January 1, 2002, Vol.2, No.1.
Two new articles every two weeks.
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us.
THIS ISSUE: "The
Ten Commandments, Part 8" (see below)
and "The Two Covenants"
The Ten Commandments,
Part 8:
"The Law and the Prophets"
by Keith Sharp
A Presbyterian friend with whom I am studying appealed to
Matthew 5:17-18 as proof the law has not been repealed. Did Jesus
teach in this passage that the law given through Moses is to
continue till time is no more? What did He teach?
"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)
The term "destroy" (King James Version, New King
James Version and American Standard Version) does not here mean
to "abolish," even though it can have this meaning
and is unfortunately so rendered in the New American Standard
Version and New International Version. Two facts prove this truth.
First, it is used in contrast with "fulfill." "Abolish"
and "fulfill" are not antonyms (opposites). In fact,
it is precisely because the purpose of the law has been fulfilled
that it has been abolished as law (Galatians 3:19-25). But if
it were destroyed, it would have failed of its purpose and would
not have been fulfilled. Second, other passages plainly teach
the law has been abolished (taken out of the way) (e.g., Romans
7:1-7; Galatians 3:19-25; Colossians 2:13-17).
The phrase "the Law or the Prophets" is used to
summarize the Old Testament Scriptures (e.g., John 1:45; Acts
28:23 ). It includes the entire Old Testament, whether moral,
civil or ceremonial (distinctions unknown to the Bible).
How did Jesus fulfill the law? In his personal life He fulfilled
all the demands of the law by living a sinlessly perfect life
under it (Galatians 4:4; John 8:46; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:21-22).
He also fulfilled the prophecies of the law concerning Christ
(John 5:39; Acts 3:18-24; 13:29; 2 Peter 1:19) and the types
of the law (Hebrews 8:4-5; Luke 24:44-47). By preparing the Jews
for the coming of Christ, the law fulfilled its purpose in Him
(Galatians 3:19-25). Finally, the righteousness before God which
was the purpose of the law but which it could not give is fulfilled
in Christ (Romans 8:3-4; 10:4-10). Having been fulfilled, the
law has served its purpose.
"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)
The "jot" was the Hebrew letter "yod,"
the smallest in the Hebrew language. In Greek it was represented
by "iota," the smallest Greek letter. It corresponds
to our "y." The "tittle" is the little line
or projection (literally, "little horn") by which Hebrew
letters, otherwise identical, were distinguished. In English
printing it is called a "serif." For example, the line
which changes "c" to "e" is a serif. Of course,
the point is, not the smallest part of the law was to pass away
until all of it was fulfilled.
Does this mean the law has not passed away as law? If a spokesman
for a labor union on strike declared, "till heaven and earth
pass away, we will not go back to work till all our demands are
met," would he be saying the workers would never return
to their jobs? Of course not. When their demands were met, they
would go back to work. The purpose of the law has been fulfilled
(Galatians 3:19-25), and it has passed away.
"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)
Once, when I tried to discuss instrumental music in worship
with a young woman, she accused me of "majoring in minors
and minoring in majors." Those, such as I, who insist we
must obey all the Lord commands, are often derided as "legalists."
or "Pharisees." Jesus never condemned a Pharisee or
anyone else for demanding rigid observance of God's law. He condemned
the Pharisees for, among other things, loosing God's law to keep
their traditions (e.g., Matthew 15:1-9), being hypocrites (Matthew
23:13-22) and ignoring the weightier matters of the law to observe
small details (Matthew 23:23-24). Yes, some of God's laws are
more basic than others, but we should obey them all (Matthew
23:23). The law of the Lord is a unitary whole, and he who keeps
nine commandments and violates one is a transgressor of the law
(sinner) (James 2:10). We are under law to Christ (1 Corinthians
9:21) and must obey Him in all things (Acts 3:19-23).
"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)
How startling this declaration must have been to the Master's
audience, who generally considered the scribes (copyists and
teachers of the law) and Pharisees (strictest sect of the Jews
- Acts 26:5) as the very paragons of legal righteousness. But
we must exceed the Pharisees in both the quality of our obedience
and the kind of our righteousness. Whereas they were hypocrites,
we must obey the Lord from the heart (Romans 6:17-18; Ephesians
6:5-8). They trusted in themselves that they were righteous (Luke
18:9-14), but we must acknowledge our own sinfulness and seek
the righteousness that comes by grace (Romans 3:20-26). Without
this righteousness, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.
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