The conditional clause If you would be is more naturally “If you want to be” (Good News Translation) or “The way for you to be.”

In the translation of this verse it is important to realize that Jesus is not here distinguishing between two categories of Christians, as though some were perfect and others were not. The word perfect is found elsewhere in Matthew’s Gospel only in 5.48, where it is used in the context of showing love to one’s enemies. Here it is also used in connection with the command to love, as verse 19 clearly indicates. According to Matthew then, to be perfect is to love as God does, which is expressed through radical forgiveness and unselfish giving.

Perfect has posed a problem for many translators. Some have had “without any fault” or “completely as you should be.” Others have connected the idea to God’s perfection and said “completely the way God wants you.” Another common translation has been to tie it to the original question the man asked about eternal life and say “completely qualified for (God’s) eternal life.”

It is also important to realize that the command go, sell what you possess and give to the poor does not describe a universal route by which all of Jesus’ disciples may become “perfect.” Rather it represents a unique command given to a particular individual in a specific situation. Although radical forgiveness and absolute obedience are demanded of all disciples, this does not require that in each instance a disciple must sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor.

What you possess (New English Bible “your possessions”) is translated “everything you have” by Barclay, and “your property” by Moffatt and An American Translation. There are only three occurrences of the noun in Matthew’s Gospel: in 24.47 Revised Standard Version translates it as “possessions,” and as “property” in 25.14.

In Greek give is not accompanied by a direct object, though it is followed by an indirect object, indicating the persons to whom the gift is to be made: to the poor. But here the command is absolute, requiring that the man convert everything that he owns into cash and then give that money to the poor. The radical nature of the command is reflected in the choice of an aorist imperative of the verb give, which would imply immediate and absolute giving. Thus several translations have “give the money to the poor” (Good News Translation, Moffatt, An American Translation, New Jerusalem Bible). A translation like this avoids the problem of readers thinking the man was to give the possessions rather than the money to the poor.

Treasure in heaven (so also New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible) is rendered “riches in heaven” by Good News Translation and New English Bible. Heaven here stands for “God,” while treasure represents the “reward” which God will bestow upon those who are obedient to him. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates the phrase as “riches with God that cannot be lost.” Translators should also see 6.20 where a similar expression is discussed. Under no circumstance should readers get the impression that somehow up in the sky there are some valuable objects that a person will have, possibly after he dies.

And come, follow me (Good News Translation “then come and follow me”) is a fairly literal rendering of the Greek, and it is representative of what most other translations have done. Although an actual following of Jesus is involved in this situation, the verb has its extended meaning of “follow as a disciple,” which is why many translators have said “be my disciple” or “follow as my disciple.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .