The following is the abridged version and English translation of chapter 2 of my dissertation “The Law of Christ” (Maastricht, 2000), published separately as chapter 2 in “Fulfillment of the Law” (2005).
Matthew 5:17–20 is not an isolated statement, but the hermeneutical center of the entire Gospel. In Matthew, the fulfillment of the law does not mean its abolition, but a confirmation of the תורה as a lasting norm, read from its deepest intention. Jesus does not stand outside or opposite the halachic tradition, but within its most vital areas of tension: the discussions between Hillel and Shammai, the prophetic criticism of empty rituals, the search for the core of the commandments, the question of the correct application of the Sabbath and the bill of divorce, and the eschatological expectation of a community that truly lives according to God's will. In his approach to divorce, the Sabbath, justice, and mercy, Jesus shows a halacha that is not less, but more law: a halacha that reveals the origin and purpose of the תורה. In comparison with Qumran, it appears that the Messiah does not restrict the law to an exclusive elite, but opens it up to a community that lives by love for God and neighbor. The Didache confirms that early Christian tradition continued this line: the way of Jesus is the way of the law that leads to life. Finally, Matthew 23 shows that the criticism of the Pharisees is not a rejection of halacha, but a defense of its heart: הַמִּשְׁפָּט וְהָרַחֲמִים וְהָאֱמוּנָה. Thus, the entirety of Matthew's Gospel bears witness that the Messiah fulfills the law by confirming it, deepening it, and bringing it to its destination, so that the community that follows Him can walk on the path that was intended from the beginning as the way to life.

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