Mt 5:17-19
Fulfillment: In Matthew’s view, the Law (the Torah) and the prophets will continue to be observed in his community, which is composed of Jewish-Christians, who are in the process of defining who they are without a Temple (destroyed in 70 AD). What is necessary, according to Matthew, is keeping and teaching the commandments.
Matthew is trying to take the ancient Law and make sense of it in a new situation after the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah, and the destruction of the Temple. He does not want to abolish the Law; this would neither appeal to his community nor accord with the will of God. Yet, on the other hand, he does not advocate such strict adherence to the letter of the Law that the spirit of love behind it is killed.
Fulfillment: In Matthew’s view, the Law (the Torah) and the prophets will continue to be observed in his community, which is composed of Jewish-Christians, who are in the process of defining who they are without a Temple (destroyed in 70 AD). What is necessary, according to Matthew, is keeping and teaching the commandments.
Matthew is trying to take the ancient Law and make sense of it in a new situation after the resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah, and the destruction of the Temple. He does not want to abolish the Law; this would neither appeal to his community nor accord with the will of God. Yet, on the other hand, he does not advocate such strict adherence to the letter of the Law that the spirit of love behind it is killed.
To arrive at this dimension, Matthew talks about righteousness. Righteousness means to be set aright with God, to be put in the right position. The righteous person is authentic—in line with the intent of the law, the spirit behind the letter. Authenticity dictates that one does things or behaves in a particular way because this is the loving thing to do; this is the way these things should be done or this behavior should be observed.
With this understanding, Matthew gives no further guidelines. To do so would be to create a new law. Matthew wants his community to take the intention of the law and to live (teach, do) it.