―Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to render it
nullified because I did it... so you don't have to!‖
Some may object to that last rendering, thinking that I am being deliberately provocative. Nevertheless, I
consider it a fair and accurate restatement of most Christians' view of the Torah. How else could they accept
a theology that denies the value of the Torah, even while looking at a plain statement that it will endure until
the end of time and space?
The usual Christian understanding of this verse is that, because one person (Y‘shua) kept all the Torah, we
today are thereby relieved of having to be obedient to God's commands as recorded in the Torah. But let us
consider this notion in light of an illustration. Allow me to present a standard story told from Christian pulpits
across the world... except with a twist at the end.
Suppose I am arrested for speeding one day. I had been driving my car 160 km/h in a pedestrian zone,
where the speed limit was 60 km/h. I go to court. After hearing the evidence and testimony, the judge metes
out the appropriate sentence. Then, in the manner of true grace, the judge steps down from his stand, and
accepts upon himself my punishment. I have received grace and mercy, rather than the stern justice I
deserve. Hallelujah!
Then, before they take him from the courtroom to prison, where he will serve my sentence, the judge says
one thing more. "As a result of this free gift of grace, you are no longer subject to the laws of the land. You
are absolved from all future infractions, and even the need to know the specifics of the laws. You are now
free forever from the demands of the legal codes, and may ignore anyone who tries to arrest you for future
infractions against the legal code. Such people are obviously legalists who would fail to recognise the great
grace you have been given today.
What??? That can't be right, can it?
No, of course not. It violates justice and all standards of common sense to think that being judged innocent
of a particular infraction should free one of all legal restrictions and obligations. Yet, that is exactly what most
Christians have been taught all their lives. Because Y‘shua died to atone for our sins, we are therefore free
from the need to know the Torah, and there is no need for us to bother with keeping Elohim's laws. After all,
"We have been made free from the law and all its requirements!" This is said with no concern for even
knowing the specific laws that are contained in the Torah.
It clearly makes no sense to understand Y‘shua in this way. He is in the midst of making the case that the
Torah is eternal, and that no requirement of the Torah will ever pass away. Then, he proposes an
understanding of the Torah that adds to its sternness, rather than taking away. He says it is no longer
sufficient just to do what the Torah says. Now, the deed must be done according to the right intention.
Finally, let us take a look at a version of Matt 5:17 that incorporate the terms ―destroy" and ―fulfill‖, as they
have been defined in rabbinic usage, above:
―Think not that I am come to teach in such as way as to invalidate the law, or the prophets: I am not come to
invalidate, but to clarify the original purpose and teach accurately‖.
At last, we have a translation that makes a great deal more sense and much more in keeping with Y‘shua‘s
true intent. If Y‘shua really came to nullify the Torah, then he was a false prophet who deserved whatever he
got. On the other hand, this better understanding of the words in the text render this verse as a fitting
introduction for the Sermon on the Mount, where Y‘shua goes on to clarify the Torah clearly with original
intent, as stated here.
Did Y‘shua perform the things which are written in the Torah? You bet. Does that mean we can ignore the
Torah as the beginning of YHWH's revelation and the divinely prescribed approach to gain YHWH's
blessing? Absolutely not. He expected us to continue in "The Way", which was at that time 1,500 years old.
To sweep that aside and create an entirely separate, competing, religious system is the height of arrogance
and foolishness.
In summary:
The second half of verse 17 is used by most Christians to support a doctrine that says the believer in
Messiah is now "not under the Law‖. Some claim that by "fulfilling the Law‖, Messiah did away with it, and the
believer no longer has a relationship to it.