What Augustine so strikingly formulated concerning the relation of the two historic economies of the history of redemption: “Novum Testamentum in Vetere latet, Vetus in Novo patet” [The New Testament hides in the old, the Old reveals itself in the New] permits . . . Continue reading →
Covenant of Grace
Witsius: One Covenant Of Grace, Multiple Administrations
I. It is a matter of the greatest moment, that we learn distinctly to consider the covenant of grace, either as it is in its substance or essence, as they call it, or as it is in diverse ways proposed by God, . . . Continue reading →
Owen: The New Covenant Was Inaugurated After The Fall And Christ Was Its Mediator
[5.] We on all accounts stand in need of a surety for us, or on our behalf. Neither without the interposition of such a surety could any covenant between God and us be firm and stable, or “an everlasting covenant, ordered in . . . Continue reading →
Turretin: We Affirm The Unity Of The Covenant Of Grace Against The Socinians, Remonstrants, And Anabaptists
FIFTH QUESTION: THE UNITY OF THE COVENANT OF GRACE Was the covenant of grace one and the same as to substance under each dispensation? We affirm against the Socinians, Anabaptists and Remonstrants I. This most important controversy is waged by us with . . . Continue reading →
Brakel: The Substance Of The Covenant Of Grace Is Identical In The Old And New Testaments
The Covenant of Grace Identical in both Old and New Testaments Question #1: When was this covenant of grace initiated? Answer: Due to a misunderstanding concerning the nature of the covenant of grace, the Socinians and Arminians, who are in this respect . . . Continue reading →
The Reformed Churches Do Not Confess Baptismal Union With Christ
A Preface On Paradigms As Baptists and Reformed folk engage each other’s theological traditions two things need to happen to make that engagement productive: 1) They need to realize that each tradition is theologically distinct. Some Baptists have historical and institutional relations . . . Continue reading →
One Important Difference Between The Reformed And Some Particular Baptists: God The Son Was In, With, And Under The Types And Shadows
In reading Particular Baptist sources from the classical period of Particular Baptist theology, piety, and practice and from modern proponents of that tradition I have become more deeply impressed with how superficial my understanding was and how great the differences are in . . . Continue reading →
Update: John Owen Is Still Not A Baptist
Obs. III. Divine institutions cease not without an express divine abrogation.—Where they are once granted and erected by the authority of God, they can never cease without an express act of the same authority taking them away. So was it with the . . . Continue reading →
Brakel: If You Deny The Covenant Of Works, You Will Not Understand The Covenant Of Grace
Should We Talk About Breaking The Covenant Of Grace?
Introduction Two correspondents have written in recent days to ask about whether those who confess the Reformed confessions (e.g., the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dort, and the Westminster Standards) and the Reformed confession, which is a broader category . . . Continue reading →
Walter Marshall: Abraham Is Not Moses
The end which God aimed at in giving the law of Moses, was not, that any should ever attain to holiness or salvation by condition of perfect or sincere obedience to it; though, if there had been any such way of salvation . . . Continue reading →
Owen: Christians Are In The Same Church As Abraham (3)
And this doth and must determine the difference between the Jews and Christians about the promises of the Old Testament. They are all made unto the church. No individual person hath any interest in them but by virtue of his membership therewith. . . . Continue reading →
Owen: Christians Are In The Same Church As Abraham (2)
It remains, then, that the church founded in the covenant, and unto which all the promises did and do belong, abode at the coming of Christ, and doth abide ever since, in and among those who are the children of Abraham by . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast Minute: What Are The Conditions In The Covenant Of Grace?
Resources Heidelcast 98: Salvation, Good Works, And Conditions Resources On Conditions In The Covenant Of Grace (Updated) Resources On Norman Shepherd Resources On The Federal Vision Theology
What Social Media Teaches Us About Law, Gospel, Forgiveness, And Grace
Carson King is a 23-year old Des Moines man who held up a sign at a televised college football game announcing, “Busch Lite supply needs replenished.” It was a joke but people began sending him money via the Venmo appl. When he . . . Continue reading →
John Owen: The New Covenant Is The Abrahamic Covenant Renewed
18. Thus under the old testament, when God would take the posterity of Abraham into a new, peculiar church-state, he did it by a solemn covenant. Herein, as he prescribed all the duties of his worship to them, and made them many . . . Continue reading →
Some Practical Consequences Of Reformed Covenant Theology
In Matthew 16:18 he promised to build “his church” and that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church. He gave the “keys of the kingdom” (16:19) to Peter as a Christ-confessor an anticipation of his office as apostle. In . . . Continue reading →
Yes, The Reformed Churches Do Baptize On The Basis Of The Abrahamic Promise
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is the largest evangelical Christian denomination in the USA reporting a total membership of 14.8 million (of whom 1/3 attend weekly). The SBC is Baptist in name and practice but about 99% of the other 45 million . . . Continue reading →
See You In Fort Worth—May 24 & 25, 2019 For The Abraham Paradigm
If you are in the Metroplex May 24–25, it would be good to see you at the Spring conference hosted by Covenant OPC (10750 Westpoint Blvd Fort Worth, TX 76108). The conference is: The Abraham Paradigm. You may register online before the . . . Continue reading →
Is Abraham Our Father Or A Father?
The Reformed Churches confess the great Protestant doctrines of salvation sola gratia (by grace alone), sola fide (through faith alone). With the ancient Christian fathers Barnabas (AD 120), Justin Martyr (AD 150), and Irenaeus (AD 170), and the Reformed theologians and churches of . . . Continue reading →