What Does to "Fulfill" Mean in Matthew5:17?

By Tim Hegg

The issue of “The Law and the Believer” continues to foster debate among evangelicals and challenges us to look again and again at crux texts which inform this debate. One such text is Matthew 5:17-20, the words of Yeshua in which He corrects an erroneous teaching about His own position on the enduring relevance of the Law and Prophets. I have offered thoughts on this subject before1 and continue to ponder the difficulties this debate raises.

Recently I was reading the now well-known translation of the New Testament into ancient Hebrew by F. Deilitzch.2 Matthew 5:17 is translated:

רֵפָהְל יִתאָבּ אלֹ םיִאיִבְנַּה ירְֵבּדִ תֶא וֹא הרָוֹתַּה תֶא רֵפָהְל יִתאָבּ יִכּ בְשְחַתּ לַא רֹבֲעַת אלֹ ץרֶָאָהְו םִיַמָשַּה רְבַעַי–יִכּ דַע םֶכָל יִנֲא רֵמֹא ןֵמָא יִכּ .תאלַֹּמְל םִא יִכּ .לֹכַּה הֶשָׂעֵי רֶשֲא דַע הרָוֹתַּה–ןִמ דַחֶא ץוֹק–וֹא תַחַא דוֹי

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Tim Hegg

President / Instructor

Tim graduated from Cedarville University in 1973 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music and Bible, with a minor in Philosophy. He entered Northwest Baptist Seminary (Tacoma, WA) in 1973, completing his M.Div. (summa cum laude) in 1976. He completed his Th.M. (summa cum laude) in 1978, also from NWBS. His Master’s Thesis was titled: “The Abrahamic Covenant and the Covenant of Grant in the Ancient Near East”. Tim taught Biblical Hebrew and Hebrew Exegesis for three years as an adjunct faculty member at Corban University School of Ministry when the school was located in Tacoma. Corban University School of Ministry is now in Salem, OR. Tim is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature, and has contributed papers at the annual meetings of both societies. Since 1990, Tim has served as one of the Overseers at Beit Hallel in Tacoma, WA. He and his wife, Paulette, have four children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.