On today’s Heidelcast, part 2 of our discussion about conditions in the covenant of grace. In episode 46 I tried to establish a distinction between two kinds of conditions in the covenant of grace: antecedent and consequent. An antecedent condition is a work, . . . Continue reading →
The Law-Giving Of The Covenant; Its Twofold χεσις In the covenant that God made with the people of Israel from Mount Sinai, God stipulated the law from the people, first immediately in the ten words promulgated (Ex. 20:1–8), then mediately, from the . . . Continue reading →
Now in order that I might conceal nothing in this matter, I will briefly mention how the church of Christians, which was established after the birth of Christ, excels. First, we are indeed better off than those who lived under the law . . . Continue reading →
In Reformed theology we speak of three covenants, the pre-temporal covenant of redemption, the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace. In the covenant of redemption there are two aspects, works for the Son and grace for the elect. The Son was . . . Continue reading →
In this episode, part 2 of 2, we look specifically at what is new in the new covenant. Here’s part 1. Jeremiah 31:31–34 looks forward to four future blessings in the new covenant. The New Testament takes up those categories and elaborates . . . Continue reading →
It is a common canard among Dispensationalists that Reformed theology must teach that the church “replaces” Israel. They call this “Replacement Theology.” That must is what is known as an a priori, something that someone “knows” before they’ve actually looked at the . . . Continue reading →
We speak often about the old and new covenants or Old and New Testaments but what are they and especially what is the Old Testament or the old covenant? What is the relationship between the Old and New Testaments and what is . . . Continue reading →
Until recently, it was widely held that covenant theology was created in the middle of the seventeenth century by theologians such as Johannes Cocceius (1609–1669). In fact, covenant theology is nothing more or less than the theology of the Bible. It is . . . Continue reading →
—By Jon Hoglund. A good “Companion” introduces one to classic texts in a field and to areas of current debate in scholarly literature. Apart from Richard Muller’s monumental Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics, there is no such volume for Reformed history and theology from . . . Continue reading →
After a summer re-model, the seminary bookstore is back online, which makes it again possible to order copies of Baptism, Election, and the Covenant of Grace more easily. Click on the image for your copy. It’s $1.50 plus shipping. You can also . . . Continue reading →
Recently I had a question asking whether “covenant theology” is so-called “replacement theology.” Those dispensational critics of Reformed covenant theology who accuse it of teaching that the New Covenant church has “replaced” Israel do not understand historic Reformed covenant theology. They are imputing . . . Continue reading →
William Evans has responded to my critique. In reply I want to ponder what he means by “extrinsic covenantalism” and to try to achieve a measure of clarity by defining our terms. “extrinsic covenantalism” is is new terminology for me. His paradigm . . . Continue reading →
I. SUMMARY In a post (HT: Aquila Report) dated Friday 9 August, Bill Evans raises the question whether there is in Reformed theology what he calls “pervasive covenantalism” or an over emphasis or imbalanced emphasis in Reformed theology on covenant. He points to . . . Continue reading →
As a follow-on to the post on the covenant of works, Ginger asks, You said: “Several have said that their status as a national people and their tenure in the land was affected by their obedience or disobedience. This view, however, has . . . Continue reading →
Ginger writes: …I have been trying to wrap my mind around the covenant of works given to Adam and how and if it was fulfilled by Christ, the last Adam. …How did Christ fulfill or abolish the covenant of works given to . . . Continue reading →
The Law—considered as a national covenant, by which their continued possession of the land of Canaan, and of all their privileges under the Theocracy, was left to depend on their external obedience to it,— might be called a national Covenant of Works, . . . Continue reading →
Wendy writes, I remain confused as to why God in being ‘more generous’ has actually also made it ‘more ambiguous’. Wheras under the Old Covenant the command (and its benefits) were explicit, under the New they must be deduced by inference…. I . . . Continue reading →
Taylor asks the question on the PB. My reply below: There are resources on covenant theology here. I would especially encourage you to read this collection of quotations from older writers on CT. There is a brief history here. My own views . . . Continue reading →
For most of 2,000 years the Christian church was universally agreed that there is one way of salvation, that the history of redemption was essentially unified. In the post-apostolic church this consensus began to develop very early in the 2nd century in . . . Continue reading →
It’s not unusual for evangelicals, which movements have been heavily influenced by Anabaptist theology, piety, and practice since the early 19th century. In that case we would not expect them to be aware of the categories “covenant of works” and “covenant of . . . Continue reading →