Is First Testament a better name for the Old Testament?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible often describes God’s relationship with people through covenants. In the early Scriptures, we see God making promises at key moments in history: with Adam and Eve, He gave humanity a calling and warned against disobedience (Genesis 1:26–30; 2:16–17; 3:15); with Noah, He promised stability for creation (Genesis 9:8–17); with Abraham, He pledged blessing to the nations (Genesis 12:1–3; 15:1–21); and with Israel through Moses, He established the framework for worship, priesthood, and sacrifice (Exodus 19:1–24:8; Leviticus 4:31; Numbers 15:25–27). These covenants often included signs and were sealed with blood, highlighting the importance of God’s commitment (Genesis 15:7–21; Hebrews 9:22).

Jesus fulfilled the Law and the prophets and established a New Covenant through His sacrificial death and resurrection (Matthew 5:17; Luke 22:20; Hebrews 9:11–28; 10:14). Hebrews compares the older arrangement with the new, showing the former as obsolete now that the better covenant has arrived (Hebrews 8:6–13). Calling the first part of Scripture “old” reflects this biblical distinction between the Old Covenant and the New, not a judgment that those writings lack value (Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16–17). These books are to be read as God’s Word and as the story leading to Christ and the gospel (Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 53:4–6; John 5:39; Luke 24:27).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• In the Bible, a “testament” refers to a covenant—an ordered relationship established by God that includes both obligations and promises. The earlier Scriptures do not show just one covenant, but a series of them. If we tried to call this collection the “First Testament,” the term would not fit well, since the “first” covenant (of sorts) appears in Eden with God’s commands to Adam (Genesis 1:26–30; 2:16–17; 3:15), and it is followed by several others. The name would better describe one covenant at a time, rather than the entire collection.
• The Old Testament demonstrates that God committed Himself to His people through several covenants: with Noah, promising stability for the world (Genesis 9:8–17); with Abraham, pledging land, offspring, and worldwide blessing (Genesis 12:1–3); and with Israel through Moses, regulating their worship and daily life (Exodus 24:8). These agreements included signs and were often sealed in blood, emphasizing the seriousness of God’s commitment (Genesis 15:7–21; Leviticus 17:11). Each covenant was significant and real, yet none was complete on its own.
• The covenant given through Moses especially defined Israel’s relationship with God. Priests represented the people, sacrifices addressed guilt, and the tabernacle marked God’s dwelling among them (Leviticus 4:31; Numbers 15:25–27). But even these provisions pointed beyond themselves. Abraham’s covenant looked forward to a blessing for the nations (Genesis 12:3), and the sacrificial system taught the need for a final, once-for-all atonement (Leviticus 16:34). These threads show that the many covenants together carried an unfinished quality.
• The prophets clearly stated the direction they were each aiming. Jeremiah promised a “new covenant” in which God’s law would be written on His people’s hearts, and sins would be remembered no more (Jeremiah 31:31–34). Ezekiel spoke of a new heart and the Spirit living inside (Ezekiel 36:26–27). These promises showed that the earlier covenants were never meant to stand alone; they served as preparation, pointing toward the greater covenant to come in Christ.
• Because the earlier covenants anticipated something new, calling the Scriptures that record them “old” fits the story they establish. The term does not imply those writings are outdated or lacking value. Instead, it reflects the Bible’s own contrast between covenants: the earlier ones that looked forward, and the New Covenant that has now come in Jesus. In short, “First Testament” would suggest a simple sequence, but “Old Testament” better conveys the forward-looking, preparatory nature of those covenants in alignment with the biblical witness.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jesus identified His death as the pivotal moment in covenant history. At the Last Supper, He said, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20), indicating that His sacrificial death would establish the relationship Jeremiah predicted (Jeremiah 31:31–34). Hebrews explains that through His own blood, He secured redemption and purified the conscience in a way that animal sacrifices never could (Hebrews 9:11–15; 10:14). In Christ, the covenant categories that once structured Israel’s worship reach their ultimate purpose.
• Jesus also clarified His mission in relation to the earlier Scriptures: He did not come to abolish the Law or the prophets, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). Fulfillment means the earlier words find their completion in Him. The Law’s ceremonies and sacrifices were shadows pointing forward, and in Jesus, the reality has arrived (Hebrews 10:1). The shift from old to new is not about rejecting what came before, but about the surpassing fulfillment found in the new.
• Hebrews explains: “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete” (Hebrews 8:13). Someone might ask why the text says “first,” rather than “old.” The answer is that Hebrews recognizes sequence—the New Covenant follows the earlier one. But the same passage also describes the earlier covenant as obsolete, which is the language of “old.” When the better covenant arrives—with Christ as high priest offering Himself once for all—the previous order with its priests and repeated sacrifices passes away (Hebrews 8:6; 9:23–28). Even the tearing of the temple curtain at Jesus’ death demonstrated that access to God now comes through Him, not through the old system (Matthew 27:51). Therefore, the context naturally leads us to speak of an “old” covenant in contrast to the “new.”
• The apostles also demonstrated how the covenant promises were fulfilled in Christ. Paul explained that the gospel was announced beforehand to Abraham and that the promised offspring was Christ Himself, bringing the blessing of Abraham to all nations through faith (Galatians 3:8, 16, 26–29). The law served as a guardian until Christ, but now that faith has arrived, believers are no longer under that guardian (Galatians 3:24–25). The issue isn’t about “first” versus “second,” but about promise reaching completion, with shadow giving way to substance.
• Even as they proclaimed the New Covenant, the apostles affirmed the ongoing authority of the earlier Scriptures. Paul reminded Timothy that they are breathed out by God and profitable for teaching and training (2 Timothy 3:16–17), and he told the church that what was written beforehand was for our instruction (Romans 15:4). Jesus Himself taught His disciples to see Moses and the prophets as testimony about Him (Luke 24:27; John 5:39). This means that the term “Old Testament” is not meant to be dismissive; it is covenant-aware language that recognizes both continuity with what came before and fulfillment in Christ.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The Old Testament is called “old” because its covenant of priests, sacrifices, and temple worship were always pointing forward to Christ. Those shadows reached their fulfillment when Jesus came, died, and rose again. When He did that, He established the New Covenant that brings forgiveness and eternal life.

This is the heart of salvation. Humanity’s sin brings real guilt before God, and His Old Testament law exposed our inability to meet His holy standard. Left to ourselves, we stand condemned, unable to remove our own guilt. But Jesus entered the world and lived the perfect obedience we could never achieve. On the cross, He bore the judgment our sins deserve, offering Himself as the final and sufficient sacrifice. In His resurrection, He conquered death and secured everlasting life for all who belong to Him. Through His obedience, death, and resurrection, the promises of forgiveness and reconciliation with God are fulfilled.

To receive this salvation, you must turn from sin and place your trust in Jesus. Trust that His death was in your place, paying the penalty you owed, and that His resurrection guarantees new life with God. Everyone who believes in Him is forgiven, counted righteous, and welcomed into the New Covenant secured by His blood.

UNDERSTAND

• “Old Testament” refers to God’s earlier covenants.
• The Old Testament was fulfilled and completed in Christ.
• The term “First Testament” suggests a simple sequence, while “Old Testament” reflects God’s covenantal story leading to Jesus.

REFLECT

• How does understanding the Old Testament as God’s covenantal preparation affect your view of God’s Word?
• How do you see Christ fulfilled in the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament?
• How does knowing the Old Testament points forward to Jesus deepen your gratitude for His sacrifice?

ENGAGE

• Why is the term “Old Testament” more accurate than “First Testament” in describing God’s covenantal plan?
• What do the covenants in the Old Testament reveal to us about God’s character and relationship with humanity?
• Why is the Old Testament instrumental in understanding our faith and the rest of the Bible?