The Bible is divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament both of which have a significance in the Christian faith. The two sections of the Bible entail two covenants that is the Old covenant between God and the Israelites freed from slavery in Egypt and the new covenant made between God and the Cristian believers after the crucifixion of his son Jesus Christ. The Bible shows the foundation laid by the Old covenant that paved the path to the forming of the new covenant. These two covenants are differentiated in various aspects as shown in this article.
Parties involved- The parties involved in both categories varied whereby in the Old covenant the parties involved included God and the Israelites freed from slavery in Egypt. The New covenant on the other hand involved God and the believers of the Christian faith after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
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Mediator- the Old covenant was formed at the top of Mount Sinai with Moses as the mediator whereas, the new covenant was formed through Jesus’s crucifixion with Jesus as the mediator.
Sacrifice- Both covenants entailed sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. The Old covenant however, entailed animal sacrifice consistently offered to God over a period of time, while in the new covenant Jesus became the perfect sacrifice so that his blood would wash away all sin for whoever believes (Martens, 2015).
Structure of the covenant- The Old covenant was set on tablets in writing which were read to the Israelites and interpreted to be followed. The New covenant on the other hand is spread as the gospel told to Christian believers from the Bible.
Permanence- the Bible expresses the Old covenant as temporary which is seen in God’s promise to establish new covenant as cited in the book of Hebrews 8:8-12. The New testament on the other hand is permanent, established through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ’ crucifixion (Walls, 2015).
The promise- In the Old covenant God promised the people of Israel prosperity and protection if they obeyed the laws of the Old covenant. In the New covenant however, God promises salvation from sin and eternal life for any who believes and lives by it.
Prayer- in the Old covenant prayer was conducted through an intercessor who was Aaron. Aaron as the High priest was the only individual who interceded with God directly on behalf of the Israelites. Under the New covenant prayer can be conducted by any Christian who believes, as long as they pray through Jesus Christ the son of God who intercedes on the behalf of all Christians to his Father in heaven.
Reference
Walls, A. F. (2015). Missionary Movement in Christian History: Studies in the Transmission of Faith . Orbis Books.
Martens, E. A. (2015). God's design: A focus on Old Testament Theology . Wipf and Stock Publishers.
