Fulfilment.

[MoreCoffee]

What is this fulfilment that the Lord Jesus Christ spoke about?

Matthew 5:17-20 17 Do not think that I have come to loosen the law or the prophets. I have not come to loosen, but to fulfil. 18 Amen I say to you, certainly, until heaven and earth pass away, not one iota, not one dot shall pass away from the law, until all is done. 19 Therefore, whoever will have loosened one of the least of these commandments, and have taught men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever will have done and taught these, such a one shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your justice has surpassed that of the scribes and the Pharisees you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.​

Could it mean "complete"? "I have not come to loosen the law but to complete it" and having completed the law what happens to it? Does it vanish, is it now a kind of monument - like a statue - that we look at with admiration but know it is an art work and not a living reality that will ever come down from its plinth and do something?

It's a complicated issue I think, how do you address it?

 

[atpollard]

One data point is the statement that the Law does not save, but rather brings death. Human Law is not for honest, hard working people, but rather for criminals. Most people would never kill anyone whether there was a law against murder or not. So the human law against shooting someone or robbing a bank was created to convict murderers and robbers of their crimes and protect the majority who will never break those laws.

So too with the law of God. It exists to convict sinners of sin and OUR need for a savior. We would still need a savior without the Law, it would just be harder to see our need. Then we get to John 3:18 where there are two groups of people ... those already condemned by the Law and just awaiting punishment and those who believe and will not be judged by the Law.

So “fulfillment” places Jesus as meeting the requirement of the Law, both for himself and those who believe, and it establishes forever the correct purpose of the law ... condemn sinners and drive the saints to Jesus. No longer can man pretend that they can find righteousness through obedience to the law. Jesus shattered that myth with his teaching.

 

[MoreCoffee]

One data point is the statement that the Law does not save, but rather brings death. Human Law is not for honest, hard working people, but rather for criminals.

What you say is true for some laws, mainly laws prohibiting this and that activity under the criminal code but many laws are not part of the criminal code and some laws mandate actions that must be performed to remain a good citizen. In ancient Israel the Sabbath commandment mandated "rest" and the ancillary laws about exactly what works were prohibited and which were not all mandate "rest" with regard to those activities. The same is true of the first commandment which mandates worship of The Lord alone while forbidding idolatry and worship of other gods. Similarly with honouring one's parents. Under modern civil law codes many actions are mandated if a specific outcome is desired; for example to get a passport then supplying copies (or originals) of identity documents, a photograph, and specimen signature are mandated. I am sure you get the idea. Ancient Israel didn't have passports of course but other things were mandated.

Most people would never kill anyone whether there was a law against murder or not. So the human law against shooting someone or robbing a bank was created to convict murderers and robbers of their crimes and protect the majority who will never break those laws.

So too with the law of God. It exists to convict sinners of sin and OUR need for a savior. We would still need a savior without the Law, it would just be harder to see our need. Then we get to John 3:18 where there are two groups of people ... those already condemned by the Law and just awaiting punishment and those who believe and will not be judged by the Law.

So “fulfillment” places Jesus as meeting the requirement of the Law, both for himself and those who believe, and it establishes forever the correct purpose of the law ... condemn sinners and drive the saints to Jesus. No longer can man pretend that they can find righteousness through obedience to the law. Jesus shattered that myth with his teaching.

 

[atpollard]

What you say is true for some laws, mainly laws prohibiting this and that activity under the criminal code but many laws are not part of the criminal code and some laws mandate actions that must be performed to remain a good citizen. In ancient Israel the Sabbath commandment mandated "rest" and the ancillary laws about exactly what works were prohibited and which were not all mandate "rest" with regard to those activities. The same is true of the first commandment which mandates worship of The Lord alone while forbidding idolatry and worship of other gods. Similarly with honouring one's parents. Under modern civil law codes many actions are mandated if a specific outcome is desired; for example to get a passport then supplying copies (or originals) of identity documents, a photograph, and specimen signature are mandated. I am sure you get the idea. Ancient Israel didn't have passports of course but other things were mandated.

[Rom 7:5 NIV] 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.
[Rom 8:2 NIV] 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
[1Co 15:56 NIV] 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

 

[NewCreation435]

Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. He not only meets all the requirements, but filled all of its demands and became our perfect sacrifice. Like the angels sing in Revelations, "The Lamb is worthy."

 

[Josiah]

What is this fulfilment that the Lord Jesus Christ spoke about?

Matthew 5:17-20 17 Do not think that I have come to loosen the law or the prophets. I have not come to loosen, but to fulfil. 18 Amen I say to you, certainly, until heaven and earth pass away, not one iota, not one dot shall pass away from the law, until all is done. 19 Therefore, whoever will have loosened one of the least of these commandments, and have taught men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever will have done and taught these, such a one shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your justice has surpassed that of the scribes and the Pharisees you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.​

Could it mean "complete"? "I have not come to loosen the law but to complete it" and having completed the law what happens to it? Does it vanish, is it now a kind of monument - like a statue - that we look at with admiration but know it is an art work and not a living reality that will ever come down from its plinth and do something?

It's a complicated issue I think, how do you address it?

It's a profoundly simple issue....

If you rely on the Law to save, then you have to keep it. No "watering down" .... no "substituting" a bunch of denominational rules. You must be perfect even as God is perfect. Are you? You must be holy even as God is. Are you? You must be morally perfect 100% of the time from conception to the micosecond of death, as much as God is. Are you? You must love all as much as Christ did on the Cross? Do you?

It's not "well sort of." It's not "well, better than the bozo next door!" It's not "Well, I FEEL like I WANNA." And it's not, "Well, I'm ignoring your Law and substituting all the laws of the Pharisees or the Popes."

The Law can't save you, friend - unless you keep it COMPLETELY, all of it, in thought and word and deed, in what is done and not done, from conception to death.

Kinda makes you wonder if God has a Savior..... One who DOES keep the Law, one who DOES accept the wrath of our sin..... Maybe we need to look less in the mirror and to watering-down and substituting denominations.... and see what else God has to say.



.l

 

[MoreCoffee]

[Rom 7:5 NIV] 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.
[Rom 8:2 NIV] 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
[1Co 15:56 NIV] 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

Those are good verses but what do you think they are teaching about Christ's fulfilment of the law?