phipps
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- Dec 27, 2017
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I have been surprised what some Christians have told me here about obedience and Jesus fulfilling the law. They've told me its impossible to be fully obedient, that Jesus fulfilled the law (the ten commandments) so we don't have to. I have read that some Christians say that means Jesus did away with the law. But is that what the Bible says and teaches?
Matthew 5:17-19, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 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. 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.”
Does "fulfil" mean to do away with? The Cambridge Dictionary tells me that fulfil means to "do something that is expected, hoped for, or promised, or to cause it to happen:" So doing something that is expected or causing it to happen is not abolishing it.
The Greek word translated “fulfil” in Matthew 5:17 comes from the root word pleroo, which can also means “to make full, to fill, to fill up … to fill to the full” or “to render full, i.e. to complete” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Strong’s #4137). Thus, “fulfil” can mean to complete or accomplish, but it can also mean to fill to the full. To cite Matthew 5:17 as proof that Jesus meant, “I did not come to destroy the law, but to end it by fulfilling it” is inconsistent with His words and makes no sense. However, the meaning “fill to the full” does make clear His intent.
Both in His life and in His teaching, Jesus fulfilled the law. That is, He did what is implied by the words “fill to the full.” He magnified God’s law by His perfect example and gave it its full meaning. He emphasized its deep underlying principles and the need for total commitment to it rather than mere external acknowledgment and obedience.
The intent of Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:17 is, “I did not come to do away with the Law or the Prophets, but I came to uphold them in everything that I say and do.” He did exactly that, showing the holy, spiritual purpose of God’s law, obeying it perfectly in thought and action, in both the letter and in the intent of heart.
However, His being a model Son did not free the rest of God’s children from our responsibilities to our Heavenly Father. By analogy, compare this to a human family. If the oldest sibling in the family of many children was an excellent role model, observing all of the household rules, would his actions free his younger siblings from any obligation to behave? Of course not! So why do people think differently about God’s spiritual family?
Here is a link to read more on the subject according to the Bible.
Matthew 5:17-19, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 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. 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.”
Does "fulfil" mean to do away with? The Cambridge Dictionary tells me that fulfil means to "do something that is expected, hoped for, or promised, or to cause it to happen:" So doing something that is expected or causing it to happen is not abolishing it.
The Greek word translated “fulfil” in Matthew 5:17 comes from the root word pleroo, which can also means “to make full, to fill, to fill up … to fill to the full” or “to render full, i.e. to complete” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Strong’s #4137). Thus, “fulfil” can mean to complete or accomplish, but it can also mean to fill to the full. To cite Matthew 5:17 as proof that Jesus meant, “I did not come to destroy the law, but to end it by fulfilling it” is inconsistent with His words and makes no sense. However, the meaning “fill to the full” does make clear His intent.
Both in His life and in His teaching, Jesus fulfilled the law. That is, He did what is implied by the words “fill to the full.” He magnified God’s law by His perfect example and gave it its full meaning. He emphasized its deep underlying principles and the need for total commitment to it rather than mere external acknowledgment and obedience.
The intent of Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:17 is, “I did not come to do away with the Law or the Prophets, but I came to uphold them in everything that I say and do.” He did exactly that, showing the holy, spiritual purpose of God’s law, obeying it perfectly in thought and action, in both the letter and in the intent of heart.
However, His being a model Son did not free the rest of God’s children from our responsibilities to our Heavenly Father. By analogy, compare this to a human family. If the oldest sibling in the family of many children was an excellent role model, observing all of the household rules, would his actions free his younger siblings from any obligation to behave? Of course not! So why do people think differently about God’s spiritual family?
Here is a link to read more on the subject according to the Bible.
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