The Bible Is One Book, With One Purpose
even though it has two major covenants in it.
This is the final post in the series from Chapter 8 of Friends With God: God’s Friendship With Israel And The Church. In this chapter we have been exploring the relationship, similarities, and differences between the Old and New Covenants.
Previous posts in this series can be found here.
This is a much longer post than previous ones, as it is a summary of this long chapter, and to break it up into two posts would only confuse rather than clarify the relationship between the various issues raised in it.
The New Covenant And Old Covenant Have The Same Goal
As we have seen throughout this Chapter God’s Friendship With Israel And The Church, God made the New and Old Covenants for the same purpose, to direct people to love God and love our neighbour in spirit and in truth.
To achieve this goal, those in either Covenant need to be given the Holy Spirit in order to develop faith and righteousness by overcoming sin, the devil, and the “flesh” (which is our limited perspective and understanding of being made as a human) so as to ultimately become God’s friends.
After living our entire life going through the process of walking and living like Christ, we will die- then in the first resurrection we will be granted eternal life as God’s Children, such that we will then be one with God.
When Christ reigns on the Earth, in the future Kingdom of God, both the New and the Old Covenants will be implemented to their full potential. At that time, when “the knowledge of God fills the whole Earth just as the sea is full of water”, then all people will be called to understand the love of God. (Isa 11:19, Hab 2:14)
If you love God, you will recognize that the example of Christ is the perfect model for us to follow, and consequently you will desire to be in the New Covenant, even if you already are in the Old Covenant.
An Israelite who loves God, will want to be in both the New and Old Covenants. But gentiles are restricted to being in the New Covenant, as they can’t be in the Old, as since the time of Christ the Old Covenant is exclusively for physical Israelites.
Gentiles are not born into the Old Covenant, and cannot now join it, as they should recognise that the New Covenant has the superior example of Christ to follow, rather than the example of Abraham. For gentiles to deliberately join the Old Covenant, if they know of the New Covenant, would be showing disrespect to the sacrifice of Christ, whose sacrifice is the foundation of the establishment of the New Covenant.
The Wrong Question!
Given the above understanding, we can at last answer the question posed at the beginning of this chapter: “If you are a friend of God and you are in the Old Covenant, is that better or worse than being God’s friend in the New Covenant?”
The answer is, “it’s the wrong question”, for it assumes that these two covenants are exclusive of each other.
If you are a Jew, you are born into the Old Covenant, and yet you can also be in the New, if you love God. These two Covenants have many of the same elements, but there are some different ways of emphasising and implementing them. They are so similar that a Christian Jew could be in both Covenants, without needing to undertake any action that would contradict either Covenant.
Before the New Covenant was enacted, the Old Covenant resulted in your being granted the gift of eternal life- if you loved God with your whole heart, mind, and soul, as did Abraham, the Friend of God.
Now that the New Covenant is established, the Old Covenant, on its own, is of no value, because it prophesied the establishment of the New Covenant, and laid the foundation for it in the faith of Abraham.
If you reject the New Covenant in preference for the Old Covenant, then you are ignoring the purpose of the Old Covenant- which is to be the foundation of the New Covenant.
Faith is a spiritual gift from God given to those who show, by their obedience, that they trust Him. This trust is demonstrated by the example of Abraham and other faithful believers recorded in the Old Covenant. There is a divide between the spiritual mind and the natural mind, which God bridges with his Spirit joining with our Spirit to help us to understand his purpose for all mankind.
The history of Israel as a nation generally showed that they failed to grasp the spiritual purpose of the Old Covenant, and consequently did not trust God, which led to them not living their life by faith in him.
The Old and New Covenants are not exclusive of each other, nor do they contradict each other in any way. While the New is better, it does not make the Old of no value, it just means that those who are born into the Old, must now also take on the New, in order to follow Christ, and to fully worship God in Spirit and in Truth.
Historical Evidence
As is explained in detail in Appendix 13: Early Beliefs and Teachings of the Church, (not yet published on this substack) some Christians in 400A.D., known as Nazareans, reflected in their teachings the synergy between the two Covenants, as is espoused in this Chapter.
According to the Catholic Theologian Jerome (347-420A.D), these Nazareans:
“mixed up the ceremonies of the law with the gospel of Christ, and professed their faith in that which was new, without letting go what was old.”… “The adherents to this sect are known commonly as Nazarenes; they believe in Christ the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary; and they say that He who suffered under Pontius Pilate and rose again, is the same as the one in whom we believe. But while they desire to be both Jews and Christians, they are neither the one nor the other.”
Jerome noted that the Christian Nazareans didn’t act like Pharisee Jews, nor like Roman Catholics, but practised doctrine from both the Old and New Testaments without seeing any contradiction in doing so. In this observation he confirms what was the original doctrine of the Apostles and Elders during the first century.
Summary Of Differences And Similarities Between The Covenants
Following is a summary of how the New Covenant is similar to, different from, or complementary to the Old Covenant. Links to previous posts are given for a more detailed explanation on each subject.
How the Covenant Promises Are Presented (Different)
Israel as a physical nation, had physical blessings (including the Land of Israel) provided in the Old Covenant. However, Israelites also had the potential to develop a deeper spiritual relationship with God, if they were to follow the faith of Abraham, such that they used the law lawfully with justice, mercy and faith. (1Tim 1:5-8)
In contrast to Israel, the Church members (which are Spiritual Israel) in the New Covenant are promised the Spirit of God and eternal life. They are however not promised anything physical, such as land, or houses, or a nation in this life. While there were observable blessings, such as plenty of signs and miracles, particularly in the beginning of the Church, they were sporadic, unlike having the Land of Israel that was always in front of the Israelites’ eyes as evidence of God’s provision.
Faith and reliance on God’s Word and his promises are therefore needed more by those in the New Covenant than in the Old, as we don’t have things which can be seen to rely upon. “The just shall live by faith” (Hab 2:4, Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11, Heb 10:38)
Christians therefore must develop a relationship with God directly, communicating with God in prayer and allowing Him to speak to us when we read his Word.
The Law of God (Same)
The laws of both covenants are based on love toward God and love toward neighbour. Christ spelt out some of the detailed intent of the law in the Sermon on the Mount and other scriptures, but there is no real difference in the law, as much of what Christ said in this sermon can be extrapolated from the requirements of the Tenth Commandment on coveting. The main difference in law is around temple worship, sacrifices and circumcision, which are elements exclusive to the Israelite Covenant.
Australian Mistletoe, photo by Author
Relationship with God the Father (Different)
Christians now have the ability to have a direct relationship with God the Father, whom Christ revealed to us:
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. (Matt 11:27, also Luke 10:22)
The relationship between God the Father and his Son, Jesus was new. (John 1:1-3) When the Word became flesh in the form of Jesus, then the Word became the Son, and God became his Father. Their relationship had changed at that time, and was something new which needed to be revealed to all those who believed in God, so that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us. (John 17:21)
Abraham was identified as the “Father of the faithful”, which he still is, but God the Father is the eternal true father of us, as it’s the Father who calls us to Christ, and opens our eyes, so we can become his sons, such that we are one with him and Christ. Once we are called to follow Christ, he then opens our eyes to whom the Father is, and also opens the way into the presence of the Father for us. We can now talk directly to the Father through accepting the blood of the sacrifice of Christ as the way that we live, which actually means we will be doing the Will of God, as discussed in this previous post. (Heb 9:1-28 and 10:1-19)
The goal of being one with God, as explained in the New Covenant, was also the same goal for those in the Old Covenant. This is clear from Hebrews 11, where the righteous people in Israel are seen as not only having faith in God, but also as being examples for us in the New Covenant.
The fact that God is one is attested to by Moses (Deut 6:4) and confirmed by Jesus who quoted Moses:
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord. (Mark 12:29)
The word “Lord” means self-existent or eternal. Therefore, “The Lord our God is one Lord” could be translated as “The self-existent God is one self-existent being”.
God is one eternal being, and we are to be one with him, and one also with those of faith in both the Old and New Covenants.
The word “one” can be used as a number, or it can be used metaphorically to imply complete unity of mind and purpose between two beings. “One” can also be used to convey complete unity among many people. The error of assuming that there is only one person in God, is brought about by people not understanding that language can be literal or figurative.
God is in the process of creating a spiritual family.
God is revealed to us as not actually one person, but consists of God the Father and the one who became Jesus Christ, His son. There are at present, two persons in the God family, who are identified in scripture as being “One”. (John 1:1-12)
We Christians are also are identified as being “one” with God, created by the power of God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in us, altering our minds and hearts. Please read John 17:1-26 where Jesus is praying for the Church.
This is a spiritual “oneness”, of both mind and purpose, but also of the substance of the Spirit. Those who wish to be born into this family must be changed by God to be of the same spiritual composition, and of the same mind and purpose as the Father and the Son. (John 3:6-8)
Following Christ: (Similar in both Covenants)
Christ is the God of the Old Covenant. (1Cor 10:1-5) He is the one who appeared to Moses, and was also the creator of the Earth, as recorded in Genesis 1 and John 1:1-3. The Israelites were told:
“For I am the Lord your God: you shall therefore sanctify (set apart) yourselves, and you shall be holy (set apart); for I am holy (set apart). (Lev 11:44-45)
When we set ourselves apart (sanctify ourselves) as God commands, then we are one with him, and we are also set apart (sanctified) by his Spirit and Law, and by following God’s way of life.
When we follow the example of living as Christ demonstrated in the New Covenant, it is not much different from following the example of Christ when he was the Word and the God of the Old Covenant. As Jesus came in the flesh it’s somewhat easier to appreciate his example of living, but the principles which we are to follow have not changed.
Resurrection to Eternal Life: (Clarification is made in the New, whereas the Old was vague)
There are some references to a resurrection to eternal life in the Old, but it’s never spelt out in any great detail. (Job 14:13-15, Psalm 17:15, Isa 26:19, Prov 10:2, 10:16, 10:17, 11:4, 11:19, 11:30, 12:28, 13:14, 22:4)
Those in the New Covenant, however, have a clear promise of resurrection to eternal spiritual life, with a very different body. (John 3:6-8, Heb 11:39-40)
The Old Covenant scriptures prophesied of a physical resurrection to occur for physical Israel, but do not clearly identify a resurrection to eternal spiritual life. (Eze 37:1-28)
The subject of the Resurrections mentioned in scripture, is covered in detail in Chapter 9: Life After Death
The Holy Spirit: (Similar, but much clearer in the New)
In the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit is promised as a gift, and results in eternal life if we grow in understanding and overcome throughout our lives. (Acts 2:38)
In contrast, the Holy Spirit, which imparts eternal life, was never promised as part of the Old Covenant, however, it may have been granted by God to those who loved his word:
Turn (repent) at my warning (correction,); behold, I will pour out my Spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. (Prov 1:20-23)
As is shown in Hebrews chapter 11, many in the Old Covenant were given God’s Spirit, and their lives are shown as examples for Christians to follow (Heb 12:1), and these faithful people are also part of the foundation of the spiritual Temple of God. (Eph 2:19-22)
In order to become a Christian, we must have first been individually called by God. Then we must respond in love in order to be chosen by him, and then be given his spirit. (Matt 20:16, 22:14, Acts 2:38, 8:12-17)
We must then continue to grow and produce the fruits of the Spirit, or the Spirit will be taken away, and with it the gift of eternal life that the Spirit imparts. (Eph 5:7-9, Psa 51:9-12, 1Tim 4:14, Heb 2:3)
We therefore see that the gift of being granted the Spirit, and maintaining it, is similar in both Covenants.
Losing Salvation: (Similar outcome, different process)
While the Old Covenant was national and physical, (anyone who was born in Israel was part of it) you could lose your status as an Israelite if you did many things, such as not keeping the Sabbath holy (Exo 31:14), eating blood (Lev 7:27) or not keeping the Passover. (Exo 12:18-19)
Even those who had been given God’s Spirit in the Old Covenant could lose their salvation. God gave King Saul his Spirit, but Saul did not allow it guide him, so it was taken from him. (1Sam 10:6, 11:6, 16:14) After David’s terrible sins, he asked God for forgiveness, and for God’s Spirit not to be removed from him. (Psalm 51:9-12)
This is the same process that God has for Christians. We, too, can also lose our salvation through simple neglect (Heb 2:1-4) or through not overcoming till the end (Rev 2:7,11,17). There are also many parables of Jesus where he warns us about missing out on the Kingdom because of not being worthy to enter it. (Matt 7:13-14, 20:16, 22:1-14, 24:36-51 25:1-46, Luke13:23-24)
The warnings about losing salvation are clear in both covenants, and we therefore have no excuse for taking our salvation for granted. (Psa 51:9-11, 1Tim 4:14, Heb 2:3)
Trials and Difficulties: (Similar)
Trials and difficulties are promised in both covenants. Their purpose is to test us to see if we truly do love and trust God. (Deut 13:1-5, 2Peter 2:1-3, Matt 24:4-5) Israelites were also promised protection from their enemies if they kept the law. However, such protection is not spelt out for those in the New Covenant, for we are told that we may have many enemies, even those in our own families. (Matt 10:17-22)
We are also told that many Christians may be killed and persecuted. (1Thes 2:14-15, Rev 6:11, 12:17, 13:15) Christians are, however, promised not to be tried beyond what we are capable of handling, including being murdered for the sake of God’s truth! (1Cor 10:13)
Circumcision, Physical (Different) and Of The Heart (Similar)
While physical circumcision is not required for gentiles in the New Covenant, circumcision of the heart is required in both Covenants. (Deut 30:6, Jer 9:25-26, Rom 2:28-29, Acts 7:51) Circumcision of the Heart means to voluntarily yield to God. This parallels the voluntary nature of being in a covenant, and the voluntary nature of showing love to God and neighbour.
Physical circumcision is part of the Old Covenant, but it’s of no importance in the New Covenant. Therefore, it makes no difference if you are a circumcised Jew, or an uncircumcised gentile in the New Covenant.
Gentiles are not to get physically circumcised in order to join the Old Covenant, as this would undermine their relationship with Christ. Gentiles therefore cannot be in both covenants, but Jews can.
Clean and Unclean Foods (Same)
Basically the same in both Covenants, see Friends With God, Appendix 7: Clean and Unclean Food, which will be published separately on this Substack.
The Temple and Physical Sacrifices: (Change)
Animal sacrifices are part of the Old Covenant, and were conducted by Christian Jews at the Temple after Jesus’ ascension. There is no indication, however, that sacrifices at the Temple were being undertaken by gentile Christians, again demonstrating that at this time gentiles can not be in both covenants.
However, Isaiah 56:1-8 clearly shows that when the Kingdom of God has been established under Jesus Christ, and the resurrected saints are with him, then Israel will again offer animal sacrifices, and so will the gentiles.
Physical sacrifices today, however, are not part of the New Covenant, but we are to be a living sacrifice, which is our spiritual service. (Rom 12:1) We are to do the will of God, in the same way that Christ did the will of God. (Heb 10:1-19) Those converted Jews who are in both the Old and New Covenants are still expected to undertake physical sacrifices, but as there is no Temple that is not possible. (Acts 21:23-24)
Sacrifices in the Temple were never spoken against by the Apostles, who were all living in Jerusalem. Ezekiel (chapters 40 to 48) tells of the building of a new tabernacle and mentions sacrifices that will be required in the future Kingdom of God. (Ezek 40:42, 44:11, 46:24)
In the New Covenant there is no need for a physical Temple, as our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1Cor 6:19), which seems to be why it’s acceptable to keep the Festivals of God away from Jerusalem.
The Holy Days Of God: (Change in location only)
The festivals of God were being kept by all Christians in the first century, be they Jew or gentile, but with a deeper understanding of their spiritual meaning, and they were able to keep them away from Jerusalem. (1Cor 5:7-8)
These festivals were also kept without animal sacrifices when kept away from Jerusalem. It seems that a Christian Jew, who is in both covenants, may therefore keep these festivals wherever he chooses, be it in Jerusalem, or away from Jerusalem.
Sons of God: (Change, to be clearer)
In the New Covenant we are promised to become Spiritual Sons of God (Gal 3:26-29) rather than being, or becoming (if we were a gentile joining Israel) physical sons of Abraham.
We are to be sons of faith as was Abraham, but God has clearly promised that we will have spiritual bodies, which are bodies made of the same Spiritual substance as his body. (John 3:5-8)
The Representatives of the Kingdom of God: (Change, for now)
The institution of the New Covenant took the Kingdom of God from Israel and gave it to the Church. (Matt 21:33-46) It did not negate the Old Covenant, but removed those people in Israel from being the representatives of the Kingdom, because the nation as a whole had failed to correctly portray God’s way of life, which culminated in their rejection of Christ, and God’s subsequent rejection of them as being his physical representatives on Earth at this time.
Because of this change, anyone who wants to follow God should be in the New Covenant, as Israel is now not in the role of being the light to the world of God’s way of life. Only those Jews who are in both covenants could be considered to be following God, and thus representing Him on the Earth.
In the future Kingdom of God on Earth, Israel will again play the role of being a light to the world. All Christians will be able to keep the Festivals of God in their own lands, but the nations must show reverence for God by sending representatives to come up to worship God at Jerusalem on the Festivals. (Zec 14:16-19)
Authority on Earth: (Change)
The New Covenant allowed Christians to determine “binding and loosening” decisions “where two or more are gathered together in my name”. (Mat 18:15-20) The Old Covenant also left most determinations up to the individual Israelite; however, they could also appeal to the priests and judges to make a determination if it was too difficult an issue to determine on their own. (Deut 17:8-13)
When an Israelite in the Old Covenant joins the New Covenant, he is required to change from being “under the authority” of the Priests and Judges who made determinations of the law, and to come “under the authority” of the Church. The Church in this instance, is not a governing elite of individuals, but is a consensus of ‘two or more gathered in my name”.
Therefore, being “under authority” in either Covenant was not a regular occurrence, but was something quite unusual, as, most of the time, those in Israel made their own determinations. Those in the Church have also been granted God’s Spirit and a direct and personal relationship with God the Father to guide and direct them in making their own determinations.
It was only when things became too hard for people to make a determination, or there was an obviously grievous sin that was not being dealt with, that the leaders in either the Old or New Covenant would step in and make a determination, or decree, that was binding on the individual members. (Deut 17:8-13, Acts 15:1-35, 1Cor 5:1-5)
Tithing: (Change)
Appendix 2, Giving To God, or Being Taken For A Ride? discusses the issue of Tithing in detail, and concludes that, while tithing is not required in the New Covenant, the principle of giving money to support the ministry remains, but it’s purely voluntary as to the amount and frequency of it.
Baptism: (Change)
While Baptism is limited to a requirement for those in the New Covenant (Matt 28:19, Acts10:44-48, Gal 3:26-29), we also see that those in the Old Covenant were figuratively baptised when they went through the Red Sea. (1Cor 10:1-2)
Conclusion To Chapter 8: God’s Friendship With Israel And The Church
When studying the issues of the New and Old Covenants, it’s important to note if the scriptures are addressed to Jews or gentiles or both. You can’t assume that a scripture is addressed to both Jews and gentiles. You have to see who the audience is. When we appreciate this, then a clear distinction is seen; Christian Jews may be in both the Old and New Covenant, but Christian gentiles are restricted to the New Covenant only.
Physical circumcision was the one major issue that was discussed in almost every book of the New Covenant, so it was obviously very important during the founding of the Church 2,000 years ago. The descendants of Abraham are born into the Old Covenant, and their males must be circumcised as babies on the 8th day of their lives. Most people who are Jewish seem to know this requirement. Yet physical circumcision was to direct the Israelites into spiritual circumcision of the heart. (Rom 2:29) Consequently, as gentile Christians are already circumcised of the heart, physical circumcision is of no value.
Paul summarizes these differences between the Covenants:
If we (Christians) in this life only have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. (as we have persecutions rather than the promise of physical blessings) But now Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the first-fruit of those who sleep (are dead). (1Cor 15:19-20)
We therefore have faith beyond this life, that we, too, will rise from the dead, and meet Christ when he returns to this earth to rule for 1,000 years. (Rev 20:1-6) At that time those who are God’s friends in both Covenants will have both physical and spiritual blessings in the Kingdom of God:
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1Cor 15:52)
The New Covenant provides a deeper understanding to the elements of the Old Covenant, yet does not dismiss its wisdom and truth. We can see that the truth of God, and his covenants, are never compromised, but they can be amended in subtle ways.
Confusion Cleared Up About The Two Covenants
If Christians had understood that both covenants are compatible, then they would have had no justification for their persecution of the Jews over the last 2,000 years. Such persecution would have been seen as an attack on God's truth by totalitarian fools bent on self-promotion, while also attempting to justify their actions by claiming to be God's servants.
Unfortunately, such attacks seem certain to begin again, and not just on the Jews, but also on true Christians who keep what many falsely believe to be exclusively Jewish Festivals, including the Sabbath.
The information provided in this series from Chapter 8 of Friends With God, opens a new door for preaching the Christian gospel to the Jews, while also being a clear teaching for non-Jews about God's way of life, particularly the significance of God’s festivals to Christians.
In Chapter 9 of Friends With God: Life After Death, the subject of what happens after we die is addressed in detail, demonstrating that the reward for those in either the Old or New Covenant is the same: Eternal Life as Sons of God.