Covenants
How Covenant Agreements Work
“This is my blood of the
covenant” Mt 26:28
wikimedia
Copyright Notice
Great effort has been made to keep this presentation freely reproducible in its entirety. Omitting parts
(especially these acknowledgements of contributors) or lifting selected parts may result in copyright
infringement. Check details below and on contributers’ websites. I the writer am happy for it to be reproduced
and distributed (including sale) for any good purpose providing that you include this copyright notice and do not
exert your own copyright on any derivatives or performances of it, ie do not restrict or charge for subsequent
copying and distribution. Copyright Graham and Teena Paul 2012, email paulsfamilymail@gmail.com.
Unmarked bible quotes are my own translation from the Greek or Hebrew and are free to copy.
Quotes marked “NIV” are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. (Zondervan deems free
“Fair Use” policy to be <500 verses and not comprising >25% of the full work. Acknowledgement by this notice
or similar is required.)
Quotes marked “ESV” are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by
Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. (ESV allows
free fair use up to 1000 verses and up to 50% of the resulting work, and must be acknowledged.)
Quotes marked “NET” are by permission from the NET Bible® Copyright ©2005 Biblical Studies Press, LLC
www.bible.org. All rights reserved. (NET Bible allows free fair use up to 1000 verses and up to 50% of the
resulting work; it must be acknowledged. Above this, all paper distributions must be entirely free of charge,
and all other forms of distribution must receive written permission which is usually freely given.)
Bible illustrations are from Sweet Media bible Illustrations http://sweetpublishing.com and may be reproduced
freely providing that they are acknowledged in this way or equivalent.
Images marked “W” are taken from commons.wikimedia.org/ and are either public domain and/or copyrightexpired and/or released for worldwide free use under the terms of the GNU licence.
Clipart is taken from Microsoft Powerpoint and is freely reproducible. Microsoft denies all liability.
Personal and family photos taken by us (Graham and Teena Paul) are unmarked and may be copied freely.
Covenants are Common
A covenant made in 1998
A Covenant:
• Is an agreement or contract between two parties
• If God is one party, then it defines the relationship
that a group of people has with God
I Agree
NIV translation of Hebrew berit (covenant):
“Covenant”
“Treaty” 26
247
Greek diathēkē is “covenant” 31, “will” 2.
“Agreement” 4
“Alliance” 3
“Compact” 3
Outline
A. The Five Features of a Covenant
B. Four important covenants
C. God’s Covenant with Israel
(the Law)
D. God’s Covenant with Everyone
(the New Covenant)
E. Other Covenants
A.
The Five Features of a Covenant
A Covenant has five features:
The Parties
Requirements
Blessings
Curses
Duration
Who the covenant is between.
(God’s covenants all with person + descendants)
Conditions of the covenant that must be met
Benefits given, if the requirements are kept
Penalties applied if the requirements are not kept
(Ongoing for all of God’s covenants)
B.
Abraham
Four Important Covenants
Israelites
David
“Whoever”
Offer the land of Israel
W
with the Israelites+
(The Law)
with Abraham+
(circumcision)
Offer a world-ruling Kingdom of God
W
with David+
(Kingdom)
W
with Everyone (the New Covenant)
C.
God’s Covenant with Israel
(the Law)
God’s Covenant with Israel (the Law)
God and Israel + descendants
The Parties
(Ex 34:27, Dt 29:1, 12:28, 4:9-10, 31).
Not other nations
Requirements
Blessings
(Ex 19:5, Lev 20:26)
The Law
(Gen, Exod, Lev, Num, Deut—esp Exodus 20-24).
Peace and prosperity and possession of the land of
Israel, and God’s dwelling among them
(Lev 26:3-13, Dt 28:1-14)
Curses
Duration
Famine, disease, war, defeat and exile, temple gone
(Lev 26:14-46 and Dt 28:15-68)
At least 1,000 generations (Dt 7:9);
til sky and earth pass away (Lk 16:17, Mt 5:17-20)
God’s Covenant with Israel (the Law)
God and Israel + descendants
The Parties
(Ex 34:27, Dt 29:1, 12:28, 4:9-10, 31).
Not other nations
Requirements
Blessings
(Ex 19:5, Lev 20:26)
The Law
(Gen, Exod, Lev, Num, Deut—esp Exodus 20-24).
Peace and prosperity and possession of the land of
Israel, and God’s dwelling among them
(Lev 26:3-13, Dt 28:1-14)
Curses
Duration
Famine, disease, war, defeat and exile, temple gone
(Lev 26:14-46 and Dt 28:15-68)
At least 1,000 generations (Dt 7:9);
til sky and earth pass away (Lk 16:17, Mt 5:17-20)
God’s Covenant with Israel (the Law)
God and Israel + descendants
The Parties
(Ex 34:27, Dt 29:1, 12:28, 4:9-10, 31).
Not other nations
(Ex 19:5, Lev 20:26)
”Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write down these words, because I have made
a covenant with you and with Israel on the basis of these words”” Ex 34:27
I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be mine.
Lev 20:26
“This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the
children of Israel: 4 … 5 Now if you fully obey my voice and keep my covenant,
then you will be my treasured possession out of all the nations. For the whole
earth is mine, 6 but you will be kingdom of priests for me and a holy nation.’
These are the words you are to speak to the children of Israel.” Ex 19:3-6
God’s Covenant with Israel is defined within:
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
aka:
The “Law”
The Law of Moses
The Mosaic Covenant
The Torah
The Pentateuch
The “Old” Covenant
How Moses made the covenant with Israel
“Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and half of the
blood he splashed on the altar. 7 He took the Book of the Covenant
and read it aloud to the people, and they said, “We are willing to
do and obey all that the Lord has spoken.” 8 So Moses took the
blood and splashed it on the people and said, “This is the blood of
the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with
all these words.”” Exod 24:6-8 NET
w
w
wikimedia
Questions Interlude
1. A requirement of God’s everlasting covenant with
Abraham and his descendants was circumcision (Gen 17).
Who does this apply to today?
2. Does the teaching in Ecclesiastes define God’s covenant
with Israel (the Law)?
3. Were the Greeks of 200 BC required to keep all of God’s
covenant with Israel (the Law), including laws such as
attending 3 annual feasts in Jerusalem?
Why or why not?
D.
The New Covenant
W
The New Covenant
The Parties
Requirements
Blessings
Curses
Duration
God and everyone/all nations/the world
(Jn 3:16, Mt 28:19-20, Mt 25:32-46)
Jesus’ words
(in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
Eternal life; Freedom from sin; Holy Spirit; God’s
love and presence; Answered Prayer; and more
Destruction on the day of judgment
(Jn 12:48, Mt 25:46)
Ongoing.
At least until the Day of Judgment
(Jn 12:48)
The New Covenant
The Parties
Requirements
Blessings
Curses
Duration
God and everyone/all nations/the world
(Jn 3:16, Mt 28:19-20, Mt 25:32-46)
Jesus’ words
(in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
Eternal life; Freedom from sin; Holy Spirit; God’s
love and presence; Answered Prayer; and more
Destruction on the day of judgment
(Jn 12:48, Mt 25:46)
Ongoing.
At least until the Day of Judgment
(Jn 12:48)
The New Covenant is with Everyone
“God so loved
the world
that he sent
his only son,
so that whoever
believes in him
may have
everlasting life”
Jn 3:16
“Go and disciple all the nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to
obey everything I have commanded
you” Mt 28:19-20; Mk 16:15 is sim.
“This gospel of the kingdom will be
preached throughout the
inhabited earth as a testimony to
all the nations, and then the end
will come” Mt 24:14; Mk 13:10 sim.
At the judgment Mt 25:31-46, Jesus will
judge all the nations according to how they
loved their neighbour (part of his teaching).
The New Covenant
The Parties
Requirements
Blessings
Curses
Duration
God and everyone/all nations/the world
(Jn 3:16, Mt 28:19-20, Mt 25:32-46)
Jesus’ words
(in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
Eternal life; Freedom from sin; Holy Spirit; God’s
love and presence; Answered Prayer; and more
Destruction on the day of judgment
(Jn 12:48, Mt 25:46)
Ongoing.
At least until the Day of Judgment
(Jn 12:48)
Requirements and Blessings of the New Covenant
1. Eternal life: “If anyone keeps my teaching, he will never
see death in the age [to come].” John 8:51
2. Freedom from sin: “If you keep my teaching, you are truly
my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will
set you free” John 8:31-32 lit.
3. The Holy Spirit: “If you love me, you will keep my commands,
and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counselor
to be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth” John 14:15-16
4. God’s love and presence: “If anyone loves me, he will obey
my teaching, and my Father will love him, and we will come to
him and make our home with him” John 14:23
5. Answered prayer: “If you remain in me and my words remain
in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. This
brings glory to my Father, that you bear much fruit” John 15:7
Requirements & Blessings
Jesus’ words in the four gospels point the way I need to take
to gain all the blessings of the new covenant
ALL THE
BLESSINGS
Jesus’ words in Mt Mk Lk Jn
The New Covenant is defined
by Jesus’ words in:
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
aka
The “Gospels”
Jesus’ Teachings
The four gospels are more relevant and important to me than
any other books in the bible
Protestant Old Testament
New Testament
Genesis
Nehemiah
Hosea
Matthew
L Timothy 2
Exodus
Esther
Joel
Mark
L Titus
Leviticus
Job
Amos
Luke
L Philemon
Numbers
Psalms 150
Obadiah
John
L Hebrews
Deuterony
Proverbs
Jonah
Acts Apostles
L James
Joshua
Ecclesiastes
Micah
L Romans
L Peter 2
Judges
Song of Sol
Nahum
L Corinthians 3
L John 3
Ruth
Isaiah
Habakkuk
L Galatians
L Jude
Samuel 2
Jeremiah
Zephaniah
L Ephesians
Revelation J
Kings 2
Lamentatn
Haggai
L Philippians
Ezekiel
Zechariah
L Colossians
Daniel
Malachi
L Thessalon 2
Chronicles
Ezra
The New Covenant
The Parties
Requirements
Blessings
Curses
Duration
God and everyone/all nations/the world
(Jn 3:16, Mt 28:19-20, Mt 25:32-46)
Jesus’ words
(in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
Eternal life; Freedom from sin; Holy Spirit; God’s
love and presence; Answered Prayer; and more
Destruction on the day of judgment
(Jn 12:48, Mt 25:46)
Ongoing.
At least until the Day of Judgment
(Jn 12:48)
Curse/penalty of not keeping the covenant:
• Jesus’ last public statement: “As for the person who hears my
words but does not keep them… that very word which I spoke
(past tense) will condemn him at the last day.” Jn 12:47-48
• Those who don’t love their neighbours (as Jesus taught) will be
sent away to destruction on the Day of Judgment Mt 25:31-46
• People who don’t put his teachings into practice are likened to
a house built on sand which gets completely destroyed Lk 6:49
The New Covenant
The Parties
Requirements
Blessings
Curses
Duration
God and everyone/all nations/the world
(Jn 3:16, Mt 28:19-20, Mt 25:32-46)
Jesus’ words
(in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
Eternal life; Freedom from sin; Holy Spirit; God’s
love and presence; Answered Prayer; and more
Destruction on the day of judgment
(Jn 12:48, Mt 25:46)
Ongoing.
At least until the Day of Judgment
(Jn 12:48)
Duration of the New Covenant:
• “My words will never pass away” Mt 24:35, Mk 13:31, Lk 21:33
• Jesus’ words/teachings will be the basis for awarding eternal
life Jn 8:51 or for judging people when he returns Jn 12:47-48,
Mt 25:31-46, which is still in the future
• No expiry date specified in the new covenant
• So the new covenant/Jesus’ teachings remain in effect at least
until the day of Judgment
How Jesus made the New Covenant
Jesus told them the conditions of the covenant (his teaching);
told them the blessings of keeping his teaching (Jn 13-16); and
“He took the cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to
them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 this is my blood of the
covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”
Mt 26:27-28
w
w
Both Covenants made similarly
“This is the blood of the
covenant that the Lord has
made with you in accordance
with all these words.”
“This is my blood of the
covenant, which is poured out
for many for the forgiveness
of sins.”
Exod 24:8 NET
Mt 26:28
w
w
The blood was divided between the two parties: God via the sacrifice on the altar or cross,
and the people via sprinkling or drinking the blood or wine.
The New Covenant Fixed 30 AD (by Acts 1-8):
• A covenant is an agreement* which is formalised between the
parties at a point in time (eg Last Supper 30 AD).
If one party “changed” it later (and went against what they had
agreed to), they would be breaking the covenant, ie dishonest.
“…He is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a
thousand generations” Lev 26:9 (re Law)
w
*Or a promise, in the case of some covenants with no requirements, eg Noah’s
Jesus’ Teachings are Sufficient:
• Jesus promised the blessings of the new covenant to those
who keep his teachings – not anyone else’s teachings besides.
• In Acts 1-8, the disciples experienced
those blessings: Holy Spirit, freedom
from sin, God’s presence with them,
answered prayer, and presumably
eternal life later.
This was before/without any NT letters, church councils or
creeds, “bible” defined, or institutional churches or buildings.
Therefore Jesus’ teachings alone are sufficient.
Therefore we should be cautious of claims that we must also do
w
other things which Jesus didn’t teach.
Jesus’ Teachings are the gospel:
• Jesus’ commission to his 11 apostles
was to disciple the nations,
“teaching them to obey everything
I have (past tense) commanded you”
Mt 28:20, ie to teach Jesus’ teachings.
Jesus’ teachings = the gospel they were sent to preach
= the new covenant
Therefore we should be cautious of any gospel which does not consist of
Jesus’ teachings.
w
Comments…
• God still directs individuals to do things, but these are not
commands which everyone must do in order to gain the
blessings of the new covenant.
eg God told Philip to go to the desert road to Gaza Acts 8:26 –
but this is not something everyone has to do to gain eternal life.
It isn’t part of the new covenant’s definition.
• God won’t contradict his own covenant.
He will never say, “You can have eternal life without loving your
neighbour” because Jesus said that loving my neighbour is
necessary Lk 10:25-28, Mt 19:17-19, Mt 25:31-46.
Questions Interlude
1. Do Jesus’ words in Matthew define the new covenant or
part of it?
2. Do Paul’s letters to the Corinthians (written ~54 AD)
define the new covenant or part of it?
3. How do we “claim” Jesus’ promises in the new covenant?
E.
Conclusions
Conclusions
1. Jesus’ words in Mt-Jn define my covenant with God,
which makes them extremely important
2. I need to know and follow Jesus’ teachings in Mt-Jn
in order to gain the blessings of the new covenant
3. I don’t need to know or follow any other teachings
Appendix:
Other Covenants
Other covenants God made with men:
2,300 BC
1,900 BC
Noah
Abraham
+ desc
+ animals
+ desc
Gen 9:8-17
1,400 BC
W
Gen 15, 17
1,000 BC
David
Phinehas
+ sons
+ desc
Ps 89, 132
Num 25:10-13
W
2Sa 11:7-16
Men made covenants with each other (usually translated as “treaty” or
“agreement” or “compact”) eg Gen 21:27, Jos 9:15, 1 Ki 15:19
wikimedia
HS
Listen to the Holy Spirit:
Does the Holy Spirit want to say anything to me about
covenants?
Questions:
Did the Holy Spirit say anything to you?
Were there any new or useful concepts for you?
Do you have any sticking points or queries in your mind about
covenants?
Is it new to think of covenants belonging to people rather than
to time periods?
W
with the Israelites+
(The Law)
with Abraham+
(circumcision)
Required circumcision
Promised lands of Israel,
Jordan and Iraq to
Abraham’s descendants
Brief, “place-holder”
For the future
Gen 15 and 17
Required entire Law
Promised land of Israel
to Israel’s descendants
(did not include Ishmael)
Full, detailed
For the present
Exod-Deut
W
with David+
(Kingdom)
Required Law kept
Promised throne of Israel
to David’s sons forever
Prophets described this
Kingdom of God
Psalm 89,132; 2 Sam 11:7-16
W
with Everyone (the New Covenant)
Required Jesus teachings (based on Law)
Offered the Kingdom of God to Israel
(and entry to all nations)
Rejected by Israel, Kingdom taken away.
Offered Holy Spirit etc to all nations,
and entry to Kingdom in future.
Matt-John
wikimedia
1. Parties: God and David + descendants (Ps 89:3-4)
2. Requirements: sons must keep God’s Law (Ps 132:12)
3. Blessings: A son would sit on David’s throne forever (Ps 132:12);
God would give him his firstborn who would be the most exalted
of the kings on the earth (Ps 89:27)
4. Curses: Punish David’s sons with the rod and flogging Ps 89:32
5. Duration: ongoing.
As long as the heavens endure (Ps 89:29).
God’s Covenant with David is defined in:
Psalms 89, 132
2 Sam 11:7-16
aka:
The Davidic Covenant
The Kingdom Covenant
God’s Promise to David