From New Covenant Theology to Jesus Theology

New Covenant Theology was the "new thing" a few decades ago and many were called heretics for defending and promoting it.

Previously, the two main theologies were Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism.

According to Wikipedia:

"New Covenant Theology (teaches) that the person and work of Jesus Christ is the central focus of the Bible. One distinctive result of this is that Old Testament Laws have been abrogated or cancelled with Jesus' crucifixion, and replaced with the Law of Christ found in the New Covenant."
This view also says that: 

"The New Testament interpret(s) the Old Testament...when the NT interprets an OT promise differently than the plain reading, then New Covenant Theology concludes that that is how God interprets His promise." 

"As an example, Amos 9:11-12 is quoted by James in Acts 15 and is interpreted by him to associate the rebuilding of "David's fallen tent" with the Gentiles' salvation. This would be a highly surprising interpretation to the Jewish believers, since there is no precedent for it to be interpreted as anything other than a promise to the nation of Israel. (Instead), New Covenant Theology says that God has given us His interpretation of that passage, through James."

As for me, New Covenant Theology has been my own personal perspective on scripture for a while now. Most of what I have written here on my blog, and in my various books, has been from this perspective. 

But lately, my theology has started to progress a bit further than this. 

I embraced New Covenant Theology because it affirmed that the Flat Bible perspective is flawed and reorients scripture with Christ as our ultimate authority. But unfortunately it stops short of allowing Jesus to fully reform our ideas about God. 

So, while New Covenant Theology (NCT) affirms Christ as the center of scripture, it fails to completely embrace Jesus as our one and only image of who the Father is and what He is really like.

Where NCT falters is in fully admitting that the revelation of the Father found in Jesus is often at odds with what the Old Covenant prophets have to say about Him.

Furthermore, the NCT position also fails to admit that the prophets themselves are often at odds with one another about what God said and what God's character is like. [See, for example the differing statements made in the OT scriptures about whether God did, or did not, command the Israelites to offer animal sacrifices].

To help explain this, let me borrow an analogy. There are various answers to the question "Where do babies come from?" and someone might say "the stork brings them" and another might say "when mommy and daddy love each other very much the baby starts to grow in her tummy" and still another might say "the male contributes the sperm which he secretes during sexual intercourse to fertilize the egg which the woman provides and in 9 months the embryo matures into a fetus and a child is born."

Two of those answers might be considered "true", one of them is obviously a story designed to symbolize the reality without actually addressing any of the mechanics, and yet all of them are still an attempt to answer the question about where babies come from.

This is similar to what we have in the Hebrew Bible when it comes to question of what God is like. Some voices give us the "stork" version of the story, with great symbolism and hyperbole. Some voices give us an approximation of the answer. Other voices may give us more detailed and specific answers that more closely align with reality.

For us, Jesus is the reality. He is "the exact representation" of the Father. He is the one in whom "the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." He is "the Word made flesh who dwelt among us."

So, the best picture of the Father is found in Christ. If we have "seen Him," we have truly and accurately "seen the Father" in the most complete and full way possible.

Because "no one has ever seen God" except Jesus and the reason He came was to reveal the Father to us like no one else before ever could, or did.

In our analogy, David the Psalmist might be one who provides the more poetic "stork version" of the Father's character. Isaiah and Jeremiah might be the "mommy loves daddy" version of the story. But only Christ gives us the version of the story that includes every specific detail we need to fully understand who the Father is and what the Father is like.

As long as we insist upon holding tightly to the rigid inerrancy of the Old Testament scriptures, we will forever be kept from fully embracing the clearest and most accurate portrayal of who God really is. 

Until we relax our grip on the idea that the Old Testament prophets were truly seeing God clearly and recognize that the Abba Father we see revealed in Christ overrides those limited and flawed perspectives of God, we will remain confused about who God really is. 

As long as we allow the tarnished testimony of Moses to describe God as one who commands His people to slaughter infants and toddlers without showing compassion, we will forever stand in opposition to the testimony of Jesus who showed us an Abba Father God who loves children, cares for His enemies, shows compassion to the broken and commands us to do the same - specifically because this is who He is and what He is like. [See Matt. 5:44-45]

So, even as those who stood up and defended the New Covenant Theology view a few decades ago were considered heretics and false teachers by the Dispensationalists and Covenant Theology teachers of their day, we should not be surprised when the same charge is leveled at us who affirm a Jesus-centric perspective of God today.

Ultimately I believe it simply boils down to this: Who is our authority? Is it the Bible? Or is it Christ? Do we center our theology on a book, or on a person who is indeed God Himself incarnate?

The Book, as wonderful as it may be, is imperfect. It contains the testimony of men who sometimes saw clearly and sometimes did not. The Book contains the voices of men who don't always agree with one another about who God is and what God is like.

Our choice is simple: We either agree with Jesus about who God is, because He is God made flesh, or we side with those Old Testament prophets who were not perfect, not flawless and not Immanuel [God with us].

I choose Jesus.

-kg

Walking In The Light Of Jesus

This morning I had an informal debate, of sorts, with a friend online. 

He wanted to talk with me regarding the "Flat Bible vs Jesus-Centric" approach to the scriptures which I introduced in chapter two of my book "Jesus Untangled:Crucifying Our Politics To Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb."

At first, we were just comparing the two views, but then it started to turn into more of an actual debate when my friend said that he believed we still needed to read the words of Jesus "in the light of the Old Testament."

This set me off into a much longer exploration that I wanted to share here on the blog with all of you.

Here's how I responded to my friend:

We don't read the words of Jesus "in the light of the Old Testament" because the OT has no light. Jesus is the light that has come into the world. He is the light. He shines on the Old Testament, the Old Testament does not shine on Jesus.

Now, yes, the Old Testament scriptures point to Jesus, so in that sense it does "shed light" on Jesus, but those scriptures do not modify His teachings or His life. He modifies everything.

Jesus is the source. The Old Testament scriptures are the shadow. He is the light.  

We are told that there a veil that covers the eyes of those who read the Old Testament apart from Christ; a veil that is only removed when read through the lens of Christ. 

[This process is not reversed].

As Brian Zahnd says in his latest book, "The only thing the Scripture does inerrantly and infallibly is point us to Christ." 

Once we see and receive Him, then He illuminates the Old Testament for us - to show us more of Himself. But without Him we do not have light, or life. 

The Law brought death, not life. It points us to Life and Light in Christ, but it, by itself, does not contain "the Words of Life" as Jesus does."For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." - John 1:17

"Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." - John 6:68

We can agree that, yes, the OT and the NT are inspired by the same Spirit, but with different purposes and audiences in mind. 

But I would add that we begin with Christ and read those scriptures in light of who He is and how He revealed the Father to us, because no one has ever seen God at any time in the past. Only Jesus reveals the Father to us in perfect clarity. [See John 1:18]

It's about a process, I think. There are degrees of "knowing".

We know God best of all in Christ. He is the clearest picture we could ever have of what the Father is really like - and has always been like - and anything that conflicts with the image of the invisible God revealed in Christ must bow and conform to His image [not the other way around].

I think we can agree that my Flat Bible definition [in the book] isn't actually "flat" because in practice the OT scriptures are used to modify Christ's teachings [not the other way around]. 

I use that term "Flat Bible" because it reflects the mindset of the approach that all scriptures [theoretically] have equal weight, even if, in practice, they obviously don't. All too often, the Old Testament scriptures are used to modify the words of Jesus.

The question is: When there is an apparent conflict between the teachings of Jesus and an OT scripture - who overrides who? Who "wins" in that conflict ?

If the words of Jesus are not the one and only standard by which all other scriptures are measured, that [to me] is a "Flat Bible" approach. 

Or, call it whatever you like, but it is certainly not "Jesus-Centric", is it?

Does that help? If not, I have written quite a bit on this subject here on the blog.

Read more here:

Even Moses Bows Down To Jesus 

Out With The Old, In With The New 

Why I Love The Word Of God 

The Word Of God And The Bible 

God Is Like Jesus 

Only Those Who See God's Face Can Live

Only One Mediator 

Even Moses Bows Down To Jesus

Jesus or Moses?

Moses, and other Old Testament prophets, heard from God and wrote it down to the best of their ability. A lot of what they were writing about was pointing to an eventual Messiah to come.

That Messiah was Jesus.

Jesus also heard from God, but not in the same way that these previous prophets did. Jesus and God were/are One. So, the testimony of Jesus is better than the testimony of Moses, or Elijah, or any other Old Testament prophet. The author of Hebrews confirms this:

”For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)” – Hebrews 3:3-4

And the Apostle John also tells us that:

“No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.” – John 1:18

So, Moses (and the other OT writers) heard from God, but not in the same way as Jesus did. In fact, we are told by the Apostle Paul that there is a veil that covers our understanding whenever we read those OT writers, and that this veil is only removed when we look at those scriptures through the lens of Christ:

“For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.” – 2 Cor. 3:14

Therefore, Moses and the other OT prophets have given us an incomplete picture of who God is and what God is like. The only complete and perfect picture we have of who God is and what God is like is found in Jesus.

"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." [Hebrews 1:3]

"[Jesus] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing..." [Phil. 2:6-7]

“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." - Jesus [John 14:9]

So, what many Christians fail to realize is that those Old Testament prophets didn’t actually see God, and what they did see wasn’t always exactly 100% accurate.

One of the main reasons Jesus came to us – God in the flesh – was to correct these misunderstandings and clear up once and for all what God is really like.

That means if Moses or any other OT prophet says something about God that doesn’t line up with what we see revealed in Christ, we know that this is an example of where those men were wrong and where God in the flesh was correcting them.

Whenever the OT prophets are in agreement with Jesus, then we know that they were right about who God is.

But whenever we read an Old Testament scripture that says something about God that doesn’t square with what Jesus revealed to us, we know they were mistaken.

The bottom line is simply this: Jesus is right about who God is. He knows – better than anyone who has or will ever live – exactly what God is like.

Why?

Because Jesus is God.

Because Jesus is the only person who has ever seen God.

Because only Jesus reveals to us what the Father is really like.

Because Jesus is the “exact representation” of the Father.

Because God told us clearly: “This is my Son. Listen to Him!”

[And just before God said that, He removed Moses and Elijah and left us with Jesus]

"Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me" - John 14:11

Do you believe that? Do you accept that Jesus – and only Jesus – is the absolute authority on who God is and what God is like?

If so, keep your eyes on Jesus. He is what God is really like. He is what God has always been like. He is what God will forever be like.

I know for many this is an unusual teaching. I understand that many pastors teach from a “flat Bible” perspective that wants to downsize the revelation of Jesus and elevate the teachings of the Old Testament writers. But that is not consistent with what is revealed in Christ, or by the New Testament, or by the Apostles.

Jesus is Lord. Jesus is what God is like. Jesus - and Jesus alone – is our only standard. Everything else needs to line up with Him or conform to His authority.

Jesus is, after all, the Word made flesh. He is more than a book. He is greater than our Bibles. We have to come to Him and bow down. Even Moses and Elijah and every single OT prophet needs to bow down before Jesus.

He is the Way, and the Truth and the Life.

“He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God…. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell….” [Colossians 1:15-20]

“‘For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” [Colossians 2:9-10]

-kg

5 MINUTE VIDEO: What's This Jesus-Centric View of Scripture?

Take 5 Minutes and listen as Keith explains why the Jesus-Centric view of Scripture isn't linked to the Marcionite Heresy. 

Also: What the heck is the Marcionite Heresy?

If you haven't picked up your copy of Keith's new book, "Jesus Untangled:Crucifying Our Politics To Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb", be sure to grab your paperback or ebook copy

HERE

5 MINUTE VIDEO: Flat Bible vs Jesus-Centric Perspectives?

Take 5 minutes and listen as Keith explains the difference between a "Flat Bible" perspective and a "Jesus-Centric" perspective, and how these two views can make a difference between entanglement and being untangled from politics and the world.

Or click here to watch on Keith's YouTube channel.

Buy your copy of "Jesus Untangled:Crucifying Your Politics To Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb" at Amazon:

PAPERBACK

KINDLE

Want to learn more about the Old Testament vs the New Testament?

*Answering Questions About The Old Covenant and the New Covenant

*The Parable of the Vineyard

Peace,

-kg

BACK TO CENTER

Ten years ago my family and I made a conscious decision to step away from the traditional church model in favor of a more organic form of church.

Instead of pastor-centric gatherings, we wanted everyone in the Body of Christ to use their spiritual gifts to build up one another.

Instead of a programmatic order of service, we wanted to embrace the freedom we all have in Christ to be led by the Holy Spirit.

Maybe you've been there?

Here's what I've noticed: Some groups tend to swing too far in one direction and miss the point entirely.

For example: You say your group doesn't want to be pastor-led, but does that mean you should have total chaos instead? Is that really what we see in the New Testament ekklesia?

Hardly.

In fact, Paul even makes a point to say "For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace", and he does so in the very same chapter that many organic churches look to find their model. [See 1 Cor. 14:33]

Here's the real problem: The ekklesia isn't about liturgy or a lack of liturgy. It isn't about structures we choose or the celebration of our freedom in the gathering.

The ekklesia is about Jesus.

If you miss that, you've missed the entire point.

So, let me ask you: How does your gathering place Jesus at the center?

Better yet: Imagine what would happen if Jesus physically appeared to everyone in your church gathering. How different would that gathering be compared to the way your meetings currently look?

Now, let me remind you of something: Jesus IS in your midst every single time you gather together in His name.

If you could see Jesus with your eyes and hear Him with your ears, your meeting would probably look different, I'm guessing.

But since you know, by faith, that Jesus IS in your meeting, what can you do to see Him and hear Him better?

The answer to that question is exactly what your organic church should be working on together - every time you meet.

Here are some ideas to get you started:
*Sit silently together with your heads bowed and your eyes closed
*Wait on Jesus to reveal Himself to you
*Only speak to Jesus, not to one another
*Sing spontaneous songs of worship to Him
*Thank Him for His goodness
*Praise Him for His majesty
*Read specific scriptures out loud that speak of His wonder, and power and love [See Col. 1:15-22; Romans 8:31-39; Rev. 5; Heb. 1:1-13; Eph.3:14-21, etc.]
*Continually work together to keep Jesus the center of your attention for as long as you can

More and more, your organic church can begin to experience the presence of Jesus in your meetings if you will collaborate together in this way to realize His authority over each of you, and to submit completely to His leadership.

If you try this, please share your experiences in the comments below or send me an email to let me know how it goes!

I can't wait to hear how the Lord Jesus reveals Himself to your church family.

Peace,
Keith

5 MINUTE VIDEO: Is God Like Jesus?

A dear friend asked me how to respond to someone who has walked away from their faith because they can't reconcile the OT God who commands genocide with Jesus in the NT.

Here's what I told him.