Fulfillment

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. — Rom. 13:8-10

Jesus came to fulfill the law (Matt. 5:17). How? By commanding the royal law (James 2:8). Jesus is the fulfillment of the law (God is love). And the ways of Jesus fulfill the law.

Word for Word

Translators of languages approach their craft using 'word-for-word' and 'thought-for-thought' techniques. Bible translations tend to tip one way or the other. The most important thing is to get the message right. One Greek word for 'word' is logos. It refers to a message, reason, logic, or revealed wisdom. The scriptures are what God has to say in written form. Jesus is what God has to say in living form. It's quite possible to get bogged down in phrases (we call them verses) and miss the message. It's also possible to encounter the message and distance ourselves from it.

Tumbled Brick

Years ago, we had the chance to build a new house. The exterior was a combination of cedar and brick. For the brick, we chose an option that has been tumbled before firing, resulting in a more irregular texture. Unfortunately, our brick mason saw this as a flaw, and he discarded a significant number of my bricks. So many that I had to buy more! We tend to do this with stories. We don't know how to handle texture. For simplicity, we discard the messy parts, at the cost of interest and truth.