Topical Bible: The Law of Moses: Christ: Came not to Destroy But to Fulfil

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Law of Moses, also known as the Mosaic Law, comprises the commandments and ordinances given by God to the people of Israel through Moses. It is foundational to the Old Testament and includes moral, ceremonial, and civil laws. The Law is encapsulated in the first five books of the Bible, known as the Torah or Pentateuch.

Christ's Relationship to the Law

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ's relationship to the Law of Moses is a central theme. Jesus Himself addresses this in the Gospel of Matthew, where He clarifies His mission concerning the Law. In Matthew 5:17 , Jesus states, "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 declaration underscores that Christ's purpose was not to nullify the Law but to bring it to its intended completion and fulfillment.

Fulfillment of the Law

The fulfillment of the Law by Christ can be understood in several dimensions:

1. Moral Fulfillment: Jesus perfectly adhered to the moral standards of the Law, living a sinless life. His life exemplified the righteousness that the Law demands, as seen in passages like Hebrews 4:15 , which states, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin."

2. Prophetic Fulfillment: The Law and the Prophets contain numerous prophecies and types that point to the coming Messiah. Jesus fulfilled these prophecies, as He explained to His disciples after His resurrection in Luke 24:44 : "These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms."

3. Ceremonial Fulfillment: The sacrificial system and ceremonial laws of the Old Testament foreshadowed Christ's ultimate sacrifice. The Book of Hebrews elaborates on how Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was the once-for-all atonement for sin, rendering the old sacrificial system obsolete (Hebrews 10:1-10).

4. Redemptive Fulfillment: Through His death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled the Law's requirement for justice and provided redemption for humanity. Romans 8:3-4 explains, "For what the Law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous standard of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."

Implications for Believers

For believers, Christ's fulfillment of the Law means that they are no longer under the Law's condemnation. Instead, they are called to live by the Spirit, embodying the righteousness that the Law intended. The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 3:24-25 , "So the Law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian."

In summary, Jesus Christ's coming did not abolish the Law of Moses but fulfilled its deepest purposes, bringing to fruition the promises and prophecies contained within it. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He established a new covenant, inviting all to partake in the grace and truth He embodies.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 5:17,18
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

The Law Given, not to Retain a People for Itself, but to Keep ...
... are unfit to receive the grace of Christ, until they ... Moses has admirably shown that
the Law, which can produce ... he came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfil (Mt ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 7 the law given.htm

The Christ of the Sermon on the Mount
... Their language was 'Moses commanded'; 'Rabbi this said so-and ... Why was it that Jesus
Christ, at the very ... to disclaim any intention of destroying the law or the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the christ of the sermon.htm

The Transfiguration
... ye HIM, and Him only, henceforward.' And Moses and Elijah ... away, leaving Christ alone
to fulfil the Law and the ... are apt to do nowadays; for Christ came into the ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon xv the transfiguration.htm

Weighed in the Balances
... What did Christ say? ... away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law,
till all be fulfilled." The commandments of God given to Moses in the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/weighed in the balances.htm

Introductory Remarks.
... It is the constant doctrine of Christ and his apostles that he came in ... "All things
must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter i introductory remarks.htm

Again in John v. 2, Etc. , on the Five Porches, Where Lay a Great ...
... because Moses did this, this Elias, this Christ, that this ... appeared, the Lord in
the middle, Moses and Elias ... signifies the ten precepts of the Law, which the ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon lxxv again in john.htm

"That the Righteousness of the Law Might be Fulfilled in Us. "
... of God published by himself, (Exodus 34:6, 7.) to Moses, engraven deeply ... This is
that which Christ says, "I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xiv that the righteousness.htm

Fundamental Oneness of the Dispensations.
... If, then, we turn away from Christ to Moses, that faithful ... but in the Cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, might receive ... Lord, "that I came to destroy the Law or the ...
/.../chapter iii fundamental oneness of.htm

Out of St. Luke's Fifth ChapterAre Found Proofs of Christ's ...
... the priest, and present the offering which Moses commanded." [3741 ... that adulator
of his own Christ, Marcion seeks ... I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter ix out of st lukes.htm

Christ the End of the Law
... Moses leads up to Joshua, and the law ends at Jesus. ... The law's stability also has
been secured by Christ. ... Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 22 1876/christ the end of the.htm