New Covenant Theology
Encyclopedia
New Covenant Theology is a Christian theological system which teaches that the Old Testament Laws
have been fulfilled and abrogated
or cancelled with Christ's death
, and replaced with the Law of Christ of the New Covenant
. It shares similarities and yet is distinct from Dispensationalism
and Covenant Theology
and attempts to eliminate the perceived weak points of the two. New Covenant theologians, however, understand many of the Old Covenant laws as reinstituted under the New Covenant.
which claims that all Old Covenant
laws have been cancelled in favor of the Law of Christ or New Covenant
law of the New Testament
. This can be summarized as the ethical expectation found in the New Testament
. New Covenant Theology does not reject all religious law
, they only reject Old Covenant law. NCT is in contrast with other views on Biblical law
in that most other do not believe the Ten Commandments and Divine law
s of the Old Covenant have been cancelled, and may prefer the term "Supersessionism
" for the rest.
New Covenant theologians see the Law of Christ or New Testament Law as actually including many of the Divine Laws, thus, even though all Old Covenant laws have been cancelled, many have been renewed under the Law of Christ. This is a conclusion similar to older Christian theological systems on this issue, in that some Old Covenant laws are seen as still valid or renewed, but this conclusion is reached in a different way.
On the issue of the law, Dispensationalism
is most similar to NCT but their core belief is that the age of the Old Covenant is in the past, not that it has simply been cancelled. But NCT rejects the idea that the Bible can be divided into dispensations or ages. Richard Barcellos has criticized NCT for proposing that the Ten Commandments have been cancelled.
and Dispensationalist
view of how the Old Testament
, and in particular the Mosaic Covenant
, apply to the Christian today. On balance, though, the New Covenantal position probably holds a lot more in common with Reformed Covenant Theology than it does with Dispensationalism.
Some logical deductions of New Covenant Theologians and advocates have been that since "the whole Old Covenant is obsolete", "none of the commands of the Mosaic Law are binding on believers today.". Covenant Theologians, on the other hand, believe that at least portions of the Old Testament law is binding on Christians, though there is some variation on which parts and how they apply.
Adherents believe that the New Covenant came into effect with ministry of Jesus
, such as at the Last Supper
when Jesus said in "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." The New Testament
also states,
Thus, the New Covenant is a gracious covenant. Those included in the covenant are reconciled to God by grace alone apart from anything they do. Jesus purchased a people by His death on the cross so that all those for whom He died receive full forgiveness of sins and become incurable God-lovers by the Holy Spirit.
. The version of law in the New Covenant
era is the Law of Christ, which includes the commands of Christ that pertain to the New Covenant era and the commands of his Apostles
, but not the Apostolic Decree.
. It signified that you were physically born into the unbelieving (non-Christian) people of God, Israel. It was given to all Israelites, irrespective of repentance
and faith
. Baptism
is the outward sign that regeneration has occurred. It signifies that you have been spiritually born into the believing people of God, the church
. It is given to all those who give evidence of regeneration, which is repentance and faith.
Many critics find fault with NCT treatment of the Ten Commandments as having been abrogated.
They also claim that NCT makes the mistake of claiming a different form of salvation between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. One such example would be from the book "New Covenant Theology" by Tom Wells and Fred Zaspel. Page 31 deals with the gospel preached to Abraham it says that it was not “the gospel” but the “promise of the gospel”. Referring to Romans 1:2, it states, “Paul looks on the gospel as “promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures” plainly implying that it had not yet come in OT times.”
Directories:
Articles:
Comparative Theology:
New Covenant Statements of Faith:
Web Site Ministries:
613 mitzvot
The 613 commandments is a numbering of the statements and principles of law, ethics, and spiritual practice contained in the Torah or Five Books of Moses...
have been fulfilled and abrogated
Abrogation of Old Covenant laws
While many Christian theology systems reflect the view that at least some Mosaic laws have been set aside under the New Covenant, there are some theology systems that view the entire Mosaic or Old Covenant as abrogated in that all of the Mosaic laws are set aside for the Law of Christ...
or cancelled with Christ's death
Crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...
, and replaced with the Law of Christ of the New Covenant
New Covenant
The New Covenant is a concept originally derived from the Hebrew Bible. The term "New Covenant" is used in the Bible to refer to an epochal relationship of restoration and peace following a period of trial and judgment...
. It shares similarities and yet is distinct from Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism is a nineteenth-century evangelical development based on a futurist biblical hermeneutic that sees a series of chronologically successive "dispensations" or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants.As a system,...
and Covenant Theology
Covenant Theology
Covenant theology is a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall flow of the Bible...
and attempts to eliminate the perceived weak points of the two. New Covenant theologians, however, understand many of the Old Covenant laws as reinstituted under the New Covenant.
Theology
New Covenant Theology is a recently expressed Christian theological view of redemptive historyRedemptive-Historical Preaching
- History :Redemptive-historical preaching is a method of preaching that was forged in the fires of debate in the Reformed churches of the Netherlands in the early 1940s. The debate concerned itself with the question: “How are we to preach the historical narratives of the Bible?”On one side of the...
which claims that all Old Covenant
Old Covenant
The Old Covenant was the name of the agreement which effected the union of Iceland and Norway. It is also known as Gissurarsáttmáli, named after Gissur Þorvaldsson, the Icelandic chieftain who worked to promote it. The name "Old Covenant", however, is probably due to historical confusion...
laws have been cancelled in favor of the Law of Christ or New Covenant
New Covenant
The New Covenant is a concept originally derived from the Hebrew Bible. The term "New Covenant" is used in the Bible to refer to an epochal relationship of restoration and peace following a period of trial and judgment...
law of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. This can be summarized as the ethical expectation found in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. New Covenant Theology does not reject all religious law
Religious law
In some religions, law can be thought of as the ordering principle of reality; knowledge as revealed by a God defining and governing all human affairs. Law, in the religious sense, also includes codes of ethics and morality which are upheld and required by the God...
, they only reject Old Covenant law. NCT is in contrast with other views on Biblical law
Biblical law in Christianity
Christian views of the Old Covenant have been central to Christian theology and practice since the circumcision controversy in Early Christianity. There are differing views about the applicability of the Old Covenant among Christian denominations...
in that most other do not believe the Ten Commandments and Divine law
Divine law
Divine law is any law that in the opinion of believers, comes directly from the will of God . Like natural law it is independent of the will of man, who cannot change it. However it may be revealed or not, so it may change in human perception in time through new revelation...
s of the Old Covenant have been cancelled, and may prefer the term "Supersessionism
Supersessionism
Supersessionism is a term for the dominant Christian view of the Old Covenant, also called fulfillment theology and replacement theology, though the latter term is disputed...
" for the rest.
New Covenant theologians see the Law of Christ or New Testament Law as actually including many of the Divine Laws, thus, even though all Old Covenant laws have been cancelled, many have been renewed under the Law of Christ. This is a conclusion similar to older Christian theological systems on this issue, in that some Old Covenant laws are seen as still valid or renewed, but this conclusion is reached in a different way.
On the issue of the law, Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism is a nineteenth-century evangelical development based on a futurist biblical hermeneutic that sees a series of chronologically successive "dispensations" or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants.As a system,...
is most similar to NCT but their core belief is that the age of the Old Covenant is in the past, not that it has simply been cancelled. But NCT rejects the idea that the Bible can be divided into dispensations or ages. Richard Barcellos has criticized NCT for proposing that the Ten Commandments have been cancelled.
Theological Background
New Covenant Theologians view their theology as a middle-ground between a ReformedCovenant Theology
Covenant theology is a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall flow of the Bible...
and Dispensationalist
Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism is a nineteenth-century evangelical development based on a futurist biblical hermeneutic that sees a series of chronologically successive "dispensations" or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants.As a system,...
view of how the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
, and in particular the Mosaic Covenant
Mosaic Covenant
The Mosaic Covenant or Sinaitic Covenant are terms used for the biblical covenant between God and the Israelites...
, apply to the Christian today. On balance, though, the New Covenantal position probably holds a lot more in common with Reformed Covenant Theology than it does with Dispensationalism.
Theological distinctiveness
New Covenant Theology is an Evangelical position, but within evangelicalism there are divergent views on a number of topics. One of those topics is how the salvation history fits together, and the relationship of the covenants within salvation history.Some logical deductions of New Covenant Theologians and advocates have been that since "the whole Old Covenant is obsolete", "none of the commands of the Mosaic Law are binding on believers today.". Covenant Theologians, on the other hand, believe that at least portions of the Old Testament law is binding on Christians, though there is some variation on which parts and how they apply.
The Cross, and the New Heart
By his death on the cross Jesus purchased both complete forgiveness of sins past, present, and future as well as a changed life or new heart for all those for whom He died. Believers love Christ more than sin and are characterized by repentance when they sin. Christ’s work on the cross is the New Covenant.Abrahamic covenant
New Covenant theologians believe that this covenant reveals God's plan to save a people and take them into his land. The Old Covenant with the nation of Israel and the promised land is a temporary picture of what is accomplished by the New Covenant where Jesus actually purchased a people and will take them to be with him forever in the "new heavens and new earth".Old Covenant
The Old or Mosaic Covenant is a legal or works covenant that God made with Israel on Mount Sinai. This covenant is brought to an end and is fulfilled at the cross. It was never intended to save people, but instead its purpose was to increase sin and guilt until the coming of the Savior. Israel, under the Mosaic Covenant, was the physical fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant.New Covenant
The New Covenant is the spiritual fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant.Adherents believe that the New Covenant came into effect with ministry of Jesus
Ministry of Jesus
In the Christian gospels, the Ministry of Jesus begins with his Baptism in the countryside of Judea, near the River Jordan and ends in Jerusalem, following the Last Supper with his disciples. The Gospel of Luke states that Jesus was "about 30 years of age" at the start of his ministry...
, such as at the Last Supper
Last Supper
The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
when Jesus said in "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." The New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
also states,
Thus, the New Covenant is a gracious covenant. Those included in the covenant are reconciled to God by grace alone apart from anything they do. Jesus purchased a people by His death on the cross so that all those for whom He died receive full forgiveness of sins and become incurable God-lovers by the Holy Spirit.
Israel and the Church
Israel in the Old Covenant era was a temporary, unbelieving picture of the true people of God, the church. There always existed a small remnant of believers within unbelieving Israel. When Jesus Christ came, the picture of the people of God gave way to the true people of God consisting of both Jews and Gentiles.Law
The NCT believes that the version of law in the Old Covenant era was the Mosaic Law, which included the Ten CommandmentsTen Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
. The version of law in the New Covenant
New Covenant
The New Covenant is a concept originally derived from the Hebrew Bible. The term "New Covenant" is used in the Bible to refer to an epochal relationship of restoration and peace following a period of trial and judgment...
era is the Law of Christ, which includes the commands of Christ that pertain to the New Covenant era and the commands of his Apostles
Apostle (Christian)
The term apostle is derived from Classical Greek ἀπόστολος , meaning one who is sent away, from στέλλω + από . The literal meaning in English is therefore an "emissary", from the Latin mitto + ex...
, but not the Apostolic Decree.
Circumcision and baptism
The NCT believes that circumcision was the physical picture of regenerationRegeneration (theology)
Regeneration, while sometimes perceived to be a step in the Ordo salutis , is generally understood in Christian theology to be the objective work of God in a believer's life. Spiritually, it means that God brings Christians to new life from a previous state of subjection to the decay of death...
. It signified that you were physically born into the unbelieving (non-Christian) people of God, Israel. It was given to all Israelites, irrespective of repentance
Repentance (theology)
Repentance is a theological term that describes a stage in salvation where the believer turns away from sin. As a distinct stage in the ordo salutis its position is disputed, with some theological traditions arguing it occurs prior to faith and the Reformed theological tradition arguing it occurs...
and faith
Faith in Christianity
Faith, in Christianity, has been most commonly defined by the biblical formulation in the Letter to the Hebrews as "'the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". Most of the definitions in the history of Christian theology have followed this biblical formulation...
. Baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
is the outward sign that regeneration has occurred. It signifies that you have been spiritually born into the believing people of God, the church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
. It is given to all those who give evidence of regeneration, which is repentance and faith.
Critics
Critics claim NCT does not have any historical writings to help validate their system of theology.Many critics find fault with NCT treatment of the Ten Commandments as having been abrogated.
They also claim that NCT makes the mistake of claiming a different form of salvation between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. One such example would be from the book "New Covenant Theology" by Tom Wells and Fred Zaspel. Page 31 deals with the gospel preached to Abraham it says that it was not “the gospel” but the “promise of the gospel”. Referring to Romans 1:2, it states, “Paul looks on the gospel as “promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures” plainly implying that it had not yet come in OT times.”
See also
- Biblical law in ChristianityBiblical law in ChristianityChristian views of the Old Covenant have been central to Christian theology and practice since the circumcision controversy in Early Christianity. There are differing views about the applicability of the Old Covenant among Christian denominations...
- Sabbath in Christianity
- Circumcision controversy in early ChristianityCircumcision controversy in early ChristianityThere is evidence of a controversy over religious male circumcision in Early Christianity. A Council of Jerusalem, possibly held in approximately 50 AD, decreed that male circumcision was not a requirement for Gentile converts. This became known as the "Apostolic Decree" and may be one of the...
- Dual-covenant theologyDual-covenant theologyDual-covenant theology is a Liberal Christian view that holds that Jews may simply keep the Law of Moses, because of the "everlasting covenant" between Abraham and God expressed in the Hebrew Bible, whereas Gentiles must convert to Christianity or alternatively accept the Seven Laws of Noah...
- Paul the Apostle and Judaism
- Antithesis of the Law
Resources
- Lehrer, Steven, New Covenant Theology: Questions Answered (2006)
- Reisinger, John G., Abraham’s Four Seeds (Frederick, MD: New Covenant Media, 1998).
- Scarborough, C., The New Covenant and the Law of Christ: A Biblical Study Guide. (Published privately and available from New Covenant Media/1-800-376-4146).
- Wells, Tom and Zaspel, Fred. New Covenant Theology: Description, Definition, Defense (Frederick, MD: New Covenant Media, 2002).
- Journal of New Covenant Theology, Steven Lehrer editor
- The Law, the Gospel, and the Modern Christian: Five Views Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993. ISBN 978-0310533214, (also republished as Five Views on Law and Gospel). One of the authors, Douglas J. MooDouglas J. MooDouglas J. Moo is a New Testament scholar who, after teaching for more than twenty years at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois, has served as Blanchard Professor of New Testament at the Wheaton College Graduate School since 2000. He received his Ph.D. at the University of St. Andrews,...
, presents what he refers to as a "modified Lutheran View", but it is basically a New Covenant Theology view.
External links
Books:- New Covenant Theology Book Steve Lehrer - 235 pages - defines the NCT understanding of scripture, and answers questions about it.
Directories:
Articles:
- What is New Covenant Theology
- A Brief Explanation of "New Covenant Theology" Fred G. Zaspel
- "But I Say Unto You" John Reisinger
- History of New Covenant Theology Kevin Hartley (from the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
) - Getting the Big Picture Michael W. Adams
- The Abrahamic Covenant Michael W. Adams
- Circumcision and Baptism Michael W. Adams
- The Sabbath Michael W. Adams
- The Old Covenant and the Law of Moses Michael W. Adams
- The Nature of the Ten Commandments Michael W. Adams
- John 15: The Dilemma of an Old Covenant Jew Michael W. Adams
- Rethinking Our Use of "Moral Law" Michael W. Adams
Comparative Theology:
- Theological Systems Compared
- "A New Covenant Critique of Dispensationalism" Regan Ewing
- Covenant Theology vs. New Covenant Theology Tony Warren
- "An Analysis of the Seed of Abraham in New Covenant Theology" (Ph.D. Dissertation) Jeremy Benbrooks
New Covenant Statements of Faith:
- The New Covenant Confession of Faith
- Solo Christo Statement of Faith
- The Statement of Faith for Christ Fellowship of Kansas City
Web Site Ministries: