Promises, Promises…

The Difference between Promises, Contracts and Covenants in the Old

Testament (and in the Church)

Promise

• Informal• Do not need to have a ceremony• Can be broken easily (even if it is bad to do so)• There is a plan that one side will do something

for another; there may be a sharing between the sides of something

• I promise to clean my room

Two Types of Promises:

• Promise Kept • Promise Broken

Contract vs. Covenant

Contract• A mutual agreement

between two or more people• Legal consequences• Both have responsibilities to

carry out the contract• Yours is yours and mine is

mine• Can be broken• I have a contract to work at

St. Paul’s parish

Covenant • A mutual agreement between

two people• It can have legal consequences• Ceremony is needed• Cannot be broken• Usually both sides have

responsibilities• Makes you mine and me yours• Forms a family• Snow White and Prince

Charming get married

Contract vs. Covenant

Contract Example: Covenant Example: