Based on biblical teachings, the authority to fundamentally change God’s law rests solely with Jesus Christ, who stated he came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). However, throughout Scripture, Jesus and the Apostles demonstrated that the purpose and application of law often transcend the strict letter of the law in favor of love, mercy, and justice.
Jesus taught that He came not to abolish the Old Testament Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17), bringing their ultimate purpose to completion. He reinterpreted the Law by emphasizing its spirit—love for God and neighbor—over rigid legalism, setting a higher standard of righteousness than that of the Pharisees.
Key Aspects of Jesus and the Law:
- Fulfillment, Not Abolition: Jesus declared that “not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law” until all is accomplished, establishing Himself as the culmination of the Old Covenant.
- The Great Commandment: He summarized the entire Law and Prophets into two commands: loving God with all one’s heart, soul, and mind, and loving one’s neighbor as oneself.
- Internal vs. External: Jesus emphasized that true obedience is a matter of the heart, not just outward actions, such as in the Sermon on the Mount where he linked anger with murder and lust with adultery.
- Redefining the Sabbath: Jesus challenged the strict interpretations of the Pharisees, declaring that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”.
- Transition to a New Covenant: Through His death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial laws, making them redundant and initiating a new covenant of grace rather than strict adherence to the Mosaic Law.
While some views emphasize that Christians are no longer under the Law of Moses but under the “law of Christ,” others focus on the continuity of God’s moral law through Jesus.
If one were to highlight a “change” or shift in focus supported by the New Testament, it would be transitioning from a reliance on legalistic, ritualistic obedience to the law of love.
Here is a breakdown of why this shift is consistent with biblical teaching:
1. The “Law” to Change: Legalistic Performance
- The Problem: The Mosaic law was “weak and useless” for changing human nature, serving only to highlight sin and human inability to be perfect (Hebrews 7:18-19, Romans 3:19-20).
- The Shift: Jesus challenged the pharisaical interpretation of the law (e.g., Sabbath regulations) that prioritized rules over human need, stating that the “Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).
- The Goal: To remove the “yoke of slavery” to rigid, legalistic rules that often neglect “justice, mercy, and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23, Galatians 5:1).
2. The Law to Implement: “The Law of Christ” (Love)
- The Core Principle: Jesus summarized the entire Law and Prophets into two commandments: Love God and Love Your Neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40).
- The New Standard: Jesus commanded, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). This raises the standard from loving others merely as yourself to loving them with the self-sacrificial love of Christ.
- The Fulfillment: The Apostle Paul confirms that “the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself'” (Galatians 5:14).
Why This Change?
- Hearts over Compliance: Changing laws does not change hearts, but love does. The goal of the gospel is “righteousness,” not just legal compliance (Rom. 12:2).
- Grace over Performance: We are no longer justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:16).
- Freedom: Christ set believers free from the obligation to ceremonial laws (dietary laws, sacrifices) that pointed toward him, as he is the final, perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 10:1-14).
Summary: The ultimate biblical “change” is prioritizing the law of love (Galatians 6:2) over a legalistic, performance-based interpretation of the law, as love is the fulfillment of all moral requirements.