The Old and New Covenants

The Christian Mark of the Beast Survival Manual > The Old and New Covenants

The Christian Mark of the Beast Survival Manual Copyright © 2014 by Erik K. Olinger All rights reserved.

READERS: This is a rough-draft of the manuscript.  It is unedited and contains errors that will be corrected at the final release.

 

The Old and New Covenants

 

Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God (NIV Jer. 11:4).

A covenant is defined in the Holman Illustrated Dictionary as, “an oath-bound promise whereby one party solemnly pledges to bless or serve another party in some specified way.1” The covenants that are a focus of this chapter are the:

  • Abrahamic Covenant.

  • Sinaitic (Mosaic) Covenant.

  • Jeremiad Covenant.

  • Christ’s New Covenant.

The covenants above are agreements between God and man, however biblically covenants have been between not only God and man, but between man and man, and undoubtedly between God the Father and God the Son. Studying the covenants will yield a greater understanding of the powerful redemptive work of Christ and how it relates to everyone. A fuller knowledge of why we are free and enabled today, and out of our “custody” under the guardianship of the Mosaic code, should increase appreciation for the master plan of God and the person of Jesus Christ. The order of this chapter is loosely chronological in the order in which God established each covenant.

The Abrahamic Covenant

The Abrahamic Covenant is a major establishment of God that takes place near the beginning of Bible history. This promise was made by God with a man named Abram, whose descendants were going to be many and blessed, and who was to be given the land of Canaan. God promised to be the God of Abram and bless all people of earth through Abram. This covenant was not God’s first contact nor covenant with man, but it was the first plan to bless the nations through a man,

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him (NIV Ge. 12:1-7).

Abram’s wife Sarai did not seem to be able to have children with Abram, so Sarai told Abram to conceive with her slave Hagar so that perhaps Sarai could have a family through her. Abram conceived with the slave, and had a son named Ishmael. God interacted personally with Abram and established a relationship with him. Abram followed the direction of the Lord when the Lord would appear to him. Years after first instructing Abram, God renamed Abram to Abraham. God established the covenant of circumcision with Abraham and his descendants as a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham. The oldest monotheistic religion, Judaism, began with Abraham,

Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you (NIV Ge. 17:9-11).

Abraham and Sarai must have wondered how they could have descendants too numerous to count, as they could not conceive any children of their own. The Lord addressed this. He changed Sarai’s name to Sarah, and promised to bless her as the mother of nations with a son conceived by her. Abraham doubted this citing age as a factor, but God promised a son of their own flesh that they were to name Isaac, whom God was also going to establish a covenant with,

God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him (NIV Ge. 17:15-22).

The Exodus

Time passed after the covenant of circumcision was established. Sodom and Gomorrah fell, Isaac was born, God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac, Jacob was born, and Abraham’s descendants continued to multiply fruitfully. Eventually, Abraham’s descendants became slaves to the Egyptians,

The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob (NIV Ex. 2:23-24).

The Lord remembered His covenant with Abraham. This is when the Prophet Moses entered the biblical scene, born in Egypt and raised by the pharaoh’s daughter, he was to be a great leader throughout eternity. He was tending to a flock near the burning bush in Horeb when God appeared to him and commissioned him to lead His people in Egypt to “a land flowing with milk and honey” (NIV Ex. 3:8). Moses bravely led God’s people out of Egypt as a mediator between the people and God. They momentously passed through the Red Sea, and the descendants of Abraham became free. Not only were some of the most historical events of the Bible shaping during this time, but God was now working personally with His people as a result of prayer and promises. The oldest monotheistic code came through Moses at Mount Sinai when the people were starting to wander through the wilderness on the way to the promised land. We know this text as the Torah (Hebrew Bible), or the Old Testament. Mount Sinai is when the heart of the O.T., the Ten Commandments, came from God.

The Sinaitic (Mosaic) Covenant

The O.T., which in its entirety is sometimes referred to as the “old covenant,” contains the Law, Prophets, and Writings. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are the Books of the Law. The N.T. designates the Ten Commandments and laws in the Book of Moses as the old covenant. The Abrahamic Covenant and Sinaitic Covenant, after the exodus and the Law through Moses, are linked as one covenant (Gal. 3:18-19; 1Ch. 16:15-17; Ps. 105). The Torah (Pentateuch in Greek), is the first five books of the O.T. and is referred to as the Law, but is considered by Jews to contain more than just laws to living life. Six hundred and thirteen commandments are throughout the Torah. The “words of the covenant” are the two tablets of the testimony, the tablets of stone written by the finger of God and given to Moses (Ex. 24:12-18, 31:18). The two tablets were to be deposited in the ark of the covenant of the Lord. The ark was a box designed with specifications set out in during the giving of the Sinaitic Covenant. The words of the covenant were placed inside the decorated ark, which was located in the Tabernacle. The words of the covenant are also called the “Decalogue.” What was written by the finger of God, the Ten Commandments, can be considered the heart of the old covenant, as the Law was summarized in them. The first four commands are one’s duty toward God, and the last six are one’s duty toward one’s neighbor,

And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. “You shall not murder. “You shall not commit adultery. “You shall not steal. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (NIV Ex. 20:1-17).

God Leading Israel

The Law that came through Moses was given as a personal relationship between God and Israel to address sin and transgression, and to claim Israel as God’s special possession on the basis of love. The condition to the covenant was that Israel was to carefully follow all the stipulations set forth in the covenant. If anyone were to break the agreement, that person would be punished, cut-off from Israel, or killed. Whereas in the new covenant Jesus is the sole intercessor between the people and the Father, the old covenant featured Moses between the people of Israel and God. God spoke to Moses who in-turn spoke to the people. Although Moses was whom God would appear to, God did personally came down to Mount Sinai in sight of all people one-time (Ex. 19:11), and a short while later God again allowed seventy-three people and Moses to see and be with Him. This is when God established the Sinaitic Covenant, but only Moses could approach the Lord. To see and be as near as they were to God and as the blood of the covenant, Moses was required to sprinkle sacrificed young bull blood onto the seventy-three people,

Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank (NIV Ex. 24:8-11).

Male Circumcision the Sign, the Passover

Under the old covenant, one was accepted into the covenant community through male circumcision as a “sign of the covenant between me and you.” Once one became circumcised with the sign of the covenant, one could participate in the Passover Feast celebration which was a commemoration of the Lord’s Passover and a lasting ordinance. To elucidate one of the major early acts of the Lord for the Hebrews for those who need a refresher, the Passover was when an angel of the Lord spared the Hebrews who had spread blood on their door frames. Those without blood on their door frames had their firstborn struck down in judgment. God decreed that this event was to be celebrated because He had acted and spared His people. The Law had precise regulations that the Israelites were to follow, and the Passover commemoration was not exempt from strict instruction,

For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do (NIV Ex. 12:15-16).

We see above that the edict is detailed and was to not eat yeast for seven days, nor have it in one’s home. Whoever ate yeast during this time was to be cut-off from Israel. The Law must have surely been difficult to follow, and was given as a drastic way to reclaim the Jews from lawlessness.

The Sabbath Repeatable Sign

Once entered by circumcision, the continuing repeatable sign that Israel was to observe and “remember” was the Sabbath, a weekly day of rest and worship that venerated the creation rest of God (see Ge. 2:2-3),

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. “‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed’” (NIV Ex. 31:12-17).

Clearly if one violated the old covenant law, the punishment of violation of a commandment such as the Sabbath was severe. Why would God do this? It is undoubtedly because God was assuring adherence to the commandments. Not many would intentionally break a command if they knew they were to be put to death for violation.

Sin Stipulation

Mercifully, God did differentiate between intentional and unintentional sin. The Law had terms whereby Israel could be forgiven of sin. This involved physical rituals that atoned for a persons unintentional sin. Intentional defiant sin was deserving of exile from the community,

“‘But if just one person sins unintentionally, that person must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering. The priest is to make atonement before the Lord for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made, that person will be forgiven. One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you. “‘But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or foreigner, blasphemes the Lord and must be cut off from the people of Israel. Because they have despised the Lord’s word and broken his commands, they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them’” (NIV Nu. 15:27-31).

The old covenant was in place to make Israel aware of sin, but it was difficult to perfectly follow and Israel broke the covenant.

A Temporary Arrangement

The N.T. writings of Paul indicate that the Mosaic Covenant was established with Israel as a temporary arrangement until the Seed of Abraham was to arrive (Gal. 3:18-19—and see Ge. 3:15). The Seed that completed the temporary arrangement put in place was Christ. It must be understood that the N.T.’s validity stands because it is the testimony of the promised Messiah. The only way to implement the N.T. and redemption of Christ, is to envision a discontinuation of the works of the law, and put in place faith in the new covenant. This is why Paul testified that the Law was added to provide a guardian that would be an example of the proper way to live, but that we are no longer under a guardian because we now have faith (this topic deserves great focus, and is touched upon later in this chapter). Paul based this assumption upon his interaction with Christ and the angels, and experiences with the Holy Spirit,

Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian (NIV Gal. 3:23-25).

The Jeremiad Covenant

The old covenant with its many laws was not going to be Israels only covenant. The O.T. Prophet Jeremiah pointed forward to a new covenant when God, instead of the written law, would inscribe and seal His law on the minds and hearts of people with the Spirit,

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (NIV Jer. 31:31-34).

God promised through Jeremiah that the Law would be written on the heart and mind, and that He would not remember sins any longer. The Prophet Isaiah, too, prophesied about a covenant whereby the deliverer would take away sins,

As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins” (NIV Ro. 11:26-27—and see Isa. 59:20-21).

Jeremiah’s promised covenant is known as the “Jeremiad Covenant.” It seems it closely ties in with Christ’s Covenant, and there are three main views regarding it.

  1. Progressive dispensationalists believe the new covenant (prophesied by Jeremiah) is partially fulfilled in the church (including Gentiles).

  2. A second view is that the Jeremiad Covenant is not for the church, but is for Israel. However, the church would receive benefits from the covenant.

  3. The third view is that there are two covenants. One is Christ’s Covenant, effective since His first Advent. The second covenant is the covenant of Jeremiah 31, which becomes active in the age to come.

The covenant Jeremiah wrote about is “with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah,” however Hebrews links the covenant of Jeremiah 31 to Christ (Heb. 8). This lends credence that Christ established the Jeremiad Covenant two thousand years ago. We know from Second Corinthians 3:3 that as of the first Advent, the Law is written on human hearts as the Jeremiad Covenant promised. The day has already came that Christ Jesus has taken away the sins of the world (Isa. 59:20-21, 27:29; Jer. 31:31, 34; Jn. 1:29; Ro. 11:26-27; Col. 2:13-14; 1Jn. 2:12). Gentile Christians have received benefits from the things promised in the Jeremiad Covenant. Christ has established a new covenant (Lk. 22:20; 1Co. 11:25; 2Co. 3:6; etc.), and Christ did not exclude the Gentiles from His plan. They have become part of the covenant community and have been gathered along with Israel as one flock,

I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd (NIV Jn. 10:16).

I say to you that many will come from the east and west, and will take their places at the feast of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (NIV Mt. 8:11).

Allow me to further address the place Gentiles have in God’s sight. The Gentiles do not have to be descendants of Abraham to be blessed. To be considered a child of God, flesh and descent are no longer a factor,

It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring (NIV Ro. 9:6-8).

Without straying far off-topic, in the following passage is summarized that Gentiles have been redeemed by Christ, that all who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, that the Gentiles would be justified by faith, by faith even Gentiles may receive the Spirit, that those who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, and that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law,

Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit (Gal. 3:8-14).

The Gentiles are reaping the benefits of the work of Christ. Christ’s Covenant seems to have fulfilled all of the Jeremiah 31 promises of a future covenant, and anyone may participate in Christ’s Covenant freely. It seems there is no other way to understand the new covenant in light of the Jeremiad Covenant prophecy.

First (Old), Second (New) Covenant

The N.T. reasons that the new covenant is superior to the old and is established on better promises,

But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another (NIV Heb. 8:6-7).

To clarify where the terminology and reasoning behind an old and a new covenant rests, it is built upon the foundation of the apostles. Notice in the passage above and below that the N.T. calls the first covenant the “old covenant” and “outdated,” and the second covenant the “new covenant,”

By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear (NIV Heb. 8:13).

The first has been set aside to establish the second,

He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (NIV Heb. 10:9-10).

Incomparable

What makes the new covenant incomparable with the first is the access we have to the Father through Christ and the Spirit. The Law is “written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (NIV 2Co. 3:3). It is written on human hearts with the Holy Spirit, which came from Christ during Pentecost (Jn. 15:26, 20:22; Ac. 2). Briefly, this is proven by the Gentiles who do not have the Law, but who obey and do things written in the Law,

(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them) (NIV Ro. 2:14-15).

In the new covenant, the love of Christ is the compelling drive,

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died (NIV 2Co. 5:14).

The new covenant is a restoration of the redemption of fallen mankind. Grace is the focus of the new covenant unlike the old,

For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace (Ro. 6:14).

You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace (NIV Gal. 5:4).

Justification by grace alone through faith as a way to salvation and not by law or works/deeds, is just one extraordinary way the new covenant is superior to the old (please see The Way to Salvation),

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast (NIV Eph. 2:8-9).

Although the old covenant was led firmly by a great man, Moses, the new covenant is directly through the Son, Christ. We have one mediator who is our ransom,

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people (NIV 1Ti. 2:5-6).

Without Christ’s intercession we can not truly know the Father. After all, He is the “way and the truth and the life,”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (NIV Jn. 14:6).

Christ’s Ransom

In what way was Christ able to forgive and truly free us in comparison to the old method? Forgiveness in the old covenant was a physical ritual act that symbolized God’s forgiveness. A high priest would enter the inner sanctuary, the most holy place of the Tabernacle, once a year on the Day of Atonement. He would sprinkle blood from a sacrificed animal and free a live goat in the desert as a scapegoat. This was the former act of repentance for Israel that signified that God had taken away Israel’s yearly sins. This has been supplanted in the new covenant. Jesus has “died as a ransom” (NIV Heb. 9:15) and was “…sacrificed once to take away the sins of many.” Christ’s death ended the requirements to keep the blood rituals, ceremonial acts, and sacrificial ordinances of the old covenant. Christ went up to a “greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands” (NIV Heb. 9:11). He did not use the blood of animals to enter, but He entered by means of His own blood. The author of Hebrews did an outstanding work explaining the necessity of why blood is used, and why the blood of an animal is not sufficient in the true sanctuary in heaven, of which the Tabernacle is just a copy,

In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him (NIV Heb. 9:16-28).

Hebrews’ explication beautifully highlights Christ’s perfect work for mankind. What Jesus has done is better than any priest could have done to atone for our sin. Instead of a priest making a yearly atonement, “we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19). This is our access and atonement.

Circumcision Required?

Early Christians forming the church after Christ’s death (such as Paul, Peter, and Barnabas) had some dissension among the followers to deal with. The apostles met at a council in Jerusalem because,

Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved” (NIV Ac. 15:1).

Some leaders reasoned that first one need become a Jew as a prerequisite to becoming Christian. Peter decisively addressed the council,

After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are” (NIV Ac. 15:7-11).

Peter was correct by saying that God did not discriminate between Gentile and circumcised Jew, and that the Gentiles had become justified by faith. James “spoke up” and recounted O.T. Scripture that foretold of the Lord choosing the Gentiles,

“‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’—things known from long ago (NIV Ac. 15:16-18—see Am. 9:11-12).

Regarding circumcision, James concluded to the council that it was his judgment that it should not be difficult for a Gentile to become Christian,

“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood (NIV Ac. 15:19-20).

In later letters, Paul discouraged circumcision,

Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them (NIV 1Co. 7:18-20).

In the Epistle of Galatians, Paul suggested that circumcision negates Christ and obligates one to observe every law of the old covenant,

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law (NIV Gal. 5:2-3).

The apostles were able to pass their argument to the rest of the church, and circumcision was never made a requirement for Christianity. The judgments that were recommended that Christians obey were largely commands that existed before the Sinaitic Covenant, and by all rights stand today. The conclusion is that Gentiles need not become circumcised to participate fully in Christ’s Covenant. This is the wonderful news for non-Jews, that Christ made it simple to come to Him!

Baptism the New Covenant Entrance Sign

As discussed above, circumcision was the entrance sign to the Abrahamic Covenant. Christ does not require circumcision as a determination for eligibility for participation in His new covenant. Christ requires something else. The new covenant entrance sign is baptism in water and Spirit,

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit (NIV Jn. 3:5).

Those who are baptized become baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ. Without baptism, one cannot participate in the new covenant nor receive the Spirit. Rather than repeat what was covered about baptism in the chapter The Way to Salvation, readers are referred to that chapter under the heading “Baptism.” There one will find several pages about the topic.

The Lord’s Supper the New Covenant Repeatable Sign

The continuing repeatable sign of the old covenant, the center seal of the Ten Commandments, was the fourth commandment to “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Ex. 20:8). It is important to distinguish that this commandment was intended for Israel, not Gentiles. Notice in the following passage that God said that Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, and that it is a sign between God and the Israelites (although once again Christians are blessed along with Abraham),

The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed’” (NIV Ex. 31:16-17).

The perpetual sign of the old covenant was clearly the Sabbath, however today what we are told “do this in remembrance of me” is not the Sabbath, but is the Lord’s Supper,

This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me (NIV Lk. 22:19).

The blood of Jesus is the new covenant,

This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you (NIV Lk. 22:20).

The Lord’s Supper also replaces the Passover meal, which Jesus ministered “on the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread” (Mt. 26:17-29; Mk. 14:12-26; Lk. 22:13-20). Readers are encouraged to read under the heading “The Lord’s Supper” in the chapter, The Way to Salvation.

Fulfillment of Prophecy

Before the birth of Christ, prophecy experts could reasonably foresee the birth of Christ and the persecution and death of Christ. Although Jews were looking for three descriptors that the coming Messiah was to fulfill: 1. To politically and militarily establish Israel and lead the world to follow God, 2. To be of the line of David, 3. To establish the Temple. Christ did not fulfill these three descriptors the Jews were expecting from the Messiah, because Jesus was not trying to fulfill what the Jews wanted from the Messiah. Jesus was fulfilling what the Father wanted from the Messiah. The Jews disagreed with countless acts of Christ and looked for ways to stop Him, although they laid down palm branches for Him and shouted “Hosanna!” during His magnificent entry on a colt on the way to Jerusalem (Mt. 21). Of course Jesus was not trying to please men. Uncanny is that Jesus fulfilled what the Hebrew prophets wrote of the coming Messiah. In the lifetime of Jesus Christ, Christ fulfilled O.T. predictive prophecies concerning the Messiah. Jesus made it aware that He was fulfilling prophecy,

This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms (NIV Lk. 24:44).

The O.T. has about four hundred prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. Noteworthy is that it is impossible for anyone to fulfill all of the predictions about the Messiah, without actually being Christ. The following excerpt from the Apologetics Study Bible concerns the odds of someone successfully managing to fulfill the predictive Messiah prophecies Jesus did,

Mathematician Peter W. Stoner calculated the probability of one person fulfilling not all the messianic predictions of the Bible, or even the ones mentioned in this article, but just eight messianic predictions. He found that the probability would be 1 in 1017 or 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.2 (Author’s note: The last figure is not an exponent of 2, but rather the 2 represents that this paragraph is citation number 2 of the chapter).

The facts coupled with the math make for a compelling reason to believe in Jesus, yet the Jews refute Christ’s fulfillment of O.T. Messiah prophecy. Unfortunately, Jesus must be heartbroken that His people did not recognize Him when He came. The Law was abrogated by the chief priests two thousand years ago in the wake of Christ, and when the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. as Jesus predicted, the Jews lost their only permitted sacred place to perform animal sacrifice. The reason the Jews have been unable to recover, and that there has not been another Holy Temple constructed for the reinstitution of sacrifice, is because God has not made provision to build another. The Law stipulated strict guidelines and that all provisions for the proper building of the Temple would come from God. The facts are certainly pointing toward the truth that Jesus Christ is Messiah.

Building a Temple Unlikely?

Now is an opportune time to share what kind of difficulty Israel is facing in building another Holy Temple. The Jews would need put forth major effort to build another Holy Temple, and it would only be possible by the power of God. The probability of successfully building another Temple in the proper location according to proper procedure is grave, and the following reveals the state Judaism is in and the signs of the times.

The first matter of difficulty for Israel is that today Muslims occupy the Temple Mount and have built their holy Mosques on the land. They will not peacefully relinquish the land to Israel, and taking the land by force is not a viable option. Another matter of difficulty is that no one can enter where the Holy Temple used to be because they would need to be ceremonially cleansed with the ashes of a red cow, ritually administered by a Kohen priest. To be a Kohen, one is required to be of direct patrilineal descent from Aaron. The ashes of an approved red cow cannot be obtained readily because a red cow used for ceremony cannot have any blemishes. According to the Mishnah Parah Rabbinic Oral Law, so much as two black hairs disqualifies a red cow for use.3 Israel would also need to construct the proper altar according to the Law. The altar would have to be precisely placed, yet no one alive today knows where the altar must be placed. The Jews are waiting for a prophet such as Elijah to come forth with instruction about where to build the Holy Temple, and the altar is needed for animal sacrifice.4 Israel also needs the Sanhedrin to appoint a High Priest. The Sanhedrin was a council of seventy-one Jewish rabbis ordained with the Mosaic Ordination. The last functioning Sanhedrin body ceased four hundred years after the destruction of the last temple in 70 A.D. There have been attempts to revive the Sanhedrin, but this faces another set of challenges. One of the disputes is whether the Sanhedrin was composed of the Sadducees or the Pharisees. The Sanhedrin must also be composed of rabbis ordained with the Mosaic Ordination, which was conferred from Moses to rabbi, but this cannot be fulfilled today because the Mosaic Ordination has not existed since 358 A.D.5

 

The Jews are facing a huge dilemma. Building another Holy Temple is a monumental task with laws governing it so strictly, that the Jews are faced with breaking the old covenant. They cannot properly sacrifice and obey every command today, because God has not made provision for them to rebuild the Holy Temple. Once again, it is certainly looking like Jesus Christ is Messiah. If not, then God has seriously ignored His people for centuries.

Fulfillment of the Law

Debate and criticism against Christianity, and even controversy within the denominations, has centered around the fulfillment of the Law versus the abolishment of the Law. How could something that God said was to be an everlasting covenant suddenly become nullified? Christ expressed that He did not come to abolish the Law, and that nothing was to disappear from it until everything had been accomplished,

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished (NIV Mt. 5:17-18).

The Law was not going to be abolished, but fulfilled. Christ was going to complete the Law and He confirmed that “yes,” the Law was going to disappear after everything had been accomplished. Not before, but after. Nothing written in the Law could be discarded without fruition. The passage Mt. 5:17-18 above is complicated to interpret. What we should walk-away with from the passage is essentially that everything has to be accomplished before the Law disappears (to find out what transcends the old covenant, please see the heading “Into the New Covenant” at the end of this chapter). Jesus fulfilled the Law and knew that He had finished everything on the cross. The last thing for Him to do while alive was ask for a drink so that He could be given vinegar (see Ps. 69:21 for the original prophecy of this event),

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (NIV Jn. 19:28-30).

The Gospel and the Epistles attest to the fulfillment of O.T. law such as the Passover, burnt offerings, the Tabernacle, blood sacrifice, circumcision, and other tenets. The fulfillment of the Law can be understood as a “culmination” of all of God’s Word in the person of Christ, giving righteousness to those who believe in Christ,

Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes (NIV Ro. 10:4).

New Covenant Morality

If the new covenant is our source of teaching, how does its morality compare to the old covenant? We can use the morality of the new covenant in all our pursuits without any conflict with the old covenant, so long as one understands that Christ and the apostles refined the old covenant morality! We are also free to use old covenant morality as an example, although it is dated and written for those who are on probation. Today we have principles that counterpart the commandments given through Moses. The new covenant morality is as superlative as the old. Additionally, the Gospel both expands upon and simplifies concepts. For instance, today those who hate their brother or sister are guilty of murder (1Jn. 3:15). Today, those who look at a woman lustfully are guilty of adultery in their heart (Mt. 5:28). The entire Law is simplified and summarized in love,

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets (NIV Mt. 7:12).

The Way to Salvation chapter discussed that love is the key to salvation. The concept of love from the perspective of the new covenant is a new approach at the same idea of how we are to interact with God and others. It forms the foundation of the new covenant, and is a simplification that even those who are slow to comprehend, will not fail to fully understand. As aforementioned, Jesus chose love as the greatest of the commandments,

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (NIV Mt. 22:37-40).

Paul was adamant in teaching the principle of love. Paul taught with clarity that love is our foremost debt, and is the fulfillment of the Law. He specified that the Ten Commandments are, as Christ taught, summed up in one command,

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 (NIV Ro. 13:8-10).

In Matthew 5:21-48, Jesus’ establishment of precepts that form the morality of the Gospel began. He enhanced O.T. commands, replacing moral law with moral principles. This is predictable and encouraging. Why this is predictable is because the Law is now written on tablets of human hearts. Jesus was the greatest of teachers and he taught what we should know in our heart. As an example of Jesus’ new covenant morality, Matthew 5:38-42 is a reiteration of the O.T. Scripture eye for eye, and tooth for tooth (Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Dt. 19:21). However, Jesus did not simply reiterate the old way. He taught us a better way,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you (NIV Mt. 5:38-42).

In Matthew 5:43-48, the command to “love your neighbor and hate your enemy” was greatly improved. Jesus did not want us to hate our enemies. He wanted us to love our enemies and pray for them. This can do no wrong,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (NIV Mt. 5:43-48).

All Food Is Clean

Markedly in contrast with the Old Testament is the freedom we have in our daily life. One aspect of our freedom is food consumption. In the new covenant, now that there is true grace and freedom, all food seems to be ceremonially clean. While not all will agree, there is a large group of Christians who believe that any kind of meat may be eaten. The Law had regulations about what kind of meat could be eaten, but Christ seems to have set us free from these regulations. This is a restoration of permission to eat any animals that move about for food (Ge. 9:3), because we were free to eat anything after the flood and prior to Sinai. The new covenant requires a trust in the redemptive work of Christ. Manifest in the N.T. writings are that all foods such as meat are ceremonially clean for consumption. For instance, the N.T. implores us not to call anything unclean that God has sanctified. Peter had to heed God when He was shown heaven opening up in a trance and a large sheet being let down to earth containing all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles, and birds. Peter had never eaten anything “unclean” before, yet he was told to kill and eat (Ac. 10:9-22). Peter identified the vision he had as a message from God to not call Gentile’s unclean or impure,

He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean (NIV Ac. 10:28).

The vision appears to be a dual message in the sense that the topic seems to be about Gentiles, and about animals. During Peter’s encounter with animals in vision, he was told to kill and eat. What kind of impression was to be made on Peter if he was told not to call animals unclean that God had made clean, hence to not call Gentiles unclean, yet the animals had not been sanctified by God? God would have been misleading in instructing Peter to not call Gentiles unclean. Why draw a parallel with something that is not true? Peter determined Gentiles were “clean” on the basis that we are not to call animals unclean that God has made clean. Let Us Reason Ministries article “Are we allowed to meat today?” shares about the topic and God,

If He did not actually cleanse the food as he stated then he did not cleanse the Gentiles either.6

The N.T. is resoundingly clear that all meat is clean (please see the chapter, Abstaining from Practice: Meat, Electricity, and Commerce). For the sake of brevity and because this information is focused on greater in the chapter just mentioned above, one passage alongside a summary concerning freedom from food laws is presented below. Paul taught that at least in certain circumstances, Christians can eat any meat without questions of conscience,

Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience (NIV 1Co. 10:25-27).

Paul dealt with those who did not have the same faith and resoluteness about eating meat in a nurturing godly manner. This will become evident in the chapter Abstaining from Practice: Meat, Electricity, and Commerce. Paul taught that this issue is a matter of faith and is private and between God and a person. Christ indeed has set us free, but meat is for those who have enough faith strictly in Christ. It is wrong for someone to try to cause someone else to stumble through eating meat. Of great importance is that meat is for those with enough faith, but should never interfere with the work of God which is more important than eating or not eating meat (Ro. 14:20-21). The kingdom of God is not about eating or drinking (Ro. 14:17).

The Sabbath

Argued profusely by Sabbatarian groups of Christians is that the fourth commandment Sabbath of the old covenant is still legally binding. Seventh-day Adventists are perhaps the most renowned Sabbatarian group. The Sabbath was the repeatable sign of the old covenant, a day of worship and rest from labor. No command is specifically reiterated in the new covenant that obligates Christians to observe the seventh day Sabbath. It is true that no new covenant command mandated the transference of the day of rest from the seventh day (Saturday) to the first day (Sunday), but this is irrelevant because the new covenant does not mandate any day of rest to be observed whether the seventh day or first day. The early Christians and apostles chose to meet and break bread on the first day, the day Jesus was resurrected on (Ac. 20:7). Sunday observance became common practice (1Co. 16:2). The Ten Commandments are part of O.T. law, and repeatedly the Bible teaches that we are no longer under law. The Seventh-day Adventist church uses the argument, in an effective manner, that Christ only ended the law in partiality. They do this by isolating the Ten Commandment moral law (which they call the Law of God) from the rest of the Law (to find out why this is unbiblical and does not work, please see the chapter Religious Groups That Are Cultic). They do not teach that those who love, fulfill the Ten Commandments.

If the we are no longer under law and the Sabbath is part of the old covenant, what does the New Testament teach about the Sabbath? Galatians refers to the old covenant law as “weak and miserable” and links it to the Sabbath in disapproval,

But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you (NIV Gal. 4:9-11).

Take note above of the special days. Pastor Dale Ratzlaff pointed out in his book that is a thorough study of the Sabbath and the covenants, Sabbath in Crisis,

These days, months, seasons and years can be nothing other than Sabbaths (days), the new moon celebrations (months), the annual feasts (seasons) and sabbatical years (years). Notice these are listed in ascending order as they often are in the Old Testament record.7

The days above that were enslaving the people the letter of Galatians was written to, “all over again,” were Sabbaths.

Can the Sabbath possibly be transferred to the new covenant as a day of rest? Paul seemed to indicate that a person can choose any day as a sacred day. Whatever day a person chooses to worship on, or chooses not to worship on, should be done for the Lord,

One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God (NIV Ro. 14:5-6).

New Covenant Rest

The new covenant does have a “rest” that is in effect. This rest is for the people of God,

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God…Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (KJV Heb. 4:9, 16).

The new covenant rest that remains cannot be the seventh day Sabbath. The Greek word sabbatismos from which “rest” (KJV see above Heb. 4:9) or “Sabbath-rest” (NIV Heb. 4:9) is translated from, occurs only once throughout the Bible and is not the word used to indicate the seventh day Sabbath, which is sabbaton. This perpetual Sabbath-keeping rest is in contrast to the weekly seventh day Sabbath, because the Sabbath-rest of Hebrews 4:9 is God’s rest Himself (Heb. 4:10). The rest that remains has to be the rest of grace. The author of Hebrews was urging readers to maintain their Christian faith by emphasizing the supremacy of Christ and the new covenant. In the same Epistle Hebrews, the author wrote that the first covenant is “obsolete” and “outdated” and “will soon disappear” (see earlier in this chapter—Heb. 8:13). That is the authors vantage of the old covenant, and subsequently the seventh day Sabbath (for more information about the Ten Commandments, please see “Into the New Covenant” at the end of this chapter).

The Law Holy

Paul’s writings are often cited in seeming disapproval of the Law, denying its sanctity and justness. On the contrary, Paul did not make any attempt at denying that “…the law is spiritual…” (NIV Ro. 7:14), and he wrote, “Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law” (NIV Ro. 7:7). He testified that the “law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good” (NIV Ro. 7:12). He wrote that although a person is justified by faith apart from works, that there is one God of the Jews and of the Gentiles, and that they both are justified by faith, but “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law (NIV Ro. 3:31). Most of Paul’s confusing statements about the Law were concerning convincing Judaizers who were perverting the way to be saved and the Gospel. They contended that to become Christian, one need enter into Abraham and Judaism prior. Paul argued that the Gentile’s received the Holy Spirit and promise without being circumcised, and had been justified by faith. Regardless, everyone who sins breaks the Law; in fact, sin is lawlessness (1Jn. 3:4).

Into the New Covenant

Do the Ten Commandments continue into the new covenant? Jesus fulfilled the Law. Our temporary custody under the old covenant law has ended. Any moral law (the type of law that the Ten Commandments can be classified under) that remains, must predate the old covenant law given through Moses at Sinai. Paul distinguished that the Law (explanatory notes added) “introduced 430 years later [after the Abrahamic Covenant]” was “added because of transgressions [from the commands] until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come [Christ]” (NIV Gal. 3:17, 19). The Law was to be added until the Messiah’s arrival. The Greek word Paul used for “law” was nomos, which a simple concordance word-study reveals was attributed throughout the N.T. to refer to even the Ten Commandments. Even the Ten Commandments are fulfilled in Christ (see Mt. 7:12; Ro. 13:9; Gal. 5:14).

How do we know what commands we are still obligated to follow? Whatever was in existence before Sinai is in effect, and whatever Christ instructed is also in effect. The teachings of the apostles are also in effect. Jesus summed up and fulfilled the old covenant law (discussed previously). Some O.T. commands that Jesus reiterated are in effect, but may be honored differently in light of the work of Christ and the fulfillment of the Law. Jesus did not leave mankind without instructions and commands, such as reiterating that our greatest command is to love our God, and our second greatest command to love our neighbor (Mk. 12:29-31),

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (NIV Jn. 8:31-32).

Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death (NIV Jn. 8:51).

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (NIV Jn. 13:34-35).

“If you love me, keep my commands (NIV Jn. 14:15).

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them (NIV Jn. 14:23).

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love (NIV Jn. 15:10).

We can rest assure and be certain that God’s command to us is two-fold,

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us (NIV 1Jn. 3:23).

That two-fold command is what we are obligated to follow. As Jesus said, Love sums up and fulfills the Law, including the Ten Commandments.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death (NIV Ro. 8:1-2).

But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code (NIV Ro. 7:6).

Stupendous Christ

The most stupendous undertaking of Jesus’ Covenant is in Colossians,

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross (NIV Col. 2:13-14).

Conclusion

The superiority of the new covenant through Christ hopefully has became evident after having read what distinguishes the old from the new. The Sinaitic Covenant foreshadowed the better, newer, more accessible covenant that Christ established. Our access to the Father and the Spirit empowers us beyond the letter of the law. The colossal work of the Son has redeemed fallen mankind, liberating us from legalism and guardianship under law by placing the requirements in our hearts and minds. If one believes in the mediator of the new covenant, Christ, then one should fully trust the fulfillment of the Law, our deliverance from custody under the old covenant, and the redeeming work of Christ that saves our spirit. Christ has done all this by the power of His blood!

Chapter Summary

  1. The covenants that are a focus of this chapter are the:

    a. Abrahamic Covenant.

    b. Sinaitic (Mosaic) Covenant.

    c. Jeremiad Covenant.

    d. Christ’s New Covenant.

  2. The covenants above are agreements between God and man.

  3. The Abrahamic Covenant is a major establishment of God that takes place near the beginning of Bible history.

  4. God made a promise to a man named Abram, whose descendants were going to be many and blessed, and who was to be given the land of Canaan.

  5. God renamed Abram to Abraham.

  6. God established the covenant of circumcision with Abraham and his descendants as a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham.

  7. The oldest monotheistic religion, Judaism, began with Abraham.

  8. Abraham and his wife Sarai must have wondered how they could have descendants too numerous to count, as they could not conceive any children of their own.

  9. God promised a son of their own flesh that they were to name Isaac, whom God was also going to establish a covenant with.

  10. Time passed after the covenant of circumcision was established. Sodom and Gomorrah fell, Isaac was born, God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac, Jacob was born, and Abraham’s descendants continued to multiply fruitfully.

  11. Eventually, Abraham’s descendants became slaves to the Egyptians.

  12. The Lord remembered His covenant with Abraham and Moses was chosen to lead God’s people in slavery in Egypt to “a land flowing with milk and honey.”

  13. Moses bravely led God’s people out of Egypt as a mediator between the people and God.

  14. The oldest monotheistic code came through Moses at Mount Sinai. We know this text as the Torah (Hebrew Bible), or the Old Testament.

  15. Multiple terms were defined such as what constitutes “law,” what the Books of the Law are, what the words of the covenant are, what the tablets of stone are, what the Decalogue is, and what the Tabernacle is.

  16. What was written by the finger of God, the Ten Commandments, can be considered the heart of the old covenant, as the Law was summarized in them. The first four commands are one’s duty toward God, and the last six are one’s duty toward one’s neighbor.

  17. The Law that came through Moses was given as a personal relationship between God and Israel to address sin and transgression, and to claim Israel as God’s special possession on the basis of love.

  18. The condition to the covenant was that Israel was to carefully follow all the stipulations set forth in the covenant.

  19. If anyone were to break the covenental agreement, that person would be punished, cut-off from Israel, or killed.

  20. Although Moses was whom God would appear to, God did personally came down to Mount Sinai in sight of all people one-time (Ex. 19:11), and a short while later God again allowed seventy-three people and Moses to see and be with Him.

  21. To see and be as near as they were to God and as the blood of the covenant, Moses was required to sprinkle sacrificed young bull blood onto the seventy-three people.

  22. Under the old covenant, once one became circumcised with the sign of the covenant, one could participate in the Passover Feast celebration.

  23. The Law had precise regulations that the Israelites were to follow, and the Passover commemoration was not exempt from strict instruction.

  24. The Law must have surely been difficult to follow, and was given as a drastic way to reclaim the Jews from lawlessness.

  25. The continuing repeatable sign that Israel was to observe and “remember” was the Sabbath, a weekly day of rest and worship that venerated the creation rest of God.

  26. Not many would intentionally break a command if they knew they were to be put to death for violation.

  27. God did differentiate between intentional and unintentional sin.

  28. The Law had terms whereby Israel could be forgiven of sin, involving physical rituals that atoned for a persons unintentional sin.

  29. The old covenant was in place to make Israel aware of sin, but it was difficult to perfectly follow and Israel broke the covenant.

  30. The N.T. writings of Paul indicate that the Mosaic Covenant was established with Israel as a temporary arrangement until the Seed of Abraham.

  31. The Seed that completed the temporary arrangement put in place was Christ.

  32. Paul testified that the Law was added to provide a guardian that would be an example of the proper way to live, but that we are no longer under a guardian because we now have faith.

  33. The O.T. Prophet Jeremiah pointed forward to a new covenant when God, instead of the written law, would inscribe and seal His law on the minds and hearts of people with the Spirit.

  34. The Prophet Isaiah, too, prophesied about a covenant whereby the deliverer would take away sins.

  35. Jeremiah’s promised covenant is known as the “Jeremiad Covenant.” It seems it closely ties in with Christ’s Covenant, and there are three main views regarding it:

    a. Progressive dispensationalists believe the new covenant (prophesied by Jeremiah) is partially fulfilled in the church (including Gentiles).

    b. A second view is that the Jeremiad Covenant is not for the church, but is for Israel. However, the church would receive benefits from the covenant.

    c. The third view is that there are two covenants. One is Christ’s Covenant, effective since His first Advent. The second covenant is the covenant of Jeremiah 31, which becomes active in the age to come.

  36. Hebrews links the covenant of Jeremiah 31 to Christ.

  37. Gentile Christians have received benefits from the things promised in the Jeremiad Covenant.

  38. The Gentiles do not have to be descendants of Abraham to be blessed. To be considered a child of God, flesh and descent are no longer a factor.

  39. The Gentiles are reaping the benefits of the work of Christ. Christ’s Covenant seems to have fulfilled all of the Jeremiah 31 promises of a future covenant, and anyone may participate in Christ’s Covenant freely.

  40. The N.T. reasons that the new covenant is superior to the old and is established on better promises.

  41. The N.T. calls the first covenant the “old covenant” and “outdated,” and the second covenant the “new covenant.” The first has been set aside to establish the second.

  42. The Law is written on human hearts and minds with the Holy Spirit as of Christ and Pentecost.

  43. In the new covenant, the love of Christ is the compelling drive.

  44. The new covenant is a restoration of the redemption of fallen mankind. Grace is the focus of the new covenant unlike the old.

  45. Justification by grace alone through faith as a way to salvation, not by law or works/deeds, is just one extraordinary way the new covenant is superior to the old.

  46. We have one mediator, Christ, who is our ransom.

  47. Without Christ’s intercession, we can not truly know the Father.

  48. The former act of repentance for Israel on the Day of Atonement that signified that God had taken away Israel’s yearly sins has been supplanted in the new covenant.

  49. Christ’s one-time sacrifice ended the requirements to keep the blood rituals, ceremonial acts, and sacrificial ordinances of the old covenant.

  50. Christ did not use the blood of animals to enter the “more perfect tabernacle” in heaven, but He entered by means of His own blood.

  51. What Jesus has done is better than any priest could have done to atone for our sin.

  52. Instead of a priest making a yearly atonement, we have confidence to enter by the blood of Jesus.

  53. Early Christians forming the church after Christ’s death had some dissension among the followers to deal with. Some leaders reasoned that first one need become a Jew as a prerequisite to becoming Christian.

  54. Peter said that God did not discriminate between Gentile and circumcised Jew, and that the Gentiles had become justified by faith. Further passages regarding the cessation of circumcision were shared. Because the Gentiles received the Spirit as those who were Jew first and then Christian did, the apostles were able to pass their argument to the rest of the church, and circumcision was never made a requirement for Christianity.

  55. The new covenant entrance sign is baptism in water and Spirit.

  56. Without baptism, one cannot participate in the new covenant nor receive the Spirit.

  57. The perpetual sign of the old covenant was the Sabbath, however today what we are told “do this in remembrance of me” is not the Sabbath, but is the Lord’s Supper.

  58. The blood of Jesus is the new covenant.

  59. The Lord’s Supper also replaces the Passover meal.

  60. Before the birth of Christ, prophecy experts could reasonably foresee the birth of Christ and the persecution and death of Christ.

  61. The Jews were looking for three descriptors that the coming Messiah was to fulfill:

    a. To politically and militarily establish Israel and lead the world to follow God.

    b. To be of the line of David.

    c. To set up the Temple.

  62. Christ did not fulfill the three descriptors the Jews were expecting from the Messiah. Jesus was not trying to fulfill what the Jews wanted from the Messiah, He was fulfilling what the Father wanted from the Messiah.

  63. Uncanny is that Jesus fulfilled what the Hebrew prophets wrote of the coming Messiah.

  64. Jesus made it aware that He was fulfilling prophecy.

  65. Noteworthy is that it is impossible for anyone to fulfill all of the four hundred or so predictions about the Messiah, without actually being Christ.

  66. The Jews refute Christ’s fulfillment of O.T. Messiah prophecy.

  67. The Law was abrogated by the chief priests two thousand years ago in the wake of Christ, and when the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. as Jesus predicted, the Jews lost their only permitted sacred place to perform animal sacrifice.

  68. There has not been another Holy Temple constructed for the reinstitution of sacrifice because God has not made provision to build another.

  69. The the major effort and improbability of building another Temple in the proper location was outlined. Building another Holy Temple is a monumental task with laws governing it so strictly, that the Jews are faced with breaking the old covenant because they cannot properly obey every command today.

  70. Debate and criticism against Christianity, and even controversy within the denominations, has centered around the fulfillment of the Law versus the abolishment of the Law.

  71. Christ expressed that He did not come to abolish the Law, and that nothing was to disappear from it until everything had been accomplished.

  72. Jesus fulfilled the Law and knew that He had finished everything on the cross.

  73. The fulfillment of the Law can be understood as a “culmination” of all of God’s Word in the person of Christ.

  74. The new covenant morality is as superlative as the old.

  75. The Gospel both expands upon and simplifies concepts.

  76. The entire Law is simplified and summarized in love.

  77. Christ enhanced O.T. commands, replacing moral law with moral principles.

  78. Markedly in contrast with the Old Testament is the freedom we have in our daily life.

  79. In the new covenant, now that there is true grace and freedom, all food seems to be ceremonially clean. At least in certain circumstances, all meat can be eaten without raising questions of conscience.

  80. Argued profusely by Sabbatarian groups of Christians is that the fourth commandment Sabbath of the old covenant is still legally binding.

  81. No command is specifically reiterated in the new covenant that obligates Christians to observe the seventh day Sabbath.

  82. It is true that no new covenant command mandated the transference of the day of rest from the seventh day (Saturday) to the first day (Sunday), but this is irrelevant because the new covenant does not mandate any day of rest to be observed whether the seventh day or first day.

  83. The early Christians and apostles chose to meet and break bread on the first day, the day Jesus was resurrected on.

  84. The book of Galatians refers to the old covenant law as “weak and miserable” and links it to the Sabbath in disapproval.

  85. Paul seemed to indicate that a person can choose any day as a sacred day. Whatever day a person chooses to worship on, or chooses not to worship on, should be done for the Lord.

  86. The new covenant does have a “rest” that is in effect. Reasons why the new covenant rest that remains cannot be the seventh day Sabbath were given. The rest that remains has to be the rest of grace.

  87. Paul’s writings are often cited in seeming disapproval of the Law, denying its sanctity and justness. On the contrary, Paul did not make any attempt at denying the holiness of the Law.

  88. Everyone who sins breaks the Law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

  89. Any moral law (the type of law that the Ten Commandments can be classified under) that remains, must predate the old covenant law given through Moses at Sinai.

  90. The Greek word Paul used for “law” was nomos, which a simple concordance word-study reveals was attributed throughout the N.T. to refer to even the Ten Commandments. Even the Ten Commandments are fulfilled in Christ.

  91. Whatever was in existence before Sinai is in effect, and whatever Christ instructed is also in effect. The teachings of the apostles are also in effect.

  92. Some O.T. commands that Jesus reiterated are in effect, but may be honored differently in light of the work of Christ and the fulfillment of the Law.

  93. We can rest assure and be certain that God’s command to us is two-fold:

    a. To believe in the name of Jesus (1Jn. 3:23).

    b. To love one another as Jesus commanded (1Jn. 3:23).

  94. Love sums up and fulfills the Law, including the Ten Commandments.

  95. The most stupendous undertaking of Jesus’ Covenant is the forgiveness of our sins.

Nav