Sam Waldron Continues His Response

Here, here and here, Waldron continues his response to MacArthur.

The Church is Very Important

In studying for my seminary class, it has struck me how little value and importance is placed upon the church (especially in its local expression) in today's evangelicalism. This doesn't quite square up with scripture pasages such as 1 Timothy 3:15:

"but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth."

-The church is the household of God
-The church is the church of the living God
-The church is the pillar and support of the truth

Let us treat it as such!

Sam Waldron Responds to MacArthur

Here is a link to the first of several posts in response to John MacArthur's opening address at the 2007 Shepherd's Conference.

The New Covenant and Boasting in the Cross - 2

And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. (Luke 22:20)

What is the New Covenant?

“The phrase “New Covenant” is used explicitly seven times in the New Testament. There are at least five more times in which clear allusions to it occur. This, however, does not adequately reveal the all-importance of the New Covenant in the Bible. The last 27 books of our Bibles are called the New Testament. This phrase is an alternate translation of the New Covenant. In one sense, the New Testament is the New Covenant. That is to say, the Scriptures of the New Testament are the scriptures of the New Covenant, just as the scriptures of the Old Testament are the scriptures of the Old Covenant. This in no way takes the Old Testament out of the hands of Christians. Just as the Old Testament has to do with the establishment and implications of the Old Covenant, so the New Testament has to do with the establishment and implications of the New Covenant.”

Here we see that Christ is linking His death with the New Covenant as He is instituting one of the two sacraments of the church - the Lord’s supper. I said all that to say this. The New Covenant is very important for Christians to understand and appreciate. The whole New Testament , in a sense, has to do with the New Covenant. The most important event in the history of the world, Christ’s shedding of His blood on the cross is linked to the New Covenant. This is very important to grasp. So let’s get into it. What is the New Covenant?

-The New Covenant is the fulfillment of promises made in the Old Testament – Jeremiah 31:31-34; 32:40; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Isaiah 54:10; 55:3; 59:21; 61:8; Hosea 2:18-23; Malachi 3:1-4

-It is contrasted with the Old Covenant – Jeremiah 31:32; Exodus 19:1-8; Exodus 24:6-8

The Old Covenant here, then, is the Mosaic Covenant with all the institutions of worship annexed to it (Hebrews 9:1-3). This covenant is going to be different than the Mosaic Covenant.

We will talk more about the specific provisions of the new covenant next time as well as how the New and Old Covenants are different. This week I want to move on to Christ’s next phrase in Luke 22:20, “in my blood.” This is the new covenant in my blood. What does He mean here?

The New Covenant and Boasting in the Cross

And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. (Luke 22:20)

How much do you value the blood of Christ? Do you ever just stop in the middle of your day and say, “Thank you Lord, for the blood of Christ”? I don’t typically do that. It is my conviction that one of the reasons why I don’t is because I don’t understand the value of the cross of Christ and how much his shed blood truly accomplished for me. One of the things I don’t think many Christians understand is how the blood of Christ and the new covenant relate. This passage connects these two things - the blood of Christ and the new covenant. What I would like to do in the next few posts is just expound upon Christ’s phrase here in the latter part of this verse, “the new covenant in My blood”. This verse that we read over so often and so quickly is full of meaning and implications for the Christian life. I would like concentrate on what those meanings and implications are for our lives. I think this will help us appreciate the blood of Christ more fully. It is important to appreciate the blood of Christ because that is what makes us more Christlike and less worldly. “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14)