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The Two Ends

The Two Ends: Completion (Telos) vs. Termination (Synteleia) 🏁

When discussing the end of the age, the Greek New Testament uses two different words that English often translates simply as “end.” Understanding this distinction clarifies what must happen before the Lord’s Return.

1. The Full Termination: Synteleia (συντϵˊλϵια)

  • Meaning: This literally means “a bringing to a final, common end” (syn = together; telos = end). It refers to the termination of the age and the completion of the processes within it.
  • Theological Focus: Synteleia describes the entire final period leading up to the Return. Jesus uses it specifically in the context of His disciples asking about the signs of His coming: “What will be the sign of your coming and of the synteleia of the age?” (Matthew 24:3).
  • Significance: It marks the definitive conclusion of the current world order.

2. The Absolute Completion: Telos (τϵˊλoς)

  • Meaning: This refers to the goal, purpose, or full completion of something. It means reaching the intended finish line or achieving the ultimate objective.
  • Theological Focus: Telos describes the point at which an appointed task or mission is fully accomplished.
  • Key New Testament Use: Jesus links this directly to the Great Commission: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the telos will come” (Matthew 24:14).

The Eschatological Imperative

The two words are intentionally juxtaposed in Matthew 24:

  1. The disciples ask for the sign of the Synteleia (the overall end period).
  2. Jesus answers that the sign marking the immediate arrival of the end is the Telos (the absolute completion) of the Gospel witness.

The shocking implication is that the Lord’s Return is not triggered by the intensity of global tribulation (which marks the Synteleia period), but by the completeness of the Gospel’s mission. God is waiting for the task to be finished, not the final catastrophe to strike. The final event is conditional upon the Church achieving its telos.

The Return Question

If the Lord is waiting not for the Synteleia (the global crisis) but the Telos (the completion of the mission), what specific, achievable goal can you set this week to move the witness of the Gospel one step closer to its absolute completion?