Is the new covenant for gentiles?

Answer 1

Ultimately, the New Covenant is for ALL OF MANKIND. Both the "Old" covenant and the "New" covenant have THE SAME PARAMETERS; they both entail "the keeping of [obeying] the Ten Commandments": which is the crux of the great lesson of the Bible:

"Let us hear THE CONCLUSION of the WHOLE MATTER: FEAR GOD, and KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS: for THIS IS THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN..." (Eccle.12:13).

God's Law is for all of mankind... not just for "Jews."

In the establishment of the Old Covenant, God [Jesus Christ, the WORD of God, the Creator God of the Old Testament - see John 1:3] "wrote His Commandments" on TABLES OF STONE with "His OWN FINGER" [Ex.31:18].

In the future, when the New Covenant is finally complete, God will WRITE THEM IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS:

"...the days come, saith the LORD, that I WILL MAKE A NEW COVENANT with the House of Israel, AND with the House of Judah [two separate houses or kingdoms, now scattered in the world]: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant THEY BRAKE [they broke... disobeyed... the Ten Commandments; which is what sin is - I John 3:4]. although I was AN HUSBAND unto them, saith the LORD: But this SHALL BE [future tense] the covenant that I WILL MAKE [future tense] with the House of Israel [no longer the House of Israel AND the House of Judah; but with BOTH HOUSES finally reunited back into ONE SINGLE NATION]; after those days [after the coming Great Tribulation and the return of Jesus Christ], saith the LORD, I will PUT MY LAW IN THEIR INWARD PARTS, and WRITE THEM IN THEIR HEARTS; and will be their God, and they SHALL [future tense] be My people... for THEY SHALL [future tense] ALL KNOW ME..." (Jer.31:31-34 & Heb.8:9-11).

People talk about the "covenant"... but few folks know THE TERMS of that covenant [that AGREEMENT; that ancient MARRIAGE VOW that made the children of Israel THE WIFE OF GOD: who "...was AN HUSBAND unto them..." - just as the Church of God is His Wife today, which includes not just Israel and Judah but GENTILES, too.

The church is NOT a GENTILE CHURCH as so many folks think it is in the confusion that exists among the hundreds of deceived denominations of nominal professing Christianity today. No, the converted Gentiles of God's "church" [called-out-ones] are being ADOPTED INTO ABRAHAM'S FAMILY through FAITH in Christ... thereby becoming ISRAELITES themselves: the children of FAITHFUL ABRAHAM!

"KNOW YE therefore that THEY WHICH ARE OF FAITH, the same ARE THE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM. And the Scripture, FORESEEING that God would JUSTIFY the heathen [Gentiles] through FAITH, preached BEFORE the gospel UNTO ABRAHAM, saying, 'In thee shall ALL NATIONS BE BLESSED. So then they which BE OF FAITH are BLESSED WITH Faithful Abraham." (Gal.3:7-9)

"...for ye are ALL ONE in Christ Jesus. And IF YE BE CHRIST's, THEN are ye ABRAHAM'S SEED, and heirs according to the Promise." (verses 28-29)

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God and CHILDREN OF GOD. So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God's VERY OWN CHILDREN, ADOPTED INTO HIS FAMILY - calling Him 'FATHER, DEAR FATHER." (Rom.8:14-15 NLT New Living Translation)

Even when God offered the "Old" covenant to ancient Israel... GENTILES WERE ALLOWED to worship the LORD THEN - IF THEY VOWED TO OBEY THE TERMS OF THE COVENANT - the Ten Commandments - in accordance with the law; the crux of the Commandments being NO WORSHIP OF THE FALSE GODS OF OTHER [Gentile] NATIONS [see Commandments #1 & #2].

"The people must no longer be unfaithful to the LORD by offering sacrifices to EVIL SPIRITS... This is a PERMANENT LAW for them, to be kept GENERATION AFTER GENERATION. Give them this COMMAND as well, WHICH APPLIES BOTH TO ISRAELITES AND TO THE FOREIGNERS [Gentiles] LIVING AMONG YOU... That is why I said to the Israelites: 'YOU AND the FOREIGNERS who live among you must never eat or drink blood.' (Lev.7-12 NLT)

"And this command APPLIES BOTH TO ISRAELITES AND TO THE FOREIGNERS LIVING AMONG YOU..." (verse 13).

"And this command ALSO APPLIES BOTH TO ISRAELITES AND THE FOREIGNERS LIVING AMONG YOU..." (verse 15).

"...thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be OF THE CHILDREN of ISRAEL, or OF THE STRANGERS [Gentiles] THAT SOJOURN in Israel..." (Lev.18:2).

"Speak... unto all the children of Israel... Whatsoever he be of THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, or OF THE STRANGERS [Gentiles] in Israel, that will offer his oblation... and for all his freewill offerings..." (Lev.22:18).

Gentiles have ALWAYS been permitted to partake of Israel's blessings; but God demands and commands ANY who worship Him to do it in accordance with His Commandments, statutes, and ordinances. It's just as true today as it always was. The main difference is that Jesus Christ is the ONLY BLOOD SACRIFICE we need, other than a "humble heart" crying out to God from within ourselves.

"Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, "Lo... I DELIGHT TO DO THY WILL, O my God: yea, THY LAW IS WITHIN MY HEART." (Ps.40:6-8)

"For thou desirest NOT sacrifice, else would I give it: thou delightest NOT in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God ARE A BROKEN SPIRIT: a BROKEN and CONTRITE HEART, O God, thou WILT NOT DESPISE." (Ps.51:16-17)

"The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the PRAYER of the upright IS HIS DELIGHT." (Prov.15:8)

God's Promise of SALVATION to Abraham was for ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH, ased on every man's "Duty to God": OBEDIENCE to the Laws of God, just as any decent father REQUIRES and DEMANDS the obedience of his children to the laws of his household.

All of FAITHFUL Abraham's children, whether they're blood descendants through Isaac or the Gentiles who sojourned with them; they all have to REPENT and "Obey God's Voice" through FAITH IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.

"Because that Abraham OBEYED MY VOICE, and kept My charge, MY COMMANDMENTS, My statutes, and MY LAWS." (Gen.26:5)

"Now therefore, if ye WILL OBEY MY VOICE indeed, and KEEP MY COVENANT..." (Ex.19:5).

"If ye KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS, ye shall abide in My Love... This is My Commandment, That ye LOVE ONE ANOTHER [the underlying message of the Ten Commandments]... Ye are My friends if ye DO WHATSOEVER I COMMAND YOU..." (John 15:10-14).

God's Ten Commandments of LOVE: which are the TERMS of BOTH Old and New covenants SHALL BE [future tense] incumbent upon ALL OF MANKIND for Salvation.

Until we are all "changed" from mortal man to the Immortal Children of God, man has a long way to go... a lot of spiritual growing to do... before he SHALL BE [future tense] able to FORGIVE HIS BROTHER his sins.

"...Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged." (Matt.7:2 NLT)

Mankind has yet to learn that Christ's Divine shed Blood was shed for all men. And that if you think you're forgiven, yet deny your brother the Mercy and Forgiveness with which Christ graced you: know that each person holds within his own grasp the ability to strip himself of God's Mercy and Forgiveness by simply denying a brother your own.

The Ten Commandments: the terms of BOTH of God's Covenants - are NO GOOD if they're HUNG ON A PLAQUE ON A WALL and forgotten. They need to be WRITTEN IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF ALL MEN... RESPECTED, HONORED and LIVED!

"Here is my final conclusion: FEAR GOD and OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS, for THIS IS THE DUTY OF EVERY PERSON. God will JUDGE US for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad." (Eccle.12:13-14 NLT)