Matthew 5:17 (ASV)

Passage

Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:15 Neither do [men] light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house.

Matthew 5:16 Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.

Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.

Matthew 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "think", "came", "destroy", "prophets", and "fulfil". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "think" and "came", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "Even so let your light shine before..." into verse 18's "For verily I say unto you Till...", so "think" and "came" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "think" and "came" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.