Grace and a covenant are in no conflict whatsoever.
The new covenant is new in the specific sense that all who believe are in. As I recall, a person in Judaism was not allowed to refer to the previous as "old." You could call it Moses' or simply "the" covenant, but not old. So it was daring to mention a new one. It was indeed new because no genetics or ancestry was required. That belief is a misconception of Judaism. Thus the friction.
Wow; making up your own "Bible" as you go.
The new covenant is new in the specific sense that it is new, as well as in the fact that , as concerning Israel, it would be based on
an aspect of God's grace towards Israel not possible under the Law.
While the Gentiles; who were not under Covenant; were in fact, far off; strangers from the covenants of promise; without God; without Christ, and thus, without hope in the world, when the New Covenant was Promised unto Israel, have, this side of Israel's fall, and thus, this side Of Israel's New Covenant Promise, been made nigh, not by Covenant, but by the grace said Covenant unto Israel is also based in - the blood of Christ.
Theirs is Mark 14: 24's "And he said
unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed
for many."
Theirs is as it is written in Isaiah
their prophet - Isaiah 1:
1. The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw
concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Isaiah 53:
4. Surely he hath borne
our griefs, and carried
our sorrows: yet
we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5. But he was wounded for
our transgressions, he was bruised for
our iniquities: the chastisement of
our peace was upon him; and with his stripes
we are healed.
6.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity
of us all.
7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare
his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression
of my people was he stricken.
9. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see
his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
11. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify
many; for he shall bear
their iniquities.
The Gentiles as to God's grace through that same blood is not by Covenant, rather, the ministering of its blood based grace is by grace.
The Gentile's is this side of Romans 11:11's "I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy."
This side of that its Ephesians 2's:
8. For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
11.
Wherefore remember, that
ye being
in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12. That
at that time ye
were without Christ,
being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,
and strangers from the covenants of promise, having
no hope, and without God
in the world:
13.
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes
were far off are
made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Put your books down a moment and catch that - not by Covenant
but by the blood of Christ.
Covenant not needed as to this Gentile salvation - why?
14.
For he is our peace, who
hath made both one, and
hath broken down the middle wall of partition
between us;
15. Having abolished
in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself
of twain one new man, so making peace;
16. And that he might reconcile
both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17. And came and preached peace to you
which were afar off, and to them that
were nigh.
18. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Put your books down again, and catch that "
were nigh" at verse 17.
With
Israel's fall, Israel is now viewed as "
them that
were nigh" - Lo Ammi, not my people - Uncircumcision, Romans 2:25 - the passage all you and yours ignore, that the rest of Romans 2 fit your notions.
With Israel's "were nigh" status now, the only hope for peace with God a Jew had - thus Paul's magnifying his
Gentile office among the Jews, was the Lord's /Paul's "came and preached peace to you
which were afar off, and to them that
were nigh."
Its an amazing aspect of "this mystery" this - that Jews now had to come to God as Gentiles do - as... as - God forbid - as sinners of the Gentiles!!!
Don't believe me? Don't believe the passages [or better yet, can't see them as they are written]? Don't believe that it is not the New Covenant Promised unto Israel that Paul is administering in 2 Corinthians, rather its grace basis - the blood of Jesus Christ makes possible - the Spirit of the Lord!
Both share this grace based distinction! Two-fold once more!
Just ask those Jews within the various Mid-Acts Dispensational assemblies out there - experts to a man and woman they are as to what is actually going on in Romans 11:25, and overjoyed as Paul was as to its two-fold aspect.
28. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sakes.
29. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31. Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34. For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor?
35. Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Ebed:There is one Plan, not two.
