When Charles Simeon (1759-1836) lay dying in Cambridge with his eyes closed for many hours, he suddenly said to his friend, “If you want to know what I am doing, go and look in the first chapter of Ephesians from the third to the fourteenth verses; there you will see what I am enjoying now (Moule, 1965:174).” Charles Simeon was an able preacher who influenced many lives in Britain and, indirectly, many lives on the mission fields. His recommendation of chaplains was sought and acted upon by the East India Company. He was a good friend of Henry Martyn (1781-1812), the well-known missionary to India and Persia (now Iran). Taking the cue from Charles Simeon, we will begin our study of Covenant Theology with Ephesians 1:3-14. As will be shown, Covenant Theology lies at the base of missions, which is the execution of the Great Commission recorded in Matthew 28:18-20 and other parts of Scripture.
God’s eternal purpose
Ephesians 1:3-14 gives the sweep of God’s plan of salvation for His chosen people from eternity past to eternity future. There are three sections, each ending with “to the praise of His glory” (6, 12, 14). The first section focuses on the role of God the Father who predestined the salvation of His people (3-6). It is revealed that the election, redemption, and adoption of God’s people in Christ will redound in praise to the glory of God for His grace (6).
The second section focuses on the role of the Son of God in redemption. It is by His blood, i.e. by His death, that redemption is accomplished, resulting in forgiveness of sins, all according to God’s abundance of grace to His people (7-8). It has been revealed to the apostles the mystery of God’s will, that “in the dispensation of the fullness of the times” — that is, in this gospel age (cf. Heb. 1:1-2) — all things that are in Christ, both in heaven and on earth, will be gathered together. This is all “according to the counsel of His will” (11), i.e. according to God’s plan from “before the foundation of the world” (4). The redemption of the elect is to be “to the praise of His glory” (12).
In the third section (13-14), the focus is on the role of the Holy Spirit. Those who have heard the gospel and trusted in Jesus Christ are sealed by the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell in them. The ‘sealing’ conveys the ideas derived from a document or letter that is sealed, showing; (i) its authority; (ii) its authenticity; (iii) its security, and (iv) its ownership. The elect on earth have been purchased by Christ and will arrive safely in heaven to enjoy their inheritance in Christ (cf. Rom. 8:16-17). This will be “to the praise of His glory” (14).
Two issues of importance must be settled in the discussion on missions: first, what is the end, or goal, of God’s plan of salvation, and second, what is the ‘mystery’ that had been revealed to the apostles? The answers to these questions, and failure to provide convincing answers for them, have implications on the objectives of missions, the motives and motivations of missions, the methods and methodology adopted, as well as on other issues.
In seeking to answer the first question, what is the end or goal of God’s eternal plan, we note that the salvation of the elect is due to God’s grace and initiative. The manifestation of the glory of God is the supreme end of redemption (cf. 3:21; 1 Cor. 10:31). The elect and all the good angels will be singing praises to God in heaven because of the wonder of His grace shown in the salvation of undeserving sinners (10 cf. Rev. 5:8-14). God is glorified not so much in the praises sung by His creatures than by the salvation of undeserving sinners by His grace. The singing is the expression of gratitude and wonder. The singing does not, and cannot, add glory to God who is already perfect. The worship by His creatures is the response to the manifestation of God’s glory in the salvation of the elect. The response of the saved is not to be confused with the end, or goal, of salvation which is to manifest the glory of God in the salvation of the undeserving. We emphasise this because there are those who make the worship of God in heaven the end of missions, thus shifting the focus to a subjective activity from the objective salvation of the elect (Piper, 2010). Similarly, they would shift the objective of missions which is the planting of local churches, to the personal enjoyment of God of those saved (cf. Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 6:13, 16, 19; 12:1; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:1-2, 27).
Another way of putting it is that God takes pleasure in His children — the elect, who are the redeemed of the Lord — regardless of whether they pray, or sing praises to Him. It is expected of them to pray and to sing to His praise, but He takes pleasure in them simply because they are His and are with Him. A father is pleased simply because he knows that his children are well, have ready access to him, and are safely gathered together on appointed occasions. The apostle Paul says to the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 2:8), “So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.” The apostle says, in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Worship is part of, and probably the main, activity engaged in by the elect in heaven, together with all the good angels (Rev. 4, 5, 7). We are told in Revelation 7:9-10, ‘…a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”’ The redeemed people of God worship together with the angels in heaven. They serve God in other ways as well. Indeed, all that they do in heaven will be acts of worship to God. There will be no more marriage in heaven. We will still recognise one another, and the fellowship between us will be lifted to a level beyond what we have experienced, or are capable of understanding, while on earth. There are many mansions in heaven, and there will be a place for everyone (John 14:1-4). The Parable of the Talents suggests that there will be responsibilities assigned to us in heaven, of varying degrees: “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’ (Matt. 25:21, 23)”, “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away (Matt. 25:29 cf. Rev. 22:12).”
Coming back to Ephesians 1:3-14, we note that after declaring God’s eternal purpose (1:3-14), Paul proceeds to expound on how that purpose unfolds in history. We are saved by the same mighty power of God that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Christ is now seated at the right hand of the Father with authority over all creation. This is covered in Chapter 1:15-23. In Chapter 2:1-10, Paul shows that God is rich in mercy and love, saving undeserving sinners by grace through faith in Christ, so that we share in Christ’s inheritance. To be noted is the statement (2:7), “…that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” The end of missions is the manifestation of the glory of God in His grace, and not the worship offered by the redeemed. The salvation of the undeserving, the begetting of sons from all the nations, manifests the glory of God (cf. 2 Thess.1:12; 2:14).
In Chapter 2:11-22 the mystery that had been revealed to the apostles is explained briefly (cf. 3:3). The Gentiles who were “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise” are now brought near by the blood of Christ (2:11-13). The same gospel is preached to “those who were near”, viz. the Jews, so that the elect among them will be saved by the same method (17 cf. 11). Together, Jewish and Gentile believers become members of the household of God, who grow together into a holy temple of the Lord, a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (19-22). In Chapter 3:1-13, Paul explains that this was the mystery revealed to himself, the apostles, and the prophets, viz. “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel” (6). Paul has been sent to preach to the Gentiles, “to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places…” (10-11). Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles was to fulfil in part the manifold wisdom of God in bringing the Gentile and Jewish elect together as the church of Jesus Christ. This mystery is explained at length by the same apostle in Chapters 9 to 11 of Romans.
As the apostle proceeds with the unfolding of God’s eternal plan of salvation in the gospel age, he is lifted up in ecstasy, saying (Eph. 3:14-19),
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Like an orchestra playing a masterpiece (perhaps like Handel’s Messiah), the crescendo is reached. Our hearts are lifted up like Paul’s, all our emotions have been bundled together, ready for that grand finale…(Eph. 3:20-21),
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
We can imagine the drums beaten with the last bang, the cymbals clang a last time, the stringed instruments that had been sawn with increasing vigour ending with the last drawn out note. All the members of the orchestra, including the conductor, freeze. There is deathly silence. All our emotions are spent. Our hearts glow with euphoric satisfaction. The doctrinal part of the epistle is finished, to be followed by the practical part. For our purpose, we note that the end of missions is the manifestation of God’s glory in the church — by Christ Jesus, to all generations ahead of us, until we are all gathered on the new earth, in the new heavens, to serve God — forever and ever.
The Covenant of Redemption
We are now ready to formulate the principles involved in the salvation of God’s chosen people from eternity past to eternity future. The terms “eternity past” and “eternity future” make sense to us as creatures who are limited, and confined, by time. God created all things, including the concept of time. He is Himself not bound by time. The Bible reveals that all official transactions, whether between God and men or between men and men, were carried out by means of covenants — ‘berith’ in the Old Testament, and ‘diatheke’ in the New testament. A covenant may be defined as a formal agreement between two or more parties, to bind themselves together for mutual good, in which are attached the terms and conditions (rights and obligations, demands and promises) agreed upon by the parties concerned. In the case of the covenants made by God with men, He takes the initiative and He exercises His right as the Creator to impose the terms and conditions. The divine initiative and the right to impose the terms and conditions upon man are expressed in the 1689 Confessions as follows (1689:7:1),
The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures [creatures capable of reasoning] do owe obedience unto him as their Creator, yet they could never have attained the reward of life, but by some (a) voluntary condescension on God’s part, which he hath been pleased to express, by way of covenant.
(a) Luke 17:10; Job 35:7, 8
The eternal purpose of God in the salvation of His people is described by the Covenant of Redemption which stretches from eternity past to eternity future. It is also known as the Eternal Covenant. God’s eternal purpose of salvation did not stop with the agreement made in eternity past between the persons of the Trinity. By definition, expressions such as “eternal purpose” and “predestination” must stretch from eternity past to eternity future. In Ephesians 1:3-14 we saw the divine plan of salvation stretching from eternity past to eternity future. We saw that it encompasses the calling in of the elect by the gospel and the building up of the church of Jesus Christ, which comprises elect from among the Jews as well as from among the Gentile nations. The Covenant of Redemption, therefore, encompasses the Covenant of Grace which is the unfolding of God’s eternal purpose in history.
If the Covenant of Redemption is conceived as stopping where the Covenant of Grace begins in history, how would we describe the salvation of the elect once the Covenant of Grace ends with the judgement of the world? Is there another covenant made between God and the glorified saints in heaven? Such a covenant has never been postulated by anyone and is not found in Scripture. Furthermore, is the Covenant of Grace different in essence from the Covenant of Redemption? If it were, the Covenant of Redemption is grotesquely broken, with the Covenant of Grace joining the parts in eternity past with that in eternity future. Or, the Covenant of Grace will have to be conceived as running parallel with the Covenant of Redemption in history, since they are different in essence. The plain teaching of Scripture is that the two covenants are of the same essence and, indeed, they are one covenant with only that part that emerges in history being called the Covenant of Grace. The 1689 Confession of Faith expresses this truth as follows (1689:7:3),
This Covenant [of Grace]… is founded in that (*) eternal covenant transaction, that was between the Father and the Son, about the redemption of the elect…
* 2 Tim. 1:9; Tit. 1:2
The 1689 Confession of Faith mentions only the Father and the Son who were engaged in the Covenant of Redemption. However, the two Scripture references, viz. 2 Timothy 1:9 and Titus 1:2, only show that the covenant was made in eternity, “before time began”, without revealing all the Persons involved. We are told in John 10:26-30,
But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.
Eternal life is given by the Son through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in regeneration. The Holy Spirit is promised to all who believe in Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; Rom. 8:9-11; Ezek. 36:26-27). Since the Holy Spirit is one with the Father and the Son, the covenant made in eternity must have involved the Holy Spirit as well. We are told in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14,
But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have seen in Ephesians 1:3-14 that all three persons of the Holy Trinity are involved in our salvation. The plan of our salvation was made in eternity past. All three persons of the Trinity work in harmony with one another, each having His respective role. The Father chose certain people to be saved and gave them to the Son. The Son of God agreed to come to earth to redeem them by His death on the cross. The Holy Spirit agreed to apply the saving benefits of the Son to the elect to effect their salvation. The Holy Spirit is also present in heaven in all His fullness, described as “the seven Spirits of God” in the book of Revelation (Rev. 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6).
The Covenant of Redemption spans human history, and will be completed in eternity future, when all the redeemed of the Lord are gathered together after the judgement of the last day. The present universe will be melted down by fire, and the new heavens and the new earth will be created (2 Pet. 3:10-13). The plural word “heavens” is used in 2 Peter 3:10 according to the Greek concept to include the air around us, the outer space, and the invisible dwelling place of God. Heaven where God dwells is already qualitatively perfect and incapable of being improved upon. It is in God’s plan, however, that His dwelling place should include the renewed universe in which is the new earth, where righteousness dwells. Heaven will be on earth, and earth will be in heaven. All the redeemed of the Lord will be living on the new earth, which is part of the new universe. The gathering together of the elect on the new earth is called “the marriage of the Lamb”. There will be tremendous rejoicing and celebration, known as “the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:6-10).
The Lamb’s bride is described in Revelation 21:9-14,
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The bride of the Lamb is the church, as we learn from Ephesians 5:22-33, which will be perfect and complete in heaven. The perfection and completeness of the bride is represented by the heavenly city of Jerusalem which is cubic in dimensions. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel represent the elect of God of the Old Testament period, while the names of the twelve apostles represent the elect of the New Testament period. It should be noted that the twelve apostles — not the twelve tribes of Israel — form the foundation of the city. The Scripture, consisting of both the New Testament and the Old Testament, reveals Christ as the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:19-22; Matt. 16:18). Worship in the Old Testament was visible, consisting of various rituals such as the offering of animal sacrifices and the cleansing rites. The coming of Christ fulfilled the symbolism of the Old Testament types (Heb. 9, 10), so that believers today worship God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). The relationship between the New Testament and the Old Testament has been well-described thus: “The New is in the Old concealed, the Old is by the New revealed,” (cf. Luke 24:25-27, 45-47).
In heaven, none of God’s elect will be missing. This has been promised by the Lord (John 6:37, 39), and is a promise of the Gospel (Rom. 8:38-39: Eph. 1:13; 4:30).The toil and tears, sorrow and pain of earth will be no more for (Rev. 21:3-4),
“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
The blessedness of the redeemed in heaven is described in Revelation 22:1-5,
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
What becomes of the non-elect — the reprobates and the apostates? Their end has been made clear already (Matt. 7:21-23; 25:30, 41; Heb. 6:8; Gal. 5:21-21). The last traces of God’s image upon them would be erased as they are consigned to the eternal suffering of hell. We are told in Revelation 21:7-8,
He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
The eternal state of believers is stupendously blessed, while that of the unbelievers is horrendously awful. The Covenant of Redemption is to be considered from its beginning in eternity past to its end in eternity future.
The Covenant of Grace revealed
The Covenant of Redemption is one, stretching from eternity past into eternity future, the substance of which is the eternal purpose of God in the salvation of His chosen people. That portion of the Covenant of Redemption that emerges in history is called the Covenant of Grace, the Head of which is Christ. As the name implies, salvation is of grace, i.e. by God showing His mercy to those who are undeserving, through faith in Christ. As a covenant, there are terms and conditions attached, but these are the concomitants of a true covenant, without which it would cease to be a covenant. It is, therefore, inappropriate to regard a covenant as conditional or unconditional. A covenant is different from a contract, which also has terms and conditions attached, but the nature and purpose of which are different from those of a covenant. The terms and conditions of a contract are legally binding, whereas those of a covenant are morally binding. A contract is concerned with employment, tenancy, and sales-and-purchases, while a covenant is concerned with relationship. The Covenant of Grace consists of two basic stages — that of revelation, known as the Old Covenant, and that of fulfilment, known as the New Covenant. Furthermore, the Covenant of Grace includes two aspects — the temporal or ritual aspect, and the evangelical or spiritual aspect — in both the revelatory and the fulfilled stages. In the Old Covenant, the temporal aspect involved the giving of the law of God, of land, of descendants, and of ritual worship — all to give form and direction to God’s people, while typifying spiritual realities of the New Covenant, which was still future. The evangelical aspect consisted of promises — of salvation by grace rather than works, of the coming of a Saviour for sinners, and of the permanent indwelling of Holy Spirit in the believer.
The Old Covenant consists of various stages of progressive revelation concerning the New Covenant, with each stage centred around an individual, viz. Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses. These stages may be called dispensations, which should not be confused with the teaching of Dispensationalism. The stages, may also be regarded as different administrations of the Covenant of Grace, but should not be confused with the idea of administrations used in Paedobaptist Covenant Theology. Due to the potential confusion arising from the use of these terms, we avoid them and choose instead to call each stage the Adamic Covenant, the Noahic, the Abrahamic Covenant, and the Mosaic Covenant. The Adamic Covenant was primarily a Covenant of Works made with Adam and his posterity, with himself as the head, and secondarily a revelation of the Covenant of Grace which has Christ as its head. The Abrahamic Covenant was passed down to Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve sons of Jacob. The Mosaic Covenant has a number of subordinate covenants, each progressively revealing the New Covenant — the Sinaitic Covenant (Exod. 19-24; Deut. 5-28) which revealed the temporal aspect of the Mosaic Covenant, the Moabic Covenant (Deut. 29-30) which revealed the evangelical aspect of the Mosaic Covenant, the Aaronic Covenant (Num. 25:10-13) which typified the High-Priesthood of Christ, and the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 23:5; Jer. 33:21, 25-26) which typified the Kingship of Christ.
The Adamic Covenant
The revelation of the New Covenant in the Old Covenant was made in stages, gradually, and cumulatively. This revelation was first made with Adam as the representative head of the human race (Rom. 5:12-14). The temporal aspect of the Adamic Covenant was revealed in the Garden of Eden before the entrance of sin. The 1689 Confession states this as follows (1689:19:1 cf. 4:2; 6:1),
God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience, (a) written in his heart, and a particular precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; by which he bound him, and his posterity to personal entire exact and perpetual (b) obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling , and (c) threatened death upon the breach of it, and indued him with the power and ability to keep it.
(a) Gen. 1:27; Eccl. 7:29; (b) Rom. 10:5; (c) Gal. 3:10-12
Perfect obedience to God’s law was required to remain in fellowship with God, and to enjoy the greater blessedness that would have been unfolded in the mandate given to Adam had he not sinned: “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth (Gen. 1:28).” The growing blessedness of fellowship with God was symbolised by the tree of life which was present in Eden together with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:9; 3:22). While forbidden to eat from the tree of good and evil, Adam was allowed to eat from every tree, including the tree of life, until driven out of Eden (Gen. 2:16; 3:22). Although the word “covenant” is not used, this has all the characteristics of a covenant and has been called the Covenant of Works. Eternal life was to be attained by human effort, viz. that of obeying the law of God. Adam failed to remain in his state of innocency, upon the instigation of Satan who appeared as a serpent, thus bringing the whole human race into sin and the condemnation of the law. Death entered, involving the breaking of fellowship with God, physical death, and eternal damnation in hell. The Covenant of Works has never been abrogated, as is recognised in Chapter 19:1 of the 1689 Confession, quoted above. In Galatians 4:21-31, the apostle Paul contrasts the Covenant of Grace with the Covenant of Works by using the two women (Sarah and Hagar), the two sons (Isaac and Ishmael), and the two places (the Jerusalem above, or heaven, and the earthly Jerusalem, or Mount Sinai). Those who attempt to be saved by keeping God’s law must keep it perfectly to attain to eternal life. This, however, is no longer possible after the Fall, since we are guilty in the sin of Adam, and we have inherited the sinful nature of Adam and Eve which makes the perfect keeping of the law no more possible. Romans 3:20 says, “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
The evangelical aspect of the Adamic Covenant was revealed after the Fall in the “proto-evangel” in which was declared that a Seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent while the serpent would bruise His heel. Christ, by His death and resurrection, has destroyed the power of the devil by conquering his last stronghold, which is death (Heb. 2:14-15). 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 says, “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 says, “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” The “all” who are made alive in Christ are the elect. Adam was the representative head of the fallen human race, while Christ is the representative head of the redeemed race (Rom. 5:12, 17-19). Although the words of the proto-evangel were directed at Satan, Adam and Eve were present in that judicial setting where God was the Judge. The words applied to Adam and Eve, as much as they applied to Satan. After all, it was the Seed of the woman who would bruise the serpent’s head. The 1689 Confession recognises the proto-evangel as a revelation of the gospel by stating, in Chapters 20 and 7 (1689:20:1; 7:2, 3),
The Covenant of Works being broken by sin, and made unprofitable unto life, God was pleased to give forth the promise of Christ, (a) the Seed of the woman, as the means of calling the elect, and begetting in them faith and repentance; in this promise, the (b) gospel, as to the substance of it, was revealed, and therein effectual, for the conversion and salvation of sinners.
(a) Gen. 3:15; (b) Rev. 13:8)
Moreover, man having brought himself (b) under the curse of the law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to make a Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offereth unto sinners, (c) life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in him, that they may be saved; and (d) promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life, his Holy Spirit, to make them willing, and able to believe.
(b) Gen. 2:17); Gal. 3:10; Rom. 3:20, 21; (c) Rom. 8:3; Mark 16:15, 16; John 3:16; (d) Ezek. 36:26, 27; John 6:44, 45; Psalm 110:3
This covenant is revealed in the gospel; first to Adam in the promise of salvation by the (e) Seed of the woman, and afterwards by farther steps, until (f) discovery thereof was completed in the New Testament…
(e) Gen. 3:15; (f) Heb. 1:1
Adam and Eve were saved by believing in the promised Saviour — the Seed of the woman. Their sins would be atoned for by the death of the promised Seed, as indicated by the animals that were killed by God for the covering of their nakedness immediately after the pronouncement of the proto-evangel (Gen. 3:21). All this took place in the Garden of Eden, before Adam and Eve were expelled from there. To the law of God given in the Garden of Eden was added the system of animal sacrifices made familiar in Israel in later days through Moses. That was why, not long afterwards, God accepted the offering of Abel for it involved the laying down of the life of an animal and the shedding of its blood (Gen. 4:3-5). That was why Cain’s offering was rejected as it did not involve the right sacrifice. From Adam to Moses, the law of God was written upon the hearts and passed down orally (Rom. 5:13-14). We are not surprised, therefore, to read that Noah built an altar to offer up burnt offerings after the flood (Gen. 8:20). For the same reason there was the observance of the Sabbath rest when Israel gathered manna in the wilderness, even before the Ten Commandments were given to the nation at Sinai (Exod. 16:22-23).
The temporal aspect of the Adamic Covenant was made up of a number of elements, viz. the law, many descendants, and the system worship involving the offering of animal sacrifices. The temporal aspect was necessary to give form to to the evangelical aspect, which consisted of the promises. The law restrained the people from sin, exposed their sinfulness, and drove them to seek salvation by believing in the coming Saviour (Rom. 7:7; Gal. 3:23, 24). From the many descendants of the woman would come the Saviour of the world, and the elect who would be saved by faith (Gen. 3:15). The system of animal sacrifices pointed to the necessity of the death of the Saviour to make atonement for sins (Heb. 10:9-10). In the covenant made with Abraham, the temporal aspect was expanded with the addition of the promise of land and the circumcision of the males. The land was a type of the kingdom of God brought by Jesus Christ, which would be in the hearts of believers (Luke 17:21). Circumcision was a type of regeneration by the Holy Spirit — “the circumcision made without hands” (Col. 2:11; Rom. 2:28-29). To the covenant made with Moses was added the written law, the tabernacle, and the priesthood. The law exposed sins and drove man to seek salvation in Christ (Rom. 7:7; Gal. 3:23-24). The tabernacle was a type of the church of Jesus Christ in which God is present with His people (1 Pet. 2:9-10). The Aaronic priesthood anticipated the better priesthood of Jesus Christ (Heb. 9:11-15). The temporal aspect was as much part of the revelation of the Covenant of Grace as the promises which constituted the evangelical aspect. When the temporal aspect was kept as a covenant of works, it killed.
The Covenant of Grace was not formulated after the Fall. Rather, it arose from, and is part of, the Covenant of Redemption that was made in eternity past, and made its appearance in history after the Fall. The Covenant of Works was made with Adam, while the Covenant of Grace was revealed to him. The Adamic Covenant therefore consisted of the revelation of both salvation by works and salvation by grace. With Adam, while in his integrity, there was the ability and the possibility of attaining to everlasting life by obedience to the law of God. However, after the Fall, this was no more the case. Adam, and all his posterity, were no longer able to be saved by works, i.e. by the keeping of the law. Instead, salvation is to be by grace through faith in the promised Saviour. Adam’s salvation did not mean that the whole human race was saved, for the Covenant of Redemption and, therefore, the Covenant of Grace, has its Head in Jesus Christ, and not in Adam. Salvation would be granted to Adam’s fallen race individually, when each person comes to faith in Christ.
The Noahic Covenant
Noah may be considered the second Adam, for from him the human race propagated after the flood. Jesus Christ is called “the last Adam”, for with Him the revelation of the Covenant of Grace ended in fulfilment. Jesus Christ is called “the second Man”, for He came from heaven to redeem for Himself a people, while the first man, Adam, was made of dust and led his progeny into dust. We read in 1 Corinthians 15:45-49,
And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
The revelation of the Covenant of Grace was taken a step farther with Noah. The failure of the Covenant of Works to save is shown in Genesis 6:5-12,
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
God’s covenant with Noah was a revelation of the Covenant of Grace, as shown by the subsequent verses (Genesis 6:13-14, 18),
And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch… But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.
While this covenant was announced before the flood, it was ratified after the flood when Noah offered up burnt offerings on the altar he had built. The word “covenant” is mentioned seven times on this occasion (Gen. 9:9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17). The waters that destroyed the world in judgement was the same waters that saved Noah and his family in grace. This was symbolic of the salvation to be effected by Christ in His death and resurrection, pictured by the New Covenant sign of baptism. We are told in 1 Peter 3:18-22,
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.
When Noah preached in his days, the Spirit of Christ was confronting the wicked people whose spirits were imprisoned by sin. We are told in 2 Peter 2:4-5, “For if God… did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly…” We have noted that there was a temporal aspect to the covenant made with Adam, which when kept as a covenant of works became deadly. The temporal aspect continues to be seen in the Noahic Covenant. Noah had to keep the law of God, to offer up animal sacrifices, and to have many descendants. Not only would the Saviour come from among the many descendants, the elect will be saved from among them. To aid in the fulfilment of the mandate to be fruitful and multiply, God gave a law against murder (Gen. 9:6-7). God promised never to destroy the human race the way He did in the days of Noah, viz. by flood. The covenant made with Noah was “everlasting”, just as that made with Abraham (Gen. 17:7), Phinehas (Num. 25:10-13), David (2 Sam. 23:5), and the New Covenant (Jer. 32:40). Clearly, the term “everlasting” does not mean “stretching to eternity” but is to be understood as meaning “for as long as this covenant is in force”. The covenant made with Noah will last until Christ returns to judge the world, when the earth and the universe will be melted down by fire and remade (2 Pet. 3:10-13). The sign of the covenant is the rainbow, which will continue to appear in the sky until the last day.
The Abrahamic Covenant
As the human race multiplied and scattered around the world, departure from the faith and the teaching of Adam and Noah took place. The likes of Melchizedek, the high priest of God who must have ministered to many godly families, were still around. Righteous Job is reckoned to have lived in the time Abraham. However, idolatry had obviously defiled many homes. Laban, the cousin of Isaac, accused Jacob of stealing his household gods (Gen. 31:30-35). Under such circumstances, God called Abram from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. Although the word covenant was not used, the characteristics of a covenant could be seen in the the call of God to Abram. The covenant made with Abram, who was 75 years old at that time, is recorded in Genesis12:1-3,
Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
To this call was added a promise (Gen. 12:7), “To your descendants I will give this land.” This covenant was ratified later in a vision, recorded in Genesis 15. Animals that were ceremonially clean — a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtle dove, and a pigeon —were used in the ceremony to ratify the covenant. Except for the birds, the animals were cut in two and placed in two rows. In the darkness of a deep sleep, God announced that Abram’s descendants would be afflicted in a foreign land for four hundred years before returning with great possession. When the sun set, a smoking oven and a burning torch could be seen passing between the animal pieces. This was to indicate the solemnity of the undertaking, which carried the penalty of death (cf. Jer. 34;18-19). On that day, Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, promising him many descendants who would occupy the promised land of Canaan.
God initiated that covenant, and set the terms and conditions, as seen by the whole procedure of ratification. Abram was the recipient of grace. He was promised many descendants, which he understood to include the Seed who would bruise the serpent’s head, as promised to Adam. We are told that Abram believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness (Gen. 15:6). This is quoted in Romans 4:3 to show that Abraham (the new name of Abram) was saved by grace, and not by works. It is also quoted in Galatians 3:6 to show that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham, as explained in Galatians 3:7-9,
Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
This passage tells us that the gospel was preached to Abraham. He understood that the covenant made with him and his seed included the greatest of his descendants, Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:16-18 says,
Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Abraham was saved by believing in the promised Saviour, not by works such as keeping the law or getting circumcised. His circumcision came later, after he believed and was reckoned as righteous (Gen. 15:6). Circumcision was a seal, or confirmation, of his faith (Rom. 4:11). Circumcision did not secure for him salvation. Faith did. Subsequent generations of Abraham’s descendants who were circumcised as babies could not claim circumcision as a seal of their faith, for they had none when circumcised. Circumcision, like all the other elements of the temporal aspect of the covenant, performed the purposes of marking out the people of God from other nations and of pointing to spiritual realities in the New Covenant. Only those who have faith in Jesus Christ — whether Jew or non-Jew — have Abraham as father in the Covenant of Grace. We are told in Romans 4:9-12,
…For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.
Similarly, we are told in Galatians 3:26-29,
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Ethnically, Abraham is the father of the Jews. Spiritually, he is the father of all those who are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, regardless of whether they are Jews or Gentiles. The Covenant of Grace was revealed to Abraham as the way of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles. The Abrahamic Covenant was reaffirmed in Genesis 17:18-22 when a son was promised to Sarah through whom would be passed down the covenant. The covenant made with Abraham was passed on to Isaac (Gen. 26:2-5), and then to Jacob (Gen. 28:10-17), and then to the twelve sons of Jacob who would constitute the nation of Israel (Gen. 49). The twelve sons of Jacob were also referred to as “the patriarchs” by the Jews (Acts 7:9; Gen. 35:22-26). That Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s sons received basically the same covenant is indicated in 1 Chronicles 16:16-17, “The covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel for an everlasting covenant…”
The Mosaic Covenant
When Jacob brought his family down to Egypt, it was another step forward in the fulfilment of the promises made to Abraham. The descendants of Abraham who had multiplied in Egypt was oppressed by the Egyptians when a new king arose. A deliverer was raised up by God in the person of Moses. The nation was now poised for the next stage of their history. After the manifestation of Jehovah’s power in the ten plagues, Israel was allowed to go out of Egypt. As they headed for the promised land, a stop was made at Horeb, where God entered into a covenant with the nation (Exod. 19-24). The Mosaic Covenant was made with the nation of Israel, with Moses as the mediator (Exod. 20:18-19; Deut. 5:5; Gal. 3:19). On Mount Sinai, the Ten Commandments were given to the nation on two tables of stone. The tabernacle of worship was set up, involving the offering of animal sacrifices and the various other offerings which were administered by the Aaronic priesthood. The covenant was ratified by a worship service in which the law was read out, animals were sacrificed, and the blood of the animals was sprinkled (Exod. 24:1-8). This has been called the Sinaitic Covenant which, in fact, was the temporal aspect of the Mosaic Covenant. The evangelical aspect was yet to be revealed.
From Sinai the nation moved to Kadesh. Twelve spies were sent out to spy out the land of Canaan. Of the twelve spies, only Joshua and Caleb gave a positive recommendation to enter into the land, in obedience to Jehovah’s command. The other twelve spies discouraged the people and stirred them up to such fear and anger that they rebelled against Moses and the leaders. The LORD sentenced the nation to 38 more years of wilderness wandering, which was characterised by their constant murmuring and the manifestation of God’s grace in supplying all their needs. In the fortieth year after the exodus from Egypt, they arrived at the plains of Moab. Here, Moses expounded, elaborated upon, and applied the law to the nation, in preparation for them to enter Canaan. This is recorded in the bulk of Deuteronomy — “the Book of the Law” (Deut. 28:61; 29:21; 30:10; 31:26).
This Book of the Law takes on a distinctly different tone from Chapter 29. We are told in verse 1, “These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb.” These words are often glossed over without doing justice to what is clearly stated. There is a reference to a covenant besides the one God had made with the nation in Horeb. The Sinaitic Covenant made in Horeb had been expounded in detail in the earlier chapters of the book. It consisted of the Ten Commandments and the accompanying “statutes and judgments” (Deut. 5:1). This was a revelation of the temporal aspect of the Covenant of Grace. It served the functions of revealing future spiritual realities by types, and of driving the nation to seek salvation by grace in the promised Saviour. The prophecy had been given in Chapter 18:18-19, “I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.” The temporal aspect of the Covenant of Grace, when turned into a covenant of works, would bring death. This was the big mistake made by Israel.
Believing in the verbal inspiration of Scripture, and taking the words of Deuteronomy 29:1 plainly, we see here the making of a covenant different from the one made in Horeb. It was made by oath (29:14), and has to be seen as an extension of the covenant made in Exodus 24:1-8. It, in fact, was the evangelical aspect of the Covenant of Grace which contained the gospel. Just as the Adamic Covenant was a revelation of the Covenant of Grace in its twofold aspects, viz. the temporal and the evangelical aspects, so also was the Mosaic Covenant. In the Adamic Covenant the temporal aspect, i.e. the law, was revealed at the same time that the Covenant of Works was made with Adam. A period of time elapsed, the duration of which could have been quite long, before the evangelical aspect was revealed after the Fall. The covenant made with Abraham was similarly drawn out in time — it was announced in Genesis 12, ratified in Genesis 15, expanded in Genesis 17 with the promise of a son, and confirmed in Genesis 22 with Abraham’s willingness to offer up Isaac as a burnt offering. The Abrahamic Covenant was passed on to Isaac, Jacob, and then to the twelve sons of Jacob — over a period of years. Progressive revelation was involved. The time taken to completely reveal a covenant is not an issue, for “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Pet. 3:8).
Understood this way, the Mosaic Covenant is seen as consisting of two parts, the Sinaitic Covenant which constituted the temporal aspect of the Covenant of Grace, and the Moabic Covenant which constituted the evangelical aspect of the Covenant of Grace. The evangelical aspect is revealed in Chapters 29 and 30. The remaining chapters of the book should, in fact, be regarded as completing the Moabic Covenant and, therefore, the Mosaic Covenant. Israel was reminded of the need of a work of grace to open their eyes and ears so that they could understand all that the LORD had done for them in the wilderness (29:4). This verse is quoted in Romans 11:8 to show that the spiritual blindness had continued with Israel down the centuries. The gospel revealed in the Moabic Covenant required every individual to make a commitment to walk with God (29:10-20). This included the leaders, the elders and officers, all the men, the little ones, the wives, and the foreigners in their midst (29:10-11, 14, 20). A transformed life had to be seen in keeping the law (29:9), failing which the curses of this Book of the Law would be poured out upon the individual (29:20-28). The emphasis on the individual, as in contrast to the community, must be noted (29:18, 19, 20, 21).
The well-know words of 29:29 must be seen in its context, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” The promises and threats of the law were to be heeded, while expecting the LORD to reveal more of His way of salvation in the future. The curses of this Book of the Law set the lower terminus of the period at the end of the Old Testament age, coinciding with the beginning of the New Testament age. In other words, the Mosaic Covenant extended from Moses to Christ. The Levitical Covenant made with Aaron, and extending to Phinehas (Lev. 24:8-9; Num. 25:10-13), and the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:10-16), were subordinate covenants in the Mosaic Covenant. These revealed the coming of the Saviour who would be High Priest and King (Heb. 7:1-2; Luke 1:32-33).
The prophecy concerning captivity, under the Assyrians followed by the Babylonians, given in Chapter 28:45-68, is reaffirmed, followed by the return of the remnant (30:1-6). There would be repentance leading to wholehearted commitment to the Lord (30:6, 8, 10). The circumcision of the heart needed for this commitment pointed to the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament age (cf. Rom. 2:28-29; Gal. 6:15; Col. 2:11). It would be a work of grace, for “the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants” (30:6). The choice of life or death was dependent upon how one kept the law — either as a means for salvation, or as the fruit of a circumcised heart. This is expressed by the words of Deuteronomy 30:11-14,
For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
The apostle Paul quoted these words in Romans 10:6-8 to refer to “the righteousness of faith” that comes by responding to the gospel, in contrast to the “the righteousness which is of the law” (Rom. 10:5). The Mosaic Covenant was an extension of the Abrahamic Covenant, in which was revealed that the attempt to gain righteous by the law would lead to death while having faith in the promised Saviour would lead to life. This is expressed in the closing words of Deuteronomy 30:19-20,
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.
Proceeding on, Chapter 31 reaffirmed Joshua as the successor to Moses (31:1-13), with the prophecy that Israel would go astray from their God (31:14-29). The Song of Moses in Chapter 32 recounts the unfaithfulness of the nation (32:1-6) despite God’s covenant with them (32:7-14). The Lord would heap disasters upon them for their idolatry (32:15-35) until they come to their senses and realise that no other gods could help them (32:36-38). The true God would show forth His power and mercy, pouring forth His vengeance upon the enemies (32:39-42), and — lo and behold! — the Gentiles were called upon to rejoice with His people, for He would provide atonement for His land and His people (32:43). This verse is quoted in Romans 15:10 and Hebrews 1:6 (Septuagint translation) in reference to Jesus Christ. In Chapter 33 Moses blessed the tribes of Israel in a manner reminiscent of Jacob passing on the covenant blessing to his sons (Gen. 49). In the last chapter, Moses was allowed to survey the land of Canaan from atop Mount Nebo in the Pisgah range. He was reminded that “This is the land of which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…(34:4).” The Mosaic Covenant must be seen as an extension of the Covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses died on Mount Nebo and was supernaturally buried by God. Joshua was the immediate successor of Moses but not the ultimate successor. The book ends with the note, “But since then there has not risen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face…(34:10).” This pointed to the Prophet greater than Moses who was to come (cf. Deut. 18:15-18) — who is the Lord Jesus Christ (John 4:25-26; Acts 3:22-23).
The New Covenant
Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…” What had been progressively revealed in the Old Testament was ready to be fulfilled, according to God’s will, by the coming of the promised Saviour. Galatians 4:4 says, “…when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons…” The Saviour would fulfil the requirements of the law on behalf of those who are unable to keep it perfectly. His death on the cross would be the perfect sacrifice to pay for the sins of His people. This had been typified by the animals sacrificed in the Old Testament. Jesus Christ is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). By faith in Christ, the punishment for our sins under the law is considered borne by Christ when He died on the cross. By the same faith, Christ’s righteousness is reckoned ours so that we are justified (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 3:21-26).
The New Covenant, declared at the institution of the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19-20), was ratified by the death of Jesus Christ, and sealed on the day of Pentecost by the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; Ezek. 36:26-27). Salvation is now to be proclaimed to all the nations (Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:18-20). Elect Jews and Gentiles will be saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-10). They are all sons of God, Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to promise through faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26, 29; Rom. 2:28). Together, they become one flock (John 10:16 ), one holy temple in the Lord (Eph. 2:21), one nation of priests (1 Pet. 1:9-10). Together, they are the Israel of God (Gal. 6:16; Rom. 11:26), a people circumcised in the heart by the Holy Spirit, which is regeneration (Rom. 1:28-29; Col. 2: 11; Tit. 3:4-7). In the New Covenant, entry into the kingdom of God is on an individual basis although many might be brought in at around the same time, and in the same locality (Ezek.18:20; Luke 17:21; Acts 2:38-39). Each believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Gal. 3:2; Rom. 8:9; 1 Thess. 4:7-8). Each believer will be transformed from within, so that the law written on the heart will no longer be suppressed but obeyed (Rom. 2:14-16; Heb. 8:10-12; 2 Cor. 3:3). Although we are not able to live a perfectly righteous life due to remaining sin in us, the power of sin is broken (Rom. 7:24; 8:1-2). In the New Covenant age, “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). The coming of the New Covenant meant that the Old Covenant was obsolete and was ready to vanish away (Heb. 8:13). The Old Covenant did not abruptly vanish, but gradually disappeared as the New Testament church was weaned away dependence on the temple, the animal sacrifices, the dietary laws, and the keeping of holy days (Acts 1:8; 15:6-11; Col. 2:16-17).
In the book of Hebrews, the Old Covenant is the Mosaic Covenant — consisting of the law of Moses, the Aaronic priesthood, the tabernacle of worship, and the animal sacrifices. In the book of Romans, the Old Covenant was extended to include the covenants made with Abraham and Adam. In Galatians, the Old Covenant covers the covenants made with Abraham and Moses. It says in Galatians 3:16-18,
Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
As in the book of Romans (Rom. 5:14; 10:5), Galatians contrasts the evangelical aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant with the temporal aspect of the Mosaic Covenant. Why Abraham and Moses, and why the evangelical aspect of one and the temporal aspect of the other? Firstly, the promised Saviour was clearly announced to Abraham, who “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness”, and he became the father of all those who are of faith (Gal. 2:6-7). Secondly, at the time of writing, the Jews were keeping to the Mosaic law as the way of salvation, i.e. they were using the law as a covenant of works and not as a revelation of grace. In 2 Corinthians 3, the apostle contrasts the New Covenant with the law of Moses, saying, “…our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Cor. 3:5-6).” The ministry of the apostle involved the law written on the heart by the Spirit of the living God, while the ministry of Moses involved the law written on stones, which brought death for those who kept it as the means of salvation (2 Cor. 3:3, 7). The glory in the ministry of Moses was subordinate to, and derived from, the glory of Christ revealed in the gospel. The glory of the Old Covenant, represented by the glory on the countenance of Moses, was passing away, while the more glorious ministry of the Spirit in the preaching of the gospel remains (2 Cor. 3:8-11).
Pooling together the contrast made between the New Covenant and the Old Covenant in the books of Hebrews, Romans, Galatians and 2 Corinthians, we conclude that the Old Covenant culminated in, but was not limited to, the Mosaic Covenant. The Old Covenant included the covenants made with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. These covenants progressively revealed the Covenant of Grace, until replaced by the New Covenant, in which was fulfilled what was formerly revealed. Note the plural, “covenants”, in Ephesians 2:11-13,
Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
The Old Covenant consisted of temporal elements which were types of New Covenant realities, as well as gospel promises which saved those who believed. Those who kept the temporal elements as a means of salvation, in fact, were attempting to be saved by the Covenant of Works, which is still in force. The New Covenant has its own sets of temporal elements, to give form to the church and to express the faith of believers. There are the two special ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. There is worship which includes the hearing of God’s word, prayer, and the singing of praises to God. There is the moral law, summarised in the Ten Commandments, that is kept for sanctification, and not for salvation (1689:19:5, 6). When these temporal elements are kept as a means of salvation, the Covenant of Works is being relied upon for salvation, instead of the Covenant of Grace. The Covenant of Grace reveals that “The just shall live by faith (Rom. 1:17).” The law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them (Gal. 3:12).”
The two Israel
One other matter needs to be settled, which is, what becomes of Israel in the age of the New Covenant? We have noted that the Covenant of Grace — in its revelatory part as the Old Covenant as well as in the fulfilment part as the New Covenant — consists of two aspects, viz. the temporal and the evangelical. This is true of all the covenants, including the Mosaic one. The temporal aspect of the Mosaic Covenant is clear, but many miss out on the evangelical aspect. The gospel promises were revealed symbolically by the temporal elements, and explicitly declared on the plains of Moab by Moses in Deuteronomy Chapters 29 and 30. The apostle Paul quotes from this portion of Deuteronomy in Romans 10:5-13, saying,
For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Verse 13 of this passage, ‘For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”’, is from Joel 2:32 in reference to the gospel age (cf. Acts 2:21). The gospel is to be preached to all alike — to both Jews and Gentiles (Rom. 10:14-17). Just as not all Gentiles will respond to the gospel call, so also the Jews. This we learn from 1 Corinthians 1:22-25, which says,
For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
The Jews have a distinct advantage over the Gentiles, for to them “pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God (Rom. 9:4-5).” “Salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22).” However, this does not alter the fact that the gospel must be proclaimed to them as much as to the Gentiles (Rom. 10). They are the natural branches of the cultivated olive tree, introduced in Romans 11. A hardening of heart has happened to the Jews at large, resulting in their blindness to the gospel (Rom. 11.7 cf. 9:18). This has resulted in the gospel being preached largely to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:11 cf. 15:27-28). As many Gentiles are saved, the Jews will be provoked to jealousy so that some among them will seek to be saved by the gospel (Rom. 11:11, 14). The Jews will be provoked to the jealousy simply because “salvation has come to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:11), and not because the Gentiles have to prove themselves in some ways to provoke jealousy in the Jews. This process will continue until the return of Christ. Paraphrasing Paul, if the fall of the Jews is riches to the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more would the riches be if all the elect Jews are saved (Rom. 11:12)? If their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but the end of the age when Christ comes to resurrect the dead (Rom. 11:15)?
The elect from among the Gentile nations are like branches of the wild olive tree, while the elect from among the Jews are like natural branches from the cultivated olive tree. The cultivated olive tree is spiritual Israel, i.e. the church, consisting of all God’s elect. The wild olive tree is the fallen race of Adam. The root of the cultivated olive tree is God’s eternal plan of salvation, i.e. the Covenant of Redemption. When both the wild branches and the cut-off natural branches are grafted to the cultivated olive tree, they partake of ”the root and fatness of the olive tree” (Rom. 11:17) — i.e. they enjoy the blessings of salvation found in the Covenant of Redemption, which is manifested in history as the Covenant of Grace. Paraphrasing Paul again, blindness in part has happened to the Jews until the full number of the elect from among the Gentiles has come in (Rom. 11:25). The remaining elect from among the Jews would then come in (cf. Rom. 11:11, 14-15). And so all Israel, i.e. God’s people (or spiritual Israel), will be saved (Rom. 11:26). Note also that it is “And so” and not “And then”. The manner of salvation of spiritual Israel is meant, not the timing of the salvation of natural Israel. The “And so” relates back to the mutual effects between the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles and to the Jews. It does not relate back to “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” of the earlier verse.
With the arrival of the Saviour, and the advent of the New Covenant, the purpose for the nation of Israel has been fulfilled. The elect from Old Testament Israel have been saved by believing in the promised Saviour. The Old Covenant has passed away with the introduction of the New Covenant. There is no value in resurrecting the temple, the priesthood, and the animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant. If the Jews are to be saved, they must repent and believe in Jesus Christ. In Matthew 3:9-10, John the Baptist said to the religious leaders, “…do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Was the Lord referring to the Jewish religious leaders only or to the whole nation of Israel? Matthew Poole commented on this verse as follows: “…whether it be understood as of the judgment common to all unbelievers, …or the particular destruction of this nation of the Jews, I shall not determine, though I rather judge the latter probable.”3 The vine and the fig tree are often used as types of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament (Psalm 80:8; Isa. 5:2, 7; Hos. 9:10; Nah. 3:12; Zech. 3:10). It would seem that John the Baptist was referring to the nation of Israel. One thing certain is that mere physical descent from Abraham will not save anyone. Another passage of relevance is Matthew 9:16-17, “No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” The rituals of the Old Covenant were not fit for the new wine of life in the Spirit in the New Covenant era (cf. Col. 2:16-17). The new had come and the old was ready to vanish away (Heb. 8:13). With the completion of Scripture, the old has vanished away (Heb. 8:10-11 cf. Eph. 2:19-3:7).
The modern, political, nation of Israel is not to be equated with the nation of Israel in the Old Testament. We do not question the right of the Jews to exist as a country. We do not deny the reality of the Holocaust in which some six million Jews died under the Nazis. We do not support anti-Semitism, neither do we support philo-Semitism. Our understanding of covenant theology requires the gospel be preached to all the nations, including the Jews, without which the would be no salvation, for “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom. 10:17).”
Contrast with other systems
The Paedobaptist view
Historically, the Reformed Baptists had understood Covenant/Federal Theology differently from the Reformed Paedobaptists. In each camp, there was no uniformity of understanding on the subject. The Baptist position, in its main outline, was enshrined in the 1689 Confession, while that of the Paedobaptist was enshrined in the Westminster Confession. The first area of difference was that the Baptists saw the Covenant of Works as being propagated in parallel with the Covenant of Grace through history. The Paedobaptists saw the Covenant of Works initiated and stopped with Adam, being replaced by the Covenant of Grace. The second area of difference was that the Baptists saw the New Covenant as different in substance and administration to the Old Covenant, while the Paedobaptists saw both covenants as consisting of the same substance but different in administration. To the Baptists, the Old Covenant only progressively revealed the the Covenant of Grace. It was this revelation that constituted the substance of the Old Covenant. The revelation was made by promises as well as by the types of the temporal elements. The Covenant of Grace did not exist in substance yet as it was not ratified by the death and resurrection of Christ, nor sealed by the Holy Spirit. As noted already, the temporal elements included the law, the promised land, a multitude of descendants, circumcision, the tabernacle, and the animal sacrifices. We do not regard these as constituting the substance of the Old Covenant. Similarly, we would not call the elements of the New Covenant — including the word, prayer and praise, the special ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper — the substance of the New Covenant for the substance is salvation, forgiveness of sin, reconciliation with God, and the indwelling of the Spirit.
The Westminster federalism may be summarised by “one Covenant of Grace under two administrations”, while that of the 1689 Confession may be summarised as “one Covenant of Grace revealed progressively and concluded formally under the New Covenant”.4 It might be thought that this is a mere matter of differences in definition, when in reality the differences extend into serious practical implications. The Baptists regard the revelation of the Covenant of Grace as the substance of the Old Covenant which is different from the fulfilment in the New Covenant, while the Paedobaptists regard the promises of the Old Covenant as ‘substantially’ the same as the New Covenant and only ‘accidentally’ different in form, i.e. the differences are unimportant and only incidental to the respective periods of time. Salvation was effectually administered through the types and promises.* Since the Paedobaptists equate the Mosaic Covenant with the Sinaitic Covenant, and treat it as a gracious covenant — in contradiction to the teaching of the New Testament (especially in Romans, Galatians, Hebrews) — the New Testament church is seen as a continuation of the Old Testament church. Due to the adoption of this “flat theology”, they are able to say that the children of believers today are “covenant children” who should be given baptism, just as the (male) children of the Israelites were given circumcision. Furthermore, the New Testament church government is made hierarchical in some form, similar to that in the Old Testament.
Paedobaptist Covenant Theology fails to give due attention to the discontinuity between the Old Testament dispensation of prophecies, types, and promises and the New Testament dispensation of fulfilment of these prophecies, types, and promises. It does not distinguish between the Sinaitic Covenant and the Moabic Covenant in the Mosaic economy. In recent years some Paedobaptist writers have posited the idea that the Covenant of Works was in some sense republished in the Mosaic (Sinaitic) Covenant — calling it an “application” of the Covenant of Works but is not the Covenant of Works — taking cognisant of the teaching of the New Testament on the contrast between the Old and the New Covenants.5,6 This has been rebutted by others who uphold the traditional Paedobaptist view.7 In whichever way it is formulated, it would seem that the federal theology of the Paedobaptists has been crafted to support infant baptism and a mixed church membership. The federal theology of the Baptists, in contrast, leads to the baptism of believers and the gathered church principle (i.e. a regenerate church membership and the autonomy of the local church).
The Dispensational view
The federal theology of the Reformed Baptists contrasts with Dispensationalism, which claims that God deals with mankind differently in each of the distinct, typically seven, dispensations. Dispensationalism claims that the Bible is to be interpreted literally, with each word taken to mean what it would normally mean in everyday language. Although allowance may be made for symbols, figures of speech and types, a deliberate attempt is made each time to determine the literal meaning. The 1,000 years in Revelation 20 is taken literally as a thousand years of Christ’s reign on earth when He returns. Dispensationalism also teaches that God has two distinct peoples — Israel and the church. Israel has forfeited the blessing of God by disobedience and is currently replaced by the church. However, when Christ returns to reign for 1,000 years, Israel will be the focus of His attention again. Most Dispensationalists are Arminian in soteriology, believing that Christ’s death was for the sin of everyone in the world, and prevenient grace makes man able to decide to believe in Christ. Some Dispensationalists are Calvinist in soteriology, holding to the Five Points of Calvinism, as well as to Premillennialism. Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ for all nations, but Israel will be particularly blessed because of the covenant made with Abraham.
Among those who hold to Dispensationalism are the philo-Semitists who condemn Replacement Theology for its claim that the church has replaced Israel as God’s people and that the blessings promised to Israel have been transferred to, or are being fulfilled in, the church. The philo-Semitists would attempt to convince others of the necessity to support the modern nation of Israel by putting things in an absolute “either-or” situation, with no possibility of neutrality — either one is philo-Semitic or anti-Semitic.8 Passages such as Romans 2:28-29; 9:6-7 (a circumcision made without hands, “they are not all Israel who are of Israel”), Galatians 4:21-31 (Sarah contrasted with Hagar, Isaac with Ishmael), Ephesians 2:14-18 (Christ has broken down the middle wall of separation), and Matthew 9:16-17 (new wine in old wineskins) are ignored or glossed over, and conclusions are made based on assumptions and speculations. Covenant Theology, whether of the Baptist or the Paedobaptist kinds, repudiate Replacement Theology. Covenant Theology holds to the view that there are two Israel — natural Israel and spiritual Israel. Spiritual Israel is made up of the elect from among the Jews and the Gentiles, in both the Old and the New Testament dispensations (using the word not in the Dispensational sense). Those who hold to Covenant Theology are neither philo-Semitic nor anti-Semitic. The love of Christ compels them to bring the gospel to the Jews as they would to other nations. Replacement Theology was dominant in the early church until the Reformation of the 16th century (some would say until Augustine, AD 400), when Covenant Theology took over. Covenant Theology developed into two strands — the Baptist strand and the Paedobaptist strand. From the mid 19th century, Dispensationalism became popular among Evangelicals, while those who are Reformed continue to hold to Covenant Theology.
Summary
The present contribution to Covenant Theology may be summarised by the following points:
1. The Covenant of Redemption is seen as stretching from eternity past to eternity future, having as substance the eternal purpose of God in the salvation of the elect.
2. The Covenant of Grace is that portion of the Covenant of Redemption that emerges in history. It consists of two parts, the revelatory part in the Old Testament period called the Old Covenant, and the fulfilment part in the New Testament period known as the New Covenant. The Old Covenant consists of a number of subordinate covenants centred around individuals to whom the revelation concerning the New Covenant was progressively given.
3. The Covenant of Grace is seen as consisting of two aspects. In the Old Covenant, the temporal aspect consists of the law, a promised land, many descendants, animal sacrifices, and circumcision, which typify New Covenant realities. The evangelical aspect consists of promises of salvation by grace, of the coming of the God-appointed Saviour, and of the gift of the Holy Spirit to help in the life of faith. In the New Covenant, the evangelical aspect consists of gospel proclamation of the Saviour who has come, the offer of salvation by grace through faith, and the gift of the Holy Spirit to believers. The temporal aspect includes the word preached, the special ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, prayer, and the singing of praises to the Triune God. The temporal aspect gives form to the church and sanctification to the believers.
4. The Covenant of Works made with Adam and his posterity is seen as operating in parallel with the Covenant of Grace through history until the return of Christ to judge the world. From the Fall of Adam, man could no longer be saved by keeping the law. Salvation is found only in the Covenant of Grace, by grace through faith in Christ.
5. The Mosaic Covenant is seen as consisting of two main parts. The first is the Sinaitic Covenant which is the temporal aspect, while the second is the Moabic Covenant which is the evangelical aspect. The Jews made the fatal mistake of using the Sinaitic Covenant as a covenant of works.
6. There are two posterities of Abraham — natural Israel and spiritual Israel. The beneficiaries of the Covenant of Grace are the spiritual children of Abraham. The gospel is to be proclaimed to both Jews and Gentiles until Christ returns to judge the world.
7. The New Covenant operates within the gospel age which began with the coming of Christ to fulfil the promises made in the Old Covenant, and will end with the return of Christ to judge the world and to make all things new. The New Covenant involves the execution of the Great Commission, which is what constitutes the work of missions.
Covenant Theology provides the framework for the interpretation of Scripture. It gives us an understanding of the underlying message of Scripture, which is the unfolding of God’s eternal purpose. Missions is rooted in the eternal purpose of God.
Footnote
In this respect, the view of Paedobaptist Covenant Theology is no different from the newer Dispensationalists like C. C. Ryrie, which contrasts with that of the older Dispensationalists like L. S. Chafer in which is found divergent ways of salvation in the various dispensations. The difference between the Neo-Dispensationalism and Paedobaptist Covenant Theology is in the content of faith of the saints in the Old Testament. Paedobaptist Covenant Theology would say the content was “Christ crucified”, i.e. the gospel, while Neo-Dispensationalism would say it was faith in God manifested in diverse ways. See Crenshaw and Gunn, III, pp. 343-344.)
References
1. Crenshaw, C. I. & Gunn, III, G. E. 1989. Dispensationalism Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow. Footstool Publications.
2. Moule, C. G. Handley. 1965. Charles Simeon. The Inter-Varsity Fellowship. p. 174.
3. Piper, John. 2010. Let The Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions. Baker Academic.
4. Poole, Matthew, Commentary on the Holy Bible, Mac Donald.
5. Renault, Pascal. 2013. The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology: A Comparison between Seventeenth -century Particular Baptist and Paedobaptist Federalism. Solid Ground Christian Books. p. 63.
6. Kline, Meredith. 2000. Kingdom Prologue: Genesis Foundation for a Covenantal Worldview, Two Edge Press.
7. Estelle, Bryan D., et. al. 2009. The Law Is Not Of Faith: Essays on Works and Grace in the Mosaic Covenant. P&R Publishing Company.
8. Venema, Cornelius P. 2017. Christ and Covenant Theology: Essays on election, republication, and the covenants. P&R Publishing Company.
9. Willem J. J. Glashouwer, Willem J. J. 2001. Why Israel? Christians For Israel International, 2001.
Recommended Reading
1. Blackburn, Earl & Malone, Fred. 2012. Covenant Theology, A Baptist Distinctive. Solid Ground Christian Books.
2. Renault, Pascal. 2013. The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology: A Comparison between Seventeenth -century Particular Baptist and Paedobaptist Federalism. Solid Ground Christian Books.