The Covenant of Grace-Law-Faith-Obedience: Rushdoony’s Rejection of the Westminster Standards’ Covenant Theology

This morning I was doing some reading on covenant theology. Although I'm not a big fan of R. J. Rushdoony, I took the time to read parts of his view of covenant theology found in chapter seven of his Systematic Theology (vol. 1). First of all, he is very critical towards and firmly rejects the …

The Ending and Expiration of the Old Covenant (Witsius)

Are the practices, ceremonies, customs, feasts, legal precepts, symbols, and stipulations of the Old Covenant binding upon Christians today? In a simple word, no. As Hebrews 8 says so clearly, the Old Covenant is obsolete because the New Covenant has come in and with Christ. The Old Covenant was inferior and temporary; the New Covenant …

Three Great Acts of Imputation (Machen)

 The Westminster Shorter Catechism, summarizing the biblical teaching on the topic, says that all mankind sinned in Adam, "and fell with him in that first transgression."    Because Adam was in a covenant situation, our representative, his trespass led to our condemnation (Rom. 5:18).  How does this work?  How come I bear the guilt for …

He Submitted Himself to the Covenant of Works (Bavinck)

 Romans 5 is a great passage in Scripture that compares and contrasts Adam and Christ.  Paul uses legal and covenantal language to explain how Adam was a type of Christ.  For example, here's verse 19: For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of …

Defining “Covenant” (Kline)

 Quite obviously the term and concept of covenant is a major theme in Scripture.  It's not always easy to define since there are quite a few covenants made in the Bible and since they are made in different cultures and time periods.  Having said that, I appreciate Meridith Kline's general definition of covenant: Of the …