Matthew 5:17, 18 - Did Jesus Do Away With The Law Or Fulfill It?
Mat.5:17, 18: Did Jesus Do Away With The Law Or Fulfill It?
Mat 5:17, 18 (NIV) "Do not think that I have come to abolish
the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to
fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear,
not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any
means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
DEVOTIONAL PEARL
The very fact that it was necessary for Christ to die in order
to atone for the transgression of that law, proves it to be
immutable. PP364-5
By His own obedience to the law, Christ testified to its
immutable character and proved that through His grace it could be
perfectly obeyed by every son and daughter of Adam.... The law of the Lord
is perfect, and therefore changeless,.. "Forever, O Lord, Thy word
is settled in heaven." "All His commandments are sure. They stand
fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness."
"Concerning Thy testimonies, I have known of old that Thou hast founded them
forever." Psalms 119:89; 111:7, 8; 119:152. MB48-52
If the law becomes internalized, obedience becomes instinctive
and pleasant, not something a person is forced to do. Throughout the
Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called his hearers to move from external
obedience to an obedience motivated by the law written upon the heart
(5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44; 6:19-24). [New Bible Companion]
Not by one word, not by many words, but by every word that God
has spoken, shall man live. We cannot disregard one word, however
trifling it may seem to us, and be safe. There is not a commandment of
the law that is not for the good and happiness of man, both in this
life and in the life to come. In obedience to God's law, man is
surrounded as with a hedge and kept from the evil. He who breaks down this
divinely erected barrier at one point has destroyed its power to protect
him; for he has opened a way by which the enemy can enter to waste
and ruin.... The love of God underlies every precept of His law, and
he who departs from the commandment is working his own unhappiness
and ruin. MB48-52
THE FOLLOWING ARE FOR THOSE WHO DESIRE DEEPER STUDY:
CONTENT; What's in the verse; Translations; Paraphrase; Word
Study:
Mat 5:17, 18 (KJV) Think not that I am come to destroy the law,
or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For
verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one
tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Mat 5:17, 18 (NIV) "Do not think that I have come to abolish
the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to
fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear,
not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any
means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
CONTEXT; What's around the verse; Overview; Topic:
Overview
Jesus announced blessings for citizens of His kingdom (5:1-12).
He expects citizens of His kingdom to do good deeds (vv. 13-16),
for He requires a righteousness that surpasses that of even the
zealous Pharisees (vv. 17-20). Christ looked behind the acts the Law
regulated to call for purity of heart (vv. 21-42) and that crowning
expression of kingdom righteousness: a love like the Heavenly Father's for
one's enemies (vv. 43-48). [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary]
SECTION HEADINGS
Jesus teaches about the law (5:17-20)
Christ Came to Fulfill the Law (5:17-20)
The Importance of the Law
CROSS REFERENCES; What's in verses elsewhere.
Psalm 40:8 (KJV) I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy
law is within my heart.
Isaiah 42:21 (KJV) The Lord is well pleased for his
righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.
Romans 3:31 (KJV) Do we then make void the law through faith?
God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Romans 8:4 (KJV) That the righteousness of the law might be
fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Galatians 3:24 (KJV) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to
bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Psalm 119:89-90 (KJV) For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in
heaven. [90] Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast
established the earth, and it abideth.
Psalm 119:152 (KJV) Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of
old that thou hast founded them for ever.
Isaiah 40:8 (KJV) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but
the word of our God shall stand for ever.
Matthew 24:34-35 (KJV) Verily I say unto you, This generation
shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. [35] Heaven and
earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
John 5:24 (KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth
my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life,
and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto
life.
John 6:53 (KJV) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I
say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink
his blood, ye have no life in you.
John 8:51 (KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep
my saying, he shall never see death.
1 Peter 1:25 (KJV) But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.
And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
COMMENTARY / APPLICATION: Moving From The Head To The Heart
What is God teaching here? What does it teach about Jesus?
THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS
This refers to the entire O.T. revelation and the righteousness
required by it. It introduces Jesus' uncompromising acceptance of the
authority of the O.T. as God's Word (vv. 17-19). [Believer's SB]
The law. here equivalent to the Heb. torah, which includes all
of God's revealed will (see on Ps. 119:1, 33; Prov. 3:1). The
expression "the law and the prophets" represents a twofold division of the
OT Scriptures (see (see Matt. 7:12; 11:13; 22:40; Luke 16:16; John
1:45; Rom. 3:21). The classification is found also in ancient Jewish
literature (see 4 Macc. 18:10). However, the more common division among the
Jews was the threefold division, the Law, the Prophets, and the
Psalms (Luke 24:44), or, according to the title of the Hebrew Bible,
"Law, Prophets, and Writings." The context indicates that Jesus here
probably refers primarily to the moral law and the civil statutes
contained in the books of Moses and confirmed by the prophets . In Matt.
5:21-47 Jesus selects certain precepts from the Ten Commandments (see
vs. 21, 27) and from the laws of Moses (see vs. 33, 38, 43), and
proceeds to contrast His interpretation of them with that of the scribes,
the official expositors and teachers of the law.... It is probable
that the illustrations taken from the law (ch. 5:21-47) represent
only part of what Christ said upon this occasion (see on v. 2).... What
He now set aside was the false interpretation given to the
Scriptures by the scribes, not the law itself. [SDA Commentary]
The Law: The first five books of the Jewish Scriptures (our OT).
The Prophets: Not only the Latter Prophets--Isaiah, Jeremiah and
Ezekiel, which we call Major Prophets, and the 12 Minor Prophets (lumped
together by the Jews as "the Book of the Twelve")--but also the so-called
Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings). Taken together,
"the Law" and "the Prophets" designated the entire OT, including the
Writings, the third section of the Hebrew Bible.... Jesus is not speaking
against observing all the requirements of the Law, but against
hypocritical, Pharisaical legalism. Such legalism was not the keeping of all
details of the Law but the hollow sham of keeping laws externally, to
gain merit before God, while breaking them inwardly. It was following
the letter of the Law while ignoring its spirit. Jesus repudiates
the Pharisees' interpretation of the Law and their view of
righteousness by works. He preaches a righteousness that comes only through
faith in him and his work. In the verses that follow, he gives six
examples of Pharisaical externalism. [NIV SB]
For Jesus, Scripture included the three-part Hebrew canon:
Law--Genesis through Deuteronomy; Prophets--Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings,
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, twelve minor prophets; Writings--the other Old
Testament books. [Disciple SB]
In the Old Testament, there were three categories of law:
ceremonial, civil, and moral.
(1) The 'ceremonial law' related specifically to Israel's
worship (see Leviticus 1:2, 3, for example). Its primary purpose was to
point forward to Jesus Christ; these laws, therefore, were no longer
necessary after Jesus' death and resurrection. While we are no longer
bound by ceremonial laws, the principles behind them--to worship and
love a holy God--still apply. Jesus was often accused by the
Pharisees of violating ceremonial law.
(2) The 'civil law' applied to daily living in Israel (see Deut.
24:10, 11, for example). Because modern society and culture are so
radically different from that time and setting, all of these guidelines
cannot be followed specifically. But the principles behind the commands
are timeless and should guide our conduct. Jesus demonstrated these
principles by example.
(3) The 'moral law' (such as the Ten Commandments) is the direct
command of God, and it requires strict obedience (see Exodus 20:13, for
example). The moral law reveals the nature and will of God, and it still
applies today. Jesus obeyed the moral law completely. [Life Application
SB]
Jesus proclaimed his attitude toward the law. Position,
authority, and money are not important in his kingdom--what matters is
faithful obedience from the heart....He called them back to the messages of
the Old Testament prophets who, like Jesus, taught that heartfelt
obedience is more important than legalistic observance. [Life Application
SB]
Jesus also warned Antinomians, those who construe liberty as
license, that freedom from legalism does not mean freedom from the law
(vv. 18-20). [Believer's SB]
God's moral and ceremonial laws were given to help people love
God with all their hearts and minds. Throughout Israel's history,
however, these laws had been often misquoted and misapplied. By Jesus'
time, religious leaders had turned the laws into a confusing mass of
rules. When Jesus talked about a new way to understand God's law, he
was actually trying to bring people back to its 'original' purpose.
Jesus did not speak against the law itself, but against the abuses and
excesses to which it had been subjected. (See John 1:17.) [Life
Application SB]
Jesus, like the prophets of old, demanded the same holy
character and acts of obedience. He brought no new way of living in God's
kingdom. He simply expanded and deepened God's long-standing desire for
his creation's obedience and holiness. [New Bible Companion]
If the law becomes internalized, obedience becomes instinctive
and pleasant, not something a person is forced to do. Throughout the
Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called his hearers to move from external
obedience to an obedience motivated by the law written upon the heart
(5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44; 6:19-24). [New Bible Companion]
The law is an expression of the thought of God; when received in
Christ, it becomes our thought. It lifts us above the power of natural
desires and tendencies, above temptations that lead to sin. God desires
us to be happy, and He gave us the precepts of the law that in
obeying them we might have joy....... The law was given to convict them
of sin, and reveal their need of a Saviour.... "The law of the Lord
is perfect, converting the soul." Ps. 19:7..... The sun shining in
the heavens, the solid earth upon which you dwell, are God's
witnesses that His law is changeless and eternal. Though they may pass
away, the divine precepts shall endure. "It is easier for heaven and
earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." Luke 16:17... Since
"the law of the Lord is perfect," every variation from it must be
evil. DA307-9
He who willfully breaks one commandment, does not, in spirit and
truth, keep any of them.... Whenever men choose their own way, they place
themselves in controversy with God. They will have no place in the kingdom
of heaven, for they are at war with the very principles of heaven....
Not by one word, not by many words, but by every word that God has
spoken, shall man live. We cannot disregard one word, however trifling
it may seem to us, and be safe. There is not a commandment of the
law that is not for the good and happiness of man, both in this life
and in the life to come. In obedience to God's law, man is
surrounded as with a hedge and kept from the evil. He who breaks down this
divinely erected barrier at one point has destroyed its power to protect
him; for he has opened a way by which the enemy can enter to waste
and ruin.... The love of God underlies every precept of His law, and
he who departs from the commandment is working his own unhappiness
and ruin. MB48-52
Many take it for granted that they are Christians, simply
because they subscribe to certain theological tenets. But they have not
brought the truth into practical life. They have not believed and loved
it, therefore they have not received the power and grace that come
through sanctification of the truth. Men may profess faith in the truth;
but if it does not make them sincere, kind, patient, forbearing,
heavenly-minded, it is a curse to its possessors, and through
their influence it
is a curse to the world. {DA 309}
TO FULFILL
The word fulfill means "to fill out, expand, or complete." It
does not mean to bring to an end. Jesus fulfills the law in several
ways: (1) He obeyed it perfectly and taught its correct meaning (vv.
19, 20); (2) He will one day fulfill all of the Old Testament types
and prophecies; and (3) He provides a way of salvation that meets
all the requirements of the law (Rom. 3:21, 31). [Nelson SB]
Fulfill: Jesus fulfilled the Law in the sense that he gave it
its full meaning. He emphasized its deep, underlying principles and
total commitment to it rather than mere external acknowledgment and
obedience. [NIV SB]
To fulfil. "to make full," "to fill full." By fulfilling the law
Christ simply "filled" it "full" of meaning--by giving men an example of
perfect obedience to the will of God, in order that the same law "might
be fulfilled [pleroo] in us" (Rom. 8:3, 4). [SDA Commentary]
TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS
Till heaven and earth pass. The law being an expression of the
will of God, and the plan of salvation an expression of the mercy of
God, neither will fail. "The word of our God shall stand for ever"
(Isa. 40:8).... A change in the moral law is no more possible than a
transformation of the character of God, who changes not (Mal. 3:6). The
principles of the moral law are as permanent as God is. [SDA Commentary]
By His own obedience to the law, Christ testified to its
immutable character and proved that through His grace it could be
perfectly obeyed by every son and daughter of Adam.... The law of the Lord
is perfect, and therefore changeless,.. "Forever, O Lord, Thy word
is settled in heaven." "All His commandments are sure. They stand
fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness."
"Concerning Thy testimonies, I have known of old that Thou hast founded them
forever." Psalms 119:89; 111:7, 8; 119:152. MB48-52
The very fact that it was necessary for Christ to die in order
to atone for the transgression of that law, proves it to be
immutable. PP364-5
ONE JOT OR ONE TITTLE
The smallest Hebrew letter is yodh, which looks like an
apostrophe ('). A stroke is a very small extension or protrusion on several
Hebrew letters, which distinguish these letters from similar ones
(like, in English, an R from a P). The Lord's point is that every
letter of every word of the OT is vital and will be fulfilled. [Ryrie
SB]
This minuteness of detail makes clear Jesus' view of the
thoroughness of inspiration. [Believer's SB]
This statement of Jesus provides us with one of the strongest
affirmations in the Bible of the inerrancy of Scripture. It is absolutely
trustworthy. [Nelson SB]
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