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The Two Covenants (Covenant of Law versus Covenant of Grace)
(Dispensation of Condemnation versus Dispensation of Righteousness)
by Rene P. Brown
First Reading (RSV):
2Cor 3:5-9 (RSV) "Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our
competence is from God, 6who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a
written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7Now if the
dispensation of death, carved in letters on stone [Ten Commandments], came with such splendor that
the Israelites could not look at Moses' face because of its brightness, fading as this was, 8will not the
dispensation of the Spirit be attended with greater splendor? 9For if there was splendor in the
dispensation of condemnation, the dispensation of righteousness must far exceed it in splendor."
Second Reading (RSV):
Heb 10:12-18 (RSV) "But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat
down at the right hand of God, 13then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet. 14For
by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15And the Holy Spirit also
bears witness to us; for after saying, 16"This is the [New] covenant that I will make with them after those
days, says the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds," 17then he
adds, "I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more." 18Where there is forgiveness of these,
there is no longer any offering for sin."
Hundreds of years before God made a Covenant of Law through Moses God made a covenant with
Abraham. This covenant He made with Abraham was completely a covenant of grace. Abraham simply
believed and God did it all. There was no requirements for Abraham to perform. This covenant foretells
of Jesus’ sacrifice and a New Covenant of Grace through faith.
First, it was a covenant of grace: (Gal 3:6-7 RSV) “Thus Abraham "believed
God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." 7So you see that it is men of
faith who are the sons of Abraham."
Second, it was a covenant of blood - ratified by God’s cutting covenant with
Abraham
Third, Abraham did no works (In fact, he sinned by lying! God never
reprimanded Abraham for this sin.)
Fourth, Abraham only believed.
Fifth, the story of Jacob, grandson of Abraham, is very similar to Abraham’s
story. Jacob also trusted God, and God reckoned it to him as righteousness. He did
this in spite of the fact that Jacob was a schemer and a liar. He stole his brother’s
birthright. God never reprimanded Jacob for this sin but allowed him to be cheated
in turn to allow Jacob to learn from his mistakes.
So we see that the covenant which God made with Abraham was not a covenant of law but rather it
was a covenant of grace just as the covenant we have with the Lord God through Jesus is a covenant of
grace.
Let us look at these two important covenants in the bible which we call The Old Covenant and The New
Covenant.
(Dispensation of Condemnation versus Dispensation of Righteousness)
by Rene P. Brown
First Reading (RSV):
2Cor 3:5-9 (RSV) "Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our
competence is from God, 6who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a
written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7Now if the
dispensation of death, carved in letters on stone [Ten Commandments], came with such splendor that
the Israelites could not look at Moses' face because of its brightness, fading as this was, 8will not the
dispensation of the Spirit be attended with greater splendor? 9For if there was splendor in the
dispensation of condemnation, the dispensation of righteousness must far exceed it in splendor."
Second Reading (RSV):
Heb 10:12-18 (RSV) "But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat
down at the right hand of God, 13then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet. 14For
by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15And the Holy Spirit also
bears witness to us; for after saying, 16"This is the [New] covenant that I will make with them after those
days, says the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds," 17then he
adds, "I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more." 18Where there is forgiveness of these,
there is no longer any offering for sin."
Hundreds of years before God made a Covenant of Law through Moses God made a covenant with
Abraham. This covenant He made with Abraham was completely a covenant of grace. Abraham simply
believed and God did it all. There was no requirements for Abraham to perform. This covenant foretells
of Jesus’ sacrifice and a New Covenant of Grace through faith.
First, it was a covenant of grace: (Gal 3:6-7 RSV) “Thus Abraham "believed
God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." 7So you see that it is men of
faith who are the sons of Abraham."
Second, it was a covenant of blood - ratified by God’s cutting covenant with
Abraham
Third, Abraham did no works (In fact, he sinned by lying! God never
reprimanded Abraham for this sin.)
Fourth, Abraham only believed.
Fifth, the story of Jacob, grandson of Abraham, is very similar to Abraham’s
story. Jacob also trusted God, and God reckoned it to him as righteousness. He did
this in spite of the fact that Jacob was a schemer and a liar. He stole his brother’s
birthright. God never reprimanded Jacob for this sin but allowed him to be cheated
in turn to allow Jacob to learn from his mistakes.
So we see that the covenant which God made with Abraham was not a covenant of law but rather it
was a covenant of grace just as the covenant we have with the Lord God through Jesus is a covenant of
grace.
Let us look at these two important covenants in the bible which we call The Old Covenant and The New
Covenant.
