*OLD COVENANT VS. NEW COVENANT*
–Old covenant replaced by New covenant Heb8:7
In Greek (the language of the New Testament) there are 2 words for ”NEW”: ”neos” it means ‘new’ as ‘another to add to previous one’, and ‘kainos’ which means ‘new/fresh that replaces the old’. In Luke22:20 ”new covenant” uses the word *’KAINOS’*, meaning that the new covenant in the blood of Jesus fulfills and replaces the old covenant made through the blood of animals; the old covenant included:
-the 10 commandments as the heart of the Old Covenant: Ex34:28; Deut4:13
– 680 ceremonial commandments – Leviticus
-sacrifices
*Word ”COVENANT” in Greek is ”DIATHEKE”* which means also ‘testament, will”. In the Old Covenant man had his part of responsibility which made the covenant weak as man could not fulfill perfectly his part and the way of forgiveness and thus salvation was faith in the blood of animals which pointed to the blood of Jesus; in the new covenant man through faith is the beneficiary of the testament or will of Jesus inheriting freely heaven and all God’s promises.
Adventists, masowe and others believe the 10 commandments were not part of the old covenant and therefore we are to keep the 10 commandments today in order to please God; however, the 10 commandments were given to prove to each of us that we are sinners and we need a Savior Gal3:24; you will not please God by trying to keep the 10 commandments since you do break them anyway: keeping them 95% is not better than keeping them 5%, you still deserve hell, James2:10. You please God by believing in Jesus Jn6:28-29 (thus being born again) and then walking in the Spirit Gal5:16 (spiritual growth), which results in not walking in the lusts of the flesh (flesh which breaks the 10 commandments).
See some verses that prove that Christians are not under the law: 2Cor3:6-13; Eph2:15; Rom10:4; 2Cor3:7; Heb10:5-9; Col2:14-16; Rom6:14; 7:4,6; Gal3:19,24-25; Acts15:1-24; Gal5:4; Rom3:21-22; 1Tim1:7-10. I will write soon more about this subject.
Here are some contrasts between the 2 covenants:
1. OLD COVENANT: *Moses and levites as Ministers* 2Cor3:13-15; Jn1:17; Heb3:5 – NEW COVENANT: *Jesus and His Disciples as Ministers* Jn1:17; 2Cor3:6; Jn16:12-15, Heb1:1
2. A Covenant of the *Letter* 2Cor3:6 – A Covenant of the *Spirit* 2Cor3:6-8
3.A Cov. which *Kills* 2Cor3:6 – A Cov. which *Gives Life* 2Cor3:6 – literally “makes alive”
4. A Ministry of *Death* 2Cor3:7 – A Ministry of *Life* 2Cor3:6
5.A Ministry of *Condemnation* 2Cor3:9 – A Ministry of *Reconciliation and Righteousness* 2Cor3:9
6.*Written with Ink* – the 680 ceremonial commandments 2Cor3:3 – *Written with the Spirit of the Living God* 2Cor3:3
7.*Written on Stone* (the 10 commandments 2Cor3:3-7) – *Written on the Heart of Man* (2Cor3:3;Jer31:33; Ez11:19-20;36:26)
8.*Came with fading Glory* 2Cor3:7; Ex34:29-35 – came with the Greatest Glory 2Cor3:8-11
9.*Glory was Passing/Fading* 2Cor3:7 – *Glory Continues to Shine* 2Cor3:18
10.*A Veiled* or Covered Glory 2Cor3:12-16 – An *Unveiled*, Ever-Increasing Glory 2Cor3:18
11.Destined *to be Done Away* 2Cor3:11; Heb7:12,8:13, 10:9 – Destined *to Last Forever* 2Cor3:11; Heb13:20
12.*Blood of animals* Heb9:19 – *blood of Christ* Heb9:14
13.*Shadow, image, symbol* Col2:17, Heb8:5,10:1– *Substance or real object* Col2:17
14.*Law of Moses* Acts13:39 – *law of Messiah* Rom8:2, Gal6:2
15.Law of works Rom.3:27,11:6 – *law of faith* Rom3:27
16.*Many Sacrifices* Heb9:7 – *one sacrifice* Heb9:12
17.Sprinkled with *blood of animals* Heb.9 – washed in the *blood of Jesus* Rev1:5, 1Jn1:7
18.*Provision for failure:* sacrifice of animals – Provision for failure: Christ’s sacrifice
19.*Earthly* tabernacle – *heavenly* tabernacle
20.*Outer* form, *flesh* –*inner reality, spirit*
21.*Righteousness of law* Rom10:5, Gal2:21– *righteousness of Christ* Phil3:9
22.*Imperfect* Heb8:7 – *perfect* Heb8:13
23.*Glorious* – *more glorious*
24.*Yoke of bondage* Gal5:1, Acts15:10 – *law of liberty* Gal2:4, Jam1:25
25.*Law of sin* Heb10:3 – *law of life* Rom8:2
26.*Remembers sins* Heb10:3 – *forgets sins* Heb8:12, 10:17
27.*Ineffective to save* Heb9:9,10:4 – *eternal redemption* Heb7:25
28.*Priests have sin* Heb5:1-4 – *Sinless priest* Heb7:26
29. *Aaronic priesthood* Heb.7:11 – *Melchizedek priesthood* (first mentioned priest in the Bible) Heb5:5-10
30.Priests *on the earth* – priest *in heaven* Heb8:4
31.Priests *made by law* Heb7:12,28 – Priest *through God’s oath*
32.*Unavailing* ministers Heb7:18 – *Able* ministers 2Cor3:6
33.*Perfected nothing* Heb7:19 – *Perfected believers* Heb7:19
34.*A good* covenant Rom7:12 – *A better* covenant Heb7:22, 8:6
35.*Earthly* things Heb9:1-5,24 – *Heavenly* things Heb9:24-24
36.Tent *built by man* – tent *built by God* Heb8:2
37.An old way Heb8:13 – New and living way Heb.10:19-20
38.Brings *bondage* Gal4:24-25 – Brings *liberty* 2Cor3:17
39. *Cannot* justify Gal2:16 – *Does* justify Acts13:38-39
40.Brings a *curse* Gal3:10 – *Redeems from the curse* Gal3:13
41.*Life by works* Gal3:10 – *Life by trust or faith* Gal3:11
42.*I obey, therefore I am accepted* – *I am accepted, therefore I obey*
43.Life as a *merit* through works Rom10:5 – Life as a *gift* through faith Rom6:23
44.*Exposes sin* Gal3:19 – *Covers sin* Rom4:1-8 and removes sin 1Jn1:7-9
45.*Under law* Rom6:14-15 – *Under grace* Gal3:22-25
46.*Done away* 2Cor3:7-14 – *Eternal* 2Cor3:11
47.*Abolished* 2Cor3:13 – *Continues* glorious 2Cor3:11
48.*Faulty* Heb.8:7 – *Perfect* Jam1:25
49.*Needs* reform Heb9:10-14 – Perfect 2Cor3:6,18
50.*If you do* (focused on self) Lev18:5 – *it is done* (focused on God) Jn19:30
51.*Slave* Deut34:5, Heb.3:5– *Son* Jn1:12, Gal4:7
52.*Unregenerated* – *new creation* 2Cor5:17
53.*Under a curse* Gal3:10, Jam2:10 – *Under blessing* Eph1:3
54.*Under works* Gal2:16 – *Under rest* in the work of Christ Mat11:28, Jn17:4, Heb4:10, Tit3:5
55.*You must bring* Lev2:4 – *Jesus brought himself* Heb7:27
56. *If you follow* you will be righteous Lev26:3 – *Through faith* Jesus is your righteousness 1Cor1:30
57.*If you make* Deut23:21 – *You are made* Eph2:10
58.*If you obey* Deut28:2 – *Jesus obeyed* in your place Rom5:19
59.*Harsh punishment* Heb10:28 – *Forgiveness and/or loving chastisement* Heb8:10;12:6-11
60.God *requires* a sacrifice Lev.1:10 – God *provides* the sacrifice Jn1:29, 3:16; Gen22:8,13
61.*Animal* sacrifices – *Christ’s* sacrifice Heb10:10
62.*Ten commandments plus 680 ritual rules* – *One commandment: to believe* in the Son Jn6:29,3:16,6:47
63.*Under the law* – *Under grace* Rom6:14
64.*Fear* Heb2:15 – *no fear* 1Jn4:18
65.*Fearsome mountain* Sinai Heb12:18 – Zion where Jesus died, also *heavenly Jerusalem* Heb12:22-24
66.*A good country*, Canaan Ex.3:8 – *a better country*, heaven Heb11:16, Phil3:20
67.Promises *impossible to reach* Heb8:7 – *Better promises* Heb8:6, 2Cor1:20, 2Pet1:3-4
68.Written with *ink* – written *with the Holy Spirit*
69.Letter which *kills* – Spirit which *gives life*
70.*Bondwoman* – *free woman* Gal4:22
71.Born *according to the flesh* Gal4:23 – Born *through promise*
72.*Persecutes* the one born according to the Spirit Gal4:29 – *Loves* the lost
73.*Is not heir* – *Is heir* together with Jesus Gal4:7
74.*Can’t come near* God Heb12:20 – *Draws near* with confidence
75.*Works* – *faith* Rom11:6
76.*Circumcision of the flesh* as sign of old covenant Lev.12:1-13 – *circumcision of the heart* Rom2:25
77.Sabbath keeping offered *physical rest* only – *spiritual rest* in Christ through faith not by keeping sabbath Mat11:28, Gal4:10, Col2:16,17, Heb4:3
78.Holy Spirit came *on the mountain* Ex24:16 – Holy Spirit *is in the believer* 1Cor3:16,6:19
79.God *spoke on the earth* – God *speaks from heaven* Heb12:25
80.*Earthly altar* Lev6:26 – *heavenly altar* (the cross) Jn6:54
81.*Animal sacrifice* – *sacrifice of praise* Heb13:15,16
82.*Behavior* (do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery…) – *thinking* (do not hate, do not lust) Col3:1-3
83.*Old heart* Jer19:9, Mat15:19 – *new heart* Ez36:26
84.*Works of the flesh* Gal5:19 – *Fruit of the Spirit* Gal5:22
85.*Friend of the Bridegroom* Jn3:29 – *Bride* of the Bridegroom Eph5:25-32, 2Cor11:2, Rev19:7-9
Pastor Daniel