Why Don't Churches More Often Preach the Changing of the Testament (Old to New)?
@mythociate (21437)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
October 7, 2012 8:27am CST
The Scripture below (2 Corinthians 3:5-18) explains how we (our 'inner selves,' anyway) are no longer held to the "laws" (the ministration of death, of the letter) that these mortal forms are held to, but are held to "grace" (the ministration of righteousness, of the spirit)---thereby no longer having any right to judge others-according to law, but rather -according to grace.
Why don't churches stress this difference more often?
"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
"But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
"For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
"For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
"But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
3 responses
@6precious102 (4043)
• United States
9 Oct 12
I wish they would preach the grace of God that's the message of the New Testament. Born again Christians need to be reminded that they are the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, particularly when their sins, past, present, and future, have been forgiven.
Several years ago I had a friend that told me, "That's the way they think I am, that's how I'll be." Needless to say, "they" thought he was a ne'er-do-well. It seems reasonable to me that if you continually tell someone that they're a sinner, they will be; and if you continually tell people that they're the righteousness of God by faith in Christ Jesus, that will encourage them to behave righteously.
@melissa14344 (211)
• Philippines
7 Oct 12
Hi!
In our church in the Philippines, The preaching most of the time revolves around Jesus and His finished work on the cross. This is the year of God's grace.That there is no condemnation in Christ. It is not through the obedience to the law that we can be saved but by faith in His Son, Jesus. :D
@mythociate (21437)
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
7 Oct 12
Baa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa-aa.
That's what that sounds like to me ... well, 'repeating the rote-teachings of your church-leaders' is slightly more-evolved than baaing like sheep; but it has the same effect: telling the rest of the flock that it's time for the herd to move.
But aren't Christians 'sheep who are to become shepherds'? Didn't Jesus send His disciples out as "wolves in sheep's clothing"?
@livewyre (2450)
•
11 Oct 12
I don't know what churches you have been to, but a Christ-centered church must preach forgiveness of sin through the sacrifice of Jesus and therefore freedom from the Law of the Old Testament.
There is a clue in the 10 commandments, the very first commandment is impossible for a man to keep (how can ego-centric man possibly put God first?). We quite literally fall at the first hurdle - leaving us thinking "how do we then 'please' God?"
The answer is of course, we can't but we can accept the forgiveness that the sinless Christ 'won' for us at Calvary.
This doesn't mean that the OT is rejected out of hand, but seen in the context of Jesus, it is like a 'before and after' scenario - not that simple, but in essence..
So we are not 'changing' one testament for another but seeing the Old in the light of the new - hope that makes some sense
