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Covenant Theology is not to be confused with the Covenanters Covenant Theology (also known as '''Covenantalism''' or '''Federal theology''' or '''Federalism''') is a conceptual overview and Interpretive framework for understanding the overall flow of the Bible . Covenantalism uses the theological concept of "''' Covenant '''" as an organizing principle for Christian Theology . GENERAL DESCRIPTION Typically, Covenant Theology views the History of God's dealings with mankind in all of history, from Creation to Fall to Redemption to Consummation , under the framework of three overarching theological covenants:
These three covenants are called "theological covenants" because they are not explicitly presented as such in the Bible , but are thought to be theologically implicit, describing and summarizing the wealth of Scriptural data. Within historical Reformed Christian systems of thought, Covenant Theology is not merely treated as a ''locus'' of doctrine, neither is it treated as a central Dogma . Rather, Covenant is viewed as the ''Architectonic Principle'' of Scripture: the structure by which the Biblical text organizes itself. God established two covenants with Mankind and one from eternity within the Godhead which deals with how the other two relate. The Covenant of Redemption is the eternal agreement within the Godhead in which the Father appointed the Son Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit to redeem the elect from the guilt and power of sin. God appointed Christ to live a life of perfect obedience to the law and to die a penal, substitutionary, sacrificial death as the covenantal Representative for all who trust in him. Some covenant theologians have denied the intra-Trinitarian Covenant of Redemption, whether the notion of the Son's works leading to the reward of gaining a people for God, or the covenantal nature of this arrangement. Those who have upheld this covenant point to passages such as Philippians 2:5-11 and Revelation 5:9-10 to support the principle of works leading to reward; and to passages like Psalm 110 in support that this is depicted in Scripture as a covenant. The Covenant of Works was made in the for disobedience. Adam and all mankind in Adam failed to live as God intended and stood condemned. Adam disobeyed God and broke the covenant, and so the Covenant of Grace was made between God and all of mankind. Though it is not explicitly called a covenant in the opening chapters of Genesis, the comparison of the representative headship of to God's covenant with the day and the night and the statues of heaven and earth which God laid down at creation. This has led some to understand all of creation as covenantal: the decree establishing the natural laws governing heaven and earth. The Covenant of Works might then be seen as the moral law component of the broader creational covenant. Thus the Covenant of Works has also been called the ''Covenant of Creation'' indicating that it is not added, but constituitive of the human race; the ''Covenant of Nature'' in recognition of its consonance with the natural law in the human heart; and the ''Covenant of Life'' in regard to the promised reward. The Covenant of Grace promises eternal blessing for all people who trust in the successive promises of God, ultimately accepting Christ as the substitutionary covenantal representative fulfilling the Covenant of Works on our behalf, in both the positive requirements of righteousness and its negative penal consequences (commonly described as his ''active'' and ''passive obedience''). It is the historical expression of the eternal covenant of redemption. Genesis 3:15, with the promise of a "seed" of the woman who would crush the serpent's head, is usually identified as the historical inauguration for the covenant of grace. The Covenant of Grace became the basis for all future covenants that God made with mankind such as with Noah (Gen 6, 9), with ''' Abraham ''' (Gen 12, 15, 17), with ''' Moses ''' (Ex 19-24), with ''' David ''' (2 Sam 7), and finally in the New Covenant fulfilled and founded in Christ. These individual covenants are called the " Biblical Covenants " because they are explicitly described in the Bible. Under the Covenantal overview of the Bible, submission to God's rule and living in accordance with his moral law (expressed concisely in the Ten Commandments ) is a ''response'' to grace - never something which can earn God's acceptance ( Legalism ). Even in his giving of the Ten Commandments, God introduces his law by reminding the Israelites that he is the one who brought them out of slavery in Egypt (grace). As a framework for biblical interpretation, Covenant Theology stands in direct contrast to '' Dispensationalism '' in regard to the relationship between the Old Covenant with national Israel and the New Covenant in Christ 's blood. Regarding the theological status of modern day Jew ish people Covenantalism is often referred to by its detractors as " Supersessionism " or "Replacement theology" due to the perception that it teaches that God has abandoned the promises made to the Jews and has replaced the Jews with Christians as His Chosen People in the earth. Defenders of Covenant Theology deny that God has abandoned his promises to Israel, but see the fulfillment of the promises to Israel in the person and the work of the Messiah , Jesus Of Nazareth , who established the church in organic continuity with Israel, not a separate replacement entity. Covenant theology is a prominent feature in Protestant Theology , especially in churches holding a Reformed view of Theology such as the Reformed Churches and Presbyterian Church es and, in different forms, some Methodist churches and in some Baptist churches. Covenant Theology and the biblical covenants Covenant theology first sees a Covenant of Works administered with Adam in the Garden of Eden. Upon Adam's failure, God established the Covenant of Grace in the promised seed (Gen 3:15), and shows his redeeming care in clothing Adam and Eve in garments of skin -- perhaps picturing the first instance of animal sacrifice. The specific covenants after the fall of Adam are seen as administered under the overarching theological Covenant of Grace and include:
Covenant Theology and the sacraments Since Covenant Theology today is mainly Protestant and Reformed in its outlook, proponents view Baptism and The Lord's Supper as the only two Sacraments , which are called "church ordinances" by some to avoid some of the sacerdotal Connotation s of the word "sacrament." The sacraments are a sign and a seal of the Covenant of Grace. Along with the preached word, they are identified as an ordinary '' Means Of Grace '' for salvation. The benefits of these rites do not occur ''ex opere operato'' (working in and of themselves), but through the power of the Holy Spirit as they are received by faith. The Lord's Supper The from the plague, so Jesus' Substitutionary Death saves God's New Covenant people from being judged for their sins. Covenant Theology has generally viewed the Eucharist as a mysterious participation in the Real Presence of Christ mediated by the Holy Spirit (i.e. Real Spiritual Presence or Pneumatic Presence). This differs from Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism which believe in the Real Presence as an actual bodily presence of Christ, as well as from the generally Baptist position that the Supper is merely a memorial commemoration. Baptism 16:14-15 ; 16:31-34 ), not in an exclusively individualistic manner. Baptism is considered to be the visible sign of entrance into the New Covenant and therefore may be administered individually to new believers making a public profession of Faith . Paedobaptists further believe this extends corporately to the households of believers which typically would include Child ren, or individually to children or infants of believing parents (see Infant Baptism ). In this view, baptism is thus seen as the functional replacement and sacramental equivalent of the Abrahamic rite of Circumcision and symbolizes the internal cleansing from Sin , among other things. written on their hearts and would know God, Baptist Covenant Theologians believe only those who are Born Again are members of the New Covenant. HISTORY OF COVENANT THEOLOGY Concepts foundational to covenant theology can be found in the writings of (1536-1587) in ''Concerning the Substance of the Covenant of Grace between God and the Elect'' (''De substantia foederis gratuiti inter deum et electos'', 1585) and the Scottish Theologian Robert Rollock (1555-1599) in ''A Treatise of our Effectual Calling'' (''Tractatus de vocatione efficaci'', 1597). The classical statement of covenant theology can be found in the British Westminster Confession Of Faith (particularly chap. 7, 8, 19), as well as in the writings of English theologians such as John Owen (1616-1683), ''Biblical Theology'', and ''An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews''. The classical statements among 17th century continental theologians include Johannes Cocceius (c. 1603-1669) in ''The Doctrine of the Covenant and Testament of God'' (''Summa doctrinae de foedere et testamento dei'', 1648), Francis Turretin (1623-1687) in his ''Institutes of Elenctic Theology'', and Hermann Witsius (1636-1708) in ''The Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man''. It may also be seen in the writings of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) in ''Collected Writings of Jonathan Edwards'' (Vol 2, Banner of Truth edition, p.950). In the United States , the Princeton Theologians ( Charles Hodge , A. A. Hodge , B. B. Warfield , Geerhardus Vos , and J. Gresham Machen ) and, in the Netherlands , Herman Bavinck followed the main lines of the classic view, teaching the Covenant of Redemption, the Covenant of Works (Law), and the Covenant of Grace ( Gospel ). Recent developments in Covenant Theology There have been a number of recent developments in Covenant theology by a fast-growing minority of Reformed and Presbyterian pastors and theologians. Current well-known covenant theologians include Michael Horton , Meredith G. Kline , J. I. Packer , Robert L. Reymond , O. Palmer Robertson and R. C. Sproul . This system is taught at schools such as Covenant Theological Seminary , Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary , Knox Theological Seminary , Reformed Theological Seminary , Westminster Theological Seminary , and Westminster Seminary California . Covenant structure Meredith G. Kline did pioneering work in the field of Biblical Studies in the 1960s and 1970s by identifying the form of the covenant with the common Suzerain – Vassal Treaties of the Ancient Near East in the 2nd Century BC . One of the highlights of his work has been the comparison of the Mosaic Covenant with the Hittite Suzerainty Treaty formula. A suggested comparison of the treaty structure with the book of Deuteronomy is as follows:
Kline has argued that comparisons between the suzerainty-vassal treaties and royal grants of the Ancient Near East provide insight in highlighting certain distinctive features of the Mosaic covenant as a law covenant, in contrast with the other historic post-Fall covenants. Many who have embraced Kline's insights have still insisted, however, in accordance with the Westminster Confession Of Faith , that the Mosaic covenant was fundamentally an administration of the Covenant of Grace. Contemporary revisions and controversy A number of major 20th-century covenant theologians including Karl Barth , Klaas Schilder , and John Murray have departed from the traditional recognition of a Covenant of Works to develop a monocovenantal scheme subsuming everything under one Covenant of Grace. The focus of all biblical covenants is then on Grace and Faith . This has not been developed consistently between the various theologians. For example, Barth, influential in the Mainline churches and in certain Evangelical circles, conceived of grace as the fundamental reality underlying all of creation. Influential among more conservative Presbyterian and Reformed churches, Murray acknowledged the traditional concept of a works principle as a condition for life with Adam in the Garden of Eden, comparing Adam's works to the works of Christ. He disputed its label as a covenant, however, preferring to call this arrangement the ''Adamic Administration.'' At Westminster Theological Seminary in the late 1970s , Norman Shepherd, a professor of Systematic Theology , was dismissed due to controversy over his teaching on Justification . His views involved a reconfiguration of Covenant Theology that went beyond those of Murray, his predecessor. Shepherd denied any notion of a works or merit principle, leading to a denial that Christ's righteousness is Imputed to the believer. He argued that Jesus' own justification was due to his faith and obedience which is not to be considered meritorious. In the same way then, the believer must be justified before God by faith and his or her own personal obedience. He explains in ''The Call of Grace'' (2000, p. 39): Theologians who follow Shepherd deny that God ever made a covenant where humanity was required to earn anything by their works. Their claim is that the Covenant of Works between Adam and God in the Garden Of Eden was not originally part of covenant theology. A Covenant of Works at creation does not receive explicit mention in early confessions such as the French Confession (1559), the Scots Confession (1560), the Belgic Confession (1561), the Thirty-Nine Articles (1562), the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), and the Second Helvetic Confession (1566) ( John Murray , ''Collected Writings of John Murray: 4, Studies in Theology'', pp. 217-218). Some of Shepherd's critics contend that the concept of a works principle distinct from a Covenant of Grace is evident in the Commentaries and Dogmatic works of the earliest covenant theologians, particularly in the distinction made between Law And Gospel (for instance, Zacharias Ursinus , ''Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism''). There is also explicit articulation of a Covenant of Works in the writings of those such as Olevianus and Rollock . Additionally, defenders of the traditional view argue that the concept of this works principle operating in the pre-Fall state in the Garden Of Eden as a covenant is present in the early confessions even if the Covenant of Works is not explicitly named. Examples include Belgic Confession, article 14, which speaks of Adam having received and transgressed the "commandment of life"; or Heidelberg Catechism, Question and Answer 6 affirming the goodness of man in creation. The later Westminster Confession Of Faith (1646) explicitly names the Covenant of Works which Adam transgressed (7.2; 19.1), and which "continues to be a perfect rule of righteousness" in the form of the moral law (19.2, 3). In contrast to the modern revisers, Meredith Kline has reemphasized the idea of a covenant of works as expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith 7.2 as a means to protect a gospel of grace. Kline writes in ''Kingdom Prologue'' (Two Age Press, 2000), p. 108-109: Kline, , they are on the other hand ultimately the basis for grace since God requires perfect upholding of the Law for Salvation , and Heaven must be earned. However, since this is seen as an impossible task for the Corrupted Sin ner, it is Christ, who perfectly obeyed the law and who, earning the reward, graciously bestows it to his people. The sinner is thus saved by Christ's works and not his own. Right standing before God is then due to an alien or Imputed Righteousness , not by personal faithfulness which is recognized as the fruition of salvation and not its ground. For example, in ''Getting the Gospel Right'' (Baker Books, 1999), p. 160, R.C. Sproul writes: Sproul articulates the traditional view, that Jesus was glorified in his death and Resurrection because of his Merit in fulfillment of the Covenant of Works as the second Adam. His merit in his active and suffering obedience is then counted for those he came to save, so that by faith alone, the believer is justified before God, having received the righteousness of another. CRITICISM Dispensationalists have offered critiques of Covenant Theology including:
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