Topical Bible: The Law of God: Christ: Came to Fulfil

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The concept of the Law of God is central to the biblical narrative, serving as a divine guide for moral and spiritual conduct. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ's relationship to the Law is a pivotal theme, particularly His role in fulfilling it. This entry explores the theological significance of Christ's fulfillment of the Law, drawing from scriptural references and traditional interpretations.

The Law in the Old Testament

The Law, or Torah, primarily refers to the first five books of the Old Testament, also known as the Pentateuch. It encompasses commandments, statutes, and ordinances given by God to the people of Israel. The Law was intended to set Israel apart as a holy nation and to guide them in righteous living. Key components include the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and various ceremonial, civil, and moral laws.

Christ's Fulfillment of the Law

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ's mission is intricately linked to the Law. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus declares, "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" . This statement underscores that Christ's purpose was not to negate the Law but to complete its intent and purpose.

Interpretations of Fulfillment

1. Perfect Obedience: Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience to the Law, embodying its principles in His actions and teachings. His sinless life (Hebrews 4:15) demonstrated the righteousness that the Law aimed to cultivate.

2. Prophetic Fulfillment: Christ fulfilled the prophetic aspects of the Law and the Prophets. Many Old Testament prophecies pointed to the coming Messiah, and Jesus' life, death, and resurrection fulfilled these messianic predictions (Luke 24:44).

3. Sacrificial Fulfillment: The sacrificial system outlined in the Law foreshadowed Christ's ultimate sacrifice. As the Lamb of God, Jesus offered Himself as the perfect and final atonement for sin (John 1:29; Hebrews 10:10-14), rendering the old sacrificial system obsolete.

4. Moral Fulfillment: Jesus deepened the understanding of the Law's moral imperatives. In the Sermon on the Mount, He expounded on the Law, emphasizing the spirit rather than the letter (Matthew 5-7). He taught that true righteousness exceeds mere legalistic adherence, focusing on the heart's intentions (Matthew 5:21-48).

The Law and the New Covenant

With Christ's fulfillment of the Law, believers enter into a New Covenant relationship with God. This covenant, prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34, is characterized by the internalization of God's laws, written on the hearts of believers through the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 8:10). The New Covenant emphasizes grace and faith in Christ as the means of salvation, rather than adherence to the Law (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Implications for Believers

For Christians, Christ's fulfillment of the Law means that they are no longer under the Law's condemnation (Romans 8:1). Instead, they are called to live by the Spirit, which empowers them to uphold the righteous requirements of the Law (Romans 8:4). The Law's moral teachings remain relevant, guiding believers in love and holiness, as they follow Christ's example and teachings.

In summary, Jesus Christ's fulfillment of the Law is a foundational aspect of Christian theology, highlighting His role as the perfect embodiment of God's will and the mediator of a New Covenant. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Christ accomplished what the Law foreshadowed, providing a path to righteousness and reconciliation with God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 5:17
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

"For what the Law could not Do, in that it was Weak through the ...
... as the way of life; therefore, that God should not ... flesh, as the only remedy of the
law's impossibility ... That which Christ, being sent into the likeness of flesh ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon x for what the.htm

The Law; Grace.
... not in my covenant." He reckons it as their own fault that they did not continue
in God's covenant, lest ... For it was the very law that Christ "came not to ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 34 the law grace.htm

The Law of Christian Life the Fulfilment of the Old Law.
... the eternal law of the kingdom of God; and only ... says Christ, Matt., xxii., 40) hang
all the law and the ... from the spirit of love; and this Christ came to impart ...
/.../iii the law of christian.htm

In the Name of Christ
... Christ was what He taught. ... was just the revelation of how He lived, and"praise
God"of the ... He came to fulfil the law; much more will He fulfil the gospel in ...
/.../murray/the ministry of intercession/chapter xi in the name.htm

"That the Righteousness of the Law Might be Fulfilled in Us,"
... You must once have the righteousness of the law fulfilled perfectly ... was the breaking
off of this image of God. ... is the great plot for which Christ came into the ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xv that the righteousness.htm

Fulfilling of the Law in the Higher Sense. --Particular Examples ...
... G??schel says (p. 116), "As Christ came not to abolish, but ... emotions of hatred; just
as the law of the Sabbath is fulfilled in consecrating every day to God. ...
/.../section 155 fulfilling of the.htm

The Christ of the Sermon on the Mount
... One supposition alone accounts for Christ's attitude to law and prophets in ... and that
is that the Eternal Wisdom and Personal Word of God, which at ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the christ of the sermon.htm

Obedience to God the Way to Faith in Christ.
... even the scribe put aside before the weightier matters of the Law. ... rarer than the
mere obvious duty of obedience to God; we are loth to seek Christ in the ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon xiv obedience to god.htm

"That the Righteousness of the Law Might be Fulfilled in Us. "
... that which Christ says, "I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it," Matthew
5:17, and which Paul seconds, "Is the law then made void by faith? God forbid ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xiv that the righteousness.htm

Grace and Truth
... 'The law came by Moses; truth came by Jesus Christ.'. But, still further, let me
remind you that, in the revelation of a God who is gracious, giving to our ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/grace and truth.htm