Bible in Context

Bible in Context

Bible in Context

Introduction

The Hebrew Bible is the Holy Scripture of Jewish believers. For Christian believers, however, it is only one part of it. They often call the Hebrew Bible the "Old Testament," as opposed to the "New Testament." By doing so, they also reinterpret the Hebrew Bible in a specifically Christian way. This double role of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in the Christian canon is an ongoing challenge for interpretation. In the Christian Church, different "solutions" have been followed, ranging from a devaluation or partial rejection of the Old Testament, on the one side, to a total "Christianization" by way of an Christological allegorical interpretation, on the other side. Israelite worship in the Hebrew Bible contains a strong ceremonial aspect (Boadt 1985, p.21).

The theological background to this is given in the Sinai Covenant, according to which the people of Israel are God's "own possession" and a "kingdom of priests". The people, therefore, have to act according to the holiness of God. A further aspect of the covenant is that God wants to live in the midst of his people. However, as the narrative of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers shows, the presence of God's holiness among his people is a challenge as well as a privilege.

However, the real relationship between Old and New Testaments, from the point of view of the first Christians, should be seen more discriminating as follows. On the one hand, the Hebrew Bible was Holy Scripture for Jesus and the apostles. In no way does the New Testament devalue the Old. On the contrary, the Christian faith is firmly grounded in what is said about God in the Old Testament. God remains the same in descriptions, in both the Old and New Testaments, as does the nature of human beings. The apostles do not hesitate to explain and justify even the mission of Jesus Christ by quoting extensively from the Old Testament.

Discussion

New Covenant

New Covenant tends to extract its roots from the Hebrew Bible and is sometimes referred as New Testament. It is the continuation and expansion of the old covenant which was founded on religious foundation of Jews. However, the fact should be kept in mind that New Covenant or New Testament lays the foundation of the Christianity as a Religion. The new alliance comes to life on Calvary with the sacrifice of Christ and his resurrection, and is accompanied by new moral requirements that have to do to a candidate of the Christian sanctity. New Covenant in the biblical context tends to be signifying the influential bond of peace and trial along with the judgment (Childs 1993, p.121). However, as per the understanding of the Christianity the new covenant established its roots with the advent of the Jesus Christ. As per the understanding of the Christians New Covenant tends to form the relationship between the God and the Christians and tends to continue not only in this world but in the eternal world as ...