Grace: Reading the Bible through New Covenant...

Grace: Reading the Bible through New Covenant lens

2 Tim 2:15

Rightly dividing

2 Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (NKJ)

orthotomeo = orthos (straight) and temno (to cut).

"cutting straight the word of truth."

Rightly dividing

Heb 9:15-17 15For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, … 16In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17because a will is in force only when somebody hasdied; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.

The change from the Old to the New testament starts with a death.

Diathēkē= testament = a will = covenant

Not true: “Everything changed at the blank page that separates the Old and New testaments in the Bible.”

Old Testament New Testament

GenesisExodus

Gospels Acts Epistles Revelation

It is finished

Old Covenant:Law of sin and death

New Covenant:Law of the Spirit of life


GenesisExodus


It is finished




GenesisExodus

Under the Law Condemns the very best of Man

Gospels Epistles Revelation

Under Grace: Law FreeReconciles the very worst of Man

Christ the end of the Law (Rom10:4)

It is finished

Jesus:Fulfilled the Law (Matt 5:17)Abolished the Law (Eph 2:14-15)

No Law

Acts




GenesisExodus

Under the Law (Ex 24:8)Condemns the very best of Man




It is finished

Jesus:Fulfilled the Law (Matt 5:17)Abolished the Law (Eph 2:14-15)

Yahweh: God for usEmman-uel,Godwith us

Immanence: Christ in us

No Law

Paul reveals the mystery of God –salvation for all through the New Covenant (Eph3:6, Col 1:26-27)

The Cross: the dividing line

The Cross: the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, and the subsequent outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, divides history and how God relates with us.

Old covenant: blessed if we were good. New covenant: blessed because He is good.

Before the cross: old law covenant After the cross: new covenant based on grace

( made the old covenant obsolete - Heb 8:13)


Jesus was ever pointing towards the cross as making all the difference.

John 14:19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.


Therefore read the Bible through the filter of the Cross:

a) Is this scripture describing the old law covenant that condemns sinners?

or

b) Is it describing the new grace covenant that makes sinners righteous

1. Jesus taught that all of the OT were shadows of Him.

Luke 23:25 He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

44He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

26Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

The Old Testament

Psalm 51:11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

2. Understand biblical truths through New Covenant lens.

The Old Testament

Matt 28:20b And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

John 14:16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—

3. The role of OT for us in the New Covenant

The Old Testament

Rom 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

The Gospels:3 questions

A simple, fundamental rule to understanding the Gospels/Scriptures is to simply ask:

Who is speaking?

Whom are they speaking to?

What are they speaking about?

Many people to were quoted in the Bible, including the fool, the devil etc.

Not all quotations are the truth about God or Jesus.

a) Who is speaking?

'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.


Important to know to whom Jesus was speaking.

Questions from Pharisees:His answers would relate to Jews under the Law and not to Christian Gentiles.

He clearly stated, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." (Matt 15:24)

b) To whom are they speaking?


Luke 18:18 A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 19"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 20You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.‘ “ 21"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. 22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

e.g. Eternal life

e.g. Eternal life

The ruler was living under the Old Covenant and Jesus spoke to him as such.

Is Jesus saying the way to eternal life is by obeying the 10 commandments? Or by selling everything and giving to the poor?

Today under the New Covenant, His answer would be:"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Rom. 10:13).“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31).

e.g. Forgiveness

Matt 6:12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Matt 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

IF this, THEN. This is a conditional clause.

“IF you forgive, THEN He will forgive.”

“IF you do not, THEN He will not.”

e.g. Forgiveness

Eph 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.Col 3:13 Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

IF God had forgiven me, THEN I forgive.

Forgiveness is about our relationship with Christ. IF we have received God’s forgiveness thru Him THEN we can and should forgive others.

Often Jesus was speaking about the Law to the Jews under the Law. Application to a born-again Gentile cannot be the same.

Jesus summed up the Old Covenant law as: Love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and love others as ourselves. (Matt 22:37-40)

e.g. Commandments

c) What are they speaking about?

The Gospels3 questions

Under the New Covenant:

1 John 3:23 And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us.

John 13:34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

The Gospels3 questions

c) What are they speaking about?

Gospels records the “physical” happenings as to the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Pauline Epistles

Paul wrote about the spiritual consequencesof what happened — that we died with Christ, rose with Him, and are seated with Him in Heaven.

The mystery “that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 3:6)

Paul’s epistles are New Covenant:

2. The epistles were written when the Holy Spirit, who will lead us to all truth about Jesus and what a great work He has done, had come (John 16:13,14)

1. He received the gospel by revelation directly from the resurrected and ascended Jesus (Gal 1:11-12)

3. Paul was called specifically to be an apostle to the gentiles.

Pauline Epistles

Paul did not contradict Jesus but continued where Jesus left off.

Pauline Epistles

e.g. Righteousness

Matt 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matt 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matt 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Pauline Epistles

e.g. Righteousness

Rom 1:17 For in the gospel a righteousness from Godis revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, …

Rom 3:21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

Pauline Epistles

e.g. Righteousness

Rom 4:5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Rom 5:17b … how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Conclusion 2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training inrighteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Through Jesus’ death, God has made us righteous- without guilt, fear or condemnation -and has justified us – “just as if” we had no sin.

We need to be diligent to rightly divide the Word of truth to train our minds to know, understand and embrace this truth - He has made us righteous!




GenesisExodus

Under the Law (Ex 24:8)Condemns the very best of Man




It is finished

Jesus:Fulfilled the Law (Matt 5: 17)Abolished the Law (Eph 2:14-15)

Yahweh - God for usEmman-uel -God with us

Immanence - Christ in us

No Law

Paul reveals the mystery of God –salvation for all through the New Covenant (Eph3:6, Col 1:26-27)

Grace: Reading the Bible through New Covenant...

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