The New Testament Begins in Acts Not Matthew

[Dave...]

The New Testament Begins in Acts Not Matthew

When you read the Gospels in the Bible, such as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, do they sometimes seem to contradict other parts of the New Testament Scripture? For example, in Matthew 6:15, Jesus said, "If you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." Yet, in Colossians 2:13, the Apostle Paul wrote, "...God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins." How can there be two different perspectives written in the same New Testament?

Many Christians experience confusion because they think all of Jesus' teachings are part of the New Testament, also known as the "New Covenant." However most of them are not. The New Testament, which is God's New Covenant with mankind, actually starts in the book of Acts, not Matthew. How do we know this fact is true?

When reading the New Testament, ask yourself this question, "Had Jesus died yet when this was written?" If not, then those writings are part of the Old Covenant in most cases. If the writings are after Jesus died, then it's part of the New Covenant.

When Jesus came to earth, He came directly to the Jews who were still under the Old Covenant with God. Want the gist of the Old Covenant? Deuteronomy 28 spells it out very clearly. If Israel obeyed God's laws, there were 12 verses of blessings He would give them (see Deuteronomy 28:1-14). But, if Israel disobeyed God's laws, there were 52 verses of curses He would give them. (see Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

Would you want to live in that kind of tension-filled relationship with God? No way! Unfortunately, many Christians today believe that is still how God treats them, even though we are under the New Covenant of grace. Therefore, Christianity feels more like a burden, instead of a blessing.

Many of the things that Jesus taught in the Gospels was Old Covenant instruction to the Jews of His day. When He taught them, He was raising the bar of how perfect they needed to be accepted and blessed by God. Here are some examples:

"Unless you are more righteous than the strictest religious leaders in Jesus's day, the Scribes and the Pharisees, you will not go to heaven." (Matthew 5:20)

"Calling someone an idiot or crazy because you are angry with them will send you to hell." (Matthew 5:22)

"Lust is adultery." (Matthew 5:27-28)

"You must live a perfect life exactly the way God does." (Matthew 5:48)

These performance-based teachings were aimed to show the Jews and anyone who reads the Bible today that it's impossible to get God's unconditional acceptance by obeying the law. Jesus was preparing people to understand how much they needed Him to be their Savior.

God was about to bring into existence the New Covenant, and Jesus was preparing them and everyone else for it. But, here's the key. The New Covenant did not begin until Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, and ascension were complete. For instance, Hebrews 9:15 says:

"For this reason Christ is the mediator of a New Covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the Old Covenant."

Remember Jesus' teachings we just listed from the book of Matthew? Let's compare what the New Covenant says about you as a Christ follower:

God has already forgiven you whether you forgive or not. (Colossians 2:13)
God made you perfect in your identity in Christ. (Hebrews 10:14)
God made you a holy person and not a lustful person in Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:2)
God made you a patient person because you're complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)

The Old Covenant was conditional based on mankind's imperfect works. The New Covenant is conditional based on faith in Jesus' perfect work. Do you see the amazing difference?

Read the New Testament with a lot more clarity now that you know the New Testament starts in Acts, rather than Matthew!

[URL unfurl=true]https://www.gracelifeinternational.com/freebies/new-testament-begins-in-acts/[/URL]

[Dave...]

HEBREWS
Analysis by Kenneth S. Wuest
Wuest's Word Studies
From the Greek New Testament

http://www.bcbsr.com/books/hebw.html

[4WD]

Most of Jesus' teaching such as that you have spoken of there is the message that no one will be saved by law keeping.  It is preparatory to the coming of the New Covenant where we learn that salvation is by grace through faith, not through law keeping.

[4WD]

The New Testament Begins in Acts Not Matthew

When you read the Gospels in the Bible, such as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, do they sometimes seem to contradict other parts of the New Testament Scripture? For example, in Matthew 6:15, Jesus said, "If you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." Yet, in Colossians 2:13, the Apostle Paul wrote, "...God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins." How can there be two different perspectives written in the same New Testament?

Many Christians experience confusion because they think all of Jesus' teachings are part of the New Testament, also known as the "New Covenant." However most of them are not. The New Testament, which is God's New Covenant with mankind, actually starts in the book of Acts, not Matthew. How do we know this fact is true?

When reading the New Testament, ask yourself this question, "Had Jesus died yet when this was written?" If not, then those writings are part of the Old Covenant in most cases. If the writings are after Jesus died, then it's part of the New Covenant.

When Jesus came to earth, He came directly to the Jews who were still under the Old Covenant with God. Want the gist of the Old Covenant? Deuteronomy 28 spells it out very clearly. If Israel obeyed God's laws, there were 12 verses of blessings He would give them (see Deuteronomy 28:1-14). But, if Israel disobeyed God's laws, there were 52 verses of curses He would give them. (see Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

Would you want to live in that kind of tension-filled relationship with God? No way! Unfortunately, many Christians today believe that is still how God treats them, even though we are under the New Covenant of grace. Therefore, Christianity feels more like a burden, instead of a blessing.

Many of the things that Jesus taught in the Gospels was Old Covenant instruction to the Jews of His day. When He taught them, He was raising the bar of how perfect they needed to be accepted and blessed by God. Here are some examples:

"Unless you are more righteous than the strictest religious leaders in Jesus's day, the Scribes and the Pharisees, you will not go to heaven." (Matthew 5:20)

"Calling someone an idiot or crazy because you are angry with them will send you to hell." (Matthew 5:22)

"Lust is adultery." (Matthew 5:27-28)

"You must live a perfect life exactly the way God does." (Matthew 5:48)

These performance-based teachings were aimed to show the Jews and anyone who reads the Bible today that it's impossible to get God's unconditional acceptance by obeying the law. Jesus was preparing people to understand how much they needed Him to be their Savior.

God was about to bring into existence the New Covenant, and Jesus was preparing them and everyone else for it. But, here's the key. The New Covenant did not begin until Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, and ascension were complete. For instance, Hebrews 9:15 says:

"For this reason Christ is the mediator of a New Covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the Old Covenant."

Remember Jesus' teachings we just listed from the book of Matthew? Let's compare what the New Covenant says about you as a Christ follower:

God has already forgiven you whether you forgive or not. (Colossians 2:13)
God made you perfect in your identity in Christ. (Hebrews 10:14)
God made you a holy person and not a lustful person in Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:2)
God made you a patient person because you're complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)

The Old Covenant was conditional based on mankind's imperfect works. The New Covenant is conditional based on faith in Jesus' perfect work. Do you see the amazing difference?

Read the New Testament with a lot more clarity now that you know the New Testament starts in Acts, rather than Matthew!

[URL unfurl=true]https://www.gracelifeinternational.com/freebies/new-testament-begins-in-acts/[/URL]

The New Testament begins with Matthew.  I think you mean the New Covenant begins with Acts.  Actually, the New Covenant begins with the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb.  It was instituted or inaugurated at Pentecost which is described in Acts.

[Dave...]

The New Testament begins with Matthew.  I think you mean the New Covenant begins with Acts.  Actually, the New Covenant begins with the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb.  It was instituted or inaugurated at Pentecost which is described in Acts.

Hey 4wd

In Hebrews it says when the death of the Testator activates His Testament. And unless I'm missing something, it also appears to use the terms 'Covenant' and 'Testament' as interchangeable as most people do. I'm guessing by your response that you disagree? If so, can you give a me a reason why you think that they are different? According to that passage it would be Jesus's death on the cross that would usher in the NT.

I think this is something that's really important for todays Christians to understand. Both Calvinists and Pentecostals/Charismatics have this in common and build doctrines from this misunderstanding. That is, that since people were already born again in the Gospels (they consider it all NT), that the baptism with the Holy Spirit must be something more. I believe that both are in error. In short, in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the NT begins when each records the death of Jesus on the cross. Before that, even though we call in the NT, it's still the OT. Acts pretty much picks up at that point, that being the cross. 

Hebrews 9:15-18 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood.

I found another article that goes into it.

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When did the New Covenant begin?

Quick Answer: When did the New Covenant begin? The New Covenant began at the death of Christ (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 9:16). This means Jesus lived and ministered under the Old Covenant (Galatians 4:4). This is why some of Jesus' teachings expose the true spirit of the Old Testament law.

Diving Deeper: Once we have finished reading the Old Testament, we come to the New Testament which starts in Matthew 1. But did you know that the New Testament era, or new covenant, does not really begin in Matthew 1? That's right. It's not baby Jesus in a manger that brings in God's new way of grace. The new covenant didn't begin until 33 years later at the death of Christ (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 9:16).

Note that the words "testament", "covenant", and "will" are all the same Greek word diathéké. This is important because it's a death, not a birth, that is required to activate a will or testament. Therefore, the New Testament era (also known as the new covenant) actually begins at the death of Christ, not at His birth. Hebrews 9:16-17 says: "In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living."

A will does not go into effect until the death of the one who made it. Likewise, the new covenant did not go into force until Jesus died. In fact, even the old covenant did not go into effect without blood: "Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words" (Exodus 24:8). For this same reason, at the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples the new covenant would be coming through His blood (not His birth): "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:20b).

This means that Jesus' entire earthly ministry was under the Old Covenant (Galatians 4:4). Jesus was born under the Law, and we draw the dividing line of human history at the cross, not at the manger: "But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law" (Galatians 4:4-5). Both Jesus and His audience lived during the old covenant Law. This is why we see so many harsh teachings from Jesus in which impossible standards are taught – cut off your hand, pluck out your eye, be perfect like God (see the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 for examples).

Have you ever wondered why Jesus taught that forgiveness was conditioned upon forgiving others first (Matthew 6:12-15)? Or why Jesus said we must be perfect like God (Matthew 5:48)? This was Jesus teaching the perfect standard of the Law so his hearers would see their need for God's grace instead (Galatians 3:19-23). So, when you're reading the Bible and come across verses in the four Gospels that seem to make rightness with God difficult or burdensome, remember that Jesus was showing the proud Jews of His day the impossibility of Law-based living and the fallacy of self righteousness.

This does not mean that all of Jesus' teachings before the cross were only relevant to those living under the old covenant. Jesus knew the new covenant was imminent, and the goal of His teachings was twofold: (1) to show people the futility of trying to keep the Law and (2) to prepare them for a new way of grace. These are the two main messages we see in the teachings of Christ.

When we realize the cross is the dividing line between the old covenant and the new covenant, the impossible law-based teachings of Jesus finally make sense. And the message of God's grace found in the Gospel becomes clearer than ever!

https://biblequestions.com/answers/when-did-the-new-covenant-begin/

[Dave...]

I googled it for funzies, this is what it said

"Testament and Covenant are the same thing, right?"

"No, "covenant" and "testament" are not exactly the same thing, although the biblical Greek word diatheke was translated as both, causing confusion. A covenant is a formal agreement or contract between two or more parties, while a testament refers to a legal will that goes into effect upon the death of the testator. In a biblical context, a testament can be a specific type of covenant that is sealed by the death of the "testator"."

Would you agree with this?