One of Satan’s schemes is to convince believers that God’s Law has been annulled. However, this would be impossible. The Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35).
The term broken (lúō) means to annul, done away, or declared unlawful. If the Scripture cannot be declared unlawful, then the Law contained therein cannot be annulled or done away. Jesus Himself said that He did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it.
The term abolishes (katalúō) means “to completely invalidate something which has been in force.”(1) Jesus says He did not come to make the Law or the Prophets invalid. Instead, He came to fulfill them. Louw and Nida’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament states that fulfill (pleróō) means “to give the true or complete meaning to something—‘to give the true meaning to, to provide the real significance of.”(2) Strong’s Concordance further clarifies this definition. It states that 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 receive fulfillment.”(3)
Jesus reveals the true meaning and real significance of God’s Law as demonstrated in the phrase, “you have heard it said, but I say unto you” (cf. Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28). This phrase does not mean Jesus was changing the Law. Instead, as John MacArthur states, “He is simply restating God's original intention because the rabbis had so perverted the Old Testament that He has to raise the standard back up to where God put it in the first place.”(4)
ENDOTES:
- …the Scripture cannot be broken (lúō) - John 10:35
The term broken (lúō) means to annul, done away, or declared unlawful. If the Scripture cannot be declared unlawful, then the Law contained therein cannot be annulled or done away. Jesus Himself said that He did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it.
- Do not think that I came to abolish (katalúō) the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish (katalúō) but to fulfill (pleróō). For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. - Matthew 5:17-18
The term abolishes (katalúō) means “to completely invalidate something which has been in force.”(1) Jesus says He did not come to make the Law or the Prophets invalid. Instead, He came to fulfill them. Louw and Nida’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament states that fulfill (pleróō) means “to give the true or complete meaning to something—‘to give the true meaning to, to provide the real significance of.”(2) Strong’s Concordance further clarifies this definition. It states that 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 receive fulfillment.”(3)
Jesus reveals the true meaning and real significance of God’s Law as demonstrated in the phrase, “you have heard it said, but I say unto you” (cf. Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28). This phrase does not mean Jesus was changing the Law. Instead, as John MacArthur states, “He is simply restating God's original intention because the rabbis had so perverted the Old Testament that He has to raise the standard back up to where God put it in the first place.”(4)
ENDOTES:
- Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 681.
- Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 404.
- James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995).
- John MacArthur Jr., Christ and the Law. Grace to You Ministries, Retrieved: February 06, 2017 <http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/2209/christ-and-the-law-part-1>
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