The Fulfillment of the Law in Christ: An Orthodox Christian Perspective
A comment on social media recently caught my attention: “Christ said He didn’t come to abolish the Law, but He totally did abolish (fulfill) the Law, and there is no remnant of the Law left, clearly.” This statement reflects a common misunderstanding of Christ’s relationship to the Law and its ongoing significance within Christianity. From an Orthodox Christian perspective, this issue is far more nuanced and profound. Rather than being abolished, the Law has been fulfilled in Christ and transformed into its mature, spiritual reality within the life of the Church.
The Law as Acorn to Oak: Transformation, Not Eradication
To understand how the Law continues in Christ, we can use the analogy of an acorn growing into an oak tree. Just as the acorn is not “abolished” when it becomes a tree, but rather fulfills its purpose in a more complete form, so too the Law is not destroyed but reaches its fullness in Christ. The same principle applies to human development: a fetus becomes a baby, a baby grows into an adult. The earlier stages are not discarded but are essential to what follows.
In this way, the Law given through Moses finds its ultimate meaning and fulfillment in Christ and His Church. The moral principles of the Law remain foundational, but they are now understood through the lens of Christ’s teachings and His life-giving sacrifice. The ceremonial aspects of the Law have not been discarded; rather, they have been transfigured into their spiritual reality within the life of the Church.
The Council of Jerusalem: The Law for Gentiles
The Council of Jerusalem, recorded in Acts 15, provides a clear example of how the early Church navigated this transformation. The Apostles determined that Gentile converts were not bound by all aspects of the Mosaic Law but were required to observe certain key elements: abstaining from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality- the exact same aspects of the Law that Gentile resident aliens in ancient Israel were expected to observe. These were seen as essential moral and ritual principles that carried forward into Christian practice.
In Orthodox Christianity today, these principles remain part of our spiritual life. For example, fasting practices reflect a continuation of dietary discipline rooted in these ancient concerns. The moral teachings of the Law—such as those encapsulated in the Ten Commandments—are still upheld as guiding principles for Christian living.
The Priesthood Transfigured: From Aaron to Melchizedek
One of the most striking continuities between Old Testament worship and Orthodox Christian practice is found in the priesthood. In ancient Israel, the priesthood was according to Aaron; in Christianity, it is according to Melchizedek (Hebrews 7). Christ Himself is our High Priest, offering Himself as both Priest and Victim on behalf of humanity.
This priesthood continues in His Body, the Church. Orthodox priests serve at altars where Christ’s one sacrifice on Calvary is made present in every Divine Liturgy. This is not a repetition or replacement of His sacrifice but its re-presentation—a mystical participation in that once-for-all offering.
The Sacrificial System Fulfilled in the Eucharist
The sacrificial system of ancient Israel also finds its fulfillment in Christ and His Church. While animal sacrifices have ceased because they were shadows pointing to Christ’s ultimate sacrifice on the Cross, the essence of sacrifice remains central to Christian worship. The Eucharist is both a thanksgiving offering (from the Greek eucharistia, meaning “thanksgiving”) and a participation in Christ’s self-offering.
This fulfillment aligns with Second Temple Jewish expectations that when the Messiah came, sacrifices would cease except for one: a daily thanksgiving offering shared by priests and people alike. Malachi’s prophecy speaks directly to this reality:
“For from the rising of the sun even to its setting my name will be great among the nations; and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering” (Malachi 1:11).
In Orthodox Christianity, this prophecy is fulfilled in every Divine Liturgy celebrated around the world. The Eucharist is offered as a pure sacrifice by both clergy and laity united in worship.
The New Israel: The Church as Continuation of Second Temple Judaism
Orthodox Christianity understands itself as the continuation—and fulfillment—of Second Temple Judaism. The Church is “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16), inheriting by faith the promises given to Abraham. While rabbinic Judaism emerged after 70 AD as a Pharisaic response to losing the Temple (and rejected many elements of Second Temple Judaism), Christianity preserved these elements through transformation.
For example:
The Temple finds its fulfillment in Christ (“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” – John 2:19) and His Body, which includes both His physical body and His mystical Body—the Church.
Sacrifices are fulfilled in Christ’s one offering on Calvary and perpetuated mystically through the Eucharist.
Incense continues as part of Orthodox worship, symbolizing prayer rising to God (Psalm 141:2).
Conclusion: Living Out Fulfilled Worship
Far from being abolished or irrelevant, the Law finds its fullest expression within Orthodox Christianity. Through Christ’s Incarnation, death, Resurrection, and Ascension, what was once partial has become complete. The moral teachings remain foundational; ritual elements have been transfigured into their spiritual realities; and worship has been elevated into communion with God through Christ.
Orthodox Christians live out this fulfilled reality daily through participation in the Divine Liturgy—the pure offering prophesied by Malachi—and through lives shaped by prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and obedience to God’s commandments. It is within this ancient Christian communion that we see not only continuity with Second Temple Judaism but also its ultimate purpose realized: union with God through Jesus Christ.
