01.047. THE NEW COVENANT
Lesson Forty THE NEW COVENANT Scripture Reading: Hebrews 8:1-13; 2 Corinthians 3:1-18.
Scriptures to Memorize: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). “So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor” Galatians 3:24-25). “But now hath he obtained a ministry the more excellent, by so much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which hath been enacted upon better promises” (Hebrews 8:6).
1. Q. What was the first step in the unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption for man?
A.The first step was the Divine announcement that redemption would be provided for man, through the Seed of a woman. The mysterious oracle in which this Divine announcement was included, was spoken by Jehovah Himself, immediately after the fall of our first parents. (See Lesson Twenty-Seven, Questions 4–6 inclusive.) Genesis 3:14-15.
2. Q. What was the second step in the unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption for man?
A. The second step was the giving of the Abrahamic Promise and the inauguration of the Old Covenant with Abraham and his posterity.
Genesis 12:1-4; Genesis 13:14-18; Genesis 15:3-5; Genesis 17:1-14; Genesis 22:9-19; Galatians 3:7-9; Galatians 3:16; Galatians 3:23-29, etc. (See Lesson Thirty-Two, Questions 74–80 inclusive.)
3. Q. What was the third step in the unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption for man?
A.The third step was the establishment of the Mosaic System to prepare the way for and point forward to, in type, symbol and prophecy, the events, institutions and laws of the Christian System. The Abrahamic covenant was enlarged into a national covenant at Sinai, through the mediatorship of Moses. At the same time the Law was given, in which the eternal principles of right and wrong were established. This entire Old Covenant was for the purpose of preparing the way for, and proving the divine origin of, the New Covenant and its institutions. (See Lessons Thirty-Three-Thirty-Five inclusive.)
4. Q. What was the fourth step in the unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption for man?
A.The fourth step was the raising up of the Hebrew prophets to foretell the details of the life, work and reign of the Messiah. This body of Old Testament prophecy was for the purpose of identifying the true Messiah at His coming. The Messianic predictions of the Old Testament were all fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus. (See Lesson Thirty-Six.)
5. Q. What was the fifth step in the unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption for man?
A. The fifth step was the ministry of John the Baptizer.
(See Lesson Thirty-Seven, Questions 124–125.) 6.Q.What was the special work of John the Baptizer?
A. It was to herald the advent and reign of the Messiah.
John was the forerunner of the Christ. (The title Christ means The Anointed One.) See Isaiah 40:3, Matthew 3:3, Luke 3:4-6, John 1:23. Cf. Luke 1:76—“Thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways.”
7. Q. What was the sixth step in the unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption for man?
A. The sixth step was the ministry of the Incarnate Word.
(1) The Incarnate Word, i.e., the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), was Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Son of the living God. It was He who executed God’s Plan of Redemption for us. (2) This phase of the unfolding of God’s plan included: the entrance of the Word into human flesh; His work and ministry as the Revealer of God and our Perfect Exemplar; His death on the Cross as the all-sufficient Atonement for the sins of the world; His death, burial and resurrection; His ascension to the right hand of the Father; and His coronation as King of kings and Lord of lords. (See Lessons Thirty-Eight and Thirty-Nine.)
8. Q. What was the connection between the personal ministry of Jesus and the Jewish nation?
A. The personal ministry of Jesus was a special dispensation of God’s grace towards the Jewish nation.
(1) John 1:11—“He came unto His own, and they that were his own received him not.” His own people rejected Him, and their ecclesiastical leaders coerced the Roman officials into executing the death sentence. The rabble shouted: “His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matthew 27:25). (2) The personal ministry of Jesus was under the Mosaic Law, to which He rendered a faultless obedience. Matthew 5:17—“Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfill.” Jesus fulfilled the Mosaic Code in the sense that He obeyed its requirements perfectly. (3) The First Commission was: “Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5-6). It was not until after His death, burial and resurrection, that He gave the last and Great Commission; in which He authorized His evangelists to go into all the world (Mark 16:15) and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19).
9. Q. When did the present or Christian Dispensation begin?
A. It began with the ratification of the New Covenant by the death of Christ.
10. Q. What is the New Covenant?
A. It is the Covenant of Grace mediated by Jesus Christ.
(1) In scripture, a covenant is a solemn religious compact or agreement. “The Greeks had two words for covenant, viz., syntheke, and diatheke. The former was used to denote a solemn agreement made between equals; and the latter, to denote any arrangement made by a superior for the acceptance of an inferior. And hence it is, that all of God’s covenants are expressed in Greek by the word diatheke” (Milligan, Scheme of Redemption, p. 77, fn.). (2) Three factors enter into the making of every covenant, viz., the covenanter, the covenantee, and the stipulations agreed upon. (3) The Bible is the history of two great Covenants. The first or Old Covenant, the Covenant of Law (otherwise known as “the letter,” “the ministration of death,” “the ministration of condemnation,” etc.) was made with the Hebrew people through the mediatorship of Moses. The last or New Covenant, the Covenant of Grace, the Gospel Covenant (otherwise known as “the spirit,” “the ministration of the spirit,” “the ministration of righteousness,” etc.) is entered into, with all obedient believers, through the mediation of Jesus Christ. See Jeremiah 31:31-34; John 1:17; 2 Corinthians 3:1-11; Hebrews 8; Galatians 3:24-29; Colossians 2:13-15, etc.
11. Q. What was the final step in the unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption for man?
A.The final step was the inauguration of the Christian System, its principles, laws and institutions. This last phase of the unfolding of God’s plan included: (1) the giving of the Great Commission; (2) the descent of the Holy Spirit to act as the Agent of the God-head upon earth during the present Dispensation; (3) the proclamation of the facts, commands and promises of the Gospel; (4) the incorporation of the church of Christ; (5) the establishment of the Christian ordinances and Christian worship; (6) the writing and compiling of the New Testament Scriptures to serve as an all-sufficient guide in religious faith and practice for the true Church until Jesus comes again.
12. Q. For what should we who live in the present Dispensation be especially thankful?
A.We should be especially thankful that we are under the provisions of the New Covenant “which hath been enacted upon better promises” (Hebrews 8:6) The Old Covenant was ritualistic, legal, ceremonial; the New is essentially spiritual. The basis of membership in the Old was fleshly; the basis of membership in the New is spiritual. John 3:3—“Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The Old was the “ministration of death,” in the sense that the penalty for its violation was usually capital punishment (stoning to death); and the “ministration of condemnation,” in the sense that the tendency of the Law was to identify sin and thus condemn the sinner (2 Corinthians 3:7; 2 Corinthians 3:9). The New is the “ministration of the spirit” in the sense it is spiritual in its essential nature; and “the ministration of righteousness” in the sense that it is primarily designed to nurture faith and holiness in the individual (2 Corinthians 3:8-9). In addition to all this, the New “hath been enacted upon better promises,” viz., remission of sins, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and eternal life (Acts 2:38, Romans 6:23). Let us therefore thank God that we are living under the provisions, privileges and blessings of the New Covenant!
REVIEW EXAMINATION OVER LESSON FORTY
1. Q. What was the first step in the unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption for man?
2. Q. What was the second step in the unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption for man?
3. Q. What was the third step in the unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption for man?
4. Q. What was the fourth step in the unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption for man?
5. Q. What was the fifth step in the unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption for man?
6. Q. What was the special work of John the Baptizer?
7. Q. What was the sixth step in the unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption for man?
8. Q. What was the connection between the personal ministry of Jesus and the Jewish nation?
9. Q. When did the present or Christian Dispensation begin?
10. Q. What is the New Covenant?
11. Q. What was the final step in the unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption for man?
12. Q. For what should we who live in the present Dispensation be especially thankful?