Whoever errs here or denies the existence of the covenant of works will not understand the covenant of grace.—Wilhelmus à Brakel. Continue reading →
Covenant Theology
Boston On Works And Grace In Galatians 4
Ver. 24. Which things are a typical history; for these two women represent the two covenants, with the churches thereto adhering respectively; the one from Mount Sinai, to wit, the covenant of works, which was given there, and where the Jewish synagogue, . . . Continue reading →
The New Covenant: A Revision And Expansion Of The Abrahamic
Jesus’ new covenant is not only a revision of the Abrahamic covenant but also an incorporation of a new body of people. This new covenant is said to be for all who believe in Jesus–not only believing Jews but also believing Gentiles. . . . Continue reading →
Household Baptisms In Acts And Teen-Aged Children Of Adult Converts
Adam writes to ask about the baptism of fifteen-year old children of an adult convert. Should they be baptized before or after catechesis? § Hi Adam, This is a great question and a difficult one. I think it is correct to say . . . Continue reading →
Calamy On The Range Of Opinion On The Covenant Of Works
THere be severall opinions about the Covenant of Works, and the Covenant of grace, to the great disturbance of many Christians; some hold that there be foure Covenants, two of Works, and two of Grace; the two first, one with Adam before . . . Continue reading →
Calvin On The Distinction Between The Old And New Covenants
4. Another distinction between the Old and New Testaments is in the types, the former exhibiting only the image of truth, while the reality was absent, the shadow instead of the substance, the latter exhibiting both the full truth and the entire . . . Continue reading →
The Indispensability Of The Covenant Of Grace
And surely no Context of Holy Scripture can be solidly explicated, No Common Place of Divinity can be rightly handled, No Polemical or Controversal point can be dextrously descided, No Case of Conscience or Practical Question can be accurately resolved, No Christian . . . Continue reading →
Clothed In The Covenant Of Grace (2)
Here is the recording of yesterday’s paper delivered to the Reformation Studies section at ETS. There are a few glitches in the audio: Below is the handout for the talk. OUTLINE Introduction: Olevianus the Churchman Olevianus as contributor to the catechism As . . . Continue reading →
Clothed In The Covenant Of Grace
I try not to burden you too much with pieces about Caspar Olevianus (1536–87) but I’m to give a paper later this morning at the Evangelical Theological Society meeting in San Diego. It’s been a few years since I wrote anything on . . . Continue reading →
The Covenant Of Works: Perfect Personal Obedience
God originally made everything from nothing, perfect. He made our first parents, Adam and Eve, the root of mankind, both upright and able to keep the law written in their hearts. This law they were naturally bound to obey upon penalty of . . . Continue reading →
Rollock: Of Works Done By Strength And Nature
Man, after the fall, abides under the covenant of works; and to this day, life is promised him under condition of works done by strength and nature. But if he will not do so well, death and the everlasting curse of God . . . Continue reading →
Witsius On The Relations Between The Covenants Works And Grace
XV. In Scripture, we find two covenants of God with man: the Covenant of Works, otherwise called, the Covenant of Nature, or the Legal and the Covenant of Grace. The apostle teacheth us this distinction, Rom. 3:27, where he mentions the law . . . Continue reading →
Calvin On The Covenant Of Works
Because what God so severely punished must have been no light sin but a detestable crime, we must consider what species of sin (peccati) there was in Adam’s fall that kindled God’s horrible vengeance against the whole human race. To regard Adam’s . . . Continue reading →
Luther On The Covenant Of Works
Before Adam’s fall it was not necessary for him to have Christ, because he was righteous and without sin, just as the angels have no need of Christ. If Adam had not fallen, it would not have been necessary for Christ to . . . Continue reading →
It Was A Covenant Of Works, Not A Covenant Of Grace
. . . though this flattening of the covenant relationship throughout the course of history, before and after the fall, may have a superficial appeal, it has huge implications for the way we interpret the respective “work” of Adam and Christ, the . . . Continue reading →
Seven Short Points About Republication
The (re)republication of a book on the question of the republication of the covenant of works under Moses has hit the Reformed interwebs. Follow the link above for quotes from Reformed sources, audio, and posts explaining the history, the current controversy, and . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 73: Nomism And Antinomianism (11)
Last time we considered what some folk mean by the expression “the law of Christ” and, in contrast, what the Bible means by it. It’s neither a new covenant of works, as if we could obey our way into acceptance with God . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 72: The Covenant Of Grace And Race
If you’ve been near social media or a television recently you probably know about the troubles in Ferguson, Missouri. It’s a predominantly African-American suburb of St Louis where, around Noon on Saturday August 9, 2014 a Mike Brown, a young, 18-year old, . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 71: Nomism And Antinomianism (10)
We’ve come to the 3rd part of the Marrow, “Of the law of Christ.” This is a phrase that occurs frequently in this discussion. Neither the antinomian nor the neonomian are satisfied with the law of Christ the way it is. The . . . Continue reading →
A Really Short Case For Infant Baptism (117 words)
There are about 60 million evangelicals in North America. Most of them assume or hold a Baptist interpretation of redemptive history, a Baptist hermeneutic (way of reading Scripture), and consequently, a Baptist view of the sacraments or signs and seals of the . . . Continue reading →