John Calvin Commentary 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 5:18 (ASV)

Till heaven and earth pass: Luke expresses it a little differently, but with the same meaning, that it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than for one point of the law to fail. The design of Christ, in both passages, was to teach that the truth of the law and of every part of it is secure, and that nothing so durable is to be found in the whole frame of the world.

Some people indulge in ingenious refinements on the word till, (ἓως ἂν,) as if the passing away of the heaven and earth, which will take place on the last day, the day of judgment, were to put an end to the law and the prophets.

And certainly, as “tongues shall then cease, and prophecies shall be abolished,” (1 Corinthians 13:8), I think that the written law, as well as the exposition of it, will come to an end; but, as I believe Christ spoke more simply, I do not choose to feed the ears of readers with such amusements.

Let it be sufficient for us to hold that sooner shall heaven fall to pieces, and the whole frame of the world become a mass of confusion, than the stability of the law shall give way.

But what does it mean that every part of the law shall be fulfilled down to the smallest point? For we see that even those who have been regenerated by the Spirit of God are very far from keeping the law of God in a perfect manner.

I answer, the expression shall not pass away, must be viewed as referring not to the lives of men, but to the perfect truth of the doctrine. “There is nothing in the law that is unimportant, nothing that was put there at random; and so it is impossible that a single letter shall perish.”