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| Q: | Explain Matthew 5:19 in simple language to me. I need to discuss this at our next Bible study. | ||||||
| A: | Jesus taught people that they were saved by God's grace through faith and not by the works of the law. This teaching upset many of the religious leaders of the day who taught that righteousness before God could only come by doing what God requires. Therefore these religious leaders (cf. "Pharisees and teachers of the law" in v. 20) labeled Jesus as a teacher who was trying to set aside God's holy Word. In part, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, from which this verse is taken, is his response to such an attack. Jesus taught in this sermon that he had no intention of changing even the tiniest bit of God's Word. Nor does a true disciple set aside God's Word simply by believing he is saved by grace. On the contrary, God's saving love in Christ will lead that disciple to want to keep God's Word in every detail--and not just outwardly, but in the heart. Thus, Matthew 5:19 stands as an encouragement for Christians to uphold all of God's Word in their lives. It also stands as a warning against the faith-weakening and perhaps faith-destroying nature of any false teaching. | ||||||
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