The Difference Between The Old and New Testaments
There is one fact that every student of the Bible must acknowledge in his study of the Holy Scriptures: There is a DIFFERENCE between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Each of the Testaments is a completely different system, even though both are required to reveal God’s Wonderful Plan of salvation. Both of these Testaments are not in force today. The Old covenant served its purpose and was completely fulfilled by Christ. The new covenant of Christ began on Pentecost day (Acts 2) and continues through to today and will be in effect until his second coming (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
The Old Testament was given only to the Jewish nation as seen in Exodus 19:4-6. A Gentile (non-Jew) was never included as a part of the Old Testament; he was never subject to its laws, rites, ceremonies, etc. All other nations were not to be included in God’s plan of salvation until Christ came and revealed the New Testament (Genesis 12:1-2; Matthew 28:19-20; Galatians 3:26-29).
We must remember that Christ served a dual purpose in God’s Wonderful Plan. First, Christ was connected to the Old Testament as the promised Messiah to the Jewish nation. Christ was born as a Jew and lived his entire life under the covenant of the Old Testament (Galatians 4:4-5; Matthew 8:1-4). his work was to prepare the Jews for the end of the Law of the Old Testament with its temple, priests, etc., and for the change to the New Testament Kingdom. So during his ministry He continually told the Jews of the coming Kingdom (Mark 9:1). As the Messiah, Jesus Christ fulfilled all of the promises of the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17; Luke 24:44). The final act of his work among the Jews was his death on the cross. This act brought the Old Testament to a close and established the beginning of the New Testament period (Hebrews 9:15-17).
The New Testament reveals Christ as King or Head of the church which includes all of mankind, both Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:11-22). The New Testament makes it plain that no one, not even a Jew can revert back to the system of the Old Testament and be justified in Christ, because the Old Testament is no longer in effect (Romans 3:28-29; Galatians 5:3-4).
As some might astonishingly ask, “Do you mean that we are no longer to keep the Ten Commandments?” When we properly understand the Testaments and especially which covenant is in effect today, we can understand that the Ten Commandments as they were given to Moses and the Jews on Mount Sinai are not binding upon us today. The Ten Commandments, like all other parts of the Old Testament, were abolished by the cross (Colossians 2:14). However, Christians under the New Testament are not without commandments! Every principle of righteousness that was found in the Ten Commandments is found in the gospel commandments as seen in the following parallel scriptures:
God’s Word through the Holy Spirit states that the change from the Old Testament to the New Testament was necessary: “When a different kind of priesthood is established, the regulations for those priests are different. (Hebrews 7:12). “If nothing had been wrong with the first promise (covenant), no one would look for another one." (Hebrews 8:7). “Then Christ says, ‘I have come to do what you want.’ He did away with sacrifices in order to establish the obedience that God wants." (Hebrews 10:9). †
The Old Testament was given only to the Jewish nation as seen in Exodus 19:4-6. A Gentile (non-Jew) was never included as a part of the Old Testament; he was never subject to its laws, rites, ceremonies, etc. All other nations were not to be included in God’s plan of salvation until Christ came and revealed the New Testament (Genesis 12:1-2; Matthew 28:19-20; Galatians 3:26-29).
We must remember that Christ served a dual purpose in God’s Wonderful Plan. First, Christ was connected to the Old Testament as the promised Messiah to the Jewish nation. Christ was born as a Jew and lived his entire life under the covenant of the Old Testament (Galatians 4:4-5; Matthew 8:1-4). his work was to prepare the Jews for the end of the Law of the Old Testament with its temple, priests, etc., and for the change to the New Testament Kingdom. So during his ministry He continually told the Jews of the coming Kingdom (Mark 9:1). As the Messiah, Jesus Christ fulfilled all of the promises of the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17; Luke 24:44). The final act of his work among the Jews was his death on the cross. This act brought the Old Testament to a close and established the beginning of the New Testament period (Hebrews 9:15-17).
The New Testament reveals Christ as King or Head of the church which includes all of mankind, both Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:11-22). The New Testament makes it plain that no one, not even a Jew can revert back to the system of the Old Testament and be justified in Christ, because the Old Testament is no longer in effect (Romans 3:28-29; Galatians 5:3-4).
As some might astonishingly ask, “Do you mean that we are no longer to keep the Ten Commandments?” When we properly understand the Testaments and especially which covenant is in effect today, we can understand that the Ten Commandments as they were given to Moses and the Jews on Mount Sinai are not binding upon us today. The Ten Commandments, like all other parts of the Old Testament, were abolished by the cross (Colossians 2:14). However, Christians under the New Testament are not without commandments! Every principle of righteousness that was found in the Ten Commandments is found in the gospel commandments as seen in the following parallel scriptures:
God’s Word through the Holy Spirit states that the change from the Old Testament to the New Testament was necessary: “When a different kind of priesthood is established, the regulations for those priests are different. (Hebrews 7:12). “If nothing had been wrong with the first promise (covenant), no one would look for another one." (Hebrews 8:7). “Then Christ says, ‘I have come to do what you want.’ He did away with sacrifices in order to establish the obedience that God wants." (Hebrews 10:9). †
