Old Covenant- New Covenant.

Continuing from the PRESENT TRUTH articles….

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REMARKS ON 2 COR. 3: 6-18. The subject of this chapter is the contrast of the ministration of the old covenant under Moses, with the ministration of the new covenant under Christ.

(((2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 

2Co 3:7  But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 

2Co 3:8  How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 

2Co 3:9  For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 

2Co 3:10  For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 

2Co 3:11  For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. 

2Co 3:12  Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: 

2Co 3:13  And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 

2Co 3:14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 

2Co 3:15  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 

2Co 3:16  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 

2Co 3:17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 

2Co 3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. ))))

If we would correctly understand the Apostle, we must first observe; that there is an essential difference between a covenant, or law, and the ministration of a law. The former is the constitution necessary for the government of the people; the latter is the ministry, or the ordained powers to carry its laws into execution.

After God had delivered his people from the tyranny and bondage of the Egyptians, he declared unto them his "Royal law," which he engraved in tables of stone. This was called HIS COVENANT, which he commanded them to perform-Deut. iv, 13. This covenant was a primary constitution of righteous principles for all to strictly observe.

(((Deu 4:13  And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone. ))))

The ministration of this covenant, under Moses, was the ecclesiastical powers, with all their offices and services connected and their statutes and judgements to enforce the execution of " his covenant," and their penalties for disobedience, and also their justification and pardon-through the atonements; called " carnal ordinances "---Heb. ix, 10, as was written by the-hand of Moses in a book, called the-book of the covenant "—Deut. xxxi, 9-11, 24,26.

(((Heb 9:10  Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. 

Deu 31:9  And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel. 

Deu 31:10  And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles, 

Deu 31:11  When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 

Deu 31:24  And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finish

Deu 31:26  Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. ))))

The law of God being first presented to the people written in tables of stone, and not in the Mind and heart, therefore, they soon forgot and broke it ; hence the new covenant—Jer. xxxi. 31-34; Heb, viii. 7-13, …

(((Jer 31:31  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 

Jer 31:32  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 

Jer 31:33  But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

Jer 31:34  And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. 

Heb 8:7  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 

Heb 8:8  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 

Heb 8:9  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 

Heb 8:10  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 

Heb 8:11  And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 

Heb 8:12  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 

Heb 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.)))) 

…was promised and established upon better promises." Paul says, "For if that first covenant had been faultless; then should no place have been sought for the second." The fault is not in the covenant itself; but in the manner in which it was presented, viz. upon tables of stone, and deposited in the ark, and not in the mind and heart. And because it was not written upon the heart, " they broke my covenant," verse 32, and "continued not in it." But in "the time of reformation," when "Christ being come an high priest of good things to come ." His covenant Was established upon a better foundation, and better promises, viz. " I will PUT MY LAWS into their MINDS, and WRITE them in THEIR HEARTS."

Thus the new covenant is the same laws as the old ; the difference is only in the new, and better ministration of it, or the manner in which it is presented to the people, being -written by the Spirit of God upon the mind, and the heart. The ministration of the ten commandments under Christ's ministry is called "the ministration of the Spirit;" for the Spirit of Christ searcheth all things, and knoweth what is in the heart.

The dispensation under Moses was called the ‘ministration of death," and the "ministration of condemnation ;" for by the law (through its ministration) was the knowledge of sin, condemnation and the penalty, death. And they all were under the condemnation, or " curse," until " the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath ABOLISHED DEATH, and hath brought LIFE and IMMORTALITY to light through the gospel."-2 Tim. i, 10.

(((2Ti 1:10  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel))))

Christ died for the redemption of the transgressors under the first covenant, that the called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.—See Heb. ix. 15.

(((Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. ))))

 It is evident that no man was justified in the sight of God by the works of the (the ministration of Moses,)—See Gal. ii, 16, iii, 11—Acts xiii 29,  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." Those sacrifices could never make " the comers thereto perfect."—See Heb. x, 1-4.

(((Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 

Gal 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. 

Act 13:29  And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

Heb 10:1  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 

Heb 10:2  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 

Heb 10:3  But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 

Heb 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins))))

 Thus the ministration of the covenant under Moses could truly be called " the ministration of DEATH," and -of "'CONDEMNATION ;" for while it condemned; it could not take away sin ; either give the redemption—LIFE and IMMORTALITY. "-But the Spirit giveth life; and the Lord is that Spirit." Through the death and resurrection of Christ, and faith in the- blood of-the -atonement, is this life given.

Verses  7-11 speak of the "ministration ; of death and of" condemnation, " -which "was passing away," (Whiting's translation,) and the ministration of. the Spirit which was a far more glorious dispensation than that of Moses, and which followed and " remaineth ."

It was not the covenant " engraven in stones," neither the "glory" that was " abolished ;" but it-was the ministration of death, that is, the ministration of Moses, that was passing away

The  verses 13-16, is the ministration of Moses ; for, while the services of Moses were "read," and continued, their minds were blinded," and they could not see, nor understand, nor believe that Jesus Christ was the end of all the typical services. But when they look at the blood of Jesus for the atonement— "the Lamb" of God that taketh away sin," then faith is revealed by the Spirit and the "vail" is ," taken away."

" Now, the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." That is, if they have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them, they are free from the yoke of bondage—Gal. v, 1, and they are free from the condemnation which they were under, while under the law of Moses ; and while they are beholding the glory of the Lord, they are changed from glory to glorify. the Spirit of the Lord.

(((Gal 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. ))))

Thus the difference of the two ministrations. One is; a "ministration of condemnation," and of "the letter," that is, Of the hand-writing of 'Moses' the other is a ministration of LIFE; or JUSTIFICATION by the Spirit of Christ.

OTIS NICHOLS

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THE PRESENT TRUTH.

PUBLISHED, SEMI-MONTHLY, BY JAMES WHITE.

Vol. 1 OSWEGO, N. Y. DECEMBER, 1849 . NO. 5.

We are now studying - 'The Present Truth' papers published in the middle 1800's. These are called the 'Present Truth' because it WAS Present Truth for that time. So why study them now? Because TRUTH at any time is worth studying, and we KNOW that often ORIGINAL truth presented before Satan has had an opportunity to corrupt it, can be very enlightening. At the very least we will see, by the grace of God, through the Holy Spirit, what truth then is still uncorrupted today and still very relevant for us living in these dark, dark times. Our world today compared to a hundred and seventy years ago is so much worse than it was, with so much evil being called good, and good being called evil.  May God bless us as we seek HIS truth for us in our present, bringing us only closer to Him and prayerfully the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

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We all know what a law is- something written to be enforced by authority. We have a lot of laws. We know if we break a law we are subject to punishment- ideally a punishment befitting the crime committed. Oftentimes some laws we have are not universal in their punishment - for example in the USA if you are caught stealing you are arrested and if found guilty you receive a punishment. If you steal something inexpensive you are punished lightly- perhaps fined. If you steal something expensive you are probably punished with imprisonment as well as fined. In another country you may not be fined, or imprisoned but rather you may have your hand cut off.  The law is the same- do not steal- the punishments are different. The ministration of that law is different. 

Moses was NOT Christ. Moses was NOT the Savior of mankind. Moses was NOT God's only begotten Son. Moses was a man used by God to bring God's enslaved people out of slavery and to teach them God's ways.  Moses' way was enforced and it pointed to a SACRIFICE for sinning, a way to atone for sins. If there were NO WAY to atone for sin- all would be lost, not a single person would be God's. Moses' enforcement was a crude, imperfect way, the only way then available. When the MESSIAH came and sacrificed HIMSELF, spilling the blood of God- the Son, a NEW way was made for people to find atonement.

Sins did NOT cease, and IF sin did not end then the laws that revealed sin did not end. What ended was the way to find forgiveness for those sins.

God help us as we continue our studying of His most Holy Word!