Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Comparing The Old Covenant Vs New Covenant

By Nita McKinney


Even for the believers of the Holy Bible, the definition of old covenant vs new covenant is often debated. For some, the latter complements the former. But for others, they are contradictory. In order to better understand the similarity or the difference between the two, it is of utmost importance to understand each.

Covenant means a binding agreement. In this context, it means a contract between two parties. The agreement between man and God. Both covenants speak of how God interacts with His people. However, one is more rigid than the other, with the latter giving more freedom to the people.

God speaks to His people through the prophets in the Old Testament. He made a treaty to protect and empower the Israelites. He promised to release them from enslavement. He vowed to take good care of them. The promise that God made to Noah following the tremendous flood can also be found here.

Most part of the Old Testament was about rules and regulations on how the people should live life. This stipulates how one should interact with the others. It sets down policies on crimes, penalties, marriage and slavery among others. The ten commandment that Moses forged by this time was timely as the people needed guidance the most.

However, as years passed by, the needs, state and lifestyle of the people started to change. Hence, there was a need to renew the agreement. People have been given more freedom. Now, some promises were already acted on, including the freedom of the Israelites. The people have also learned to distinguish right and wrong. The compact was then modified.

This time, God made the pact through His son, Jesus Christ. Jesus preached about God's immeasurable love. He performed miracles to show how all goodness were coming from God. Finally, He was crucified to save mankind from death of sin. The Lamb of God made the supreme sacrifice to abolish the old teachings of offering. The Eucharist was the ultimate offering that everyone partakes.

In the Old Testament, the people can only be saved through atonement and offerings. To pay for sins and wrongdoings, blood sacrifices were required. However, the New Testament stipulates that salvation is achieved through faith alone. For as long as one believes, he is saved. The new agreement is rooted mainly on God's unfading love to His people.

While the Old Testament spoke of punishments, the New Testament speaks of forgiveness. The ten commandments were simplified into two. The first refers to one's love for God while the second is about one's relationship with everyone else around. Love your neighbor as you love yourself, was the instruction Jesus gave to his disciples.

Up to now, there are still ongoing debates regarding the old covenant vs new covenant. There are varying doctrines among different religious denominations resulting from varied interpretations of God's word. Yet, one thing is for sure. Both came from the same God and were intended for the good of His people alone. If you want to follow God's will, you have to fully understand each one.




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