John Carter – January 28, 2018

NO AUDIO

{ESV}

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

{Translation}

{Manuscript/Outline}

INTRODUCTION

D.A. Carson says it well of this passage when he writes, “the theological and canonical ramifications of one’s exegetical conclusions on this periscope are so numerous that the discussion becomes freighted with the intricacies of Biblical Theology.”[2] On one hand, this brings the student of the Bible joy knowing that this is a difficult passage to reconcile with the rest of the Bible. Yet, on the other hand, it instills sobriety as the student begins to understand, that their interpretation has no little effect on the way they understand the rest of the Bible.

ABOLISH (Dismantle) & FULFILL

            Jesus begins this section telling his hears not to assume[3] his intentions. This is good advice for many reasons; too many to go into at this moment. Therefore we will stick to the expressly stated purpose of his teachings. Namely, why Jesus came as it relates to the law and the prophets.

When Jesus states here[4] why he came, “it conveys a sense of mission rather than a metaphysical claim.” [5] Unlike the Gospel of John where John attempts to use statements like these to demonstrate Jesus’ eternality. Matthew is picking up on Jesus’ attitude toward the law as he is about to teach his disciples how to obey the law. Which is why it is important that we understand that Jesus did not to come abolish that which he was coming to teach his disciples about.

The mission of Jesus, presented here, was to fulfill the Law and the prophets. Although seemingly simple, many have spent a lot of ink and paper trying to explain what Jesus means by fulfilling here. I think it best to understand fulfill in the same Matthew has used it up to this point in his gospel account. Jesus “fulfilled the law and the prophets in this way: He brought to pass through those things that had been written about him in the law and the prophets.”[6] And if this is the best way to read and understand how Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets then,  “The groundwork is laid out in the Gospels for an understanding of Jesus as the one who established the essentially Christological and eschatological approach to the OT employed by Paul.”[7] In other words, this is why our approach to the entire OT should be one that assumes an affirmative answer to the question of ‘can we find Jesus in this OT passage?’ I hope that by the end of this sermon we will all utilize the same Jesus-centric approach to reading and interpreting the OT.

EVERY PART REMAINS

This is the very accusation made against the first martyrs of the church— that the Law was going to be destroyed and done away with. “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us” (Acts 6:13-14 ESV). But this is not true. However, it is very clear that in some ways this accusation temporarily seems to hold a degree of truth. How else do we justify Jesus calling all food clean and permitting his followers to eat unclean food (Mark 7:19; Acts 10:15)? To accommodate for this some have broken the law into three parts; the moral laws (governing ethics), the civil laws (governing social norms), and the ceremonial laws (governing worship practices). That is why “it is sometimes suggested that Matt 5:17-20 is concerned only with the moral law, not with the ceremonial and civil laws of the OT. But this convenient distinction of the law into three categories has no biblical basis, and cannot be traced back earlier than the Middle Ages. Moreover, such a selective approach is difficult to square with Jesus’ insistence on the importance of the smallest details of the law and the ‘smallest commandments.’”[8] This is one, of many reasons, why I am opposed to breaking the Law into three parts. Especially since Jesus will say in the next verse that to teach someone to not obey even the most insignificant portion of the law will become insignificant in the kingdom.

An Iota is a Greek letter referencing the Hebrew letter Yod. It is reported that “there are 66,420 yodhs in the Hebrew Scriptures”[9] If Jesus is concerned for a letter a small as a comma, how much more is he concerned for his people to obey all of the law? Why would we think we are able to modify Jesus’ comments here and neglect two-thirds of the law because they are too difficult to obey? Are we permitted to pass away[10] the law before the passing of heaven and earth?

LEAST & GREAT IN THE KINGDOM

            In light of Jesus being the fulfillment of the Scripture (v.17), then we are left asking, if Christ fulfilled the law, then what is the purpose of the law today? Or, do I have to obey the law? This is bigger than the 10 Commandments, this includes the “613 commandments in the Law (248 positive and 365 negative).”[11] It is at this moment that we must face the difficult words of Jesus when he warns us of minimizing even the smallest command of the law. So how do we obey all 613 commands knowing that Jesus has fulfilled the Law? This is where we turn to Galatians to learn that the law is not the pinnacle of the Christian walk, rather, it was a guardian until an appointed time. In the letter to the Galatians we read, “is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:21-27 – ESV).

This is why Paul tells Timothy “that the law is good if one uses it lawfully,” (1 Timothy 1:8 ESV). The law and the prophets do not make one righteous, but wise for salvation (2 Timothy 3:15). Further, we learn in Philippians 3:9 that being “found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (ESV). Yet still requires us to obey his commands and consequently his teachings on the law and the prophets. John records Jesus saying, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15 – ESV). And, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me” (John 14:23-24 – ESV).

Further still Jesus “taught them (his disciples) that salvation is all of grace; people do not merit salvation by their own good works. What then was the place of the commands that Scripture conveys so clearly?”[12] Which leaves us required to ask, how am I to obey a command that Christ has already fulfilled? I believe this requires us to assess to what degree the law has authority over us as Christians saved by grace through faith (Ephesian 2:8-9). I agree with R.T. France when he says, in regards to the law and the prophets that, “they remain the authoritative word of God. But their role will no longer be the same, now that what they pointed forward to has come, and it will be for Jesus’ followers to discern in the light of his teaching and practice what is now the right way to apply those texts in the new situation which his coming has created.”[13] This is the very purpose of the sermon on the mount, to teach us how to discern the proper (lawful) use of the law and the prophets. Think of the teaching of Jesus, often referred to as the golden rule; “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12 – ESV).

IMPOSSIBLE RIGHTEOUSNESS

            This understanding of what Christ is teaching is not without problems, many will attempt to live in liberty and claim that God’s grace will forgive them. But this is wrong (Romans 6:1-2). Others, however, will attempt a self-righteous legalism that will show how worthy they have made themselves of a salvation founded on grace and not works (Ephesians 2:8-9). This was the error of the scribes and Pharisees. “While their multiplicity of regulations could engender a ‘good’ society, it domesticated the law and lost the radical demand for absolute holiness demanded by the Scriptures.”[14] In other words,  “Jesus is not talking about beating the scribes and Pharisees at their own game, but about a different level or concept of righteousness altogether.”[15] Jesus is not taming the law, making it attainable, he is radicalizing it making it even harder to obey. Think of the rich young ruler who still had to do more (Luke 18:18-23), or the Pharisees who found out that even tithing on their spices was still not good enough (Matthew 23:23). To enter the kingdom of heaven on our own terms and good works is impossible. Mainly because we believe the kingdom of heaven has an address we can plug into google maps. “To enter the kingdom of Heaven does not mean to go to a place called heaven, but to come under God’s rule, to become one of those who recognize his kingship and live by its standards, to be God’s true people (France).”[16]

CASE STUDY: The Ten Commandments

            If I may, let me offer up Christ-centric way of looking at the law and the prophets by analyzing the Ten Commandments. When studying the New Testament, one Systematic Theology points out seven (7) generally agreed upon understandings of the Ten Commandments. “First, the New Testament declares the law ‘is holy and righteous and good.’ Second, the law helps to show us our sin. Third, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law for us. Fourth, justification (being declared righteous before God) is wholly apart from keeping the law. Fifth, those who said believers are required to keep the law to be sanctified are wrong. Sixth, the Ten Commandments express fundamentally important principles for the Christian life. Seventh, not every old-covenant law is binding on Christians so that, for example, we do not have to sacrifice animals and can wear clothes made of multiple kinds of fabric.”[17]

If we, Christians, are not careful, we will begin to fall into the trap that we are supposed to obey the ten commandments, because they are in the law delivered by Moses to the people of Israel. But what underlies this thinking is that if we obey the Ten Commandments we will in someway please God and deliver ourselves from the wrath of God. But this is counter to the teaching of Jesus and the entire NT where we learn that we are all already under the wrath of God, whether or not we obey the Law. Did not Paul claim to have been obedient to the law (Philippians 3:5-6), and yet he still showed that was unhelpful? Too often we attempt to use the Ten Commandments and our interpretation of obedience as the measure of righteousness that God will accept. But this neglects one major truth. Jesus is our righteousness (Romans 3:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Not the Ten Commandments. We do not find ourselves righteous because of what we do, but because of who Jesus is.

            Consider the Passover. Why do we no longer celebrate the Passover as commanded on the OT? Because Christ has fulfilled the Passover and now there is a greater, more accurate way to obey the commands of the Passover. All laws (even if dubiously labeled moral, civil, or ceremonial) are in fact a foretaste of what is to come. Just as the Passover lamb is pointing to the perfect lamb, so too the prohibition against murder points to perfect murder-less-ness. We are not obligated to obey the law and the prophets because they are the in the Bible, and therefore pick and choose our best interpretation of obedience. We obey the law and the prophets because we have been saved, made righteousness, and are now able to rightly pursue obedience empowered by the Holy Spirit.

{Reading Notes}

Matthew 5:17-20

EBC – D.A. Carson (2010)

• 171 – “The theological and canonical ramifications of one’s exegetical conclusions on this periscope are so numerous that the discussion becomes freighted with the intricacies of Biblical Theology.”
• 174 – “The best interpretation of these difficult verses says that Jesus fulfills the Law and the Prophets in that they point to him, and he is their fulfillment. The antithesis is not between ‘abolish’ and ‘keep’ but between abolish’ and ‘fulfill.’”
• 175 – “The OT’s real and abiding authority must be understood through the person and teaching of him to whom it points and who so richly fulfills it.”
• 175 – “Jesus is not announcing the termination of the OT’s relevance and authority, but ‘the period during which men related to God under its terms ceased with John [the Baptist]’ (Moo); and the nature of its valid continuity is established only with reference to Jesus and the kingdom.” (Carson; Moo; Modified Lutheran View)
• 177 – “The groundwork is laid out in the Gospels for an understanding of Jesus as the one who established the essentially Christological and eschatological approach to the OT employed by Paul.”
• 178 – “His (Jesus’) view (of the OT) is the highest possible view of the OT.”
• 178 – ‘until’ “Not quite ‘never.’”
• 178 – “Thus the first ‘until’ clause focuses strictly on the duration of OT authority, but the second returns to considering its nature. It reveals God’s redemptive purposes and points to their fulfillment…in Jesus.”
• 178 – command breakers are “not excluded from the kingdom.”
• 179 – “His teaching, toward which the OT pointed, must be obeyed.”
• 179 – “While their multiplicity of regulations could engender a ‘good’ society, it domesticated the law and lost the radical demand for absolute holiness demanded by the Scriptures.”

NICNT – R.T. France (2007)

• 178 – “Here is a presentation of the law of the new covenant, as both in continuity and in contrast with the OT law.” (In light of 5:17-48)
• 179 – “These verses…have fostered the impression that Matthew took a very conservative line on legal observance, believing that the Christian disciple was bound to continue to obey all the commandments of the Torah… If that is what Matthew intended, the interpreter must face the fact that this teaching is out of step with the overall thrust of NT Christianity and with the almost universal consensus of Christians ever since.”
• 180 – FN8 – “It is sometimes suggested that Matt 5:17-20 is concerned only with the moral law, not with the ceremonial and civil laws of the OT. But this convenient distinction of the law into three categories has no biblical basis, and cannot be traced back earlier than the Middle Ages. Moreover, such a selective approach is difficult to square with Jesus’ insistence on the importance of the smallest details of the law and the ‘smallest commandments.’”
• 180 – “The view that Mathew regarded all OT laws as still binding regulations….conflicts with clear pointers within his own Gospel.”
• 181 – “The key to this issue must be what is meant by Jesus ‘fulfilling’ the law and the prophets.”
• 182 – (Matthew’s previous use of fulfill) “denotes the coming into being of that to which Scripture pointed forward.”
• 183 – (law and the prophets) “They remain the authoritative word of God. But their role will no longer be the same, now that what they pointed forward to has come, and it will be for Jesus’ followers to discern in the light of his teaching and practice what is now the right way to apply those texts in the new situation which his coming has created.”
• 184 – (I came to…) “It conveys a sense of mission rather than a metaphysical claim.” (contra John’s use)
• 186-7 – Sees all of the “laws” being spoken of as indicating the OT, not Jesus new commands.
• 189 –“Jesus is not talking about beating the scribes and Pharisees at their own game, but about a different level or concept of righteousness altogether.”
• 190 – “To enter the kingdom of Heaven does not mean to go to a place called heaven, but to come under God’s rule, to become one of those who recognize his kingship and live by its standards, to be God’s true people.”

PNTC – Leon Morris (1992)

• 107 – “There are 613 commandments in this part (Torah) of Scripture (248 positive and 365 negative), and this opened up wonderful possibilities for those of a legalistic turn of mind.”
• 107 – “He (Jesus taught them (his disciples) that salvation is all of grace; people do not merit salvation by their own good works. What then was the place of the commands that Scripture conveys so clearly?”
• 108 – “We must bear in mind that ‘fulfill’ does not mean the same as ‘keep’; Jesus is speaking of more than obedience to regulations.”
• 109 – FN.67 – “Bengel says there are 66,420 yodhs in the Hebrew Scriptures”

Divine Conspiracy – Dallas Willard

• –

A.T. Robertson (1930)

• 43 – Do and teach “This is Christ’s test of greatness.”

Ancient Christian Commentary – Ed. Manlio Simonetti

• 96 – Chromatius (Circa 400, a friend of Jerome) – “He fulfilled the law and the prophesy in this way: He brought to pass through those things that had been written about him in the law and the prophets.”

Doctrine What Christians Should Believe – Mark Driscoll & Gregory Breshears

• 198 – “First, the New Testament declares the law ‘is holy and righteous and good.’ Second, the law helps to show us our sin. Third, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law for us. Fourth, justification (being declared righteous before God) is wholly apart from keeping the law. Fifth, those who said believers are required to keep the law to be sanctified are wrong. Sixth, the Ten Commandments express fundamentally important principles for the Christian life. Seventh, not every old-covenant law is binding on Christians so that, for example, we do not have to sacrifice animals and can wear clothes made of multiple kinds of fabric.”

[1] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5&version=ESV – Retrivied 1/13/18

[2] P.171 – EBC – D.A. Carson (2010)

[3] Carson approaches this section as if Jesus is speaking in preparation for accusations against him, where France holds to the idea that Jesus is answering accusations already made against his previous, yet unrecorded, teachings.

[4] Jesus came to… Matthew 9:13; 10:34-35; 20:28; 11:19

[5] P.184 – NICNT – R.T. France (2007)

[6] Ancient Christian Commentary – Ed. Manlio Simonetti – P.96 – Chromatius (Circa 400, a friend of Jerome)

[7] P.177 – EBC – D.A. Carson (2010)

[8] P.180 – FN8 – NICNT – R.T. France (2007)

[9] P.109 – FN.67 –PNTC – Leon Morris (1992) “Bengel says…”

[10] V.18 – “until” does this imply the doing away of both heaven/earth and the law? In what way should we understand the passing away of Heaven, Earth, and the Law?

[11] P.107 – PNTC – Leon Morris (1992)

[12] P.107 – PNTC – Leon Morris (1992)

[13] P.183 – NICNT – R.T. France (2007)

[14] P.179 – EBC – D.A. Carson (2010)

[15] P.189 – NICNT – R.T. France (2007)

[16] P.190 – NICNT – R.T. France (2007)

[17] P.198 – Doctrine What Christians Should Believe – Mark Driscoll & Gregory Breshears