WHY CALLED THE "NEW COVENANT."
By G.
We learn from 1 Tim. 2:5 that there is "one mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus." We also learn from Heb. 12:24 that He is "the mediator of the new covenant." According to the Standard Dictionary, a mediator is "any agent that stands or goes between; especially, one who interposes between parties at variance in order to reconcile them." Two parties at variance are God and the world, the variance being caused by sin—by man's departure from God through disobedience. And the plan of salvation was devised that the world might be reconciled unto God, this reconciliation being through Christ the mediator. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the "word of reconciliation." See 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Eph. 2:8-18. When did Christ become a mediator?—Evidently when the Gospel was first proclaimed, or just as soon as a mediator was needed. Before man sinned he had been formally notified of the consequence of disobedience; so the moment he did disobey he was under sentence of death. Then what alone could save him from eternal execution?—Only the interposition of a mediator. The Gospel of salvation, the "word of reconciliation," was immediately put into action. So Christ's work as mediator of the covenant began as soon as there was variance between God and man. The sin of the first man opened the way for sin and death to lay hold upon all his posterity, and "God so loved the world [from Adam down], that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."8 Then the moment that Christ's mediatorship began, that which is called the "new," or "second," covenant went into effect; for Christ never was a mediator of any other covenant. Men were saved back there, and they could not have been saved by the "old" covenant,—first, because it was not in existence until the exodus from Egypt; and secondly, there could be no salvation under it alone, as all its service was only typical and could make nothing perfect, as its power of performance on man's part was merely human. See Hebrews 9. Why, then, is this covenant, by which alone men could be saved in any age, called the "new" or "second" covenant, in contradistinction from the "first" or "old" covenant, which did not exist until the people of Israel were delivered from Egypt?—The reason is, that it was second in ratification. It was ratified by the blood of Christ. The death of Christ made good all that had been done under it from the beginning. All that had been done of worth during the time of the old covenant was subject to, and dependent upon, the "better promises" of the new covenant. Christ "is the mediator of the new testament [covenant], that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." Heb. 9:15. The old covenant stood only in the blood of animals and on the promises of a vacillating people. Its service was a temporary system of symbolic object-lessons for the instruction of the people. Nothing that was done under it availed anything for salvation only as those for whom the service was performed were actuated by faith in the promises of the new covenant, which had been made before. But this covenant, altho it could not fail because it was backed by the word of God, was not deemed complete until the death of Christ. "For where a testament [covenant] is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead." In the case of men, however, "it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth." This is because that while fallible men are alive, they may change their testament, or will; so there is no certainty as to what it will finally be until they are dead, then the last will is of force. But in the case of the covenant of which Christ is the mediator, it was just as sure when first uttered as it could be, because it was based upon the immutable promise of the Father and the Son that it would be ratified by the death of Christ. Yet the death of Christ was necessary because that was the voucher of the faith of all who had or should become parties to the covenant. But, as before stated, it was not deemed completed until the ratification, when it was reckoned as "new" because of the passing away of the "old." Again, that which is faulty, and of no value in and of itself, must of necessity become old in the sense of wearing out; while that which is infallible is always practically new. Like all the mercies of the Lord the "covenant of sacrifice" is "new every morning." G.