New Light On the Term "Filfilled" From Old English

[EarlyActs]

[Oops, a bit excited; I did mean 'fulfill' in the title typo!]

Although I may have lost the reference, I believe I have come across the reference to an old English usage of the term 'fulfill' which may shed quite a bit of light on the Biblical term.

In the novel, a character has been known to perform several helpful tasks through their life; they have a reputation, a "name" for them. They are invited to help in another one, and the requestor says "Please come help us and fulfill what we already know of you." Ie, fill (your name, reputation) fuller than it is now.

I reference that (I'll keep looking for details) because we may be missing this from our modern English by supposing that fulfilled Scripture happens out of a vacuum. Instead, what was meant was there was a string of such events in which God declared and brought something about, and they have a continuity, though not an exact repeat (I'm reminded of Lewis' 'things never happen the same way twice.' here). So when the NT says Christ was the fulfillment of the Law, or more specifically, when Lk 9 says Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem to fulfill his 'exodus' then something known was being produced, enacted, accomplished but in a new form. In the first, for ex., Christ kept the Law perfectly, but it is not a model that everyone else is supposed to copy after; they might not be in a culture where there is strict sabbath enforcement. Instead he kept it for the sake of redeeming others, to provide their righteousness.

Thus the kingdom of God was like a person who brought about many treasures, new and old.

 

[makesends]

[Oops, a bit excited; I did mean 'fulfill' in the title typo!]

Although I may have lost the reference, I believe I have come across the reference to an old English usage of the term 'fulfill' which may shed quite a bit of light on the Biblical term.

In the novel, a character has been known to perform several helpful tasks through their life; they have a reputation, a "name" for them. They are invited to help in another one, and the requestor says "Please come help us and fulfill what we already know of you." Ie, fill (your name, reputation) fuller than it is now.

I reference that (I'll keep looking for details) because we may be missing this from our modern English by supposing that fulfilled Scripture happens out of a vacuum. Instead, what was meant was there was a string of such events in which God declared and brought something about, and they have a continuity, though not an exact repeat (I'm reminded of Lewis' 'things never happen the same way twice.' here). So when the NT says Christ was the fulfillment of the Law, or more specifically, when Lk 9 says Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem to fulfill his 'exodus' then something known was being produced, enacted, accomplished but in a new form. In the first, for ex., Christ kept the Law perfectly, but it is not a model that everyone else is supposed to copy after; they might not be in a culture where there is strict sabbath enforcement. Instead he kept it for the sake of redeeming others, to provide their righteousness.

Thus the kingdom of God was like a person who brought about many treasures, new and old.

That is interesting —something to think about— but do you not see the eisegesis there?

The import of the word is not the English use of it—new or old—but the original text's use of it, in whatever language it was written. Don't draw doctrine on what 'Fulfill', in English, used to mean.

 

[EarlyActs]

That is interesting —something to think about— but do you not see the eisegesis there?

The import of the word is not the English use of it—new or old—but the original text's use of it, in whatever language it was written. Don't draw doctrine on what 'Fulfill', in English, used to mean.

More of them were classical students than today; meaning, they knew the etymological trails of classical stems of Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Look at how few people use the term 'impute' these days compared to then when Austen, Shakespeare, even Capt. W. Cody used it.

I believe the psy-op of precise'lab' fulfilled prophecy misses the accumulative meaning, and that's why I referred to Lk 9 and the 'fulfillment' of the exodus. It wasn't a "prophecy" yet it was fulfilled.