New Covenant: Difference between revisions

This article is about the theological concept of the New Covenant. For other uses, see New Covenant (disambiguation).

Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). Depicted is his famous Sermon on the Mount in which he commented on the Law. Some scholars (see Antithesis of the Law) consider this to be an antitype of the proclamation of the Ten Commandments or Old Covenant by Moses from Mount Sinai.

The term New Covenant (Hebrew: ברית חדשה, berit hadashah ; Greek: διαθήκη καινή, diatheke kaine) is used in the Bible (both in the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament) to refer to an epochal relationship of restoration and peace following a period of trial and judgment. As are all covenants between God and man described in the Bible, it is "a bond in blood sovereignly administered by God."

Key Text: Jeremiah 31:31-34

This is the only line in the Hebrew bible that uses the wording "new covenant," but there are many other passages in the Hebrew Scriptures that speak about the same epochal relationship, without using this exact wording. Some passages speak of a "covenant of peace;" others use other constructions; some simply say "covenant," but in context it is clearly the New Covenant at issue; and some use metaphorical descriptions, like "Mount Zion," referring to the New Covenant. The key text at issue here is quoted in full in Hebrews 8:8-12 in the New Testament, with an interpretation in the surrounding text. That full quotation, with partial quotations of the same text in other New Testament passages, reflects that the authors of the New Testament and Christian leaders generally, consider Jeremiah 31:31-34 to be a central Old Testament prophecy of the New Covenant. Here is the key text:

"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." — Jeremiah 31:31-34 KJV

The 1988 New JPS version of Jeremiah 31:34 is:

No longer will they need to teach one another and say to one another, "Heed the LORD;" for all of them, from the least of them to the greatest, shall heed Me—declares the LORD. ...

Outline of the New Covenant

Based on a general, non-denominational, non-interpretive, reading of the text of Jeremiah 31:31-34, the following points are discernible:

• The New Covenant is established by God himself.
• The New Covenant is made with the "house of Israel" and the "house of Judah".
• The New Covenant is not like the broken covenant made with Moses at Mount Sinai.
  • Unlike the broken covenant (Jer 11), the New Covenant is kept by its members.
• Characteristics of the members of the New Covenant:
  • The law of God is written in their thinking and their affections.
  • The LORD, i.e. YHVH, will be their God, and they will be his people.
  • Every single member of the New Covenant "knows the LORD" in an intimate way.
  • The sins of the members of the New Covenant are forgiven by God, and will never be recalled.

Key Interpretive Texts in the New Testament

In English translations of the Greek New Testament, the use of the phrase "New Covenant" varies, however, for example, it occurs in the NIV translation at Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 8:8, 9:15, and 12:24 as a translation of some form of διαθήκη (Strong's G1242) and καινός (Strong's G2537) or νέας (Strong's G3501). Luke 22:17-20 is disputed, six forms of the text have been identified, for example the Western text-type such as Codex Bezae omit verses 19b-20, see Bruce M. Metzger's Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament for details.

Different Views on the New Covenant

Different Views on the Covenant Recipients

There are two basic understandings of the New Covenant. The difference between them revolves around mutually-exclusive understandings of the nature of Israel, to whom the covenant was given in prophecy. The difference between these two views is largely the difference between a Jewish view of the world and a Christian view of the world, see also World view, Christian worldview.

• Jewish view — Israel includes primarily those who can trace their physical ancestry to the Biblical patriarch Jacob (renamed Israel by an unnamed wrestler, see Gen 32:22–32, 35:9–15), i.e. the children of Israel or Israelites, see also Strong's H3478. Since the New Covenant was prophetically made with "the house of Israel and the house of Judah," it cannot be understood apart from the united nation of Israel, i.e. the group of all people who are naturally related to Jacob, i.e. Israel, Judah's father (note that the modern political nation-state of Israel is not directly in view here). For many this is matrilineally determined. While proselytes (Ger) have had a place in Judaism from early times, and most Jewish leaders advocate that Gentiles obey the Noahide laws (because all modern people are a part of the covenant made with Noah, see also B'nei Noah), and the prophets speak of the time as coming when the gate proselytes (Ger toshav) shall share in all the privileges of Israel (Ezekiel 47:22; Isaiah 2:2; 11:10; 56:3–7; Micah 4:1), even still, the closest a Gentile or non-convert can come to the covenant is to be considered a Ger toshav, a gate proselyte or sojourning foreigner. In this view, Gentiles are not required to keep the Ten Commandments, per se, because they are not of the Israel which was forever bound by the covenant which the Decalogue described in stone. While many Jews await the coming of the Jewish Messiah, few Jewish scholars have explored, or developed a theology of, the New Covenant. The New Covenant has never been a significant feature of Jewish eschatology, other than the belief that eventually all Jews will know and follow the Torah without the need to study (Jer 31:32–33). For example, the article Jewish Encyclopedia: New Testament states: "The idea of the new covenant is based chiefly upon Jer. xxxi. 31-34 (comp. Heb. viii. 6-13, x. 16). That the prophet's words do not imply an abrogation of the Law is evidenced by his emphatic declaration of the immutability of the covenant with Israel (Jer 31:35–36; comp. 33:25); he obviously looked for a renewal of the Law through a regeneration of the hearts of the people."

• Christian view — Before the advent of Dispensationalism in the 1820s, the almost universal Christian view of the nature of Israel is that it is, according to Jesus and his Apostles (most notably John and Paul, see also Pauline Christianity), primarily a spiritual nation (considered so especially since the coming of Jesus), composed of (1) the faithful remnant of the Jews (understood as those claiming Jesus as their Messiah, see also Jewish Christians), and (2) believers from among the Gentiles, who have been grafted into the promises made to the nation of Israel, including the New Covenant. According to Christian theology, this spiritual Israel is composed of only and all Jews and Gentiles who are genuinely of the faith of Abraham, before he was circumcised, which is understood to be a type for the Christian faith of believing Jesus to be Christ and Lord. The Apostle Paul says that "it is not the children of the flesh (i.e. the natural descendants of Abraham), who are the children of God, but the children of the promise (i.e. the spiritual descendants of Abraham)."

  Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. — Romans 9:6-8 KJV

The New Covenant is not like the covenant made with Abraham which Israel broke. The "Seed Promise" promised Abraham innumerable heirs, ([2]Genesis 12:7, [3] Genesis 13:15), but also one specifically from his own body [4]Genesis 15:4. The Christian view says the greatest "seed" was Christ, [5]Galatians 3:16, through whom multitudes — not only Hebrews but also Gentiles, [6]Revelation 7:4,9 — have become children of Abraham, [7]Galatians 3:29. The "Land Promise" ([8]Genesis 15:13, [9]Exodus 12:40) promised Abraham's heirs a specific place to live, stretching from Egypt to Assyria. God gave Israel the land, which they possessed and lived in [10]Joshua 21:43, [11]Joshua 23:14. See also [12]Judges 2.3, and [13]1Kings 4:21. Premillennialism doesn't seem to know these promises were already fulfilled.

Different Views on Covenant Membership

Among Christians, there also exists significant differences on the question of membership in the New Covenant. These differences can be so serious that they form a principal reason for division i.e., denominationalism. Christian denominations exist because of their answer to this question. The first major split is between those that believe that only believers are members of the New Covenant, the credobaptist view, and those that believe that believers and their children are members of the New Covenant, the paedobaptist view. Secondarily, there are differences among paedobaptists as to the nature of the membership of children in the covenant.

• Credobaptist view — text
• Paedobaptist view — text
  • Covenantal view of infant baptism — text
  • Immediate regeneration view of infant baptism — text
  • Mediate regeneration view of infant baptism — text

Different Views on the New Covenant Knowledge of God

Another difference is between those who believe the New Covenant has already substantially arrived, and that this knowledge of God that the member of the New Covenant has is primarily salvific knowledge; and those that believe that the New Covenant has not yet substantially arrived, and that this knowledge is more complete knowledge, meaning a member of the New Covenant no longer has to be taught anything. This division does not just break down along Jewish v. Christian lines (as the previous difference did). In general, those that are more likely to lean toward the "already view", or salvific knowledge view, are those Christians that do not believe in the invisible Church (e.g. Roman Catholics), and Christians that practice believer's baptism, because both believe the New Covenant is more present reality than future reality. Also in general, those that lean toward the "not yet view", or complete knowledge view, are Jews, and Christians that practice infant baptism for covenantal reasons, and Dispensationalistic Christians (even though they tend to practice believer's baptism), because they believe the New Covenant is more future reality than present reality.

• Salvific Knowledge view — text
• Complete Knowledge view — text

The New Covenant and the Kingdom of God

The New Covenant and the Kingdom of God are two very related concepts. So much so, that they are often considered interchangeable synonyms. While Jesus was much more likely to refer to the Kingdom of God (perhaps his favorite topic, as understood from the New Testament), he was not unknown to refer to the New Covenant. In the following passage reported by Luke, Jesus uses both terms to refer to the very same upcoming event, his death and resurrection, being represented in the Last Supper.

And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide [it] among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake [it], and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup [is] the new testament [i.e. new covenant] in my blood, which is shed for you. But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me [is] with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. — Luke 22:14-23 KJV

John the Evangelist recorded Jesus as saying:

Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. — John 18:36 KJV

Luke the Evangelist recorded Jesus as saying:

And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. — Luke 17:20-21 KJV

The New Covenant and Supersessionism

Main article: Supersessionism

Criticism of the New Covenant

Marc Zvi Brettler in his book, How To Read the Bible, argues that:

This prophecy offers a radical solution to this dilemma: "a new covenant" (v.31). The text gives no sign that this covenant will be new in content. Rather, God will now "put" and "inscribe" it inside the people themselves (v.33). In other words, they will be preprogrammed with the covenant (as firmware, in the parlance of computers), unable to break it. As a result, there will be no more need for the prophets to harangue the people (v.34). Stated differently, God will take away free choice from Israel. They will automatically abide by God's wishes, assuring divine blessing. The exile will not recur because Israel will not sin again-it cannot. Only in this way will the people's special relationship with God be established as a lasting fact (v.33). (pp.180-81)

From Brettler's analysis, it is deduced that the New Covenant in Jeremiah is a continuation of the Mosaic Law, rather than introducing new content. Thus, the only way that Jeremiah's New Covenant differs from the covenant at Sinai is that the Israelites are not going to be given the choice of following it or not, they will be forced to. This conclusion reflects one of several views on the hotly debated topic of Free will in theology.

See also

• Old Testament#Christian view of the Law
• New Testament#The history of translation and usage of the term New Testament
• Expounding of the Law
• New Wine into Old Wineskins
• Christian nonviolence
• Christian Torah-submission
• Jewish Christians
• Jewish Messiah
• Christianity and Judaism
• Christian Zionism
• Pauline Christianity
• The Law of Christ
• New Covenant Theology

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia: Epistle to the Hebrews: "... the Epistle opens with the solemn announcement of the superiority of the New Testament Revelation by the Son over Old Testament Revelation by the prophets (Hebrews 1:1–4). It then proves and explains from the Scriptures the superiority of this New Covenant over the Old by the comparison of the Son with the angels as mediators of the Old Covenant (1:5–2:18), with Moses and Josue as the founders of the Old Covenant (3:1–4:16), and, finally, by opposing the high-priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchisedech to the Levitical priesthood after the order of Aaron (5:1–10:18)."
• Jewish Encyclopedia: Covenant: The Old and the New Covenant
• The New Covenant: Does It Abolish God's Laws?
• The Old and New Covenants Explained