Childish Lawkeepers

Lord only knows much ink has been spilled over Jesus’ famous words “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17). Nomists like to focus on the first half of what Jesus says while anti-nomists like to focus on the second half. The whole question really comes down to how you understand the word “fulfill.” The best treatment that I’ve ever read of this comes from Peter Leithart’s book The Four:

Jesus’ obedience to the Sabbath laws looks very different from the apparent obedience of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus keeps the Sabbath with an eye to the “weightier matters of the law,” which are justice, mercy, and truth. Jesus keeps the Sabbath as an adult. Children are very worried about keeping the rules, and forcing other people to keep the rules. But children might keep rules so rigidly that they actually violate the rules. That’s how the Pharisees keep the law. They are childish law keepers. Jesus is a mature law-keeper, and He calls His disciples to keep the law in the same way. (pg. 136)

This fits in perfectly with the analogies that Paul uses in his letter to the Galatians. Paul speaks of the law as though it is a guardian or tutor (Galatians 3:24-25; 4:1-3). The point that Paul is making in Galatians is that a child who is to inherit the family estate will be under the tutelage of a tutor or guardian until he comes of age. Once the child has come of age he is no longer under the authority of the guardian but now he is a master of the estate.

That said, if the child has grown up in maturity they will not neglect the teachings of their tutor but rather fulfill them.

Food for thought.

Michael