“He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
– The Apostle Paul; 2 Corinthians 3:6
The Christian Bible consists of two parts: the Old and New Testaments. A synonymous term for testament is “covenant.” So, in essence the Bible contains the Old and New Covenants. A covenant is defined as “an agreement between two or more persons to do or not do something specified.” (Random House Dictionary, unabridged, 2009)
Though the Bible speaks of numerous covenants God made with individuals these two are the main ones showing the way of salvation. The Old Covenant is defined in Deuteronomy 4:13 where Moses told Israel “so He (God) declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.” There can be no question the Old Covenant was the Ten Commandments along with other laws later given to Moses at Mt. Sinai. Other Old Testament scriptures define this covenant as being the tables of stone. (See Exodus 31:18; 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9, 11, 15; and 1 Kings 8:9, 21). The New Testament also defines the Old Covenant in Hebrews 9:4 as being “the stone tablets of the covenant,” a direct reference to the Ten Commandments.
These Ten Commandments, or the law covenant was made exclusively with a particular group of people. In Deuteronomy 5:2 Moses told the children of Israel “the Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb (Sinai). The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all of those of us alive here today.” Then Moses recounted this covenant by reciting the Ten Commandments. (See Deuteronomy 5:4-22) Here are two important facts. First, this Law Covenant had its beginning at Mt. Sinai because God had not made this covenant with their Jewish ancestors; and secondly, the only parties involved were God and the children of Israel. Nowhere does the Bible say God made this law covenant with anyone before Israel at Sinai, or with anyone after Sinai, but rather with Israel at Sinai. It would also be passed on to their future offspring as a means of setting them apart from all other peoples. (See Deuteronomy 29:14, 15)
In Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, he informed the Law Covenant not only had a beginning point, but also an appointed time to end. After talking about the covenant that saved Abraham (which preceded the Law Covenant given at Sinai) he writes in Galatians 3:17, “the law (covenant), introduced 430 years later (it was 430 years from Abraham’s calling out of Ur to Mt. Sinai) does not set aside the covenant previously established by God (the covenant God gave to Abraham). Verse 19 provides the ending date of the Ten Commandment, or Law Covenant. He says “what, then, was the purpose of the law (Old Covenant)? It was added because of transgression until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.” The Seed spoken of here is none other than Jesus Christ. (See Galatians 3:16) So the Old Covenant had its beginning at Mt. Sinai, and came to an end with the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ.
Old Covenant Timeline
Abraham __430 years __ Law __ Reign of Law __ Christ the New Covenant
The New Covenant on the other hand was an “eternal covenant.” (Hebrews 13:20) It had no starting point, and shall last forever. Though it is called “new” it actually preceded the law covenant given at Sinai. God taught Abraham this eternal covenant 430 years before the law (or old) covenant was ever given. But what is so unique about this covenant is in regards to the parties involved. In Galatians 3:16 Paul teaches “the promises (of the eternal covenant) were spoken to Abraham and his seed. The Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ.”
Here is the transforming power of the eternal gospel (or covenant). The parties involved in the Old Covenant were God and the Hebrew people. But the parties involved in the New, or Everlasting Covenant is God the Father and God the Son! At Calvary Christ fulfilled the terms of that law covenant and spoke “it is finished,” thus ratifying it with His precious blood, and then sealed the deal by His Holy Spirit. That is why “after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘this cup is the New Covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’” (Luke 22:20) This is the power point of the gospel. While the Old Covenant was written on dead stone the New Covenant was written on the living Christ Himself via the flesh wounds He received at His crucifixion! The inherited benefits of this eternal arrangement are offered to all mankind as a free gift through adoption.
Contrasting the Covenants
Having identified the two covenants, we can better grasp the teachings of the New Testament (Covenant). Throughout Paul’s epistles he shows the New Covenant “is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.” (Hebrews 8:6) It is the only covenant by which any human will ever be saved. The Apostle John also contrasted the two in the opening chapter of his gospel when he wrote “for the law (the Old Covenant) was given through Moses; grace and truth (the New Covenant) came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)
Below is a brief outline of how the two covenants are contrasted in Scripture. It is not a comprehensive list, but one that makes its case:
Old = was temporary from Mt. Sinai to Calvary (Galatians 3:16-19)
New = was eternal from foundation of the world (Hebrews 13:20)
Old = embodied in a letters written on stone (Exodus 32:16)
New = embodied in the person of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:5)
Old = between God and Israel (Numbers 25:12, 13)
New = between the Father and the Son (Galatians 3:16)
Old = had an earthly sanctuary (Hebrews 9:1)
New = has a heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 9:24)
Old = mediator was Moses (Exodus 20:18-21)
New = mediator is Christ (Hebrews 12:24)
Old = God spoke to his people through His prophets (2 Kings 17:13)
New = God speaks to His people through His Son (Hebrews 1:1)
Old = had earthly priests after Levitical order (1 Chronicles 6:44, 49)
New = has heavenly Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:15-22)
Old = blood of covenant provided by animals (Leviticus chapters 1-7)
New = blood of covenant provided by Christ (Hebrews 9:11-27)
Old = law was Ten Commandments written in stone (Exodus 24:12)
New = law is written by the Spirit in believer’s hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3-6)
Old = celebrated deliverance from Egypt by Passover meal (Exodus 12:1-29)
New = celebrates deliverance from sin by Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19)
Old = spoken by God from Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20:1-17)
New = spoken by God from Mt. Zion (Hebrews 12:18-29)
Old = promised inheritance of earthly land (Numbers 35:2-5)
New = promises inheritance of a new heaven and earth (Revelation 21:1-7)
The New Covenant brought a change in the order of priesthood from the earthly (Levitical) to the heavenly (Melchizedek). Hebrews 7:12 carries it a step further “for when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.” The Old Covenant was the law of Ten Commandments. But Hebrews clearly states the New Covenant “will not be like the covenant I made with their (Israel’s) forefathers (at Sinai).” (Hebrews 8:9)
Explanation of this change in the law is found in Romans 8:1-5: “for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (New Covenant law) has set you free from the law of sin and death (Old Covenant law).” The Ten Commandments was an inferior law to the eternal law of Christ. Paul said he was not under the Old Covenant law, but “under Christ’s law.” (1 Corinthians 9:21) This leads to a higher experience in spirituality. One can seek to obey the Ten Commandments, and thereby appear to be very pious on the outside, but inside still unknowingly be full of sinful intent. Thus, they not only deceive others, but themselves.
But this law of the Spirit in Christ Jesus goes beyond outward behavior. It acts as a moral compass guiding the believer in a principled pathway. This is why Paul says the “Gentiles, who do not have the law (Old Covenant law), do by nature things required by the (New Covenant) law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the (Old Covenant) law.” (Romans 2:14) This work of the Holy Spirit is difficult to put into finite words, but who would expect finite beings to define the infinite work of God? But one thing we can know. The Holy Spirit speaks to everyone through their consciences. Such is His omnipotent prerogative. One does not need the Ten Commandment law to live a morally upright life. There are people around the world who are unfamiliar with the Ten Commandments, yet they live morally upright lives through the Spirit’s prompting. If a person is open to the Spirit’s voice, they know at the deepest level of their conscience what is right and wrong because the Holy Spirit writes the “law of Christ” in their heart.
In the end no one will have a valid defense for rejecting the salvation God is offering through the New Covenant blood of Christ. “For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge (concerning His existence, and what is right and wrong) in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature. So, they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.” (Romans 1:19, 20)
The honest in heart will listen to what the Spirit is saying to them. They are sick of how sin is controlling and ruining their lives, yet they cannot seem to break away from it’s ugly grasp no matter how many self-help methods they try. They haven’t even been able to find eternal rest or peace through obeying God’s ten commandment law, though it has improved their lives. No, something deeper still lingers, like a stain that won’t go away. It is a memory of their past, and fear of their returning to it in the future. So, they seek to escape it through repetitive acts of religious piousness. The Apostle identified it as “will worship,” or the trusting of their own will power to overcome the sin problem. (Colossians 2:23) Yet, that nasty stain still remains. And so the sinner cries out, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin (both the present temptation, and past memory of it)? The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24, 25)
And, exactly how is Jesus the conclusive remedy for our sin problem? Here we find the real purpose and intent of the New Covenant blood of Christ – to cleanse the consciences of those desiring to worship Him. This is something the old sacrificial system (covenant) could never accomplish because, “the sacrifices under the old system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.” (Hebrews 10:1, 2) Kind of sounds like modern day church going, doesn’t it? Now comes the good news. Christ “came once for all time… to remove the power of sin forever by His sacrificial death for us.” (Hebrews 9:26) “And what God wants is for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time… This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord… I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds. Now when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices… This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us through the sacred curtain, by means of his death for us… let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting him. For our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean.” (Hebrews 10:10-22)
Are we tired of wrestling with the burden sin has caused in our lives? Why not heed the invitation Jesus gives, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) This is the message ministers of the New Covenant have been commissioned to share. It is the offer of an eternal peace in knowing God forgives and forgets our sins through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ, something that those who appeared to be religious could never attain to by the sacrifices they themselves provided.