The Bible is divided into the Old Testament and New Testament, but there are more covenants between man and God than just two. Even if we just focus on the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, the New Covenant is different from the New Testament in the bible. When I say different, what I am saying that it is different in that is that aspects of the New Covenant are recorded in both the Old and the New Testament. Also, a lot of the Old Covenant is recorded in the New Testament. Rightly dividing the Word in the light of covenants is vitally important.
Serving the Lord according to the covenant that He has in place for the time that we are living in is key. Just like using a current manual for your vehicle and not one from an older vehicle, serving the Lord according to the New Covenant established by the blood of Jesus is undeniably vital.
I have heard people say, “If it is in the New Testament, it must be the New Covenant!” and then proceed to teach it as New Covenant doctrine. This is a big mistake and can lead to great error.
The vast part of Jesus’ ministry was as Messiah to the Jews in the context of the Old Covenant. Jesus was a teacher of the Law, or a teacher of the Old Covenant. He did also Teach New Covenant principles to prepare His followers for a New and better covenant. Jesus fully taught the New Covenant after His resurrection including His Great Commission to His church.
Basically, everything before the cross is Old Covenant and Everything after the cross is New Covenant. Again, Jesus’ ministry after His resurrection, the book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament are New Covenant and are to make up our New Covenant doctrine.
Let me give you an example… The question came up In Matthew 8 whether Jesus was willing to heal the leper. Jesus said, “I am willing”. Based upon this some create a doctrine that Jesus is not always willing to heal us. We need to understand that Jesus was responding a Messiah in the context of the Old Covenant. In our New Covenant, Jesus has already healed us… ‘By His stripes we have been healed’… so, the New Covenant question is not “Jesus, are you willing to heal me?” but rather, ‘am I willing to receive by faith what He has already given me?”
In the New Covenant we have already been freely given EVERYTHING in Christ and so the way that we ask for things is that we RECEIVE what Jesus has given with thanksgiving… “Thank You Jesus for my forgiveness, thank You Jesus for my healing, thank you Jesus for my provision”, not “Jesus, will you please, or are you willing?” This is just one example of the Old vs New Covenant and rightly dividing the Word.
‘Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.’
