The Greek word often translated as “new” in the New Testament is kainos (καινος). This word doesn’t just mean “new” in the sense of something brand new, but can also mean “new in quality” or “unprecedented”. This contrasts with another Greek word, neos (νεος), which means “new in time” or “recently made.”
In this context, the idea of a renewed covenant makes a lot of sense. The new covenant in Christ isn’t a complete break from the past, but rather a fulfillment and renewal of God’s original promises to Israel. Jesus himself said in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” This suggests that the new covenant doesn’t replace the old but brings it to its intended purpose.
Thinking of it as a renewed covenant emphasizes God’s faithfulness throughout history and shows how the Old Testament is a continuous story leading to Jesus, rather than a separate, unrelated book. It highlights a seamless thread of God’s plan for humanity from Genesis to Revelation.
Old Testament
- Jeremiah 31:31: “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:”
New Testament
- Matthew 26:28: “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Note: The KJV often translates “covenant” as “testament” in the New Testament).
- Mark 14:24: “And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.”
- Luke 22:20: “Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”
- 1 Corinthians 11:25: “After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”
- 2 Corinthians 3:6: “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
- Hebrews 8:8: “For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:”
- Hebrews 8:13: “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.”
- Hebrews 9:15: “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 eternal inheritance.”
- Hebrews 12:24: “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”
As we discussed, the term “new testament” is often used interchangeably with “new covenant” in the KJV, especially when referencing the Last Supper and the book of Hebrews. The prophecy in Jeremiah 31 is the original promise of this covenant, which is then shown to be fulfilled in Jesus.
Of the ten biblical references to the “new covenant” that were listed here, all of them in the New Testament Greek contained a form of the word (kainos).
The Greek language has two words for “new”:
- (kainos), which means “new in quality” or “unprecedented.” It implies a qualitative difference, something that is new and different from what existed before, not just new in time.
- (neos), which means “new in time” or “recent.” It refers to something that has not been in existence for long, like a “newborn” or a “recent” invention.
By using (kainos), the New Testament authors emphasize that the New Covenant is not simply a newer version of the Old Covenant, but is fundamentally different and superior in nature. The prophet Jeremiah also uses this same word in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) when speaking of the “new” covenant.