One or Two Covenants? Part One

I recently had someone ask me if I really thought the Church was Israel? That he could not see one piece of scripture to support the Church was Israel. I believe a better way to ask the question is their one or two covenants in force, for God's people today?

A majority of Roman Catholicism and Reformation Theology has spent a large amount of time trying to harmonize the Old Testament and New Testament. This has ushered into the church false teaching and evil. Both Catholics and Protestants used this approach to justify wars, colonialism and national theocracies. Since the Mid 1800's another movement has evolved, the Premillennnialism dispensationalists, due to their prophecy speculation, keep both the Old and New Covenant alive and active. All of the above approaches, try to Meld both the Old and New together. It is the purpose of this paper to assert that their is only one active covenant with God's people, the New Testament!

When I talk of the Old Covenant, the Law, or the Mosaic law I am talking primarily about the Pentateuch which as given to Israel to create a national theocracy in the Land of Canaan. The first effort to make the church into a theocracy can be traced to the Constantine and the church leaders of his day. ( 306-337 A.D) This also led to the establishment of the Holy Roman Catholic Church and the Papacy. Almost a thousand years later when the Protestant reformation happened, most of the reformer kept a theocracy view.

This practice led to the false teaching of Elders or Pastors becoming the Levitical priesthood and Christians as mere spectators. The great commission became nothing more that establishing little Israels' all over the world. Those not practising the state religion were Canaanites, which must be punished by death.

This short paragraph is really just a glimpse of the evil this brought to God's people everywhere and continues to affect our practices today. Let me give you a few false assumptions that Theocrats make.
1. The Mosaic law supersedes the New Testament and the New Testament must be interpreted by the use of the O.T.
2. If you are God's chosen ones, then the area you live in must now be the new Zion.
3. The state is a direct representative of God Almighty, so any opposition to your government must be conquered by war or death.
4. The OT was spiritualized so Moses sprinkling blood on the People (Ex 24:3-8) became Holy Water sprinkled on the people. The Sabbath became Sunday and national laws were set up with punishments.
5. Material prosperity and military victory were signs of God's favor. This has become the seeds of the modern health and wealth gospel.
6. Your country became to Promised Land, even though Jesus denounced the concept that government should be a theocracy. "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” Matthew 22:21

The American Restoration Movement began in the early 1800's as a result of the Second Great Awakening. Because this movement was founded on America's frontier they were neither Protestant or Catholic. The early leaders were influenced by John Locke and several different reformers. This Big tent led them to find their doctrine in a a Pre-Constantine early Apostolic church. This led to three revolutionary teachings for their day; 1. The New Testament supersedes the Old Testament. 2. The New Testament provides the Official harmony of the Old Testament. How the Apostles handled the Mosaic Covenant became the practice of the Restoration movement. This led them to the saying;
3. "Where the Scriptures speak, we speak, we speak, and where they are silent, we are silent." What if the New Testament does not address an OT Issue then it is irrelevant to our salvation and we remain silent.

Back to the question; Is there one or two covenants active for God's people? I teach I believe biblically, that only the New Covenant is enforce for God's people today. Jesus become the surety of a better covenant. Hebrews 7:22 ASV I will now move to offer you several biblical reasons this is true. Understand in fairness that my prejudice is the Stone-Campbell movement and because of that a reliance on the New Testament Scriptures.

Be God's
Roger Miller

Light

Snippet

I imagine the dead wakeing dazed into a shadowless light in which they know themselves altogether for the first time. It is a light that is merciless, until they can accept it's mercy. By it they are at once condemned and redeemed. It is hell until it is heaven. Seeing themselves in that light if they are willing they see how far they have failed the onl job they were given to love one another. It punishes them by their own judgement and yet in suffering that lights awful clarity and seeing themselves in it, they see it's forgiveness and beauty, and are consoled. I it they are loved compleatley even as they have been and so are changed into what they could not have been, but what they could have, if they could imagine it, they would have wished to be. That light can only come into this world as love. And love can only enter by suffering. Not enough light has reached us here living in the shadows. And yet it has never been entirely absent.
Wendell Berry A World lost

Scripture

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. John 3:20,21

Carry the Light by Twila Paris

In this world of darkness
We are given light
Hope for all the dying
How will they know
How will they know
That Jesus loves them
And He died to save them

Chorus
Carry the Light
Carry the Light
Go and tell the children
They are precious in His sight
Carry the Light
Carry the Light
Go and preach the gospel
'Til there is no more night
In the name of Jesus Christ
Carry the Light

Count them by the millions
Blinded slaves to sin
Inside they are dying
How will they know
How will they know
That Jesus loves them
And His heart is breaking

Ending
Go ye into all the world
Go ye into all the world
And carry the Light the Light
Carry the Light

1989 Ariose Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Mountain Spring Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

Sentence Prayer

Father You created me to be light, bringing out the God-colors in this world.
God is not a secret to be kept. I am to go public with this, as public as a city on a hill.

Jesus you made us to be light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine Jesus shine!

Holy Spirit you made us to keep an open house; to be generous with our lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God.

These generous blessings are from our Father in heaven. Amen

Prayer Based Matthew 5:14-16 Message

County Commissioners Prayer

Almighty God You are a Just and Merciful God. Forgive us when we fail to be either Just or Merciful Thank you that we live in a nation founded on Judeo-Christian Values. Enable the procedings to provide Justice for the wronged To give mercy to the repentant Remind us all time and time again The words of our Lord and Savior The truth shall set you free. Amen