Before Jesus came, God's Word was incomplete. It contained only the 39 books we now call the Old Testament (written mostly in Hebrew). The church of history gave the Hebrew Scriptures the name “Old Testament” (testament means covenant). Today we study the covenant for which the 39 books of the Hebrew Scripture are named (the “Old” covenant). “The” Old Covenant is the covenant between God and the nation of Israel made at Mount Sinai (Ex 19:1-2). It is not the most important of the covenants, but it is the bulkiest, taking up the most type space.
Due to the fact the covenant was made at Mount Sinai, some call it the Sinai Covenant.
The mediator of this covenant was Moses. Thus is sometimes also called the Mosaic Covenant.
The first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures were written by Moses. The Greek name for them is the Pentateuch (five scrolls). The Jews call these five books the Torah (which means teachings or instructions). These five books are also called the Law because they mainly deal with the laws of the Old Covenant.
The name Old Covenant comes from its contrast with the New Covenant. The Sinai covenant was made old in comparison to the glory of Christ and the new covenant (2Co 3:7-18). The Sinai Covenant is given the name old by the apostle Paul:
ESV 2 Corinthians 3:14 . . . [Jews] read the old covenant.
Summary: This covenant has three names: Old, Sinai, Mosaic.
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Stephen Atkerson helps church leaders discover simple growth strategies that Jesus gave the early church. For over 30 years, he has worked with evangelists, missionaries, church planters, and pastors in Asia, the Americas, Europe and Africa. He is one of the pastors of a Baptist...
