Yes, Yeshua Fulfilled the Law - But What Does That Mean?

In what is without question one of the most controversial statements in the Gospel, Yeshua declared, “Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill” (Matt 5:17). Despite what seems to be Jesus’ very positive attitude toward the Law, Christian bible interpreters have historically argued that this verse means Yeshua in some way “fulfilled” the Law so that his followers no longer have to. Today, many scholars reject this interpretation and argue that Yeshua was in fact calling upon his Jewish followers to observe the Law. Others remain adamant Yeshua is teaching that the Law of Moses has run its course for the believer.

So, yes, Yeshua “fulfilled” the Law—but what exactly does that mean?  The answer to that question hinges upon understanding the nature of the contrast Yeshua is making between abolishing the law and fulfilling the Law and what the words actually mean in context. The meaning of “to abolish” (καταλῦσαι, katalusai) is undisputed and means exactly that in context.  Yeshua forbids anyone from thinking that he came to abolish or annul the Law of Moses. However, what he means by “to fulfill” (πληρῶσαι, plerosai) the Law is hotly debated.

Matthew uses the verb fulfill (πληροω, plerao) sixteen times, thirteen of which have to do with biblical fulfillment. Ten occur in Matthew’s editorial fulfillment-formula quotations (1:22; 2:15; 2:17; 2:23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 27:9) and three occur in the words of Yeshua (13:14; 26:54; 26:56). Nine of Matthew’s fulfillment-formula quotations are draw from the Prophets and one from the Psalms. Each quotation is proceeded by an introductory formula that uses a passive form of the verb πληρόω. For example, Matthew 2:13-15 reports that an angel of the Lord directed Joseph to take his wife and child to Egypt in order to fulfill Hosea 11:1: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

The important point is that the fulfillment quotation is eschatological and prophetic in nature, drawing attention to an event from Hebrew Bible which serves as pattern for an event in the Gospel that it anticipated — just as the nation of Israel was taken to Egypt and later brought out, so too Yeshua was taken to Egypt and later brought out.

One can argue that Matthew’s eschatological and prophetic use of πληρόω elsewhere should inform our understanding of how he uses it here in Matthew 5:17. It seems unlikely that he would use such a theologically charged word without deliberately intending to do so. To a certain extent this is probably true – there is a nuance of eschatological fulfillment here: the Law and Prophets point to the Messiah.

But that said, this passage is not a fulfillment quotation and the climax of the fulfillment has to do with Yeshua’s teachings about Torah ethics, not predictive prophecy. Moreover, even if Yeshua does fulfill the law eschatologically this does not mean he terminates it.

Interpreting this verse correctly requires more than understanding the meaning of the verbs “abolish” and “fulfill” in isolation – we also need to understand how they function in light of their antithetical relationship.  In Jewish thought, to abolish or annul the Torah was “to cast off its yoke.” To abolish the Torah was to nullify its authority. In contrast, “to uphold the Torah” meant to keep the Torah and to properly interpret it. In the context of Matthew 5:17-20 Yeshua’s statement that he came to “to fulfill the Law” means that he came to do the Law as well as to confirm it by means of his authoritative teaching as Messiah of Israel. In this passage, and the Gospel as a whole, Matthew presents Yeshua as the true authoritative interpreter of the Torah.