This post is part of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:17-20. This is about the law of Moses. Jesus did not come to abolish it, but what does ‘fulfill’ mean? Disciples can also fulfill it. How?

The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click on this link:

biblegateway.com

In this post, links are provided for further study.

Let’s begin.

I. Scripture

A. Matthew 5:17-20

¹⁷ Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For I tell you the truth: until heaven and earth pass away, one iota or one tiny mark in a letter won’t pass away from the law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ Whoever therefore breaks one of these least commandments and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches them—he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness goes well beyond that of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, you will in no way enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 5;17-20)

B. Comments

I have written a more detailed commentary on this passage here:

How Jesus Christ Fulfills the Law: Matthew 5:17-19

So let me just do a quick summary of the main ideas. And the one central idea is that Jesus has as much authority as the Torah and the rest of the Old Testament.

I like what France says: “If in the process it may appear that certain elements of the law are for all practical purposes ‘abolished,’ this will be attributable not to their loss of status as the Word of God, but to their changed role in the era of fulfillment, in which it is Jesus, the fulfiller, rather than the law which pointed to him, who is the ultimate authority” (p. 183). Perfectly said. The law points to Jesus, not only as a type, but in waiting for him to fulfill it.

What Does the New Covenant Retain from the Old?

Do Christians Have to ‘Keep’ the Ten Commandments?

Ten Commandments: God’s Great Compromise with Humanity’s Big Failure

One Decisive Difference Between Sinai Covenant and New Covenant

As those links show, however, please don’t think that you can get away with ignoring the Old Testament. No, for Jesus and his apostolic community (and us today), it was the inspired Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16).

Warning to Evolving, Progressive Churches: Authority of Scripture

According to one commentator, here are three interpretations of 5:17-20:

(1).. Jesus established or validated the law by realizing (fulfilling) it completely in his teaching and deeds; (2).. He completed or filled up the law’s meaning in his own teaching and interpretation of Torah (first five books of the Bible), “thereby enabling the kingdom people to live the law more completely; (3).. Jesus fulfills the law by completing its “covenant-promise” in bringing about a new redemptive-historical relationship with God” (Osborne, p. 182).

All three are valid approaches to vv. 17-20. In other words, Jesus, in inaugurating the kingdom of God in a new and dynamic way, fulfills the law in his life and deeds and words. This is especially clear when he initiates the Last Supper and the New Covenant (Matt. 26:26-29). All the penalties are requirements that are paid in full, but the moral law endures forever and is imported into the New Covenant. In fact, Jesus deepens and intensifies many aspects—but not even close to all aspects—of the Torah.

1.. Verse 17:

In this verse, “abolish” does mean “destroy,” so Jesus did not come to do that. The “law and the prophets” is another way to say the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament. A famous TV pastor has pretty much thrown out the OT, or the “law and the prophets” in Jesus’s terms. In no way does Jesus throw them out.

In Ephesians 2:14-16, Paul writes:

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. (Eph. 2:14-16, NIV, emphasis added)

The key verse is 15, which says “setting aside.” The Greek verb is similar to the one in 5:17, but “destroy” does come across as harsher, for the first definition is “destroy,” as noted, while the first definitions of “setting aside can also be translated as “render ineffective,” nullify,” “cancel.”

But let’s say they are synonyms. The two contexts are different. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience at the beginning of his ministry. He was reassuring them that he will fulfill the law, so they should watch his ministry carefully. At the end of his ministry, he will say that the disciple should go out and teach people everything he commanded. He tightened up the moral aspects of the law in his sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), but commands like the Sabbath have become voluntary.

In contrast, in Ephesians 2:15, Paul is saying that the aspects of the law that put a wall between the redeemed Jews and redeemed Gentiles–the regulations within the larger law of Moses, like circumcision and kosher food laws–have been set aside. Now both groups can enjoy fellowship with each other. But if Jews– wish to voluntarily keep aspects of the law, like the Sabbath, the festivals, kosher foods, then they may do so. But they do not put a wall between them and the Gentiles because these regulations are voluntary.

So, in summary, read all verses that seem to run counter to each other in their contexts: they were written at different times and to different groups and with different purposes.

If you would like to see other areas in the law of Moses that have been retained and set aside, please click here.

What Does the New Covenant Retain from the Old?

“Fulfill” is a theme in Matthew, who uses the verb at key junctures in his narrative:

Matthew 1:22: Mary conceived as a virgin, to fulfill a verse in Isaiah (Is. 7:14).

Matthew 2:15: God called his Son out of Egypt (Hos. 11:1).

Matthew 2:23: He will be called a Nazarene, which sounds like Branch (Is. 11:1-12)

Matthew 3:15: Jesus insisted on being baptized, to fulfill all righteousness.

Matthew 4:14: A light is shining in the north (Is. 9:1-2)

Matthew 5:17: Jesus fulfills the law and prophets

Matthew 8:27: Jesus healing the sick fulfills the suffering servant taking on himself our infirmities (Is. 53:4).

Matthew 12:17: Jesus is the servant (Is. 42:1-4).

Matthew 13:35: Jesus will teach in parables (Ps. 78:2)

Matthew 21:4: Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey (Zech. 9:9)

Matthew 26:54: Jesus surrenders to the arrest to fulfill various verses that talk of suffering.

Matthew 26:56: the mob coming out to arrest Jesus fulfills the writings of the prophets.

Matthew 27:9: the Sanhedrin buying a field with Judas’s returned money (Zech. 11:12-13; Jer. 19:1-13; 32:6-9)

These passages are where the verb fulfill is found. Other verses show Jesus fulfilling Scripture without the signaling verb “fulfill,” particularly where Matthew quotes verses from the OT.

From the above data, Jesus fulfills the sweep of the entire OT, from the Levitical sacrifices by his crucifixion—noted in Paul’s writings (e.g. Rom. 3:25) and John’s letter (1 John 2:2; 4:10) and throughout the epistle to the Hebrews. He has come to accomplish the moral law—he obeyed the Father’s commands perfectly (Heb. 4:15). He has come to fulfill the Messianic prophecies, which encompass a two-stage program: first coming and second coming.

And so fulfillment is much broader than a NT author quoting a verse from the OT. Jesus fulfills the OT’s patterns and themes and theology.

One scholar says that “fulfill” means the right interpretation. So the NT authors, particularly Matthew, rightly interpret the OT verse when they see Jesus in them.

Messianic Prophecies (a long table of quoted verses in both OT and NT)

2. Verse 18:

“until heaven and earth pass away”: this is merely a conventional way of saying “never” (Jer. 31:35-36; 33:20-21, 25-26; Job 14:12; positively: Ps. 72:5, 7, 17). In Matt. 24:35, Jesus uses the same phrase to express the complete reliability and firmness of his prediction–his prediction is firmer than the heavens and earth. Here in 5:18 heaven and earth not passing away is more of a statement of inviolability than a time marker (France, pp. 185-86).

We can see this time marker in Matt. 11:13, which says that all of the law and prophets have prophesied until John the Baptist. He kicked off the fulfillment process and Jesus will complete it. Therefore, returning to 5:18, let’s not over-interpret the phrase “until heaven and earth” as if the law will never be or can never be fulfilled. It can and will be fulfilled when everything is accomplished. Jesus will do this at his resurrection and ascension. This second “until” is the time marker in Matthew’s Gospel, not the first “until” about heaven and earth being permanent.

Here is Luke’s testimony about Jesus fulfilling the law and prophets. Jesus is speaking after his resurrection:

⁴⁴ Then he said to them, “These were my words which I have spoken to you while I was with you, because it was destined that all the things written in the law of Moses and the Prophets and Psalms about me be fulfilled. ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ And he said to them that in this way it was written that Christ must suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and in his name repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (Luke 24:44-47, my translation)

In v. 45, he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and v. 46 indicates that he was to suffer and rise from the dead. The law and prophets have been fulfilled in him now because of the resurrection.

“one tiny mark”: Some Hebrew letters have the tiniest stroke going upwards, like a horn. So this is, rhetorically speaking, an extra-strong statement about the law. Though I don’t know Hebrew very well at all, here are a few letters. Look for the tiniest upward stroke.

כ ב

And here is the smallest letter, yodh:

י

Keener says these words about the smallest elements to the Hebrew alphabet is hyperbole (pronounced hy-PER-boh-lee), which is a deliberate exaggeration to prove a point in a surprising way. (Example: “The ice cream man is generous! He piled the ice cream a mile high on my cone!”)

Fulfillment happens gradually. The Messianic prophesies about his first coming and the theological truths about the old religion of Judaism and its sacrificial system have already been fulfilled. However, the prophecies about his second coming have not yet been fulfilled. They are moving toward fulfillment.

“until”: there is a time limit on the whole process of fulfillment. This is a very important point. The Father will decide when everything is “accomplished.” The verb is the standard one for “become” or “is” or “happens.” But it is versatile verb, and “accomplish” works too.

3. Verse 19:

In the meantime, here and now, as the fulfillment process unfold gradually, how do we view the law—as a whole (the “law and the prophets”)? While Jesus is speaking the Sermon, there is much to be fulfilled. And anyone who teaches a disciple to break a least command will be humiliated in the kingdom. Even Jesus paid the temple tax (Matt. 17:24-27). Even he told the leper, after healing him, to show his skin to the priest and offer a sacrifice prescribed by Moses (Matt. 8:1-4). But soon the church will leave behind the old sacrificial system and temple taxes, like the tithe. This begins in earnest when he launches the New Covenant (Matt. 26:26-29) and really takes off at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).

Moral law existed long before the law of Moses was thundered down from on high on Mt. Sinai (Exod. 19). In fact, think about it. The law of Moses is a late development in the history of humanity. Moral law existed long before his law. Moral law was brought into sharper and clearer focus with his law, but it is God’s gift to humanity, without or without the revealed law of Moses. Therefore, moral law will never lose it power and relevance.

Now, however, let’s focus on moral law within the law of Moses. Anyone who teaches people to violate it is totally deceived. Anyone who teaches and practices it, in contrast, is great in the kingdom of heaven. At the time the Sermon was being spoken, the commandments included more than just moral law, but soon those old ceremonial laws will be obsolete. So teachers can say we can ignore them.

Illustrations:

Imagine that the law of Moses = an old Victorian house.

Go into it as a tourist and see the cool paintings and window treatments (curtains and other decorations) and old furniture. Try out one of its chairs (if the caretaker or curator will let you). Admire the beautiful furniture. Look at the wonderful knickknacks. But do not break them. Do not take an ax to the antique furniture. Whoever does that will be called least. Whoever teaches the general principles from the Victorian house—its beautiful architecture and furniture—will be called great.

But now we don’t live in the Victorian house because the toilet is substandard; instead, there’s an outhouse in the back down a muddy path, which is inconvenient to get to in the rain. And there is no hot and cold running water. You have to get your bath ready by carrying bucket after bucket of water and then heating it for your bath. No vacuum cleaner (hoover), no disinfectant. No central heating, none in the bedrooms. It’s cold when you climb into bed! No modern conveniences of any kind. Soon the old house loses its charm.

Now imagine that the New Covenant = a big, beautiful modern house.

It is all decked out with the furniture you love. It has all the conveniences that the Victorian house does not have. You can visit and admire the old house, as a great museum, but I don’t recommend that you live there. Live in the New Covenant house.

Jesus boils down the law here:

³⁷ And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ [Deut. 6:5] ³⁸ This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it. ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ [Lev. 19:18] ⁴⁰ On these two commandments the whole law and prophets depend.” (Matt. 22:37-40)

Paul expresses the same idea when he writes that love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:8-10). He also says that the whole law is fulfilled in this one saying: “You are to love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal. 5:14). James singles out the love of neighbor as the “royal law” (Jas. 2:8). John writes that if we say that we love God but hate our brother, then we are liars; the love of God is not in us. Whoever loves God must love his brother (1 John 4:20-21).

Don’t over-complicate things. Just love God and allow him to love your neighbor through you. And if you get confused as to what love is, just let the rest of the NT–the moral aspects–guide you.

4. Verse 20:

“I tell you”: it also indicates an authoritative pronouncement which may surprise the listeners and make them uncomfortable.

Here is the tricky verse. The teachers of the law and Pharisees were seemingly righteous. Do you remember what Paul said in Phil. 3:4-6? He was zealous for the law; he said he was blameless in law keeping. Preachers today say that it’s impossible to keep the law. Perhaps. But Paul said he was blameless. So how does the righteousness go beyond the righteousness of those two devout groups? Paul also said he had persecuted the church. That’s not very righteous.

Righteousness has to be internal. The teachers of the law and Pharisees were going in the wrong direction. They put on outward shows. They were oppressive. Jesus will finally denounce them, saying they were confused about sacred things and loved the gold of the temple (23:16-17); they kept the letter of the law, but neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness (23:23). They were full of greed and self-indulgence, like cups washed on the outside, but not in the inside (23:25-26). They were like whitewashed tombs, looking good on the outside, but full of death on the inside; application: they look good to people, but they are full of hypocrisy and wickedness (23:27-28). Behind the façade, they did awful things. Their ancestors killed God’s prophets, and the Pharisees and teachers claim they never would, but they are wrong. “Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!” (v. 32). They were about to push for the death of the Messiah. He is going to send them prophets and sages and teachers, but they will kill them too (23:33-36).

Therefore kingdom righteousness has to be planted in the soul by first someone acknowledging his bankruptcy, entering the kingdom, receiving mercy, and operating through kingdom strength to work out what God is working inside him. A new covenant is coming. The kingdom of heaven is launching it through the King. Righteousness has to flow from it, from the inside out.

See the links to the theology and practice of righteousness in vv. 6-9.

Quick review of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees:

“teachers of the law”: They are also called scribes or legal experts.

“Pharisees”:

They can be looked up at this link (in alphabetical order)

Quick Reference to Jewish Groups in Gospels and Acts

Both groups were the Watchdogs of Theology and Behavior (David E. Garland, Luke: Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament [Zondervan, 2011], p. 243).

I don’t agree with some of Turner’s points oi this section of the Sermon on the Mount  (he believes in strong continuity between the Torah and the NT), but I like this conclusion:

Jesus is the end or goal of the law and therefore he is its ultimate, definitive interpreter. He alone is the authoritative eschatological teacher of the law and the prophets. The life and teaching of Jesus fulfill biblical prediction and patterns. On the one hand, Jesus does not contradict the law, but on the other hand, he does not preserve it unchanged … He reveals the ultimate meaning of the law of God for those who righteousness must exceed that of the legal experts and Pharisees (5:20; cf. 22:34-40; 23:23-24). (p. 167)

As noted, Paul expresses the same idea when he writes that love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:8-10). He also says that the whole law is fulfilled in this one saying: “You are to love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal. 5:14). James singles out the love of neighbor as the “royal law” (Jas. 2:8). John writes that if we say that we love God but hate our brother, then we are liars; the love of God is not in us. Whoever loves God must love his brother (1 John 4:20-21).

Without moral law, multiplied millions of kingdom citizens would be confused in their relationship with God through Christ, in about one-half hour. They need guidelines or parameters between which they must remain. Moral law acts as guardrails between which we must drive our “spiritual cars.” When we scrape against the guardrails, we get out and look at the damage and say, “Well, that was dumb!” Then we get our cars fixed. We pay the price for it, too. The Golden Rule is just one rule among many other moral laws in the NT.

Further, it is naïve to think that we don’t need rules. We need them. But the church today is filled with confusing, contradictory, naïve teaching. The hyper-grace teachers are guilty of spreading this bad teaching. So, who can blame the churchgoer if he is confused? These teachers need to repent.

II. Application

A. Question to ponder

1. How should your righteousness surpass the righteousness of the teachers of the law (a.k.a. scribes) and Pharisees? How do you begin?

2. Where does this righteousness come from?

RELATED

What Is Moral Law?

Unlawful Sexual Relations in Leviticus 18 from a NT Perspective

Moral and Other Laws in Leviticus 19 from a NT Perspective

The Law Teaches Virtue and Restrains Vice

SOURCES

To see the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the bottom.

Matthew 5