A New "Covenant" View of JESUS’ Church

When I first read the post below, my first inclination was to write a criticism of its content. After some consideration, I decided that rather than critique of this post, I would offer another option in comparison and demonstrate a New Covenant approach for Christians as they consider how they will gather together and express their faith. Now while offering an alternative can be seen as an attack inherently, my hope is that this will be received as a call for unified devotion rather than vitriolic division. 

I would like to offer 3 verses of scripture for you, the reader's consideration:

1. 1Cor 14:26

2. Acts 2:41-47

3. Jeremiah 31:31-34

1Cor 14:26

Key takeaways

- Multiple people are both intended and capable of speaking/teaching in a gathering of JESUS' church

- There are limitations and organization on this speaking that allow for multiple people to participate, so that many may be blessed

- The individual purpose for gathering is not to receive but instead to participate, that each may be built up. 

Acts 2:41-47

Key takeaways: 

- The early church did not devote themselves to services, but instead to gathering throughout the week as community which was centered around devotion to learning about JESUS, fellowship (most likely included communion but did not meet this brother's definition of "rightly administered"), and prayer. 

- These people remained in awe of GOD's working among them. 

-They were generous, well known by outsiders, and thankful.

Jeremiah  31:31-34

Key take aways: 

- GOD will make a New Covenant with his people (Israel/Judah, by adoption John 1:12-13,Galatians 4:4-5, Romans 8:14-17, this is bestowed to those who are in CHRIST) 

- GOD will implant what they need within them and forgive them. 

- This grace will cause them to be equals among one another

With these verses giving us a foundation of truth, let's speak through how New Covenant community looks different (and better!) than the Old. 

 In Old Covenant, the people under it were blessed/cursed based upon what they did. In the New Covenant, all are blessed because of what JESUS has done. Therefore any sacrament/ordinance that is administered (and these can be administered by any of his elect, given it administered as equals) is an outworking of an already completed act. You can not increase nor distribute, what is already established and bestowed, you may only remember, celebrate and declare it.  This is the forward pressing riches of freedom the New Covenant offers.

In the Old Covenant, GOD spoke to one man who delivered rules and guidelines for life and worship to the people, in the New Covenant, because of the one man JESUS and his word, all may study, understand, apply and even speak themselves to one another (with a few limitations) his wisdom, promises and instruction. They do this because the SPIRIT of GOD  indwells them (they each can even prophecy!).

In the Old Covenant, GOD designated one physical space as “sacred space” (I.e. temple, church building) where people met with GOD and even then only at certain times. In the New Covenant, GOD indwells man and abides with him so that whenever and whereever he/she meets with another believer, that there is sacred space (this can be a home, coffee shop, and sometimes…yes, even a church building) and the Bible speaks nowhere of that requiring the “whole church”,  neither universal or local, and makes no distinction between a small group and a weekly gathering anywhere within it's pages. This is a product of tradition. 

In the Old Covenant, GOD moved through the faithfulness of a few special men (prophet, priest, and king). In the new covenant those 3 are combined in the one man JESUS who then shares his kingdom, word, and sacraments with all his elect. His glory comes from accomplishing great things through everyday ordinary people, whom he gifts extraordinarily to glorify himself. He then over time gives them Elders/Pastors, not as those who always perform every one of these acts of faith, but instead as those who shepherd others to walk in their gifts, that the body may be vibrant and healthy. They are given fairly simple qualifications (1Tim 3), which, funny enough gives way that there would be more than just one or even just a few of them ;). 

In the Old Covenant, a Sabbath Day (Saturday) was commanded as a special day of rest and trust in the LORD. In the New Covenant, JESUS is our sabbath rest, so every day is holy. John makes one reference to the “Lords Day” in Revelation and we have built an entire tradition of practice around it, that being the modern day church service. There is something good to a day devoted each week for remembering the resurrection, but a hard fast rule on the how/when of gathering was never declared, and therefore shouldn't be demanded. 

In the Old Covenant people had to have a priest sacrifice on their behalf. In the New Covenant, each participates in their own faith, in order to build one another up as fellow priests. We strive to make peers not followers, that we may be a kingdom of priests under JESUS, the one High Priest. We are not a nation of lay people led by professionals, but each is instead a full citizen/royalty in GOD's kingdom. 

Services aren’t necessarily evil, but function is the result of form. We should not forsake gathering together, but to limit the gathering to the current active pastor(s) and passive congregation model is somewhat of a limiter to the potential of GOD’s people.  If we keep trying to fit the New Covenant wine into Old Covenant wineskins, as many of our current models attempt, we willingly limit ourselves and how HE may use each individual for his own glory. It’s time our faith comes out of the pulpits and into the pubs, park bench’s and public spaces, where common people have an uncommon effect on the world around them. Where each takes on the devotion and passion we currently seem to only reserve for the Pastor. A people who live their lives intentionally both through preparatory practices and spontaneous response, to build up any other saint they encounter, and witness to the world. A people who plant a church wherever their feet may land. 

How do we get there? Easy...ish, we embrace the New Covenant whole heartledly, allowing the Old to pass away, just as it was intended to do. We no longer settle for passive membership, but instead live our lives with purpose, convinced of our belonging, the SPIRIT's power, and that our active participation in his community is intended by design. We grow to be a community of Pastors, instead of followers of them. 

I have seen what GOD has intended for his people in his word, and now, I can't settle for less. Keep searching beloveds, I trust you will see it too. 

Have a comment or question? In being consistent with my thesis, please share! Let's build.