How does one "fulfill' a law?

At one point in the Bible, Jesus says something about not coming to abolish the laws of the OT, but to fulfill them. I don't quite get exactly how one fulfills a law. Obviously one can break a law, or follow a law, or rescind a law, but how is a law fulfilled?

And once it is fulfilled, how does that affect the law? Do others still have to follow the law?

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I think "fulfill" in English could mean "embody" or "manifest" or "incarnate". That's how you'd fulfill a law, by being the law. After that point, we would follow the one who fulfilled the law, rather than the law itself.

To understand what Jesus was saying you need to understand his terminology - the bible was written at a different time for a different culture, it is not the one you and i are in, so, often the meaning gets lost in translation!

"The law" is correctly call "the Torah" which means instruction. It is not just a rigid set of rules as often potrayed, it is a manual for correctly worshipping God through living. At the time Jesus lived the Jews had been worshipping God for about two thousand years. Along with the written Torah there was also an "oral torah".

The written Torah is like equivalent of the statue laws of today, the oral torah is like the comon law that builds up over time. When the people wanted to know how to institute a particular aspect of torah into their lives they would seek the advise of the rabbis and any subsequent ruling would become oral torah.

By Jesus' time, the majority of people had become quite wrapped up in obeying the oral torah, without referring back to the written one. It is these issues that you often see Jesus discussing and disagreeing with the Pharasees about. These discussions in modern christian thinking usually make out the these disagreements were a bad thing, but in fact this is how the Jews of that era came to a consensus about how to impliment the torah.

In this context "to fulfil" meant to correctly interpret the torah, and "to abolish" meant to disregard or ignore torah. So what he is saying is that his way of living it out goes back to the way God intended it when it was given, and he did not come to encourage people stop following it.

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"God is the ultimate stalker" Emily Spencer, Oct 09 (used by permission)

Fulfill means complete it. All the positive prophecies of the Old Testament are fulfilled with the Holy Spirit coming on Pentecost. The one negative prophecy left is the destruction of Jerusalem. The Old Testament holds nothing for the Jews since it was completed. The moral Laws are repeated in the New Testament and most of the other laws but not the sacrifices, temple, or keeping the Sabbath.

Jesus achieved the purpose for which Israel and the Law existed. The Law was a pointer to him, and a means of keeping Israel as God's people until that point.

Once Jesus has died and rose again defeating death to try to follow the Law would be to miss the point; to try to live in the old part of the story.

Signposts are good, but one doesn't try to keep following the signposts once one has arrived at the thing to which they point.

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Hi Skaloop, I think these might be the scriptures you are referring to:

1. Matthew 5:17
   "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
   
2. Luke 24:44
   Now He said to them, " These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."

So in these verses, Jesus is not talking about the Laws given by Moses, but rather the promise of the Old Testament - that of the coming Messiah.

Now there are plenty of other verses which address setting aside the Law of Moses for the Law of Christ, but that is another topic.

May God Bless

All you have to do to answer this question is to finish reading this chapter:

Mt.5
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. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Anyone who breaks 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 practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Murder

21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[b]will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,[c]' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
25"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.[d] Adultery

27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'[e] 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Divorce

31"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'[f] 32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths

33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
An Eye for an Eye

38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'[g] 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies

43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[h] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The embodiment of the Christ extends the law beyond what was originally known or expected. As Jesus said One may not commit murder physically, but if that brother hates another He has murdered in his heart. And even though the Pharisees may not have killed anyone they hated Jesus, they may not have had sex out side of marriage but they lusted after women. They used and allowed marriage to be used as a form of promiscuity. They may not have taken the lords name in an oath, but in the heart of their swears they were trying to get as close to swearing by God as they could without crossing the line. They believed in taking vengeance in the name of God, using the law to "get back at someone." And last but not least they hated anyone who did not love them.

So what Jesus is saying is these "holy men" The men that generally represented the best Humanity had to offer in the way of practiced and educated men, did not come close to the requirements that were needed to up hold a complete version of the law.

Which should beg the question in all of us if they could not find true righteousness in through the Law then how can any of us do so? How can our righteousness surpass that of the Pharisees? How can we be perfect like the Father is perfect?

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He manifested it. It came true in Him. The rituals of the law were symbolic of Him and whatever He did. For example the sacrificing of the lamb was symbolic of sacrificing of Jesus.

Washing of hands was probably symbolic of washing of the souls through the Word. (who is Jesus as well)

Sabbath symbolized salvation... and so on...

HEB 10:1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming - not the realities themselves.
COL 2:17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

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God is the Love of my life

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" (Matthew 5:17-18).

Here Jesus didn't mean that he came to fulfill all of the commandments of the Mosaic law, for Jesus could not possibly have done that. For example, some applied only to women after childbirth (Leviticus 12:4-8) or to wives suspected of adultery by their husbands (Numbers 5:19-31). Instead, Jesus meant that he came to fulfill all of the prophecies regarding the Messiah (or Christ) in the Old Testament: "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. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:44-48).

As the Messiah, the divine Son of God, Jesus had the authority to abolish the Old Mosaic law and replace it with the New Covenant: "For this is my blood of the new testament [the New Covenant], which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28). "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments" (Ephesians 2:15). "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross" (Colossians 2:14).

"For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God" (Hebrews 7:18-19). "By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament" (Hebrews 7:22). "He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant [of the Mosaic law] had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt" (Hebrews 8:6-8).

As the Messiah, the mediator of the New Covenant, Jesus had the authority to contradict the Old Covenant of the Mosaic law and replace it with his own, even better, New Covenant commandments: "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments [which Jesus is about to give in the Sermon on the Mount], and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees [exceed the righteousness of the old Mosaic law], ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven ...
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It hath been said [in the Mosaic law], Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
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Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time [in the Mosaic law], Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
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Ye have heard that it hath been said [in the Mosaic law], An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:19,20,31-39).

"The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
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They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery" (Matthew 19:3-9).

As the Messiah, Jesus had the authority to allow his disciples to break the Mosaic law: "At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day" (Matthew 12:1-8).

Jesus obeyed and upheld the spiritual truths behind the Law, therefore fulfilling the secret prophecy of it and showing He is the God Man.

Christians are not under the Law. The Law is the expression of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Jesus has escaped us from the Law by annulling it, through union in His flesh are we freed from it.