A Question About The Law
The following is a Q/A that I recently had with a young man. I thought that posting it might be beneficial to others as well…
(A Fellow Believer whose privacy I will respect) wrote:
I know that most churches believe that the Law was only for the old testament but if that is so then why is it referred to time and time again in the new testament? Why would God command the people back then but not command us now? I believe the Law is for us today just as it was in biblical times… What do you think?
My answer:
You pose several compelling questions. It will probably take more than one post to adequately answer you, so feel free to ask follow up questions.
I believed and taught for over twenty years that the Law of GOD was completed and therefore done away with until I began to study more intensely what GOD’S Word really has to say on the issue.
The verses that really brought it home for me began with Matthew 5:17-20 which reads “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18For 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. 19Whoever 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. 20For 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.”
When I began to consider exactly what JESUS was really saying about The Law of GOD in verse 17, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I had been instructed by college teachers and pastors for my entire Christian life that when JESUS said the word “fulfill” HE really meant “to do away with.” Is that what HE is saying here? Well, lets see what the word “fulfill” means and find out.
The English word “fulfill” is translated from the Greek word “pleroo” pronounced “play-roo-o” and means; From G4134; to make replete, that is, (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.:—accomplish, X after, (be) complete, end, expire, fill (up), fulfil, (be, make) full (come), fully preach, perfect, supply.
From this word, we can see how it has been used to leave the impression that JESUS, in HIS fulfilling the Law of GOD, satisfied, finished, completed, ended, expired, etc. That is why it is essential for us to take the word in the context of how it was used in the text.
So, consider JESUS’ words again. Verse 17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Notice first of all that JESUS must have known that there would come a time when men would redefine HIM fulfilling the Law, as if it meant that HE “destroyed” the Law! The word “destroy” (used in the same verse) means “to loosen down (disintegrate), that is, (by implication) to demolish (literally or figuratively); specifically (compare G2646) to halt for the night:—destroy, dissolve, be guest, lodge, come to nought, overthrow, throw down.”
This is exactly what I thought that JESUS did concerning the Law of GOD for all of those years, and I believe that it is exactly what today’s Christianity thinks today! But JESUS tells us NOT to even think that HE came to do that!!! So, there has to be a serious distinction between the words “destroy” and “fulfill.” And there is!
Notice also that JESUS includes “the Prophets” in HIS statement. So, I began to rethink this verse, “if JESUS is saying here that HE came to fulfill in the way that today’s Christianity defines fulfill; i.e. to do away with, demolish, loosen down, etc. the Law, HE must also be saying that HE came to do the same to “the Prophets!?!” Wow! Think about that! If today’s Christianity would apply the same rule of “fulfill” to “the Prophets” as they do to “the Law”!?!? What would we be left with? Those who say that JESUS “fulfilled” the Law, should also say that HE fulfilled the Prophets as well! That would mean no more end times prophecy. No more setting up the Kingdom. No more antichrist, etc. Sounds absurd when it’s put like that, doesn’t it? So, we have to get more of an understanding on the word “fulfill” in order to get a feel for what it really means here. I took several verses that use the same word for fulfill as we see it in Matthew 5:17 and here is what I came up with:
Matthew 3:15 “But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.”
This takes place in conversation with John the Baptist and JESUS at HIS baptism. Is JESUS telling John that HE and John were to “put an end” to all righteousness? Of course not!
Paul is speaking in Philippians 2:2 and says “…fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Is Paul saying here to “do away with” his joy?
Paul uses it again in Colossians 1:25 saying “…of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,…” Now I ask you, is Paul saying that his stewardship was to put an end to the word of GOD? Ridiculous to think that, isn’t it? And yet, I began to see that that is exactly what I had been doing for years! And I believe that to be the same predicament that today’s Christianity is in as well!
Continuing with JESUS’ words in Matthew 5:17-20. How do we reconcile HIM saying “…till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Fact: We’re still here! Heaven and earth do not pass away until the end of the age! Revelation 21:1 “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.” Isn’t JESUS saying that the Law is going to continue at least until then?
Notice what JESUS says in verse 19; “19Whoever 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.” I’ve heard some say that “at least these people are IN heaven”, but I’m not so sure because of what is stated in verse 20!
“20For 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.” What is JESUS saying here? Keep in mind that at the time that JESUS was teaching here, the scribes and Pharisees were guilty of “adding to and taking away from” the Law of GOD. They were NOT keeping the Law the way that GOD had told them to in the beginning. Therefore, what JESUS is saying here is that their righteousness was not based strictly on what the Word of GOD said, but it was based on what man says. This is a serious problem! That too applied to me! I realized that I had subtracted HUGE portions of Scripture such as HIS Sabbaths, HIS Feasts, HIS Law, etc. from HIS Word by referring to them as “irrelevant for Christians today.” And I was also guilty of adding practices such as Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, everyday or any day Sabbaths, etc. that are not in the Word of GOD.
So, I hope that helps you out, my young friend! I know that today’s Christianity has it’s mind made up on the Law of GOD, but I hope that you keep digging in HIS Word to find what HE says about these things more often than you listen to what men say that HE says. If you do that, you will be ok!
Blessings upon you, as you seek HIS Truth!
Pastor Ron
