The New Testament Begins in Acts Not Matthew

[Ascetic X]

The New Testament Begins in Acts Not Matthew​

When you read the Gospels in the Bible, such as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, do they sometimes seem to contradict other parts of the New Testament Scripture? For example, in Matthew 6:15, Jesus said, “If you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Yet, in Colossians 2:13, the Apostle Paul wrote, “…God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins.” How can there be two different perspectives written in the same New Testament?

But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. Now, if we are unforgiving to others, that in itself is an unconfessed sin, thus unforgiven.

Many Christians experience confusion because they think all of Jesus’ teachings are part of the New Testament, also known as the “New Covenant.” However most of them are not. The New Testament, which is God’s New Covenant with mankind, actually starts in the book of Acts, not Matthew. How do we know this fact is true?

When reading the New Testament, ask yourself this question, “Had Jesus died yet when this was written?” If not, then those writings are part of the Old Covenant in most cases. If the writings are after Jesus died, then it’s part of the New Covenant.

I see the gospels as a transition from Old Covenant to New Covenant. I takes the rudimentary commandments and expands them, from Do Not Commit Adultery to Do Not Lust Mentally, moving from letter of the law obedience to spiritual transcendence.

When Jesus came to earth, He came directly to the Jews who were still under the Old Covenant with God. Want the gist of the Old Covenant? Deuteronomy 28 spells it out very clearly. If Israel obeyed God’s laws, there were 12 verses of blessings He would give them (see Deuteronomy 28:1-14). But, if Israel disobeyed God’s laws, there were 52 verses of curses He would give them. (see Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

Would you want to live in that kind of tension-filled relationship with God? No way! Unfortunately, many Christians today believe that is still how God treats them, even though we are under the New Covenant of grace. Therefore, Christianity feels more like a burden, instead of a blessing.

But Christianity is more strict than the Mosaic law, for outward obedience has been spiritualized by inward transformation empowered by the Holy Spirit. It is easier to avoid sinful acts, which are constrained by opportunities, than to avoid having sinful thoughts, which have no constraints.

Many of the things that Jesus taught in the Gospels was Old Covenant instruction to the Jews of His day. When He taught them, He was raising the bar of how perfect they needed to be accepted and blessed by God. Here are some examples:

• “Unless you are more righteous than the strictest religious leaders in Jesus’s day, the Scribes and the Pharisees, you will not go to heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)
• “Calling someone an idiot or crazy because you are angry with them will send you to hell.” (Matthew 5:22)
• “Lust is adultery.” (Matthew 5:27-28)
• “You must live a perfect life exactly the way God does.” (Matthew 5:48)

These performance-based teachings were aimed to show the Jews and anyone who reads the Bible today that it’s impossible to get God’s unconditional acceptance by obeying the law. Jesus was preparing people to understand how much they needed Him to be their Savior.

The church epistles reinforce all these instructions. We are told to put on the mind of Christ. We have the benefit of the inborn Holy Spirit, and He empowers us to perform the godliness that is seemingly impossible.

God was about to bring into existence the New Covenant, and Jesus was preparing them and everyone else for it. But, here’s the key. The New Covenant did not begin until Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension were complete. For instance, Hebrews 9:15 says:

“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a New Covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the Old Covenant.”

Remember Jesus’ teachings we just listed from the book of Matthew? Let’s compare what the New Covenant says about you as a Christ follower:

• God has already forgiven you whether you forgive or not. (Colossians 2:13)

No. If we are unforgiving and do not confess that failure, we have unconfessed, unforgiven sin.

• God made you perfect in your identity in Christ. (Hebrews 10:14)
• God made you a holy person and not a lustful person in Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:2)

No. Even though we are holy spiritually due to the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we can still think polluted thoughts and exhibit gross carnality, as the Corinthian church demonstrated. We can still be lustful, so we are told to flee fornication.

• God made you a patient person because you’re complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)

The Old Covenant was conditional based on mankind’s imperfect works. The New Covenant is conditional based on faith in Jesus’ perfect work. Do you see the amazing difference?

Not that big of a difference, because we still must struggle to exercise faith instead of doubts, worries, and fears. We are told to cast all our anxieties on Him, for He cares for us.

Read the New Testament with a lot more clarity now that you know the New Testament starts in Acts, rather than Matthew!

Instead of more clarity, your theology can tend to gnostic libertinism, making people think their sanctification is entirely internal and divorced from external behavior.

The New Covenant begins with the gospels, where the more demanding rules are introduced, and the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus occurs. Acts contains the unfolding and implementation of this New Covenant that was extended to Gentiles without them needing convert to Judaism.

 

[Psalty]

The New Testament Begins in Acts Not Matthew​

When you read the Gospels in the Bible, such as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, do they sometimes seem to contradict other parts of the New Testament Scripture? For example, in Matthew 6:15, Jesus said, “If you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Yet, in Colossians 2:13, the Apostle Paul wrote, “…God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins.” How can there be two different perspectives written in the same New Testament?

Many Christians experience confusion because they think all of Jesus’ teachings are part of the New Testament, also known as the “New Covenant.” However most of them are not. The New Testament, which is God’s New Covenant with mankind, actually starts in the book of Acts, not Matthew. How do we know this fact is true?

When reading the New Testament, ask yourself this question, “Had Jesus died yet when this was written?” If not, then those writings are part of the Old Covenant in most cases. If the writings are after Jesus died, then it’s part of the New Covenant.

When Jesus came to earth, He came directly to the Jews who were still under the Old Covenant with God. Want the gist of the Old Covenant? Deuteronomy 28 spells it out very clearly. If Israel obeyed God’s laws, there were 12 verses of blessings He would give them (see Deuteronomy 28:1-14). But, if Israel disobeyed God’s laws, there were 52 verses of curses He would give them. (see Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

Would you want to live in that kind of tension-filled relationship with God? No way! Unfortunately, many Christians today believe that is still how God treats them, even though we are under the New Covenant of grace. Therefore, Christianity feels more like a burden, instead of a blessing.

Many of the things that Jesus taught in the Gospels was Old Covenant instruction to the Jews of His day. When He taught them, He was raising the bar of how perfect they needed to be accepted and blessed by God. Here are some examples:

• “Unless you are more righteous than the strictest religious leaders in Jesus’s day, the Scribes and the Pharisees, you will not go to heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)
• “Calling someone an idiot or crazy because you are angry with them will send you to hell.” (Matthew 5:22)
• “Lust is adultery.” (Matthew 5:27-28)
• “You must live a perfect life exactly the way God does.” (Matthew 5:48)

These performance-based teachings were aimed to show the Jews and anyone who reads the Bible today that it’s impossible to get God’s unconditional acceptance by obeying the law. Jesus was preparing people to understand how much they needed Him to be their Savior.

God was about to bring into existence the New Covenant, and Jesus was preparing them and everyone else for it. But, here’s the key. The New Covenant did not begin until Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension were complete. For instance, Hebrews 9:15 says:

“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a New Covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the Old Covenant.”

Remember Jesus’ teachings we just listed from the book of Matthew? Let’s compare what the New Covenant says about you as a Christ follower:

• God has already forgiven you whether you forgive or not. (Colossians 2:13)
• God made you perfect in your identity in Christ. (Hebrews 10:14)
• God made you a holy person and not a lustful person in Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:2)
• God made you a patient person because you’re complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)

The Old Covenant was conditional based on mankind’s imperfect works. The New Covenant is conditional based on faith in Jesus’ perfect work. Do you see the amazing difference?

Read the New Testament with a lot more clarity now that you know the New Testament starts in Acts, rather than Matthew!

The New Testament Begins in Acts Not Matthew

www.gracelifeinternational.com

Got it, Get it, Good.

Respectfully disagree because of scripture:

“The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
— Luke 16:16

John was the end of the Law and Prophets, Jesus is the start of the New Covenant. Edit: Cool to note that John was a Levite and Aaronic priest while Jesus was from Judah and a Melchezedekian priest. What an amazing hand-off from John to Jesus!

If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,
— 1 Timothy 6:3

Paul validates that NC teaching should align with Christs words

Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it.
— Galatians 3:15

Jesus’ life and teaching were the New Covenant, the cross ratified it.

I think these three suffice for now, but open to hearing your responses.

Edit: I should ask, are you a hyperdispensationalist? Which NT writings do you believe are under the Law? Some hyperdispensationalist folk would agree with you and also not think that several letters apply

 

[Psalty]

The new covenant was and is only intended for all of God's elect.

Anyone can be Gods elect, both in the OT and the NT.

In the OT: Israel was Gods elect. Didnt mean you were saved, even though you were chosen. Any alien could become part of Gods elect.

In the NT: Israel and Gentiles who are in Christ are now Gods elect because they are IN CHRIST, Gods chosen one. Anyone can become part of God’s elect today.

Nothing has changed in regards to election being open to everyone, its just easier now.

 

[Mathetes66]

The overwhelming concensus of the historical church is that the New Testament/New Covenant starts with Matthew, Mark, Luke, John AND then Acts of the Apostles. All the biblical canons attest to the same. You can make a claim it doesn't start with the Gospels, but that is not based on history and the historical church.

The New Covenant began with the promise to Eve. Gen 3:15 "And I will put enmity between you and the woman & between your seed & her Seed; He shall bruise your head & you shall bruise His heel.”

Then Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she became pregnant & gave birth to Cain. She said, "I have gotten the man that the LORD promised." Her acknowledgment of the LORD (Yahweh) indicates a personal relationship with God, despite the fall. This phrase can be seen as an expression of faith & gratitude. The reference to "a man" may also hint at her anticipation of the promised seed in Genesis 3:15, though Cain ultimately does not fulfill this role. This expectation of a deliverer is a recurring theme, culminating in the coming of Jesus Christ, the ultimate fulfillment of the promise.

The promise of the New Covenant continued with Abraham, the father of our faith, both of Jew & Gentile.
Gal 3:5-9 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6just as Abraham “believed God & it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached THE GOSPEL BEFOREHAND TO ABRAHAM, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith...for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive THE PROMISED SPIRIT THROUGH FAITH.

Gal 3:15-18 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16Now the promises were made to Abraham & to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17THIS IS WHAT I MEAN: THE LAW, WHICHCAME 430 YEARS AFTERWARD, DOES NOT ANNUL A COVENENT PREVIOUSLY RATIFIED BY GOD, SO AS TO MAKE THE PROMISE VOID. 18For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham BY A PROMISE.

Gal 3:23-29 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slaveg nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, HEIRS ACCORDING TO PROMISE.

Read Hebrews 11!! They were all saved by grace through faith! Gen 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Heb 11:7
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world & became HEIR OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT COMES BY FAITH.

Gal 4:22-26 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are TWO COVENENTS. One is from Mt Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25Now Hagar is Mt Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother...Now you, brothers, LIKE ISAAC, are children of promise. 29But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT, so also it is now. 30But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman & her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

Rom 4:3-12,16 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God & it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5And to the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6JUST AS DAVID ALSO SPEAKS of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 7“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven & whose sins are covered; 8blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count (impute) his sin.” 9Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but BEFORE he was circumcised. 11He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE FAITH that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised...That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest ON GRACE & be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

 

[Dave...]

The New Covenant begins with the gospels, where the more demanding rules are introduced, and the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus occurs. Acts contains the unfolding and implementation of this New Covenant that was extended to Gentiles without them needing convert to Judaism.

Hebrews 9:16-28

The Testator must die for His Testament to be activated. Until He dies, that Testament has no power. It was at that time, the cross, that Jesus became the just (righteousness of God that is imputed to us), and the justifier (blood shed) of those who believe in Him (Romans 3:25-26). But He had to ascend, and then give the Holy Spirit, Who, when we believe in the NT, is placed in us, and that places us in Christ, justified and born again. During the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples, "On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you". OT-John 14:20 -And- "I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity" OT-John 17:23. That prayer is answered with the baptizing with/by the Holy Spirit, which began at Pentecost, when the Spirit of Christ is placed into us, and that places every believer into Christ, bringing that true unity that Jesus prayed for (NT-1 Corinthians 12:13-14).

Pentecost was the first believers placed into Christ and actually justified, literally, not just in promise. That's when the NT technically began, although you could say that the OT ended at the cross, when the curtain was torn in the Temple, but the NT waited for Jesus to ascend. The Old Covenant pointed, and the New Covenant delivered. I think of the Testaments in that same way as the Covenants. Abraham was credited with the righteousness of God because of His faith, but He didn't have it except in promise because that righteousness hadn't yet been completed ("it is finished"). Some, who had heard the Gospel and believed before the cross, were given the right to because Sons of God (OT-John 1:12-13), to be born again. But that had not yet happened either, as that can only happen when a believer is placed into Christ, after the death, resurrection and ascension, which waited for the giving of the Holy Spirit to indwell believers, which waited on the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, so He could ascend. It's a double edged sword. The Holy Spirit would not enter a believer, (in the NT we are called the Temple of the Holy Spirit), until there was blood to cleanse that Temple, us. And the death, resurrection and ascension needed to happen so that there was blood shed, and the ingredients to save us, the atonement to apply to us, the righteousness of God established to impute to us, and a death and resurrection to spiritually identify with so that we can be born again when we are placed into Christ. Jesus summed all that up with saying that He must first be lifted up, or glorified, then He would give the Holy Spirit. It all culminated and the promises began to be realized at Pentecost, the birth of the Church, the first believers placed into Jesus and born again and justified, promise delivered. That's the NT.

OT-John 7:38-39 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."(born again )But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

This same promise is repeated over and over in John, John 3:1-16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7-16, all the way back to Ezekiel 36:26-27. This what John the Baptist prophesied about Matthew 3:11, confirmed in Acts 1:1-5.

That's why we still see the Priesthood, and the Levitical system still in action in the gospels. Charismatics and Pentecostal, and Calvinists, even Catholics, all believing that all of the Gospels is the NT, all call what happened at Pentecost something more. Many of the biggest theological errors of our time comes from that idea. Catholics justify the Priesthood from it, after all, they had Priests in the NT, right? Just read the Gospels. And Charismatics, Pentecostals, and Calvinists, (I know, strange bedfellows theologically speaking) all error from the same thought, claiming that what happened at Pentecost was something more. Pentecostals and Charismatics believing that the baptism with the Holy Spirit initiates believers into the ranks of the spiritual elite, because after all they were already born again, when the opposite is true, the baptism with the holy spirit is what places us in Jesus, it unites believers in Christ, justifying them and making them born again. And Calvinist, many true 'reverse engineers' when it comes to theology, just won't touch it with a ten foot pole. They say that they 'just got more power'. How sad! Scripture is conformed incorrectly to fit TULIP, which is assumed to be true. I even consider myself reformed, but the idea of people being born again so that they can believe...I never believed that. It's just not there. OT believers were not indwelt or born again. That's what ushered in the NT. The book of Acts records that transition. First, those who believed in the Gospel already, then those who were true OT believers, already declared righteous by faith, predestined to take the step from and OT faith to a NT Gospel faith (Romans 8:28-29), and be conformed to Christlikeness, needed the Holy spirit indwelling, called the life, but first needed to hear the Gospel. Cornelius, Lydia, the disciples of John the Baptist in Acts 19, all true OT believers who had yet to hear the Gospel. These are the sheep, the ones that the Father gave to the Son, who would hear and believe. We see God providentially bringing this to pass with Cornelius, as He sent Peter to share the Gospel with him and his household. The whole Acts is OT believers is various states of faith being given that Promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit that was owed to them.

anyways, the giving of the Holy Spirit birthed the Church, that's the beginning of the NT.

This is a serious error to say that the NT begins at Matthew chapter one, and many false doctrines have been birthed from it. It's important that we get this right. I know that sounds forceful, but for the sake of getting to the point the best way that I know how to, I hope you take this in the Spirit that it was intended.

Dave

 

[Ascetic X]

The New Testament begins with the 4 gospels which introduced the new spiritual mentality, going beyond the law of Moses.

To say the NT began in the book of Acts is how bad theology creates much false doctrine, while it negates the current use of the Lord’s Prayer, Sermon on the Mount, and everything else that Jesus said.

Those who claim the NT began in Acts then typically state that we can ignore the gospels because they belong to the OT.

This is deleting the earthly ministry of Jesus as irrelevant. That is a horrible thing to do.

Jesus said He would build His church and he started it in His earthly ministry.

On Pentecost, the church was empowered by the Holy Spirit and began to add thousands more saved individuals.


“The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.”
— Luke 16:16