Understanding the Saying
Jesus says that he has not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them. He then adds an extraordinarily strong statement: until heaven and earth pass away, not one “iota” or tiny stroke will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
The saying becomes difficult when Christians compare it with other New Testament passages in which food laws, circumcision, sacrifice, and other requirements of the Mosaic covenant are no longer applied to followers of Jesus in the same way.
Interpretations
The “iota” refers to the smallest Greek letter and probably represents the Hebrew yod, the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Jesus' accompanying reference to a tiny stroke intensifies the image. He could hardly choose stronger language for saying that Scripture cannot simply be discarded.
The key word is “fulfill.” Interpreters have understood it in several ways. Some emphasize that Jesus confirms and correctly interprets the continuing Law. Others understand him to bring the Law and Prophets to their intended completion through his teaching, life, death, and resurrection.
The following sayings show why the question is complicated. Jesus sometimes intensifies commandments, moving from murder to anger and from adultery to lust. Elsewhere he appears to move beyond provisions of the Mosaic Law itself. His authority is therefore not merely that of a commentator explaining individual regulations.
Matthew also presents Jesus as the one toward whom Israel's Scriptures point. “Fulfillment” can consequently mean more than continued observance of every command in precisely its previous form. The Law remains God's revelation, but its purpose is understood through Jesus.
Christian traditions have differed over how particular Mosaic commandments continue to apply. The saying itself prevents a casual conclusion that the Old Testament has simply become irrelevant, while the remainder of Matthew prevents an equally simple conclusion that nothing changes with the coming of Jesus.
Helpful Background
These optional background notes provide additional cultural, historical, linguistic, or scriptural context for this saying.
Assessment
Jesus explicitly rejects the idea that his mission abolishes Israel's Scriptures. Any interpretation that makes the Law and Prophets disposable conflicts with the force of Matthew 5:17-18.
At the same time, “fulfill” is more than “leave entirely unchanged.” Matthew presents Jesus as bringing Scripture toward its intended goal and teaching with remarkable authority about what obedience to God actually requires. The continuing authority of Scripture and its fulfillment in Jesus must therefore be held together.
Why It Matters
The saying helps Christians avoid two opposite mistakes: treating the Old Testament as though Jesus made it obsolete, or reading it as though Jesus' coming made no difference to how it is understood. For Matthew, the Scriptures remain God's word, but Jesus stands at the center of their fulfillment and interpretation.
Sources & Further Reading
Surveys the principal interpretations of “fulfill” in Matthew 5:17 and examines the difficult relationship between Jesus' strong affirmation of the Law and his subsequent authoritative teaching.
Provides an important alternative treatment of Matthew 5:17-48, arguing that several of the Antitheses revise Mosaic provisions despite the programmatic affirmation of the Law in Matthew 5:17-20.
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