Welcome to SI Mark, and please contribute more of your Scriptural wisdom as the Lord leads. I found your summary accurate, helpful and spiritual.
I have made one small addition to your excellent summary to kind of flesh it out.
"It appears that your entire discussion is nearly summarized in the book of Galatians
where the Judaizers were preaching a false gospel to the Churches of Galatia. Paul
describes, as I'm sure you both know, that there is only one true gospel: faith in
Jesus Christ and the Spirit that is freely given to you upon accepting his gift. The
book also describes how the promise to Abraham was made prior to the old
covenant or Moses' law. Therefore, the promise of the new covenant (fulfilled in
Jesus) was made before the old covenant. Then why the law (old covenant)? Paul
answers this question by saying (please excuse me because I am going from
memory w/out my Bible right now) that the law leads us to the need for a new
covenant. The old testament tells us that we need a redeemer. That redeemer is
only named in the new testament."
(That redeemer is fully revealed in the New Testament joins himself to human flesh and becomes a man who gives himself as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind and is raised from the dead for their sanctification. Those who believe in him are now rejoined to God and become partakers of the divine nature. Man and God are now one. The Resurrected Jesus with his glorified human body returns to the throne forever bringing humanity into the divine Trinity-- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus then baptizes believers with the Holy Spirit. Thru the Holy Spirit, God is now in man, and thru Christ, man is now in God. Man in God and God in man. Glory to his holy name. This was the mystery of the ages concealed from even the angels and now completed thru christ. The new covenant is complete. That is the New Testament message that was never fully revealed in the Old. The Old only give teasers and the hope, the New the substance and the fullness.
May Christ abundantly bless you and keep you in his presence and bring you back to us soon.
In the love of Christ
Emile |
