What does Matthew 5:17-20 means to Christian

[Jesusthekingofking]

In Matthew 5:17-20:

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 tell you, 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. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly 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. 20 For 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.

so does this passage is telling us Christian to strive (after Jesus paid for our sins and fulfil the law) to do the law to an extend to surpass the Pharisees?

But in roman 7:4, Paul wrote

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

so what's the relationship between law, good work and the justification by faith?

 

[com7fy8]

so does this passage is telling us Christian to strive (after Jesus paid for our sins and fulfil the law) to do the law to an extend to surpass the Pharisees?

How Jesus loves is superior to the practical things the Law tells people to do.

And certainly Jesus Christ's way of loving surpasses the self-righteous way that the Pharisees did things.

 

[dqhall]

In Matthew 5:17-20:

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 tell you, 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. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly 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. 20 For 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.

so does this passage is telling us Christian to strive (after Jesus paid for our sins and fulfil the law) to do the law to an extend to surpass the Pharisees?

But in roman 7:4, Paul wrote

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

so what's the relationship between law, good work and the justification by faith?

Paul taught sexual immorality is wrong, as the laws in Deuteronomy forbid sexual immorality.

Paul did not believe Gentiles should be circumcised, even though the law requires it. To convert to Judaism and live according to Torah law, the rabbis required male converts should be circumcised. Paul does not impose these on Christians. These things are discussed in Acts 15 and Galatians. Circumcision is a change in physical appearance, not a change in behavior. Things such as animal sacrifice, observance of Jewish holidays, Kosher observance and antiquated sanitary laws are not a part of most Christian’s daily routine. The ancient Egyptians circumcised, the Moslems circumcise, the Jews circumcise, but each of these systems is different.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

In Matthew 5:17-20:

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 tell you, 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. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly 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. 20 For 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.

so does this passage is telling us Christian to strive (after Jesus paid for our sins and fulfil the law) to do the law to an extend to surpass the Pharisees?

But in roman 7:4, Paul wrote

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

so what's the relationship between law, good work and the justification by faith?

Jesus Christ of Nazareth conquered the "second death". Bondage to the law was lifted. We are now in His Body which is not based in bondage to the law but based in being a bond servent to Christ. Be blessed.

 

[pescador]

In Matthew 5:17-20:

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 tell you, 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. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly 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. 20 For 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.

so does this passage is telling us Christian to strive (after Jesus paid for our sins and fulfil the law) to do the law to an extend to surpass the Pharisees?

But in roman 7:4, Paul wrote

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

so what's the relationship between law, good work and the justification by faith?

The law is external. It is written instruction about how people are supposed to behave.

The Spirit is internal. He is our guide to Godly attitude and behavior.

It is no more complicated than that.

 

[Jesusthekingofking]

The law is external. It is written instruction about how people are supposed to behave.

The Spirit is internal. He is our guide to Godly attitude and behavior.

It is no more complicated than that.

So now we think what is the right things to do according to our spirit and mind? Not the OT law? The OT law ask you to love God and your neighbour.

 

[Jesusthekingofking]

Jesus Christ of Nazareth conquered the "second death". Bondage to the law was lifted. We are now in His Body which is not based in bondage to the law but based in being a bond servent to Christ. Be blessed.

So we don't have to do the law? Is the law equivalent to good work? Paul in roman 14 and other letters talk about good work

 

[pescador]

So now we think what is the right things to do according to our spirit and mind? Not the OT law? The OT law ask you to love God and your neighbour.

So does the New Testament.

Christians are dead to the Law and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Jesus said that He sent us the Holy Spirit to be our guide. John 16:13, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he [not the law] will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

If you are guided by the OT law you are not a Christian, you are a Jew.

I am really concerned that you have missed the fundamental truth of Christianity!

 

[Maria Billingsley]

So we don't have to do the law? Is the law equivalent to good work? Paul in roman 14 and other letters talk about good work

Good works is not the same as the Mosaic Law. These laws were written and everyone, according to the 613 Mitzvot, had to have a copy. We now have the law written in our heart. With this new regenerated heart we perform good works not because the law tells us to do so, but because it is part of the new regenerated man through the power of His Holy Spirit. Big difference.

 

[pescador]

Good works is not the same as the Mosaic Law. These laws were written and everyone, according to the 613 Mitzvot, had to have a copy. We now have the law written in our heart. With this new regenerated heart we perform good works not because the law tells us to do so, but because it is part of the new regenerated man through the power of His Holy Spirit. Big difference.

Thanks so much for posting this!! You have explained the difference between the Old Covenant of the Law and the New Covenant of the Spirit.

Your post should be required reading for everyone.

 

[Jesusthekingofking]

So does the New Testament.

Christians are dead to the Law and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Jesus said that He sent us the Holy Spirit to be our guide. John 16:13, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he [not the law] will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

If you are guided by the OT law you are not a Christian, you are a Jew.

I am really concerned that you have missed the fundamental truth of Christianity!

Really?

Jeremiah 31:33 "But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.

 

[Soyeong]

In Matthew 5:17-20:

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 tell you, 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. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly 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. 20 For 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.

so does this passage is telling us Christian to strive (after Jesus paid for our sins and fulfil the law) to do the law to an extend to surpass the Pharisees?

"To fulfill the law" means "to cause God's will as made known in His law to be obeyed as it should be” (NAS Greek Lexicon pleroo 2c3). After Jesus said he came to fulfill the law in Matthew 5, he proceeded to fulfill it six times throughout the rest of the chapter by teaching how to correctly obey it or by completing our understanding of it. In Galatians 5:14, loving our neighbor fulfills the entire law, so it refers to something that countless people have done, not to something unique that only Jesus did. In Galatians 6:2, bearing one another's burdens fulfills the Law of Christ, so you should interpret that in the same way as you interpret fulfilling the Law of Moses. The fact that Christ died for our sins should make us want to go and sin no more by living in obedience to the Law of Moses.

But in roman 7:4, Paul wrote

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

In Romans 7:22-23, Paul said that he delighted in obeying the Law of Moses, but contrasted that with the law of sin which help him captive. If Romans 7:4-6 we referring to the Law of Moses, then that would mean that we would need to die to God's laws for how to bear fruit for Him in order to bear fruit for him, that Paul delighted in stirring up sinful passions in order to bear fruit unto dead, and that he delighted in being held captive, which is absurd, but rather it is the law of sin that he described as holding him captive.

so what's the relationship between law, good work and the justification by faith?

In Timothy 3:15-17, Paul referred to sacred writings that Timothy had available to him since childhood, which could only refer to the OT because none of the books of the NT had yet be written at that point. Being profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work are all describing a code of conduct, and the code of conduct in the OT is the Law of Moses, which also means that it is God's instructions for how to do good works.

In Matthew 23:23, Jesus said that faith is one of the weightier matters of the Law of Moses, and there are many other verses that associate our faith with our obedience to God, so we do not earn our justification by obeying the Law of Moses, but rather the same faith by which we are justified is also expressed as obedience to it, which is why Paul said in Romans 2:13 that only doers of the Mosaic Law will be justified, but denied that we can earn our justification by being a doer of the law (Romans 4:4-5).

 

[Soyeong]

So does the New Testament.

Christians are dead to the Law and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Jesus said that He sent us the Holy Spirit to be our guide. John 16:13, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he [not the law] will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

God's nature is truth. The Bible often uses the same terms to describe the nature of God as it does to describe the nature of the Mosaic Law, so the Mosaic Law is truth because it is God's instructions for how to express His nature (Psalms 119:142). Jesus is the exact expression of God's nature (Hebrews 1:3), so he is the truth made flesh and he showed the nature of the Father through his works in sinless obedience to the Mosaic Law, which is why he could say everything that he did in John 14:6-11. In Ezekiel 36:26-27, the Spirit has the role of leading us to obey the Mosaic Law, in John 16:13, the Spirit has the role of leading us in truth, and again the Mosaic Law is truth. In John 8:31-36, it is sin in transgression of the mosaic Law that puts us in bondage while it is the truth that sets us free. In John 17:17, God’s word is truth, and the Mosaic Law is God’s word. In 2 Timothy 3:8, those who oppose the truth also oppose Moses, being of corrupted minds, and disqualified in regard to the faith. In Romans 8:4-7, those who walk in the Spirit are contrasted with those who have minds set on the flesh who refuse to submit to God's law. In Galatians 5:19-22, everything listed as works of the flesh that are against the Spirit are also against the Mosaic Law, while all of the fruits of the Spirit are aspects of God's nature that are in accordance with it.

If you are guided by the OT law you are not a Christian, you are a Jew.

I am really concerned that you have missed the fundamental truth of Christianity!

Christ did not come to start his own religion following a different God with a different nature and different set of instructions for how to testify about His nature, but rather he came to bring fulness to Judaism as its Jewish Messiah in fulfillment of Jewish prophecy, and he practicing Judaism by living in sinless obedience to the Torah. In Acts 21:20, it reports that there were tens of thousands of Jews who were coming to faith who were all zealous for the Torah, Jewish Christians were not ceasing to follow the Torah. This means that from the start of Christ's ministry to roughly 7-15 years after his resurrection, all Christians were Torah observant Jews. Christ set a sinless example of how to walk in obedience to the Mosaic Law, he did not hypocritically preaching something other than what he practiced, and Christians are those who seek by faith to follow what Christ taught by word and by example, so it is absurd for you think that being guided by the Mosaic Law means that someone is not a Christian. Likewise, following Christ is not just for Jews, but for Gentiles too.

 

[klutedavid]

In Matthew 5:17-20:

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 tell you, 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. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly 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. 20 For 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.

so does this passage is telling us Christian to strive (after Jesus paid for our sins and fulfil the law) to do the law to an extend to surpass the Pharisees?

But in roman 7:4, Paul wrote

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

so what's the relationship between law, good work and the justification by faith?

Ephesians 2:15
By abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace.

Sure looks like the law itself was abolished.

 

[mlepfitjw]

Jesus fulfilled the commandments and abolished the law of commandments that contained the ordinances.

How did the Lord Jesus Christ do this? By Loving God, and Loving His neighbor. Only times Jesus Christ got riled up was at the Pharisees because of their hearts being far from God though they were professing believers in God. They did not love their neighbor (reminded of the Pharisee praying to God, and the sinner praying to God.)

Since Jesus Christ fulfilled the law which was one of the things he had came to do, along with paying for everyones sins in the world. God raised him up from the dead.

Believers are raised up from being spiritually dead, when they turn towards God. The Life of Christ Jesus now fulfills with in them by the holy spirit/Spirit of Christ, also the new spiritual body walking in faith in God.

People are able to also become free to their bondage of being selfish, prideful, lustful, from what the natural body does. The spiritual body, along with the holy spirit/spirit of Christ, through faith can become build upon reading scriptures and ingesting the word of God that will bring the person to have peace in their life, to trust God, to Love God, to Love Others, to pray for their enemies, and to forgive others who have wronged them in their life.

Praise be to God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ for the transformative power of the spirit, when we walk in, and with God, and the Son of God.


Galatians 2:20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 8:9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

 

[1213]

...
so what's the relationship between law, good work and the justification by faith?

The God’s law is good and right. If one loves God, he keeps it.

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous.
1 John 5:3

But, people should not to do it to earn salvation or eternal life. Eternal life is a gift for righteous.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

Good reason to do it is that you love God and want to do what is good and right freely.

 

[Fervent]

So much focus is spent on half of what Jesus said, without consideration of the entire statement. Jesus did not simply say "I have not come to abolish the Law" but also spoke of abolishing the Prophets with the same intention. We hear the statement and many rush to hear it in a works vs law context, a law vs faith debate, but how could that make sense of that added "or the Prophets?" How could Law vs faith application abolish the Prophets?

It seems clear to me Jesus is speaking to the books of the Law and the Prophets, saying He did not come to put aside Scripture. Instead, Jesus fulfills the Scriptures because He is what they are speaking about. So why do we read half of His statement and expect to gain a full understanding of the import of His words?

 

[Lukaris]

The golden rule is the law and prophets ( Matthew 7:12), to love God & neighbor are the commandments of the law and prophets ( Matthew 22:36-40). The Lord includes other specific commandments also ( Matthew 19:16-19). The Lord says if we are to love Him, we are to keep His commandments ( John 14:15-18). St. Paul sums this up in Romans 13:8-10.

We try to do the best we can.

 

[Jesusthekingofking]

So much focus is spent on half of what Jesus said, without consideration of the entire statement. Jesus did not simply say "I have not come to abolish the Law" but also spoke of abolishing the Prophets with the same intention. We hear the statement and many rush to hear it in a works vs law context, a law vs faith debate, but how could that make sense of that added "or the Prophets?" How could Law vs faith application abolish the Prophets?

It seems clear to me Jesus is speaking to the books of the Law and the Prophets, saying He did not come to put aside Scripture. Instead, Jesus fulfills the Scriptures because He is what they are speaking about. So why do we read half of His statement and expect to gain a full understanding of the import of His words?

So that's the reason why we Christian never need to bound by the law like sacrifice animals and every law in the OT? What's the function of the law other than expose our sin? Can the new NT Christian do whatever they want?

 

[Fervent]

So that's the reason why we Christian never need to bound by the law like sacrifice animals and every law in the OT? What's the function of the law other than expose our sin? Can the new NT Christian do whatever they want?

The animal sacrifices served a specific function in the OT, which was to cleanse the temple so that God's presence could continue to dwell. We're no longer bound to much of the Mosaic law because it is tied to the land by phrases like "When you come into the land that the Lord is giving you..." Paul's arguments regarding the law speak to a different vein than Jesus' words in Matthew 5, and there's no need to pit them against each other. Does God require us to follow the law to be justified? No, and the fact that Abraham was justified before any such law was given shows that God has always been able to justify via faith. If we love God, though, we will love His law and it will not be a burden to us but a joy.