DOCSLIB.ORG

The Christian and the New Covenant

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Christian and the New Covenant THE CHRISTIAN AND THE NEW COVENANT Exposition from Jeremiah, Luke, Acts, Romans, II Corinthians and Hebrews Barry E. Horner A. INTRODUCTION The Bible is commonly understood to be comprised of two main divisions, the Old Testament or Covenant (39 books) and the New Testament or Covenant (27 books). Even so this most basic of facts is commonly subject to misunderstanding. If it is pointed out that the Old Testament is more clearly understood as the Old Covenant or Agreement, nevertheless confusion often remains when we attempt to more specifically identify the name of this Old Testament or Covenant or Agreement. The reason is that sometimes the Abrahamic Covenant is mistakenly identified as the Old Testament, and with dire theological consequences. As a result it is then suggested that the Abrahamic Covenant has been done away with by the New Covenant. But this is not so. Rather the Old Covenant here is the Mosaic Covenant which was conditionally established 430 years after God made His original promise to Abraham (Gal. 3:16-17). Further, because the Abrahamic Covenant was unconditionally established well before the Mosaic Covenant, it abides and finds its fulfillment in the New Covenant. In other words, the Abrahamic Covenant is the covenant of promise while the New Covenant is the covenant of fulfillment. The Mosaic Covenant was established as an interim agreement between God and Israel; it was “added because of transgressions . until the seed [Jesus Christ] would come to whom the promise had been made” (Gal. 3:19). Now that the Seed has come, He displaces the Mosaic Covenant and fulfills the Abrahamic Covenant by means of personal establishment of the New Covenant. Nevertheless, with so much talk about the Old Testament of Moses, it sometimes follows that the Abrahamic Covenant appears to take a subservient role while, beyond question, it is in fact of far greater significance than that identified with Moses. The supreme human character of the Old Testament is Abraham, not Moses, and it is hoped that subsequent study will reinforce this fact. Hence a right appreciation of the New Covenant will confirm this truth, that is its character of fulfillment with regard to what was assuredly, inviolately promised through Abraham, in contrast with the temporal, interim, subservient role of the Old Covenant that Moses administered. B. COVENANT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 1. Historic meaning in the Bible. “Covenants,” in a broad sense, are as old as formal, signified human relationships, and for this reason they are found amongst every tribe and tongue upon planet earth. Marriage covenants are sealed by means of a tangible marker, such as a ring, throughout the world. So in the Bible, covenants were established between men by means of token signatures, that is, emblems that concretely indicated that an agreement THE NEW COVENANT OF JESUS CHRIST 2 had been formalised involving serious commitment to obligation, as well as blessings for covenant keepers and sanctions suitable for covenant breakers. A heap of stones became such a token (Gen. 31:52), as did salt (Num. 18:19; II Chron. 13:5), a shoe (Ruth 4:7; cf. Deut. 25:9-10), oil (II Sam. 5:3), and eyes (Job 31:1). The very first mention of “covenant” reveals God signifying His providential commitment toward “every living creature” in a grandiose manner by means of a rainbow (Gen. 9:12-17). Then to Abraham God covenanted with three representations of cutting. First there was the sacrificial cutting of a “three year old heiffer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram,” through which divided pieces God passed and unilaterally signified His commitment to the original promise (Gen. 12:1-3; 15:9-10; cf. Jer. 34:18). Second there was the cutting of Abraham’s seed organ in circumcision (Gen. 17:11). Third there was the cutting of a ram as a substitute for Isaac (Gen. 22:13). All three instances signified and ratified Jehovah’s original promise known as the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3; cf. 15:18-21; 17:1-8; 22:15-18). In particular the sacrificial cutting of an animal became the dominant means of indicating a solemn contract. Thus in the Old Testament a covenant describes a contractual relationship between not only man and man, whether concerning a king and his subjects, tribes, or small groups, but supremely God and man with regard to atonement being made for sin. 2. Essential meaning in the Bible. “Covenant,” berit,” tyr!B= means “to bind/fetter,” for the purpose of establishing a binding treaty, agreement or compact. In numerous instances concerning covenants between God and man, as well as between man and man, the verb “to cut,” karath, tr~K*, was attached to berit and thus meant “to cut a covenant,” being commonly translated “to make a covenant” (Gen. 15:18; Exod. 24:8; Deut. 5:2; 9:9 Ps. 50:5; 89:3; Jer. 34:18). Certainly this thought carried over into the contractual relationship between God and Israel where forgiveness of sins was linked with the “shedding of blood” that necessitated the cutting of a sacrifice (Lev. 17:11; Heb. 9:22). So in the New Testament (Covenant), the contractual relationship between God and His people, comprised of Jew and Gentile, is established through the sacrificial cutting of the Son of God, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), “the Great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord” (Heb. 13:20). C. THE OLD COVENANT ABROGATED IN JEREMIAH 31:32 Paul well reasons that, “if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law” (Gal. 2:21; 3:21). Hence the presupposition of the necessity of the New Covenant is the deficiency of the former Old Covenant. Thus “there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect” (Heb. 7:18-19). Indeed, no human law or principle or agenda made anyone perfect. Hence Jeremiah, a faithful Jew under the law of Moses if ever there was one, was yet led by the Spirit of God to declare not only the essential deficiency of the Mosaic law, but also a vastly superior replacement. So first we turn to this deficiency in Jeremiah 31:32. THE NEW COVENANT OF JESUS CHRIST 3 1. The Old Covenant was bilaterally established at the redemption of Israel out of Egypt, having the consequences of blessing or cursing. It was given because of Israel’s sin (Gal. 3:19; cf. Rom. 5:20; I Tim. 1:8-11), not as a facilitator of righteousness. 2. The Old Covenant was broken by Israel at the very outset of its redemption and formation as a nation, through complaining and groaning, even before it had reached Mount Sinai, with resultant cursing and severe discipline (Jer. 11:1-17; 22:8-9). 3. The Old Covenant was misunderstood by Israel, being addressed as a covenant that encouraged trust in the works of the law, not faith in the grace and mercy of God (Rom. 9:31-32). Because of this the Law proved to be weak, in a manner of speaking, through Israel’s flesh (Rom. 8:3); it was incapable of imparting life, saving the soul, and sanctifying the soul. 4. The Old Covenant was faithfully kept by God; “in the wilderness, . God carried you, just as a man carries his son” (Deut. 1:31; cf. Isa. 63:13-14), as a loyal husband to an unfaithful, adulterous wife, the result being endless cycles of blessing and cursing. 5. The Old Covenant had been preceded by the unilateral Abrahamic covenant of promise, awaiting total fulfillment. For this reason, “the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God” (Gal. 3:17). D. THE NEW COVENANT PROMISED IN JEREMIAH (AS A FAR PROSPECT) 31:31, 33-34 The expression “new covenant,” tyr»]B= (“berith”, covenant), vd*j* (“chadash”, new), is only found in the Old Testament in Jeremiah 31:31-34. However, there is broad agreement that many other passages refer of the same basic truth under the names of the “everlasting covenant” (Jer. 32:40; 50:5; Ezek. 16:60; 37:26; Isa. 24:5; 55:3; 61:8), a “new heart/spirit” (Ezek. 11:19; 18:31; 36:26), and a “covenant of peace” (Isa. 54:10; Ezek. 34:25; 37:26). So, in the midst of a sinful human race, “days are coming . when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” 1. It is a unilateral covenant. It is established exclusively by God; He, in the sovereignty of His grace will certainly accomplish that which He has proposed. 2. It is a future covenant, beyond the time of Jeremiah. It looks beyond Israel’s post-exilic restoration to a time when iniquity is forgiven. 3. It is a covenant primarily made with Israel and Judah. Along with Spurgeon, we believe that language here means a reunited Israel. 4. It is a covenant distinct from the Old Covenant. This is not to be a warmed over or an upgraded Old Covenant; rather the New Covenant is to be radically new. 5. It is a covenant of regeneration. The inward corruption of Israel will experience supernatural new life, the rebirth of the nation’s soul.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Exploring the Contours of Paul's New Covenant
    What is So New About the New Covenant? Exploring the Contours of Paul’s New Covenant Theology in 2 Corinthians 3 Matthew Barrett Matthew Barrett is Tutor of Systematic Theology and Church History at Oak Hill Theological College in London, England. He earned his Ph.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Systematic Theology. Dr. Barrett is the executive editor of Credo Magazine, as well as the author and editor of several books, including Salvation by Grace (P&R, 2013), Four Views on the Historical Adam (Zondervan, 2013 with A. B. Caneday), Owen on the Christian Life (Crossway, 2015 with Michael Haykin), and editor of the The 5 Solas Series (Zondervan, 2015-2017). Second Corinthians 3 is a hotly debated and difficult text. For example, Thomas Schreiner says 2 Corinthians 3 is “one of the most controverted texts in the Pauline corpus,”1 and is “full of exegetical difficulties and knotty problems.”2 David Garland believes the passage is “notoriously obscure”3 and Anthony Hanson says it is the “mount Everest of Pauline texts as far as difficulty is concerned—or should we rather call it the sphinx among texts, since its difficulty lies in its enigmatic quality rather than its com- plexity?”4 The result has been a hermeneutical maze of literature almost impossible to navigate.5 Nevertheless, the complexity and difficulty in translating and interpreting 2 Corinthians 3 is matched by its biblical-theological depth and insight.6 As the growing literature demonstrates, this one chapter leaves readers with a host of themes central to developing a Pauline theology (e.g., law, ministry, SBJT 19.3 (2015): 61-96 61 The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 19.3 (2015) Spirit, glory, covenant).
    [Show full text]
  • New Covenant Ecclesiology in OT Perspective 7 Jason S
    Charting a Course between Dispensational and Covenant Theologies PROGRESSIVE COVENANTALISM EDITORS: STEPHEN J. WELLUM and BRENT E. PARKER Progressive Covenantalism: Charting a Course between Dispensational and Covenant Theologies © Copyright 2016 by Stephen J. Wellum and Brent E. Parker B&H Academic Nashville, Tennessee All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4336-8402-9 Dewey Decimal Classifcation: 230 Subject Heading: COVENANTS / SALVATION / THEOLOGY Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV® Text Edition: 2011. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,19 77,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NIV 1984 are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by per- mission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission.
    [Show full text]
  • PROGRESSIVE COVENANTALISTS AS REFORMED BAPTISTS Daniel Scheiderer
    WTJ 82 (2020): 137–52 PROGRESSIVE COVENANTALISTS AS REFORMED BAPTISTS Daniel Scheiderer At least three new systems of covenant theology have arisen in Calvinistic Baptist circles in recent decades: new covenant theology, progressive covenantalism, and 1689 Federalism (Reformed Baptists). Each group has its own proponents and its own circles of influence, but churches impacted by each proposal are generally familiar to one another. Because progressive covenantalists initially described themselves as a subset of new covenant theology, arguments against new covenant theology were often simply co-opted for use against progressive covenantalists. This article aims to demonstrate that progressive covenantalists have significant points of continuity with their Reformed Baptist brothers that facilitate mutual benefit between the two camps. To demonstrate this continuity, the cov- enants of works and grace and the new covenant are examined in the two systems alongside their Particular Baptist forefathers to show that all three groups operate with a basically continuous infrastructure. The benefit of such a study is that it distinguishes the progressive covenantal proposal from the proposal of new covenant theology while avoiding simplistic read- ings that deny the real differences between progressive covenantalists and Reformed Baptists. The study does not deny the real tension that exists in progressive covenantalists’ reinterpretation of the fourth commandment, but it sets aside that debate so that points of clear commonalities may be seen for what they are. Too often conversations about covenant theology have passed one another, and so this article aims to initiate a conversation between two groups that ought to be the nearest allies. “ rogressive covenantalism” broke onto the scene in 2012 with Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum’s book Kingdom through Covenant.
    [Show full text]
  • NEW COVENANT THEOLOGY: What It Is and How It Differs from Covenant Theology
    NEW COVENANT THEOLOGY: What It Is and How It Differs from Covenant Theology Gary D. Long Extract (including the Dedication page, Preface, Contents, Chapter 1 and Appendix D) of a forthcoming book with the above title by the Faculty President of Providence Theological Seminary in Colorado Springs, CO. www.ptsco.org; [email protected] [Planned for publication by early 2012] Dedication To my mentor, S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., a gracious man and gentleman scholar whose submission to the teaching of the Word of God in doctrine and life lives on PREFACE This book is a condensed one volume documented work purposefully written in a non- technical, palatable style. It is designed to explain what New Covenant Theology is as a developing theological system by showing how it differs from Reformed Theology’s system of Covenant Theology. After an opening chapter to state briefly what New Covenant Theology is and how it differs from Covenant Theology, Chapter 2 surveys the historical background to the rise and development of Covenant Theology as a theological system inseparably linked to its practice of infant baptism. The follow-on chapters then elaborate upon how New Covenant Theology differs from Covenant Theology (including that Reformed Baptist teaching which also basically holds to it) by focusing upon the theological heart of its system: its one overarching covenant of grace, which undergirds its doctrine of the church (ecclesiology), and its understanding of the covenantal administration of the law of God. My approach is doctrinal not personal. I owe much to many reformed theologians holding to Covenant Theology, especially in their contribution to the sovereignty of God in creation, providence and redemption.
    [Show full text]
  • Dispensational Understanding of the New Covenant © 2012 Regular Baptist Press • Schaumburg, Illinois
    3 VIEWS Mike Stallard editor l Contributions from: John Master Dave Fredrickson Roy E. Beacham Elliott E. Johnson Rodney J. Decker Bruce Compton Dispensational Understanding of the New Covenant © 2012 Regular Baptist Press • Schaumburg, Illinois. www.RegularBaptistPress.org • 1-800-727-4440 RBP5330 • ISBN: 978-1-60776-494-6 Contents Abbreviations 6 Contributors 7 Preface 9 Mike Stallard, editor Foreword 15 John Master 1. Which Are the New Covenant Passages in the Bible? 29 Dave Fredrickson 2. The Interpretation of the New Covenant in the History of Traditional Dispensationalism 73 Mike Stallard 3. The Church Has No Legal Relationship to or Participation in the New Covenant 107 Roy E. Beacham Responses to Roy E. Beacham 145 4. The Church Has an Indirect Relationship to the New Covenant 164 Elliott E. Johnson Responses to Elliott E. Johnson 176 5. The Church Has a Direct Relationship to the New Covenant 194 Rodney J. Decker Responses to Rodney J. Decker 223 6. Epilogue: Dispensationalism, the Church, and the New Covenant 240 Bruce Compton Scripture Index 280 Abbreviations ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary ANE Ancient Near East/Ancient Near Eastern BDAG Bauer, Danker, Arndt, and Gingrich, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. BDF Blass, Debrunner, Funk, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature DPT Dictionary of Premillennial Theology ISBE International Standard Bible Encyclopedia EDT Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd ed. LEH Lust, Eynikel, Hauspie, A Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint L&N Louw and Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 3rd ed.
    [Show full text]
  • 7-12 NCA Course Catalog Electronic Copy.Pdf
    New Covenant Academy College Preparatory School Academic Handbook Seventh – Twelfth Grade Table of Contents Table Academic Handbook (Grades 7-12 ) Table of Contents Introduction……………………………………………………………………...……………..…………………………..5 Clubs……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6 Academics……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7 Textbooks and Supplies……………………………………………………………………………..………………….7 Student Academic Progress and Parent Communication……...……………………………………….7 Learning Styles…………………………………………………………………………………………………………......8 Study Tips and Skills ………………………….……………………………………………………………………….8-9 Placement Tests…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10 Achievement Tests………………………………………………………………………………………………….10-11 Athletic and Extracurricular Activity Eligibility…………………………………..…………………….12-13 Middle School Introduction……………………………..…………………………………………………....15-16 Middle School Course Descriptions………………………………………………………………………...17-23 High School Introduction……………………………………………………..……………………………………..25 Personal Plan of Study………………………………………………………………………………………………...26 College and Career Planning………………………………………………………………………………………..26 Dual Credit…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..27 Dual Enrollment……..…………………………………………………………….……………………………………..27 Correspondence Courses……………………………………………….…………………………………………….28 Transfer Credits………………………………………….………………………………………………………………..28 Duplicate Credit Courses……..……………………………………………………………………………....….….28 Repeated Courses………………………………………………………………………………………….…………….28 Dropping Courses/Schedule Changes…………………………………………………………….…………….29
    [Show full text]
  • THE NEW COVENANT of GRACE the Focus Is Always on Jesus and His Obedience & Performance
    GRACE-LOVE -TRUTH COURSE. PART 2A: GOD'S COVENANTS. www.gracelovetruth.com PART 2A: GOD'S COVENANTS INDEX 1. GOD'S COVENANTS 1.1 WHAT ARE COVENANTS? 1.2 THE LAWS OF THE COVENANTS. 1.3 THE THREE MAIN COVENANTS PRIOR TO THE CROSS. 1.4 THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS FORESAW A NEW COVENANT 1.5 A BETTER COVENANT IN CHRIST 2. THE NEW COVENANT STARTS AT THE CROSS 2.1 THE CROSS REVERBERATED ACROSS TIME AND SPACE 2.2 WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED 2.3 JESUS FOCUSED ON THE ATONING WORK OF THE CROSS 2.4 THE CROSS DEALT WITH SIN ONCE AND FOR ALL 2.5 THE CROSS CHANGED JESUS’ FOCUS FROM ISRAEL TO ALL MANKIND 2.6 GRACE IS NOW THE ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM OF GOD’S KINGDOM 2.7 THE CROSS CHANGED OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD 2.8 THE CROSS CHANGED OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT 2.9 THE CROSS RELEASED REVELATION 2.10 THE CROSS REVEALED THE FULL GOSPEL OF GRACE 2.11 THE CROSS DISARMED SATAN 2.12 THE CROSS CHANGED THE COVENANT 2.13 THE OLD COVENANT 2.14 THE NEW COVENANT Copyright G. R. Hare. This material may be used freely. When used please acknowledge: www.gracelovetruth.com 2 PART 2A: GOD'S COVENANTS AND THE CROSS INTRODUCTION Our loving Abba Father has poured out his blessings and gifts to us through the grace of Jesus Christ. He has guaranteed his promises to us in the form of an agreement called the New Covenant which in a sense is a legal agreement sealed and signed in the blood of Jesus and guaranteed by the Holy Spirit.
    [Show full text]
  • Jeremiah 31:34, New Covenant Membership, and Baptism1
    Scriptura 114 (2015:1), pp. 1-14 http://scriptura.journals.ac.za JEREMIAH 31:34, NEW COVENANT MEMBERSHIP, AND BAPTISM1 Christian Locatell Department of Ancient Studies Stellenbosch University Abstract The promise of Jeremiah 31:34 that “all of them will know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” has been of crucial importance for the paedo – vs. credobaptism debate. However, there has been little discussion of what the quantifier means based on Jeremiah’s repeated and thematically linked uses. Throughout his prophecy, Jeremiah consistently uses this quantifier in reference to a group about which something is pervasively, though not exhaustively, true. Therefore, the quantifier in Jeremiah 31:34 should not be understood as presenting subjective knowledge of the Lord as the necessary condition of New Covenant membership to the exclusion of infant membership in that community and infant baptism as the sign of membership. Key Words: Baptism; New Covenant; Ecclesiology; Sacramentology; Jeremiah 31 Introduction While there are many complex issues in the baptism debate, the nature of the New Covenant community – whether it is mixed or purely regenerate – seems to be at its heart. And perhaps the single most important text (at least in the Old Testament) for this issue is the New Covenant promise in Jeremiah 31:34 that “all of them will know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.”2 If, as credobaptism maintains, this promises a completely regenerate New Covenant community where all members, without exception, know the Lord, then the infants of believing parents cannot be counted as members and should not receive the sign of membership (baptism).
    [Show full text]
  • Regeneration: a New Covenant Blessing
    REGENERATION: A NEW COVENANT BLESSING ZANE C. HODGES President Kerugma Ministries Mesquite, Texas I. INTRODUCTION The New Covenant relates to the doctrine of regeneration, that is, the new birth. But before this relationship can be clearly considered, it is necessary to deal with a problem that has arisen with regard to this Cove- nant. II. DISPENSATIONALISM AND THE NEW COVENANT For a long time, the New Covenant has been a problem in dispensa- tional theology. The problem seems to be centered in the statement of Jer 31:31, where the Lord is speaking: Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah… From this statement the conclusion has been drawn that the New Covenant is exclusively an arrangement between God and the nation of Israel. Many Dispensationalists have feared that to say otherwise would threaten the collapse of any meaningful difference between Israel and the Church. Yet at the same time, the NT appears to treat NT believers as objects of the New Covenant arrangements. A number of pivotal passages show this. For example, the expression new covenant appears in all three Gos- pel accounts of the institution of the Lord’s Supper: Matt 26:28; Mark 14:24; and Luke 22:20. Luke, for example, reports: Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” 43 44 Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society Autumn 2005 This statement of Jesus is repeated by the apostle Paul in his discus- sion of the Lord’s Supper in 1 Cor 11:25.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter Thirteen New Covenant and Other Christianities, to Ca. 185 CE
    Chapter Thirteen New Covenant and Other Christianities, to ca. 185 CE The disastrous revolt of 66-70 marks a sharp turning point in the history of both Judaism and Christianity. The militancy of the first Christiani did not survive the disaster (that an oracle ordered “the Christians” to flee from Jerusalem to Pella just before the war of 66-70 is a much later invention).1 Two very different directions taken in the generation after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple led to the dramatic growth of two distinct religions: New Covenant Christianity and rabbinic Judaism. Although they had a common heritage these two religions differed widely not only from each other but also from the religion of Judaea during the Second Temple period. Rabbinic Judaism devoted itself fervently to the torah, in the belief that Adonai had punished Judaea because its people had been too lax in following his law. New Covenant Christians, contrarily, believed that God had ordained the destruction of the temple to make way for the parousia of Jesus the Christ and the End of Time. That religiosity and superstitious fanaticism were the cause of the disaster did not occur to either camp. A small minority of Judaeans, however, followed a third course in the aftermath of 70: these people gave up entirely on Adonai, his covenants, and the temporal world, and formulated - on the authority, they claimed, of Jesus the Christ - a mythical explanation of reality that scholars call “Gnosticism.” Although we have more information about each of the three new movements than about traditional Judaism in the Greek-speaking Diaspora, it must be added that for a very long time after 70 CE the majority of Judaeans did not adhere to any one of the three.
    [Show full text]
  • The New Covenant
    TMSJ 10/2 (Fall 1999) 251-270 THE NEW COVENANT Larry D. Pettegrew Professor of Theology Theologians of all kinds focus on Christ as the key to understanding the biblical covenants. Two significant characteristics of the New Covenant promised to Israel are its newness in replacing the Mosaic Covenant and its everlasting and irrevocable nature. For Israel the New Covenant promises her transformation through providing her a new heart, her final and permanent forgiveness, and the consummation of her relationship with the Lord. Through Israel God will also bless the Gentiles because of this covenant. As mediator of the New Covenant, the Messiah will be identified with Israel as God’s Son, Servant, covenant, and Abraham’s seed. Though the Messiah is not yet identified nationally with Israel, He is already identified with the church. Terminology and provisions spelled out in the NT indicate that Christ inaugurated the New Covenant at His first advent. Though the New Covenant will not be fulfilled with Israel until her future repentance, the church through Spirit baptism into Christ participates in that covenant. * * * * * Strange as it may seem at first, many covenant and dispensational theologians seem to agree that union with Christ solves the problem of how the church relates to the New Covenant. Of course, the theological underpinnings and implications are different for each system. When covenant theologian Vern Poythress argues that the covenants are fulfilled in Christ, he implies that Israel has no future as a covenant nation. Advising covenant theologians how they should explain that Israel’s covenant promises are fulfilled in the church Poythress writes, The argument is strongest if one does not bluntly and simplistically assert that the church is a straight-line continuation of Israel.
    [Show full text]
  • New Testament Canon Formation 2
    HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN TEXT OF THE BIBLE (NEW TESTAMENT) 1. Christianity develops its own canon of scriptures Modern Christians call the Christian scriptures “the New Testament” (NT) in which “testament” = “covenant.” By this, they distinguish the Christian scriptures from the Hebrew Bible or “Old Testament.” To Christians, the Hebrew scriptures are about God’s covenant with Israel via Abraham and Moses, and the Christian scriptures are about God’s covenant with all people via the followers of Christ. Christians read the Old Testament (OT) as a foreshadowing of the NT, picking up on passages such as Jer. 31:33-33 as evidence of God’s intentions: “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I shall make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah…. I shall put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.” We believe that Jesus instituted the new covenant at the Last Supper: “Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’” (Matt. 26:27-28, NRSV). In its final form, the NT includes 27 canonical books: (1) the 4 Gospels, about the public career and teachings of Christ, composed 40-65 years after Jesus’s death; (2) Acts, a narrative about the birth and growth of Christian communities, composed by the author of the Gospel of Luke; (3) 13 letters to Christian communities and to followers, commonly attributed to Paul, that were written perhaps 20 years before the first Gospels; (4) a miscellany including the epistle to the Hebrews, the catholic (i.e., general) epistles, and Revelation.
    [Show full text]