"Make every thought captive to the Word of God."
2 Corinthians 10: 5

 

 Introduction:

The interpretation of Scripture by countless individuals has led to an alarming variety of views concerning the way of salvation. Among those who study Scripture and perceive a "system of doctrine," i.e., what the Bible as a whole intends to teach mankind, two major forms have emerged: dispensational theology and covenant theology.

Dispensational theology, the predominant view in America, views the Bible as a series of redemptive plans stretching from the Garden of Eden on throughout time to a physical reign of Christ after His Second Coming.

These redemptive plans involve both spiritual and physical blessings in particular time eras as God dispenses various (and unique) ways of dealing with the peoples that are within these time periods. Normally categorized as the Innocency, Conscience, Human Government, Promise, Law, Grace, and Kingdom dispensations, they divide Scripture into sections within these eras and limit the relevance of these portions of the Bible to the individual dispensations. The most striking difference between these dispensations can, for the sake of brevity, be viewed by comparing the Old and New Testaments. Many people today suffer from fracturing the Scriptures in this way, so that the Old Testament (OT) is seen as irrelevant in New Testament (NT) times and its people as having little in common with the people of today. This position regards the OT as a time of law for the nation of Israel while the NT is a time of grace for the church.

Among more conservative and Reformed dispensationalists (Reformed Baptists), there is a recognition of the standard Evangelical plan of salvation as relevant in both the OT and the NT. While there is no doubt that these dispensationalists have a much greater sense of the unity of Scripture, and while they are no doubt Christian brothers with the covenant theologian, many of them still maintain specific dispensations with little spiritual relevance and limit the value of certain Scriptural teachings to physical blessings alone.

 The following points, in many ways different from dispensational theology, form the framework for covenant theology. These are a brief overview of some of the doctrines set forth in the Westminster Confession of Faith, chapters 1, 3.5-6, 6, 7, 8, 14, 25, 27, 28, 29, 33, but especially in chapter 7.

 Scripture:

The Bible is seen as a cohesive and developing revelation of God's Word to man. The Gospel message does not change, nor does the central issue between the creature and the Creator, i.e., the results of the Fall, change in any part of Scripture. This means that God's inerrant Word is relevant in all ages and is in all parts useful for teaching about God's redemptive plan (2 Tim. 3.14-17). The cohesiveness, unity and overarching purpose of Scripture is the fundamental basis of covenant theology, as it teaches how man is to be redeemed from his Fall into sin.

The Fall:

Covenant theology derives its name from the recognition of God's redemptive plan through covenants. In the Garden of Eden, the Lord made such a covenant with Adam called the Covenant of Works. In this Adam was forbidden to eat from the tree on pain of death, and remain obedient to God as the basis for his continuing fellowship with God. Adam broke this covenant, not partially but wholly, and God's punishment for this rebellion was death to Adam and to all of his offspring (Rom. 5.18). God regarded Adam as the representative of all mankind, and regarded all mankind in light of Adam's disobedience, and thus the holy spiritual fellowship was broken between Creator and creature (Rom. 3.9-18). 

Covenant of Grace:

In God's eternal plan, it was determined that man would be saved from the just punishment for Adam's sin through the Covenant of Grace. This plan of redemption was first revealed immediately after Adam brought spiritual ruin to mankind, when God declared that a "He" from the seed of Eve would crush the power and deception of Satan (Gen. 3.15). The Holy Trinity purposed in themselves the plan of redemption (Eph. 1.3-14):

1. God the Father chose those to whom salvation would be given and sent His Son to fulfill the covenant Adam had broken,

2. God the Son, as the promised Seed, came to earn the righteousness of the elect through perfect obedience, as the second Adam, and to atone for their sins, and

3. God the Holy Spirit was sent into the hearts of the elect to apply this redemption to them, by working in them regeneration, repentance, faith, and holy fruit (Phil. 2.12-13). This work of redemption, as it is recorded throughout the Scriptures, is in its entirety the work of God Himself and comes to sinners by grace alone, this grace being unmerited, unearned and undeserved.

Unity of the Covenants:

As this "Seed" is followed through Seth, Noah, Abraham and the nation of Israel, it becomes quite clear that this "He" was none other than the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, who fulfilled various offices and prophecies from the Old Testament. Throughout the OT God continued to reveal this promise of salvation through covenants, particularly with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and David. These covenants, while having characteristics peculiar to each, were ultimately parts of, and fulfilled in, the new covenant as it became fully manifested in the NT

(Gal. 3.15-29, Gen. 17.7/Heb. 13.20).

Unity of God's People:

The development of God's Scriptural revelation of the Gospel pointed God's people in the OT forward towards the Covenant-Keeper, Immanuel, and the Lamb of God, which according to promise would successfully restore God's people to Himself. The central theme throughout both Testaments is that God covenants that "You will be my people, and I will be your God" (Lev. 26.12, Jer. 31.33, Rev. 21.3). Believers in the NT share in this exact same promise as they look back at the life, death and resurrection of the Savior Jesus. Certainly there are some differences between the Old and New Testaments in the way that God administered and revealed His covenant, but in no way did the redemptive plan vary in its purpose or cohesion. The uniformity of God's Word as it develops and is completed dictates that in Christ the believers in the OT are in one accord with the believers in the NT, so that true Israel and the true Church are one and the same and are all redeemed through the Covenant of Grace (Gal. 3.15-29).

The Law:

Covenantally, the law has a three-fold purpose:

1. to restrain wickedness,

2. as a perfect rule of righteousness, the law revealed sin and brought sinners to their need for Christ, and

3. a rule of obedience for God's people. God's law shows His rightful demands upon each and every creature. God's law reflects His holiness and purity as He declares that only the righteous may be in His presence, while violators will be cast out and punished (Psalm 15).

Christ upheld the righteous demands of this law and earned access to the Father for those who would be made "just" through His righteousness. The ceremonial law, which was given to the people of Israel, with its sacrifices and purification rituals, did not actually save but prefigured and pointed towards the purity of Christ and His sacrifice as a High Priest (Heb. 9-10). Finally, the moral law was given to God's covenantal people after they had been delivered from bondage, as a rule to govern their lives, in gratitude and service to their Savior, God and King (Ex. 20.2). The law then is not contrary to the grace of the Gospel, but reveals it and complies with it (Rom. 3.31).

The Sacraments:

The meaning of the sacraments goes much deeper in covenant theology than among dispensationalists, as they not only share unity in the Old and New Testaments, but also as they mean more than just outward pledges and testimonies performed as NT ordinances. The word "sacrament" refers to sacred mysteries revealed in the signs and seals of the covenant of grace, which are applied outwardly to signify an inner spiritual work of God's grace. Though administered differently in the OT and the NT (before Christ with blood, and after Christ without blood), the sacraments remain the same in substance and meaning. It is very easy to see the oneness of the Passover meal, where a lamb was slain for atonement, and the Lord's Supper, where the Lamb of God was slain for atonement. While it may appear that circumcision and baptism have little in common, a thorough study of their spiritual significance as presented in Scripture shows their unity as well^.1 With such solid evidence of their similarity between the Testaments, and the continuity of the covenantal obligations to households and children, the children of believers are baptised as well in accordance with God's design.² Just as the covenant with Abraham was everlasting, so were these signs of the covenant to continue throughout time.³

¹ Compare Deut. 10.16, Jer. 4.6, Ez. 44.9, Acts 7.51, and Rom. 2.28-29 with Deut. 30.6, Ezekial 11.19, 18.31, 36.25-27, Titus 3.4-6, Heb. 10.19-22, and Col. 2.11-12; certainly there is a parallel between these two "ordinances," signifying an outward ritual, and an inner work by the Spirit, that radically affects the heart of a sinner through what we call regeneration; notice especially the similarity between Deut. 30.6 and Ez. 36.25-27.

² Compare Gen. 7.1, 17.7, 9-13 and the idea of household and descendants with Acts 2.39, 11.14, 16.15,31, 18.8, 1 Cor. 7.14.

¹³ Gen. 17.7, 9-11, Ex. 12.42, 13.9, Matt. 28.19-20, 1 Cor. 11.23-28, Heb 13.20; to halt the practice of these signs (though by Christ's institution they have been changed) has many very serious ramifications in the understanding of the covenant of grace.

The End Times:

This last area of theology is very controversial even among dispensationalists themselves. There is a huge amount of interpretation, speculation, superstition and fascination surrounding certain prophetic passages in the OT and the NT, especially in the book of Revelation. In covenant theology, while allowing some flexibility in interpreting these prophecies, there are some points that need to be emphasized.

The first is that once again Scripture must be seen as a cohesive revelation of God to man, not as fractured and irrelevant parts that do not coincide or unify (2 Tim. 3.16-17).

Second, the covenant of grace is no less in effect during the "end times" than during any other time; this means that the redemptive plan as well as what man is saved from has not and will not change.

Third, the themes that are focused upon in the prophecies are not necessarily unique to a "kingdom dispensation" but are common throughout Scripture, particularly in regards to judgment and salvation.⁴

Fourth, the Kingship of Christ is not a futuristic event but one that He has fulfilled and maintains even now (Matt. 28.18).

Fifth, the defeat of Satan and his power does not hang in the balance, leaving Christians to wonder about the outcome of a great battle, but is absolutely certain (Gen 3.15, Rom. 16.20). Believers are eternally safe and secure in Christ, despite the various trials and tribulations that they may experience (Rom. 8.28-39). Sadly, all too often, the more superstitious dispensationalists spend more time focused upon the "beast" and an "antichrist" figure, than on the Rider on the white horse, who is Lord of lords and King of kings (Rev. 19.11-16). And lastly, covenant theology stresses the certainty and swiftness of a final day of judgment (2 Peter 3.8-12).

⁴for example, compare Ex. 13.9 with Rev. 7.3, 14.1, 22.4, 13.16, 14.9; and Jer. 15.2, 25.15-17 with Luke 22.42, John 18.11, Rev. 14.10.