The first five books of the Bible, known as the Torah, are the standard by which all other Biblical writings are tested. One, God, the divine author, spoke His revelation directly to Moses, the human writer, as witnessed by 600,000 men. Two, Moses was a prophet second only to Jesus. Three, God specifically stated that nothing could be added to or taken away from the Torah.
- You shall not add (yāsap) to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away (gāraʿ) from it. - Deuteronomy 4:2
The term add (yāsap) means to increase the size or scope. The term take away (gāraʿ) means to take away or reduce. Thus every book that came after the Torah, had to be in agreement with God’s truths as revealed in the Torah.
Jesus, acknowledged that the Torah was the standard by which His own words should be tested.
- For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words? - John 5:46-47
The implication of this is that Jesus could not speak anything contrary to the Torah. Jesus testified to this fact.
- Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill (plēroō). - Matthew 5:17
The term fulfill (plēroō) means “to cause God’s will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God’s promises (given through the prophets) to received fulfillment.”1
ENDNOTES:
1. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995).