On Where the Old Covenant is Found

CatechismTheology
Written By Chris Corbin
 

Q. Where is this Old Covenant to be found?
A. The covenant with the Hebrew people is to be found in the books which we call the Old Testament.

Q. Where in the Old Testament is God’s will for us shown most clearly?
A. God’s will for us is shown most clearly in the Ten Commandments.

 

The last two questions related to the Old Covenant are, all things considered, rather straightforward. There are only really two issues I’d like to explore further for these questions and answers.

In the first question and answer, there is an issue of terminology. For many Christians, the fact that there would be an issue, specifically with the language of “Old Testament,” will likely be a surprise. But for anyone who has dipped their toes into the world of academic biblical studies, you will have noticed that there is a tendency to talk about the “Hebrew Bible” rather than the “Old Testament.” The motivation for this is good: It is an attempt to point out that these texts can stand on their own; it serves to lessen the possibility of seeing these texts as simply a prologue to something else, a way to be neutral to the religious commitments of Christianity, Judaism and anyone studying the text without religious commitment. There are some drawbacks, of course, to the use of the language of “Hebrew Bible” for this assemblage of texts since some of those commonly included in this collection were written not in the Hebrew language but in Aramaic. By and large, though this terminology, referencing the overwhelmingly dominant language the texts are written in, works well in the context of non-sectarian biblical studies.

However, there can also be a tendency for Christians with Christian theological and hermeneutical (with hermeneutics being the way we read a text, or the methods and assumptions we bring to a text) commitments to import this language of “Hebrew Scriptures” as a replacement for referring to these texts as the Old Testament. Such an impulse surely springs from noble intentions, often the attempt to avoid denigrating the texts sacred in Judaism as mere prologue or backstory for the “real” event of the New Testament. However, such a move, regardless of the good intentions, doesn’t seem quite right for Christians. To begin with, using “Hebrew Bible” is not actually engaging common terminology with Judaism since sacred scripture in Judaism is known as the Tanakh. Second, the collection of texts used by Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox churches stretches the applicability of language of the “Hebrew Bible” even farther by including books originally written in Greek. Finally, and most importantly, Christianity and Judaism are different religions with different and at times conflicting theological commitments about how to read the text. In fact, one of the central theological commitments distinguishing Christianity and Judaism is the Christian belief that in Jesus Christ the Law has been fulfilled and a new covenant with all peoples established. To affirm that Jews and Christians disagree about the status and role of Jesus Christ is simply to tell the truth that Jews and Christians disagree about certain theological commitments. That this disagreement has tragically been used to justify horrendous violence by Christians against Jews should be neither denied or minimized and it is incumbent upon Christians to repent of this history. At the same time, unless one holds that disagreement inherently leads to violence, which I do not believe to be the case, we must be able to say that this deep disagreement was an illegitimate ground for violence. Otherwise, we place ourselves in a position of saying that violence is in fact justified when real disagreement exists but that the history of Christian violence against Judaism is simply one of tragic misunderstanding. For this reason, I believe the Catechism is correct to maintain language of the “Old Testament” for the portion of the Christian Bible that contains the record of the Old Covenant.

The second issue relates to the second question and answer: How is it, given the number of laws included in the Torah or first five books of the Bible, do we arrive at the Ten Commandments as the clearest indication of God’s will? This, importantly, is not a Christian innovation but an interpretation that had already developed in Judaism. For instance, Philo of Alexandria, who was about a generation older than Jesus, used the Ten Commandments as the headings under which he discussed the other laws. Judaism came to see the Ten Commandments as the theological basis for all other commandments. Furthermore, if one can see them as the organizing principle for other commandments, it seems that one can work the other direction and see them as an explanation of a more basic principle, and this seems to also be what is going on. When we turn to the following Catechism section dealing with the Ten Commandments, we will see that they are divided according to whether they have to do with love of God or love of neighbor. This division then offers the Ten Commandments as a further clarification of Jesus’ claim that the “all the Law and Prophets” hang on the commandments to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-40).

 

Read More

Posts
On Sharing in Christ’s Victory
On Sharing in Christ’s Victory

The final question related to God the Son acts as a kind of pivot point for the Catechism. The rest of the Catechism serves as a kind of exposition of this answer, with it taking the position that the Christian life inaugurated at Baptism is indeed participation in, rather than merely anticipation or an earning of, Christ’s victory.

On Descending into Hell
On Descending into Hell

The Apostles’ and Athanasian Creeds both affirm that after being crucified Christ descended to the dead—or even into Hell if you go with older translations. While such an affirmation can seem an easy one to gloss over, this article of faith actually offers us that hope that there is truly no place that is too far gone to receive the power of God’s love and the possibility of redemption.

On the Significance of Jesus’ Resurrection
On the Significance of Jesus’ Resurrection

Along with the death of Jesus, the resurrection forms the core of the Gospel proclamation from the earliest days of the Church. This post explores the contours of the Christian claim about Jesus’ resurrection and conquering of death—as well as its implications for the rest of creation—while affirming the limits of our capacity to provide a detailed positive description of resurrection life.

On Obedience, even to Suffering and Death
On Obedience, even to Suffering and Death

The most universally recognized sign of the Christian faith—the cross—has also been, since its inception, one of the greatest sources of scandal. However, the centrality of the cross and the scandal it generates is unavoidable, emblematic of the scandal of Grace, of a perfectly just God unwilling to abandon God’s creation. Through the cross, God both takes on the penalty of all of humanity’s turning away from God all while condemning those humans who will wield the forces of Death to oppress and harm.

On Ascending to Heaven
On Ascending to Heaven

The Ascension is both elevated a central tenet of the faith, central in the Creeds, Catechism, and commemorations of the Church, while also seemingly being one of the more eyebrow-raising, seemingly mythic events described in the New Testament. This post looks into the underlying significance of Jesus departing to fully inhabit the New Creation after his resurrection as well as how we may, even while remaining adherents to a modern cosmology, affirm the possibility of a historical Ascension as described in the Bible.

On Being Adopted as Children of God
On Being Adopted as Children of God

Explore the reason why the Catechism looks at the incarnation primarily through the lens of facilitating our adoption as children of God, a premise with much richer and more expansive connotations in the first-century mediterranean vision of adoption.

On Being Born of a Virgin
On Being Born of a Virgin

The Catechism moves from Christ as Icon of God to talking about his being born of a virgin. It is necessary to look at this doctrine often neglected and uncomfortable for many modern Christians to see the importance of the Virgin Birth not to indicate disgust at sexuality, but to see the radicality of the new humanity pioneered by Christ.

On the Image of the Invisible God
On the Image of the Invisible God

The section on God the Son begins with an explanation of how Jesus is the perfect icon or image of God and how this reveals God’s character as above all love. This post turns to how this is profoundly true and deceptively simple in its explanation.

On the Messiah
On the Messiah

Affirmation of Jesus as the Messiah or anointed one of Israel was central to the faith of early Christians, but the rendering of this title using the Greek word Christ or christos (rather than a translation) may prevent modern Christians from seeing how all pervasive that ascription was. This installment in commentary on the 1979 Catechism offers background and insight in the significance of understanding Jesus as the Messiah.

On Redemption
On Redemption

Turning from the problem of Sin, the Catechism begins to look at the solution of redemption. This next reflection and explanation of the Catechism looks at why the term “redemption” may have been chosen and why it may need some filling out in order to reflect the larger set of images for God’s help to us in the New Testament and in other parts of the Book of Common Prayer.

On the Effects of Sin
On the Effects of Sin

Sin got discussed when talking about human nature, but now the Catechism turns specifically to Sin and what redemption from Sin looks like. Having discussed the nature of Sin and sins earlier, this post looks at the effects of Sin on human life.

On the Uses of the Law
On the Uses of the Law

Having described the content of the Law, the Catechism turns to the purposes of the Law. Far from being a religion in which we are freed from the Law, the Catechism makes clear, in line with the mainstream early Protestant position, that we are in fact freed for the Law.

On the Commandments Themselves
On the Commandments Themselves

The Commandments themselves are considered along with their connection to Jesus’ exposition of the Greatest Commandment. Rather than being the basis of a universal ethic that can be gleaned from any of the major religions or philosophies, the particularity inherent in the prologue to these Commandments brings our focus to the God who specifically acted in history to bring Israel out of bondage.

On the Ten Commandments
On the Ten Commandments

Moving to the fourth section of the 1979 Catechism, we arrive at the Ten Commandments. These are the foundation of Christian life together, and, indeed the hoped for foundation of all flourishing human community. This post gives and overview of the significance of the Ten Commandments seen as a whole in the Christian tradition.

On Where the Old Covenant is Found
On Where the Old Covenant is Found

The 1979 Catechism’s section on the Old Covenant concludes with where this covenant is found and how to best know God’s will. This post turns to why language of the Old Testament is still appropriate for the location of the Old Covenant and why the Ten Commandments are the clearest explanation of God’s will to us.

On the Promises of the Old Covenant
On the Promises of the Old Covenant

The questions and answers in the 1979 Catechism about the Old Covenant continue with a discussion of what God has promised and what is expected of people. This post looks at the particular way of construing the Old Covenant from the Catechism makes use of a distinctly prophetic interpretation and how that connects to Jesus for Christians.

On Covenants
On Covenants

Our exploration of the Catechism comes to the third section dealing with the Old Covenant. This first entry in this section talks about the multiple covenants presented in the Old Testament as well as the different kinds of covenants represented throughout the Bible.

On Revelation to a Covenant Community
On Revelation to a Covenant Community

The last question from the 1979 Catechism dealing with God the Father explores where revelation takes place. In this post, the focus is on the covenant communities that stand behind the Bible and the Bible's emerging from the experiences of God in history by these communities.

On Caring for Creation
On Caring for Creation

The Catechism expands on what it means for God to be creator with a discussion of our responsibilities as part of that creation. Here is discussed the importance of Christians caring for the non-human world both for its own sake and because of what it offers us. Then follows a discussion of the special care and concern that should be given to other humans as bearers of the Image of God.

On One God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth
On One God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth

Turning to the second section of the Catechism, on God the Father, we look at the first two questions which deal with God as creator. This post looks at the background of Christian monotheism and why this is important for affirming the possibility of universal redemption and restoration of creation.

On God’s First Help
On God’s First Help

The final two questions of the section from the 1979 Catechism offer greater insight into the purpose of this first section on human nature. In particular, the final question implies both the effects of Sin on our knowledge of God as well as how God can be known by humans under the conditions of Sin.

On Misusing Freedom
On Misusing Freedom

This entry on the 1979 Catechism brings us to the question of why humans beings, created in the image of God, do not live as we were created to. Looking at the two questions and answers about human nature related to Sin, this post looks at how it is that it is possible for humans to misuse their freedom and why all of us in fact do.

On Bearing the Image of God
On Bearing the Image of God

The 1979 Catechism places human nature in the context of the image of God. It sees the image of God in line with the classic understanding of Augustine as related to specific human cognitive capabilities. In this post, we explore where this sits in the larger Anglican consideration of the image of God and what problems this construal may raise for our understanding of our relationship to God as humans.

On What We Are by Nature
On What We Are by Nature

Here’s a chance to enter into the 1979 Book of Common Prayer’s first section of the catechism on human nature. Included is an explanation of why human nature may be the first section as well as a description of what it means that human beings are part of creation.

On the Catechism
On the Catechism

Here begins a series on each of the questions from the catechism from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. This first post gives a little background on the hope of the series and then an overview of catechisms in general.

Chris Corbin

The Rev. Dr. Chris Corbin is editor-in-chief for Earth & Altar and is the Missioner for Transition and Leadership for the Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota. His interests include British Romanticism, Anglican theology, ministerial formation, and evangelism. Beyond this, Chris spends far too much time drawing cartoon versions of saints. He likes to think of himself as the Episcopal Church’s Ron Swanson, what with his woodworking and avoiding small talk. He/him. You can check out his book, The Evangelical Party and Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Return to the Church of England, or follow him on Twitter @theodramatist.

Previous

On the Ten Commandments
Next

On the Promises of the Old Covenant