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Did Jesus perpetuate Moses law or fulfill it? What does it mean when Jesus said "Do not think that I came
to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Law keepers focus on Christ’s statement “have not come to abolish them,” while ignoring his summation of “to fulfill them.” Then in the next verse, the focus is on “not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law.” Again, the point that Jesus is making -- “until everything is accomplished,” the law will be with us. Christ did not say: “I come to establish further or perpetuate the law,” but “to fulfill.” As he fulfilled prophetic scripture with the first coming (meaning it was completed) He will do so with the second coming. The word fulfill is used consistently like this throughout Matthews gospel. There are three areas recognized in the Old Testament, the law the prophets
and the writings. Jesus explained “For all the prophets and
the law prophesied until John.”
(Mt. 11:13). The law of Moses contained prophecy, not just the prophets (Ex:
Deut.18:15: claimed to be fulfilled twice in In v. 17 Jesus said he had come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. How did he fulfill the prophets? The same way he fulfilled the law. In v. 18, Jesus explains nothing will disappear from the law until everything is accomplished, he was not speaking about the Prophets, but about the law. Note how important this distinction is. He fulfilled the law and gave a new set of commands for us (through the Holy Spirit in a Acts 1, after He raised). Paul called those rules the law of Christ. Some of those were the same moral law God gave in the Old Testament. Many were changed, but most of Old Testament law was not included at all in Christ’s law. What happened to the Old Testament law? Paul told us that “Christ is the end of the law . . .” (Romans 10:4). The “end” (teleos) means a “termination,” or “goal,” “culmination,” or as Jesus stated “fulfillment” it is better to understand it in this sense, as fulfillment of the law. All that it required that man failed in; Jesus did not. If he did not fulfill the law completely then we are still under it and MUST keep it. BUT the Old Testament Law was fulfilled by the Lord Jesus and was put aside for the New Covenant believer that is in Christ. It does not govern the life of the New Testament believer. Paul explains, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law” (Gal. 5:18). What law? The Old Testament law given to Moses. The apostles are teaching that they did not instruct the church to continue keeping the law of the Old Testament, Moses’ law. But in I Jesus was the only one who kept it perfectly, He fulfilled the intent of the law. So now we are under Him, (not the law) the word that became flesh. That is what the new covenant is to A BELIEVER. So then what is the law (of Moses) used for today? 1 Tim 1:5-11 “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, (using against those in the faith, the body of Christ is unlawful) V.9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, (we are declared righteous in Christ) but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.” Luke 16:16-17 "The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail." Rom 3:21-22 "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. " so when we believe in the righteous one, His righteousness it is accredited to us. We then walk as he walked, in love, having grace. Rom 13:8-10 “…for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
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