GOD’S PLAN OF REDEMPTION His Eternal Plan for Us As Revealed in the Word Lesson 3: The Two Covenants Revised on January 21, 2011

LESSON 3: THE TWO COVENANTS What the Old Covenant is What the New Covenant is The Old Covenant has been replaced by the New Mankind is no longer under the Old Covenant The Old and the New Covenants compared Revised on January 21, 2011

THE COVENANT – WHAT IS IT? EXODUS 34:28. “And Moses was there with Jehovah forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.” Revised on January 21, 2011

DEUTERONOMY 4:13. “And Jehovah declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even the ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.” Revised on January 21, 2011

JAMES 2:10-11. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if you do not commit adultery, but you kill, you become a transgressor of the law.” Revised on January 21, 2011

JOHN 1:17. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Revised on January 21, 2011

THE COMING OF THE LAW OR COVENANT NEHEMIAH 9:13-14. “Thou didst come down upon Mount Sinai, and speak with them from heaven and give them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments, 14 and thou didst make known to them thy holy sabbath and command them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses thy servant.” Revised on January 21, 2011

DEUTERONOMY 5:1-3. “And Moses summoned all Israel, and said to them, "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your hearing this day, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. 2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 Not with our fathers did the LORD make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive this day. ” Revised on January 21, 2011

ROMANS 2:14. “When Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.” Revised on January 21, 2011

OLD COVENANT REPLACED BY THE NEW JEREMIAH 31:31-34. “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. Revised on January 21, 2011

33 But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Revised on January 21, 2011

HEBREWS 8:6-13. “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry which is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second. 8 For he finds fault with them when he says: "The days will come, says the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; Revised on January 21, 2011

9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in my covenant, and so I paid no heed to them, says the Lord. 10 This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Revised on January 21, 2011

11 And they shall not teach every one his fellow or every one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." 13 In speaking of a new covenant he treats the first as obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” Revised on January 21, 2011

HEBREWS 8:7. “For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second.” HEBREWS 7:12. “For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.” Revised on January 21, 2011

MATTHEW. 5:18. “For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” Revised on January 21, 2011

LUKE 24:44-48. “Then he said to them, "These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. ” Revised on January 21, 2011

HEBREWS 9:15. “Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred which redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.” Revised on January 21, 2011

HEBREWS 8:6. “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry which is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.” Revised on January 21, 2011

HEBREWS 12:24. “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (KJV). “And to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks more graciously than the blood of Abel” (ASV). Revised on January 21, 2011

WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE OLD GALATIANS 3:11. “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.” Revised on January 21, 2011

GALATIANS 3:18-19. “For if the inheritance is by the law, it is no longer by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. 19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained by angels through an intermediary.” Revised on January 21, 2011

GALATIANS 3:21. “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.” Revised on January 21, 2011

GALATIANS 3:23. “But before faith came, we were kept in prison under the law, waiting for the revelation of the faith which was to come” (BBE). “Now before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed” (RSV). Revised on January 21, 2011

GALATIANS 3:24. “So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith” (RSV). “So that the law became our schoolmaster for Christ, so that we might be made righteous from faith” (ACV). Revised on January 21, 2011

GALATIANS 3:25. “But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (KJV). “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian” (RSV). Revised on January 21, 2011

HEBREWS 7:12. “For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well” (RSV). “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law” (KJV). Revised on January 21, 2011

HEBREWS 8:13. “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” (KJV). “In speaking of a new covenant he treats the first as obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away” (RSV). Revised on January 21, 2011

HEBREWS 9:15. “Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred which redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.” Revised on January 21, 2011

COLOSSIANS 2:14. “Having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (RSV). “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross” (KJV). Revised on January 21, 2011

THE OLD COMPARED WITH THE NEW MATTHEW 5:21-22. THE OLD LAW SAYS: “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.” CHRIST SAYS: “But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire.” Revised on January 21, 2011

MATTHEW 5:27-28. THE OLD LAW SAYS: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’” CHRIST SAYS: “But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Revised on January 21, 2011

END OF LESSON 3 NEXT, LESSON 4: THE DAY OF JUDGMENT Revised on January 21, 2011