Matthew 5:17 – If Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, why do most Christians ignore many Old Testament rules today?

THE QUESTION AND BACKGROUND

Matthew 5:17 reads, “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.” Many notice that, despite this statement, most believers today do not follow certain Old Testament commands relating to diet, clothing, and ceremonial rites. This raises the question of whether ignoring these commands is contradictory to the words of Jesus.

WHAT “FULFILL” MEANS IN Matthew 5:17

The term “fulfill” in this passage can be understood to mean “bring to completion or full expression.” Jesus did not come to negate the sacred words of the Hebrew Scriptures but to bring the ultimate reality they anticipated. By living in perfect obedience and sacrificing Himself, He showed how the Law and the Prophets pointed forward to His work of redemption (Luke 24:44).

In fulfilling the Law, Jesus upheld the eternal principles behind it. He demonstrated the deeper meaning well beyond simple external adherence, as shown in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21–22). Thus, “fulfill” involves both confirming God’s established truth and culminating it through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

THE STRUCTURE OF OLD TESTAMENT LAWS

Biblical scholars and theologians have often categorized the Old Testament laws into ceremonial, civil, and moral components:

• Ceremonial laws involved temple worship, sacrificial offerings, religious festivals, and cleanliness rituals (e.g., Leviticus 14).

• Civil laws addressed legal regulations for governing ancient Israel (e.g., Deuteronomy 19:15–21).

• Moral laws encompassed universal ethical commands (e.g., the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20).

These three categories interact, but not all hold the same function under the new covenant. While moral truths remain valid for all time (and are quoted in the New Testament, e.g., Romans 13:8–10), ceremonial and civil regulations were specifically tied to Israel’s unique worship and societal framework before the promised Messiah.

WHY CERTAIN OLD TESTAMENT LAWS ARE NO LONGER PRACTICED

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial system that the ceremonial laws foreshadowed. The Epistle to the Hebrews explains that Christ offered a perfect, final sacrifice (Hebrews 9:12–14), thus bringing such offerings to a close. Ceremonial rites related to the priesthood and temple service, once a shadow of the Messiah’s atonement, are no longer performed.

Regarding civil laws, ancient Israel functioned as a theocratic nation. These laws guided the judicial system and governance for that specific people in that specific land. Believers today live under various governments and contexts, so the direct civil statutes from ancient Israel do not apply as binding law. Nevertheless, the ethical ideals behind those civil instructions often inform principles of justice and fairness.

MORAL LAWS AND THEIR CONTINUITY

Core moral commands remain thoroughly relevant to Christians (Romans 7:7). The New Testament writers frequently reaffirm the need to love God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37–40), an umbrella principle tying together commandments such as honoring parents, refusing idolatry, and abstaining from adultery, stealing, lying, or coveting.

Jesus underscored the heart attitudes behind these moral commands, showing that truly fulfilling them requires an inward transformation. Such transformation is made possible through the Holy Spirit, who indwells believers and gradually shapes them to reflect the holiness of God (Romans 8:1–4).

THE NEW COVENANT AND OLD TESTAMENT PRACTICES

Jeremiah prophesied a new covenant written on people’s hearts (Jeremiah 31:31–33). The New Testament describes this covenant as not abolishing God’s truth, but inviting humanity into a direct relationship with Him through Christ. Under this covenant, Gentile believers are not required to adopt ceremonial rituals meant to distinguish Israel from surrounding nations (Acts 15:28–29). Instead, the focus is on devotion to God’s moral will and reliance on the Messiah for salvation.

As an example, the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 shows how the early church wrestled with integrating non-Jewish believers, ultimately deciding that Christ’s atoning work superseded the need for Gentiles to embrace circumcision or ceremonial dietary rules. This moment demonstrated the shift from an ethnic-national identity based on the law of Moses to a global community bound together by faith in Jesus.

CONTEXTUAL EXAMPLES AND BIBLICAL RELIABILITY

Ancient manuscripts and archaeological findings continually support the reliability of both Old and New Testaments. The Dead Sea Scrolls (discovered at Qumran), dating back to before the time of Christ, show remarkable consistency with the Hebrew Scriptures passed down through generations. These discoveries confirm that the Old Covenant was preserved and that Jewish communities firmly maintained their ceremonial laws until the arrival of the Messiah.

Meanwhile, many historical and textual studies on the manuscripts of the New Testament—from important codices such as Sinaiticus and Vaticanus—validate the consistent message that Jesus perfectly fulfilled Old Testament expectations. This unifying narrative points to why early believers believed the Law was satisfied fully in Him.

CHRIST’S RESURRECTION AND THE NEW ERA

The resurrection of Christ marks the turning point affirming that the old era of repeated sacrifices ended with the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Without this event, the ceremonial system would potentially remain in force. However, the empty tomb signaled a complete newness of life for all who believe, freeing them from the burden of the old legal codes (Romans 7:6).

Rather than ignoring the Law, believers celebrate its fulfillment in Christ, recognizing its moral standards remain, while its ceremonial and civil aspects have achieved their purpose. This distinction aligns with the entire biblical narrative and does not undermine Old Testament authority but shows how the promises of God became reality in Christ.

CONCLUSION

Christians do not dismiss the Old Testament. Instead, they see Jesus as the One who brings its laws and prophecies to their intended completion. The ceremonial and civil components, specific to Israel’s covenant and prophetic foreshadowing of the Messiah, have served their purpose and now rest in the completed work of Christ. Moral truths grounded in God’s character remain binding and are upheld throughout the New Testament.

Thus, when Jesus said He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, He revealed the deeper and permanent truth they pointed toward. Christians honor the Old Testament’s enduring moral commands while embracing the freedom offered through the death and resurrection of the Savior. This is why some regulations no longer apply, yet they remain revered for how they pointed to the ultimate plan of God’s redemption shown in Jesus.