Jesus ministered to Israel under Law. The Church's doctrine begins with the risen Christs revelation to Paul. Mixing them is the root of modern doctrinal chaos.
Jesus' earthly ministry was not New Covenant Christianity content, it was the final Old Covenant ministry to Israel. He was ""born under the Law"" (Gal 4:4), lived under the Law, taught under the Law & was ""sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel""(Matt 15:24). Paul says Christ was ""a minister of the circumcision"" (Rom 15:8), meaning His mission was covenantally tied to Israel, not to Gentiles & not to the Church. And because a covenant begins only at death (Heb 9:16–17), the New Covenant does not start at Matthew 1 but at the cross, with its public inauguration in Acts 2, when the risen Christ pours out the Holy Spirit out on believing Jews ONLY.
Matt - Old Covenant: Chapters 1–27 - New Covenant era: Chapter 28 = 96% Old Covenant
Mark - Old Covenant: 1–15 - New Covenant era: Chapter 16 = 94% Old Covenant
Luke - Old Covenant: Chapters 1–23 - New Covenant era: Chapters 24 = 95% Old Covenant
John - Old Covenant: Chapters 1–19 - New Covenant era: Chapters 20–21 = = 90% Old Covenant
Matt - John - Average: 93-94% Old Covenant content.
This means nearly everything Jesus said & did before His death belongs to the Old Covenant era, addressed to Israel, operating under Mosaic Law & aimed at confirming promises to the patriarchs, not revealing Church doctrine.
Acts is a transitional book. It begins with Israel only (Acts 1–7), moves to Samaritans (Acts 8)& the universal shift happens in Acts 10, when the risen Christ personally gives the Holy Spirit to Gentiles exactly as He did to Jews in Acts 2. Peter testifies that God ""gave them the same gift"" he gave us a Pentecost (Acts 11:17), marking the 1st Gentile entry into the newly revealed Body of Christ, the one new man of Jew and Gentile together. Acts 15 then confirms that Gentiles are not under Moses. Acts is the hinge between the Old Covenant world of the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Kingdom is where the King is & the New Covenant revelation is given by the Risen Lord to Paul.
The doctrine for the Body of Christ comes after the cross, after the resurrection, after the Holy Spirit is given & is revealed through Paul, who received the gospel of grace by direct revelation of the risen Lord Jesus (Gal 1:11–12, Eph 3:2–9, Rom 16:25). That is why the Church's identity, instructions & doctrine are found in the 13 letters Paul wrote, not in Jesus' pre‑cross ministry to Israel.
Myles Coverdale captured the whole issue: ""Ask of every text: of whom is it spoken, to whom, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goes before and what follows."" Apply that to the Gospels & the covenant categories become unavoidable: Jesus speaks to Israel under Moses; Paul speaks to the Church under grace. Ignore those distinctions & you will always drag Moses into Christianity and never understand grace.
Jesus' earthly ministry was not New Covenant Christianity content, it was the final Old Covenant ministry to Israel. He was ""born under the Law"" (Gal 4:4), lived under the Law, taught under the Law & was ""sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel""(Matt 15:24). Paul says Christ was ""a minister of the circumcision"" (Rom 15:8), meaning His mission was covenantally tied to Israel, not to Gentiles & not to the Church. And because a covenant begins only at death (Heb 9:16–17), the New Covenant does not start at Matthew 1 but at the cross, with its public inauguration in Acts 2, when the risen Christ pours out the Holy Spirit out on believing Jews ONLY.
Matt - Old Covenant: Chapters 1–27 - New Covenant era: Chapter 28 = 96% Old Covenant
Mark - Old Covenant: 1–15 - New Covenant era: Chapter 16 = 94% Old Covenant
Luke - Old Covenant: Chapters 1–23 - New Covenant era: Chapters 24 = 95% Old Covenant
John - Old Covenant: Chapters 1–19 - New Covenant era: Chapters 20–21 = = 90% Old Covenant
Matt - John - Average: 93-94% Old Covenant content.
This means nearly everything Jesus said & did before His death belongs to the Old Covenant era, addressed to Israel, operating under Mosaic Law & aimed at confirming promises to the patriarchs, not revealing Church doctrine.
Acts is a transitional book. It begins with Israel only (Acts 1–7), moves to Samaritans (Acts 8)& the universal shift happens in Acts 10, when the risen Christ personally gives the Holy Spirit to Gentiles exactly as He did to Jews in Acts 2. Peter testifies that God ""gave them the same gift"" he gave us a Pentecost (Acts 11:17), marking the 1st Gentile entry into the newly revealed Body of Christ, the one new man of Jew and Gentile together. Acts 15 then confirms that Gentiles are not under Moses. Acts is the hinge between the Old Covenant world of the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Kingdom is where the King is & the New Covenant revelation is given by the Risen Lord to Paul.
The doctrine for the Body of Christ comes after the cross, after the resurrection, after the Holy Spirit is given & is revealed through Paul, who received the gospel of grace by direct revelation of the risen Lord Jesus (Gal 1:11–12, Eph 3:2–9, Rom 16:25). That is why the Church's identity, instructions & doctrine are found in the 13 letters Paul wrote, not in Jesus' pre‑cross ministry to Israel.
Myles Coverdale captured the whole issue: ""Ask of every text: of whom is it spoken, to whom, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goes before and what follows."" Apply that to the Gospels & the covenant categories become unavoidable: Jesus speaks to Israel under Moses; Paul speaks to the Church under grace. Ignore those distinctions & you will always drag Moses into Christianity and never understand grace.
