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NASB | Matthew 5:17 ¶ "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 5:17 ¶ "Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the Law [of Moses] or the [writings of the] Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. |
Subject: Is the Law abolished? |
Bible Note: This is a common Jewish statement. It is even used today, and was used a lot in Jesus time. "to abolish the [Torah]" meant to "misinterpret it." "to fulfill" meant to "interpret it correctly." In other words, if I were to do an essay for a Jewish professor on a passage of scripture he might respond to my essay by saying, "Marvin, you must re-write this paper. You are abolishing the scripture." "How," I might ask. "Because," he would reply, "If we do what your essay says, we would be disobeying God. Now go and fulfill this scripture. (by rewriting your essay is a way that would help people obey God.)" Jesus "spoke as one with authority" and "not as their Torah teachers (teacher's of the law)." Matthew 7:29 (said at the end of the sermon.) In other words, Jesus was giving new interpretation, and he says at the beginning that "I do not misinterpret (abolish), but rather I interpret correctly (fulfill)." The next verse days, “… until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the [Torah] ….” This verse alone contradicts many teachings about the abolish/fulfill statement before it. You can check the accuracy of this Jewish language used in the first century by contacting your local rabbi, or doing the study into original sources. |