Perfection implies two things: a purpose and a tool for the purpose.
The fork, by itself, is neither perfect nor imperfect.
A fork is perfect for eating peas but imperfect for eating soup. The purpose and the tool must match.
People are not, of themselves, imperfect.
They are suited for or not suited for particular purposes.
If God wanted humans to understand that eating fruit from a certain tree was "bad" it strikes me as passing strange that he
created them unlike Himself "not knowing good and bad." The result was that Adam & Eve were missing an important part of their humanity.
They had the craving "to be like God knowing Good and Bad" but not the nature.
Unfortunately, the word PERFECT has become distorted into being used in an absolute sense--as though anything COULD be absolute!
Perfect, when used to mean totally without flaw is sort of a chimera (an illusion or fabrication of the mind) rather than a useful vocabulary term.
Would you be surprised to know that in Hebrew the word used and translated into Perfect in English is a much more reasonable and useful one.
Tamim basically means complete or mature or healthy (for example, Lev 22:21).
21 And whosoever bringeth a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto the LORD in fulfilment of a vow clearly uttered, or for a freewill-offering, of the herd or of the flock, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.
Otherwise, are we to imagine there were, in the absolute sense, any ABSOLUTELY PERFECT animals around to be used?
However, the sense is really "healthy" in the sense of "free from any mark or damage" (BBE), or with "no blemish" (NRSV, KJV). In other words, it must be a healthy animal and not be lame or sick or one that has obvious deformities (note Mal 1:8, 13; compare similar regulations for priests in Lev 21:16-21).
Bringing the discussion into focus we need to pull our head out of the imaginary clouds.
You and I can try on a lot of white tennis shoes and find a pair that fit "perfectly" but which, if worn to a wedding would NOT be perfect.
So, the same shoes can be perfect and not perfect all at the same time.
That meaning of healthy, whole, or mature dominates most use of the equivalent Greek term in the New Testament (telos or teleios). Something, or someone, can be complete, healthy, or mature yet not be "without flaw." In fact, it is much easier to be mature and still have flaws, than it is to be without error or without flaw. Many people are mature, but few if any are "without flaw." A six year old can be mature, and still have a lot of growing to do, just like a person can be "holy" and have a lot to learn about spiritual maturity.
