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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Is baptism a sign of the New Covenant? | Luke 22:20 | Morant61 | 80377 | ||
Greetings Joe! We may be using the words 'sign of the covenant' in a different manner. :-) The way I understand the term from the Old Testament, one had to be circumcized in order to be a receipient of the benefits of the covenant. I don't see anything used in this manner in the New Testament. Are there things which those who are part of the covenant should do? Yes! Do these things have to be done to become a recipient of the New Covenant blessings? No! I would be real hesitant to call something a 'sign of the covenant' if the Bible doesn't call it such. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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2 | Is baptism a sign of the New Covenant? | Luke 22:20 | Reformer Joe | 80394 | ||
"The way I understand the term from the Old Testament, one had to be circumcized in order to be a receipient of the benefits of the covenant." One became a member of the visible covenant people through circumcision, but were the spiritual benefits of the covenant limited only to the circumcised? "For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God." --Romans 2:25-29 This is why a distinction is made between the visible church and the invisible church. Just because the circumcision by God of the heart made one a "true Jew" did not mean that the outward circumcision didn't take place. The latter visibly marked a child as a member of God's people and truly set him apart as a covenant member. Whether he would show himself to be a covenant breaker or a covenant keeper would remain to be seen. Whatever the true spiritual condition of the circumcised male, he and the rest of the outwardly circumsized were "in it together." --Joe! |
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3 | Is baptism a sign of the New Covenant? | Luke 22:20 | Morant61 | 80426 | ||
Greetings Joe! Is this the way that the average Jew understood circumcision? It seems to me that they viewed circumcision as necessary for being part of the covenant, which of course is why Paul had problems with the Judaizers They tried to take the same approach with salvation. But, more to the point, there still isn't any New Testament verse which speaks of any kind of sign of our New Covenant, so I would hesitate to apply that term to anything. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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4 | Is baptism a sign of the New Covenant? | Luke 22:20 | Reformer Joe | 80502 | ||
Hey again, Tim. You wrote: "Is this the way that the average Jew understood circumcision?" I don't know, but the important question is, what did God mean by it? "It seems to me that they viewed circumcision as necessary for being part of the covenant, which of course is why Paul had problems with the Judaizers" I think that the problem Paul has with the Judaizers was their refusal to understand that the people of God included those who were not part of God's covenant through Moses. Their problem was failing to understand how Christ's revelation had changed the way God works. One did not have to become a Jew in order to be a covenant member anymore. "But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity." --Ephesians 2:13-16 I also see throughout the Bible a distinction between the covenant people of God and those who are truly God's children. Obviously, there is considerable overlap, but the two groups are not completely identical. Jesus stressed this when he pointed out to the Pharisees that their ancestor may have been Abraham, but their father was the devil. Likewise, I do believe that baptism includes us in the covenant people of God, but that being part of the New Covenant and being saved are not synonymous. Just like we had the Achans and the Nadabs and Abihus and the Manassahs who were among God's covenant people but most definitely not saved, so we have those who breakers of the New Covenant as well. "They tried to take the same approach with salvation." And they were wrong to do so. Covenantal membership is not synonymous with salvation (not to mention the fact that the New Covenant represented a completely new dispensation of God's redemption). "But, more to the point, there still isn't any New Testament verse which speaks of any kind of sign of our New Covenant, so I would hesitate to apply that term to anything." Not me! You know what a rash guy I can be sometimes! :) --Joe! |
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