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The Message and the Old Covenant: Difference between revisions
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William Branham mentioned the "old covenant" 16 times in over 1100 sermons. He mentioned the term "new covenant" only 11 times. | William Branham mentioned the "old covenant" 16 times in over 1100 sermons. He mentioned the term "new covenant" only 11 times. Does this mean that the differences between the new covenant and the old covenant are not important? What does the Bible say about this? | ||
=What is the "new covenant"?= | |||
Jeremiah speaks of the new covenant: | |||
:''“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a '''new covenant''' with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. '''It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors''' 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 people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”<ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Je 31:31–34.</ref> | |||
And when Jesus replaced the Passover with the Communion, he stated: | |||
:''In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is '''the new covenant''' in my blood, which is poured out for you.<ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Lk 22:20.</ref> | |||
We read in Hebrews 9:15 that: | |||
:''Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.<ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Heb 9:15.</ref> | |||
=Is the "Old Covenant" still relevant?= | |||
Paul refers to the Ten Commandments are the "ministry of death" in 2 Corinthians 3:7 and the writer of Hebrews tell us that: | |||
:''...by calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one '''obsolete'''; and '''what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear'''.<ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Heb 8:13.</ref> | |||
How does an obsolete covenant relate to the new covenant Gentile church? | |||
=The apostles' letter to the Gentile churches= | |||
In Acts 15, we find Paul and Barnabas in Jerusalem telling the apostles about their concerns with certain people who were preaching that the old covenant applied to the Gentiles such that they were required to keep the law. The apostles and elders of the Jerusalem church met to consider the issue. | |||
Peter stated his view clearly: | |||
:''“Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! '''We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.'''”<ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ac 15:7–11.</ref> | |||
And James was even clearer: | |||
:'' “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me." ...“It is my judgment, therefore, that '''we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles''' who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to '''abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.''' For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” <ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ac 15:13–21.</ref> | |||
The apostles, elders and the entire Jerusalem church agreed and sent a letter to the Gentile believers: | |||
:''The apostles and elders, your brothers, | |||
:''To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: | |||
:''Greetings. | |||
:''We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul — men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: | |||
::''You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. | |||
:You will do well to avoid these things. | |||
:''Farewell.<ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ac 15:23–29.</ref> | |||
This letter raises a number of questions, including: | |||
#Why aren't the ten commandments included? | |||
#What about [[Tithing|tithing]]? | |||
#Why were three of the commands related to food? | |||
==Why were these four commands the only requirement?== | |||
James argues that the Gentiles who turn with faith to God should not be burdened with issues of the law. The council of elders in Jerusalem asks Gentiles to be sensitive about four matters and to refrain from: | |||
:(1) the pollution that comes from idols (see Mal. 1:7); | |||
:(2) sexual immorality, probably associated with pagan rites and temple prostitution (from the Greek πορνείας, porneias); | |||
:(3) strangled things; and | |||
:(4) blood matters (from the Greek αἵματος, haimatos). | |||
This list reappears with slight variation in Acts 15:29 and 21:25. | |||
The reasons for the list are not so much about keeping the law as having a spirit of sensitivity about that which may cause offense to Jewish Christians. The issue is not establishing a fixed set of practices but respecting the practices of Jewish believers and not forcing oneself on another because of such views.<ref>Darrell L. Bock, Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), 505-507.</ref> | |||
These four rules reflect the rules in Leviticus 17:8–18:18 relating to Gentiles living in the land of Israel. Gentile converts were not required to become Jewish proselytes and keep the whole law, but only those parts of it that were required by Moses of Gentiles who lived in Israel.<ref>David G. Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009), 434–435.</ref> | |||
These four rules were simply meant to create peace and harmony between the Gentile Christians and the Jewish believers, many of whom still kept the Mosaic law. | |||
==Do we have to keep any part of the law?== | |||
Most Christians believe that Christ redeemed us from sin but that is not what scripture says. Paul teaches us that: | |||
:'''''Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law''' by becoming a curse for us...''<ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ga 3:13.</ref> | |||
In fact, if you try to keep the law today you are not justified before God: | |||
:''Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith...<ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ga 3:11–12.</ref> ''For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.''<ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Jas 2:10.</ref> | |||
What the new covenant teaches us is that ''the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself."''<ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ga 5:14.</ref> | |||
We, therefore, can conclude that for a woman to wear pants is not sin. For someone to believe that, means that they do not understand the Gospel... they do not understand the new covenant. | |||
=Quotes of William Branham= | =Quotes of William Branham= | ||
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64-0208 - The Token | 64-0208 - The Token | ||
Rev. William Marrion Branham | Rev. William Marrion Branham | ||
24 Now, the Old Testament, the Aaron’s plate was done away, with the Old Covenant. | 24 Now, the Old Testament, the Aaron’s plate was done away, with the Old Covenant. | ||
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[[Category: Unfinished articles]] | [[Category: Unfinished articles]] | ||