The Old Covenant and the New Covenant

PASSAGES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

“The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares he LORD. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.” (Jeremiah 31: 33a NIV)

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.: (Ezekiel 36: 26-27 NIV)

PASSAGES FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last supper by an unknown 16th century artist (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Christ established the New Covenant at “The Last Supper” or Passover.  (“This is my blood.  This is my body,” speaking of the elements of Communion and his atoning death on the cross.)

“You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on human hearts.” (2 Corinthians 3: 3 NIV)

“I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their hearts.”  (Hebrews 10:16 NIV)

Paul and the writer of Hebrews make it clear that the New Covenant is for Jew and Gentile believers alike.  Paul’s wanted Jew and Gentiles to be “one new man,” one in Messiah, redeemed by the blood of Christ.  (Ephesians 2: 15)

QUESTION; What is the difference between the Old and New Covenants as stated in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, 2 Corinthians, and Hebrews above?

ANSWER;  The location.  When you repent and receive Christ as Savior and Lord, God writes His Commandments (formerly on tablets of stone) on your heart.

NOTE:  The Old Testament is another way of saying Old Covenant.  The New Testament is a term for the New Covenant.  The Old Testament is called the Tanakh, which is made up of the Torah (first 5 books), the prophets, and the writings.

The New Testament was canonized around the 4th century AD.  Therefore every time Paul referred to scripture, he was referring to the Old Testament.  The New Testament had not been written.

We are blessed to have Bibles readily available from grocery stores to  book stores nowadays.  I am especially grateful to whomever invented the printing press and to the Gideons for distributing Bibles.