The Biblical Articles: The "New Covenant" Becomes a Possibility

The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the future possibility of a new covenant. This covenant will not be based on keeping a set of rules, like the Sinai covenant and its subsequent renewals. Rather, in this new covenant, God will put his law "in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts." A new relationship with God will thus be possible, something brought about, not by man's goodness, but by God's action in reaching out toward man. It will be possible because God forgives: They shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more ( Jer. 31: 34).

The "New Covenant" Becomes a Reality

This remains, throughout the Old Testament, a future possibility. The New Testament claims that the Christian Church is the new covenant community in actuality. In the earliest account we have of the Last Supper, Jesus says, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood" ( I Cor. 11: 25). And in the earliest of the Gospels, Jesus says, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many" ( Mark 14: 24). (A few early manuscripts have, "This is my blood of the new covenant is no.

Notice carefully what this implies. The new covenant is no longer way off in the future. It is right here, now, being realized. It will become a reality through Jesus' death, which the meal with the disciples is dramatizing in advance.

This is precisely what the early Christians found to be true. Through the death (and the resurrection) of Jesus a new relationship to God became a reality. A new covenant community came into being, consisting of those who gave their allegiance to this Jesus Christ. For them, the old Israel was continued in this new community. Christians referred to themselves as the "new Israel" or "true Israel of God" ( Gal. 6: 16; I Peter 2: 9; Rom. 9: 27, 28; Heb. 8: 1-12; Eph. 2: 4-10). Paul expressly links up the purpose of the Church with the new covenant:

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our sufficiency is from God, who has qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, not in written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life ( II Cor. 3: 5, 6; italics added).

From first to last, then, the Bible is a book about community. Those who enter into relationship with God do so as part of a community, not simply as individuals. Biblical religion finds its highest expression in corporate community life.