Understanding Covenant Theology Let me make a bold assertion about Covenant theology: It is not incidental to Reformed theology-it is Reformed theology. In the United States, the debate with Dispensationalism in the twentieth century led many to define Covenant theology more narrowly as "Not-Dispensationalism." Consequently, Covenant theology's scope for many was narrowed to the relation […]
God reveals himself through-out the Scriptures as a covenant-making God: "I will establish my covenant with you" (Gen. 6:18). A covenant is primarily a legal arrangement between two parties, usually established with an oath and defined by the divinely sanctioned commitments involved. There are only two ways in which a covenant may be treated by […]
The kingdom of God as it existed in Eden prior to the fall has often been identified as being governed by a covenant, established between the Creator God and Adam, usually known as the covenant of works, or the covenant of creation. (1) Though "covenant" isn't mentioned in the text of Genesis 1 to 3, […]
While it is common to associate redemption exclusively with grace, this oversimplification fails to account for the essential role that works play in our redemption-the works of Christ. "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous" (Rom. 5:19). God's redemptive plan answers […]
Yes. This Reformed formulation minimizes the radical contrast between God's right and left hands. The concept of the covenant obviously has historical origins that pertain to establishing an orderly and amicable existence in a wide range of human affairs. But theologically, the idea of covenant provides a helpful description of God's people as well to […]
No. Lutherans are correct to insist on the law/Gospel contrast, but they have sadly failed to grasp that this is exactly what Covenant theology does. Sound bites are increasingly in demand these days: "Net it out for me," a friend told me just the other day. Not a lot of time. On the go. Don't […]
Christ's obedience as substitute is the foundation for the gracious restoration of covenant relations between God and man after the fall. Among the blessings he receives for his faithfulness is the redemption of his Church: "As my Father covenanted to me a kingdom, so I covenant to you to participate with me in the glory […]
What are we doing on the Lord's day, especially when we are gathered as God's people in church? How do we understand Christian growth and discipleship-as chiefly corporate or individual, as nourished by the preached Word and the divinely instituted Sacraments or by self-approved "means of grace"? Would an outsider coming into our worship services […]
The flood episode occasions two distinct covenants. In the face of rising wickedness, God determines to blot out the entire race, saving only Noah and his kin. Here we see God's faithfulness to his promise of Genesis 3:15, for precisely when the serpent's seed threatens to wipe out all hope of promise (only one faithful […]
The Apostle Paul clearly tells us that the gospel of justification by faith was "preached beforehand" in the covenant God made with Abraham. (1) In a series of revelations (Gen. 12-17) God promises three distinct blessings to Abraham: a royal heir, a great nation as his offspring, and a promised land. While the carrying out […]
"I'm for free grace and you're just a legalist." … "No, I believe that growth in grace is a necessary consequence of true faith in Christ and you just want a license to sin." Such sentiments are common among evangelical Christians today. Indeed the debate over the relationship between free forgiveness and the call to […]
The Apostle Paul often contrasts the Mosaic law (works) with the Abrahamic promise (grace). He assumes that these two principles are fundamentally opposed: "For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise" (Gal. 3:18). Since Paul tells us that the law did not invalidate the previous promise, how […]
As an Israelite, Christ was born into a works covenant: "Born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law" (Gal. 4:4). (1) From the beginning, the promise of the covenant of grace depended upon a substitute-the seed of the woman-who would both fulfill the positive requirements of the […]
The following are excerpts from plenary addresses delivered at this year's Philadelphia Conference on Reformation Theology. The theme was "the Covenant of Grace." Genesis 3 James Montgomery Boice, Senior Minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia ..Verse 21: "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." It's an obvious picture. […]
Many evangelicals find Covenant theology new and difficult. Frequently, this is a function of years spent under premillennial dispensational teaching. As such, we thought it would be helpful to allow an important dispensationalist to criticize Covenant theology head on. Additionally, given that there have been a number of significant changes in dispensationalism the last few […]
