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I read something today in a book concerning the New Covenant that was excellent and I wanted to share it. I am also sharing this on a facebook page I have so it's doing double duty.
The Transfiguration reinforces the concept that Christians must consider Jesus to be our authority and not the Old Covenant.
Luke 9: [SUP]28 [/SUP]Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. [SUP]29 [/SUP]And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. [SUP]30 [/SUP]And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, [SUP]31 [/SUP]who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure,[SUP][a][/SUP] which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. [SUP]32 [/SUP]Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. [SUP]33 [/SUP]And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. [SUP]34 [/SUP]As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. [SUP]35 [/SUP]And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One;[SUP][b][/SUP] listen to him!”[SUP]36 [/SUP]And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
Christ appeared with Moses and Elijah in the vision. Moses symbolized the Law, and Elijah symbolized the Prophets.
For those who are not so familiar, the Law includes the first five books of Scripture that Moses wrote. The Prophets include the major and minor prophets. In general, the Law was the Old Covenant agreement that God made with ancient Israel through Moses, and the Prophets recorded the words of the prophets who God used to correct ancient Israel for their transgressions against the covenant.
Peter wants to build tents for the three important persons in the vision; Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Subconsciously, Peter was placing them all on the same level in his mind in terms of authority.
In the vision, God the Father proclaims mightily, This is my Son, My Chosen one; listen to him! And then Jesus alone was left...Moses and Elijah disappeared.
What is the meaning of this vision? Jesus continually emphasized that he was the authority, not the Old Covenant law. He did this with the Sermon on the Mount, where he modified and changed elements of the Old Covenant (his phrase "but I say to you" emphasizes his authority). He did this when he confronted the Pharisees on numerous occasions concerning their legalism over the Sabbath.
Throughout his ministry, you will find Jesus Christ consistently trying to move the relative frame of reference from the Old Covenant to Himself.
I am wondering how many of those who focus on the Old Covenant really take Jesus as their authority figure. Do they acknowledge the commandments below? How many of their sermons focus on these Scriptures rather than the Sabbath, clean and unclean meat laws, and the festivals? Do they claim obedience to these words of Christ as loudly as they boast of their obedience to God on ceremonial and ritualistic elements of the Old Covenant?
Jn 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another.
Jn 14;15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments
Jn 14:21 he who has My commandments, and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to Him.
Jn 15:10-12 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love..This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I loved you.
John 15:14 You are My friends, if you do what I command you.
John 15:17 This I command you, that you love one another.
I Jn 3:23 And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one aother, just as He commanded us.
I John 4:21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
If you want to know what love is, read the "one another" statements of Scripture. Love is outgoing, sacrificial concern for others. God's moral law definitely applies to Christians today, but love goes beyond morality. Morality is just common decency. Even unbelievers acknowledge moral absolutes for the most part, unless they are in heavy deception.
I know that in my former church, Jesus Christ definitely occupied the back burner. Sure, he was pulled out on the Holy Days for some point here and there, but in reality he was not honored amongst them. In fact, they hate to even say his name.
By the way, the New Testament was written in Greek, and his name was Iesus (there was no J in their alphabet), so there's nothing wrong with saying "Jesus". In my legalistic church, they commonly said "Christ" and not "Jesus", and implied that the name of Jesus was a sickeningly sweet "Protestant" way of referring to him. I sometimes wonder if the Holy Names mentality involves the same feeling of superiority that we had in that regard.
If I don't answer soon to replies, don't be surprised. I am taking a break from here but am commenting occasionally on things I read. I will read replies later on when I return.
The Transfiguration reinforces the concept that Christians must consider Jesus to be our authority and not the Old Covenant.
Luke 9: [SUP]28 [/SUP]Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. [SUP]29 [/SUP]And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. [SUP]30 [/SUP]And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, [SUP]31 [/SUP]who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure,[SUP][a][/SUP] which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. [SUP]32 [/SUP]Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. [SUP]33 [/SUP]And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. [SUP]34 [/SUP]As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. [SUP]35 [/SUP]And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One;[SUP][b][/SUP] listen to him!”[SUP]36 [/SUP]And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
Christ appeared with Moses and Elijah in the vision. Moses symbolized the Law, and Elijah symbolized the Prophets.
For those who are not so familiar, the Law includes the first five books of Scripture that Moses wrote. The Prophets include the major and minor prophets. In general, the Law was the Old Covenant agreement that God made with ancient Israel through Moses, and the Prophets recorded the words of the prophets who God used to correct ancient Israel for their transgressions against the covenant.
Peter wants to build tents for the three important persons in the vision; Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Subconsciously, Peter was placing them all on the same level in his mind in terms of authority.
In the vision, God the Father proclaims mightily, This is my Son, My Chosen one; listen to him! And then Jesus alone was left...Moses and Elijah disappeared.
What is the meaning of this vision? Jesus continually emphasized that he was the authority, not the Old Covenant law. He did this with the Sermon on the Mount, where he modified and changed elements of the Old Covenant (his phrase "but I say to you" emphasizes his authority). He did this when he confronted the Pharisees on numerous occasions concerning their legalism over the Sabbath.
Throughout his ministry, you will find Jesus Christ consistently trying to move the relative frame of reference from the Old Covenant to Himself.
I am wondering how many of those who focus on the Old Covenant really take Jesus as their authority figure. Do they acknowledge the commandments below? How many of their sermons focus on these Scriptures rather than the Sabbath, clean and unclean meat laws, and the festivals? Do they claim obedience to these words of Christ as loudly as they boast of their obedience to God on ceremonial and ritualistic elements of the Old Covenant?
Jn 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another.
Jn 14;15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments
Jn 14:21 he who has My commandments, and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to Him.
Jn 15:10-12 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love..This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I loved you.
John 15:14 You are My friends, if you do what I command you.
John 15:17 This I command you, that you love one another.
I Jn 3:23 And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one aother, just as He commanded us.
I John 4:21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
If you want to know what love is, read the "one another" statements of Scripture. Love is outgoing, sacrificial concern for others. God's moral law definitely applies to Christians today, but love goes beyond morality. Morality is just common decency. Even unbelievers acknowledge moral absolutes for the most part, unless they are in heavy deception.
I know that in my former church, Jesus Christ definitely occupied the back burner. Sure, he was pulled out on the Holy Days for some point here and there, but in reality he was not honored amongst them. In fact, they hate to even say his name.
By the way, the New Testament was written in Greek, and his name was Iesus (there was no J in their alphabet), so there's nothing wrong with saying "Jesus". In my legalistic church, they commonly said "Christ" and not "Jesus", and implied that the name of Jesus was a sickeningly sweet "Protestant" way of referring to him. I sometimes wonder if the Holy Names mentality involves the same feeling of superiority that we had in that regard.
If I don't answer soon to replies, don't be surprised. I am taking a break from here but am commenting occasionally on things I read. I will read replies later on when I return.
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