what's the difference

[cyberlizard]

what, if any is the difference between a promise, an oath and a covenant?


Steve

 

[New_Wineskin]

what, if any is the difference between a promise, an oath and a covenant?


Steve

The only difference that I understand is that a covenant is an oath or promise between two or more parties .

 

[Fireinfolding]

Heres some comparable scriptures

Heb 6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

...Gal 4:7 and "heir of God" through Christ


Heb 8:16... heirs of promise

1Cr 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.


Ephes 1:13 sealed with that holy Spirit of promise

Gen 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.



Luke 24:29 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Acts 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

Romans 9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

 

[LJSGM]

a promise is to tell someone that you will definitely do something, an oath is telling something that you promise is true and swearing by it, and a covenant is an agreement between two or more parties, usually involving doing something or not doing something to keep that covenant in tact.

 

[nephilimiyr]

a promise is to tell someone that you will definitely do something, an oath is telling something that you promise is true and swearing by it, and a covenant is an agreement between two or more parties, usually involving doing something or not doing something to keep that covenant in tact.

I agree although I'll add that a covenant is legally binding.

 

[ebia]

a promise is to tell someone that you will definitely do something, an oath is telling something that you promise is true and swearing by it, and a covenant is an agreement between two or more parties, usually involving doing something or not doing something to keep that covenant in tact.

Happy with the first two, but the last one you've described sounds more like a contract than a covenant.

Covenants and contracts are both between two (or more) parties), but while a contract depends on both parties keeping it, a covenant doesn't - each half of the promise is unconditional on the other half being kept. The only common instance of a covenant in modern western culture is a marriage.

 

[LJSGM]

Happy with the first two, but the last one you've described sounds more like a contract than a covenant.

Covenants and contracts are both between two (or more) parties), but while a contract depends on both parties keeping it, a covenant doesn't - each half of the promise is unconditional on the other half being kept. The only common instance of a covenant in modern western culture is a marriage.

Could you maybe try one more time to explain what you mean here? I believe a covenant is spiritual and pretaining to spiritual things, whereas a contract is worldly.

 

[ebia]

Could you maybe try one more time to explain what you mean here? I believe a covenant is spiritual and pretaining to spiritual things, whereas a contract is worldly.

That's just because in our culture the only time we talk about covenants is in religious context - the 21st century western world doesn't do covenants much - but it's not inherent in the words.

A contract says I will do x if you do y. Each of our actions is dependent on the other keeping up their side of the contract.

A covenant says I will do x and you will do y. But its unconditional - even if one side fails to keep their side, the other side is still promised to keep theirs. So God keeps his covenant with Israel even though Israel keeps letting the side down. A wife keeps loving and supporting her husband even though he keeps letting her down.

 

[cyberlizard]

if a covenant is 'unconditional' as you say, how is a covenant brought to an end.


Steve

 

[ebia]

if a covenant is 'unconditional' as you say, how is a covenant brought to an end.

The two possibilities that spring to mind are:

If the promise is delivered,

or if the life of the convenant is over (eg death of one of the partners in a marriage).

 

[cyberlizard]

please can you elaborate on the first point for me, 'the promise is delivered'. What does that mean exactly.


Steve

 

[ebia]

Well, if my side of the deal were, say, to paint your house then once I've painted your house I've delivered on that promise. Some things are inherently on-going and some have a completion.

 

[cyberlizard]

what about covenants where the is no expiry option in the terms and conditions... what if it is a 'perpetual covenant', 'throughout your generations', .

How does someone bring a covenant with these terms to an end?



Steve

 

[Lulav]

Steve are you talking land covenants or marriage covenants?

For example the covenant that many think G-d made with Abraham for the Land promised was not made with Abraham, in fact Abraham was under 'heavenly anesthesia' just like Adam was when his rib was removed, so he couldn't interfere. That covenant was made between HaShem and Yeshua.

Now a marriage covenant is different. Wither it be between two people or between G-d and his wife.

Like many have heard in wedding vows, 'What G-d has joined together, let no man put a sunder'. Evern wonder where that came from?

Yep. the Bible,

Mark 10: But from the beginning of the creation G-d made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

9 What therefore God hath joined together , let not man put asunder .

That was Jesus speaking, just in case anyone wondered. So if he said this about two people, how much moreso would he mean that about himself?

 

[ebia]

what about covenants where the is no expiry option in the terms and conditions... what if it is a 'perpetual covenant', 'throughout your generations', .

How does someone bring a covenant with these terms to an end?



Steve

Your question becomes impossible to answer in the abstract, because terms like 'throught your generations' and 'perpetual' and what the covenant is make sense only in a context. I've given my answers to the abstact question, if you want to go further it will require a move from the abstract to the particular.