Quote:
To help his sons and daughters remember their promises to him--and certainly to help them remember his promises to them--God has directed that the nature and significance of those be recorded. In that process, the texts and documents preserving such promises have also been called "covenants." In fact the words testament and covenant are virtually synonymous in their theological usage, the Latin definition of testamentum being "a covenant with God, holy scripture." Thus, the Old and New Testament, as we commonly refer to them, are written testimonies or witnesses (the Latin testis
meaning "witness") of the covenants between God and man in various dispensations. Furthermore, such covenants always deal with the central issue between perfect, immortal God and imperfect, mortal man--why they are separated and they can again unite. The Latin root for covenant is convenire, "to agree, unite, come together." In short, all covenants, all testaments, all holy witnesses since the beginning have essentially been about one thing--the atonement of Jesus Christ, the at-one-ment provided every man, woman, and child if they will but receive the witness, the testi-mony of
the prophets and apostles, and honor the terms of that coming together, the convenire, or covenant, whose central feature is always the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God himself.
meaning "witness") of the covenants between God and man in various dispensations. Furthermore, such covenants always deal with the central issue between perfect, immortal God and imperfect, mortal man--why they are separated and they can again unite. The Latin root for covenant is convenire, "to agree, unite, come together." In short, all covenants, all testaments, all holy witnesses since the beginning have essentially been about one thing--the atonement of Jesus Christ, the at-one-ment provided every man, woman, and child if they will but receive the witness, the testi-mony of
the prophets and apostles, and honor the terms of that coming together, the convenire, or covenant, whose central feature is always the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God himself.
Quoted from Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant.