Is the New Testament an addendum to or a replacement for the Old Testament?

Question

What did Christ mean when he said he was bringing a NEW convenant?

Answer 1

In the OT people had to obey the 613 laws given to the Israelites to be declared justified in God's sight. Jesus came to offer the perfect sacrifice that by faith makes people justified.

Hebrews 9:11 But Christ came as a High Priest of the good things to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. (12) Not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered once for all into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption. (13) For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling those having been defiled, sanctifies for the purity of the flesh, (14) by how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, will cleanse your conscience from dead works in order that we might serve the living God? (15) And on account of this He is the Mediator of the new covenant, so that, since a death has occurred for redemption of the transgressions at the time of the first covenant, that those having been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

The sacrifices in the OT where pointing to the final sacrifice that God would provide by sending his Son to pay our sin debt once and for all. This sacrifice was first foreshadowed by Abraham when God told him to sacrifice his promised son Isaac and at the last moment God provided a ram that was symbolic of the Christ to come. The OT law was given to show us our need for a Savior because no one could keep the law perfectly.

Galatians 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. (24) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

After Jesus was raised from the dead He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers and to teach people how to live a righteous God fearing life. This new covenant was prophecied by Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 31:31 "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, (32) not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. (33) But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (34) And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Answer 2

Addendum. The Old Testament is not a single covenant. In the ancient world, God made several covenants. Jews did not try to convert their ancient neighbors because they believed that the pagans had their own covenants with God. Noah preached a new covenant that included, but transcended, the covenant made with Adam. Abraham preached a new covenant that included, yet transcended, the covenant made with Noah. Moses preached a new covenant that included, but transcended the covenant made with Abraham. Jesus preached a new covenant that included, but transcended, the covenant made with Moses.

Also, the Bible is a record of progressive revelation. The earliest passages of Scripture represent a primitive, and often barbaric, concept of God. By the time we get to the Apocalypse of John, we see a sophisticated, philosophical religion. For this reason, traditional Christianity assigned a hierarchy to the books of the Bible, and interpreted the lower rungs of the hierarchy through the philosophical categories of the higher rungs.

This same order of progression is recorded in the Old Testament. Prophets writing during the Babylonian Captivity are often critical of the older views presented in Scripture. Some prophets, for example, criticized the bloody sacrifices of the older order, even though those sacrifices were, at one time, commanded in Scripture.

Answer 3

The Bible is divided into two parts, an Old Testament and a New Testament. These names were chosen for a reason. A testament is a covenant. In the Bible there are two covenants. The old one and the new one that replaced the old one. Both are preserved in the Bible for us to read and study. We believe that the New Testament replaces the Old Testament and that God’s people today must follow the New Testament.

Answer 4

The New Testament is an addendum and amendment written specifically for Christians. Christians are told to read and learn from the Old Testament, but we should live under a new law.

“Joh:1:45: Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Ac:13:39: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Heb:3:1: Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

Heb:3:6: But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

These are just a few quotes from the KJV that remind me that Christians live under “Grace” and not the law. However, it is important to remember the importance of studying and learning from the entire Bible.

Answer 5

New covenant, before man was made righteous by keeping the law. That does not mean the 10 commandments. The law was large and tough. the requirements were a great burden on the people. The "New Covenant" placed a 'new law' (the Holy Spirit) in the hearts of "believers". The New Testament will not work for non believers.

Answer 6

Certainly not a replacement.
Mostly that the old testament was about and concerning the jews and the new testament was about the gentiles mostly.

The new covenant was a set of rules to go by that applied to everyone essentially.

For instance Judaism observed the passover... in the old testament the passover is supposed to be observed forever and ever ... but it wasnt directed at the gentiles. So christians dont observe it.

Just an example not sure if thats what yourlookin for.

Answer 7

In the OT God showed the people his standard of righteousness, the 10 Commandments. They were like a mirror to their morality. The 10 Commandments revealed that they were sinful and needed forgiveness.

God then showed them how to cover their sins through the animal sacrifices. God told them that life is in the blood so it takes blood to atone for sins (Leviticus 17:11). But all that was just a picture or blueprint, so to speak, of God's real plan because he only reveals what people can undestand at the time. For now, he was covering, but not taking away sin.

The Bible tells us that the blood of animals cannot take away sin (Hebrews 10:4).

But Jesus Christ can actually take away sin through his sacrifice (Hebrews 9:14-15).

Jesus told people that he came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17-18).

So...the OT is a preparation for the NT. It's kind of like the rest of the story. One is not complete without the other. The Old Testament is the foundation for th New.

;-)

Answer 8

It is a continuation and clarification.... The New Covenent replaced the substitutionary acts of animal sacrifice.... The covenant under Christ dose not require any further sacrifice be made for an individual to receive God's free gift of Salvation.... also voided were some of the priestly laws, as there are o more priests, and cerimonial and dietary laws... The rremaining laws are all coverd in Christ's commandment to"... Love The Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.... and to love your neighbor as yourself"....if you keep this commandment you will automaticaly keep all the remaining Laws from the "old Testiment"

Answer 9

It is all about fulfillment, my good man. Christianity is Judaism fulfilled. Christ brought the new covenant promised in Jeremiah:

"Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jeremiah 31:31-33)

Answer 10

It is neither an addendum nor a continuation. Those who say that the OT was really about Jesus are ignorant bible thumpers. Both are a people's individual stories of salvation history. The NT "claims" Christ was the Messiah prefigured in the OT. But that is a claim of the followers of Christ. Jews would say, "NO" Jesus was an ethical teacher but that is all. It is in John's Gospel that we get the strongest claim that Jesus was the actual "son of God" and hence divine, which would be repugnant to Judaism.