In Defense of the Faith

Chapter 12 — The Two Covenants

In his chapter on this subject Mr. Canright the Baptist contends that the “old covenant” spoken of by Paul as having passed away, consisted of, or at least included, the Ten Commandment law and the seventh-day Sabbath. We quote his words: DOF 226.1

“The abolition of the Sinaitic covenant carries with it the abolition of the Jewish Sabbath so completely that no authoritative trace of it can be found this side of the grave of our risen Lord.”—Seventh-day Adventism Renounced, p. 350. DOF 226.2

Again:

“Now notice how plainly and how repeatedly the Ten Commandments are called ‘the covenant,’ which God gave at Sinai to Israel when He brought them out of Egypt.”—Ibid., p. 353. DOF 226.3

And again:

“Notice the points in this. Jesus is Mediator of a better covenant than the old. Verse 6. Then we have something better than the Ten Commandments.”—Ibid., p. 355. DOF 226.4

This, of course, is not a new argument. We have often heard it from the no-law advocates. It is a subtle line of reasoning, and to one not familiar with the subject of the two covenants, to say the least, a bit confusing. But this entire effort to get rid of the law of God via the old covenant argument, is based on an entirely erroneous premise, i.e., that the Ten Commandments was the old covenant. When this premise is removed, as it is not difficult to do, the entire line of argument collapses. In considering this subject, we desire, for the sake of clarity, to divide it into four subdivisions, as follows: DOF 226.5

1. What the old covenant was not. DOF 227.1

2. What the old covenant was. DOF 227.2

3. The new covenant. DOF 227.3

4. The new covenant, effective both before and after the cross. DOF 227.4