The Finished Work of Christ
Matt. 5:17 Jesus came to fulfill the law, not destroy it. The law is perfect and only He Who is perfect could fulfill it. The word fulfill here in the original Greek is "playroo", and it means to fulfill or to bring to completion. jesus did just that. In his humanity as our representative, and on behalf of the whole human race, He totally fulfilled all the law of God satisfying Gods demand for perfection on the part of the whole of mankind.
In verse 18, the english word fulfilled is used again. But this time the original Greek is not the same word though the KJV translates it so. The Greek word for fulfilled is "ginomai". This word has a host of meanings in the NT, but one very interesting meaning is found in Acts 12:11 where it says when Peter "came to himself" inferring when Peter came to his senses in this case having to do with the reality of the fact that he was just delivered from prison.
Here in Matt 5:18 the word means the same. When we come to our senses concerning the fact that we are accepted by God in Christ, (who fulfilled the law of God our behalf), the law cannot condemn us. However if we haven't come to our senses concerning the completion of the law in Christ on our behalf, though we have been delivered (just as Peter had been delivered from prison) we live and act as though we haven't been set free. Instead, we feel condemned because that is the effect of the law on us, But in Christ we are free from the condemnation of the law because in Christ the law has been fulfilled.
Created over 3 years ago
