Text: Matthew 5:17-20<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. There is hardly a denomination in existence that does not appeal to the Old Testament for\nportions of their practices.\n A. Many of the rituals in the Catholic church find their roots in the Old Testament,\nsuch as the burning of incense.\n B. Protestants are not beyond dipping into the Old Testament. The common usage of\ninstrumental music is justified by pointing out that it was used in the past.\n C. Many appeal to the Ten Commandments, though most will say the Sabbath is\nmodified into Sunday.\n
D. A few argue keeping large portions of the Old Law, including the Sabbath.<\/p>\n E. Matthew 5:17-18 is commonly referenced as proof that the Law, at least in part\nremains in effect. Today we will examine this passage to see what it says.\n
II. What is the Law and the Prophets?<\/p>\n
A. When speaking of the law of Moses, there are variety of terms used to refer to it.<\/p>\n
1. It can simply be called “the Law”.<\/p>\n
a. All the law – Galatians 5:14<\/p>\n 2. It can be called “the Law and the Prophets” where it is divided into two\nparts – the Law revealed by Moses (the first five books) and the rest of the\nOld Testament that was revealed by a variety of prophets.\n
a. Acts 28:23 – Reading from Moses and the prophets.<\/p>\n
b. Used as both simply Law and Law and the prophets – Romans 3:21<\/p>\n c. It can be called “the Law, the prophets, and the psalms” where the\npoetic books: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon\nare divided from the rest of the prophet’s writings.\n
(1) Luke 24:44<\/p>\n
B. The Law and the Prophets were taught until John – Luke 16:16<\/p>\n
C. It refers to all the Old Testament<\/p>\n
1. A summary of the Law and the Prophets – Matthew 7:12<\/p>\n 2. Two quotes, one from Deuteronomy and the other from Leviticus is called\na summary of the Law and the Prophets – Matthew 22:37-40\n a. Paul uses the same summary and quotes from the Ten\nCommandments – Romans 13:8-10\n
D. God did not allow His law to be subdivided<\/p>\n
1. Deuteronomy 12:32 – Do not add or take away.<\/p>\n
2. Deuteronomy 13:18 – Required to keep it all<\/p>\n
3. James 2:10-11 – If you stumble in one point, you are guilty of all<\/p>\n
4. There was a curse on anyone not keeping the law fully – Galatians 3:10<\/p>\n E. Even in our text, in Matthew 5:17-19, Jesus emphasizes the keeping of the\nentirety.\n
1. Not one jot or title would pass away until all is accomplished.<\/p>\n
a. In other words, not the least letter or pen stroke.<\/p>\n b. Pen strokes were critical in Hebrew. There are many letters that\ndiffer only by a very small stroke. A change of that stroke could\ndramatically alter the meaning of a text.\n
2. To annul the least command would make one least in the kingdom<\/p>\n a. There is no command that is too small or too insignificant to be\nremoved.\n
b. This is what Jesus accused the Pharisees of doing – Matthew 15:3-6<\/p>\n
c. Nothing can be left undone – Matthew 23:23<\/p>\n F. Yet, most reading this text claim that Jesus was referring to only a portion of the\nOld Testament.\n 1. I know of no one arguing that animal sacrifices are to continue, but it was a\npart of the Law.\n
2. Even the sacrifices were to continue until all was accomplished.<\/p>\n
3. No part, no matter how trivial it might seem would end – Luke 16:16-17<\/p>\n
III. Abolish versus Fulfilled<\/p>\n
A. Jesus contrasts the idea of abolishing the law with fulfilling the law.<\/p>\n 1. Yet frequently people will act as if Jesus is contrasting abolishing the law\nand continuing the law.\n 2. The word translated "abolish" means to destroy something, to dissolve\nsomething, or to overthrow a system.\n 3. The word translated "fulfill" means to make something complete or to bring\nsomething to its completion.\n a. Some will cite Matthew 3:15 and argue that "fulfill" doesn’t mean\ncome to an end.\n (1) The answer is that it doesn’t always mean come to an end, it\ncan mean bring to completion or to fill up entirely.\n (2) In this passage, Jesus did not say “all righteousness will not\npass away until all is fulfilled.” In other words, the word\n“fulfill” is not used in the same manner as in Matthew 5:17.\n b. Look at Luke 7:1, here there is no doubt that the word means come\nto a completion or bring to an end.\n c. See also Acts 19:21. As is often the case, the usage of the word\nmakes a difference in its meaning.\n B. By stating that he came to fulfil the Law, Jesus is implying that the Law in its\ncurrent state was not complete.\n
1. The law was unable to impart life – Galatians 3:21<\/p>\n
2. The law made nothing perfect – Hebrews 7:18-19<\/p>\n
3. It had fault – Hebrews 8:7<\/p>\n
4. It could not cleanse from sin – Hebrews 10:1-4, 8-10, 14<\/p>\n
5. Without Jesus, the flaw would remain – Hebrews 9:15<\/p>\n C. The difference between abolishing and fulfilling the law is the same as the\ndifference between declaring a mortgage note null and void and paying off a\nmortgage.\n
1. Both end the terms of the mortgage, but only one fulfills it.<\/p>\n
D. Jesus did not cancel the law<\/p>\n
1. Jesus lived under the law – Galatians 4:4-5<\/p>\n
2. Jesus was a servant to Israel – Romans 15:8<\/p>\n 3. Galatians 3:17 – Just as Moses’ law did not annul the covenant to\nAbraham, so Jesus did not annul Moses’ law\n
E. But what about Ephesians 2:14-16, which says Christ did abolish the law.<\/p>\n
1. The word “abolished” here is different from the one in Matthew 5:17.<\/p>\n 2. In Ephesians, the word refers to the removal of something that has become\nuseless and interfering. See Luke 13:7 where a useless fig tree is destroyed.\n
3. Jesus fulfilled the Law – Luke 24:44<\/p>\n
4. Peter declared that Christ fulfilled the prophets – Acts 3:18<\/p>\n 5. Now that it was brought to its completion, it has become useless – Hebrews\n7:18; 8:13\n
IV. Christ’s statement concerning the permanence of the Law was conditional<\/p>\n
A. There are two conditions given<\/p>\n
1. Either Heaven and earth would end<\/p>\n
2. Or all is accomplished (Greek for “happens” or “is done”).<\/p>\n 3. In other words, the accomplishment would occur before the end of the\nworld.\n B. The statement is no different than a parent saying, “You will sit at this table all\nnight until those peas are eaten.”\n
1. Either the child will sit there all night<\/p>\n
2. Or the child will finish his peas.<\/p>\n
C. Similar statements<\/p>\n 1. Matthew 24:34 – Jesus’ prophecy would be completed before the\ngeneration dies out.\n 2. Luke 21:32-33 – The world would end before Jesus’ prophecy wasn’t\ncompleted within that generation.\n 3. These are statements of surety. The accomplishment would be done. It is\nmore sure than the sun rising tomorrow morning.\n D. People who only focus on one condition, the end of the world, miss the point that\na second condition would occur before the first.\n
E. The Law was a temporary measure until Christ – Galatians 3:19<\/p>\n
F. Now that its purpose was fulfilled, its authority came to an end – Galatians 3:24-25<\/p>\n
G. Jesus was the end of the law – Romans 10:4<\/p>\n
1. He was the goal of the Law and its concluding point.<\/p>\nV. When people claim that portions of the Law remain in effect, they essentially claim that\nChrist did not fulfill his mission.\n A. In responding to those who wanted to bind circumcision on Gentile Christians,\nPaul stated – Galatians 5:2-4\n B. Let us acknowledge what the Law and the Prophets said about itself – Jeremiah\n31:31-34\n C. The Old Law could not bring forgiveness of sins, but the new covenant can\nbecause it is founded on the fact that Christ died for our sins.\n
D. Will you not take advantage of that precious gift today?<\/p>\n
\n
\nIn Vayikra Rabba, s. 19, it is said: <\/p>\n Should any\n person in the words of De 6:4, Hear, O Israel,\n the Lord our God is דחא achad<\/i>, ONE Lord,\n change the ד daleth<\/i> into a ר resh<\/i>, he would\n ruin the world." [Because, in that case, the word\n רחא achar<\/i>, would signify a strange or false\n God.]\n Should any one, in the words of Ex 34:14,\n Thou shalt worship no OTHER, רחא achar<\/i>,\n God, change ר resh <\/i>into ד daleth<\/i>, he would\n ruin the world." [Because the command would\n then run, Thou shalt not worship the ONLY or\n true God.] \n Should any one in the words of Le 22:32,\n Neither shall ye PROFANE וללחת techelelu<\/i>,\n my holy name, change ח cheth <\/i>into ה he<\/i>, he\n would ruin the world." [Because the sense of\n the commandment would then be, Neither shall\n ye PRAISE my holy name.]\n Should any one, in the words of Ps 150:6, Let\n every thing that hath breath PRAISE, ללהת tehalel<\/i>, the Lord, change ה he <\/i>into ח cheth<\/i>, he\n would ruin the world." [Because the command\n would then run, Let every thing that hath breath\n PROFANE the Lord.] \n Should any one, in the words of Jer 5:12, They\n lied AGAINST the Lord, הוהיב beihovah<\/i>,\n change ב beth <\/i>into כ caph<\/i>, he would ruin the\n world." [For then the words would run, They\n lied LIKE the Lord.] \n Should any one, in the words of Hosea, Ho 5:7,\n They have dealt treacherously, הוהיב beihovah<\/i>,\n AGAINST the Lord, change ב beth <\/i>into כ\n caph<\/i>, he would ruin the world." [For then the\n words would run, They have dealt treacherously\n LIKE the Lord.]\n Should any one, in the words of 1Sa 2:2, There\n is none holy AS the Lord, change כ caph <\/i>into ב\n beth<\/i>, he would ruin the world." [For then the\n words would mean, There is no holiness IN the\n Lord.]\n These examples fully prove that the\n mia keraia <\/i>of our Lord, refers to the\n apices, points, or corners, that\n distinguish \n
ב beth <\/i>from ט caph<\/i>; <\/p>\n
ח cheth <\/i>from ה he<\/i>; and <\/p>\n
ר resh <\/i>from ד daleth<\/i>.<\/p>\n For the reader will at once perceive,\n how easily a כ caph <\/i>may be turned\n into a ב beth<\/i>; a ה he <\/i>into a ח\n cheth<\/i>; and a ר resh <\/i>into a ד daleth<\/i>: and he will also see of what infinite\n consequence it is to write and print\n such letters correctly. \n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Text: Matthew 5:17-20 I. There is hardly a denomination in existence that does not appeal to the Old Testament for portions of their practices. A. Many of the rituals in the Catholic church find their roots in the Old Testament, such as the burning of incense. B. Protestants are not beyond dipping into the Old Testament. The…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[32],"tags":[177],"class_list":["post-12183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon","tag-law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":56269,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-flood-and-baptism\/","url_meta":{"origin":12183,"position":0},"title":"The Flood and Baptism","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 26, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"by Frank J. Jamerson via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 13, March 30, 2008. Many of the teachings of the New Testament were prefigured in the Old Testament. The Old Testament story is the type and the New Testament lesson is the antitype, or that which is prefigured. One of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":84716,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/forgiveness-in-the-old-testament\/","url_meta":{"origin":12183,"position":1},"title":"Forgiveness in the Old Testament","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Tommy Peeler Were God's people forgiven of their sins in Old Testament times, or were their sins simply \"rolled forward\"? Examining this question must begin with the Old Testament, not the New Testament Scriptures. I believe the Old Testament teaches that God forgave His people in the Old Testament.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":94771,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/taking-another-look-at-the-old-testament\/","url_meta":{"origin":12183,"position":2},"title":"Taking Another Look at the Old Testament","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by David Gibson Why It's so Important! Although we're not under Old Testament law, there is great value in being familiar with the 39 books that make up three-fourths of the Bible. Reading the New Testament without knowing the Old Testament is like reading a sequel without the original. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16594,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-many-major-and-minor-prophets-are-there-in-the-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":12183,"position":3},"title":"How many major and minor prophets are there in the Bible?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 12, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: How many major and minor prophets are there in the Bible? Answer: The division of major and minor prophets come from the Old Testament. There are 17 books of prophecy in the Old Testament and they are divided into two groups: the long books (the major prophets) and the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21686,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-old-testament-and-new-testament-christians\/","url_meta":{"origin":12183,"position":4},"title":"The Old Testament and New Testament Christians","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 19, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"by Joe R. Price The Old Testament is a relevant part of God\u2019s word, even though it is not the standard of authority by which we obtain reconciliation and life in Christ (Colossians 3:17; Galatians 3:23-27; Romans 7:4; II Corinthians 3:14; Ephesians 2:14-18). To conclude that we cannot benefit from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0021-6-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":44527,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-god-as-active-with-mankind-as-he-was-in-the-old-testament\/","url_meta":{"origin":12183,"position":5},"title":"Is God as active with mankind as He was in the Old Testament?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 11, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is God the Father as active with us as He was in the Old Testament? 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