The Old Covenant was ‘of the letter,’ and was made obsolete at, and by the cross. And in either case, by the time the Spirit came in a new way at Pentecost, the New Covenant also came in.
The Old Covenant was of the letter – a matter of words.
The New Covenant was, and is, of the Spirit – a matter of the Spirit.
The problem comes when we try to reduce to words, what can only happen by the Spirit. This takes us back in time to the letters that kill, and away from the Spirit who gives life.
I believe this is what happened soon after Pentecost – within the first 100 years, in fact. The self-appointed experts tried to reduce to words what had happened in the Spirit, and the result was the Dark Ages. Then and now, our feeble attempts to reduce the work of The Spirit to words always takes us to the “Dark Side.”
If we can’t take the time needed to discern whether or not a person is in a spiritual place to receive our attempt to communicate where we might be in the Spirit, then it is better to wait until a more opportune time. You know, kind of like what Jesus did at The Last Supper when He said, “I have more to say to you, but you are not yet ready to receive it…”
Love!
By Jay Ferris, originally published Feb. 5, 2012
Loving Like God 
This post is interesting, because here is a man (Jay) who has tried to reduce to words what the Spirit has been communicating to him, i.e. in his writings publicly, including books, his blog posts, his conference talks, etc. But, as it were, (and as he was known for) almost always in “shadows and parables,” like Jesus. The detailed explanation of such things was only for those He was in relationship to, who asked him questions, and even then, according to how much they were able to handle.
This is such a powerful post, even if short. I love the dark ages, dark side analogy. It invites us to explore it more. Did he mean the letters that they sent to each other (that eventually made up the Bible?) that people then began to copy and use as “law”? Certainly there is some truth to this, that the scriptures (written words) had been, and continued to be put on a pedestal by some people, while the person of Christ was more or less an “idea” that helped to further the self-serving agendas of these “self-appointed” experts.
Jesus is a fresh and LIVING reality – and we need all the help we can get to discern the difference between old and new covenant, and life and death.
“But Jesus has now obtained a more excellent ministry,and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted through better promises.” Heb. 8:6
Work and do the law demands but gives me neither feet nor hands. A better gift the gospel brings; it bids me fly and gives me wings.” Anonymous
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