Pastor Scholar Podcast EP. 40 | Understanding God's Covenants
Dec 30, 2025
They trace God’s promises through Scripture and explain how covenants shape the biblical storyline. They compare ancient Near Eastern treaties with biblical usage and outline a threefold covenant pattern. They debate which covenants are explicitly biblical and investigate who the new covenant was given to. They explore how Jesus interacts with and fulfills covenant promises across redemptive history.
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New Covenant Is Promised To Israel
- The phrase 'the new covenant' appears only in Jeremiah 31 and Hebrews 8, and both contexts identify Israel as the recipient.
- Marsh highlights that Hebrews quotes Jeremiah verbatim and keeps the recipients national Israel.
Debate: Church Shares New Covenant Blessings
- Within dispensationalism there's debate whether the church shares spiritual blessings of the new covenant while the covenant's full national fulfillment awaits Israel.
- Marsh and Ryan note some New Testament texts suggest spiritual overlap without identity of fulfillment.
2 Corinthians 3 Presents The Hardest Challenge
- 2 Corinthians 3 is the strongest New Testament challenge to an 'Israel only' new covenant, calling ministers of a 'new covenant' in Corinth.
- Marsh offers linguistic and contextual responses to explain differences without conceding full identity.