The Fulfillment of the Old Covenant

 Throughout Christian history, one of the most debated theological topics has been the relationship between the Old and New Covenants. Christians have long wrestled with questions such as: Are believers today still obligated to follow the Mosaic Law? If Jesus fulfilled the Law, does that mean it has been abolished, or does it still hold authority in some way? The answer, found throughout the New Testament and echoed by the early Church, is that the Old Covenant, while still the infallible Word of God, has been fulfilled in Christ and is no longer binding on believers today.

The Old Covenant’s Fulfillment in the New Testament

One of the clearest indicators that the Old Covenant has come to completion is found in Hebrews 8:13, which states, “By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.” The use of the word “obsolete” here is critical. The Old Covenant is not merely an outdated contract but one that has been superseded by the New Covenant in Christ.

This reality is reinforced by the very existence of the New Testament. If the Old Covenant were still in effect, there would be no theological necessity for a new one. The presence of a New Covenant inherently means that the old one has served its purpose and is no longer binding. The Old Testament remains vital for understanding God's character, prophecy, and the foundation of the Gospel, but it is no longer the governing covenant under which believers live.

Perhaps the most dramatic biblical symbol of this transition was the tearing of the temple veil at Christ’s crucifixion. In Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, and Luke 23:45, we read that at the very moment Jesus died, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. This was no ordinary event—this veil separated the Holy of Holies, the dwelling place of God’s presence, from the rest of the temple. Under the Old Covenant, only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16:2). When the veil was torn, it signified that access to God was no longer restricted to a Levitical priesthood or an earthly temple. Jesus himself became the final High Priest and the ultimate sacrifice, fulfilling the entire system of temple worship as described in Hebrews 9:11-15.

The Gospels also provide a direct statement from Jesus about the end of the Old Covenant’s exclusivity to Israel. In Matthew 21:43, Jesus tells the Jewish leaders, “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.” This declaration signified a radical shift. Under the Old Covenant, Israel was God’s chosen nation, set apart by the Law given to Moses. However, with Christ’s coming, salvation was no longer bound to an ethnic or national identity—it was being extended to all nations through faith. Romans 11:11-12 confirms this, as Paul explains that Israel’s rejection of Christ allowed salvation to be made available to the Gentiles.

Paul’s letters repeatedly teach that the Law, while holy and good, was never meant to be permanent. In Galatians 3:24-25, he states, “So the law was our guardian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.” The Law had a clear purpose: to point humanity to Christ. Now that Christ has come and fulfilled its requirements, believers are no longer under its authority. Similarly, in Romans 7:6, Paul writes, “But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.” The phrase “we are released” makes it clear that the Law is no longer binding on those in Christ.

The Early Church and the Completion of the Old Covenant

The idea that the Old Covenant has been fulfilled and is no longer binding is not a modern theological position—it has been affirmed by the Church since its earliest days.

In the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), the apostles and early church leaders faced a pivotal question: Must Gentile converts follow the Law of Moses? Some Jewish believers insisted that Gentiles must be circumcised and adhere to the Mosaic Law to be saved. However, after much debate, the apostles ruled that Gentile Christians were not required to follow the Law, declaring that salvation was through faith in Christ alone. This decision was groundbreaking because it formally established that the Old Covenant’s legal requirements were not binding on Christians, regardless of their ethnic background.

The early Church Fathers also supported this understanding.

Justin Martyr (c. 100-165 AD) argued that the Mosaic Law was temporary and that it “was given to Israel because of their sins” but was no longer required after Christ (Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter 11).

Irenaeus (c. 130-202 AD) wrote that Jesus "did away with the old law" and established a new covenant that included both Jews and Gentiles (Against Heresies, Book IV).

Tertullian (c. 155-240 AD) taught that the ceremonial aspects of the Law were abolished but that moral principles were reaffirmed in Christ (An Answer to the Jews, Chapter 6).

These early Christian writers, many of whom had direct links to the apostles, unanimously affirmed that the Old Covenant had served its purpose and was no longer binding under the New Covenant.

The Protestant Reformers and Evangelical Scholars

The Protestant Reformers also strongly emphasized the completion of the Old Covenant and the sufficiency of Christ’s work.

Martin Luther, in his commentary on Galatians, argued that "the Law was given to prepare the way for Christ and now, having served its purpose, it must give way to grace" (Luther's Commentary on Galatians, 1535). He saw the Law as a temporary measure meant to lead people to the realization that they could only be saved through faith in Christ.

John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, wrote that "the ceremonies of the law are abrogated, not because they were worthless, but because their use has expired" (Institutes, Book II, Chapter 7, Section 16). He emphasized that Christ fulfilled all that the Law pointed to, and therefore, it was no longer in effect as a covenant.

Modern evangelical scholars continue this understanding. John MacArthur, in his study Bible notes on Hebrews 8:13, states, "The New Covenant renders the Old one obsolete—not in inspiration, but in function." Similarly, R.C. Sproul argued in The Holiness of God that "the moral law reflects God's character, but the ceremonial law was fulfilled in Christ, making it no longer binding."

Conclusion

The Old Covenant, while holy, necessary, and divinely inspired, was always meant to be temporary. Christ’s life, death, and resurrection fulfilled its requirements, ushering in a New Covenant that is not based on adherence to the Mosaic Law but on faith in Christ alone.

The New Testament, the tearing of the veil, Paul’s teachings, early Church history, the Protestant Reformation, and modern evangelical scholarship all confirm that the Old Covenant has been completed—not abolished as though it was a mistake, but fully realized in Christ. While the Old Testament remains a vital part of Christian faith, it no longer governs how believers relate to God. Instead, we now live under a covenant of grace, faith, and direct access to the Father through Jesus Christ.