Grace Before Time: The Covenant of Redemption

We begin our survey of covenant theology with a consideration of that covenant from which all other biblical covenants flow: the covenant of redemption. The covenant of redemption is essentially God's blueprint for our salvation. Just as a house begins with a plan of meticulous engineering and technical design, so also did our redemption originate on the drafting table of God.

What Is Covenant Theology, and Why Should I Care

Covenant. As anyone who has read the Bible knows, that word seems to be one of God's favorites. What do all of these covenants mean? Does it really make any difference how well we understand them? Answering those questions is the task of covenant theology. Covenant theology is a way of reading and interpreting the Bible through the lens of God's covenants.

The Covenant of Works in Dutch Reformed Orthodoxy

The doctrine of the covenant of works has come under fire once more in Dutch Reformed churches. Some Dutch Reformed Christians have called the covenant of works an unscriptural theory that must be rejected outright. The covenant of works, they say, has traces of Arminianism or Roman Catholicism in it. Of course, the battle rages elsewhere as well, but Dutch Reformed church history has volumes to add to this debate.

Promises and Obligations

In the covenant of grace, God makes His promise to be our God, and we are His people. This article shows that these promises are contained in the gospel, which calls for faith, as the response of accepting God’s promises. Faith leads to holiness of life. This is what God teaches us, in 2 Corinthians 6:1-7:1, about the relationship between promises and obligation in the covenant

Who Initiates the Covenant?

This article establishes from Scripture that God alone establishes the covenant between him and his people. It also explains how the Lord often chooses people most unlikely to succeed on their own. It goes on to show how an understanding of God’s initiative helps us to appreciate the meaning of his revealed name, Yahweh, and how also the Lord Jesus applied the name to himself. In Christ the reality of the covenant finds its fulfillment and perfection.

Covenant of Grace: Chapter 5 – The Covenant of Grace and Public Worship

This article discusses how the doctrine of the covenant of grace impacts worship. It explains that God is with his people in a special way when they are gathered in public worship. Then it outlines the various elements of a Reformed worship service, as well as its structure. The article concludes with questions for reflection and discussion.

Kingdom through Covenant – The Importance of Covenants in Biblical and Systematic Theology

The idea of covenant is fundamental to the message of the Bible. The purpose of Chapter 1 is to demonstrate just how central the covenants are. Correctly relating the different covenants is central to doing good theology. The authors deliberately distance themselves from classic Reformed covenantal theology. For them “kingdom through covenant” is the central message of the story of the Bible.

Kingdom through Covenant – Covenants in Biblical-Theological Systems: Dispensational and Covenant Theology

Both dispensational and covenant theology are ways in which believers “put together” their Bible. These systems serve as interpretive grid to understand the storyline of Scripture. Chapter 2 compares and contrasts dispensationalism and covenant theology to see how they relate different covenants and to better understand both approaches. Different varieties of dispensationalism and covenant theology are discussed.