Texts in Conversation
Matthew 5:18 affirms the enduring authority of the Torah, reflecting a common tradition in Jewish literature, such as in Baruch 4:1, where the Torah is described as everlasting and life-giving. In this, Matthew depicts Jesus participating in Jewish traditions of Torah interpretation and application.
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Baruch 4:1
Deuterocanon
1 She is the book of the commandments of God, the law that endures forever. All who hold her fast will live, and those who forsake her will die. 2 Turn, O Jacob, and take her; walk toward the shining of her light. 3 Do not give your glory to another, or your advantages to an alien people. 4 Happy are we, O Israel, for we know what is pleasing to God.
Date: 150-100 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Matthew 5:18
New Testament
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place. 19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!
Date: 70-90 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... Elsewhere, the perpetuity of the Law is asserted: in Baruch 4:1; In Sirach 24:9 with verse 23, the Wisdom that says of herself, 'before time from the beginning he created me, and unto the end of time I shall not cease' is, 'the Law that God commanded Moses.' In Enoch 99:2, it is the 'eternal law' ..."
Whitfield Mowbray, D. D.
The Johannine Logos Doctrine and its Sources
(pp. 262-263) Durham University, 1952
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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