New Covenant is Second Covenant with Israel

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of ISRAEL and the house of JUDAH…And I will be their God, and they shall be my people…I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”  (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

“In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away…Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” (Hebrews 8:13; 9:15)

I think Christians should be careful in talking about the Old and New Covenants.  Some even name their churches “New Covenant Church”.  And they generally teach that the New Covenant is one of Grace and is the Covenant mentioned in Jeremiah and Hebrews.  They assume the New Covenant is the covenant which the Body of Christ (Church) now has with God. That is just not the case as I read and understand the Scripture.  

Both the Old and New Covenants have to do with God’s unique dealing with Jacob and his descendants who collectively are the nation of Israel, God's chosen people.  It is to the “house of Israel and the house of Judah” alone that the Old and New Covenants were given. That is made clear in Jeremiah chapter 31 above, and it is clear to me that the reference to “a new covenant” in the book of Hebrews is also speaking of Israel because it says that the death of Jesus the Messiah “redeems them from the transgressions committed UNDER THE FIRST COVENANT”.  

Gentiles have never been, nor are we now, subject to the first covenant made to Israel through Moses.  Nor are Gentiles the object of the second (New) covenant spoken of by Jeremiah the Prophet. The book of Hebrews is clearly written to Messianic Jews who had been scattered, that’s why it is called Hebrews.

When Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, uses the term in his letter to Corinth it is either in reference to the covenants with Israel or as a “figure of speech” for the GRACE of God which has appeared bringing salvation to all mankind. Paul says of the New Covenant...

“In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:25)

Paul was speaking of the words of Jesus to the Jewish disciples at the last Passover meal he shared with them and was reminding them that his shed blood redeems Israel “from the transgressions committed under the first covenant”.

In speaking of his ministry to the Gentiles Paul says that God “has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter (given to Israel only) but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6)

When Paul uses the term “new covenant” in 2 Corinthians 3:6 above it seems to be a figure of speech for the “new” revelation that all men are recipients of salvation by the Grace of God.  This was a mystery previously hidden from men and a “new” revelation first given to Paul. I do not find in Scripture any formal “covenant of grace” with anyone.  But there is the revealing that God intends the salvation of sinners as the benefit of God’s amazing GRACE alone. Paul writes of this mystery, grace and salvation as follows…

“…you have heard of the stewardship of God’s GRACE which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the MYSTERY…which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men… the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace…to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things…For the grace of God has appeared, bringing SALVATION to all men… It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners… we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers” (Ephesians 3:1-9; Titus 2:11; 1 Timothy 1:15; 4:9-10)

Popular posts from this blog

Breathtaking Stupidity

My own stupidity is breathtaking, but I am learning to trust in the  “mysterious and hidden wisdom of God”  that His Spirit reveals from time to time. “Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become stupid, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is stupidity in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”  And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile. ” Therefore, stop boasting in men. All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future. All of them belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.” (1 Corinthians 3:18-23) It has taken me years to become stupid after thinking I was wise in this age. The wisdom of the world is what I was taught in school. Yet God says that the wisdom of the greatest minds of men is futile - ineffective. So, I rarely “boast in men” b...
Read more

Trust Him, He's Got This!

"I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not based on true knowledge." (Romans 10:2 NLT) "These ignorantly zealous persons think altogether too much of themselves. According to their idea it would seem to be a marvel how ever the Lord got along before they were born, and altogether a dead certainty that He will have to suspend operations altogether after they are dead." - Arthur P. Adams Such seems to be the state of many evangelists I have heard over the years. “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." (Psalm 46:10 NLT) Trust Him, He's got this!
Read more

The Unpardonable Sin - What is it?

"…Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." (Matthew 12:32) This verse scares the crap out of some folks. They are not sure what it means but have been told by Christianity that it is unpardonable, and anyone who commits it can’t be saved and will be tortured in hell forever. But what does the above verse really mean? Well it helps to read all the Scripture to know, but here in a nutshell is what I found: 1. The "Holy Spirit" is the "spirit of truth" (John 16:3) 2. “No one can say, 'Jesus is Lord', except by the Holy Spirit “ (1 Corinthians 12:3) 3. "...every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord..." (Philippians 2:10-11) 4. Christ Jesus is  "the Savior of the world” (John 4:42). 5. "...when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth..." (John 16:3) Failing to believe the "truth" revealed b...
Read more