This week, we wrap up our series on the major covenants in Scripture by looking at the one with the best news of all time for sinful humans, the New Covenant (NC). The length and width and breadth and depth of this amazing covenant between God and man is stunningly remarkable as the God-man Jesus Christ ushers it in through His sacrifice of Himself. I’ve been in utter amazement as I have studied and read the pages of Holy Scripture in preparation for this Sunday.
This covenant covers the pages of Scripture in both the old and new testaments. It is first mentioned in Jeremiah 31:31-34. Jesus then institutes it in Luke 22:7-23 at the Passover feast. Then, chapters 8-12 in the book of Hebrews offer an extended commentary on the NC, including what makes it a superior covenant in comparison to the Old Covenant. It also gives some very practical and helpful ways that we can and should respond to the NC. I highly suggest reading through Hebrews 8-12 before Sunday. It has certainly opened my eyes to more of the magnificent wonders of living in the New Covenant in Christ’s blood.
Check out my notes, if they can be of any help to you.
So here’s my question. The Covenant Theologians coming out of the Reformation, including some of the Baptist theologians (e.g. Nehemiah Coxe) see within Scripture a bicovenantal structure. The “New” covenant ratified in Luke 22, according to them, is not a “new” covenant but rather a bigger expansion of the covenant of grace, a “better” form of it. What do you think? Is that imposing categories on Scripture which just aren’t right?
Grace.
By: Kyle on September 26, 2008
at 10:15 pm
Well, this is technically a bit beyond the scope of this series. But, since the series is done and no one reads this anyway, I suppose I could comment. Sure, there are certainly hints and shadows that the new covenant is just the last and greatest dispensation of the covenant of grace. If this is the case, however, then to what end is this referred to as the “new” covenant, both by the Prophet Jeremiah and Christ Himself? What is so new if it is the same covenant, simply expanded? I’m comfortable saying that all the covenants antecedent to the Adamic covenant were covenants of grace. However, to say that they are one and the same is, in my opinion, a categorical imposition that is not entirely warranted (nor denied, however) by Scripture.
By: Matt Borg on October 9, 2008
at 6:49 pm