What did Jesus mean when he said "I have fulfilled the law"?

Steve Petersen

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God gave the law to show man he could not keep it (no one but God can do what is required). Yeshua fulfilled the Law, having become the the Atonement for our sin.

The OT peoples looked forward to the day of atonement by the Kinsman-Redeemer Yeshua (on the cross) as the Sacrificial Offering acceptable by the Almighty. (We look back to the cross, they looked forward since He hadn't come yet.) They did this by offering the sacrifices as God spelled out in the Law. After Yeshua ha Meshiach atoned for sin, no longer was the Law necessary as He fulfilled the requirements for atonement, once and for ALL. :prayer:

Not.

Deuteronomy 30:
11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.
12
It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”
13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”
14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.
16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
 
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redleghunter

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In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says:

"Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to destroy but to fulfill."

So, how exactly did Jesus fulfill the law? Was it because Jesus kept the law perfectly? If the law is fulfilled by Jesus how do we now keep the law? By loving our neighbor? Discuss.
Will join the conversation later, however wanted to share this with you

Great teaching series here: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/2209

From that link you can reach the remaining 3 parts.

Summary: MacArthur addresses fulfillment with regards to the Law broken down to (1) ceremonial/purity laws (2) Judicial law (Israel as nation civil laws) and (3) Moral laws.

Extract example: Jesus confirmed the moral law throughout the gospel accounts and thus the apostles did as well in their epistles.

The civil or judicial laws (e.g. stoning for adultery; property disputes and such) were not given to Christ's church as a 'nation' (Yet the Greatest commandment of Love God and Love neighbor provides us the guidance to deal justly with each other as brethren and with non-believers as well).

Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial laws atonement, peace offerings, and purity laws (however, affirmed in His teachings and the teachings of the apostles we are a living sacrifice and we pray, worship, sing psalms/songs and live holy lives unto Him).
 
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Steve Petersen

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Will join the conversation later, however wanted to share this with you

Great teaching series here: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/2209

From that link you can reach the remaining 3 parts.

Summary: MacArthur addresses fulfillment with regards to the Law broken down to (1) ceremonial/purity laws (2) Judicial law (Israel as nation civil laws) and (3) Moral laws.

Extract example: Jesus confirmed the moral law throughout the gospel accounts and thus the apostles did as well in their epistles.

The civil or judicial laws (e.g. stoning for adultery; property disputes and such) were not given to Christ's church as a 'nation' (Yet the Greatest commandment of Love God and Love neighbor provides us the guidance to deal justly with each other as brethren and with non-believers as well).

Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial laws atonement, peace offerings, and purity laws (however, affirmed in His teachings and the teachings of the apostles we are a living sacrifice and we pray, worship, sing psalms/songs and live holy lives unto Him).

The laws are not differentiated in the OT. In fact, read Leviticus 19 and you will see that all these categories are interspersed with no distinction made.

As to the civil and judicial laws, Jesus told his JEWISH disciples that they should obey the Scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:1) because they have the authority to make legal rulings for the Jewish people.
 
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iwbswiaihl2

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Actually, it could be kept, just like the 'do not run red lights' laws can be kept, (remember Jesus said the commandments are NOT burdensome)
but it cannot FREE anyone from sin or the power of sin - rather it reveals sin and YHWH'S PURPOSE is TORAH leads TO CHRIST.
I don't think so, otherwise, would that one that did so not have their own self righteousness? Besides, that person would still have the sin nature and that nature has dominion/rule over all born of Adam. Seems to be a could but never would happenstance. Jesus was righteousness and that is why we have the righteousness of God in Him by faith in Him. Rom 3:24-26 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
 
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iwbswiaihl2

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So, the Old Covenant law no longer has a place after that...?
This says it better than I could stated my answer to that question;
Heb 10:11-23 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
 
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Introverted1293

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This is just my opinion

We keep the law by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, and by doing what Jesus taught. We love our enemies. We love our neighbors. And we love love God. We fear God no matter how painful it is.

Now, I have no right to preach, for I am addicted to a besetting sin that seems impossible to stop. But I realize that I need to overcome it if I want to be a true Christian. So I have decided to make efforts to stop.

But that's not the point of the thread. I just don't want to be a hypocrite. So I am admitting that I don't follow God's law. But I am gonna make an effort to do so. And accept Christ as King.
 
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iwbswiaihl2

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Can you list the verses of the new law then? Did Jesus just mean if you love God you would love others?
I would agree with you and think you are reflecting on this; 1 John 2:7-11 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Isn't John saying the new is the old commandment, and he is stating again this new commandment, love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself, the whole law is fulfilled in this. :scratch: Is this right?
 
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discipler7

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So, how exactly did Jesus fulfill the law? Was it because Jesus kept the law perfectly? If the law is fulfilled by Jesus how do we now keep the law? By loving our neighbor? Discuss.
.
GALATIANS.3: =
The Law Brings a Curse
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”

13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
.

ROMANS.7: =
Law Cannot Save from Sin
13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
.

1JOHN.4: = 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _

The Law or Moses Law shows us to be born inherently sinful/evil/satanic and deserving to be sent to hell by God when we die - the consequence of Adam's Original Sin(ROMANS.5:12, LEV.17:11, HEB.9:22, MATT.5:27-30).
... As for the Jews, no amount of keeping the Law will save them from hell, ie not committing idolatry, murder, adultery, rape, stealing, lying/cheating, etc will not justify them for being saved from hell or salvation = hence, Law vs Grace(= justified by faith in Christ, and not by the keeping of the Law).

IOW, the Law could not save people from hell, only Christ could. That was how Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law, ie He fulfilled what the Law could not fulfill, by being the required sacrificial Lamb of God who was crucified on the Cross, in order to wash away our inborn and outborn sins and to clean and prepare us for the kingdom of heaven.
.

P S - At most, the Law can only fulfill a good and long life on earth for good and law-abiding Jews or even Gentiles.(cf; MATT.19:23, ROM.2:10)
 
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Soyeong

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In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says:

"Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to destroy but to fulfill."

So, how exactly did Jesus fulfill the law? Was it because Jesus kept the law perfectly? If the law is fulfilled by Jesus how do we now keep the law? By loving our neighbor? Discuss.

To fulfill the Law means to cause God's will as made known in the Law to be obeyed as it should be. After Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 that he came to fulfill the Law, he then proceeded to fulfill it six times throughout the rest of the chapter by teaching how to correctly understand and obey it. In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus summarized the Law as being instructions for how to love God and our neighbor, so Galatians 5:14 says that loving your neighbor fulfills the entire law because that is what the Law is essentially about how to do. Furthermore, anyone who has ever loved their neighbor has fulfilled the entire Law, so it does not refer to something unique that Jesus did. Likewise, in Galatians 6:2, it says that bearing one another's burdens fulfills the Law of Christ because that is essentially what it is about how to do and anyone can bear one another's burdens, so it doesn't refer to something unique that Jesus did. There are many examples of Jewish writings of people talking about fulfilling the law, so it refers to teaching or demonstrating a correct understanding of the Law by word or by example and not to something that is only accomplished by keeping it perfectly.
 
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Soyeong

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I see so loving others and loving God with all our hearts,soul,and minds fulfills the law that Christ completed. Because as God, Christ is the only person who is fully capable of keeping the law in the first place. It is impossible for us to completely fulfill the law so Christ fulfilled it for us.

The Bible does not say that we are not fully capable of keeping the Law, but just the opposite. In Deuteronomy 30:11-14, God said that what He commanded was not too difficult for us, but that His Word was near us, in our hearts and in mouth so that we can do it, and Romans 10:1-10 quotes this passage in regard to what our faith says. In Deuteronomy 30:15-20, it says that obedience to the Law brings life and a blessing while disobedience brings death and a curse, so choose life! This means that we have a choice, but it were impossible for us to obey the Law, then we wouldn't a choice and furthermore we couldn't be held responsible for not obey it. If the division between a blessing and a curse was perfect obedience, then God essentially gave the Law to His children to put us under a curse, but I think he is a good Father who knows how to give better gifts than that, especially when He said that the Law was given for our own good (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). The Law itself comes with instructions for what to do when we sin, so the dividing line between fully keeping the Law or not is whether we continue to practice repentance for our sins. Repentance from our sins is the message of every single prophet up to and including Jesus, but if we needed perfect obedience, then repentance would be pointless because it would already be too late. As Galatians 5:14 says, loving your neighbor fulfills the entire Law, so completely fulfilling the Law is something that countless people have done.
 
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Soyeong

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And the person who did this (Christ) the man in him, has the right, not to change law, but to modify and to update it, with perhaps a different approach, at his/her discretion...

There is nothing in the Bible that says that anyone who keeps the Law perfectly has the right to modify and update it. To modify and to update is to make changes in violation of Deuteronomy 4:2. The Law was given to instruct us how to act in accordance with the attributes of God, so if Jesus update the way to act in accordance with God's righteous, then it was only because he first update God's righteousness, but God's righteousness is eternal and does not change or need any updates. In Psalms 19:7, it says that God's Law is perfect, so it doesn't need any updates any updatess would make it less than perfect.
 
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Soyeong

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Here ya go:

How Christ Fulfilled and Ended the Old Testament Regime | Desiring God

We have a better promise, the law is ineffective in saving.. the law points us to Chirst and is our school master and having done just that has pasted away .. nullified and now under the Grace that the promise provided.

Do you think that David was under grace and had a correct understanding of it?

Psalms 119:29 Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me and teach me your law.
 
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drjean

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Paul is very explicit about "the Law" ... read the letter to the Romans.
Before Christ fulfilled the law, He spoke to the Jews through and lived by the Law. But after His resurrection, it is very clear that the "NEW COVENANT" did not include the law, but GRACE. Our salvation comes from Yeshua ha Machiach and not through the Law.

Jesus did not abolish the moral and ethical laws that had been in effect from the time of Moses. He affirmed and expanded upon those principles, but He said obedience must be from the heart (attitudes and intentions) rather than just technical observance of the letter of the law (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, 31-32, 33-34, 38-42, 43-44, etc.).

Salvation comes from believing the Gospel of Jesus. We are justified by grace through faith (3:21-5:11).

The Bible clearly states that we are not under the law. Romans 6:14
says, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." Since we are under grace, we are not under the law. The two are mutually exclusive.


It does not negate doing good and following God's outlines for righteous living, but both the OLD and NEW Covenants are about salvation in Christ.
 
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BBAS 64

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Do you think that David was under grace and had a correct understanding of it?

Psalms 119:29 Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me and teach me your law.


Good Day, Soyeong

Yes, I do as it relates to the OC (with all it's faults) and the correct use of the law with in that covenantal context with the Hebrew nation ( of which he served as human king). Do I think David had understanding of the complete fullness and purposes of NC and the fullness of the better promise... No I do not I think so.

In Him,

Bill
 
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yeshuaslavejeff

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I don't think so, otherwise, would that one that did so not have their own self righteousness?
No, since everyone born (except YESHUA MESSIAH) is consigned under sin - a remedy is/was needed, and YHWH and YESHUA PLANNED THIS all PERFECT in WISDOM, PERFECT in JUDGMENT, and PERFECT IN MERCY.
 
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yeshuaslavejeff

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Besides, that person would still have the sin nature and that nature has dominion/rule over all born of Adam.
Yet what does YHWH Say ?
Before as well as after Jesus born on earth, died and resurrected never to die again ?

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is older he will not depart from it."

Since this was done
for (few) persons "under the TORAH" as you might say, and for (few) persons "under GRACE" as you might say
and is TRUTH,
as YHWH Says....
people (few) are able to choose what is right,
to choose who they will serve
as they did in Israel, as they did this century,
as they do today,
....... yes, most choose to serve the devil/demons,
but not all.
 
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AlexDTX

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In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says:

"Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to destroy but to fulfill."

So, how exactly did Jesus fulfill the law? Was it because Jesus kept the law perfectly? If the law is fulfilled by Jesus how do we now keep the law? By loving our neighbor? Discuss.
I know this will be a heated discussion, but he completed the law, thus brought it to perfection in himself. The law is sealed within him since He is the Law. There fore all who trust in him are also sealed with him in the completed law.
 
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Aldebaran

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In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says:

"Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to destroy but to fulfill."

So, how exactly did Jesus fulfill the law? Was it because Jesus kept the law perfectly? If the law is fulfilled by Jesus how do we now keep the law? By loving our neighbor? Discuss.

I've always understood it to mean that Jesus kept the entire law, thereby fulfilling it, and the way we are saved is to abide in the One who kept the law, which is Jesus. As long as we are in Him, His righteousness is imputed to us as if we had fulfilled the law as well.
 
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Reading the rest of Mathew 5, it sounds like Jesus is saying "not only should you do all the law commands, you should do even more." i.e. Murder, Adultery, Oaths, Revenge and even loving your enemies; the requirements under the New Law are even more exacting.

So...given that we can't even keep the Old Law, how could we possibly hope to live up to the New Law. Short answer: We Can't. This leaves our faith as our only hope. Jesus and the Grace of God is all that can save us.
 
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