1.) Christ did not come to abolish the law but
to fulfill it.
“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.” (Mt. 5:17)
For Jesus to come and give grace to men does not mean that he does away with the law. Rather, he sums it up in himself. There are at least two hints in the Gospel of Matthew as to how he does this:
· First, Jesus fulfills the law by being completely obedient to it. Israel was God’s son who was lead through the waters into the desert to be tempted for 40 periods of time. Yet, again and again, Israel proved unfaithful to God’s law. Jesus was also God’s Son who was lead through the waters (Jordan River) into the desert to be tempted for 40 periods of time. Unlike Israel, Jesus proved completely faithful and obedient. Because of his obedience, he is said to have God the Father’s complete favor: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:17).
· Second, Jesus fulfills the law by being the one to whom it pointed. Through shadows and particular prophecies, all of the OT pointed forward to an ultimate King, priest, sacrifice, temple, exodus, seed of Abraham, and baptism. All of it is fulfilled in Christ.
· Third, Jesus fulfills the law by being the one who gives the proper interpretation of it. After Jesus proclaims that he fulfills the OT, he then gives the proper interpretation of it in 6 different contexts in Matthew 5. He speaks with ultimate authority. He does not say, “Thus says the LORD.” He says, “I say to you.” He fulfills it by exposing the internal problem of the human heart to obey God (ex: lust, not adultery, is the ultimate problem).
“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.” (Mt. 5:17)
For Jesus to come and give grace to men does not mean that he does away with the law. Rather, he sums it up in himself. There are at least two hints in the Gospel of Matthew as to how he does this:
· First, Jesus fulfills the law by being completely obedient to it. Israel was God’s son who was lead through the waters into the desert to be tempted for 40 periods of time. Yet, again and again, Israel proved unfaithful to God’s law. Jesus was also God’s Son who was lead through the waters (Jordan River) into the desert to be tempted for 40 periods of time. Unlike Israel, Jesus proved completely faithful and obedient. Because of his obedience, he is said to have God the Father’s complete favor: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:17).
· Second, Jesus fulfills the law by being the one to whom it pointed. Through shadows and particular prophecies, all of the OT pointed forward to an ultimate King, priest, sacrifice, temple, exodus, seed of Abraham, and baptism. All of it is fulfilled in Christ.
· Third, Jesus fulfills the law by being the one who gives the proper interpretation of it. After Jesus proclaims that he fulfills the OT, he then gives the proper interpretation of it in 6 different contexts in Matthew 5. He speaks with ultimate authority. He does not say, “Thus says the LORD.” He says, “I say to you.” He fulfills it by exposing the internal problem of the human heart to obey God (ex: lust, not adultery, is the ultimate problem).
2.) Paul says that the OT is for instruction
today, but it is to be applied as it is fulfilled in Christ.
"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)
Notice the scope of how much OT applies to us. Everything written in the OT is written for ‘our instruction.’ The OT does not just apply to us today by giving shadows of Christ. It instructs us (notice Romans 15:2-3 for context).
But of course we must be careful to filter all OT commands as they are fulfilled in Christ. The festivals, sacrifices, commands on food and drink, the Sabbath, and many more particular things are all fulfilled in Christ (see Col. 2:16-17). Therefore, we obey the commands for the Sabbath rest in the OT by coming to Christ and trusting in his sacrifice, and thereby enjoying true rest from our guilt and shame and condemnation (Mt. 11:28; Heb. 4:11).
What this means is that as we look to the OT law as fulfilled in Christ, we will find many principles that will apply to us today. This is how Paul read and applied the law. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 9, he justifies the right of ministers to receive their pay from the Gospel by quoting Deuteronomy 25:4, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” He then says that this was written ‘entirely for our sake.’ He then draws out this principle and applies it for NT saints: “If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?” (v.11).
"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)
Notice the scope of how much OT applies to us. Everything written in the OT is written for ‘our instruction.’ The OT does not just apply to us today by giving shadows of Christ. It instructs us (notice Romans 15:2-3 for context).
But of course we must be careful to filter all OT commands as they are fulfilled in Christ. The festivals, sacrifices, commands on food and drink, the Sabbath, and many more particular things are all fulfilled in Christ (see Col. 2:16-17). Therefore, we obey the commands for the Sabbath rest in the OT by coming to Christ and trusting in his sacrifice, and thereby enjoying true rest from our guilt and shame and condemnation (Mt. 11:28; Heb. 4:11).
What this means is that as we look to the OT law as fulfilled in Christ, we will find many principles that will apply to us today. This is how Paul read and applied the law. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 9, he justifies the right of ministers to receive their pay from the Gospel by quoting Deuteronomy 25:4, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” He then says that this was written ‘entirely for our sake.’ He then draws out this principle and applies it for NT saints: “If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?” (v.11).
3.) Though particulars of the law may not be
directly applicable to us today, all of its commands are fulfilled in this one
word: love your neighbor.
“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one 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 covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Romans 13:8-9)
Traditionally, Christians have divided up the law into three parts: moral, ceremonial, and civil. They claim that the later two are fulfilled in Christ and therefore not applicable, but the first continues on today (ex: 10 commandments). But according to Paul, it is not just the moral law that teaches us today to love our neighbor. It is ‘any other commandment.’ Furthermore, all of the law is fulfilled in Christ. Therefore, I believe that all of the law is fulfilled in Christ and today manifests itself in love, but only in different contexts. For example,
· Deuteronomy 22:4: “You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again.” We are not under this law. Nevertheless, this law shows how big love ought to be. This law shows that love of neighbor is met in specific ways, particularly caring for someone’s livelihood (helping someone with their donkey or ox). The question is not who is my neighbor, but who can I be a neighbor to?
· Deuteronomy 22:5: “A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God.” Love of neighbor necessitates a proper display of our gender to properly display the image of God. If one cross-dresses, the beautiful distinctions in our gender are blurred, and this negatively impacts one’s neighbor. To love one’s neighbor is to live joyfully within the boundaries of one’s gender.
· Deuteronomy 22:6-7: “If you come across a bird’s nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long.” This law also is fulfilled in love to one’s neighbor. If one kept the eggs and the mother, one would be destroying future provision for another. But if one only kept the eggs, the mother is still free to provide for others in the future. Loving others means we will preserve the God-given means for life while not bringing it to extinction.
“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one 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 covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Romans 13:8-9)
Traditionally, Christians have divided up the law into three parts: moral, ceremonial, and civil. They claim that the later two are fulfilled in Christ and therefore not applicable, but the first continues on today (ex: 10 commandments). But according to Paul, it is not just the moral law that teaches us today to love our neighbor. It is ‘any other commandment.’ Furthermore, all of the law is fulfilled in Christ. Therefore, I believe that all of the law is fulfilled in Christ and today manifests itself in love, but only in different contexts. For example,
· Deuteronomy 22:4: “You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again.” We are not under this law. Nevertheless, this law shows how big love ought to be. This law shows that love of neighbor is met in specific ways, particularly caring for someone’s livelihood (helping someone with their donkey or ox). The question is not who is my neighbor, but who can I be a neighbor to?
· Deuteronomy 22:5: “A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God.” Love of neighbor necessitates a proper display of our gender to properly display the image of God. If one cross-dresses, the beautiful distinctions in our gender are blurred, and this negatively impacts one’s neighbor. To love one’s neighbor is to live joyfully within the boundaries of one’s gender.
· Deuteronomy 22:6-7: “If you come across a bird’s nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long.” This law also is fulfilled in love to one’s neighbor. If one kept the eggs and the mother, one would be destroying future provision for another. But if one only kept the eggs, the mother is still free to provide for others in the future. Loving others means we will preserve the God-given means for life while not bringing it to extinction.
4.) OT law reveals to us the character of a
God, one who is the same then as he is now.
"The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times” (Ps. 12:6)
"My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right” (Ps. 119:172)
Notice the connection between the quality of the law and their origin. They are ‘pure’ and ‘right,’ and they come from the word of the LORD. Scripture is without error and is the way it is because it comes from God. The purity of the law reflects the purity of God. Therefore, books like Leviticus are incredibly applicable because they reveal the incredible holiness of God. The same God who would not allow anyone into the Holy of Holies except for the High Priest once a year and only with blood is the same holy God to whom we draw near through the blood of Christ (Heb. 4:16). Though we as Christians are not under the law, it reveals the character of an unchanging God.
“And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?” (Deut. 4:8)
"The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times” (Ps. 12:6)
"My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right” (Ps. 119:172)
Notice the connection between the quality of the law and their origin. They are ‘pure’ and ‘right,’ and they come from the word of the LORD. Scripture is without error and is the way it is because it comes from God. The purity of the law reflects the purity of God. Therefore, books like Leviticus are incredibly applicable because they reveal the incredible holiness of God. The same God who would not allow anyone into the Holy of Holies except for the High Priest once a year and only with blood is the same holy God to whom we draw near through the blood of Christ (Heb. 4:16). Though we as Christians are not under the law, it reveals the character of an unchanging God.
“And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?” (Deut. 4:8)
