Matthew 5, 17-19

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets [note a]: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily [note b] I say unto you, Till Heaven and Earth pass, one jot or one dash shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled. [note c]
19 Whosoever therefore shall break only one of these Commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.


Note:

[note a] Torah and Nevi’im are the original Hebrew names of the Holy Scriptures of the Christian’s Old Testament (ie the Pentateuch and the Prophets’ Writings)

[note b] The original word in Greek is “ἀμὴν” “Amen” which was used to state that this concept was a truthful, a certain thing.

[note c] The Greek word is γένηται (genetai, which derives from γίγνομαιgígnomai) which can also be translated as “must be”, or “must happen”.

English (Matthew 5:17-19) Original Greek Transliteration
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας· οὐκ ἦλθον καταλῦσαι ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι. Mē nomisēte hoti ēlthon katalysai ton nomon ē tous prophētas; ouk ēlthon katalysai alla plērōsai.
18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ ἰῶτα ἓν ἢ μία κεραία οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου ἕως ἂν πάντα γένηται. amēn gar legō hymin heōs an parelthē ho ouranos kai hē gē iōta hen ē mia keraia ou mē parelthē apo tou nomou heōs an panta genētai.
19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ὃς ἂν οὖν λύσῃ μίαν τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων καὶ διδάξῃ οὕτως τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἐλάχιστος κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν· ὃς δ’ ἂν ποιήσῃ καὶ διδάξῃ, οὗτος μέγας κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. hos an oun lysē mian tōn entolōn toutōn tōn elachistōn kai didaxēi houtōs tous anthrōpous, elachistos klēthēsetai en tē basileia tōn ouranōn; hos d’ an poiēsē kai didaxēi, houtos megas klēthēsetai en tē basileia tōn ouranōn.

Commentary:

The perpetual validity of the Hebrew Scriptures confirmed by Christ

The Messiah in these verses of the very important Chapter 5 of the Gospel according to Matthew, affirms and confirms that his doctrine (and therefore his arrival “his coming”) will not destroy/change the Law or the Prophets, that is, authority and principles of the Old Testament (references Matthew 7, 12 ; 22, 40 ; Luke 16, 16 and Acts 13, 15-22).

The Jewish authorities of the time claimed to interpret in a way and understand “the Law” and “the Prophets”, but often they did not put into practice those teachings, and Jesus, as a good interpreter or commentator would, without premeditating a subversion or a distortion of the doctrine. The announcement of the Master (Rabbi) Jesus to the various social classes of his listeners, which could include an alleged repeal of Scare Scriptures, is clear: “I came not to destroy, but to fulfill” (v. 19). Not to subvert, repeal or annul, but to establish or re-establish that written in the Law and declared by the Prophets that “to date” is not put into practice. It teaches the doctrine to all people, regardless of social class or level of education, it embodies the Word in a living form so that it is kept in the hearts of those who are pure of the Spirit. A Messiah manifestation of the supreme legislative authority of GOD through the Scriptures.
YHWH jealously attests to His messenger the exclusive prerogative of the legislator of men (Leviticus 18, 1-5 ; 19, 37 ; Leviticus 26, 1-4 ; Leviticus 26, 13-16, etc.), and this will be valid until “the sky and the earth will not have disappeared”. Although the Old Testament announces the definitive “perdition of the heavens and the earth”, in contrast to the immutability of GOD (Psalm 102, 24-27), the prevailing representation of the heavens and the earth in Scripture is that of their stability (Psalms 119, 89-91 ; Ecclesiastes 1, 4 ; Jeremiah 33, 25-26). The lasting stability, therefore, of the great moral and spiritual truths and principles of the revelation of the Old Testament is affirmed.

The “iota” or jot / yod is the smallest of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, while the “dash” is one of those small traits with which some of the Hebrew letters are distinguished from others very similar to them.
Therefore, not even the most insignificant thing written in the “scrolls” of the Law can “pass” (be overcome) until everything is fulfilled (or the Will of GOD will be done). This means that despite any loss of authority or vitality of the class at the spiritual and moral command of Jewish society, nothing and no one can ever exceed or change what is written in the Law: Love GOD, and love your neighbor (Mk 12: 29- 31)

v. 19 Anyone who therefore breaks or “nullifies” even one of the Commandments of God, will in turn teach men to do the same, thus being guilty of a double sin. This also refers to those Pharisees who did not follow the Law and their teaching, as is clear from Matthew 5, 20, but naturally embraces all the doctrines and teachings in the Christian Church. The one (or those) will be called, or rather “considered” minimal in the kingdom of heaven.
The thing we are talking about is therefore not related to the practical violation, or the disobedience of the Law, but the annulment of its obligation on the part of an erroneous system of interpretation (and teaching others to do the same). The punishment is not the exclusion from Heaven, but a degraded position, not elevated in the kingdom of GOD. in other words, they will be reduced to the same condition of dishonor to which, with their system and their teaching, they have broken down those eternal principles of the Divine Law.
But whoever works according to the Scriptures and will teach others to do the same, he will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven, elevated to a position of authority and honor.

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