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If God had created Christianity first, people would not have known their need for a Saviour. "What do we need to be saved from? So God first sets up a do-it-yourself religion; by which I mean that if the Jews followed all the laws they could save themselves earning their right to heaven. That didn't work. Worse, some people became more interested in the ...

It has more to do with the translators and languages than the bible itself. The word Testament is derived from Latin testamentum-a will. I understand you confuse it with the modern meaning of the word, but Blue Letter Bible tries to explain it as follows: The word "testament" is an old English word that means, "covenant." The Latin term testamentum was ...

I think it is as easy as you suspect. Hebrews does focus on the superiority of the New Covenant a little more from the ceremonial perspective than does some of the other Epistles, as this had more meaning to a Jewish audience. However this superiority of the blood of Christ, versus blood of bulls only has meaning as it satisfies the moral demands of the ...

It's not quite right to emphasize commandments. They are the Ten Words (dabar in Hebrew). They express so much more than mere commands. For example, this law that God establishes, these "commandments" and statutes and rules that He gives are founded on the fact that He has already saved His people. We see this in the giving of the law on Sinai. “I am ...

Many reformed theologians would begin a discussion on the topic of covenants with the way they understand the biblical covenants to be formulated. God uses language and objects we understand to relate His truth to us. Many Reformed theologians also believe that he used a covenantal structure called a suzreinty vassal treaty which was common among the ...

The Mosaic Law is best understood from its moral code as a renewed covenant of works first enjoined over Adam and the whole human race. However, it was so renewed with an inlaid ceremony, predicting the promise of a better covenant, according to grace in a future Messiah, that it did not contravene the previous covent of grace given to Abraham, according to ...

Although we often find various covenants spoken of in scripture such as the covenant with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, etc. there are really only two covenants between God and man. The remaining covenants are merely modifications, progressions, or what might be called dispensations of two single covenants. The first covenant is the covenant of works ...

It is certainly not unilateral. In a unilateral covenant, only one party must assent to the terms of the covenant in order for it to be ratified. For example, the covenant enacted in Gen. 15:12 is unilateral because Avraham was in a deep sleep when God alone passed between the split animal pieces (Gen. 15:17), signifying ratification of the covenant. Since ...

The Mosaic covenant is not a republication of the covenant of works. First, "republication" assumes a previous covenant of works, in the garden, and that is a matter of serious dispute. If there were no covenant of works in the garden, then the Mosaic Covenant could not be a republication. But for the sake of argument, I'll assume that the relationship ...

Before getting to the specific difference you asked for, I think it's necessary to understand the various ways in which the term is used - particularly the legal definition. In Reformed theology, the relationship between God and His people is often couched in legal terms, particularly in relation to Covenant Theology. In browsing all of the various ...

Wikipedia's article on Covenant theology says the following: Covenant of redemption is a covenant amongst the Godhead in which Christ was appointed to redeem mankind. Covenant of works is a covenant between God and Adam (representing all mankind) that obedience would bring life and disobedience would bring death. Covenant of grace "promises eternal life ...

You've actually got it inside out. There's a lot of evidence, both from biblical and extrabiblical sources, that the basic ideas of Christianity were around from the beginning. (See When did Christianity originate? for just a few examples.) The "new" covenant was the Law of Moses, which was given to the people of Israel--at the time a rowdy group of ...