What is Covenant Theology: Part A

Darren Middleton, Caringbah Presbyterian Church. Written for PCV CENC Paper.

What is Covenant Theology?

It is the biblical framework or context in which we explain the life, death and resurrection of Jesus as the outworking of the Eternal Covenant[1] between the Godhead to save a people to himself.[2] This then finds expression in redemptive history through the covenant of works and grace (as it is progressively revealed from Gen 3:15 on).

The Covenant of Redemption

The Bible teaches us that the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit made a covenant or agreement between themselves. This covenant or plan of redemption included God’s choosing of a people to be saved (Eph 1:4 – Elect), through whom this salvation would be accomplished (Eph 3:11 - Christ) and through whom it would be applied (2 Thess 2:13 - Holy Spirit). The essence of this covenant was Jesus’ willingness to become our representative and our righteousness (Rom 5:12ff) through his earthly life of obedience to God’s law (Gal 4:4-5) and his atoning death as a propitiation to soak up all of God’s righteous wrath against our sin (Rom 3:25).

Moreover, this eternal Covenant of Redemption not only purposed the redemption of God’s people but also conferred a kingdom upon Jesus. In speaking to Peter in Luke 22:29 Jesus says “I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me.” The word which is translated in the NIV as “conferred” is the Gk word ‘diatheto’ which is where we get the word covenant from.  So Jesus’ inheritance of the Kingdom was in fact covenanted to him by the Father in the eternal Covenant of Redemption.

Consequently, “the Messiah is predestined to become the ‘heir of all things’ (Heb 1:2), as the Last Adam who defeated sin and death (1 Cor 15:21-28), as the true Seed of Abraham (cf. Rom 4:13; Gal. 3:16), and as the Son of David who inherits the throne of the kingdom (Is. 49:8; Dan 7:13-14; Heb 1:2-14).”[3] Therefore, we may say that all that was planned in the Covenant of Redemption outside of history comes to pass in history through the Covenant of Works and Grace.

The Covenant of Works (WCF 7)

A careful reading of Hos 6:7; Rom 5:12-19 and 1 Cor 15:42-49 clearly confirms the confessions teaching that “life was promised to Adam, and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience.”[4]  Romans 5:12 clearly teaches that Adam was the representative of humankind and as such, entered into a covenant [of works] with God, whereby he was offered eternal life predicated upon his perfect personal obedience. At the same time there was the possibility of death and judgment if he disobeyed. Scripture teaches us that Adam our representative broke the covenant and so sin, death and judgment came upon us all.

In the book of Hosea Israel’s unfaithfulness in breaking the covenant with God is compared to that of Adam breaking the Covenant of Works. Hosea says “Like Adam, they have broken the covenant” (6:7). As a result the apostle Paul affirms "..sin entered the world through one man and death through sin and in this way death came to all men… Consequently.. the result of the one trespass was condemnation for all men..” (Rom 5:12,18). Clearly then, what we need is another representative, since no one (no man) can be justified before God by the law (works).[5] The Bible then introduces us to a new hope in Gen 3:15, someone who would crush Satan’s head and as our representative would obey God’s commands, keep his covenant and then die for our sin. Paul calls Him the second Adam.

Next Issue: The Covenant of Grace and why Covenant theology is so important.