TheNew Covenant (Ancient Greek:διαθήκη καινή,romanized: diathḗkē kainḗ) is abiblical interpretation which was originally derived from aphrase in the Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31–34), in theHebrew Bible (or theOld Testament of theChristian Bible). Generally,Christians believe that the promised New Covenant—new relationship withGod—was instituted at theLast Supper as part of theEucharist,[1][2] which, in theGospel of John, includes theNew Commandment.
Most Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant, and they also believe that theblood of Christ, which was shed during hiscrucifixion, is the only blood sacrifice which isrequired by the covenant. Based on thebiblical passage in theEpistle to the Hebrews (9:16–17) which reads that, "Where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive." Protestants tend to believe that the New Covenant came into force with the death ofJesus theChrist,[3][4] and the commentary to theRoman CatholicNew American Bible also says that Christ is the "testator whose death puts his will into effect".[5]
There are severalChristian eschatologies that further define the New Covenant. For example, aninaugurated eschatology defines and describes the New Covenant as an ongoing relationship between Christian believers andGod that will be in full fruition after theSecond Coming of Christ; that is, it will not only be in full fruition in believing hearts, it will also be in fruition in theworld to come. The description of the connection between the blood of Christ and the New Covenant is contained in most modernEnglish translations of the New Testament such as theLuke 22:20 which reads: "this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood".[6][7]
The keyNew Testament chapter for the Christian concept of the New Covenant isHebrews 8, a portion of which is quoted below:
But now Jesus has obtained a superior ministry, since the covenant that he mediates is also better and is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
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, considerJeremiah 31:31–34 to be a centralOld Testament prophecy of the New Covenant.[8] Here is the key text:
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, "Know the Lord," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Some Christians claim[who?] that there are many other passages that speak about the same New Covenant without using this exact wording. Some passages speak of a "covenant of peace",[9] others use other constructions; some simply say "covenant", but the context may imply that the New Covenant is at issue; and some claimmetaphorical descriptions, for example that "Mount Zion" is really a metaphor for the New Covenant.[citation needed]
The occurrence of the phrase "new covenant" varies inEnglish translations of the Greek New Testament. TheKing James Version sometimes usestestament forcovenant, with the wordsnew covenant together occurring in Hebrews8:8,8:13 and12:24 while in theNew International Version "new covenant" occurs atLuke 22:20,1 Corinthians 11:25,2 Corinthians 3:6,Hebrews 8:8,Hebrews 9:15 andHebrews 12:24 as a translation of some form ofδιαθήκη[10] andκαινός[11] orνέας.[12]
Luke 22:17–20 (part of theLast Supper) is disputed. Six forms of the text have been identified; for example, theWestern text-type such asCodex Bezae omit verses 19b–20.[13]
The Daniel 9:27 commentary found in the 1599Geneva Bible connects the verse with theNew King James Version translation of Matthew 26:28. In this interpretation, the angelGabriel reveals the coming New Blood Covenant of the Messiah,[clarification needed] which is the fulfillment of the promise that throughAbraham's seed all the nations would be blessed. (Galatians 3:16, 26–29)[14]
Christians view the New Covenant as a new relationship between God and humans mediated byJesus upon sincere declaration that one believes inJesus Christ as Lord and God. Some Protestant theologians teach that the New Covenant also breaks the generationalcurse oforiginal sin on all children of Adam if they believe in Jesus Christ, after people arejudged for their own sins, which is expected to happen with theSecond Coming of Jesus Christ.
Most historicChristian Churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, Methodist Churches and Reformed Churches, have traditionally held thatlaw in the Old Covenant has three components: ceremonial, moral, and civil (cf.covenant theology).[15][16][17] They teach that while the ceremonial and civil (judicial) laws have been abolished, the moral law as contained in theTen Commandments still continues to bind Christian believers.[15][17][18]
Dispensationalist theology, taught by certain denominations such as thePlymouth Brethren,[19] present a view of the nature of Israel is that God's promises to Israel are distinct from theChurch. The Church, in this present age, is in no way a "spiritual Israel".[20] Some Christians, however, believe that the Church has inherited and absorbed God's promises to Israel, and that Israel is primarily a spiritual nation composed ofJews who claim Jesus as their Messiah, as well as Gentile believers who through the New Covenant have been grafted into thepromises made to Israelites. This spiritual Israel is based on the faith of the patriarchAbraham (before he wascircumcised)[21] who was ministered by theMelchizedek priesthood, which is understood to be atype for the Christian faith of believing Jesus to beChrist and Lord in the order ofMelchizedek. The Apostle Paul says that it is not "the children of the flesh" who are thechildren of God, but "the children of the promise".[22] While Christ came as a priest in the order of Melchizedeck, which is to say without precedence, and fulfilled God's promise of a Messiah to the entire world whosoever believes, Dispensationalists believe that the body of God's promises concerning the future of Israel were to Israel alone, and should not be interpreted as being superimposed on the Church in the present age. God's remaining promises to Israel will come to fruition in the Millennium, the 1,000 year reign of Christ on Earth.
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.
Among Christians, there are 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 who believe that only believers are members of the New Covenant, and (reflecting the idea of the Jewish covenants as national or community covenants) those who believe that believers and their children[23] are members of the New Covenant.
These differences give rise to different views on whether children may be baptised: thecredobaptist view and thepaedobaptist view. Secondarily, there are differences among paedobaptists as to the nature of the membership of children in the covenant.
Another difference is between those who believe the New Covenant hasalready substantially arrived (Preterists), and that this knowledge of God that the member of the New Covenant has is primarilysalvific knowledge; and those that believe that the New Covenant hasnot yet substantially arrived, but will in theSecond Coming, and that this knowledge is more complete knowledge, meaning a member of the New Covenant no longer has to be taught anything at all regarding the Christian life (not just that they lack need for exhortation regarding salvific reconciliation with God).
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 indivisible Church (theindivisible Church is a belief of Catholics and Orthodox) and Christians that practicebeliever'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", practiceinfant baptism forcovenantal reasons, anddispensationalistic Christians (even though they tend to practicebeliever's baptism), because they believe the New Covenant is more future reality than present reality.
Supersessionism is the view that the New Covenant replaces, fulfills or completes God's priorcovenants with theIsraelites. The most common alternatives to Supersessionism areabrogation of old covenant laws anddual covenant theology.
The only reference in theHebrew Bible that uses the wording "new covenant" is found inJeremiah 31:31–34:
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; forasmuch as they broke My covenant, although I was a lord over them, saith the LORD. But this is 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 in their heart will I write it; and I 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 their sin will I remember no more.
This prophet's word refers to the Messianic Age to come (orWorld to come), in which the eternalMosaic covenant with Israel will be confirmed. Of this Mosaic covenant between God and Israel theShabbat is declared to be the sign forever (Exodus 31:13–17).[24] TheTanakh describes Shabbat as having the purpose as a "taste" ofOlam Haba (the world to come, theHereafter) following the Messianic Age (theEnd of Days).[citation needed]
The Jewish view of the mere wording "new covenant" is no more than a renewed national commitment to abide by God's laws, similar to the covenants enacted byAsa,[25]Hezekiah,[26]Jehoiada,[27] andJosiah[28] in the later books of the Bible. In this view, the wordnew does not refer to a new commitment that replaces a previous one, but rather to an additional and greater level of commitment.[29]
Because Jews view theMosaic covenant as applying only to Jews and any New Covenant merely a strengthening of the already existing one, Jews do not see this phrase as relevant in any way to non-Jews. For non-Jews, Judaism advocates the pre-SinaiticSeven Laws of Noah.[30]
In his 1962 workThe Prophets,Abraham Joshua Heschel points out thatprophecy is not the only instrument of God to change the hearts of Israel, to know that he is God. He tells how the prophet Jeremiah complains that Israel is circumcised in body but "uncircumcised in heart" (9:26), that Jeremiah says "wash your heart from wickedness" (4:14). Heschel analyses that, while the prophet can only give Israel a new word, it is God himself who will give man a new heart: The "new covenant" will accomplish the complete transformation of every individual.[31]
Compare with:
And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh; that they may walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep Mine ordinances, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God. And I will save you from all your uncleannesses; and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye may receive no more the reproach of famine among the nations. Then shall ye remember your evil ways, and your doings that were not good; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Not for your sake do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you; be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.
The Jewish Encyclopedia's "New Testament" article states:[32]
The idea of the new covenant is based chiefly uponJeremiah 31:31–34 (comp.Hebrews 8:6–13,10:16). That the prophet's words do not imply anabrogation of the Law is evidenced by his emphatic declaration of the immutability of the covenant with Israel (Jeremiah 31:35–36; comp.33:25); he obviously looked for a renewal of the Law through a regeneration of the hearts of the people.
It is mentioned several times in theMishna andTalmud, and had been used extensively inkabbalistic literature due to thegematria value of 135 being equal to the wordHaSinai (הסיני) inGenesis 10:17.Brit also has the numeric value of 612, which is suggested by some to mean that it is the "first"mitzvah which is true for theJewish life cycle. The other use is in relationship to the merit ofRuth being an ancestor toKing David, with the name again having samegematria as Brit, linking Davidic covenant with that of all previous, since Ruth was aMoabite by birth, and related toNoah also.
TheQuran mentions that God has made a new covenant of sorts with the Christians but they "neglected part of it" and were consequently punished for that.[33]
... A. J. Gordon began his pastorate non-dispensational, but after discussions with Plymouth Brethren laymen and "a searching of the Scripture," he experienced a "second conversion."
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