Establishment of New Testament Teachings Before or After Christ's Death
The teachings of the New Testament are understood to have been established through the death of Jesus Christ, which is presented as the foundational act for the new covenant [1, 2, 3]. This understanding is rooted in the concept of a "testament" or "covenant" (Greek: diatheke), which, like a will, becomes effective only after the death of the testator [1, 2].
The author of Hebrews emphasizes this point, stating, "For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead, otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth" (Hebrews 9:16-17) [3]. John Gill, in his commentary on Hebrews, elaborates that this necessity of Christ's death is derived from the nature of a human will, which cannot be executed until the person who made it has died. Until then, no claim can be made by beneficiaries, nor can any disposition be made by an executor [2]. This principle applies to Christ's role as the Mediator of the New Testament, meaning his death was essential for the new covenant to take effect [4].
The death of Christ is presented as the means by which redemption for transgressions committed under the first covenant is achieved, allowing those who are called to receive the promise of an eternal inheritance [3, 4]. This act of Christ's death is not merely a historical event but the very mechanism that validates the New Testament's provisions. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary notes that this is a general axiomatic truth concerning a "testament" and that Christ's death as a man was necessary for his testament to take effect for humanity [1].
The apostle Paul also highlights the centrality of Christ's death in his teachings. In 1 Corinthians 15:3, he states that among the "chief and principal things" he delivered was the doctrine of Christ "dying for the sins of his people" [5]. This doctrine of a crucified Savior was fundamental to his ministry and served as a precursor to the resurrection, which he used to support the resurrection of believers [5].
The New Testament, therefore, is not merely a collection of teachings delivered by Christ during his earthly ministry, but a covenant established and made effective through his sacrificial death. Matthew Henry, commenting on 2 Corinthians 3:6, distinguishes between the Old Testament and the New, identifying the apostles as "able ministers of the New Testament" [6]. This new covenant, unlike the old law of Moses, is characterized by the spirit rather than merely the letter, and its efficacy is tied directly to Christ's death and subsequent resurrection [6]. The teachings themselves, while delivered during Christ's life, gain their full redemptive power and covenantal force through his death, which inaugurated the new era of God's relationship with humanity [1, 2, 3].
Sources
- Hebrews (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Hebrews 9:16: A general axiomatic truth; it is "a testament"; not the testament. The testator must die before his testament takes effect (Heb 9:17). This is a common meaning of the Greek noun diathece. So in Luk 22:29, "I appoint (by testamentary disposition; the cognate Greek verb diatithemai) unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me." The need of death before the testamentary appointment takes effect, holds good in Christ's relation as MAN to us; Of course not in God's relation to Christ. be--literally, be borne": "be involved in the case"; be in”
- Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 9:17: For a testament is of force after men are dead,.... The necessity of Christ's death is here urged, from the nature and force of a testament or will, among men, which does not take place, and cannot be executed, till a man is dead. Otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the testator liveth; no claim can be made by the legatees for the part they have in it, nor can any disposition be made by the executor of it; not that hereby is suggested, that the testament or will of God was uncertain and precarious till the death of Christ, and subject to change and alterat”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on John & Hebrews: 443 Homily XVI. Hebrews ix. 15–23 “And for this cause He is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of an eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 3074 3074 “of him that made it.” For a testament is of force after men are dead, 3075 3075 “in the case of the dead.” otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon 3076 3”
- Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 9:15: And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament,.... See Gill on Heb 7:22, See Gill on Heb 8:6, See Gill on Heb 8:8. This may refer both to what goes before, and what follows after; for Christ, that he might offer himself to God, and by his blood purge the consciences of his people from dead works, that so they might serve the living God, became the Mediator of the New Testament, or covenant; and also he took upon him this character and office, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they whic”
- 1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 15:3: For I delivered unto you first of all,.... Not only in the first place as to order; but among the chief and principal things, as the words will bear to be rendered, this was insisted on in his ministry; this was one he after relates, even a crucified Christ, or the doctrine of his dying for the sins of his people; and which he mentions to lead on to his resurrection; which he meant to improve, and does improve, in a very strong manner, in favour of the resurrection of the saints. This doctrine of a crucified Saviour, which he at first determined only to make kn”
- 2 Corinthians (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 2 Corinthians 3:6: Here the apostle makes a comparison between the Old Testament and the New, the law of Moses and the gospel of Jesus Christ, and values himself and his fellow-labourers by this, that they were able ministers of the New Testament, that God had made them so, Co2 3:6. This he does in answer to the accusations of false teachers, who magnify greatly the law of Moses. I. He distinguishes between the letter and the spirit even of the New Testament, Co2 3:6. As able ministers of the New Testament, they were ministers not merely of the letter, to read the written word”