Dual-covenant ortwo-covenant theology is a school of thought inChristian theology regarding the relevance of theHebrew Bible, which Christians call theOld Testament.
MostChristians hold that the Old Testament has beensuperseded by theNew Covenant, although themoral law continues to apply (cf.covenant theology);[2][3][4] in contrast, a minority hold that theMosaic covenant has beenabrogated. Dual-covenant theology is unique in holding that the Mosaic covenant remains valid forJews while the New Covenant only applies to non-Jews orgentiles.
Judaism maintains that in thepost-flood era there is a universally binding covenant between God and man in the form of theSeven Laws of Noah[5][6][7] and that there is additionally a uniqueSinaitic covenant that was made between God and the Hebrews atbiblical Mount Sinai. However Judaism has not historically maintained that there is a separate covenant for gentiles wherein they should convert to Christianity. Indeed from theMaimonidean perspective, belief in thedivinity of Jesus would be abreach of Noahide Law.[8]
The 18th-century rabbinic thinkerYaakov Emden has even opined:
the original intention of Jesus, and especially of Paul, was to convert only the Gentiles to the seven moral laws of Noah and to let the Jews follow the Mosaic law—which explains the apparent contradictions in the New Testament regarding the laws of Moses and the Sabbath.[9]
Later, in the 20th century, the unorthodox Jewish theologianFranz Rosenzweig, consequent to his flirtations with Christianity, advanced the idea in his work theStar of Redemption that "Christianity acknowledges the God of the Jews, not as God but as 'the Father of Jesus Christ.' Christianity itself cleaves to the 'Lord' because it knows that the Father can be reached only through him… We are all wholly agreed as to what Christ and his church mean to the world: no one can reach the Father save through him. No one can reach the Father! But the situation is quite different for one who does not have to reach the Father because he is already with him. And this is true of the people of Israel."[10]
Daniel Goldhagen, former Associate Professor of Political Science atHarvard University, also suggested in his bookA Moral Reckoning that theRoman Catholic Church should change its doctrine and theBiblical canon to excise statements he labels asantisemitic, to indicate that "The Jews' way to God is as legitimate as the Christian way".[11]
David H. Stern, aMessianic Jewish theologian, wrote that dual-covenant theology is said to originate withMaimonides. It was proffered in the 20th century by the Jewish philosopherFranz Rosenzweig, and was elaborated upon by such theologians asReinhold Niebuhr andJames Parkes.[citation needed]
These founders believe that Jesus' message is not for Jews but for Gentiles and, thatJohn 14:6 is to be understood thusly: "I am the way, the truth and the life; and no Gentile comes to the father except through me."[12] Stern asserts that the problem of dual-covenant theology is that "replacing Yeshua's 'No one comes to the Father except through me' with 'No Gentile comes...' does unacceptable violence to the plain sense of the text and to the whole New Testament."[13]
TheApostolic Decree in theBook of Acts (15:19–29) has been commonly interpreted as a parallel toNoahide Law.[14]
Although the Apostolic Decree is no longer observed by manyChristian denominations today, it is still observed in full by theGreek Orthodox.[15]
Traditionalsupersessionist theology, as exemplified inPope Eugene IV's papal bull, which he published at theCouncil of Florence in 1441:
The Holy Roman Church... firmly believes, professes and teaches that the matter pertaining to the law of the Old Testament, of the Mosaic law, which are divided into ceremonies, sacred rites, sacrifices, and sacraments, because they were established to signify something in the future, although they were suited to the divine worship at that time, after our Lord's coming had been signified by them, ceased, and the sacraments of the New Testament began;... after the promulgation of the Gospel it asserts that they cannot be observed without the loss of eternal salvation. All, therefore, who after that time observe circumcision and the Sabbath and the other requirements of the law, the holy Roman Church declares alien to the Christian faith and not in the least fit to participate in eternal salvation.[16]
John Paul II supported greater dialogue between Catholics and Jews, but did not support dual-covenant theology. On November 17, 1980, John Paul II delivered a speech to the Jews ofBerlin in which he discussed his views ofCatholic–Jewish relations. During the speech, John Paul II citedNostra Aetate, claiming that Catholics "will endeavor to understand better all that in the Old Testament preserves a proper and perpetual value..., since this value has not been obliterated by the further interpretation of the New Testament, which on the contrary gave the Older its most complete meaning, so that the New one receives from the Old light and explanation."[17]
A major theme of Paul'sEpistle to the Romans is said to be that, so far assalvation is concerned, Jews and Gentiles are equal before God (2:7–12;3:9–31;4:9–12;5:12,17–19;9:24;10:12–13;11:30–32). Romans1:16, by stating that theGospel is the same for Jew and Gentile, may present a serious problem for dual-covenant theology.[18]
Galatians 5:3 is sometimes cited as a verse supporting dual-covenant theology. A problem with this argument, however, is the context of Galatians 5.[19] Galatians 5:4[20] in particular, says, "You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." Line this up with Galatians 2,[21] Galatians 2:21[22] in particular, which says "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." Scholars still debate the meaning of the Pauline phrase "Works of the Law" (seeNew Perspective on Paul andFederal Vision).
A similar challenge is presented by Galatians 2:15[23] and 16,[24] just after theIncident at Antioch, in which Paul says (speaking to Peter, a fellow Jew), "We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified."
The same exclusive claims for the Christian message are also made by other writers. John 14:6[25] states, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'" Peter, speaking to fellow Jews about Jesus in Acts 4:12,[26] says: "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."
The First Epistle of John states, "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is theantichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also."[27]
CardinalAvery Dulles was critical of dual-covenant theology, especially as understood in the USCCB's documentReflections on Covenant and Mission.[28] In the articleAll in the Family: Christians, Jews and God, evidence has also been compiled from Scripture, theChurch Fathers and official Church documents that theCatholic Church does not support dual covenant theology.[29]
Though it is to be removed from the next edition (at order of theVatican, as misrepresenting theeditio typica) the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (2006) states:[30]
The covenant that God made with the Jewish people through Moses remains eternally valid for them.
In June 2008 the bishops decided by a vote of 231–14 to remove this from the next printing of the Catechism, because it could be construed to mean that Jews have their own path tosalvation and do not need Christ or the Church.[31] In August 2009, the Vatican approved the change, and the revised text states (in conformity with theeditio typica):[32]
To the Jewish people, whom God first chose to hear his Word, 'belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ.'
In 2006, Evangelical ProtestantJerry Falwell denied a report inThe Jerusalem Post that he supported dual-covenant theology:[33]
I have been on record all 54 years of my ministry as being opposed to dual covenant theology… I simply cannot alter my deeply held belief in the exclusivity of salvation through the Gospel of Christ for the sake of political or theological expediency. Like the Apostle Paul, I pray daily for the salvation of everyone, including the Jewish people.
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