depth of love. Love is likewise seen by Paul as &quot;the bond of perfection&quot; (Col. 3:14), the sign of ultimate maturity. He has already begun in Colossians 1 by saying that true faith and hope for eternity will bring forth love. The Greek for &quot;bond&quot; is a medical term, referring to the ligaments of the human body. Paul has just used it concerning the anatomy of the body of Christ, the church, in 2:19. The completeness of the body is brought about by love, and the context of that &quot;love&quot; is in the command in the preceding verse :13 to forgive as we have been forgiven, i.e. without demanding repentance. But this is the state of &quot;perfection&quot; or spiritual maturity. Those who insist upon repentance before forgiveness are not therefore mature, and the body of Christ will only be completely functional if this policy of forgiveness without repentance is universally accepted and applied.</p>