The New Covenant in Hebrews 8

The New Covenant and Particular Redemption

Now with that I wish to turn your attention to the nature of the new covenant. Jesus described the new covenant Luke 22 20 as the covenants in his blood. As Reformed believers who I assume accept the truth of what's called particular redemption.

That is that Christ's death was specifically intended to atone for the sins of the elect. There must be a consistency between our belief in this doctrine and our views of the new covenant in his blood.

I believe baptism as it is a new covenant ordinance has as its recipients those in the new covenant. Just as the supper does I further believe that when we examine the full explication of the new covenant in Hebrews 8 and 10 we discover that there is a Fundamental difference between the old covenant and the new covenant regarding the nature of the members of each.

Hebrews 8 and the Supremacy of the New Covenant

Hebrews 8 is a part of an apologetic defense if you want to look at that text the entire book of Hebrews is Demonstrating that those under pressure to go back to the old ways Truly have nothing to go back to.

It is a lengthy demonstration of the supremacy of what's new in Jesus Christ. As such the argument of Hebrews 8 is simply this the new covenant Established in the blood of Christ is better than the old.

The only way this argument could have any relevance in the context of Hebrews is if the new covenant has in fact already been established. All Interpretations to try to put off the establishment of the new covenant of the future do so I assert for extraneous Not textual or exegetical reasons.

Now. What does the text say very briefly Hebrews 8 6 through 13? But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry by as much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant Which has been enacted on better promises for if the first covenant had been faultless There would have been no occasion sought for a second for finding fault with them.

He says behold days are coming says the Lord when I will affect a new covenant with the house of Israel with the house of Judah. Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to leave them out of The land of Egypt for they did not continue in my covenant.

I did not care for them says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says the Lord. I will put my laws into their minds. I will write them on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people and they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen and everyone his brother saying know the Lord for all will know me from the least to the greatest of them for I Will be merciful to their iniquities and I will remember their sins no more when he said a new covenant.

He has made the first obsolete but whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear and Quote now, please note the consistency of interpreting the new covenants being Coextensive with a number of the elect in this administration.

The New Covenant as an Internal, Regenerate People

The law is written on the mind and the heart that is it has become internal through regeneration. They know the Lord just as Christ said he knows his sheep and his sheep know him. It is extensive and this is key for all know the Lord from the least to the greatest of them.

This is vital for we must remember that the old covenant was a mixed covenant given the nature of the sign itself. The sign of circumcision was given on the basis of genealogical relationship to all male Israelites.

It was properly given to those whose hearts were changed like David. But it was also properly given to those whose hearts were always corrupt like Ahab. The New Covenant is not a mixed covenant. All in the New Covenant know the Lord all not some not most all.

There is no textual reason whatsoever to say that this will only be true in a future fulfillment. In fact to say so destroys the apologetic argument of the writer to the Hebrews. Remember he is telling people in his context in his day who were under great pressure to return to the old ways.

That the New Covenant now is better now is greater now is superior. It is not an argument an apologetic argument to say well someday the New Covenant will be better. No it is better now in the same way that Christ is a better mediator now and the Sacrifice of Christ is better now than the sacrifices of the old covenant.

Forgiveness, Election, and the Sign of Baptism

Note as well that all those in the New Covenant have their sins forgiven. How are sins forgiven the atoning work of Christ for whom did Christ atone for the elect of God? Once again showing the consistency of the inspired text on this point.

And therefore, how do we know who the elect are today? Only by their profession of faith. We have no greater means. So to whom should the sign of this perfect covenant be given? The answer is clear should we knowingly give the sign of a perfect unbreakable covenant to unrepentant and unbelieving individuals Infants or otherwise in no way is this consistent with sound exegetical practice.