3为甚么称为新约？因为在新约立定为法并成就之前，神立过一个旧约。为甚么祂要先立旧约？因为新约里一切的事物都太奥秘、太抽象。如果神立即制定这样一个新约，人就无法有深刻的印象，也不能明白。神教导我们，如同幼稚园的教师教导儿童一样。譬如，在教儿童认识『狗』这个字之前，教师先给他们看一张狗的图画。先有图画，再有清楚的文字。照样，神也先给我们一幅图画，然后才告诉我们真实的事物。旧约是一幅图画。旧约里只有遮罪，没有赦罪。旧约里的遮罪，乃是要来新约里赦罪的豫表。在旧约里有旧的律法，就是字句的律法。旧约里字句的律法，乃是新约里生命之律的影儿。不仅如此，神在旧约还告诉祂的子民，祂要照字句的律法作他们的神，他们也要照字句的律法作祂的子民。今天在新约里，神作我们的神不是照字句的律法，乃是照生命之律，而我们也是照这生命之律作祂的子民。再者，在旧约里，人受教导认识神是凭律法的知识；但在新约里，我们是凭内里生命的能力认识神。新约里的这四项，在旧约中都是影儿，而不是实际。现今在新约里，我们有实际来顶替影儿。假如我来见你之前，先寄给你一张我的照片。这照片虽然很像我，还不是我本人，不过是我的照片而已。当我亲自来看你的时候，我的出现就代替那张照片。如果我来了，你却不理睬我，而宝贵我的照片，这岂不是愚蠢至极。我们来看旧约和新约时，必须先知道应许、起誓、约和遗命这几个辞的分别。应许是神平常所说，应许你要为你作成某事的话。起誓是对平常话语的证实。神凭起誓，证实祂所说带有应许的平常话。（来六，17。）当神凭起誓证实祂的应许时，这应许立即成为约。我们从神所领受的，不仅是带著应许的平常话，乃是成了约，成了合同，为神起誓所证实，并以祂的神圣自己所印证。合约总比应许更约束人。在这有约束力的约里，有四件事不再是应许，乃是已成的事实。这一切事实，都清楚的列在这约里。立约的人死了，这约就成为遗嘱，也就是遗命。现今这约不仅是约，更是立约人所遗留的遗命。在这遗命里，这四项已完成的事实就成了遗赠物。因此，我们不必等候这几件事得著成就，或求神守信，记得祂的应许并履行祂的话。我们不需要这样求，因为一切都已经完成了。四项中的每一项，都是已成的事实，已经遗赠给我们。这四项不仅是应许和事实，也是我们可以承受、有分于并享受的遗赠物。我们今天所有的，不是应许，甚至不仅是约，乃是遗命、遗嘱，就是更进一步的约。进一步的约乃是把已成的事实，就是已实现的应许，遗赠给人。当应许实现时，应许就成为约；当约遗赠给人时，就成为遗命。在应许里，我们有应许的事物；在约里我们有已成的事实；在遗命里，我们得著已成的事实作为遗赠。不要再祷告求神应验祂的应许，或求祂给你事实。一切的应许都已成事实，这些已成的事实也已遗赠给我们。我们只要取用并享受就好了。
3Why is it called the new covenant? Because before the new covenant was enacted and consummated, God made an old one. Why did He firstly make an old one? Because all of the things in the new covenant are too mysterious and abstract. If God had immediately made such a new covenant, the people would not have been impressed with it or able to understand it. God teaches us in the same way as a kindergarten teacher instructs the little children in her class. For example, before teaching the children the word dog, the teacher shows them a picture of a dog. First there is a picture and then the clear word. Likewise, God firstly gave us the picture and then He told us the real thing. The old covenant was a picture. In the old covenant there was the covering of sin but not the forgiveness of sin. The covering of sin in the old covenant foreshadowed the coming forgiveness of sin in the new covenant. In the old covenant there was the old law, the law of letters. The law of letters in the old covenant was a shadow of the law of life in the new covenant. Furthermore, in the old covenant God told His people that He was going to be their God according to the law of letters and that they were going to be His people also according to that law of letters. Today, in the new covenant, God is our God not according to the law of letters but according to the law of life, and we are His people also according to the law of life. Moreover, in the old covenant the people were taught to know God by the knowledge of the law, but in the new covenant we are enabled to know God by the inward ability of life. All of the four items of the new covenant were found in the old covenant in the way of shadows, not in the way of reality. Now in the new covenant we have the real thing to replace the shadows. Suppose before I come to see you, I send you my photograph. Although that photograph closely resembles me, it is not I myself; it is merely my picture. When I, the living person, come to see you, my presence surely replaces the photograph. If when I come you do not care for me but continue to treasure my photograph, you would be a most foolish person. As we consider the matters of the old and new covenant, we must know the difference between a promise, an oath, a covenant, and a testament. A promise is an ordinary word spoken by God promising you that He will do something for you. An oath is a confirmation of an ordinary word. God confirmed His ordinary word of promise by means of His oath (6:13, 17). When the promise has been confirmed by an oath, 13 it immediately becomes a covenant. What we have received from God is not just an ordinary word as a promise but a covenant, a contract, confirmed by God’so at hand sealed with His divine being. A covenant always binds people more than a promise does. In this binding covenant there are four things which are no longer promises but accomplished facts. All of these facts are clearly itemized in the covenant. The One who made the covenant died so that the covenant might become a bequeathed will, that is, a testament. Now the covenant is no longer merely a covenant but a testament bequeathed by the One who enacted the covenant. In this bequeathed testament, the four accomplished items have all become bequests. Thus, we do not need to wait for the accomplishment of these things or to pray that God will be faithful to remember His promise and keep His word. We do not need to pray because everything has been accomplished. Each of the four items is an accomplished fact that has been bequeathed to us. These four items are not only promises and facts but also bequests that we may inherit, participate in, and enjoy. What we have today is not a promise or even merely a covenant, but a testament, a will, which is an advanced covenant. An advanced covenant is one that is bequeathed with the accomplished facts, which are the fulfilled promises. When the promise has been fulfilled, it becomes the covenant, and when the covenant has been bequeathed, it becomes the testament. In the promise we have the promised matters, in the covenant we have the accomplished facts, and in the testament we have the accomplished facts bequeathed as bequests. Do not pray that God will fulfill His promises or that He will give you the facts. All of the promises have become accomplished facts, and all of the accomplished facts have been bequeathed to us. We should simply take them and enjoy them.