Matthew 5:17-20

Presumption of Continuity of OT Law into NT
Some claim that “fulfill” means that Christ did not come to abolish the law immediately, but did come to abolish the law after three years - once He fulfilled the prophecies about His earthly life, death and resurrection.

But says twice that He didn’t come to abolish

His “fulfillment” requires our obedience (“least in kingdom” if break least commandment, and not in kingdom if can’t do better than the Pharisees). Fulfills prophecies that Messiah would spread obedience to God’s law throughout the earth – e.g. Ps. 2, Isa. 2.

Explanation of laws that follow are rules that any Christian should obey (e.g. don’t lust, don’t pray to be seen).

Explanation of laws that follow does not abolish them, but shows full extent of law as originally intended compared to the Pharisees’ oral traditions (“you have heard it said” – not “it is written”) that limited and distorted God’s law.