The Nature of God and Christ - Members Site - United Church of God

THE NATURE OF GOD AND CHRISTDoctrinal Study Paperunder the terms of the New Covenant? Paul clearly provides the answer. “Therefore, mybrethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may bemarried to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God”(Romans 7:4). Hence it is clearly revealed in the New Testament that Christ is in the husbandrole to the Church and the Church is going to marry Him (Ephesians 5:22; Revelation 19:7-8).In the book of Hebrews, Paul further clarifies what was required for the dissolution of theOld Covenant/marriage relationship. “And for this reason He [Christ] is the Mediator of the newcovenant [Greek diatheke] by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under thefirst covenant that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Forwhere there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For atestament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives”(Hebrews 9:15-17). Some might want to argue that Paul’s reference to a testator implies thatChrist was the “testator” of a will. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words refutes thisinterpretation:While the terminology in Heb. 9:16, 17 has the appearance of being appropriate to thecircumstances of making a will, there is excellent reason for adhering to the meaning“covenantmaking.” The rendering “the death of the testator” would make Christ aTestator, which He was not. He did not die simply that the terms of a testamentarydisposition might be fulfilled for the heirs. Here He who is “the Mediator of a newcovenant” (v. 15) is Himself the Victim whose death was necessary. The idea of “makinga will” destroys the argument of v. 18… We may render somewhat literally thus: ‘Forwhere a covenant (is), a death (is) necessary to be brought in of the one covenanting; fora covenant over dead ones (victims) is sure, since never has it force when the onecovenanting lives’ [Christ being especially in view]. 19In the preceding verses Paul uses a play on words to convey a dual message: 1) The OldCovenant/marriage relationship was dissolved and, 2) His death brought redemption and thepromise of eternal inheritance for believers. Furthermore, Christ is now free to marry the Israelof God under the terms of the New Covenant. Thus the law of God is perfectly fulfilled throughHis life, death and resurrection.Who Led Israel to the Promised Land?—The 1 Corinthians 10:4 QuestionThe apostle Paul recounts how Israel came to the Red Sea and was under the cloud andall passed through the sea and all were baptized in the cloud and the sea. The cloud refers to thespiritual presence of YHWH in the cloud. “For the cloud of the LORD was above the tabernacleby day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all theirjourneys” (Exodus 40:38).Thus their covenant with YHWH took on deep spiritual overtones. With thisunderstanding, we learn that Israel’s baptism was not just a symbolic act of passing through the19 W.E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Jr., Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, 1984,“testator.”Page 19September 2005© 2005 United Church of God, an International Association