Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the prophets.
I have not come to destroy them but to fulfil them.
For truly I say to you:
Until the sky or the land pass away,
certainly not one comma or dash will pass away from the Law,
until all things come about.
Therefore whoever looses one of the smallest commandments
and teaches this to people,
will be called smallest in the Kingdom of the Heavens.
But whoever does them and teaches them
will be called great in the Kingdom of the Heavens.
For I say to you that unless your righteousness is way beyond that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of the Heavens.
Be thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me
Be thou a smooth path below me
Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me
Today – tonight -forever
Amen.
St Columba
3 responses to “Matthew 5:17-20”
Translating this to use the plural ‘heavens’ in not what I have in the NEB! This makes the world of difference and does not help my understanding.
Hi Moya
I realise that this is a little idiosyncratic, but then so is the NEB!
My understanding is that there was debate amongst Jews at the time about a hierarchy of the heavens. Paul talks about being transported to the third heaven, Paradise (2 Cor 12:4) -i.e. there are
1. the sky/air,
2. the stars/ space ,
3. the highest realm: Paradise
In v 18 Jesus/ Matthew has the singular ‘heaven’ coupled with ‘land / earth’ (not the word for world) so together I think that this is a reference to the whole physical world, hence sky.
in v20 Jesus/ Matthew has the plural ‘Heavens’; I am inclined to think that they have a similar cosmology as Paul, and so are describing the entirety of God’s Kingdom; all three heavens. It seems to me that there is a value then in using the plural, Heavens.
OK Isee the basisof this thank you. I generally need more to understand the heavens let’s hope we all go to the same one!
Moya