CadyandZoe
Well-Known Member
I don't agree with your premise that Hebrews 8:6-13 is about the New Covenant. To understand my point, let's go back to the beginning of the chapter where Paul actually tells you what the main point is:Hebrews 8:6-13, including verse 10, all relates to the new covenant. So, you're saying the new covenant hasn't been fulfilled (established, placed into effect) yet?
Hebrews 8:10 This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Do you not understand that when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in people God puts His laws in their minds and hearts? This verse is about the new covenant and that was established long ago by the blood of Christ. How can you say this is not yet fulfilled?
"Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens . . .
Paul alerts the reader as to the central issue: the priesthood. Paul contrasts and compares the Levitical priesthood with that of Jesus Christ who is a priest under the order of Melchizedek. He points out that if Jesus were on earth, he would not be a priest "since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law." But now, he says, Jesus has "obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises."
Bearing in mind that Paul's central point and his focus is on the priesthood, we examine verses 7 and 8.
Hebrews 8:7-8
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says,
My translation has the word "covenant" in italics, indicating that the word "covenant" is not in the original Greek text. The translators added the word "covenant" in order to help the reader. Taking the idea of covenant from verse 6, the translator repeated the idea of covenant in verse 7. In the opinion of the translator, Paul has now shifted his focus onto the covenant. But is the translator correct?
I don't think so. Going back to verse 6 we note that Paul is talking about the ministry of Jesus Christ, which includes both a better mediator, a better covenant and better promises. According to the translation above, it appears that Paul is comparing two covenants, when in reality, he is comparing two ministries. A better translation would include everything that Paul wanted to say.
Hebrews 8:7-8
7 For if that first ministry had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says,
The "first" and "second" refers to two ministries: the ministry of Moses, which is officiated by earthbound high priests, and the ministry of Jesus Christ, which is officiated by him in heaven.
Next, take a look at verse 8, where Paul finds fault with "them," which is an odd thing to say if he is talking about the Old Covenant in particular. If Paul was finding fault with the Old Covenant, he would have used a singular pronoun, referring to "it", the Old Covenant. But since Paul is contrasting and comparing the ministry of the Levitical Priests with that of Jesus Christ, he places the fault on the earthbound ministry, i.e. "finding fault with them."
For this reason, I could not argue that the subject matter of Hebrews 8 is the New Covenant as such. The subject matter of Hebrews 8 is a comparison between the ministry of Moses and the Ministry of Jesus, which not only includes the New Covenant, it also includes the better promises. Paul quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34 because it not only mentions the New Covenant, it also mentions better promises. Both are included.
To answer your original question, Yes, the New Covenant has been established and remains in effect. It not only applies to the Hebrews, it also applies to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ, Jew or Gentile.
But no, the other covenant is not yet in effect and no, the Holy Spirit does not write the law onto our hearts. If it did, we would be living Jewishly, eating kosher and celebrating the Jewish festivals for instance.