Jesus, on the other hand, stated:

Matthew 5:38–39: You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.

At first glance, these two commandments seem contradictory to one another. It appears as if Jesus abolished the commandment concerning “eye for an eye,” and replaced it with a new one, “do not resist an evil person.” But how can this be? Jesus himself stated:

Matthew 5:17: Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets; I came not to destroy, but to fulfill.

Likewise, the scriptures tell us that God is forever the same:

Malachi 3:6: I am the Lord, I do not change.

So, if Jesus did not “destroy” the law, but “fulfilled” it, and God never changes, why does it appear that Jesus replaced the “eye for an eye” commandment with “resist not an evil person”? Is this a correct interpretation? If so, in what way did Jesus not “destroy,” but “fulfill” the law?

God Does Not Change, but the Way He Relates with Mankind Does

It is true that the character of God never changes, but due to the sins of mankind, God’s relationship with his creation has changed dramatically over time. The story of creation in Genesis tells us that after God created mankind and his surroundings, God reflected on his creation and felt that it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Soon after creation, however, mankind turned from God, and Genesis 6 tells us:

Genesis 6:5-7: Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth… And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart. So the Lord said, “…I am sorry that I have made them.”

God’s character never changed, but the character of mankind did, and consequently the way God related with his creation was also changed.

The Mosaic Law was a Concession from God for Israel’s Sins

God’s original intentions for creation were much different than the society formed by the Mosaic Law and the “eye for an eye” ethic. The original purpose of the law is best revealed by Jesus’ comments on the Mosaic regulation of divorce. Under the Mosaic Law, divorce was permitted so long as the husband gave the wife a certificate of divorce. In Matthew 19, the Pharisees questioned Jesus, asking why Moses permitted divorce. Jesus replied:

Matthew 19:8: Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.

Here is an example of a change in the way God related with mankind, which stemmed not from a change in God, but from a change in mankind. In the beginning things were not as they were under the Mosaic Law. God intended marriage to last forever, except in the case of unfaithfulness. Moses, however, lessened the requirements for divorce, only as a concession, because Israel’s “hearts were hard.”

In 1 Timothy 1, Paul further explained how the law is meant for the unrighteous:

1 Timothy 1:9: …the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane…

God gave the law to Israel, as a concession for their sinful ways.

What was the Purpose of the Law, and How Did Jesus “Fulfill” It?

So, what was God’s purpose for giving the law to the unrighteous Israel? Through an examining of Paul‘s writings, the true purpose of the Mosaic Law can be determined.

Ephesians 3:4-5: When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

“The mystery of Christ,” as Paul explained, was not made known while mankind was under the old covenant. So, what was the purpose of the law?

Galatians 3:19,23-25: Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions… Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God…

Since "the mystery of Christ" was not made known during the old covenant, mankind was “held captive under the law.” The law served as the “guardian” of mankind until the arrival of Jesus. With his arrival, mankind no longer needs the guardian; mankind no longer needs the law. This is how Jesus “fulfilled” the law. The law is no longer needed; it has been replaced by the teachings of Jesus Christ. The relationship between mankind and God has once again changed.

2 Corinthians 3:13-14,17: Moses put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded… the veil is taken away in Christ… Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

No longer are we “blinded,” and no longer are we “held captive under the law.” Christ has taken away the veil and brought freedom. In a way, Christ “fulfilled” the law by abolishing it. Paul explained it in a similar fashion:

Ephesians 2:14-15: Christ is our peace… having abolished… the law of commandments contained in ordinances…

Romans 3:31: Do we then destroy the law…? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

As Paul stated, the law was abolished, but not destroyed. To say that the law was “destroyed” puts a negative connotation on it. The law was needed for a time. As stated above, the law served as our “guardian,” preparing the way for Christ. With the coming of the Messiah, the law was not "destroyed," but its purpose had been "fulfilled."

Matthew 5:17: Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets; I came not to destroy, but to fulfill.

The Old Covenant has been Abolished and Replaced with the New Covenant

A further reading of the New Testament confirms the above interpretation. Dozens of passages throughout the books of the New Testament declare that the old covenant has been "taken away" and replaced with "a better covenant." The following are some examples:

Hebrews 10:9: …He took away the first covenant to establish the second.

Hebrews 8:13: In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 7:18-19: A former commandment is annulled because of its weakness and uselessness, for the law made nothing perfect; but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

Hebrews 8:6-7: Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better than the old covenant, since it is founded on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.

Hebrews 7:22: This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

Hebrews 9:15: He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant…

Galatians 3:13: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.

Colossians 2:14: Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us, he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

2 Corinthians 3:5-6: …our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Romans 7:4-6: Therefore, you also have become dead to the law through Christ… Now that we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

John 1:17: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Luke 16:16: The law and the prophets reigned until the time of John: and since that time, the kingdom of God is preached, and every man strives to go in.

From a review of the above verses, we see that the first covenant has been “taken away,” that it has “become obsolete,” that it has been “annulled,” and that it has “vanished away.” On the other hand, the new covenant is “a better covenant,” it is “much more excellent than the old,” and it provides a “better hope.”

Jesus Specifically Abolished and Broke Several Mosaic Laws

It has already been shown that Jesus abolished the Old Testament’s “eye for an eye:”

Matthew 5:38–39: You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.

Likewise, Jesus also abolished and broke several other Mosaic Laws. Provided below are several examples of instances where Jesus either spoke or acted against the Mosaic Law.

Jesus Repealed the Law Concerning the Gathering of Food on the Sabbath

In the Old Testament, the collection of food on the Sabbath is strictly forbidden:

Exodus 16:28-29: The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.

In the Gospel of Mark, however, Jesus and his disciples broke this Mosaic commandment. Challenged by the Pharisees, Jesus justified their actions:

Mark 2:23-27: One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" …And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

Jesus Repealed the Law Concerning Divorce

The following is the Mosaic Law concerning divorce:

Deuteronomy 24:1-4: When a man takes a wife and marries her, if she then finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, let him then write her a certificate of divorce, give it to her, and send her out of the house.

In the same sermon in which Jesus replaced the Old Testament’s “eye for an eye,” and using similar language, Jesus also replaced the old regulation of divorce with a new one:

Matthew 5-31-32: It was also said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce." But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Jesus Repealed the Law Concerning the Taking of Oaths

The Mosaic Law permitted the taking of oaths, so long as no one broke his oath:

Numbers 30:1-2: Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the people of Israel, saying, "This is what the Lord has commanded. If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth."

Directly after Jesus’ comments on divorce and before his comments on “eye for an eye,” Jesus replaced the Mosaic Law concerning the taking of oaths:

Matthew 5:33-37: Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn." But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all... Let what you say be simply "Yes" or "No"; anything more than this comes from evil.

Jesus Repealed the Law Concerning Adultery

In the Gospel of John, Jesus was directly confronted by a situation in which the Mosaic Law required the stoning of an adulteress. Instead of following the Mosaic Law, Jesus acted in accordance with his new ethic of love:

John 8:3-11: The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?" …Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."

Conclusion

For all the faults of Moses and the laws of the old covenant, it must be remembered that they served as a preparation for the coming of Christ. In fact, Moses predicted the coming of Christ:

Acts 3:22: Moses said, “The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to Him in whatever he tells you.”

If we must “listen to Him in whatever he tells” us, we must examine once again what he has told us:

Matthew 5:38–39: You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.

Under the old covenant, the proper response to an enemy was to return any injury done with equal physical retaliation, “eye for an eye.” Jesus, however, asserted that although in the past “eye for an eye” had been taught as a proper response to an enemy, his followers should “not resist an evil person.” Exactly how should Christians treat their enemies? This is the next issue which must be examined. Please read The New Testament Promotes the Absolute Love of Enemies.

Written by Matthew J. Truitt, Harmless As Doves Ministries

The New Testament Promotes the Absolute Love of Enemies

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