Teaching Notes

Essay 3 – Matthew 5:17-20

Written by Minister Jewel D. Williams

4/06 for Introduction to the Bible

"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. I tell you the truth, 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. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same 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. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus is speaking about what is expected from the life of one that obeys God’s ways. Jesus tells his listeners that God is calling for individuals to be salt and light. He also tells us that just as the prophets were persecuted and received a reward, so will those that come behind and are persecuted will receive their rewards.


Jesus then tells them, he did not come to destroy the law or the prophets. In other words, Jesus is saying the law of God and the words the prophets spoke are not being eliminated. Instead, Jesus is the one that fulfills (or completes the requirements of) the law. Jesus says that God’s word will not change. All of the word of God must be fulfilled or completed. Jesus came to fulfill the requirement of the law, which required a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin.


We also have the Old Testament that points to Jesus being the fulfillment of the Law. Jesus is represented in every aspect of the Old Testament tabernacle worship. He is the gate; the only entrance to salvation and no one comes to the father except through Christ. Jesus is the lamb without spot or blemish sacrificed on the brazen alter for the cleansing of sins. The curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom when Jesus was crucified because it was the working of God removing the separation down to man. God was making available his holiness to mankind because of Jesus' sacrifice. In the Old Testament times, the high priests were the only ones able to enter the Holy of Holies.


The sacrifice of animals (those without blemish or spot) was only a temporary requirement that was completely replaced with a more perfect sacrifice, which was Jesus the Son of God. The prophet’s spoke of Jesus’ coming and how he was the fulfillment of the words sent to the people of God. The entire Old Testament points to Jesus’ coming and fulfillment of the requirements inside.


There is still a part of the word of God that will be fulfilled when Jesus returns. That is the reason verse 18 states, “for verily I say unto you, Til heaven and earth pass, on jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass form the law, till all be fulfilled”. Jesus was teaching that no one should break God’s law nor teach others to do likewise. Those that teach others to obey the ways of God will enter into the kingdom of God.


Jesus also warned not to do as the Pharisees and the scribes did. They put their oral traditions equal with God’s laws and they changed what was required for holy living. Jesus reminds them not to put your beliefs, your traditions or anything above God’s law. Instead, Jesus is calling for individuals to be an example of him to the world. Jesus opened to all that will come the provisions of his father. He opened up the access to the Holiness of God.


“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth” (Romans 10:4). Paul states in Roman that Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. It is for those that believe to receive the righteousness imparted to them by God because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus is calling the individual to be obedient to the word of God. The word states that those that are obedient to God will receive entrance into God’s kingdom, for those that are not obedient, they will not receive of the promise of heaven. Jesus fulfilled the law’s requirements therefore opening up the access to God’s provisions.

Teaching Notes

This week we will not study a specific scripture, but look at the life of one of the early churches important figures, Apostle Paul. This is not a detailed study but an overview of his life.

Paul the Mission Worker

After Paul’s conversion, he carried out his commission not only in Damascus but also in the kingdom of the Nabatean Arabs, to the east and the south. (Gal. 1:17) Even though we are not given the details of his activity it was enough for the King to try and arrest him (2 Cor. 11:32-33). After he left Damascus, he visited Jerusalem to make the acquaintance of Peter. During his two weeks there, he met James the brother of Jesus. (Ga. 1:18-19) Paul left Jerusalem and went to Tarsus. He spent the next ten years in and around Tarsus, actively engaged in evangelizing the Gentiles.

He was invited by Barnabas to come to Antioch to care for a young church there. A spontaneous campaign of Gentile evangelization had recently taken place there resulting in a vigorous church.

After about a year of being in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to met with the apostles Peter and John, and James the brother of Jesus (Gal. 2:1-10). The results of this meeting was an agreement that the Jerusalem leaders would concentrate on the evangelization of the Jews, while Paul and Barnabas continue to take the gospel to the Gentiles.

Barnabas and Paul were released from the Antioch church to pursue a missionary campaign that took them to Barnabas’ native island of Cyprus and then into the highlands of central Asia Minor (modern Turkey), to the province of Galatia. There they preached the gospel and planted churches in the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Debre.

After Paul and Barnabas parted company, Paul chose Silas as his new collegue. Together they visited the young churches of Galatia. At Lystra they were joined by Timothy, a young convert. From this time until the end of his life, Timothy was his most faithful attendant.

Paul was told in a vision to cross the north Aegean sea and preach the gospel in Macedonia. The first stop was the Roman colony of Philippi. In spite of running into trouble and being imprisoned, Paul and his companions planted a strong church. They moved on to Thessalonica. They were forced to leave the city quickly because they were accused of proclaiming Jesus as the rival to the emperor.

Paul was alone now in his travel and he moved south into the province of Achaia. After a short stay in Athens, he went to Corinth. Their reputation was one of a wicked city in the Greco-Roman world. Surprisingly, Paul stayed there for 18 months and made many converts.

After his stay in Corinth, Paul paid a brief visit to Jerusalem and Antioch and then traveled to Ephesus where he stayed for 3 years. These are just a few of the travels of Paul. He also was able to encourage believers from his stay in jail. As long as God used him, he was available for service no matter the circumstances. Can we say the same?

What can we learn from Paul's life? One thing is we can be used by God to go and say whatever he decides. We can also learn that situations and circumstances do not have to stop you from being effective for God. Paul was willing to even preach while locked in Prison.

This week, let's ask God the question of what does he want from our lives? What does he want to do with us? Lord have your way in my life and use me for your glory, no matter what and who I may have to stand up against. Amen.

Teaching Notes

"Go," the LORD said to me, "and lead the people on their way, so that they may enter and possess the land that I swore to their fathers to give them."And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? - Deuteronomy 10:11-13

Walk with God. Moses was given instruction to lead the people of Israel into a land he was about to give them to possess. God had a plan and a purpose for Moses life, just as he has a plan for your life and mine.

The question asked was, what does the Lord ask of you? The answer to that question is as follows:

1. Fear the Lord.
2. Walk in all his ways.
3. Love him.
4. Serve him wholeheartedly.
5. Obey the commands of God.

It is important to understand that in order for us to walk with God we have to hear his instructions and then obey them. What the Lord ask of us today is not different that what he asked of the people of Israel. He requires us to have a reverence fear of him (meaning see the seriousness of who God is and honor that). We are to walk not in some of his ways but in all of them. We are to love him and out of that love will come our willingness to serve him with our whole hearts.

I challenge you today, are you following God his way? Are you walking after all that he shows you or are you picking and choosing what is right for you? If you want to be the change avenue for your generation you will need to follow God his way.  The question I ask you to think about this week is this, what can I do to improve my walk before God? Is there  something I need to let go of or something I need to add to my walk with God?

Prayer: Lord this day we are thankful for you and what you give to us. We are thankful that you will equipped us to be able to walk right before you. If we hear you and listen to your words we can have a successful walk with you. Lord keep us and use us for this time. Amen.

Teaching Notes

God said to Moses, "I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' " - Exodus 3:14

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." - Revelation 1:8

Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. - John 14:10

Who do you say that I am? I often hear debates about who God is, who Jesus is and what or who is the Holy Spirit. While all this debate is going on trying to prove or disprove God, I believe God is asking each of us a vital question. That question he speaks to each of our hearts is, who do you say that I am? Did you know it really does not matter how many times I tell you something about God if you refuse to believe it as the truth. Oh, it does not change that truth, it simply means you have not accepted it within your hearts and that is where God wants to make the change within us.

How or where can you find the truth about God? The first place is in his own words. If you wanted someone to know something about you, would you want them to trust the opinion of someone else or would you want them to heart if from you? Well God is the same. Now before you say, how can I hear from God, that is what his word is. The Bible, though written by men, was inspired by God because it is his truth as he told it to each of the writers. Let's take a look at a few of the things God says about himself in his word.

In the first scripture, God spoke to Moses and gave him instructions on being the deliver of his people. But Moses wants to know when the people ask me who has sent me, who should I say has sent me. This scripture in Exodus 3:14 is God's response to Moses' question. "I AM THAT I AM" signifies God as the great Jehovah and it tells us somethings about God. It tells us first he is self-existent. He does not recieve his life from some other source and he is now and has always been. He is eternal and not a created being. It tells us he is unchangable. He is the same today, tomorrow, yesterday and forever. It tell us he is incomprehensible, we will never be able to totally search him out, he is far above our understanding. He tells Moses tell them I Am has sent you. To be sent by the "I Am" means that you and I are equipped by the God of the universe, the God that is self-existent and self-sufficent. He does not change and therefore he will not leave us along and he will be with us as we carry out the journey he has called us to. Do you know God as the great "I AM". Have you experience his awesomeness today?

The next scripture Revelation 1:8, continues to explain who God is. This scripture says he is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. The scripture says who is (present tense), who was (from times of old, even before man was here on earth), who is to come (future tense). This is also true of Jesus for he is the one who is, and he is the one who was from time eternal and he is the one to come.

The last scripture in John 14:10 is Jesus asking the question of do you know me? What he is asking is do you know that I and my Father are one? He is telling those with him that all his words are the words of God. He is not speaking only as himself but he speaks for the Father.  The question to this world today is the same. Who do you say that God is? Who do you say that Jesus is?

If your answer is that God is eternal and that he is and has alway been then you answer according to God's explanation of himself. If you say that Jesus is his son and that he too was with God through all eternity. If you say that Jesus came to earth not to speak his own thoughts and wishes, but he came to speak the words of his Father and to fulfill the will of the Father then you understand Jesus as he spoke of himself.

So I ask you today, who do you say they are? Better yet, who is God to you? Who is Jesus to you? If you do not know God as father and Jesus as Lord, today can be the day you change your understanding, your position and your relationship. How do you want to answer this question?