Question:  Dear Greg,

            My question is about the Old and New covenants.  A covenant is an agreement.  Can you show me the scriptures that define both of these agreements?  I would like to see what the terms and conditions and the differences are between the covenants.

            Terry

Answer:  Dear Terry,

            The one document or biblical book that best accomplishes what you request is the book of Hebrews.  Hebrews is a book written to Jewish Christians who were having difficulty with the new covenant, given to us by the blood of Christ, over against their history, tradition and culture that was rooted in the old covenant.

            Among other things, their worship was centered in the temple culture—in the worship practices and behaviors prescribed by the Old Testament, and given form in the Herodian temple.  The temple was destroyed within a few years of the writing of the book of Hebrews, making its message more important.

            The book is a strong call for the superiority of Christ—contrasting Jesus Christ with many aspects of the Old Testament and the old covenant, and contrasting both old and new covenants.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht