A Very Key Example from the Good News – Mattiyahu “Matthew” 5:17 – Yeshua and the Torah
Mt. 5:17 is of course part of Mt. 5-7:28. It is typically referred to as The Sermon on the Mount. We refer to it though by what we feel is the much more accurate term The Teaching on the Hill. First century Jewish teachers – including Yeshua – did not give “sermons” in the modern connotation of that word.
In Mt. 5:17, many think when Yeshua says he is not come to destroy the Torah or the Prophets but to fulfill, that he is somehow, God forbid, ending the Torah – rather than filling it full. That Yeshua “fills full” is clearly seen from what he particularly illuminates in Mt. 5:18-7:28.
In the historical cultural context of Yeshua’s earthly world – first century Israel – not the 19th century American Bible Belt (!) – misinterpreting the Torah was seen as destroying it. Very clearly Yeshua does not – at all – misinterpret the Torah. Rather, he illuminates its highest and truest essence in Mt. 5-7:28.
As a quick but keynote: first century Jewish teachers also did not give the quantity of teaching material at one time, that is seen in these chapters. We must remember that Matityahu (Matthew’s original Hebrew name) writes under inspiration of the Ruach Hakodesh (the original Hebrew name of the Holy Spirit; we also explain the deeper meaning of the Hebrew in our teaching).
Scholars astutely and correctly believe that given the great illumination – and great significance – of these chapters, that Matityahu gathers together a number of teachings of Yeshua, into one place. That would be so they would be heard together.
Matityahu (“Matthew”) renders Yeshua’s Hebraic original in Koine Greek in Mt. 5:17 by a form of “pleroma” “fill”. Many unfortunately think of the translation “fulfill” in English terms. As though someone pursuing a license says, “I fulfilled all the requirements of the license so I no longer need to study for it”. I.e., “my time of studying for my license is now ended”.
This is not what Mattityahu records or means.
In Ephesians 3:19, we read that Paul says to the hearers of Ephesians to know the surpassing knowledge of the love of the Mashiach (Messiah; but with much greater meaning from Hebrew, that we explain in our teaching) in order that they would be filled. With the result being (KG “eis” used here to indicate purpose, result, place reached) specifically referring to the fullness of God.
Paul uses two different forms of “fullness” in Eph. 3:19. The first use is “filled”; the form gives an overall view without a reference to time, i.e., when. The form also indicates that “fulfilled” is subject to some condition or there is some uncertainty. Greek text commentators I think are correct by pointing out this is a prayer (or at least certainly a wish) by Paul for the hearers of the Letter; rather than a declarative statement.
The second use in Eph. 3:19 is “pleroma” “fullness”. Technical commentaries lay out a few possibilities of what exactly the fullness is of. It may well be the fullness of God’s love. The point is: it is a fullness of God; not something fulfilled, meaning God forbid ended!
Further and very quickly for here, Paul’s KG form at the end of Eph. 3:19 is “of the God”, used to indicate something absolute and placed at the end of the verse for emphasis.
In short, looking at the Greek text of Eph. 3:19 helps us to better understand what Matthew actually meant to communicate of Yeshua’s Hebraic original.
In Mt. 5:17 it is extremely important to keep the following in mind: What Matityahu (“Matthew”) renders in KG is originally by Yeshua in Hebrew or Aramaic.
I’ve seen many rightfully well-regarded evangelical scholars repeatedly make the same mistake; “JC says such and such in Greek”. They know – or should – know better! Ironically, I’ve never seen a scholar claim Yeshua’s first language was “KG”. A number of commentators in fact think Matityahu originally wrote in Hebrew – and later rendered his Hebrew Good News in a KG version.
On Yeshua and Paul being fundamentally and foundationally rooted in Hebrew: be sure to see Acts 26:14-15!
One question we must ask of course: If Yeshua (God forbid!) ends the Torah, why not say so? There’s two different Hebrew words Yeshua could have used for “end”. Shlomo (“Peace (of the) LORD” ” Solomon”) uses both of the two Hebrew words for “end” at the end of Kohelet “Preacher”. Kohelet is known to the world from its Greek-based name “Ecclesiastes”.
In Eccl. 12:12, Shlomo says “… making of many books (there is) no end”… (In Hebrew “none”). This is “end” as in English. However; in 12:13 he uses a different Hebrew word for “end”. This word “end” is used to refer to the final end of something. Shlomo uses the Hebrew word for “final end” regarding what he sees as the “final end” of what he’s considered throughout the Book.
This word for “final end” in 12:13 is used as a term of reverence for God by Orthodox/observing Jews. It is used in an expression that means God has “no end”. (In Hebrew “no” is literally “none”).
If Yeshua “ends” the Torah he could have – very easily – used either one of the two words “end” regarding his coming and the Torah and the Prophets, in Mt.5:17; yet he doesn’t!
Matityahu’s KG rendering of Yeshua’s Hebraic original also reflects and indicates that Yeshua says the following in Mt.5:17. Don’t even think it’s possible/worry that I came to destroy – “destroy” in the 1st-century Israeli context meant “misinterpreting” – the Torah and the Prophets….
Matityahu doesn’t record for us that Yeshua said he “ended” the Torah and the Prophets. Matityahu simply uses a KG form of the word “plero” “fulfill” for the Hebrew “fill”. His KG form indicates a one-time action without regard to when; and, the KG form also indicates here the “purpose”.
The purpose of Yeshua coming regarding the Torah and the Prophets in the wider context of what he illuminates in Mt 5-7, is the true, deeper meaning of the Torah – that he “fills full”!