PART THIRTEEN Romans 9:4 and Israel-Only Covenants? Many dispensationalists cite Romans 9:4 as proof that the covenants are only given to Israel, with the Church having no part in them. The verse reads: who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises… I think there is a case for using this verse to fend off those, like the present writer, who believe that the Church is party to the …
Category: Biblical Studies
Very preoccupied right now. Here’s one from the vaults: The identity of the “Sons of God” in the sixth chapter of Genesis is and always has been, as one OT writer has put it, “the subject of a longstanding debate among biblical scholars.”[1] Whichever view is taken of them, it cannot be doubted that even amid the extraordinary stories in Genesis 1-11, the first four verses of Genesis 6 are extremely enigmatic. Why does the human author (Moses) use this term …
PART TEN Christ’s Intercession At the Right Hand of God I have surveyed a lot of texts which refer to the New covenant in both Testaments. I could continue into the General Epistles and Revelation, but I believe I have made a good case for my thesis that the New covenant in Christ’s blood (Lk. 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25) is the salvation covenant, and that it forms the basis of hope for Israel and the Church. There are many in …
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6P7OTrM3nCDE5XpKHbpOxk https://open.spotify.com/episode/7if4M7T5EhPAYy0XLR9r5z https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ojMDxUowcMYEPQcr4zWcz …
PART NINE Hebrews – Epistle of the New Covenant Hebrews starts off by elevating Jesus Christ, proving from the OT that He is divine, but that He also “purged our sins” (Heb. 1:3) because He took upon Himself humanity (cf. Heb. 1:6; 2:9, 17). Jesus holds the office of High Priest (Heb. 3:1; 4:14-16). And the question arises, whose High Priest is He? As the book of Hebrews proceeds three major aspects of God’s Creation Project begin to appear. The …
PART SEVEN Was Paul Not Actually a Minister of the New Covenant? Due almost entirely to some dispensationalists viewing Jeremiah 31:31-34 (and Hebrews 8:8-12) as the crux interpretum of the New covenant (Part 2), we have the awkward scenario of those who exalt the grammatical-historical hermeneutic failing to use it when Paul applies the New covenant to the Church. The passage below seems on the face of it to be as clear as day. But those who claim that the …
PART SIX The New Covenant in the Gospels Coming now to the Four Gospels, let me begin with Simeon’s statement in Luke 2. Luke tells us that Simeon was, “waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” (Lk. 2:25). As far as Simeon was concerned Jesus was to have a dual salvific role to the Gentiles and also to Israel: For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of …
PART FIVE Looking at Isaiah 52:13 – Isa. 53:12 in Light of the New Covenant Many lists of New covenant verses do not include Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12. But I believe there is justification for using it as at least a supporting passage for the study of the New covenant. Allow me to explain my reasons for this. Firstly, I have already drawn attention to the soteriological focus of the New covenant texts such as Deut. 30:6; Hos. 2:19-20; Isa. …
PART FOUR Although being cognizant of Fredrickson’s research regarding pre-19th century commentators on Isaiah 42:6 and 49:8 I think a selection of quotes from representative scholarship will help drive my point home. My point being that it is not some novel view that understands the “covenant” in these texts as being, in fact, Jesus Himself. Many may wish to avoid saying “Jesus is the New covenant.” But I think it hard to circumvent the claim that “Jesus is the embodiment …
PART THREE The Form of a Divine Covenant Both Isaiah 42:6 and 49:8 include a messianic prediction of the Servant of Yahweh being “made as a covenant.” However, one quite often reads the objection “a person cannot be a covenant.” When I read such a statement I wonder to myself what it is about a covenant that prohibits a person from being one? Is a covenant a piece of paper with some writing and signatures? Or is it the ancient …
