Law Fulfilled

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
- Matthew 5:17 NKJV

I have discussed these verses with so many people over the years. Many seem to interpret fulfillment to mean abolish, annul, or repeal. They interpret Jesus’ fulfillment of the law to mean, in a practical sense, that we can disregard it. When I read this verse, I see Jesus making the two ideas antithetical to each other, so destroy and fulfill are opposites, whereas the other interpretation makes the two practically synonymous. I am not sure if you have ever considered this before but I began to wonder if anyone else saw it this way. I will quote below several commentaries and books I found that reflect on Matthew 5:17. Before we get to the quotes, just remember that commentaries should be read critically. By this I mean that you should consider what you read and the argument made and decide if you agree or disagree or even partially agree. I am not saying I agree 100% with all of these, but I want to expose you to them so you can make up your own mind about how to best interpret Matthew 5:17.

Now Christ makes clear that he is not contradicting the law, but neither is he preserving it unchanged. He comes “to fulfill” it, i.e., he will bring the law to its intended goal.
[…]
Fulfillment of Scripture, as throughout chaps. 1–4, refers to the bringing to fruition of its complete meaning. Here Jesus views his role as that of fulfilling all of the Old Testament. This claim has massive hermeneutical implications and challenges both classic Reformed and Dispensationalist perspectives. It is inadequate to say either that none of the Old Testament applies unless it is explicitly reaffirmed in the New or that all of the Old Testament applies unless it is explicitly revoked in the New. Rather, all of the Old Testament remains normative and relevant for Jesus’ followers (2 Tim 3:16), but none of it can rightly be interpreted until one understands how it has been fulfilled in Christ. Every Old Testament text must be viewed in light of Jesus’ person and ministry and the changes introduced by the new covenant he inaugurated.
- Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 103–104.

I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil—Not to subvert, abrogate, or annul, but to establish the law and the prophets—to unfold them, to embody them in living form, and to enshrine them in the reverence, affection, and character of men, am I come.
- Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 20.

The verb “destroy” means to “loosen down” as of a house or tent (2 Cor. 5:1). Fulfil is to fill full. This Jesus did to the ceremonial law which pointed to him and the moral law he kept. “He came to fill the law, to reveal the full depth of meaning that it was intended to hold” (McNeile).
- A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Mt 5:17.

He does more than obey them himself; he explains what obedience will involve for his disciples. He rejects the superficial interpretation of the law given by the scribes; he himself supplies the true interpretation. His purpose is not to change the law, still less to annul it, but ‘to reveal the full depth of meaning that it was intended to hold’. So then he ‘fulfils it by declaring the radical demands of the righteousness of God’. This is what he stresses in the rest of Matthew 5 by giving examples, as we shall see.
- John R. W. Stott and John R. W. Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7): Christian Counter-Culture, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 72.

The main thing here is the attitude to God’s law. The category of law is not abolished for the followers of Jesus. He came not to abolish the law but to fulfil it. Of course, some of the elements in the Old Testament law were abolished by being fulfilled. They had pointed forward to what had now eclipsed them in the fuller light brought by Jesus. But the moral law had not been abrogated. Indeed, Jesus goes on to intensify its demands. He is concerned to show his disciples in the kingdom that their righteousness must transcend the formal obedience which, at its worst, Pharisaism was capable of: the attitude that said, ‘Right, I have fulfilled precisely what is required of me, but I didn’t want to do it, and I shall not throw in one iota of extra commitment.’ Jesus looks for the inner disposition as well as the outer action. The law is not the limit of obedience; it is to be seen rather as the springboard for a life of devotion to Jesus and his Father. It is the kerbstone along the road of love. And Jesus proceeds, in the verses that follow, to give a number of examples of the outworking of that wholeheartedness. Greatness in God’s kingdom is measured by wholehearted obedience.
- Michael Green, The Message of The Message of Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven: The Kingdom of Heaven, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 92.

This section presents the heart of Jesus’ message, for it demonstrates His relationship to the Law of God. Jesus was not presenting a rival system to the Law of Moses and the words of the Prophets, but a true fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets—in contrast with the Pharisees’ traditions.
- Louis A. Barbieri Jr., “Matthew,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 30.

By mentioning both the Torah and the Prophets Yeshua is saying that he has not come to modify or replace God’s Word, the Tanakh. Compare Lk 24:44–45. 
- David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary : A Companion Volume to the Jewish New Testament, electronic ed. (Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1996), Mt 5:17.

The quotes could have been much longer and I have really enjoyed the perspective these authors have brought to this biblical text. However, what if you don’t have access to these commentaries? How can you best interpret a challenging biblical passage, or any passage really? Your best friend is context. Let’s see what the next verses say.

Not a jot or tittle?

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
- Matthew 5:18 NKJV

Jesus here reaffirms that not even the smallest components of individual words will pass away. The authority of scripture will endure for all time. However, Jesus also has an important qualification “till all is fulfilled.” The New Testament can help us navigate these aspects of the law, for example, the book of Hebrews describes how we no longer need to offer animal sacrifices. (see Hebrews 10:4-10 for example) Also, when Jesus died the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51) which in my mind indicates an end to the ceremonial laws involving the earthly temple. It probably also reveals that Jesus’ death on the cross provides us direct access to God through Jesus. (Hebrews 4:16) We no longer need to go through a human priest.

When in His expiring moments on the cross, Christ exclaimed, “It is finished,” the veil of the Temple was rent from top to bottom. The need for the Jewish system of sacrifices and offerings had ended. Type had met antitype in the death of the One to whom the sacrifices pointed. A new and living way had been opened—a way by which Jew and Gentile, free and bond, could come to God and find pardon and peace.

Christ is to be uplifted as the Redeemer of the world. He is to be proclaimed as the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
- The Upward Look (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1982), 100.

“one jot” refers to the smallest of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet.

“one tittle” refers to one of the little strokes that distinguish one letter from another.

“till heaven and earth pass away” is a reference to the second coming of Jesus (Revelation 21:1-4) when all the laws and prophecies will be unquestionably fulfilled. So we have this tension that the law and prophecies will not change until the earth is made new, yet some aspects of it were being fulfilled by Jesus and continue to be fulfilled by us, His followers.

Maybe this feels messy or confusing. But once again, context will help clarify things.

Breaking Commandments

Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
- Matthew 5:19 NKJV

The word translated as “break” is the Greek word λύω, which is closely related to the word translated as “destroy” (καταλύω) in verse 17. The “κατά” prefix adds a level of power, “far more” or “exceeding,” so in verse 19 we have “luo” or loose or set aside, and in verse 17 we have “kataluo” which would be an extreme loosening or setting aside.

Maybe it seems like I am majoring in minors but I believe this is worth our attention. What I get from Jesus’ words is a warning against teachers who loosen or set aside God’s requirements. As a teacher/religious leader, I take this very seriously. I must highlight God’s love and kindness and mercy and willingness to save even the worst of sinners. Yet I must be careful to never downplay the importance of God’s will as revealed in the Scriptures which in Jesus’ time were made up primarily of the law and the prophets.

The ranking makes me a little uncomfortable, especially in light of the parable of the laborers found in Matthew 20:1-16 that seems to rule out any ranking in heaven. One way of solving this apparent contradiction is to consider Jesus’ audience. It is likely that the Pharisees taught and the multitude believed that our ranking on earth was a reflection of God’s ranking or our ranking in the kingdom of God. If that was the case the Pharisees would be highly ranked in the kingdom of God and the poor, the lame, and the sick would be the least in the kingdom of heaven.

Variation of ranking within the community of God’s people is best taken as referring to those whom God will truly honor in the present age.
- Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 105.

I especially appreciate the insights found in the Seventh-day Adventist Commentary regarding Matthew 5:19

Least commandments. The scribes had meticulously arranged all the precepts of the law of God, the laws of Moses, civil and ceremonial, and their own regulations in a scale of relative importance, on the presumption that when in conflict a requirement of lesser importance was nullified by one of presumably greater importance. By means of this petty legalism it was possible to devise means of circumventing the plainest requirements of the law of God. For illustrations of the application of this principle see Matt. 23:4, 14, 17–19, 23, 24; Mark 7:7–13; John 7:23. It was considered a rabbinical prerogative to declare certain actions “permitted” or “forbidden.” Jesus made it clear that, far from releasing men from the precepts of the moral law, He was even more strict than the official expositors of the law, the scribes and rabbis, for He granted no exceptions at any time. All were equally and permanently binding.
- Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5 (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1980), 333.

I know there is a lot packed in here, but once again, let us keep reading and see how the following verse informs our interpretation.

The righteousness of the Pharisees

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
- Matthew 5:20 NKJV

The scribes were the official expositors of the law and the Pharisees possessed artificially enhanced piety. Jesus mentions them because the scribes and Pharisees were the paradigm of the greatest righteousness conceivable in Jesus’ time. Imagine going to a sporting event and being told that you must outperform the professionals.

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 5:6,10? (See Blessed are you part 1 and Blessed are you part 2) Jesus said that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness have a special blessing, along with those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Being a follower of Jesus would require greater righteousness.

In my next posts, I’ll dive deeper into what this righteousness looks like. For now, you can continue reading Matthew 5. Remember, context is your friend.

Conclusion

When we consider God changing His mind or changing His laws it promotes the idea of God learning, growing, maturing, evolving, and I believe that is dangerous ground to treat on. Not only is it dangerous because The Bible is very clear that God doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 40:8, 28; 44:6; Psalm 102:25-27; 90:2; Matthew 24:35; Revelation 22:13) But we have to keep in mind it is not just about Old Vs New Testament, but God’s laws also maintains the wellbeing of the universe. (1 Corinthians 1:8; Hebrews 11:3; Acts 17:24; Psalm 119; 91; Revelation 4:11; Colossians 1:15-17)

The idea of God changing or breaking His laws would cause us to question everything the Bible teaches because it opens the possibility for things to change again in the future. The study of prophecy would become useless, and trust in God’s promises would erode.

When we observe Jesus’ teaching and behavior during His earthly ministry we may sometimes get the impression that he is breaking the Old Testament laws, or starting a new religion altogether, but Jesus was clear, He was only fulfilling everything the Old Testament pointed to.

Jesus had to come as our redeemer precisely because the Law of God is perfect and holy and changeless and it is impossible for sinful human beings to meet the standard of its requirements. If we could do it we would need a Savior. If the law is destroyed, so is our need for a redeemer. Jesus came and it is He who causes our lives to come into harmony with the principles of the law of God. Why do you think our lives are transformed once we give our hearts to Jesus? It is because He is shaping us into His likeness, bringing our lives into harmony with His changeless law.

There isn’t a single commandment of the law of God that is not for our good and happiness both in this life and in the life to come!

Jesus wants to put His laws into our hearts and write them in our minds (Hebrews 10:16). But Jesus will not force this change upon you. Revelation 3:20 describes Jesus knocking on the door, not knocking it down. Will you invite Jesus into your heart and allow Him to place His changeless law in your heart?