| Author | Message | ||
| Michaelsavedbygrace Registered user Username: Michaelsavedbygrace Post Number: 11 Registered: 7-2010 |
Matthew 5:17-19 By Michael Harper There are many who claim that by the death of Christ the law was abrogated; but in this they contradict Christ’s own words, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. . . . Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law.” Matthew 5:17, 18. It was to atone for man’s transgression of the law that Christ laid down His life. Could the law have been changed or set aside, then Christ need not have died. By His life on earth He honored the law of God. By His death He established it. He gave His life as a sacrifice, not to destroy God’s law, not to create a lower standard, but that justice might be maintained, that the law might be shown to be immutable, that it might stand fast forever. COL 314 This is an exact quote. Let’s emphasize the passage of the Bible and take special notice to the parts of this scripture that are carefully avoided by Ellen White. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. . . . Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law.” Matthew 5:17, 18. “. . . but to fulfil,” and “till all be fulfilled,” are both conveniently left out of Ellen White’s book. ELLEN WHITE HAS CONDITIONED THE MINDS OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST TO INTERPRET MATTHEW 5:17-19 IN THE FOLLOWING WAY. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS IN THE MIND OF AN ADVENTIST WHEN THEY READ THIS PASSAGE. Matthew 5:17-19 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the Ten Commandments I am not come to destroy the Ten Commandments, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Not even after the heavens and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Ten Commandments,. . . . NEVER . . . . NO MATTER WHAT!” 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of the Ten Commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach the Ten Commandments, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Adventist believe that the Ten Commandments will continue authoritatively even after heaven and earth pass away in Revelation 20-22, that is why Adventist theology really would work better if “till all be fulfilled” was omitted entirely and changed to “NEVER . . . . NO MATTER WHAT!.” Notice the following, that Ellen White once again OMITS “Until ALL BE FULFILLED!” She does this to give support to her Sabbath doctrine. Christ declares, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law.” So long as the heavens and the earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator’s power.” Desire of Ages 283. Seventh-day Adventists read this passage as if it pertains to the Ten Commandments EXCLUSIVELY. A casual reading of the context says Jesus was NOT talking about the Ten Commandments exclusively, but rather to “the law, or the prophets.” For clarification we repeat that Adventist assume that the “law” in v. 17-18 is the Ten Commandments exclusively. However it is in fact referring to EVERY JOT AND EVERY TITTLE OF THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS, which includes ALL the writings of Moses, called the Torah (which means “law”) and ALL the writings of the Old Testament Prophets. “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” John 1:45 ELLEN WHITE IN THE FOLLOWING QUOTE SAYS THAT MATTHEW 5:17-19 SUPPORTS THAT THE SYSTEM COMMANDED BY MOSES WAS ABOLISHED. UNDER THIS CONTEXT SHE INCLUDES “TILL ALL BE FULFILLED” IN THIS QUOTE. BUT IN THE SAME BREATH SHE SAYS THIS VERSE MEANS WE DO NOT NEED TO OBEY MOSES’s SYSTEM, SHE ALSO SAYS THIS VERSE MEANS WE STILL NEED THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. “Till heaven and earth pass,” said Jesus, “one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” The sun shining in the heavens, the solid earth upon which you dwell, are God’s witnesses that His law is changeless and eternal. Though they may pass away, the divine precepts shall endure. “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.” Luke 16:17. The system of types that pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God was to be abolished at His death; but the precepts of the Decalogue are as immutable as the throne of God. Desire of Ages 308. If we break the least of these commands.... Ellen White says we no longer need to obey some of the commands listed in the Law and the Prophets. She acknowledges that Matthew 5:17-18 meant that much of what was in the Law and the Prophets was indeed “abolished.” That word, “abolished” is derived from Ephesians 2:15. How can this passage maintain as Ellen White asserts that it teaches that the commands in the law and the prophets were abolished and at the same time use this same passage to say The Ten Commandments are eternal? How can the same passage both abolish and make eternal? Can anyone else see the clear contradiction in that one paragraph? In the following quote Ellen White interprets the words of Matthew 5:18 to the post-cross era in an effort to support her teaching about the Ten Commandments. “In the precepts of His holy law, God has given a perfect rule of life; and He has declared that until the close of time this law, unchanged in a single jot or tittle, is to maintain its claim upon human beings.” AA 505 Here is the flaw in that interpretation. Were we to maintain as the Adventist do that verse 17-19 applies to the post-cross era then the “commandments” in these verses MUST include not only the Ten Commandments but also ALL of the 613 additional commands given through Moses in “the law, and the prophets.” We need to be absolutely clear on this point. This means that if we maintain the position that these verses apply to the post-cross era as the Adventist have done then we would have to conclude that not only are the Ten Commandments but also every jot and tittle of the 613 commands in “the law, and the prophets” are still binding upon Christians today! Since Paul expressed himself at great length in all his writings teaching that the commands of the Mosaic Law were no longer binding and further taught that they were utterly abolished at the cross, if we maintain that Matthew 5:19 applied to the post- cross era we would be compelled to classify the Apostle Paul as an Antichrist and as one called by Jesus the least of all men. Paul specified many commands in the Torah that the disciples of Christ under the new covenant were not obligated to observe including animal sacrifices, annual feast days, new moons and circumcision. Either we are released from those commandments as the Apostle Paul taught or Paul is by definition “least in the kingdom of heaven” for both breaking these commandments, and teaching others to break them. After all Paul has done more to teach that the Mosaic Laws were abolished than any other person in the history of the world, having influenced hundreds of millions for nearly two millennium. Obviously asserting any such conclusion would be irresponsible and as we have shown an extremely poor exegesis of the context itself. Christ was proclaiming to the Jews during His Sermon on the Mount, that He did not come to simply set aside the Law and the Prophets. Had he done so, he would not have had to die on the cross. His death satisfied the death penalty required for violating the laws of the Old Covenant. He did not come to “destroy” the writings of Moses and the Prophets by setting them aside, rather He came to FULFILL the demands of the law as well FULFILL the prophecies concerning the Messiah given through the prophets. He obeyed the Law and the Prophets and perfectly fulfilled their prophecies down to the smallest detail. These writings were to maintain all of their authority over God’s people UNTIL THEY WERE FULFILLED, in other words until Christ fulfilled them. “TILL ALL BE FULFILLED,” - ended when Jesus said, “IT IS FINISHED!” Until that time, if someone broke what they considered to be the least important requirement in all the law of Moses and the Prophets and taught others to break them they would be WRONG for doing so. Up until Christ fulfilled the Law and the Prophets at the cross, it was RIGHT to obey all 613 commands in the Law and the Prophets. Ephesians 2:15 (NCV) 15 The Jewish law had many commands and rules, but Christ ended that law. After Jesus was risen we find in Luke 24:44 “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” JESUS COMMANDED A LEPER HE HEALED TO PERFORM ANIMAL SACRIFICES BEFORE THE PRIEST AT THE TEMPLE. After healing a leper “Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. Matthew 8:4. Read Leviticus 13:2-46 and you will see just how deeply the animal sacrifices were involved in the “gift that Moses commanded,” those cleansed leprosy. Why did Moses include 44 verses for something that was at the time INCURABLE? Elisha aided in THE MIRACLE that cured a man of leprosy in his day, and Moses family witnessed such tokens from heaven. However NO ONE ELSE was ever cured of Leprosy in Bible times without a miracle from God. Christ commanded the leper to give these animal sacrifices because at the time they were still under the authority of the law and the prophets and Christ wanted the people to know that he was obedient to the Torah. Secondly this served as “a testimony unto them,” that God through Christ Jesus had healed this man, just as God through Moses and Elisha witnessed healing in their day. This proved Christ was at the very least sent from God. The Priest performed this cleansing for a leper for the first time. NEVER BEFORE has it been done. As he went through the ritual of all 44 verses of the Torah, he was faced with the reality that ONLY GOD could have healed this man. AFTER CHRIST WAS RISEN THE APOSTLES BEGAN TO TEACH OTHERS HOW CHRIST FULFILLED THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS. And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. Act 28:23 Christ had fulfilled so many things in the law and the prophets that it took all day to go over them with the people. The law and the prophets have not failed, Christ fulfilled them. Luke 16:17 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. This article is available in with full color in a PDF format. Please write me for a copy of the PDF with its full color pictures. It is offered absolutely free of charge, ye have not because yu ask not! michael.saved.by.grace@gmail.com (Message edited by michaelsavedbygrace on July 19, 2010) | ||
| Pnoga Registered user Username: Pnoga Post Number: 401 Registered: 1-2007  |
The law pointed to Christ, the law was a shadow of Jesus and His Work, His death and ressurrection. When Christ was hung on the cross everything the law pointed to, was indeed hung on the cross, for He is the very image of God (Col 1:15-19, Col 2:9, Heb 1:1-3). Jesus fulfilled the law, just as a person fulfills a biograhpy. You can read the book to get an understanding of who that person is, but that book is not that person. You can learn so much about a person through the biography, but you cannot have a relationship with that person through the biography. And if you meet this persona and build a relationship with them, you no longer need the book to learn about them, for you now can learn directly from them, for you now know that person. However the law was different in that not only did it point to Christ, but it made us aware of our condition, when we attempted to imitate it and fell short. And God showed us that our relationship with Him is not based on our performance, but on His unconditional love and grace. Jesus, is God and God's law is love, Jesus showed us what the law could not. To love Jesus is to love God's law, it is to Know God. Paul | ||
| Michaelsavedbygrace Registered user Username: Michaelsavedbygrace Post Number: 24 Registered: 7-2010 |
I like what you contributed Paul. Thank you! | ||
| Philharris Registered user Username: Philharris Post Number: 2198 Registered: 5-2007  |
Paul, You have expressed some very profound thoughts. If my relationship with God was in proportion to my performance...well...I am big trouble. But, that is not my condition...praise God. Jesus is my righteousness! Fearless Phil | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 11440 Registered: 12-2003  |
Yes, Paul...excellent insights. Also, the law DOES stand until the heaven and earth disappears—not as an authority over us but as proof that Jesus is the Messiah. If the law were simply done away with, never read again, ignored...we would be left with a Messiah whose claims we could not easily confirm. The law has ALWAYS pointed to Jesus. Now, on this side the cross, we can still see how the law pointed toward Jesus as well as seeing that He fulfilled it. Jesus the Living Torah, or Logos, nailed the shadow of the law and its curse to the cross. He rose from the dead, the Living Torah, who writes Himself on our hearts when we are born of the Spirit. The Actual Living Law, the Source of the words of the covenant listed in the 10 Commandments (Ex. 34:28), brings us to life and indwells us, writing The Law in His own Person on our hearts. The Torah continues to testify of Christ's identity. Colleen | ||
| Darrell Registered user Username: Darrell Post Number: 122 Registered: 10-1999 |
It is clear from the language of these verses that they apply equally to the 10 commandments and to the other laws in the Torah, such as circumcision, which was clearly taught in the New Testament as being not binding. But I still have not been able to answer the question of why Jesus used the words "until heaven and earth pass away". The words seem to imply that all will not be accomplished before "heaven and earth" have passed away. Are these words to be taken only as a figure of speech? Or perhaps the thought Colleen expresses above is the explanation: That the words of the Torah have not passed away, even in our day, because they show the fulfillment of all that was written in them? But still, couldn't Jesus have used other words that would be less confusing? I don't doubt that He had a reason for using these words, I just don't know what that reason could be. -Darrell | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 11476 Registered: 12-2003 |
Darrell, I have puzzled over this over the years as well. My last three years plodding through Romans, however, has begun to resolve this question for me. (I would NEVER have thought to memorize Romans if Richard hadn't told me he thought I ought to when I was trying to decide what to work on...I actually decided to do so simply because I realized that if he was God's appointed spiritual head over me, I ought to take him seriously and consider that his urging might actually reflect God's will for me...and I have to say, God has been surprisingly faithful to make reality become much more clear as I've slogged through the book. I'm on chapter 13 now, and I figure it'll take me probably another year to finish, more or less...God willing...) Anyway, here's how I'm seeing it now. Romans 1 describes vividly the condition of humanity as they lost sight of GOD. Adam and Eve had one command: don't eat from the tree. They broke that command, and sin (spiritual death) forever altered natural man (Romans 5). Meanwhile, man continued his downward spiral into sin because he suppressed the knowledge of God (Rom 1:18-20). This was not accidental; the things that can be known about God were clearly seen and understood (Rom 1:20). In fact, Rom 1:21 says the "knew God", but they did not acknowledge Him as God or give Him thanks. It was this REFUSAL to acknowledge and thank Him that caused them to "become futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened." Revealed from Creation In other words, God clearly revealed Himself from Creation and onward, but men refused to acknowledge or honor Him, and they became evil and wicked because they suppressed their knowledge of Him. It was not "the Law" they suppressed; It was the evidence and knowledge of God Himself, so the "gave them over" to their sinful lusts, perversions, and depraved minds. God's wrath is being revealed even now in the lives of those who are living in their wicked state of being "given over" to their sinful desires and imaginings. Romans 2 explains that Gentiles and Jews alike are equally wicked, and that furthermore, the Law, which God gave to the Jews to reveal His will and to point out their sin, actually condemns them. Romans 3 explains that there is NOT ONE person alive who seeks, understands, or honors God, but God has now revealed a righteousness that does not derive from the law. Rather, it comes to us solely because God sent Jesus to be a propitiation for our sin. Romans 4 explains that righteousness predated the law. Abraham is our model of a man counted righteous; he believed God, and Paul quotes/refers back to Genesis 15. Genesis 15 contains the first statement in the Bible of how a man becomes righteous, and it is by believing God. And all this was before the law was given. Abraham, Paul points out, did not have or live under the law. He was UNCIRCUMCISED when he was counted righteous. That is "shorthand" for saying he did not live under law. He was just a moon-worshiper from Ur, and God called him, and he believed Him. Romans 5 describes how in Christ, the death-sentence that comes with sin is reversed in those who believe; Romans 6 explains that our still-mortal flesh fights with our now-alive spirits; we now love god's law, or God's righteousness, but we still have flesh that pulls us back toward sin. Romans 7 explains how, because Jesus died, the first covenant was fulfilled and now we are freed from the law, to which humans were "married" because it declared the curse of death for all who sinned, and now we are free to be married to "another"--to the Lord Jesus who died to the law for us. Romans 8 contains the amazing explanation of how to live by the Spirit instead of by the flesh because we have been set free from the law of sin and death. Written Law Temporary; Jesus Eternal So here's what's finally distilling for me: the law, as Galatians 3 says, is not "eternal". It was given by God 430 years after Abraham until the Seed would come. Moreover, the law is not, as Adventists say, the "transcript of God's character". Rather, the Law is a temporary provision made by God to yank people back from their deepening spiral of sin and shame that resulted from their suppression of their knowledge of Him. Because they had chosen, generation after desperate generation, to ignore Him and suppress their knowledge of Him, He gave the law to condemn them. He gave the law to spell out the rules: don't murder; don't worship pagan gods; don't touch pagan ritual animals; don't marry pagans; don't steal; don't let your animals eat your neighbor's grass; don't even covet anything your neighbor has that you wish you had...and if you do ANY of these things, you will be cursed. The law wasn't God's revelation of how to live, primarily; it was God's revelation to man of his own helpless sinful state. It was intended not to decrease sin but to increase it (Rom 3:20; 4:15; 13, 20; 7:7). In fact, Romans 5 explains that before the law was given, although death reigned, sin was not imputed to men. The law was needed to make men and women know what sin was—and to bring them to the awareness of their own condemnation. But the law was not eternal; it was given at a specific time, and Jesus said He came to fulfill it. Colossians 2:16-17 and Hebrews 10:1 say the law was only a shadow of what was coming, but the reality is in Jesus. When Jesus said He came to fulfill the law, He fulfilled every function of the law. He fulfilled its curse, its sacrifices, its ritual cleansings, etc etc etc. In other words, Jesus came to bring mankind's attention back to God Himself. Before the law was given, mankind has lost sight of and knowledge of God. So God gave the law to remind self-centerd man that he was depraved and that He Himself would call the shots and provide salvation and deliverance for them. Jesus came and fulfilled all those promises and shadows of salvation and deliverance, and Jesus Himself now makes the law obsolete and stands as God's revelation of Himself, His will, and the truth about humanity to us, His fallen creatures. Jesus Reveals Reality No longer does the law have to call us to realize the truth about ourselves or the truth about God's wrath and holiness. Now the Lord Jesus does that through the Holy Spirit bringing the truth about Jesus revealed in the written word to life (John 16). He embodies the law. He is The Source of all law—and all law is inseparable. He is the One in whom all things hold together (Col 1:17-19)—all the weak and strong forces of gravity and atoms are realized and performed in Him. The law of sin and death is resolved and fulfilled in Him (Rom 8:1-4). So when He said not one jot or tittle of the law would disappear until heaven and earth pass away and until all was fulfilled, He was pointing everyone back to the actual LAW that has ALWAYS ruled creation: Himself. The written law was temporary, as Paul explains in Romans and Galatians and Colossians. GOD, the One whom mankind ignored and refused to thank and the knowledge of whom they repressed because of their wickedness—this same God has fulfilled in Himself His own requirements for the curse of death and sin. He has fulfilled His own requirement for a flawless, sinless human to bequeath His own righteousness to mankind. Of COURSE the law won't pass away...because LAW always was God. The written law was a temporary covenant with a group of self-righteous and ornery humans through whom, in SPITE of their arrogance, the Lord Jesus was born and fulfilled His own law and His own requirements and restored humanity to it's rightful place as Head over all creation—and all in the person of Jesus. The problem we have is that we see "Law" as somehow eternal because God gave it. Wrong. The law is not LAW. God is LAW. The written law was the rule-book to convict sinners of their sin and to hold them accountable to a Holy God. Jesus, God in flesh, is the eternal LAW. The written law will always stand as a reminder and proof of the identity of Jesus; but the law pointed to Jesus, so if we refuse to accept Jesus as the complete fulfillment of that law, we now break that law we claim to honor. Because Jesus came, He is the living law who lives in our hearts, and He makes the whole of His written word a living source of knowing His will. The law is not God—Jesus even said the Jews searched Scripture hoping to find eternal life, but eternal life is in Him. The written law and the written word is an eternal record and revelation of reality, both of God and of ourselves. But if we hold the written Law as equal in significance to God Himself, we miss eternal life. Jesus is OVER the law, because He wrote it. The Law is not something God has to honor, as we were told. God does not honor His creation. He glorifies Himself. The law won't pass away because God wrote it, but it becomes fulfilled and subsumed in the Lord Jesus. He becomes our focus instead of The Law. And if we honor the Law instead of the Lord Jesus, we commit spiritual adultery as per Romans 7, and we further engage in a type of idolatry. I know I've gone on too long; I hope this helps. The law that stands until heaven and earth disappear is God Himself revealed to us in the Lord Jesus, and His written law is eternally the proof that He IS Messiah. He preceded the law, and He is the fulfillment of the written law, writing His own eternal will in our hearts by His Spirit. And when we trust Him, He makes His written word come alive; it becomes the source of our understanding of what is true and real. It changes us, because he, it's Author, indwells us and makes His own word the source of our knowledge of truth and discernment. In Jesus all law resides and is fulfilled. Colleen | ||
| Patallen Registered user Username: Patallen Post Number: 19 Registered: 7-2010  |
Colleen, I love, love, love your post. Thanks so much. It's definitely a keeper. While becoming familiar with the site, I clicked a link for Bible Studies and saw that the books I really want to spend more time with are there with study helps. Can't wait to dive in. I love it here! Pat | ||
| Patallen Registered user Username: Patallen Post Number: 20 Registered: 7-2010 |
Michael, Your article is great, very detailed and a lot of good points. I have to admit though that when I read the last sentence of the opening paragragh, ("... that the law might be shown to be immutable, that it might stand fast forever) my eyes popped UNTIL I saw that you were quoting none other than EGW.  Pat |
