Jesus and the Jewish Law

Instructions:

At Matthew 5:17 Jesus affirms that he came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Examine carefully the first two ‘antitheses’ (opposites) in Matthew 5:21-26 and Matthew 5:27-30. Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:21-48 is referred to as the ‘antithesis’ (opposite) because he contrasts his own interpretation of the law with the common understanding of the law.

In approximately 500 words, discuss the following:

1. How does Jesus transform the two commandments that relate to murder and adultery?
2. Why do you think he re-interprets these commandments in this way?
3. How does his teaching here relate to what he had said earlier about ‘fulfilling’ the law, i.e. in what sense does this re-interpretation fulfill the law?