I was once asked the question, “What are the merits of the New Testament?”, by a man who had recently rejected it and the Messiah it speaks of. Below is my response.

The New Testament (Brit Chadasha) is the most published and most read book in the history of the world. Why? Because it contains the words of life which have given millions of people hope. They are words that have changed lives throughout all nations. No matter where people live, what their background is, what their occupation is, or what their religion is, when the good news (gospel) as contained in the New Testament is planted in their hearts through the hearing of those words of life, lives change for the better. Hardened criminals, murderers, thieves, adulterers, idolaters and even the most vile of men have had their hearts changed to become some of the most loving, caring, Elohim fearing people on the planet.

It is through the hearing of the good news, the gospel, the Word of life, that such people come to possess salvation and eternal life. And the ONLY place such life changing words are found is in the New Testament or writings that quote the New Testament. The good news of Messiah is the power of Yahweh unto salvation to everyone that believes it.

The New Testament reveals to us the identity of Yahweh’s promised Messiah. Even if one were to believe Yeshua was not the Messiah, his words as revealed in the New Testament are relevant to and needed by every generation that hears them. His teachings provide hope for the future, wisdom for the present, and understanding of the past. He has not only shown us how to live Torah by his example recorded in the New Testament, but he teaches us how to live Torah to a greater, more meaningful degree than the letter could ever do. And when we fail to live up to the expectations of Torah, he has provided a way for us to not only obtain forgiveness and overcome the curse of death imposed by transgressing Torah, but to obtain all the blessings of Torah and more.

Where Torah condemns a person to death, the New Testament provides hope for life and life more abundantly. Multitudes have lived with no hope of salvation because their sins were so great and their burdens so heavy. Yet, when the words written in the New Testament reach their hearts and they embrace them and believe, the light of life, hope, and peace overflows them. Their hearts are filled with joy as their burden of sin is lifted and put upon their Yahweh provided Savior and sin bearer. That joy then flows out of their hearts unto Yahweh in the form of thanksgiving and praise to Him. And that is exactly what Yahweh wanted all along; to inhabit the praises of His people. Where Israel failed under the letter of Torah and the burden of sin resulting from an uncircumcised heart, the New Testament believer is victorious through what the New Testament offers. Of course, what the New Testament offers is embodied in a person who is incredibly skillful in dealing with the human condition because he is so incredibly intimate with his Father. It is the circumcision of the heart by and through Messiah Yeshua that enables one to live a life that is pleasing to Yahweh. 

It is through the teachings of the New Testament that we can learn how to receive the indwelling Holy Spirit which then leads us through life and teaches us all things. If it were not for the New Testament teaching us about Yeshua, believers would never have received the indwelling Holy Spirit, without which no man shall receive eternal life. 

It is through the New Testament that we learn how to truly love Yahweh, our neighbors and our enemies. Torah provided a good foundation in that regard and the New Testament built upon it. Paul’s words concerning love in 1 Corinthians 13 are among the most meaningful, profound, and concise words ever written on the subject. And Yeshua’s sermon on the mount is an incredible revelation on how Yahweh would magnify Torah as prophesied by Isaiah.

It is through the New Testament that we are given the most detailed prophecies of end-time events as well as revelations concerning how Yeshua fulfills Old Testament prophecies, types and shadows. It is through the events and prophecies of the New Testament that we can see the true fulfillment of Yahweh’s appointed times. Otherwise, the Feasts have no prophetic nature, but are mere memorials of past events.

The New Testament teaches us how to overcome the world, Satan, death, the flesh, the self and any other enemy that may hinder us in our walk with our Creator. Through the New Testament we learn to pray, to fast, to serve others, to die to self and esteem others as more important than ourselves, to love one another, to be merciful and forgiving, to judge justly, to walk by faith, to walk in the Spirit, to obey Yahweh, to obey those that rule over us, to not seek revenge, to behave honorably towards our spouses, and a host of other things too numerous to mention. Many of those things are taught in the Old Testament as well because the same Creator is the source of both.

The New Testament, as the Old Testament, may have errors in translation, unwarranted additions to texts and anonymous authors, but they are minor in comparison to the treasures it offers. Those treasures are what make it the most popular and valuable book in existence along with the Old Testament. Together with the Old Testament, it becomes one harmonious message unveiling Yahweh’s plan of salvation for fallen mankind. It, like the Old Testament, is an invaluable guide book for holy living in a fallen world and a source of hope for a holy life in the world to come.

Blessed be the name of Yahweh for His mercy upon us and His love for us in providing such a book, but more importantly in providing such a Savior as Yeshua revealed throughout its pages.

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