This article originated as a theology paper written for the purpose of my studies with The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Autumn 2022.
"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" (Matt 5:17 ESV). Despite its brevity, it is difficult to exaggerate the significance of this sentence. Douglas Moo suggests that it "deserves to be ranked among the most important New Testament pronouncements on the significance of the Law".[1] Jonathan Pennington sets it "at the core of one of the greatest and most contentious questions of broader Christian theology."[2] It not only contains the "thesis statement" of the Sermon on the Mount, but it also introduces the most extensive discussion of the Law in Matthew.[3] Further, by describing the relationship between Christ and the Law as one of fulfillment, it summarizes a key theme that runs across the whole book.[4] As a result, understanding fulfillment is clearly crucial for reading both the Sermon on the Mount and the rest of Matthew. Indeed, it may also help to determine the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, as well as Christians and the Law today.
By examining the theme of fulfillment throughout the book, this paper demonstrates that Christ fulfilling the Law includes at least four features in Matthew: (1) accomplishing what the Law prophesied; (2) teaching what the Law intends; (3) implying that the Law ends; and (4) obeying what the Law commands. As argued below, some of these features in Matthew are more prominent than others. Nevertheless, all four are present and should be recognized in the book.
This paper begins by introducing the theme of fulfillment in Matthew, with a brief consideration of the significant statement in 5:17 to help guide our study. It then examines the theme in more detail, demonstrating that at least four features of fulfillment can be seen. First, it means that Jesus accomplishes what the Law prophesied. This is the main feature in Matthew, as is clear through the prominent role the ten formulas, introduced below, have in the book and the prophetic nature of the Law emphasized throughout. Secondly, it also means Christ teaches what the Law intends, as seen in the Antitheses (5:21–48) and other instances of teaching. Thirdly, it includes Jesus implying that the Law ends, established most clearly through the food laws (15:1–20) and temple tax (17:24–27). Finally, while it is the least obvious feature, it likely also means Christ obeying what the Law commands (3:15; 4:1–11). It concludes by pointing towards some of the implications of these features, including how they correspond with the rest of the New Testament and what they mean for Christians and the Law. For definitions, in this paper, the Law principally refers to the obligations of the Mosaic Covenant. However, as discussed below, while it can be distinguished, it cannot be separated from the Pentateuch or rest of the Old Testament.
THE THEME OF FULFILLMENT IN MATTHEW
Of all the Synoptic Gospels, the theme of fulfillment is undoubtedly most prominent in Matthew. Matthew uses πληρόω (or a form of it) sixteen times, compared to two occasions in Mark and nine in Luke.[5] Not only does Matthew include around 60 Old Testament quotations, but at least ten of these follow the same ‘formula’, explicitly stating they are "fulfilled" in Jesus.[6] While the prominence of the theme of fulfillment is clear from these ten ‘fulfillment formulas’, it can also be established apart from lexical arguments. For example, it is referenced at both the start and end of Christ’s ministry (3:15; 26:54,56), acting as bookends on the events of his life. In the same way, Christ’s relationship with the Law and the Prophets is highlighted to readers at key moments in the narrative. For example, at the Transfiguration, Thomas Schreiner argues "the presence of Moses and Elijah together may suggest that Jesus fulfils what the law and the prophets anticipates."[7] Further, most scholars conclude that Matthew was probably written by a Jew for Jewish Christians, and so both author and audience would likely have had a deep interest in how Jesus related to the Law.[8] Additionally, Schreiner argues Christ’s fulfillment of the Law unites two other major themes in Matthew: God’s saving promises and the person of Jesus.[9] This conclusion is strengthened by fulfillment also summing up the relationship between the old and the new, another important topic in Matthew.[10] Indeed, the theme of fulfillment is so prominent in Matthew, R. T. France even sees it as the "central theme" of the whole book.[11] Therefore, 5:17 does far more than introduce the main thesis of the Sermon on the Mount, for it also gives us the clearest statement of a key theme in Matthew.[12] In this way, 5:17 acts like the tip of an iceberg, with the great theme of fulfillment lingering underneath, stretching out across the whole book.
MATTHEW 5:17
While the significance of fulfillment is uniformly recognized, what it actually means is less widely agreed on. Jesus’ statement in 5:17 may be the most succinct summary of the theme in the book. However, it has caused no shortage of debate. The disagreement is largely over the interpretation of three important terms in 5:17: "the Law or the Prophets", "abolish" and "fulfill".
The Law or the Prophets. First, it should be noted Jesus speaks not only of the Law, but of "the Law or the Prophets" (5:17). It is well established this phrase refers to the entire Old Testament, with "the Law" referring to the Pentateuch and "the Prophets" to the rest of the writings.[13] The later repetition of this phrase in the Sermon on the Mount (7:12) and in Matthew (11:13; 22:40) demonstrates how important it is that Christ’s relationship with the Law is not separated from his relationship with the Prophets. In Matthew, Jesus clearly relates to both in fundamentally the same way, that is by fulfillment. As demonstrated further below, this means while the Law can be distinguished, it cannot be separated from the rest of the Old Testament.
Abolish. Secondly, before Jesus speaks of his relationship with the Law positively, by way of fulfillment, he speaks of it negatively, denying that he has "come to abolish the Law or the Prophets" (5:17). The juxtaposition is clearly meant to provide clarity over his relationship with the Old Testament. The same term is later used to speak of demolishing or destroying the temple (24:2; 26:61; 27:40). It is also used in 2 Maccabees 2:22 to speak of Jewish laws being abolished prior to the work of Judas Maccabeus.[14] Therefore, the idea is clearly that Jesus did not come to do away with the Old Testament, whether by demolishing it, like a kind of theological wrecking ball, or by dissolving it, as was the case before the days of the Maccabees.
This clarification is stressed throughout 5:17–20. It is not only repeated in 5:17b, but it is also behind 5:18, where Jesus states "until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished." The passing of heaven and earth was a well-known way to refer to the end of history.[15] However, there is disagreement over whether this accomplishment in the second "until" clause provides a means by which the Law passes away in advance of this.[16] As argued by Schreiner, it is probably best to understand these two clauses as equivalent.[17]If not, the statement makes little sense and a clear contradiction exists. Rather than undermine the first "until" clause, the second clarifies it is only after God accomplishes all he set out to achieve in history that the Law passes away at the end.[18] However, as argued in this paper, this permeance does not mean the Law continues to function as it did before Christ came. While it remains until the end of history, it is now in a fulfilled state. Not a single part of it passes away, and yet we shall see that Matthew also shows not a single part of it is left unfulfilled by Christ.
Fulfill. It is the nature of this fulfillment in 5:17 that has generated the most debate. Several scholars have helpfully summarized the wide range of interpretations that have been suggested.[19] By interacting with most of these views below, this paper demonstrates that many contain at least some truth and capture one aspect of fulfillment in Matthew. The main argument of this paper is that, while some are more central than others, Matthew weaves several of these together to describe Jesus’ relationship with the Law. After reviewing a range of interpretations, Morris suggests the same, noting that "Jesus may well have meant that he would fulfil Scripture in more ways than one."[20] Given the variety of writings in the Old Testament to be fulfilled, this is hardly surprising. Further, as we shall see, this multifaceted fulfillment corresponds with the complexity with which the rest of the New Testament describes Christ’s fulfillment of the Law.
THE FOUR FEATURES OF FULFILLMENT IN MATTHEW
By examining the theme of fulfillment in Matthew’s Gospel, this paper shows Jesus fulfilling the Law in Matthew includes at least four features. As set out in the introduction, it will demonstrate that the main feature of fulfillment in Matthew is Jesus accomplishing what the Law prophesied. However, it will also show that fulfillment in Matthew also includes Jesus fulfilling the Law by teaching what it intends, implying that it ends and obeying what it commands.
(1) ACCOMPLISHING WHAT THE LAW PROPHESIED
While the theme of fulfillment receives its most succinct summary in 5:17, readers are familiar with it long before they reach this statement. A concentration of fulfillment formulas in the first four chapters introduce it at an early stage (1:22, 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14). As a result, by the time readers get to 5:17, they already have an idea of what Jesus may mean by fulfillment. The concept is also prominent after the Sermon on the Mount, with similar formulas reappearing at least another five times (8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 27:9).[21] The fulfillment of 5:17 should not be isolated or separated from this larger theme. To ensure the tip of the iceberg in 5:17 does not break away from the major theme that lies underneath, our interpretation of it should reflect the sixteen uses of πληρόω elsewhere in Matthew, most prominently in the fulfillment formulas.[22]
The Fulfillment Formulas. It is important not to miss the significance of these formulas. Patrick Schreiner shows they have been carefully placed to establish the theme of fulfillment in the opening chapters and then included again at key junctures in the rest of the narrative so as to "color the way readers engage the entire Gospel."[23] As set out above, the collection of the first five formulas in the opening four chapters clearly highlights the centrally of this concept at an early stage (1:22, 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14). As France says, they "set the tone for Matthew’s whole gospel".[24] The remaining five are then located throughout the rest of Matthew to refer to larger sections of Jesus’ ministry (8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 27:9). For example, the formula in 8:17 likely refers to the series of healings Jesus performs in Matthew 8–9, and the formula in 21:4 to the journey to Jerusalem first mentioned in 16:21.[25] In this way, Matthew’s overarching narrative could be accurately retold by simply focusing on these ten formulas. As France puts it, together they "form a concentrated "manifesto" setting out how Jesus the Messiah fulfills the hopes of OT Israel."[26] While there is more to fulfillment in Matthew than these formulas, they are important enough to demonstrate beyond any doubt that fulfillment is a key theme. Indeed, France even understands them to indicate that fulfillment is the central theme of the whole book.[27] As a result, any attempt to understand fulfillment without considering them is methodologically mistaken.
The basic meaning of fulfillment in the formulas is relatively clear, as it matches the normal sense of the verb πληρόω. As shown in BDAG, it can mean "to make full" literally, as well as "complete a period of time" or "bring to a designed end".[28] Schreiner helpfully classifies these into three depictions: a "spatial metaphor", like filling a cup, a "temporal comparison", as with reaching a certain age, and a "logical association". It is this last meaning that is common in relation to a prophecy or promise, and so is central to the formulas.[29] Moo argues, interpreting fulfill like this means Jesus accomplishes "that to which the Old Testament looked forward."[30] Such an understanding creates a clear contrast with abolishing, and so matches the context of 5:17. To return to the wrecking ball metaphor, rather than demolishing the Old Testament building project, Jesus came to bring its construction to its completion. As Schreiner puts it, "all things are brought to fruition in and through Jesus."[31] As this is the meaning of fulfillment in the ten formulas, this is the primary way that the concept of fulfillment is understood in Matthew.
The Prophetic Function of the Law. While such an interpretation of fulfillment is easy to comprehend in relation to prophecy, it is more difficult to understand how Jesus brings other parts of the Old Testament to completion. To see what it means for Jesus to bring the Law to a designed end, it is important to recognize that prophecy in Matthew is not limited to the Prophets. This is made explicit in 11:13, where Jesus explains: "all the Prophets and the Law prophesized until John".[32] In Matthew, it seems Jesus can be said to fulfill every part of the Old Testament (5:17) because every part of it is prophetic (11:13). This includes not just predictions in the Prophets, but also obligations in the Law. Snodgrass gives further support to this, pointing out that all eight uses of νόμος in Matthew are linked to prophecy.[33] As seen above, "the Law" is grouped with "the Prophets" to speak of the Old Testament four times (5:17, 7:12, 11:13; 22:40). Two further mentions of the Law are made in those same units (5:18; 22:36). Finally, on the two occasions νόμος appears completely by itself (12:5; 23:23), Matthew immediately proceeds to either quote from or allude to the Prophets, with Hosea 6:6 quoted in 12:7 and Micah 6:8 alluded to in 23:23.[34] As a result, it is clear the main function the Law has in Matthew is a prophetic one.
To help understand what this means for the Law, it is important to see that even when Matthew speaks of fulfilling "the Prophets", he often does not mean direct predictions.[35] This is made clear by examining the ten fulfillment formulas, of which only four (4:14–16; 8:17; 12:17–21; 21:4–5) likely refer to explicit predictions (Isa 9:1–2; 53:4; 42:1–3; Zech 9:9).[36] Looking at the other six formulas demonstrates fulfillment in Matthew, even of the Prophets, does not need a direct prediction. For example, in 2:15, the flight of Jesus’ family to Egypt fulfills the historic Exodus event, as described in Hosea 11:1. Likewise, in 2:17–18, the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem fulfill the lamentation of Jewish mothers at the time of deportation (Jer 31:5). Perhaps most elusive of all in 2:23 Jesus’ relocation to Nazareth fulfills the prophecy that "he would be called a Nazarene." This is despite there being no such explicit prophecy in the Old Testament.[37] The three remaining formulas also follow this non-predictive pattern (1:22, 13:35; 27:9–10).
It is perhaps for this reason that Snodgrass suggests Matthew’s concept of fulfillment defies our understanding.[38] However, as clearly shown by James Hamilton Jr., these all follow typological rather than predictive fulfillment.[39]As France likewise explains, "Fulfillment for Mathew seems to operate at many levels, embracing much more of the pattern of OT history and language than merely its prophetic predictions."[40] Similarly, D. A. Carson shows that Matthew’s view of fulfillment is analogous to that which operates in Hebrews, "which understands laws, institutions and past redemptive events to have a major prophetic function in pointing the way to their fulfillment and culmination in Jesus."[41] Therefore, as editorial insertions commentating on the narrative, these formulas show readers that Jesus fulfills the Law and the Prophets, just as he claims in 5:17, through both predictive and typological fulfillment. While all ten of the formulas quote passages from the Prophets, rather than the Law, they use a typological view of fulfillment that enables the reader to understand how Jesus’ life, death and resurrection can also accomplish what the Law points to. As Schreiner concludes, "What the OT promised, therefore, is fulfilled in him. Any theology of the law must not be severed from the story line of the Gospel."[42]
Other evidence in Matthew. While the prominence of the formulas and the prophetic function of the Law demonstrate the primary feature of fulfillment is that of Jesus accomplishing what it prophesied, this can also be seen from other evidence in the book. For example, Matthew is arranged so the healing of the leper in 8:1–4 immediately follows the Sermon on the Mount. Given the thesis of that discourse is Jesus fulfilling the Law and the Prophets,[43] it is significant that after healing the leper, Jesus tells him to "offer the gift that Moses commanded" in Leviticus 14 "for a proof to them" (8:4). As argued by Carson, this not only provides proof of the leper’s healing, but also of the healer himself.[44] Therefore, in 8:4, we clearly see one way in which the Law points to Jesus, testifying to what he came to accomplish. Additionally, it should not be forgotten that future predictions are not limited to the Prophets, for they are also found in the Law. For example, in Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses promises a prophet like him will be sent in the future. As argued extensively by Allison, and discussed below, Matthew presents Jesus to be this "New Moses".[45] This is yet another example of Christ accomplishing what the Law prophesied.
(2) TEACHING WHAT THE LAW INTENDS
While the first feature of fulfillment discussed above is most prominent in Matthew, three others can also be identified. From the beginning it should be noted these are all closely connected to the first feature. Indeed, it could be argued they are simply implications of Christ accomplishing what the Law pointed to. However, this study considers them as distinct features, as this helps to describe the relationship between Christ and the Mosaic Law in greater detail. As argued above, great care should be taken not to separate the Law from the Prophets, as both are seen to be holistically fulfilled by Christ in Matthew. However, that both are fulfilled does not mean that both must be fulfilled through the exact same means. For example, we have seen that both predictive and typological prophecy point to Jesus, and yet do so in different ways. This paper also argues Matthew includes at least three features of fulfillment in relation to the Law that can be distinguished, though never disconnected, from the fulfillment of the rest of the Old Testament. The first of these, Christ teaching what the Law intends, is best seen in the Antitheses of the Sermon on the Mount (5:21–48), though it is also seen in other instances of Jesus teaching.
The Antitheses (5:21–48). This focus on the Law being fulfilled in a distinct way is evident in 5:17–20. While 5:17 states that Jesus fulfils "the Law" and "the Prophets", it moves on to speak only of "the Law" in 5:18–20. For Moo, this "clearly gives a particular nuance to the phrase, so that the ‘commanding’ or ethical aspect of the Scriptures is highlighted."[46] The nature of the Sermon on the Mount confirms this conclusion, for it is ethical commands that dominate the discourse, particularly the section that follows (5:21–48). As Moo points out, "The focus in Matthew 5 is clearly on the relationship between the OT and Jesus’ teaching, not his actions."[47] Just as any interpretation of fulfillment must reflect the meaning of the fulfillment formulas, it must also cover the nature of fulfillment in the immediate context of 5:17.[48] For while 5:17–20 contains the most direct discussion of Christ’s relationship with the Law, it is only in 5:21–48 that we see how this understanding of fulfillment is applied in six different ethical commands.
Known as the Antitheses, in each of these six instances Jesus makes the same contrast: "You have heard that it was said," followed by, "But I say to you" (5:21–22; cf. 5:27–28, 31–32, 33–34; 38–39; 43–44). In the first half, Jesus usually quotes from the Law. For example, in 5:21 he cites the prohibition of murder (Exod 20:13). Snodgrass correctly points out the references to this being said "to the people long ago" (5:21, 33).[49] However, from this, we should not conclude with Snodgrass that Jesus corrects the Law. For example, the quote in 5:43 is a clear distortion of Leviticus 19:18, which requires love for neighbor but says nothing of hating your enemies. As a result, it appears Jesus is correcting common misinterpretations of the Law. This becomes clearer when Jesus’ teaching in each case is examined further. For example, in 5:33–37, Jesus responds to the abuse of oath-taking through casuistry that was common in his day, as he does again later in 23:16–22.[50] Similarly, in 5:31–32, he likewise responds to the abuse of divorce justified by the Hillel school of interpretation, as seen again in 19:1–9.[51] This conclusion, that Jesus is correcting misinterpretations of the Law, is confirmed by 5:20, as Jesus calls for a righteousness surpassing that of "the scribes and the Pharisees", the Jewish interpreters of the Law. As Schreiner says, the Antitheses teach, "Genuine fulfillment of the law goes beyond what the Pharisees demanded."[52]
However, even among those who view the Antitheses as correcting misinterpretations of the Law, there is disagreement regarding what is positively taught instead. For example, some like Ulrich Luz see Jesus reestablishing the Law, affirming every iota and dot.[53] However, given total continuity contradicts other passages in Matthew discussed below (15:1–20; 17:24–27), a more common view is to suggest that Jesus abolishes the categories of civil and ceremonial law, while confirming that of moral law.[54] This tripartite division of the Law has a long heritage.[55] However, it is found nowhere in the Old or New Testaments, which treat the Law holistically as part of the Mosaic Covenant.[56] This is also true in Matthew, where it is consistently connected to the rest of the Old Testament, and referenced as one complete unit in 5:19, with every "iota and dot" being fulfilled rather than abolished.[57] Therefore, Jesus is not picking some parts of the Law to establish indefinitely in the Antitheses, but fulfilling the Law in a way that treats it as a whole.
As a result, it is far better to read the Antitheses as showing that Christ’s "demands surpass those of the Torah without contradicting the Torah."[58] However, contrary to Davies and Allison, the Torah not only supplies a point of departure,[59] but also sets the direction of travel. Yet, instead of understanding the Antitheses to "mostly intensify Torah commands" or deepen the requirements of the Law,[60] it is better to see them separately teaching what the Law intends, explaining the righteousness to which it points. This understanding clearly corresponds with the meaning of fulfillment explored under the first feature, with the Law’s obligations prophetically pointing to the commands of Jesus. As Carson puts it, "in every case, Jesus contrasts the people’s misunderstanding of the law with the true direction in which the law points."[61] This development from the teaching of the Law to that of Jesus is clearly seen in Matthew, for in 24:35 it is Christ’s words, rather than the Law (5:18), that are to remain until heaven and earth pass away.[62] Further, the commission at the end of Matthew is to teach all that Jesus has commanded (28:20). As Moo explains, "It is the law as fulfilled by Jesus that must be done, not the law in its original form."[63]
This transformation that Jesus brings about for the Law is undoubtedly part of his role as the New Moses, first introduced above (Deut 18:15), by which God provides a definitive and final word to his people. While the prominence of this theme in Matthew is debated, its presence is clear, particularly around the Sermon on the Mount.[64] That Jesus is the true interpreter of the Law, the one who teaches what it intends, is highlighted not only through the Antitheses, but also at the end of the discourse, where his authority shows that he is not merely another rabbi (7:29).
Other instances of Jesus teaching. This feature of fulfillment, teaching what the Law intends, is seen throughout the rest of Matthew as well. It is clear in Jesus’ teaching that the Law intends, above all else, to command love of God and neighbor (7:12; 22:34–40). It is also seen in his interaction with the rich young man (19:16–22), for he commands the man to sell his goods and follow him, revealing what the original obligations of the Law now intend in his situation.[65] Likewise, Christ teaching what the Law intended on divorce is seen in 19:1–9, where instead of focusing on correcting a Hillel misunderstanding of the letter of the Law, Jesus goes back to the intention of marriage in Genesis 2:24 and the original aim of Mosaic permission (19:8).[66] In the same way, it is after calling hearers to take the yoke of his instruction (11:29), not the yoke of the Torah, that Matthew immediately introduces the Sabbath controversy (12:1–14).[67] Through this, the rest that is found in Jesus (11:29), the Lord of the Sabbath (12:8), is shown to be the rest the Law always pointed to.[68] In each of these examples, Jesus is not simply clarifying what the Law meant under Moses. While he sometimes does this as a consequence, he is primarily telling his followers what the Law now means by teaching them about the righteousness it always intended.
(3) IMPLYING THAT THE LAW ENDS
As seen above, the primary feature of fulfillment in Matthew is Jesus accomplishing what the Law prophesied, followed by Jesus teaching what it intends. However, another feature of fulfillment that must also be recognized is Jesus implying that the Law ends. This can initially seem to contradict Jesus’ denial of abolishing the Law in 5:17, as well as its permeance in 5:18–19. However, as Carson has shown, it is helpful to compare 5:17 with the similar statement in 10:34, for it is hard to argue that Jesus, in no way brings peace to the earth.[69] Therefore, abolish in 5:17 must be similarly nuanced. Further, as Banks points out, the prophetic function of the Law, which is so central to Matthew’s understanding, inevitably includes both continuity and discontinuity, for what is prophetic must also in some sense be provisional.[70] As seen in the Antitheses, fulfill does not simply mean establish. Jesus did not come to cause the Law to stay in its original form, but bring it to its designed end. The Law ends not because it is demolished, but because it is completed. The direct role of the Law is finished because it has been fulfilled, and it is in this state of fulfillment that it is permanent. Moo defines this as "abrogation", which means the "declaring invalid of the natural meaning of the Law for the Christian dispensation."[71]
For examples in Matthew, Moo points to at least partial abrogation of divorce (19:1–12), the Sabbath (12:1–14), swearing (5:33–37) and food laws (15:1–20).[72] However, abrogation is by no means clear in relation to the first three of these. While Jesus teaches the true intention of the Law with respect to divorce, it is unclear whether he ultimately transforms its position, as opposed to simply correcting contemporary misinterpretations. Similarly, while Jesus claims authority over Sabbath laws (12:8), he never explicitly uses this to allow what the Law explicitly prohibits. Indeed, he even directly relies on a precedent in the Law to prove that the behavior of his disciples on the Sabbath was not a breach (12:5).[73] Finally, as argued above, the best way to understand the teaching in 5:33–37 is as a hyperbolic condemnation of casuistry, not prohibiting oaths of every kind. Therefore, the most that can be clearly argued from these three examples is that Jesus implies that he has the authority to abrogate such laws, not that he actually did so.
However, this is not the case with respect to the food laws in 15:1–20. In 15:1–9, Jesus clearly teaches the traditions of men are not sufficient a reason to break the commands of God. However, he immediately goes on to radically alter these, explaining "it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth" (15:11). This not only undermines the tradition of eating with unwashed hands (15:30), but also contradicts explicit commands in the Law regarding unclean foods (Lev 11; Deut 14). Mark makes this clear in its account in 7:19, by commenting, "Thus he declared all foods clean." However, the lack of such commentary in Matthew does not mean this conclusion is not evident.[74] Contrary to Snodgrass, the contradiction between Christ’s teaching and the Law is clear.[75] A similarly clear example of abrogation occurs in 17:24–27, where Jesus discusses the temple tax imposed by the Law as "a ransom" for the life of every Israelite (Exod 30:11–16). In stating that "sons" are free from this requirement (17:26), Jesus clearly abrogates this obligation under the Law. Schreiner suggests the narrative goes on to show how Jesus fulfills what the tax pointed to, giving his life as a ransom for many (20:28).[76] There are other less clear instances of abrogation in Matthew. For example, in 8:1–4, when Jesus touches the leper, it perhaps implies the Law no longer operates in the same way in relation to defilement (Lev 13).[77] However, it is 15:1–20 and 17:24–27 that demonstrate beyond doubt that fulfillment in Matthew includes Jesus implying that the Law has, in some sense, come to an end.
(4) OBEYING WHAT THE LAW COMMANDED
In discussing the above, it is important we do not miss the final feature of fulfillment. For as much as Matthew teaches that Jesus abrogates the Law, it also shows Jesus obeying it. This has sometimes been overlooked. For example, Carson states, "The focus of Matthew 5 is the relation between the OT and Jesus’ teaching, not his actions. So any interpretation that says Jesus fulfills the law by doing it misses the point of this passage."[78] However, while teaching is certainly the primary feature of fulfillment in Matthew 5, obedience cannot be entirely detached from the concept in 5:17. For in 5:19, Jesus states that in order to be called great in the kingdom of heaven, one must both teach and keep the Law. While the former is most obvious in Matthew, the latter is not entirely absent. In this way, both Snodgrass and Luz correctly connect Jesus’ obedience to his fulfillment, even if they wrongly argue it is more prominent than it really is.[79]
In relation to this feature in Matthew, it is important to note Christ’s obedience relates only to the Law as written in the Old Testament, rather than oral traditions added to it. It is clear Jesus broke oral traditions of his day (9:9–17; 12:9–14; 15:1–2), particularly if it was necessary for ministry purposes.[80] However, despite this, it is remarkable Christ is never seen in Matthew to break the Law itself. Though he brings food laws to an end (15:1–20), he is nowhere charged with breaching them. His opponents can only complain about the company he eats with (9:11), which he goes on to show actually keeps, rather than breaks, Old Testament obligations (9:13).[81] Likewise, as above, while Jesus claims authority to alter the Sabbath laws (12:8), nowhere is he seen to breach them. The obedience of Jesus to the Law is also seen explicitly in the temple tax. For while he implies it is abrogated, he provides for it to be paid for Peter and himself (17:27).
It is possible the clearest reference to fulfillment through Jesus’ obedience is in 3:15, where he explicitly states that his baptism is fitting "to fulfill all righteousness." However, the righteousness spoken of in 3:15 does not directly relate to any requirement of the Law, and it is more consistent to interpret this fulfillment as mainly prophetic, in accordance with the formulas. In this way, the baptism primarily speaks of Jesus becoming a representative of God’s people by identifying with them, as pointed to in suffering servant prophecies (Isa 42; 53).[82] However, the arrangement of this section may perhaps suggest obedience is also a minor feature. For after the Spirit descends at his baptism, it immediately leads him into the wild to overcome temptations by stressing the necessity of obeying the Law (4:1–11; cf. Deut 8:3; 6:16; 6:13). Given this, and that Jesus instructs others to obey the Law on several occasions (5:24; 8:4; 15:1–9; 19:16–19; 23:23), it is surely evident that he did so himself. Therefore, obeying what the Law commands is clearly a feature, albeit the most minor one, of how Jesus fulfills the Law in Matthew.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF FULFILLMENT IN MATTHEW
While this paper cannot consider implications of this fulfillment in detail, it can briefly highlight a few before concluding. First, it should be noted all four features correspond with how fulfillment is treated in the rest of the New Testament. As stated above, accomplishing what the Law prophesied typologically is central in Hebrews, which argues that the Law points to Jesus in Sabbath rest (4:1–13), priesthood (5:1–10), tabernacle (9:1–28), and sacrificial system (10:1–18). Further, in a statement only rivalled in significance by Matthew 5:17, Paul likewise proclaims "Christ is the culmination of the law" (Rom 10:4 NIV). Similarly, Paul’s concepts of both "the Law of Christ" (1 Cor 9:21; Gal 6:2 ESV), and love fulfilling the Law (Rom 13:8; Gal 5:14), reflect Christ teaching what the Law intends. That the Law is brought to an end is also evident in the rest of the New Testament (Acts 10–11; 15:1–21; Gal 3–4; Eph 2:11–16). Finally, while the theme of obeying what the Law commands is more minor in Matthew, it reappears in other parts of the New Testament (Rom 8:1–4; Gal 4:4; 1 Pet 2:22). Therefore, despite arguments to the contrary,[83] fulfillment in Matthew clearly aligns with that of the New Testament as a whole.[84]
As set out at the start, the nature of fulfillment in Matthew has implications for the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, and especially that of the Law and Christians today. Identifying these is beyond the scope of this paper. However, in this, it will be important to note the unique point that Matthew occupies in salvation history. For some of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew addresses Jews who are still under the Law, and almost all his actions occur prior to his cross and resurrection.[85] However, despite this, it is possible to draw clear implications from fulfillment in Matthew. For example, the first three features all prove Moo is correct to conclude, "The entire Mosaic law comes to fulfillment in Christ, and this fulfillment means that this law is no longer a direct and immediate source of, or judge of, the conduct of God’s people."[86] In one way, this is uncontroversial, for "virtually all Christians at all times have accepted the abrogation of some OT commandments – those relating to the sacrificial system for example."[87] However, this becomes much more controversial when considering ethical demands, particularly the status of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1–17. Although almost all Christians accept aspects of these are abrogated, for example the land promise (20:12) or a seventh day Sabbath (20:10–11), how they specifically relate to Christians today is highly contested. However, it is hoped that the four features of fulfillment outlined in this paper may help to provide a framework by which the relationship of Christians to the Law, as completely fulfilled in Christ, can be better explained.
CONCLUSION
This paper has shown the significant theme of fulfillment of the Law has at least four features in Matthew, primarily of accomplishing what it prophesied, as well as teaching what it intends, implying that it ends, and, lastly, obeying what it commanded. In doing so, it has proved "what the law pointed to is now fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus. Every part of the Old Testament finds its fulfillment in him, and it must be interpreted in light of the coming of Jesus Christ."[88] While it can be distinguished, the Law cannot be separated from the fulfillment of the rest of the Old Testament. There are still many questions requiring skilled scribes to determine what is new and old (13:52). However, these four features can assist us in this. Further, what is clear beyond all doubt, is that the ultimate focus of all four features of fulfillment in Matthew is Christological, for he is the one in whom every part of the Old Testament finds its completion.[89]
[1] Douglas J. Moo, "The Law of Christ as the Fulfillment of the Law of Moses: A Modified Lutheran View," in The Law, the Gospel, and the Modern Christian: Five Views, ed. Willem Van Gemeren (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1993), 350.
[2] Jonathan T. Pennington, The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2018), 170.
[3] Pennington, The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, 170; Thomas R. Schreiner, New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008), 627.
[4] Leon Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992), 3.
[5] Patrick Schreiner, Matthew, Disciple and Scribe: The First Gospel and Its Portrait of Jesus (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2019), 38. Morris notes that there are "61 quotations from the Old Testament in this Gospel compared with 31 in Mark, 26 in Luke, and 16 in John." Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, 3
[6] R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007), 10. Fulfillment quotations only occurring once in Mark and twice in Luke. See Schreiner, Matthew, Disciple and Scribe, 38.
[7] Schreiner, New Testament Theology, 174. Another such moment is clearly the Sermon on the Mount.
[8] Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, 3–11; France, The Gospel of Matthew, 15–18.
[9] Schreiner, New Testament Theology, 170–73.
[10] Schreiner, Matthew, Disciple and Scribe, 38.
[11] France, The Gospel of Matthew, 10.
[12] France, The Gospel of Matthew, 10.
[13] W. D. Davies and Dale C. Allison Jr, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, vol. 1, International Critical Commentary (New York: T&T Clark International, 2004), 484. They demonstrate this was a traditional phrase widely used in other literature, including in both the Apocrypha and rest of the New Testament, to refer to the whole of the Old Testament Scriptures.
[14] D. A. Carson, Matthew, in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 9, Matthew and Mark, rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 173.
[15] Carson, Matthew, 178.
[16] Robert A. Guelich, The Sermon on the Mount: A Foundation for Understanding (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1982), 145–49. Guelich argues the second clause limits the first and the Law is fulfilled before history ends.
[17] Thomas R. Schreiner, "The Fulfillment of the Law" (paper presented to the Dispensational Study Group of the Evangelical Theological Society, accessed September 26, 2022), 18.
[18] Douglas J. Moo, "Jesus and the Authority of the Mosaic Law," Journal for the Study of the New Testament 7, no. 20 (1984): 27.
[19]Morris gives a simple summary: "To fulfil has been understood in three main ways: (1) It may mean that he would do the things laid down in Scripture. (2) It may mean that he would bring out the full meaning of Scripture. (3) It may mean in his life and teaching he would bring Scripture to its completion." Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, 108. Alternatively, Davies and Allison have a more comprehensive list: (1) It could be, "I did not come to destroy the law of Moses nor did I come to add to the law of Moses". (2) It means "establish" or "make valid" (3) It means "obey". (4) It means observing it perfectly in his life and ministry. (5) Jesus brings in a new law which transcends the old. (6) The Law is fulfilled as Jesus explains the original intention or expands its demands. (7) It means Jesus enables others to meet the Law’s demands. (8) It means Jesus brings a new righteousness, for it is love that fulfills the Law. (9) It is eschatological, and this prophecy has been realized. Davies and Allison, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, 485–86. See also Carson, Matthew, 173–74.
[20] Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, 108. Similarly, after giving nine possible interpretations, Davies and Allison chiefly argue for a combination between the fifth and ninth options. Davies and Allison, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, 486.
[21] While some argue for up to fourteen formulas, there is only consensus over ten. Carson, Matthew, 51.
[22] Schreiner, "The Fulfillment of the Law", 19. Similarly, Carson argues fulfillment in 5:17 should have the same meaning as the formulas, which highlight that the Old Testament points to Jesus. Carson, Matthew, 174. Davies and Allison also come to this conclusion, arguing fulfill in 5:17 certainly has prophetic content, for Matthew uses it most frequently to express fulfillment of the Old Testament in the formulas. Davies and Allison, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, 486
[23] Schreiner, Matthew, Disciple and Scribe, 43.
[24] France, The Gospel of Matthew, 10.
[25] Schreiner, Matthew, Disciple and Scribe, 43.
[26] France, The Gospel of Matthew, 12.
[27] France, The Gospel of Matthew, 10.
[28] William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, Walter Bauer, and F. Wilbur Gingrich, "πληρόω," in A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed (Chicago:University of Chicago Press, 2000). By using it to refer to fish "filling" a net in 13:48, we see an example of the spatial lexical meaning.
[29] However, as Schreiner argues, these "are not contradictory but complementary" nuances, as different aspects of meaning are simply highlighted to us in different contexts. As a result, he concludes Christ’s fulfillment of the Old Testament ultimately includes all three depictions: "Jesus fills up Jewish history, he completes the time of Israel, and he brings Israel to its logical telos." Schreiner, Matthew, Disciple and Scribe, 39.
[30] Moo, "The Law of Christ as the Fulfillment of the Law of Moses," 352.
[31] Schreiner, Matthew, Disciple and Scribe, 39.
[32] This connection between the concepts in 5:17–20 and 11:13 is confirmed by Luke 16:16–17 directly connecting the prophetic function of the Old Testament from 11:13 with language regarding the permeance of the Scripture from 5:18. This theme is strong in Luke’s Gospel, culminating at the end in 24:27: "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."
[33] Klyne R. Snodgrass, "Matthew's Understanding of the Law," Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology 46, no. 4 (1992): 370. Snodgrass also shows this is not only true of explicit mentions of the Law, for there is also a strong connection to the Prophets where Matthew is dealing with the substance of actual commandments in the Law. For example, in 15:3¬–9, failure to honor one’s parents is condemned with words from Isaiah 29:13.
[34] Snodgrass, "Matthew's Understanding of the Law," 370.
[35] Of course, on many occasions in Matthew, Old Testament quotations should be read as direct predictions of the events of Jesus’ life (for example in 2:6, 3:3 and 11:10).
[36] While it could be argued that the quotation of Isaiah 7:14 in the formula of 1:13 operates as a direct prediction, it is better to understand this Old Testament text typologically for the reasons outlined by Carson 104–6.
[37] As argued by Carson, it is best to understand this as "the substance of several OT passages", focusing on a pattern of prophesises that state the Messiah will be despised. For more details see Carson, Matthew, 124.
[38] Snodgrass, "Matthew's Understanding of the Law," 368.
[39] James M. Hamilton Jr., ""The virgin will conceive": typological fulfillment in Matthew 1:18-23," in Built Upon the Rock: Studies in the Gospel of Matthew, ed. Daniel M Gurtner and John Nolland (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), 231. In a well-reasoned definition, Hamilton demonstrates typological fulfillment occurs when there is "God-ordained, author-intended historical correspondence and escalation in significance between people, events, and institutions across the Bible’s redemptive-historical story." James M. Hamilton Jr., Typology: Understanding the Bible's Promise-Shaped Patterns: How Old Testament Expectations Are Fulfilled in Christ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2022), 26. See also Schreiner, Matthew, Disciple and Scribe, 40.
[40] France, The Gospel of Matthew, 12.
[41] Carson, Matthew, 99. He goes on, "Matthew holds that certain major redemptive appointments in the Old Testament (e.g., the exodus, the exile), and certain prophecies surrounding Old Testament figures (especially David), are not only significant in their own right but enjoy a prophetic function fulfilled in Jesus Messiah."
[42] Schreiner, New Testament Theology, 623.
[43] Fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets as the main thesis of the Sermon on the Mount is well argued by Pennington, but in any event, should be immediately evident from the fact that the idea bookends the main body of the discourse (5:17; 7:12). Pennington, The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, 170.
[44] Carson, Matthew, 237.
[45] Dale C. Allison Jr., The New Moses: A Matthean Typology (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993).
[46] Moo, "Jesus and the Authority of the Mosaic Law," 6.
[47] Moo, "Jesus and the Authority of the Mosaic Law," 24.
[48] As Schreiner argues, "Methodologically, it seems best to use the existing context of Matthew 5:15–48 to determine the meaning of the word." Schreiner, "The Fulfillment of the Law," 18.
[49] Snodgrass, "Matthew's Understanding of the Law," 374.
[50] Schreiner, New Testament Theology, 629.
[51] Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, 120.
[52] Schreiner, "The Fulfillment of the Law," 21.
[53] Ulrich Luz, Studies in Matthew (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005), 15, 21. Luz argues Matthew wrote to a community that upheld the Law, requires this for Jews and provides a complete affirmation of the Law.
[54] Wenham argues that by fulfil, Matthew means establish. In 5:21–48, this means unlike the ceremonial law, the moral law is not superseded but included in the new Christian framework. David Wenham, "Jesus and the Law: An Exegesis on Matthew 5:17–20" Themelios 4.3 (1979): 93, 95. Wright and Bird similarly argue that while "Jesus relaxes some purity regulations for gentile believers... he intensifies the moral vision of the Torah...". Michael F. Bird and N. T Wright, The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christian (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2019), 601.
[55] Bauckham traces this division back to its beginning in Aquinas in the 13th Century. R. J. Bauckham, "Sabbath and Sunday in the Medieval Church in the West," in From Sabbath to Lord’s Day: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Investigation, ed. D. A. Carson (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 1999), 305.
[56] For example, see Deuteronomy 27, Galatians 3, and Romans 7. For further discussion, see Meyer’s excellent treatment of the topic. Jason C. Meyer, "The Mosaic Law, Theological Systems, and the Glory of Christ," in Progressive Covenantalism: Charting a Course between Dispensational and Covenant Theologies, ed. Stephen J. Wellum, and Brent E. Parker (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2016), 87–89.
[57] Carson, Matthew, 174. While Jesus distinguishes between weigher and lighter matters of the Law in 23:23, he leaves his audience in no doubt that both are equally binding for them. That the Law is to be accepted as a whole is also clear from elsewhere in the New Testament, particularly in Galatians 5:3 and James 2:10.
[58] Davies and Allison, Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew, 508.
[59] Davies and Allison, Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew, 508.
[60] Bird and Wright, The New Testament in Its World, 593.
[61] Carson argues this reflects that, as explored below, some parts of his teaching revoke the letter of the Law, explaining they do so "not because they are thereby affirming the law’s true spirit, but because Jesus insists that his teaching on these matters is the direction in which the laws actually point." Carson, Matthew, 180. Similarly, "Jesus "fulfills" the law not by explaining it or by extending it, but by proclaiming the standards of kingdom righteousness that were anticipated." Moo, "The Law of Christ as the Fulfillment of the Law of Moses," 352.
[62] Pennington, The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, 177.
[63] Moo, "The Law of Christ as the Fulfillment of the Law of Moses," 353.
[64] Schreiner accepts Christ’s birth, baptism and temptation, as well as the setting of the Sermon on the Mount, all at least suggest he is a new and better Moses. Schreiner, New Testament Theology, 173–75. However, Allison sees the theme to be much more significant throughout Matthew, and to have a significant bearing on the interpretation of the book. Allison, The New Moses: A Matthean Typology, 271–90.
[65]Moo argues while the command to sell could be seen as part of the original obligations of the Law, the command to follow Jesus goes beyond what is explicit in it. Moo, "Jesus and the Authority of the Mosaic Law," 13.
[66] "He appealed to a creational norm rather than founding his judgement on the Mosaic law. It seems, therefore, that the binding nature of Mosaic legislation is relaxed." Schreiner, New Testament Theology, 620.
[67] Schreiner, New Testament Theology, 175.
[68] The title "the Lord of the Sabbath" is itself "an assertion of superiority over the Sabbath and, hence, of the authority to abrogate or transform the Sabbath law." Moo, "Jesus and the Authority of the Mosaic Law," 17.
[69] Carson, Matthew, 172.
[70] Robert Banks, "Matthew's Understanding of the Law: Authenticity and Interpretation in Matthew 5:17–20," Journal of Biblical Literature 93, no. 2 (1974): 231. Likewise, France explains, "The Torah, then, is not God’s last word to his people, but is in a sense provisional, looking forward to a time of fulfillment through the Messiah." France, The Gospel of Matthew, 183.
[71] Moo, "Jesus and the Authority of the Mosaic Law," 14.
[72] Moo, "Jesus and the Authority of the Mosaic Law," 23.
[73] Schreiner, New Testament Theology, 624.
[74] Schreiner, New Testament Theology, 627.
[75] Snodgrass, "Matthew's Understanding of the Law," 375.
[76] Schreiner, New Testament Theology, 627.
[77] The abrogation and transformation of the purity aspects of the Law are discussed by Viljoen, who argues that even while Jesus appears to possibly violate the Law in 8:3, he is fact is fulfilling it. Francois P. Viljoen, "Jesus healing the leper and the Purity Law in the Gospel of Matthew," in Die Skriflig 48(2), (2014): 196–202.
[78] Carson, Matthew, 173.
[79] Snodgrass, "Matthew's Understanding of the Law," 372. Luz clearly argues Christ fulfils the Law and the Prophets "by satisfying their commandments in every respect." Luz, Studies in Matthew, 57.
[80] Moo, "Jesus and the Authority of the Mosaic Law," 5.
[81] Schreiner points out this is one of many examples in Matthew of "justification for Jesus' controversial actions from the OT – explanations that are lacking in Mark." Schreiner, New Testament Theology, 625. This clearly highlights the prominence of this theme in Matthew as opposed to Mark.
[82] France, The Gospel of Matthew, 120. Morris, The Gospel according to Matthew, 65. Davies and Allison, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, 326–27.
[83] Guelich and Betz suggested this. Guelich, The Sermon on the Mount, 162. Hans Dieter Betz, Essays on the Sermon on the Mount(Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985), 38. It is still the consensus of some, as seen in the survey by Deines, yet he similarly concludes such a view is not consistent with Matthew itself. Roland Deines, "Not the Law but the Messiah: Law and Righteousness in the Gospel of Matthew," in Built Upon the Rock: Studies in the Gospel of Matthew, ed. by Daniel M Gurtner and John Nolland (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), 55–56, 82.
[84] This can also be seen by comparing these four features of fulfillment with a threefold summary of the Law in Paul, being that of repudiation, replacement, and reappropriation, as argued in Brian S. Rosner, Paul and the Law: Keeping the Commandments of God, ed. D. A. Carson, vol. 31, New Studies in Biblical Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2013), 39. Similarly, Schreiner also argues "the overarching theme in Paul's theology of law is "fulfilment." Schreiner, "The Fulfillment of the Law," 10.
[85] Schreiner, New Testament Theology, 626. Moo, "Jesus and the Authority of the Mosaic Law," 6. Such a perspective is crucial, for example, in understanding any instruction to obey the Law in 23:23 and 24:20.
[86] Moo, "The Law of Christ as the Fulfillment of the Law of Moses," 343.
[87] Moo, "Jesus and the Authority of the Mosaic Law," 14.
[88] Schreiner, "The Fulfillment of the Law," 21.
[89] Schreiner, "The Fulfillment of the Law," 19–20.
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ALEXANDER ARRELL