It's About Covenants
Confusion runs rampant within Christendom concerning the New Testament versus
the Old Testament. Just the other day a man was over to do some plumbing at our house.
Years ago I decided that whoever came to my house was going to hear the Gospel.
As we discussed the Bible, he voiced his problems between the God of the OT
versus the God of the NT. I shared with him how God is a God of covenants. The
OT is mainly God’s dealing with the nation of Israel and the Covenant He had
with them. The NT is the Covenant God made with all mankind through His Son,
Jesus. God’s covenants dictate His dealings with mankind during the time of the
current covenant.
The NT is clear that the New Covenant is in the Blood of Jesus
Christ. All Christians would agree. In fact, to disagree means you are not a
Christian. The Blood is central. Blood is a very deep subject from Genesis
onward. However, Hebrews 10 clarifies the sacrifices under the OC (Old
Covenant) compared to the Blood of Jesus Christ, establishing the NC (New
Covenant).
7 “Then I
said, ‘Behold, I have come — In the volume of the book it is written
of Me — To do Your will, O God.’” 8 Previously saying, “Sacrifice and
offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had
pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said,
“Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He
may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:7-10
As I explained the difference between covenants, the lights went
on. For the first time he saw God as a God of covenant.
Why do so many Christians stand in the NC, while fearfully
reaching back and grasping parts from the OC? I think many, if not most, do not
know how to handle the Old versus the New.
Currently I am reading through Acts. In Acts 15 we find that these
Christians were also confused over the role the Old Covenant Scriptures had in
NT living. In fact, they, the apostolic leaders, had to have deep discussion
about it. Acts 15:1 begins the chapter with:
And
certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are
circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
This caused a great dispute between these men from Judea and Paul
and Barnabas. They decided to send a group to Jerusalem, to the
apostles and elders, about this question (Acts 15:2). (In Acts 14 many
Gentiles had become Believers in Jesus Christ.)
When they arrived in Jerusalem, verse 4 continues:
… they
were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported
all things that God had done with them. 5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees
who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to
command them to keep the law of Moses.”
They again considered the Gentiles regarding the Law of Moses,
specifically about circumcision. Verse 7 says there was much dispute among them
as they discussed the subject. Peter finally rose up and said:
“So God,
who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as
He did to us, 9 and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their
hearts by faith.” Acts 15:8-9
He continues by emphasizing that no one has been able to keep the
Law and furthermore, trying to mix Old and New is putting God to the test
(:10). The apostles discussed in detail the wonderful things God was doing
among the Gentiles and concluded this “apostolic session” by writing a letter
stating:
(:24)
Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with
words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the
law” — to whom we gave no such commandment — … (:28) For it seemed
good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than
these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from
blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep
yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.
Interestingly, in Acts 16 Paul circumcises Timothy (Timothy was
the son of a Jewish mother and Greek father.) before he takes him into ministry
with him, because of the Jews. This coincides with 1 Corinthians 9 where Paul
says that he became all things to all men so that by any means possible he
might save some. Here Timothy became like a Jew, taking away any offense to the
Jews by becoming circumcised. This had nothing to do with justification through
circumcision.
1 Timothy 1:8 states that law is good if one uses it
lawfully. The law’s intent was never to make mankind right before God,
indeed it could not. And as stated above, God never took delight in sacrifices
(Hebrews 10). All this was but a shadow of things to come, namely Christ.
All of the OT pointed to Christ! From Colossians 2:
13 And
you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has
made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having
wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us [OT], which was
contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the
cross. [The OT Law was nailed to the Cross with Christ.] 15 Having disarmed
principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over
them in it.
16 So let
no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or
sabbaths, [All these are OC requirements.] 17 which are a shadow of things to
come, but the substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward,
taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those
things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not
holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together
by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
Colossians 2 is vital to understanding the OC and its death upon
the Cross with Christ. (You might want to read it again.)
The OT law was nailed to the Cross and died with Him there. People
are justified freely apart from works through faith in Christ Jesus.
Romans 10:4 also clearly exemplifies this: For Christ is
the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Do we not yet understand?
