Discuss the passage’s significance for the text from which it comes. Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (The Gospel of Matthew)

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The central function of Matthew’s Gospel is to convey to Jewish Christian audiences the idea that Jesus was the divine prophet after Moses and the most outstanding teacher worthy of trust. This is why Jesus was always presented in this Gospel as the wisest, most judicious, and just character. This is especially evident in the Sermon on the Mount, which reflects the moral teachings of God’s son. In chapters 5:17-20, Matthew speaks on behalf of Jesus about the kind of behavior that contributes to getting into God’s kingdom, something that all Christians strive for. It is noteworthy that this passage has a different character from, but does not contradict, the forbidding commandments of Christ.

If one looks at the Gospel from a practical point of view, placing this passage in the Sermon on the Mount seems justified. In seeking to prove to the Jews that Jesus is the natural son of God and a descendant of Moses, Matthew (Jesus) immediately points out: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets” (Mt. 5:17). This is an important part that shows the continuity of the teachings of the revered Moses of the Jews in the morality of Christ and the expanding function of Jesus as an interpreter of fundamental faith. In other words, Jesus fills the original Mosaic commandments with new meaning as the true Messiah.

For Matthew, however, it was necessary to create not another Moses but a qualitatively new figure of a wise and just teacher leading Christians. Hence, in 5:17-20, Jesus offers his teaching on who should go to heaven and how to achieve it. In this sense, one can say that the significance of this monologue stems from the functional purpose of the gospels in general, especially Matthew’s Gospel. In particular, it helps the audience view Jesus as representative of a new Christianity, complete with its unique commandments. The passage offered from the Sermon on the Mount defines the authority and power of Christ, but it also demonstrates his consistency with the Mosaic law.

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Academic.Tips. (2022) 'Discuss the passage's significance for the text from which it comes. Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (The Gospel of Matthew)'. 22 December.

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Academic.Tips. (2022, December 22). Discuss the passage's significance for the text from which it comes. Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (The Gospel of Matthew). https://academic.tips/question/discuss-the-passages-significance-for-the-text-from-which-it-comes-do-not-think-that-i-have-come-to-abolish-the-law-or-the-prophets-i-have-come-not-to-abolish-but-to-fulfill-for-truly-i-tell-you/

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Academic.Tips. 2022. "Discuss the passage's significance for the text from which it comes. Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (The Gospel of Matthew)." December 22, 2022. https://academic.tips/question/discuss-the-passages-significance-for-the-text-from-which-it-comes-do-not-think-that-i-have-come-to-abolish-the-law-or-the-prophets-i-have-come-not-to-abolish-but-to-fulfill-for-truly-i-tell-you/.

1. Academic.Tips. "Discuss the passage's significance for the text from which it comes. Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (The Gospel of Matthew)." December 22, 2022. https://academic.tips/question/discuss-the-passages-significance-for-the-text-from-which-it-comes-do-not-think-that-i-have-come-to-abolish-the-law-or-the-prophets-i-have-come-not-to-abolish-but-to-fulfill-for-truly-i-tell-you/.

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Academic.Tips. "Discuss the passage's significance for the text from which it comes. Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (The Gospel of Matthew)." December 22, 2022. https://academic.tips/question/discuss-the-passages-significance-for-the-text-from-which-it-comes-do-not-think-that-i-have-come-to-abolish-the-law-or-the-prophets-i-have-come-not-to-abolish-but-to-fulfill-for-truly-i-tell-you/.

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"Discuss the passage's significance for the text from which it comes. Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (The Gospel of Matthew)." Academic.Tips, 22 Dec. 2022, academic.tips/question/discuss-the-passages-significance-for-the-text-from-which-it-comes-do-not-think-that-i-have-come-to-abolish-the-law-or-the-prophets-i-have-come-not-to-abolish-but-to-fulfill-for-truly-i-tell-you/.

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