BEMA Episode Link: 95: Abolish or Fulfill
Episode Length: 37:55
Published Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2018 01:00:00 -0800
Session 3
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the next few verses in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus speaks of the relationship between his teaching and the teachings of the Hebrew scriptures.

Discussion Video for BEMA 95

BEMA 64: 3 Isaiah — Servant

Transcript for BEMA 95

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 95: Abolish or Fulfill - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: 95 - Abolish or Fulfill
Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings Focus: Matthew 5:17-20 (Sermon on the Mount)

This episode examines one of the most misunderstood teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus addresses the relationship between his teaching and the Hebrew scriptures. The discussion explores what Jesus meant when he said he came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it, challenging common Christian interpretations that suggest Jesus completed the law so we no longer need to follow it. Instead, the hosts reveal the rabbinic understanding of fulfillment and abolishment, showing that Jesus was claiming to interpret and live out Torah correctly, not to eliminate it.

Key Takeaways

  • Jesus’s statement about fulfilling the law is not about completing a checklist of 613 commandments, but about correctly interpreting and living out Torah
  • In rabbinic tradition, “fulfilling” Torah means interpreting it correctly with both mind and behavior, while “abolishing” it means misinterpreting it or failing to walk it out properly
  • Jesus received s’micha (rabbinical authority) at his baptism from both John the Baptist and God himself, giving him the authority to offer new interpretations
  • The phrase “You have heard it said, but I say to you” was a rabbinic formula that could only be used by those with s’micha
  • Jesus’s radical interpretation centers on mercy, love, and shalom, not on eliminating Torah
  • As followers of Jesus, we must interpret all of scripture through the lens Jesus provides: love God and love others
  • Jesus’s teaching authority means Christians should let Jesus inform their reading of Paul, not the reverse

Main Concepts & Theories

Fulfillment vs. Abolishment in Rabbinic Context

The distinction between fulfilling and abolishing Torah is fundamentally different from typical Christian understanding. In the rabbinic world:

Fulfillment requires two elements:

  1. Correct intellectual/theological interpretation of Torah
  2. Walking out that interpretation through behavior and obedience (halach - one’s walk)

Abolishment occurs when:

  1. Torah is interpreted intellectually incorrectly, or
  2. Torah is interpreted correctly but not lived out properly

Jesus is not claiming to complete a divine checklist or beat all 613 levels of a Torah “video game.” He’s saying, “If you want to see how to interpret and live your Bible correctly, watch me.” This is teaching through both words and embodied example.

S’micha - Rabbinical Authority

S’micha (Hebrew: סמיכה) is the rabbinic term for authority to teach and interpret Torah in new ways. Key aspects include:

  • Before 70 AD and Rabbi Akiva’s formalization of the rabbinical office, teachers existed but were bound by their rabbi’s interpretations
  • A teacher could not introduce new interpretations unless granted s’micha
  • S’micha was conferred by two rabbis who already possessed it, through public laying on of hands
  • The phrase “You have heard it said, but I say to you” could only be used by someone with s’micha

Jesus received s’micha at his baptism from two sources:

  1. John the Baptist (who had at least “rogue” or informal s’micha based on the crowds’ recognition of his authority)
  2. God’s voice from heaven declaring Jesus as his beloved Son

This dual validation gave Jesus the authority to reinterpret Torah in ways that challenged the religious establishment.

Jesus’s Radical Hermeneutic

Jesus’s interpretation of Torah was considered radical because it centered on:

  • Mercy over strict legal interpretation
  • Love of God and love of others as the lens through which all scripture must be read
  • Shalom (wholeness, peace, restoration) in contrast to the chaos of both Roman oppression and religious legalism
  • Kingdom inclusion for those considered outcasts (mamzer) by the religious establishment

At the heart of the Beatitudes are two central teachings:

  1. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”
  2. “Blessed are the merciful”

Jesus connects these: if you want righteousness, you find it through showing mercy. This was counterintuitive to a community living under Roman oppression who might have expected a message of righteous vengeance.

Matthew’s Agenda: The Mamzer Gospel

Throughout Matthew’s Gospel, including the Sermon on the Mount context, runs the theme of the mamzer (mumzer) - the outcast, the unwanted, the religiously marginalized. Jesus’s diverse audience included:

  • People from the Decapolis (Gentile regions)
  • Those from across the Jordan
  • Potentially Zealots, Sadducees, Pharisees
  • The typical religious insiders alongside the unexpected outsiders

Jesus’s pronouncements in the Beatitudes essentially declare: “Everyone you think is out is actually in. God’s favor rests with those you’ve excluded.” This creates confusion among the disciples about whether Jesus is abandoning Torah altogether, prompting his clarification about fulfillment.

The Authority Problem at the End of the Sermon

Matthew 7:28-29 records the crowds’ amazement: “He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” This statement reflects the audience’s recognition that Jesus was teaching with s’micha, using formulas and making interpretive claims that required rabbinical authority. Their amazement suggests they were wrestling with the question: “Where did he get this authority?”

Law and Prophets vs. Law, Prophets, and Writings

Jesus references “the Law and the Prophets” rather than including “the Writings” (Ketuvim) because at the time of the Sermon on the Mount, the third section of the Hebrew Bible had not yet been canonized. The Writings existed (Psalms, Proverbs, Esther, etc.) but hadn’t been formally included in the biblical canon.

Luke 24:44, written later, includes Jesus’s reference to “the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms,” reflecting the later development of the canon.

Fulfilling Prophecy

When Jesus says he came to fulfill “the Law and the Prophets,” the prophetic fulfillment means living out the prophetic vision with his life. Examples include:

  • Isaiah 53’s suffering servant - Jesus demonstrates this through his ministry and ultimately the cross
  • Amos’s call to “let justice roll” - Jesus embodies justice in his ministry
  • Zechariah’s apocalyptic literature - the message is lived out in Jesus’s life and teaching

Jesus is saying, “Watch my life and you will see correct interpretation and obedience to all of scripture.”

The Application Question: All Authority Belongs to Jesus

The practical implication is significant: followers of Jesus do not have s’micha. As Marty states, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me” (Jesus in the Great Commission). Jesus doesn’t delegate this authority.

This means:

  • Christians must read all of scripture through the lens Jesus provides: love God and love others
  • We cannot teach something new outside this lens
  • Brian McLaren’s observation applies: “Christians have made Jesus their savior, but Paul their Lord” - we tend to let Paul’s more systematic, Western-friendly writings interpret Jesus rather than letting Jesus interpret Paul
  • Any interpretation of difficult texts (like Joshua’s conquest narratives) must align with Jesus’s yoke of loving God and loving others

Examples & Applications

Example 1: Misreading “Fulfillment” in Christian Tradition

Many Christians were taught that Jesus “fulfilled the law” by:

  • Accomplishing all 613 commandments perfectly
  • Beating all the “levels” of the Torah “video game”
  • Completing prophecies about the Messiah
  • Making it so we no longer need to follow Old Testament law

This interpretation has logical problems (Jesus wasn’t a woman, so couldn’t fulfill laws about menstruation) and misses the rabbinic context entirely. It treats Torah as an obstacle course to overcome rather than as teaching meant to be correctly interpreted and lived.

Example 2: The Joshua Problem

When interpreting difficult Old Testament passages like the conquest narratives in Joshua, the principle of Jesus’s s’micha provides guidance. Whatever the book of Joshua teaches, it must:

  • Be aligned with Jesus’s command to love God and love others
  • Make us more loving toward people
  • Teach something about loving people, not justify violence

Any interpretation that doesn’t align with Jesus’s lens of love is, by definition, abolishing rather than fulfilling Torah.

Example 3: Righteousness Through Mercy

Jesus preaches to an oppressed people under Roman occupation that righteousness looks like mercy. This is counterintuitive - the natural response to oppression is seeking righteous vengeance. But Jesus reframes righteousness entirely:

  • Hunger and thirst for righteousness, and you’ll find it through showing mercy
  • Love your neighbor, love your spouse, love even your enemy
  • The Kingdom looks like love, mercy, and forgiveness

This wasn’t how Torah was typically being interpreted in his day, but Jesus claims this was God’s intent from Mount Sinai.

Example 4: The Diverse Crowd and Torah

The diverse crowd gathering around Jesus creates the interpretive crisis. When pagans from the Decapolis, people from across the Jordan, and various Jewish sects all show up, and Jesus pronounces blessing on the outcasts, the disciples wonder: “Are you throwing out the Bible?”

Jesus’s answer: “Absolutely not. I’m showing you what it always meant.” The inclusion of outsiders isn’t a rejection of Torah but the proper fulfillment of it.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

  1. The Development of Rabbinical Authority: Study the transition from informal rabbis before 70 AD to Rabbi Akiva’s formalization of the rabbinical office after the temple’s destruction. How did this impact Jewish interpretation of Torah?

  2. John the Baptist’s Authority: Investigate the sources and nature of John the Baptist’s authority. What gave him “rogue s’micha” or natural authority? How did the crowds’ recognition factor into rabbinical authority structures?

  3. Comparative Gospel Analysis: Examine how Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each present Jesus’s relationship to Torah differently based on their audiences (Jew to Jew, Jew to Roman, proselyte to Jews, and grafted Gentiles respectively).

  4. The Beatitudes and Mercy: Deep dive into the centrality of mercy in Jesus’s teaching. How does this emphasis on mercy relate to other rabbinic schools of interpretation in the first century?

  5. Torah Observance in the Early Church: Study Acts 15 and the Jerusalem Council’s decision about Gentile believers. How did the early church navigate Torah observance in light of Jesus’s teaching about fulfillment?

  6. Halach (Walk) in Scripture: Research the concept of halach throughout Jewish interpretation. How is “walk” used metaphorically in both Old and New Testaments?

  7. The “You Have Heard It Said” Formula: Study the rabbinic teaching patterns Jesus employs throughout the Sermon on the Mount. What other rabbis used similar formulas, and how was Jesus’s usage distinctive?

  8. Canonization of the Ketuvim: Research the historical process of canonizing the Writings section of the Hebrew Bible. When and why were certain books included or excluded?

  9. Paul’s Relationship to Jesus’s Teaching: Examine passages where Paul explicitly refers to Jesus’s teachings versus where he develops theology independently. How should we prioritize these different sources?

  10. The Conquest Narratives Through Jesus’s Lens: Apply the interpretive principle of love to difficult Old Testament passages. What do these texts teach us about God, humanity, and love when read through Jesus’s hermeneutic?

Comprehension Questions

  1. What is the difference between “fulfilling” and “abolishing” Torah in rabbinic tradition, and how does this differ from common Christian interpretations of Jesus “fulfilling the law”?

  2. Explain what s’micha is, how it functioned in first-century Jewish teaching, and how Jesus received this authority. Why was s’micha necessary for Jesus to say “You have heard it said, but I say to you”?

  3. Why does Jesus say he came to fulfill “the Law and the Prophets” but not mention “the Writings”? What does it mean to fulfill prophecy in this context?

  4. According to the episode, what is at the center of the Beatitudes, and why would Jesus’s interpretation of Torah have been considered radical in his context?

  5. What are the implications of Jesus retaining all s’micha (authority) for how modern Christians should interpret scripture, particularly difficult passages like the conquest narratives in Joshua?

Personalized Summary

This episode challenges deeply held Christian assumptions about Jesus’s relationship to the Old Testament law. Rather than completing a divine checklist or making the law obsolete, Jesus was doing something far more profound and Jewish: he was claiming to interpret and embody Torah correctly for the first time.

The rabbinic concept of fulfillment requires both correct interpretation and correct living - thinking rightly about scripture and walking it out in daily life. Jesus received the authority (s’micha) to offer fresh interpretations at his baptism, validated by both John the Baptist and God himself. This authority allowed him to use the rabbinic formula “You have heard it said, but I say to you” throughout the Sermon on the Mount.

What makes Jesus’s interpretation radical is its centering on mercy, love, and inclusion of outsiders. To a community expecting righteous vengeance against oppressors, Jesus says righteousness looks like mercy. To disciples uncomfortable with the diverse crowds, Jesus says the Kingdom is for exactly these outcasts.

The practical implication is significant: Jesus retains all interpretive authority. As his followers, we don’t have s’micha to teach outside his lens. This means every part of scripture - including difficult passages about violence, conquest, or exclusion - must be read through Jesus’s framework of loving God and loving others. We let Jesus interpret Paul, not Paul interpret Jesus.

This reframing doesn’t minimize Jesus’s teaching to nice platitudes. Instead, it elevates his words to their proper place: the authoritative lens through which all scripture must be understood. Jesus isn’t offering suggestions; he’s showing us how God always intended humanity to read the Bible. The question isn’t whether we agree with this interpretation, but whether we recognize Jesus’s authority to make it.

Generated using Claude AI based on BEMA Podcast Episode 95 transcript

Edit | Previous | Next