 The Covenant of Redemption by Drake Shelton
I. The Covenant of Redemption is a Covenant Distinct from the Covenant of Grace II. The Language of Zech 6:12-13 Clearly Points to this as a Covenant Between the Father and the Son, Not Between the priestly and Kingly Offices of Christ. III. Gal 3:16 Opened IV. How Can a Sinless Person Die and then after Becoming Sin Be Raised?
Isa 49: 8 Thus says the LORD, "In a favorable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages;
Isa 55:3 3"Incline your ear and come to Me Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David.
Heb 9: 15For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. ..22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 13:20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord
John 14:19 19"After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.
Definitions:
Covenant: A covenant is a solemn promise to engage in or refrain from a specified action concerning at least two parties. This does not necessarily mean that both parties consent. (The covenant that God made with Noah was monophrastic. Noah had no choice whether he agreed that God not destroy the earth with a floood or not.) A covenant is often sealed with an oath or a sign/emblem.
The Covenant of Grace: WCF 7.3 III. says, "Man by his fall having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the Covenant of Grace: wherein he freely offered unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in him, that they may be saved, and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto life, his Holy Spirit, to make them willing and able to believe." The Westminster Larger Catechism seems to say differently:
Question 30: Does God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery ? Answer: God does not leave all men to perish in the estate of sin and misery,into which they fell by the breach of the first covenant, commonly called the covenant of works; but of his mere love and mercy delivers his elect out of it, and brings them into an estate of salvation by the second covenant,commonly called the Covenant of Grace. Question 31: With whom was the Covenant of Grace made? Answer: The Covenant of Grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed. Question 32: How is the grace of God manifested in the second covenant? Answer: The grace of God is manifested in the second covenant, in that he freely provides and offers to sinners a Mediator, and life and salvation by him; and requiring faith as the condition to interest them in him, promises and gives his Holy Spirit to all his elect, to work in them that faith, with all other saving graces; and to enable them unto all holy obedience, as the evidence of the truth of their faith and thankfulness to God, and as the way which he has appointed them to salvation.
The internal approbation and the external administration were still being confused at this time. This was cleared up later in the Sum of Saving Knowledge which states, "2c For the accomplishment of this Covenant of Redemption, and making the elect partakers of the benefits of it in the Covenant of Grace, Christ Jesus was clad with the threefold office of Prophet, Priest, and King: made a Prophet, to reveal all saving knowledge to his people, and persuade them to believe and obey the same; made a Priest, to offer up himself a sacrifice once for them all, and to intercede continually with the Father, for making their persons and services acceptable to him; and made a King, to subdue them to himself, to feed and rule them by his own appointed ordinances, and to defend them from their enemies."
The internal approbation was developed into the Covenant of Redemption and the Covenant of Grace was understood to be the external administration.
The Covenant of Grace is a conditional covenant. The Covenant of Grace is made with God, assuming all three persons, and all those that profess faith in Christ as well as their children. Ex 2:24, Ex 34:27, Jer 32, and Heb 8 all prove that the covenant is made with men. Exo 19:8, Ex 24:3, and 2 Tim 2:19 prove that profession enters one into the covenant and subject to all the blessings and cursings. Gen 17:23, Jud 2:20, Jer 11:10, 2 Pet 2:1, 20, Heb6 and 10:26-29 all prove that unbelievers are in the Covenant of Grace. Christ is not a party in the Covenant of Grace though he is the representative of the elect in the surety of the Covenant of Grace.
The Covenant of Redemption: An inter-Trinitarian covenant between the Father and the Son in eternity past, according to which the Son became surety (Heb 7:22) for the elect, undertook to obey God's law, suffer in their place and was promised everything that pertains to grace and salvation. The Son is the federal representative of the elect in the Covenant of Redemption just as Adam was the federal representative of mankind in the covenant of works. The elect are not parties to the Covenant of Redemption: 1. Because the Covenant of Redemption is a kind of covenant of works, a covenant that the elect cannot keep as their federal head Adam, broke this covenant and plunged his progeny into total depravity. 2. The promises of the Covenant of Redemption (sitting at the right hand of God, divine Kingship over all nations Psalm 2, Heb 1:8-13 etc.) are not given to the elect but to Christ. This covenant is monophrastic. There are no contingencies in the Godhead and therefore this inter-Trinitarian covenant cannot be based on a contingency. Rutherford says,
“There be two parts (as it were) of the Covenant of Redemption. 1.) A covenant of Designation. 2.) Of actual Redemption. The former is eternal...the other part , the Man Christ , until he should be Man and have a man's will, he could not in two wills close with the covenant of actual redemption."[1]
Just as there are two aspects to Christ's Sonship divine (eternal) and human (temporal), so there are two aspects to this covenant, one eternal and the other temporal. The Son, comprehended by both aspects of his Sonship obeys the decree of the Father. People who think it is contingent often cross their language later in their writings when they admit the Covenant of Redemption cannot be broken (as contrasted with the covenant of grace) because of the nature of the parties. I prefer the terms "Terms of the Covenant" rather than a condition. The work of Christ is a term of the covenant that will be fulfilled. This can hold the same meaning when someone says that his work is conditional if one who says so makes clear that there are no contingencies in God. The Sum of Saving Knowledge states,
"2b The sum of the Covenant of Redemption is this: God having freely chosen to life a certain number of lost mankind, for the glory of his rich grace, did give them, before the world began, to God the Son, appointed Redeemer, that, upon condition he would humble himself so far as to assume the human nature, of a soul and a body, to personal union with his divine nature, and submit himself to the law, as surety for them, and satisfy justice for them, by giving obedience in their name, even to the suffering of the cursed death of the cross, he should ransom and redeem them all from sin and death, and purchase to them righteousness and eternal life, with all saving graces leading there to, to be effectually, by means of his own appointment, applied in due time to every one of them. This condition the Son of God (who is Jesus Christ our Lord) did accept before the world began, and in the fulness of time came into the world, was born of the Virgin Mary, subjected himself to the law, and completely paid the ransom on the cross: But by virtue of the foresaid bargain, made before the world began, he is in all ages, since the fall of Adam, still upon the work of applying actually the purchased benefits of the elect; and that he does by way of entertaining a covenant of free grace and reconciliation with them, through faith in himself; by which covenant, he makes over to every believer a right and interest to himself, and to all his blessings”
Surety: Rutherford says, "Surety is one that promises to satisfy for another, and comes from a Verb which signifies to promise by striking of hands, Proverbs 22:26."[2]
The Sonship of the Logos: Christ is one Sonship, with two aspects human and divine hypostatically united in time. Not two Sonships, one human and one divine. Girardeau’s construction is that Christ’s obedience has two aspects, that as a son and that as a servant. Girardaeu says,
“I am constrained to believe that while the two relations co-existed in Christ, and co-exist in the believer, they are not identical. The one is sunk in the other…They are, brought into consistency of one generic obedience upon the one person who obeys. Somewhat like the two natures in Christ.” [Discussions of Theological Questions, 482]
The Covenant of Redemption is a Covenant Distinct from the Covenant of Grace
1. Since there is already a temporal and eternal aspect to this covenant, this eliminates the Bostonian argument that redemption and grace are merely two different aspects of the same covenant, one eternal one temporal. 2. The actions in the covenants differ. In the Covenant of Redemption the action required is perfect obedience to God's law. The action in the Covenant of Grace is faith in the messiah. 3. The Covenant of Redemption is monophrastic, unconditional, and cannot be broken. The Covenant of Grace is conditional and can be broken. 4. Bostonians will say that the condition or action of the Covenant of Grace is upon Christ and not man. If this is so, then there cannot be a conditional covenant between God and men because men have no condition to fulfill. There is therefore no Covenant of Grace between God and men. 5. Christ is not obligated to fulfill the condition of the Covenant of Grace, namely faith in the Messiah. 6. Christ is in need of no promises in the Covenant of Grace, namely, adoption, forgiveness of sins, etc. 7. Christ is the mediator between the two parties in the Covenant of Grace. It is impossible therefore, ipso facto, for Christ to be both the mediator and a mediated party in the same covenant. Therefore, redemption and grace are different covenants. 8. The promises of the Covenant of Redemption (sitting at the right hand of God, divine Kingship over all nations Psalm 2, etc.) are not given to the elect but to Christ.
Summary: The Covenant of Redemption has different parties, a difference of mediation, different actions required, different promises, and is made in eternity while the Covenant of Grace is made in time. Therefore, these are different covenants though the Covenant of Redemption is the basis and fountain of the promises of the Covenant of Grace.
Obj. The Covenant of Grace is called an everlasting covenant in Heb 13:20 Ans. This refers to everlasting directed to the future not the past.
The Language of Zech 6:12-13 Clearly Points to this as a Covenant Between the Father and the Son, Not Between the Priestly and Kingly Offices of Christ.
That there is a covenant between the Son and the Father is proved:
1. Zech. 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: 13 Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. (kjv)
The title "The Branch" is used in numerous passages referring to the Messiah (Isaiah 4, Jer 23, Zech 3:8). The language of the Messiah building the temple of the Church is replete in the NT (Matthew 16:18 1 Corinthians 3:17 2 Corinthians 6:16 Ephesians 2:20-22 Hebrews 3:3). Mat 16 proves that it is Messiah who is building the Church, and the apostles provide the data that the Church is the temple of God. The Father is denoted by the title "The LORD" and he has a counsel of peace with the incarnate Christ under the title "The Branch." 2. Jer 31:33"But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. For one to call God, "My God" is specific language in reference to being in covenant with him. Messiah uses this language of himself in such passages such as Mat 27:46, Psalm 40:8. For God to call a man "My Servant" would prove the same and is used of Messiah in Isa 49:4-6, and Isa 52: 13. 3. Psalm 89:4-5 :34"My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips. 35"Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. The first two passages furnish proof from the scripture that covenants are confirmed by the swearing of an oath. The last passage in Heb 7:21 proves an oath is sworn between the Father and Messiah sealing the Messiah's Priesthood. Therefore, there is a covenant between them. 2 Kings 11:17 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they would be the LORD'S people, also between the king and the people. Now who is the one who has appointed Christ as king? Luke 22: 29 and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom. Since the Father is one who has appointed Christ as a King whose office is covenantal in nature it can be concluded that there is a covenant between them.
6. Psalm 89: 27"I also shall make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth. 28"My lovingkindness I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall be confirmed to him. 29"So I will establish his descendants forever And his throne as the days of heaven. Here in shadowy Old Testament typology David typifies Christ being in Covenant with the Father.
The Covenant of Grace applies the redemption that was accomplished in the Covenant of Redemption. Unbelievers in the Covenant of Grace are united to Christ legally according to the Covenant of Grace and not according to the Covenant of Redemption as they are not represented by Christ in the Covenant of Redemption while at the same time under the curse of the covenant of works. Believers in the Covenant of Grace are united to Christ legally according to the Covenant of Redemption as they are fully represented by Christ.
Gal 3:16 Opened Gal 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. Rutherford says, "But this seed is only Christ, not mystical Christ head and members: for neither are we blessed in Christ mystical, nor was Christ mystical the Church made a curse for us: Nor did the Church mystical pay a price of satisfaction to offended justice for us, verse 19...Now the seed coming is Christ coming in the flesh to take on our nature. If the seed were taken for Christ mystical, the Apostle must say, The law was added because of transgression, until the seed should come: that is, until Christ mystical, his Church should come in the flesh which is nonsense..."[3]
So Christ is our surety as we are, as it were, the plants in the seed. Yet Rutherford brings to our mind a question, "if Christ's dying for sinners remove as a satisfactory punishment, the guilt and obligation to eternal wrath, what is the real, and as it were, the physical inherency and essence of sin removed.?"[4]
Ans. Rutherford says, "The obligation to wrath is removed only in a legal way", referring to Christ's death. This is the point where many reformed people go wrong. They think that Christ merited our justification by free grace but now it is our turn to work and merit sanctification. Not so. Rutherford says, Christ's transacting with God as our surety is not only then merely to remove eternal punishment, but to purchase by the merit of his death the healing and sanctifying of our nature, Hebrews 10:10...the will of Christ offering himself once for a sacrifice for sin, is the will which sanctifies us....though this be wrought by degrees."[5]
How Can a Sinless Person Die and then after Becoming Sin Be Raised?
Question: "How did God bring Christ again from the death by the blood of the everlasting Covenant, had the blood of Christ had any influence to bring himself back from the dead? Or did he, by dying, merit his own resurrection?"[6] Ans. The reason why Christ was killed was that our sins were imputed to him. At his death these things were propitiated and the debt paid. Therefore, as Rutherford says, "Justice nor Creditor can keep him in prison:”[7]
[1]Samuel Rutherford, The Covenant of Life Opened, (Originally published in Edinburgh 1654, Andro Anderson. Reprinted by Puritan Publications and edited by Matthew McMahon, 2005), 438 [2] Ibid., 454 [3] Ibid., 442 [4] Ibid., 456 [5] Ibid., 456-457 [6] Ibid., 452 [7] Ibid., 452
|