Is It "New Testament" or "New Covenant:" What Does Luther Say?

Is It "New Testament" or "New Covenant:" What Does Luther Say?

By: Rev. Jack Cascione

The New Testament is called the New Testament because of Christ's words in the following verses.

KJV Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament,
KJV Mark 14:24 This is my blood of the new testament,
KJV Luke 22:20 This cup is the new testament in my blood,
KJV 1 Corinthians 11:25 This cup is the new testament in my blood:

However; Baptist, Pentecostal, and nearly every Reformed denomination says the words should be "covenant" instead of "testament."

The problem is the covenant is about the Law, what we are supposed to do, and Testament is about the Gospel, what God does for us. The Testator, Christ, wills us His grace and kingdom in his last will and testament, the Lord's Supper. Testament is pure Gospel.

Today, one new translation of the Bible after another shows the legalistic, law-loving, I-gave-my-life-to-Jesus, Baptist/Reformed bias, by using the word "covenant." Just look at the popular New International Version published in Nashville on these passages.

NIV Matthew 26:28 This is my blood of the covenant,
NIV Mark 14:24 "This is my blood of the covenant,
NIV Luke 22:20 "This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
NIV 1 Corinthians 11:25 "This cup is the new covenant in my blood;

There is one exception, that does not translate this Reformed error, namely, the New Beck Bible, put out by CN at cnmail@fitnet.com

In the following quotations from Luther's exposition on Psalm 110, which he considered to be prophetic of the Lord's Supper, Luther says the correct translation should be "testament" and not "covenant."

"Yodh, Psalm 110:10; He is eternally mindful of His covenant. Secondly, we observe in this Sacrament the remembrance of His covenant. Christ instituted it for this remembrance. This verse, therefore, declares that He does so, that He remembers His covenant. It is not our institution or work but His alone; and He performs it through us and in us. The psalmist is not speaking of an inward remembrance in the heart but of a public and expressed remembrance, of which Christ says (1 Cor. 11:24): "Do this in
remembrance of Me." This takes place through preaching and the Word of God. His remembrance, which He instituted, as we said before, endures "eternally," to the end of the world. And thus in the Sacrament there is not merely food but also the Word of God.

But here by "His covenant" is no longer meant the Ten Commandments, or the old Law, but the New Testament, the Gospel, as He Himself says (1 Cor. 11:25): "This is the cup of the New Testament." In the Hebrew "testament" and "covenant" are the same thing: (bereeth) Here He unites Himself with us in such a way that whoever believes in Him will be saved by His blood and suffering, which He holds before us in the Gospel. This is no different from what the preceding two verses say: "a remembrance of His wonderful works, which He did for us." This is the covenant which all the world attacks and rejects as the greatest heresy; for they will not have it that we are saved without works, only by faith in Christ. It would long since have been gone and forgotten if He had not so insistently preserved it and maintained its
remembrance. But He will not and cannot forget it, but remembers it and still lets the Gospel remain on earth in the midst of so many sects, so much false doctrine, human teaching, tyrants, and devils. Where would we get it now if Christ had not maintained it from the days of the apostles to this day? Even if the sophists trampled it underfoot, neglected it, despised and denounced it, it still remains by the power of Him who remembers it eternally." LW13:377

"To sum it up and to bring it to some sort of conclusion, there is a great and rich fountain in this verse which speaks of Christ as "a Priest forever" or "an eternal Priest"; indeed, it is a treasure, the source of all Christian doctrine, understanding, wisdom, and comfort. There is no single passage in Scripture which expresses this so richly or completely. Here is stated the difference between the Old and the New Testament, as was said before.72 It reveals all that our faith affirms and teaches." LW13:323

(Footnote 72 Thus for Luther the distinction between the Old Testament and the New Testament is not a distinction primarily of books, but of covenants; Ps. 110 would belong to the New Testament. LW13:323)

We have to ask why Concordia Publishing House doesn't publish a Bible that agrees with Luther on Lord's Supper?

Luther's comments here justify attempts by some Lutherans to maintain the word, "Testament" in the words of institution. There is an excellent article on this subject that was published in the now out of print, "NET." The article is reproduced at
http://www.redeemerlutheranchurch.org/diatheke.htm

December 17, 2002