The Doctrine Of The Covenant In Reformed Theology

A Comprehensive Exploration of the Biblical Covenants This book forms an overview of the biblical teaching on covenant as well as the practical significance of covenant for the Christian life. A host of 26 scholars shows how covenant is not only clearly taught from Scripture, but also that it lays the foundation for other key doctrines of salvation. The contributors, who engage variously in biblical, systematic, and historical theology, present covenant theology not as a theological abstract imposed on the Bible but as a doctrine that is organically presented throughout the biblical narrative. As students, pastors, and church leaders come to see the centrality of covenant to the Christian faith, the more the church will be strengthened with faith in the covenant-keeping God and encouraged in their understanding of the joy of covenant life.

Covenant: A Vital Element of Reformed Theology provides a multi-disciplinary reflection on the theme of the covenant, from historical, biblical-theological and systematic-theological perspectives. The interaction between exegesis and dogmatics in the volume reveals the potential and relevance of this biblical motif. It proves to be vital in building bridges between God’s revelation in the past and the actual question of how to live with him today.

"In the biblical drama of the living God's works in creation and redemption," writes Cornelis Venema, "no theme is more lustrous than that of God's gracious intention to enjoy communion with humans who bear his image and whose lives have been broken through sin." This collection of Venema's essays summarizes and defends a broad consensus view of the doctrine of the covenants in the history of Reformed theology and clarifies several areas of dispute. Venema argues that (1) the distinction between a pre-fall covenant of works and a post-fall covenant of grace is an integral feature of a biblical and confessionally Reformed understanding of the history of redemption; (2) the distinction between a pre-fall covenant of works and a post-fall covenant of grace is necessary to preserve the sheer graciousness of God's redemption in Jesus Christ; and (3) the doctrines of covenant and election are corollary doctrines, not opposed to each other, but mutually defining.

This book is the printed form of a Doctoral Dissertation, the focus of the Paper is the application of Ancient Near East covenant principles to exegesis of New Testament Scriptures. This is an important work, for such application demonstrates many fallacies within currently held to Reformed Theology. Application of covenant principles to interpretation of New Testament Scripture is a more complete hermeneutic than what the Reformers had, and must be incorporated into the modern codified set of Biblical Hermeneutics. Because the New Testament is not a testament but a covenant modeled after ANE covenants, understanding what a covenant is and how a covenant operates is paramount to a more complete and accurate set of interpretative rules for comprehending ancient documents. This work is no less important to preachers, teachers, scholars and theologians than is Mendenhall and Trumbull's seminal work on covenants, Kline's work on covenant law, or Sander's work on the law.

Johannes Cocceius (1603 1669) was prominent Bible scholar who taught at the universities of Bremen, Franeker, and Leiden. As a gifted linguist, he produced a Hebrew lexicon, commentary related to every book of the Bible, and several theological treatises. Cocceius's contributions to covenant theology simultaneously sparked theological controversies and further fruitful dialogue for understanding the progressive nature of salvation history. The Doctrine of the Covenantand Testament of God describes the entire biblical history as a series of events by which an original covenant of works is gradually annulled, bringing new phases in the history of the covenant of grace. He shows that God's standard way of relating to mankind is through covenant, which, at its heart, is friendship with God. Casey Carmichael's translation of Cocceius's book is monumental, providing the first English edition of a work that helped shape Reformed theology for centuries. Historical theologians have long noted Cocceius's work as a crucial text in the development of federal theology, and now this translation will open access to a wider range of readers and is sure to spur further interest and research in Reformed expositions of covenantal thought. The introduction by Willem J. van Asselt, the world's leading scholar on Coccieus's life and theology, provides the historical context for understanding the importance of the book and a summary of the significant contributions it made to Reformed theology. Series Description Cocceius' The Doctrine of the Covenant and Testament of God is the third volume of the Classic Reformed Theology series, edited by Dr. R. Scott Clark. This series seeks to produce and provide critical English translations of some of the more important but generally neglected texts of the orthodox period. It is the sincere hope of the editor and the board that at least one volume shall appear annually.

J. Mark Beach untersucht die Bundestheologie Francis Turretins und entdeckt dabei einen Strang in der reformatorischen Theologie des 16. Jahrhunderts, der sich grundlegend von seiner Ausprägung im 17. Jahrhundert unterscheidet. Die jeweilige Interpretation lässt bedeutende Rückschlüsse auf die Bundestheologie zu.