(Manuscript for the 2013 MSOP Lectureship)
INTRODUCTION
Genuine appreciation is extended for the invitation to participate on this good lecture series. It has been the privilege of this preacher to attend the Memphis School of Preaching Lectureship since childhood and the benefit to his life has been incredible.
This is how the Bible begins: “In the beginning God . . .” (Gen. 1:1; KJV).1 This is how the Bible ends: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Rev. 22:21). From cover to cover the Book divine teaches man, reveals the sin of man, shows how to correct man, and tells how man can stay in a right relationship with God (2 Tim. 3:16).
There is no other book parallel in value to the Bible. If one took a lifetime studying the more than sixty million volumes that reside in the Library of Congress, he would not come close to understanding the value that the God’s Book has had on the world. George Washington said, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” Andrew Jackson said, “That book, sir, is the rock on which our republic rests.” Abraham Lincoln said, “I believe that the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good the Saviour of the world is communicated to us through this book.” Ronald Regan said, “Within the covers of one single book, the Bible, are all the answers to all the problems that face us today—if only we would read and believe.”
Still, the Bible declares it’s on worth. “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver” (Psa. 119:72). “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psa. 19:10).
If not for the Bible, man would not have knowledge of how to be justified and saved (1 Cor. 15:1-4.). He would not and could not be free from the guilt of sin (John. 8:32; cf. Jas. 1:25; 2:12). That same man would be bereft of life (Psa. 119:50).
This one Book has been divided into two parts—the Old Testament and New Testament. In this study, the careful Bible student will examine the two covenants, appreciating the fact that A New Testament Christian Knows the Difference Between the Covenants. The writer will approach this study in the following way: 1) An Explanation of the Testaments. 2) An Examination of Differences Between the Testaments. 3) Some Observations for the New Testament Christian Living Under the New Testament.
EXPLANATION
A testament, or will, is a series of carefully arranged words designed to connect the giver of the will with the recipient of said will. That testament then serves as a record of desires for the recipient to fulfill. In the Bible, we find two testaments—the Old Testament and the New Testament. Every human being is under the second of these two Testaments.
Within these two testaments, there are several subdivisions—a fact made clear by the Savior’s words, when He said, “…These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me” (Lk. 24:44).
In the Old Testament, there are five books of Law—Genesis—Deuteronomy. The law being referenced here is the law of Moses. But to whom was this law given? Deuteronomy 5:2-3 says, “The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.”
That, ladies and gentlemen, was with reference to an event that transpired just about two months after Moses, by a mighty hand, had led the house of Israel out of bondage in Egypt and across the Red Sea, on the other side of which they sang the song of redemption. Passing down the eastern shore of the Red Sea, they came unto the group of mountains in the southern part of that wonderful country designated as Horeb; and while the great multitudes waited below, Moses ascended the height of that historic mountain, and there fresh from the hand of God, received the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments, which was the covenant between God and his people. That was the constitution or the great Magna Charta of a theocracy—a system of government that was to be inaugurated for a special people for a definite time. May I ask, then, as a further thought, just when this happened? The answer is forthwith from Hebrews 8:8-9. “For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when 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 [what day?] when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.”
There you have it—the time, the place, the people; those that were alive that day, descendants of that mighty host that had spent four hundred and thirty years in bondage, scattered along the shores of the River Nile (Hardeman, 33-34).
In the Old Testament, there are twelve books of History—Joshua—Esther. These books cover roughly one thousand years of Jewish history. These pages deal with their conquering of Canaan; the Judges (Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Adcon, Samson, and Samuel); the United Kingdom; the Divided Kingdom (Israel and Judah); Judah Alone; Babylonian Captivity and their Return from Captivity.
In the Old Testament, there are five books of Poetry—Job—Song of Solomon. These writings defend the glory and perfection of God. They teach the attitude of praise and worship. They illustrate ethics and penitence. They tell of the coming Messiah. They show how the wisdom of God exceeds the wisdom of man. They remind the reader that life apart from God is meaningless. They teach that mutual love between a husband and a wife is worthy to behold.
In the Old Testament, there are seventeen books of Prophecy—Isaiah—Malachi. In them we learn: Jehovah saves; divine aid will see you through; God will always punish sin; God is strong; no city is so great that it cannot fall; doom comes to those who will not repent; God’s kingdom will always triumph; God’s grace is universal; God’s basic requirements never change; God is sovereign, just, and protective of His people; God can be trusted in every crisis; God still rules the world; God speaks; there is hope for the future for the obedient; the faithful are God’s messengers.
In the New Testament, there are four books of Evidences or Testimony—Matthew—John. The specific purpose of these books is to cause the reader to believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (Jn. 20:30,31).
In the New Testament, there is one book of Conversions—Acts. These are the “acts and doings of the apostles, the record of thousands that rendered obedience to the gospel of Christ and were able to pass out of darkness into light by the acceptance of his word.” So, the book of Acts is how to become a Christian.
In the New Testament, there are twenty-one Epistles or Letters—Romans—Jude. In these twenty-one letters, the reader learns how to live as a Christian.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:7-9).
In the New Testament, there is one book of Prophecy—Revelation. Logically, the last book of the Bible deals with how to die as a Christian.
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life (Rev. 2:10).
The Old Testament, or the Old Law, was given to the Jews at Mount Sinai (Deu. 5:2-3). It was the sin of man that caused God to dictate this Law to Moses, and it was His plan that the Law would continue until His Seed would come (Gal. 3:19).
The Old Law defined sin. The Bible says, “. . . for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20; cf. 7:7). The Old Law showed that the entire world, including the Jews, were guilty before God (Rom. 3:23). Paul said, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God (Rom. 3:19; cf. 3:9).
However, it was never God’s intention that the Old Law last forever. In point of fact, His prophets foretold of the New Law that would come. Jeremiah said:
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.
Years later, Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Mat. 5:19). Jeremiah said that the Lord would establish a New Covenant. Years later the Lord said He had come to fulfill the Old Law. Question: how and when did this take place?
The New Testament is the Last Will and Testament of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How and when does any last will and testament take affect? The Hebrews writer said of Jesus:
. . . he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood (Heb. 9:15-18).
The New Testament, which is Jesus’ Last Will and Testament, came into affect at some point after the death of Jesus. The apostle Paul provides the reader with an illustration to show that a testament comes into affect after one’s death thereby freeing one from a previous testament or law. He writes:
Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man (Rom. 7:1-3).
Paul drove this point home with, “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God” (Rom. 7:4).
There is another important consideration as to when the New Testament came into affect. The last will and testament of any citizen must be read before it is known thereby taking affect. So, the New Testament in actuality did not take affect at the death of Jesus only. In point of fact, it was not until Acts 2 and the Day of Pentecost some fifty days after the resurrection that the New Testament had its beginning. For, it was on that day, in the city of Jerusalem that prophecy was fulfilled and the Last Will and Testament of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was read (Isa. 2:2-3).
On the Day of Pentecost the Apostles stood before the Jewish hearers and spoke in tongues or languages. No doubt, the message on that day was the crucified Christ. In summary, the message of the day was that the Jews were guilty of murdering the Son of God. Add to that, the God of the universe raised Him to glory at His right hand.
Without modern emotional testimonials many of those present on that day were cut to the heart asking what they needed to do to be saved from their sins. They were told what they had to do to be saved in the New Testament age. Why? It was the age that they were now living in. Further, it is the same age that every citizen of the world lives in today. They were told to “. . . Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins . . .” (Acts 2:38). Upon further reading it is noted that some three thousand souls were baptized into Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and from that day on, “. . . the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:41,47). It was on this day that the New Testament era began, and it was on this day that people began to be saved according to the terms of the Last Will and Testament of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
EXAMINATION
Having thus observed an explanation of the Testaments, this writer now turns the attention to a brief examination of differences between the Old and New Testaments. These differences are never better underscored than in the book of Hebrews. The Hebrews writer penned these words:
But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when 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 when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away (Heb. 8:6-13).
The key word in the book of Hebrews is “better.” Using that word and the text above, consider why the New Testament is better than the Old Testament.
It is better because the Old Testament was a national law and the New Testament is a universal law (Heb. 8:8). The descendants of Jacob (the nation of Israel) were the recipients of the Old Testament. But what happened to Israel? It divided into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. The Northern was destroyed in 721 B.C., and the Southern lasted until Jerusalem’s fall in A.D. 70 (Exo. 19:3-6). The New Testament was promised by Jeremiah years after Israel ceased to exist as a nation. Therefore, when Jeremiah said, “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” (Jer. 31:31), he was using these groups in a figurative sense to show the universal scope of the “new” covenant. Remember, Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15).
It is better because the Old Testament was engraved in stone, but the New Testament is engraved in the minds of man (Heb. 8:10). All are aware that the Old Covenant, to be specific, the Ten Commandments, were etched in stone (Ex. 34:1,28; Dt. 10:1-5; 2 Cor. 3:7). However, the New Covenant was to be written in the minds of man. Repeatedly in the New Testament, and in the Gospels preparing man for the New Testament, the focus is on the heart of man—his mind. God deals with man’s attitudes (Mat. 5:1-12). He focuses on man’s belief system (Jam. 2:1).
It is better because the Old Testament required one to be physically born into the system, and the New Testament permits man to choose whether or not he’ll follow God’s system (Heb. 8:11). Under the Old Testament, when a child was born as a descendant of Jacob, he or she was automatically a member of God’s chosen people. As they matured, they would be taught the ways of the Lord, and those ways would be etched into their intellect (Deu. 6:1-6). Under the New Testament, the privileges found therein come only through the new spiritual birth (cf. John 3:1-7; Acts 2:38).
It is better because under the Old Testament sins were remembered. However, under the New Testament sins are no longer held to one’s charge (Heb. 8:12). Man’s biggest problem today is not war, wealth, failing at marriage, or faulty politicians. Man’s biggest issue is his sin. Paul said, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do” (Rom. 7:18-19). Every man of accountable age can echo those words. Thanks be to God, that because of His matchless grace man can be forgiven of every transgression when he repents, and that same God will never remember those sins again!
OBSERVATION
Now that an explanation has been given of the testaments and an examination of differences between the testaments has been made, the reader’s attention is now turned to a few observations with respect to living under the New Testament. A New Testament Christian must understand that he now lives under the New Testament and it will be by the New Testament that he will be judged.
The New Testament teaches one that he is under law and grace. There is a misconception by some in the religious world that under the Old Testament there is law only, and in the New Testament there is grace only. Nothing could be further from the truth. Under both Old and New Testaments there is grace and law. When Moses received the Law at Mt. Sinai God told Moses:
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments (Exo. 20:5-6).
God told Moses that He showed “mercy” to those that loved Him. What is mercy, if not one of the components of the grace of God (Eph. 2:4; Tit. 3:5). Daniel, who lived under the Old Testament, prayed to this affect when he said, “And I prayed unto the LORD my God, . . . keeping the covenant [that’s law] and mercy [proof of God’s grace] to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments” (Dan. 9:4).
There’s rarely a disagreement in the religious world that grace exists under the New Testament. The Bible clearly states that one is “saved by grace” (Eph. 2:8). The problem is that to some salvation begins and ends with grace. There is only one problem with that. It just is not true. No one is saved by faith only (Jam. 2:24). Add to that, no one is saved by grace only. Paul said one is saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). Grace is God’s working in salvation and faith is man’s working out salvation in his own life (Phil. 2:11-12). Another way of saying it is this, faith is man’s obedience to the Law of Christ to activate the grace of God.
Remember that a testament, will, or law is a series of carefully arranged words designed to connect the giver of the law with the recipient of said law. That law or testament then serves as a record of desires for the recipient to fulfill. The New Testament is the Law of Christ. Today, man is obliged to follow that law if he is to be a recipient of God’s grace and pardon.
The New Testament teaches one how he must worship. One of the biggest arguments for instrumental music in worship goes something like this: In the Old Testament David used an instrument in worship. Question: given everything that has been considered in this study, is such an argument really plausible?
In the New Testament, there are only two ingredients that must exist in Biblical worship. If there are more than two then that is too many. If there are less than two than that is too few. Jesus, when speaking of the worship that would soon take place in His Kingdom, the church, said this:
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24).
The two ingredients for New Testament worship are spirit and truth. When Jesus tells man to worship Him in spirit He is speaking about the attitude with which one worships God. When He says that one must worship in truth, He is dealing then with the authority by which one is to worship. What is that authority? It must be a reference to the same authority, rule, or law that man was to soon be living under—the New Testament. So, whatever the New Testament teaches as an authorized act of worship would be acceptable. Anything more or less would not be. For instance, Gospel preaching is acceptable in worship and not skits, plays, and dramas (Rom. 1:16). Praying to the Father is acceptable in worship and not prayers offered to Jesus, to Mary, or to Peter (Mat. 6:9). Partaking of the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week is acceptable in worship and not once a year, once a quarter, or on special days (Acts 20:28). Giving of one’s means cheerfully, sacrificially, and willingly on the first day of every week is acceptable worship, and not car washes or bake sales (1 Cor. 16:1-2). Finally, congregational singing void of praise teams, instrumental music, and the like is acceptable worship (Eph. 5:19).
The New Testament teaches one how he can be saved and where the saved are. It has already been stated what the first believers did in order to become New Testament Christians. When they realized their guilt of sin, they repented (changed their mind), and were immersed in water by the authority of Jesus for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). That is the only way by which one can become a New Testament Christian today. Praying this sinner’s prayer will not save. Baptism apart from belief will not save—that means baptizing innocent babies is not authorized. Baptism in any form other than immersion in water is not authorized—that means the denominational acts of sprinkling and or pouring are not authorized in the New Testament.
When one becomes a New Testament Christian, where does God put him? He is put in the same place that every other New Testament Christian has been placed since the day that the New Testament came into affect. He is placed in the church that belongs to Christ, and wears His name (Acts 2:47; Rom. 16:16).
CONCLUSION
From this study, A New Testament Christian Knows the Difference Between the Covenants, the following points were considered: 1) An Explanation of the Testaments. 2) An Examination of Differences Between the Testaments. 3) Some Observations for the New Testament Christian Living Under the New Testament.
Having thus considered that the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, and is a better testament with better promises than the Old Testament, why then would anyone want to live under the Old Testament today? May God be thanked that today every believer is blessed to be a recipient of the benefits of the New Testament.
WORKS CITED
Hardeman, N.B. Hardeman’s Tabernacle Sermons. Vol. 1. Henderson, TN: Freed-Hardeman University, 1990. 5 vols. p.p. 33-34.
The Holy Bible: King James Version.
INTRODUCTION
Genuine appreciation is extended for the invitation to participate on this good lecture series. It has been the privilege of this preacher to attend the Memphis School of Preaching Lectureship since childhood and the benefit to his life has been incredible.
This is how the Bible begins: “In the beginning God . . .” (Gen. 1:1; KJV).1 This is how the Bible ends: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Rev. 22:21). From cover to cover the Book divine teaches man, reveals the sin of man, shows how to correct man, and tells how man can stay in a right relationship with God (2 Tim. 3:16).
There is no other book parallel in value to the Bible. If one took a lifetime studying the more than sixty million volumes that reside in the Library of Congress, he would not come close to understanding the value that the God’s Book has had on the world. George Washington said, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” Andrew Jackson said, “That book, sir, is the rock on which our republic rests.” Abraham Lincoln said, “I believe that the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good the Saviour of the world is communicated to us through this book.” Ronald Regan said, “Within the covers of one single book, the Bible, are all the answers to all the problems that face us today—if only we would read and believe.”
Still, the Bible declares it’s on worth. “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver” (Psa. 119:72). “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psa. 19:10).
If not for the Bible, man would not have knowledge of how to be justified and saved (1 Cor. 15:1-4.). He would not and could not be free from the guilt of sin (John. 8:32; cf. Jas. 1:25; 2:12). That same man would be bereft of life (Psa. 119:50).
This one Book has been divided into two parts—the Old Testament and New Testament. In this study, the careful Bible student will examine the two covenants, appreciating the fact that A New Testament Christian Knows the Difference Between the Covenants. The writer will approach this study in the following way: 1) An Explanation of the Testaments. 2) An Examination of Differences Between the Testaments. 3) Some Observations for the New Testament Christian Living Under the New Testament.
EXPLANATION
A testament, or will, is a series of carefully arranged words designed to connect the giver of the will with the recipient of said will. That testament then serves as a record of desires for the recipient to fulfill. In the Bible, we find two testaments—the Old Testament and the New Testament. Every human being is under the second of these two Testaments.
Within these two testaments, there are several subdivisions—a fact made clear by the Savior’s words, when He said, “…These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me” (Lk. 24:44).
In the Old Testament, there are five books of Law—Genesis—Deuteronomy. The law being referenced here is the law of Moses. But to whom was this law given? Deuteronomy 5:2-3 says, “The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.”
That, ladies and gentlemen, was with reference to an event that transpired just about two months after Moses, by a mighty hand, had led the house of Israel out of bondage in Egypt and across the Red Sea, on the other side of which they sang the song of redemption. Passing down the eastern shore of the Red Sea, they came unto the group of mountains in the southern part of that wonderful country designated as Horeb; and while the great multitudes waited below, Moses ascended the height of that historic mountain, and there fresh from the hand of God, received the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments, which was the covenant between God and his people. That was the constitution or the great Magna Charta of a theocracy—a system of government that was to be inaugurated for a special people for a definite time. May I ask, then, as a further thought, just when this happened? The answer is forthwith from Hebrews 8:8-9. “For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when 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 [what day?] when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.”
There you have it—the time, the place, the people; those that were alive that day, descendants of that mighty host that had spent four hundred and thirty years in bondage, scattered along the shores of the River Nile (Hardeman, 33-34).
In the Old Testament, there are twelve books of History—Joshua—Esther. These books cover roughly one thousand years of Jewish history. These pages deal with their conquering of Canaan; the Judges (Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Adcon, Samson, and Samuel); the United Kingdom; the Divided Kingdom (Israel and Judah); Judah Alone; Babylonian Captivity and their Return from Captivity.
In the Old Testament, there are five books of Poetry—Job—Song of Solomon. These writings defend the glory and perfection of God. They teach the attitude of praise and worship. They illustrate ethics and penitence. They tell of the coming Messiah. They show how the wisdom of God exceeds the wisdom of man. They remind the reader that life apart from God is meaningless. They teach that mutual love between a husband and a wife is worthy to behold.
In the Old Testament, there are seventeen books of Prophecy—Isaiah—Malachi. In them we learn: Jehovah saves; divine aid will see you through; God will always punish sin; God is strong; no city is so great that it cannot fall; doom comes to those who will not repent; God’s kingdom will always triumph; God’s grace is universal; God’s basic requirements never change; God is sovereign, just, and protective of His people; God can be trusted in every crisis; God still rules the world; God speaks; there is hope for the future for the obedient; the faithful are God’s messengers.
In the New Testament, there are four books of Evidences or Testimony—Matthew—John. The specific purpose of these books is to cause the reader to believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (Jn. 20:30,31).
In the New Testament, there is one book of Conversions—Acts. These are the “acts and doings of the apostles, the record of thousands that rendered obedience to the gospel of Christ and were able to pass out of darkness into light by the acceptance of his word.” So, the book of Acts is how to become a Christian.
In the New Testament, there are twenty-one Epistles or Letters—Romans—Jude. In these twenty-one letters, the reader learns how to live as a Christian.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:7-9).
In the New Testament, there is one book of Prophecy—Revelation. Logically, the last book of the Bible deals with how to die as a Christian.
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life (Rev. 2:10).
The Old Testament, or the Old Law, was given to the Jews at Mount Sinai (Deu. 5:2-3). It was the sin of man that caused God to dictate this Law to Moses, and it was His plan that the Law would continue until His Seed would come (Gal. 3:19).
The Old Law defined sin. The Bible says, “. . . for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20; cf. 7:7). The Old Law showed that the entire world, including the Jews, were guilty before God (Rom. 3:23). Paul said, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God (Rom. 3:19; cf. 3:9).
However, it was never God’s intention that the Old Law last forever. In point of fact, His prophets foretold of the New Law that would come. Jeremiah said:
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.
Years later, Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Mat. 5:19). Jeremiah said that the Lord would establish a New Covenant. Years later the Lord said He had come to fulfill the Old Law. Question: how and when did this take place?
The New Testament is the Last Will and Testament of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How and when does any last will and testament take affect? The Hebrews writer said of Jesus:
. . . he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood (Heb. 9:15-18).
The New Testament, which is Jesus’ Last Will and Testament, came into affect at some point after the death of Jesus. The apostle Paul provides the reader with an illustration to show that a testament comes into affect after one’s death thereby freeing one from a previous testament or law. He writes:
Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man (Rom. 7:1-3).
Paul drove this point home with, “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God” (Rom. 7:4).
There is another important consideration as to when the New Testament came into affect. The last will and testament of any citizen must be read before it is known thereby taking affect. So, the New Testament in actuality did not take affect at the death of Jesus only. In point of fact, it was not until Acts 2 and the Day of Pentecost some fifty days after the resurrection that the New Testament had its beginning. For, it was on that day, in the city of Jerusalem that prophecy was fulfilled and the Last Will and Testament of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was read (Isa. 2:2-3).
On the Day of Pentecost the Apostles stood before the Jewish hearers and spoke in tongues or languages. No doubt, the message on that day was the crucified Christ. In summary, the message of the day was that the Jews were guilty of murdering the Son of God. Add to that, the God of the universe raised Him to glory at His right hand.
Without modern emotional testimonials many of those present on that day were cut to the heart asking what they needed to do to be saved from their sins. They were told what they had to do to be saved in the New Testament age. Why? It was the age that they were now living in. Further, it is the same age that every citizen of the world lives in today. They were told to “. . . Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins . . .” (Acts 2:38). Upon further reading it is noted that some three thousand souls were baptized into Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and from that day on, “. . . the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:41,47). It was on this day that the New Testament era began, and it was on this day that people began to be saved according to the terms of the Last Will and Testament of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
EXAMINATION
Having thus observed an explanation of the Testaments, this writer now turns the attention to a brief examination of differences between the Old and New Testaments. These differences are never better underscored than in the book of Hebrews. The Hebrews writer penned these words:
But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when 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 when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away (Heb. 8:6-13).
The key word in the book of Hebrews is “better.” Using that word and the text above, consider why the New Testament is better than the Old Testament.
It is better because the Old Testament was a national law and the New Testament is a universal law (Heb. 8:8). The descendants of Jacob (the nation of Israel) were the recipients of the Old Testament. But what happened to Israel? It divided into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. The Northern was destroyed in 721 B.C., and the Southern lasted until Jerusalem’s fall in A.D. 70 (Exo. 19:3-6). The New Testament was promised by Jeremiah years after Israel ceased to exist as a nation. Therefore, when Jeremiah said, “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” (Jer. 31:31), he was using these groups in a figurative sense to show the universal scope of the “new” covenant. Remember, Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15).
It is better because the Old Testament was engraved in stone, but the New Testament is engraved in the minds of man (Heb. 8:10). All are aware that the Old Covenant, to be specific, the Ten Commandments, were etched in stone (Ex. 34:1,28; Dt. 10:1-5; 2 Cor. 3:7). However, the New Covenant was to be written in the minds of man. Repeatedly in the New Testament, and in the Gospels preparing man for the New Testament, the focus is on the heart of man—his mind. God deals with man’s attitudes (Mat. 5:1-12). He focuses on man’s belief system (Jam. 2:1).
It is better because the Old Testament required one to be physically born into the system, and the New Testament permits man to choose whether or not he’ll follow God’s system (Heb. 8:11). Under the Old Testament, when a child was born as a descendant of Jacob, he or she was automatically a member of God’s chosen people. As they matured, they would be taught the ways of the Lord, and those ways would be etched into their intellect (Deu. 6:1-6). Under the New Testament, the privileges found therein come only through the new spiritual birth (cf. John 3:1-7; Acts 2:38).
It is better because under the Old Testament sins were remembered. However, under the New Testament sins are no longer held to one’s charge (Heb. 8:12). Man’s biggest problem today is not war, wealth, failing at marriage, or faulty politicians. Man’s biggest issue is his sin. Paul said, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do” (Rom. 7:18-19). Every man of accountable age can echo those words. Thanks be to God, that because of His matchless grace man can be forgiven of every transgression when he repents, and that same God will never remember those sins again!
OBSERVATION
Now that an explanation has been given of the testaments and an examination of differences between the testaments has been made, the reader’s attention is now turned to a few observations with respect to living under the New Testament. A New Testament Christian must understand that he now lives under the New Testament and it will be by the New Testament that he will be judged.
The New Testament teaches one that he is under law and grace. There is a misconception by some in the religious world that under the Old Testament there is law only, and in the New Testament there is grace only. Nothing could be further from the truth. Under both Old and New Testaments there is grace and law. When Moses received the Law at Mt. Sinai God told Moses:
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments (Exo. 20:5-6).
God told Moses that He showed “mercy” to those that loved Him. What is mercy, if not one of the components of the grace of God (Eph. 2:4; Tit. 3:5). Daniel, who lived under the Old Testament, prayed to this affect when he said, “And I prayed unto the LORD my God, . . . keeping the covenant [that’s law] and mercy [proof of God’s grace] to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments” (Dan. 9:4).
There’s rarely a disagreement in the religious world that grace exists under the New Testament. The Bible clearly states that one is “saved by grace” (Eph. 2:8). The problem is that to some salvation begins and ends with grace. There is only one problem with that. It just is not true. No one is saved by faith only (Jam. 2:24). Add to that, no one is saved by grace only. Paul said one is saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). Grace is God’s working in salvation and faith is man’s working out salvation in his own life (Phil. 2:11-12). Another way of saying it is this, faith is man’s obedience to the Law of Christ to activate the grace of God.
Remember that a testament, will, or law is a series of carefully arranged words designed to connect the giver of the law with the recipient of said law. That law or testament then serves as a record of desires for the recipient to fulfill. The New Testament is the Law of Christ. Today, man is obliged to follow that law if he is to be a recipient of God’s grace and pardon.
The New Testament teaches one how he must worship. One of the biggest arguments for instrumental music in worship goes something like this: In the Old Testament David used an instrument in worship. Question: given everything that has been considered in this study, is such an argument really plausible?
In the New Testament, there are only two ingredients that must exist in Biblical worship. If there are more than two then that is too many. If there are less than two than that is too few. Jesus, when speaking of the worship that would soon take place in His Kingdom, the church, said this:
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24).
The two ingredients for New Testament worship are spirit and truth. When Jesus tells man to worship Him in spirit He is speaking about the attitude with which one worships God. When He says that one must worship in truth, He is dealing then with the authority by which one is to worship. What is that authority? It must be a reference to the same authority, rule, or law that man was to soon be living under—the New Testament. So, whatever the New Testament teaches as an authorized act of worship would be acceptable. Anything more or less would not be. For instance, Gospel preaching is acceptable in worship and not skits, plays, and dramas (Rom. 1:16). Praying to the Father is acceptable in worship and not prayers offered to Jesus, to Mary, or to Peter (Mat. 6:9). Partaking of the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week is acceptable in worship and not once a year, once a quarter, or on special days (Acts 20:28). Giving of one’s means cheerfully, sacrificially, and willingly on the first day of every week is acceptable worship, and not car washes or bake sales (1 Cor. 16:1-2). Finally, congregational singing void of praise teams, instrumental music, and the like is acceptable worship (Eph. 5:19).
The New Testament teaches one how he can be saved and where the saved are. It has already been stated what the first believers did in order to become New Testament Christians. When they realized their guilt of sin, they repented (changed their mind), and were immersed in water by the authority of Jesus for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). That is the only way by which one can become a New Testament Christian today. Praying this sinner’s prayer will not save. Baptism apart from belief will not save—that means baptizing innocent babies is not authorized. Baptism in any form other than immersion in water is not authorized—that means the denominational acts of sprinkling and or pouring are not authorized in the New Testament.
When one becomes a New Testament Christian, where does God put him? He is put in the same place that every other New Testament Christian has been placed since the day that the New Testament came into affect. He is placed in the church that belongs to Christ, and wears His name (Acts 2:47; Rom. 16:16).
CONCLUSION
From this study, A New Testament Christian Knows the Difference Between the Covenants, the following points were considered: 1) An Explanation of the Testaments. 2) An Examination of Differences Between the Testaments. 3) Some Observations for the New Testament Christian Living Under the New Testament.
Having thus considered that the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, and is a better testament with better promises than the Old Testament, why then would anyone want to live under the Old Testament today? May God be thanked that today every believer is blessed to be a recipient of the benefits of the New Testament.
WORKS CITED
Hardeman, N.B. Hardeman’s Tabernacle Sermons. Vol. 1. Henderson, TN: Freed-Hardeman University, 1990. 5 vols. p.p. 33-34.
The Holy Bible: King James Version.