Matthew 5:18 (LSB)

Passage

For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

Matthew 5:18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Matthew 5:19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "truly", "until", "heaven", "earth", "pass", "away", "smallest", and "letter". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "truly" and "until", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "Do not think that I came to..." into verse 19's "Whoever then annuls one of the least...", so "truly" and "until" 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 "truly" and "until" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.