Calvyn oor Jesus en die Wet volgens Matteus 5:17-20

CALVYN OOR JESUS EN DIE WET VAN GOD VOLGENS MATTEUS 5:17-20

(deel 1: vers 17)

“Moenie dink dat Ek gekom het om die wet of die profete te ontbind nie. Ek het nie gekom om te ontbind nie, maar om te vervul. ” – Matt. 5:17

1) Christus wys daarop dat sy leer in lyn is met die wet, nie in stryd daarmee nie:

“Christ, therefore, now declares, that his doctrine is so far from being at variance with the law, that it agrees perfectly with the law and the prophets, and not only so, but brings the complete fulfillment of them.”

2) Die NT (Christus) is nie ‘n rewolusionêre omverwerping van die OT nie, maar ‘n vervulling daarvan:

“Devout worshippers of God would never have embraced the Gospel, if it had been a revolt from the law; while light and turbulent spirits would eagerly have seized on an occasion offered to them for entirely overthrowing the state of religion: for we know in what insolent freaks rash people are ready to indulge when there is any thing new.”

3) Die Evangelie het nie die gesag van die Wet en die Profete vernietig nie:

“But if a new kind of doctrine had been introduced, which would destroy the authority of the Law and the Prophets, religion would have sustained a dreadful injury. This appears to be the first reason, why Christ declared that he had not come to destroy the Law.”

4) Christus plaas ‘n vloek op hulle wat die gesag van die Wet en Profete verwerp:

“Indeed, the context makes this abundantly clear: for he immediately adds, by way of confirmation, that it is impossible for even one point of the Law to fail, — and pronounces a curse on those teachers who do not faithfully labor to maintain its authority.”

5) Jesus roep die Jode op om die Evangelie te ontvang, terwyl Hy nog steeds verwag dat hul die Wet gehoorsaam:

“While he invites and exhorts the Jews to receive the Gospel, he still retains them in obedience to the Law; and, on the other hand, he boldly refutes the base reproaches and slanders, by which his enemies labored to make his preaching infamous or suspected.”

6) Christus se vervulling van die Wet in ons plek, beteken nie ons is nie meer gebonde aan die gesag van die Wet nie, want dit bly die ewige reël van ons toegewyde en heilige lewe (wat ons gereformeerdes die ‘reël van ons dankbaarheidslewe’ noem, sien die HK, deel 3):

“With respect to doctrine, we must not imagine that the coming of Christ has freed us from the authority of the law: for it is the eternal rule of a devout and holy life, and must, therefore, be as unchangeable, as the justice of God, which it embraced, is constant and uniform.”

7) Die seremoniële wette – wat heengewys het na Christus, en nou vervul is – moet nie meer onderhou word nie, maar die betekenis moet wel nog geleer en gehandhaaf word (wat ons gereformeerdes bely in NGB art. 25):

“With respect to ceremonies, there is some appearance of a change having taken place; but it was only the use of them that was abolished, for their meaning was more fully confirmed. The coming of Christ has taken nothing away even from ceremonies, but, on the contrary, confirms them by exhibiting the truth of shadows: for, when we see their full effect, we acknowledge that they are not vain or useless.”

8) Daar is ‘n onherroeplike heilige band tussen die wet en die Evangelie, wat ons nie durf mag probeer breek nie, omdat Christus die vervulling van die wet is, en omdat God die Outeur is van beide die wet en evangelie, en albei handhaaf:

“Let us therefore learn to maintain inviolable this sacred tie between the law and the Gospel, which many improperly attempt to break. For it contributes not a little to confirm the authority of the Gospel, when we learn, that it is nothing else than a fulfillment of the law; so that both, with one consent, declare God to be their Author.”

CALVYN OOR JESUS EN DIE WET VAN GOD VOLGENS MATT. 5:17-20

(deel 2: vers 18 en 19)

18 Want voorwaar Ek sê vir julle, voordat die hemel en die aarde verbygaan, sal nie een jota of een titteltjie van die wet ooit verbygaan totdat alles gebeur het nie.

19 Elkeen dus wat een van die minste van hierdie gebooie breek en die mense só leer, sal die minste genoem word in die koninkryk van die hemele; maar elkeen wat dit doen en leer, hy sal groot genoem word in die koninkryk van die hemele. – Matteus 5

1. Daar is niks so vas en seker in hierdie wêreld as God se wet nie:

“18. Till heaven and earth pass Luke expresses it a little differently, but to the same import, that it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for one point of the law to fail. The design of Christ, in both passages, was to teach, that the truth of the law and of every part of it, is secure, and that nothing so durable is to be found in the whole frame of the world.”

2. Die geskrewe wet en die verklaring daarvan sal eers met die wederkoms tot ‘n einde kom:

“Some persons indulge in ingenious refinements on the word till, (heos a n,) as if the passing away of the heaven and earth, which will take place on the last day, the day of judgment, were to put an end to the law and the prophets And certainly, as “tongues shall then cease, and prophecies shall be abolished,” (1 Corinthians 13:8,)

I think that the written law, as well as the exposition of it, will come to an end; but, as I am of opinion that Christ spoke more simply, I do not choose to feed the ears of readers with such amusements.”  

3. Die feit dat Christus alleen die wet volkome vervul het (kon nagekom het in al sy detail), en dat selfs die wedergeborenes/gelowiges/uitverkorenes nie die wet volmaak kan nakom nie, beteken nie die wet het weggeval hierdie lewe voor die wederkoms nie, en verander nie die volmaaktheid van die wet wat nog vir vandag as norm geld nie:

“Let it suffice for us to hold, that sooner shall heaven fall to pieces, and the whole frame of the world become a mass of confusion, than the stability of the law shall give way.

But what does it mean, that every part of the law shall be fulfilled down to the smallest point? for we see, that even those, who have been regenerated by the Spirit of God, are very far from keeping the law of God in a perfect manner. I answer, the expression, shall not pass away, must be viewed as referring, not to the life of men, but to the perfect truth of the doctrine. “There is nothing in the law that is unimportant, nothing that was put there at, random; and so it is impossible that a single letter shall perish.”

4. Christus spreek hier (in vers 19) spesifiek van die gebooie van die lewe, of die Tien Gebooie, wat al die kinders van God as die reël van hul lewe moet neem (gereformeerdes bely dit in HK, die derde deel, die reël van ons dankbaarheidslewe):

“19. Whoever then shall break. Christ here speaks expressly of the commandments of life, or the ten words, which all the children of God ought to take as the rule of their life.”

5. Almal wat leer dat Christus se dissipels nie meer gehoorsaam hoef te wees aan die wet nie, of die gesag van die wet verswak vir die kerk, is valse en misleidende leraars:

“He therefore declares, that they are false and deceitful teachers, who do not restrain their disciples within obedience to the law, and that they are unworthy to occupy a place in the Church, who weaken, in the slightest degree, the authority of the law”

6. Selfs die detail van God se wet is nie onbelangrik nie, want dit is die hemelse Wetgewer wat dit vir ons geopenbaar het. Dit is heiligskennis om enigiets te bevraagteken wat uit sy heilige mond gekom het:

“The least commandments is an expression used in accommodation to the judgment of men: for though they have not all the same weight, (but, when they are compared together, some are less than others,) yet we are not at liberty to think any thing small, on which the heavenly Legislator has been pleased to issue a command. For what sacrilege is it to treat contemptuously any thing which has proceeded from his sacred mouth? This is to sink his majesty to the rank of creatures.”

7. Hulle wat die leer oor die wet minag sal as die kleinste geag word:

“He shall be called the least. This is an allusion to what he had just said about the commandments: but the meaning is obvious. Those who shall pour contempt on the doctrine of the law, or on a single syllable of it, will be rejected as the lowest of men.”

8. Alleen hulle moet as leraars in die Kerk toegelaat word wat die wet onderrig en dit in handhaaf in sy geheel, soos wat die Wetgewer dit vir ons ontwerp het en vir watter doel dit bepaal is. Die doen van die seremonies was tydelik van aard, hul waarheid ewig (soos ons gereformeerdes bely in NGB art. 25). Die skadus het verby gegaan, maar die effek daarvan bly:

“Christ declares that, when his Church shall have been renewed, no teachers must be admitted to it, but those who are faithful expounders of the law, and who labor to maintain its doctrine entire. But it is asked, were not ceremonies among the commandments of God, the least of which we are now required to observe? I answer, We must look to the design and object of the Legislator. God enjoined ceremonies, that their outward use might be temporal, and their meaning eternal. That man does not break ceremonies, who omits what is shadowy, but retains their effect.”

9. Goeie en heilige leraars sal nie die wet minag nie, maar deur woorde en dade die mense leer op die wet te onderhou:

“But if Christ banishes from his kingdom all who accustom men to any contempt of the law how monstrous must be their stupidity, who are not ashamed to remit, by a sacrilegious indulgence, what God strictly demands, and, under the pretense of venial sin, to overthrow the righteousness of the law. Again, we must observe the description he gives of good and holy teachers: that not only by words, but chiefly by the example of life, they exhort men to keep the law.”

CALVYN OOR JESUS EN DIE WET VAN GOD VOLGENS MATT. 5:17-20

(deel 3: vers 20)

20 Want Ek sê vir julle dat, as julle geregtigheid nie oorvloediger is as dié van die skrifgeleerdes en Fariseërs nie, julle nooit in die koninkryk van die hemele sal ingaan nie. – Matteus 5

1. Dit is die Fariseërs wat valslik ’n teenstelling maak tussen die Evangelie en die Wet, nie ware gelowiges nie:

“Unless your righteousness shall be more abundant. He takes a passing notice of the Scribes, who were laboring to throw a stain on the doctrine of the Gospel, as if it were the ruin of the Law.”

2.  Die probleem van die Fariseërs was die verdraaide manier waarop hul geleer het, deur net die wet van toepassing te maak op die uiterlike optrede of gedrag, en nie ook die innerlike lewe nie (soos Jesus gaan uitwys in die res van die bergrede se onderrig):

“But it deserves inquiry, whether he does not rather blame the corrupted manner of teaching, which the Pharisees and Scribes followed in instructing the people. By confining the law of God to outward duties only, they trained their disciples, like apes, to hypocrisy.”

3. Die Fariseërs het ’n valse geregtigheid voorgestaan in stryd met die wese van die wet:

“They lived, I readily admit, as ill as they taught, and even worse: and therefore, along with their corrupted doctrine, I willingly include their hypocritical parade of false righteousness.”

4. Christus herstel die Wet terug na sy suiwerheid, in kontras met die Fariseërs wat die Wet valslik en op ’n bose wyse verklaar het:

“The principal charge brought by Christ against their doctrine may be easily learned from what follows in the discourse, where he removes from the law their false and wicked interpretations, and restores it to its purity.”

5. Die skrifgeleerdes en Fariseërs het valslik vir Jesus aangekla dat Hy die Wet kom vernietig het, en dat hulle die skuldiges is wat die wet verdraai en ophef met hul verkeerde verklarings en toepassings:

“In short, the objection which, as we have already said, was unjustly brought against him by the Scribes, is powerfully thrown back on themselves.”

Opsommend 

Calvyn is dus baie duidelik in sy verklaring van Matt. 5:17-20, hy glo Jesus verwerp alle vorme van die dwaling van “antinomianisme” (anti-wet), nl. dat die gelowige (gered deur Christus alleen) nou losgemaak is van die wet as die norm, standaard van reg en verkeerd, die reël van ons dankbaarheidslewe.

Die Fariseërs en skrifgeleerdes van sy tyd het die wet verdraai en/of misbruik  vir verkeerde doeleindes (redding deur werke), en/of dit net ‘n saak gemaak van die uiterlike optrede, en nie ook die hart, die binneste nie, in stryd met wat die OT ook reeds vereis het: besny die hart ook, nie net die voorhuid nie. Dit is hulle wat die wet misbruik om dit ‘n weg van redding te maak, dus ‘redding deur werke/die wet’.

Christus vervul, herstel en handhaaf die Wet weer in sy regmatige plek vir die gelowige soos sy Vader bedoel het, wat pragtig saamgevat word volgens die Skrif, in HK Sondag 33, v/a 91, die derde deel van die HK wat handel oor ons dankbaarheidslewe in antwoord op ons groot verlossing van sonde deur Christus alleen:

Sondag: 33 – VRAAG EN ANTWOORD: 91

Vraag: Wat is goeie werke?

Antwoord: Slegs die wat uit ‘n ware geloof, ¹ volgens die Wet van God, ² tot sy eer gedoen word, ³ en nie die wat op ons goeddunke of op oorgelewerde gebruike van mense gegrond is nie, ⁴

Skriffundering:

1. Romeine 14:23
2. Levitikus 18:4; 1 Samuel 15:22; Efesiërs 2:10
3. 1 Korintiërs 10:31
4. Jesaja 29:13-14; Esegiël 20:18-19; Matteus 15:7-9

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Bron: Calvin’s Commentaries: Matthew.