R.C. Sproul

But here's the problem.

A testament in the Greek culture, at least of that time, had a couple of things that made it significantly different from the Old Testament concept of covenant.

The first thing was that in the Greek culture, a diatheka, a testament, was something that could be changed at any time.

by the testator as long as the testator was still alive.

The person could make up his last will and testament and get ticked off at his heirs and write them out of their will.

I tell this to my kids all the time.

When they give me a hard time, you're out of the will.

My son and I trade responsibilities for Pittsburgh Steeler games.

On one week, I'm responsible for the Steelers to win.

And then the next week, he's responsible for the Steelers to win.

And if the Steelers lose during his week, that's my customary response.

There goes your inheritance, son.

I mean, not much on the line here, just your inheritance.

I've just written you out of the will.

But we understand that, that that actually does happen, that people are disinherited.

People are written out of people's will.

But when God makes a covenant with His people, He can punish them for covenant breaking, but He never, ever destroys the covenant promises that He makes.

That's why baptism is so important in the life of the church, because baptism is the covenant sign of the New Testament.

We'll get into that more later, but I mean that is where the promises of God for those who believe are made, and they're without repentance.

And so in this sense, the term diatheka is inadequate to translate the term berit.