THE ATTITUDE OF JESUS TO THE LAW by J. E. F.

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Aug 31, 1915

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 42, No. 34.

THE ATTITUDE OF JESUS TO THE LAW

By J. E. F.

CONCERNING His attitude to the law of Jehovah, Christ's word is explicit: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." In this plain statement, Jesus tells us what He did not come to do,—"destroy the law"; and John tells us what He did come to destroy,—"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3: 8.

Certainly no one will be ready to assert that the law of God is a work of the devil; and as that law is not a work of the devil, Jesus did not come to destroy it; and as He did not come to destroy the law, the law is not to be destroyed. It is to be "fulfilled." "But," says the objector, grasping, as a drowning man, at a straw, " 'fulfill' is equivalent to 'abolish.'"

ARE THEY ABOLISHED BY FULFILLMENT?

To the Scriptures we would appeal on the use of the word "fulfill":

"The Lord fulfill all thy petitions." Ps. 20: 5.

God "will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him." Ps. 145: 19.

"Thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." Matt. 3: 15.

"Make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts." Rom. 13: 14.

"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Gal. 6: 2.

"Fulfill ye my joy." Phil. 2: 2.

"Fulfill the word of God." Col. 1: 25.

It would be impossible to read into any one of these texts, in the place of the word "fulfill," any thought which has to do with making void, doing away, abolishing, weakening, destroying, or anything else that the no-law theory requires.

IS THE GOSPEL ALSO ABOLISHED?

When Jesus had read from Isa. 61: 1, 2 that wonderful promise for the poor, the broken-hearted, and the captive, every eye was fastened upon Him while He said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." If "fulfill" means "abolish" when Jesus speaks of the law, then "fulfill" means "abolish" when He speaks of the gospel. We would have therefore neither law nor gospel.

To fulfill is to preach fully. Col. 1: 25, margin. Jesus came delighting in the law (Ps. 40: 8), magnifying the law (Isa. 42: 21), explaining it, living it, and preaching it (Matt. 5: 17-48; John 15: 10; Luke 4: 16). Thus He fulfilled it.

"In His life the law appears, Drawn out in living characters."

J. E. F.