pilgrim people

The following is the first in a series of posts on Basic Covenant Theology. These are based on our present class in the Wednesday Night Study in Theology at CURC. This is the second time that I have taught the class and the response from those in attendance has been very positive and enthusiastic. I thought it might be helpful, therefore, to create a series of posts that can walk the reader through the basic concepts of covenant theology. I will try to keep the posts relatively short.

What is a Covenant?

We should start by asking, what is a covenant? In Scripture, a covenant is a solemn bond or pact between two or more parties. As Michael Horton said in his excellent book God of Promise, "we can start by saying that from the most commonly used Hebrew word for this concept (berit), a covenant is a relationship of 'oaths and bonds' and involves mutual, though not necessarily equal commitments...some biblical covenants are unilaterally imposed commands and promises; others are unconditional." (p.10)

As we will see, a covenant typically has three major components:

1. An Oath

2. Conditions

3. Sanctions (promises of blessings for obedience and penalties for disobedience)

This concept should not seem too foreign to anyone in our culture. If you think about it, you are in all sorts of covenants with different people in your life. If you are married, you are in covenant with your spouse. On your wedding day, you took vows (an oath) before witnesses, you promised to fulfill certain conditions (i.e. "to have and to hold from this day forward...to love and to cherish till death do us part, etc."), and if those conditions aren't fulfilled (i.e. if the covenant is violated by adultery), there will be penalties.

The same is true of a loan from a bank. Anyone who has bought a car or a home knows that they took an oath, so to speak, when they signed loan documents and promised to fulfill the conditions of repaying the loan. If those conditions are fulfilled, there will be blessing (i.e. you will, after 30 years in most cases, own a home). But if those conditions are NOT fulfilled, there will be penalites (i.e. your home will be seized and your credit history goes in the toilet).

The basic concept of a covenant, therefore, should not be all that foreign to us. Most relationships involve some sort of covenant.

What is Covenant Theology and why does it matter?

God is in a relationship with his people by means of a covenant. In fact, 'covenant' is the whole organizing principle of the Bible. It is the very fabric of the Scriptures as they unfold from Genesis to Revelation. If we want to understand the Bible, we must begin the covenants that God has made in history. Covenant theology, therefore, provides the framework and structure of the Bible. This is not a system imposed on the Bible; rather, it is the system and structure that arises from the Bible itself.

More to come...

MGB