In this lecture, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains the meaning of Christ’s words: “I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17), addressing the misunderstanding that Jesus came to abolish the Law of Moses.
The Pope clarifies that Christ did not cancel the old law but came to complete it by revealing its deeper spiritual meaning. For instance, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” was a judicial law meant for courts to preserve justice—not a rule for personal behavior. In personal relationships, God had already taught love and forgiveness, as shown in Joseph’s kindness to his brothers and David’s mercy toward Saul and Absalom.

Christ fulfilled the commandments by elevating them to inner perfection: He did not remove “You shall not murder” but deepened it to “Whoever is angry with his brother without cause is in danger of judgment.” Likewise, He did not abolish “You shall not commit adultery” but perfected it by calling for purity of heart and thought.

Thus, Christ did not destroy the Law but completed it—revealing its true intent and spiritual fullness. The sacrifices of the Old Testament found their true meaning in Him, for He is the perfect sacrifice for sin and redemption, the fulfillment of all symbols.

✝️ Spiritual Lessons:

• Christ is the fulfillment of the Law, not its contradiction.

• God values purity of heart above outward observance.

• Love and forgiveness are the essence of divine law.

• Christ revealed the true depth of every commandment.

• Faith in Christ transforms us from the letter to the spirit, from symbol to truth.

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