What Is Covenant Theology? E-Book

Ryan M. McGraw

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 211

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Understanding the Basics and Blessings of Covenant Theology From animal sacrifice in the Old Testament to baptism and Communion in the New Testament, the Bible can seem like it contains vastly different instructions for how God's people are to worship him through visible means. But Scripture is a complete story of redemption, one that is breathtaking in its unity. By observing how all biblical events connect through God's covenants with his people, believers can better grasp the beauty of the triune God and the breathtaking unity of Scripture, knowing the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit.  In this practical introduction, professor Ryan McGraw gives readers a framework for understanding the structure of the Bible. Explaining the blessing of covenant theology, he reveals how the sacraments illustrate God's relationship with his people throughout the ages and help unify all parts of Scripture, from God's promises in Genesis to their fulfillment in Revelation. Exploring the covenants of redemption, works, and grace, this book will give readers clarity about the gospel, and teach them how to live in fellowship with the triune God and others. - Accessible Introduction: Explains the basics and blessings of covenant theology - Practical: Illustrates the role of the covenant in the church, families, and everyday life - A Great Study Resource: Includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter

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“Covenant theology—an essential dimension of Reformed theology—unites the sixty-six books of the Bible in beautiful, Christocentric harmony. Exploring the covenants of redemption, works, and grace, Ryan McGraw ably sketches the covenant motif from the seed promise in Genesis to the new Jerusalem in the book of Revelation. He demonstrates that grasping covenant theology helps us grow in our understanding of Scripture, our communion with the triune God that produces joy and piety, and our lives as individuals, families, and churches—all to the glory of the one who designed the marvelous plan of salvation. Covenant theology, then, is so magnificent because it is simply gospel theology that inevitably produces Trinitarian doxology.”

Joel R. Beeke, Chancellor and Professor of Homiletics and Systematic Theology, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

“Ryan McGraw skillfully highlights the basics and blessings of covenant theology that first blessed him as he saw unifying themes in Scripture that helped him make sense of the parts. Writing with clarity and conviction, he introduces readers to the unity of the Bible, the triune God, and their implications for Christian living so that they will know God and his people in deeper ways. If you’re looking for a doctrinally sound primer on covenant theology, this is a good place to start.”

Sarah Ivill, author, The Covenantal Life: Appreciating the Beauty of Theology and Community

“The Protestant Reformer Martin Bucer, who was such a formative influence on John Calvin, maintained that ‘True theology is not theoretical, it is practical; the end of it is to live a godly life.’ Ryan McGraw’s What Is Covenant Theology? exemplifies Bucer’s conviction. Here is theology that is accessible, practical, and pastoral. McGraw has provided Christians with a theological primer that will enrich their lives and stir their hearts and minds to bow down and worship. This is a must read for Christians who desire to grow in the grace and knowledge of God.”

Ian Hamilton, President, Westminster Presbyterian Theological Seminary, United Kingdom

“Ryan McGraw has given the church a clear, concise, and accessible survey of one of the most important teachings in Scripture—the covenants that God makes with human beings. The argument of What Is Covenant Theology? is exegetically informed, theologically nuanced, and practically oriented. Whether familiar or unfamiliar with covenant theology, readers will profit from the way that McGraw helps us see the unity of the Bible and the glory of the covenant-making, covenant-keeping God of the Bible.”

Guy Prentiss Waters, James M. Baird Jr. Professor of New Testament and Academic Dean, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson

“Ryan McGraw has written an excellent introduction to covenant theology—one that, as a pastor, I can hand to anyone in my church who wishes to know more about the covenant concept. While the book has a certain systematic approach, one will also encounter a rich biblical and Trinitarian theology permeating the chapters. I’d like to have written a book like this myself, but there is no need now with this fine contribution to Christian living. And make no mistake, the key to Christian living is understanding God’s covenants.”

Mark Jones, Senior Minister, Faith Presbyterian Church, Vancouver, Canada

“Ryan McGraw’s introduction to covenant theology is wonderful. He takes a complex topic and boils it down to its basics, showing both covenant theology’s distinctive emphases and how those distinctives are a blessing to God’s people. I am confident this will invite many to study covenant theology more deeply and thus understand the Bible more completely.”

Stephen G. Myers, Professor of Systematic and Biblical Theology, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary; author, God to Us: Covenant Theology in Scripture

What Is Covenant Theology?

What Is Covenant Theology?

Tracing God’s Promises through the Son, the Seed, and the Sacraments

Ryan M. McGraw

What Is Covenant Theology? Tracing God’s Promises through the Son, the Seed, and the Sacraments

© 2024 by Ryan M. McGraw

Published by Crossway1300 Crescent StreetWheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Jordan Singer

First printing 2024

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated into any other language.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible. Public domain.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-9277-5 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-9279-9 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-9278-2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: McGraw, Ryan M., author.

Title: What is covenant theology? : tracing God’s promises through the Son, the seed, and the sacraments / Ryan M. McGraw.

Description: Wheaton, Illinois : Crossway, [2024] | Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Identifiers: LCCN 2023030931 (print) | LCCN 2023030932 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433592775 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781433592782 (pdf) | ISBN 9781433592799 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Covenant theology.

Classification: LCC BT155 .M34 2024 (print) | LCC BT155 (ebook) | DDC 231.7/6—dc23/eng/20231207

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023030931

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023030932

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2024-04-10 04:16:35 PM

To Jonathan L. Master,

through whom God showed me covenant faithfulness by being a friend and not merely a “boss” when I needed him most in one of the most difficult seasons of my life

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Why Do the Basics and the Blessings Go Together?

1  Covenant Theology and the Unity of Scripture

2  The Covenant of Grace

3  Covenant, Testament, and Joyful Bible Reading

4  Covenant Theology and the Triune God

5  Covenant Theology and the Christian Life

6  Questions and Answers about Covenant Theology

Recommended Resources

General Index

Scripture Index

Acknowledgments

In terms of direct influence, most of the people who made this book possible are long dead, and I acknowledge them in the footnotes. My wife, Krista, and children (especially Owen and Calvin) greatly helped move this material forward into book form by expressing their enthusiasm for it, both at conferences and in family worship.

The entire team at Crossway has been an over-the-top outstanding, professional, and all-around impressive group of people. Samuel James and Kevin Emmert deserve special gratitude. Samuel took a chance on an author less familiar to Crossway’s readership because he believed in the merit of the project. He showed tremendous patience when my first attempts were mediocre, generously offering more time and feedback than I have ever seen to a stranger with no contract in place. As for Kevin, I could not imagine a more competent and skilled editor, who sympathized with and understood my intent, often intuitively, taking what I was trying to say and helped me say it clearer and better. Pairing an opinionated author and editor together could go sideways pretty quickly. Kevin was always gracious, respectful, and even excited about the book, and I think I almost always gave in to his suggestions without contest.

I dedicate this book to Jonathan Master: You have seen me at my worst and did everything in your power to bring me back to my best. The Lord showed covenant faithfulness to me, while suffering from a failing body and mind, through your kindness, patience, friendship, generosity, and forward thinking. Thank you for helping me rest after a great series of trials and for making teaching and living richer in Christ.

I trust that the Son is pleased in what glorifies the Father in these pages, and that the Spirit with shining the spotlight on the Son. May the Spirit magnify Christ in every reader’s heart, even as he did in mine while writing, that together we might thank and love our Father in heaven.

Introduction

Why Do the Basics and the Blessings Go Together?

Knowing the basics of covenant theology brings great blessings with it. In fact, this book will show that the main blessings of covenant theology lie in its basic principles. Yet it is easy for the average reader to get lost in large tomes on the subject. Serving as a key for reading the entire Bible, “introductions” to covenant theology swell into many pages quickly. This small book aims to introduce readers to the basics of covenant theology in light of the blessings that covenant theology brings. Highlighting some of these blessings shows how covenant theology can strengthen our walk with God, making the path before us a bit smoother and easier. The basics and blessings of covenant theology are inevitably very personal as well.

A Personal Journey

Growing up in a non-Christian home, I knew nothing about the Bible. I did not know who the apostle Paul was until I started reading the New Testament, around the time the Spirit brought me to Christ at age sixteen or seventeen. The church I attended was dispensational, which taught that God had different plans for the Jews and for the church, resulting in a disjointed reading of the Old and New Testaments.1 Implicitly, I learned that Christians did not need to keep the Ten Commandments. Theoretically, I was “antinomian,” which describes someone who believes that those justified by Christ do not need to keep God’s law. However, the Holy Spirit often trains our hearts before straightening out our heads. Thus, reading Jesus’s application of the Ten Commandments in the Sermon on the Mount, I found myself praying, “Lord, make me like this!” even though I thought at the time that he was altering or removing the Old Testament law. Covenant theology was the blessing that I did not know I needed in order to read the Bible better and to live well for God’s glory. Gradually, I saw the Son (Jesus), his seed (offspring) in the church, and the sacraments (let’s say signs for now) as unifying themes in Scripture that helped me understand the parts.

Covenant theology came to me in two ways. First, the church I attended inculcated two vital practices: Christians read their Bibles every day, and Christians tell others about Jesus. Consistent Bible reading worked something profound in many people in that church. In my case, Jesus’s teaching in the Sermon on the Mount started to sound a lot like what I was reading in Exodus and Leviticus. People began raising questions about God’s election, human free will, the depths of human sin, the Spirit’s work in people’s hearts, and, ultimately, how the Old and New Testaments fit together. Second, since this church could not answer most of these questions, people found resources like Ligonier Ministries, which led me to works like the Westminster Confession of Faith, Calvin’s Institutes, and Charles Hodge’s Systematic Theology.2 Suddenly, I and others began finding answers. Whether such issues related to the unity of the Bible, to the work of the triune God in saving sinners, or to Christian living, covenant theology seemed to answer key questions. Jesus, who saved one church in both Old and New Testament, was the focal point of the Bible, and baptism and the Lord’s Supper drove these truths home vividly.

While covenant theology bears almost innumerable blessings, the breathtaking unity of Scripture, the glory of the triune God, and its implications for the Christian life stand out as central ones. In this introduction, I explain each of these areas briefly in a somewhat natural and disjointed way to introduce the plan for the rest of the book. These three blessings lead us to reflect on the basics of covenant theology as they revolve around Jesus Christ, as they affect his church, and as they come home to us in word and sacrament.

What Blessings of Covenant Theology Stand Out?

Covenant theology is a “big picture” issue, describing the relationship between God and his people throughout the ages. It is not merely about some parts of the Bible or specific theological and practical questions. It shows us how to see the unity of the Bible’s message, how to read the whole Bible, how to know God, and how to live. When embraced, it deepens our communion (or fellowship) with the triune God and with others in the church. How, then, is covenant theology a blessing?

First, covenant theology is a blessing because it shows the breathtaking unity of Scripture. From the first promise of the Seed of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15) to one of the last promises of God’s heavenly dwelling with his people as their God (Rev. 21:3), covenant theology pulls together everything in between. The result is that we view the Bible more like a grand epic narrative than a collection of short stories. God’s promise to undo the ruin that Satan brought through sin is like a seamless thread that ties together all the pages of Scripture. In this light, the promise to Abraham that in his Seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 22:18) fits both Genesis 3:15 and Galatians 3:14, in which “the blessing of Abraham” applies to believers now. The Seed of the woman’s suffering in the place of his people resurfaces in important passages like Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, and Romans 16:20. Moses’s leading the people out of Egypt, and everything else he did, flowed from God’s remembering his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ex. 2:24–25). David looked to God to forgive sins and change hearts (Ps. 51), and he pleaded that the Deliverer would come through one of his descendants (2 Sam. 7; Pss. 89; 132). Solomon celebrated God’s faithfulness in establishing his Seed (of the woman) over the ends of the earth, bringing blessings to all nations (Ps. 72). Peter urged believers to look to Christ’s return, teaching them that God preserves the world now for the sake of the elect, just as he did in Noah’s covenant in Genesis 6–9 (2 Pet. 3:8–9). Covenant theology is a blessing because all of Scripture, no matter what book we find ourselves in, reminds us of other parts. The entire book is about God’s covenant with his people, always pointing them to Christ (Luke 24:44–46). Not only does the Old Testament fit with the New but the New starts to look like an inevitable result of the Old, without which the story would be incomplete.

The breathtaking unity of Scripture should fill us with awe and wonder. Many people ask how the Bible can be God’s word when men wrote it. How can we expect any kind of unified message from men, who wrote parts of the Bible in different centuries, resulting in alleged contradictions? Yet seeing the theme of God’s covenant, which he placed clearly throughout Scripture, shows that allegations of contradictory messages by many authors stem largely from ignorance of what the Bible actually teaches. My favorite example was reading Isaiah 53, about the suffering “servant,” to a Muslim while I was in college. He rejected the idea that Christ was God and that he suffered in the place of sinners. Yet when I read the text to him, he thought I was reading from the New Testament, only to be surprised that Isaiah seemed to describe Christ’s sufferings more vividly, in some respects, than Matthew and Paul. God’s word is breathtaking. Whatever difficulties we perceive at first in particular parts of Scripture start resolving themselves when we understand how the parts fit into the whole. Christ is the central theme of God’s relationship to his church, in both Testaments. Sacraments like circumcision, the Passover, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper simply illustrate the point and drive it home. God’s consistency in the Bible is both spiritually breathtaking and invigorating.

Second, covenant theology is a blessing because it highlights the glory of the triune God. This point may take a while for many of us to appreciate. Whether or not we realize it, we come to the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit (Eph. 2:18). Salvation is about the glory of the triune God, and covenant theology is the vehicle through which God reveals himself and his saving message. The Father saves us, through the Son, by the Spirit (Eph. 1:3–14) so that by the Spirit, through the Son, we come to the Father. Paul summarized the gospel in terms of God’s sending his Son to become man, whom the Spirit vindicated, so that we might believe in him (1 Tim. 3:16). We often undercapitalize on the vital importance of the Trinity in Christian faith and life because no one has taught us what to look for in the Bible. Yet covenant theology is like painting a verbal picture of God; the one God of Israel shows us over time that he is Father, Son, and Spirit, inviting us into intimate fellowship with himself.

How does covenant theology relate to the Trinity? The simple answer is that God’s story, which he tells through covenant relationships, is ultimately about himself. The gospel is about God, and the more fully we grasp the gospel, the more clearly we see God. An illustration can show how easily we lose sight of this fact. What often happens when someone asks a believer to give their “testimony”? Is it not common to hear people talk about what a mess their lives were before Jesus came along? They were drug addicts, homeless, in prison, suffered from depression, and so on, and now they could not make it a day without Jesus. Yet if we ask them who Jesus is, maybe they cannot say much about his divine identity; his two natures; his office as prophet, priest, and king; or his humiliation and exaltation. Testimonies can quickly become more about us than about the God who saves us, devolving into stories that are not too different from people trusting a “higher power” through groups like Alcoholics Anonymous. Yet Paul did not testify to himself; he testified to Christ Jesus as Lord (2 Cor. 4:5). Covenants are first and foremost about God. The Old Testament primarily tells us what God is like through his names, attributes, and works, with a gradually increasing focus on the work of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit in saving us. Teaching us who God is more fully, it was virtually impossible for the New Testament writers to explain the promises of the new covenant without Trinitarian terms. Our baptism (which is a covenant sign) is one of the greatest proofs of the fact (Matt. 28:19). Baptism places God’s “name” on us, telling us that God must be our Father, that Jesus must be our Savior, and that the Spirit must dwell in our hearts. The sacraments direct us to the Son so that we might be God’s seed. Covenants testify to the triune God, leading us to echo the Bible in glorifying the triune God.

Third, covenant theology is a blessing because it helps us learn to live the Christian life. We will see that covenants include parties, conditions, promises, and sanctions (or consequences for unbelief and disobedience). Thinking about walking with God in every part of life, we should want to trust, love, and obey him. Covenants teach how to do so in light of our relationship with God (parties), what God wants us to do in that relationship (conditions), how to live by faith in Christ (promises), and how to keep moving toward heaven (sanctions). When you read the Ten Commandments that God gave Israel, for example, the most important questions to ask are, What kind of relationship did these people have with God, and what kind of relationship do I have with God? God redeemed or saved them from Egypt by his grace, and God graciously redeems me from my sin in Christ. The God who saved them commanded them to obey him because they loved him, and so he does with me. If the relationship is basically the same in both cases, then loving the law of the Lord becomes a great means of loving the Lord of the law (Ps. 119 throughout).

Covenants clearly teach us how to live with other Christians in the church. The church is the Son’s seed, which he plants, waters, and nourishes through word and sacrament. God covenants with groups of people and not merely with individuals. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, as signs pointing us to what God’s promises mean, remind us that we not only hope in Christ but are in the Christian life together for the long haul. And are we not thankful that we do not have to live the Christian life alone? Covenant theology teaches us to live the Christian life in the right context, and to love the church of Christ as we increasingly love the Christ of the church. Covenant theology leads us by the hand to think about Christian living, both for individuals, families, and churches. It teaches us the practical uses of the sacraments and the importance of public, family, and private worship, bringing God’s blessings to every area of life. Christ is the Son, who is the hero of the story; we are his seed, or children, living together in his church; and the sacraments point to our relationship with the Son and his seed at the same time.

What Is the Plan for the Rest of This Book?

The rest of this book explains more fully why covenant theology is a blessing in relation to the Bible, the Trinity, and the Christian life. These blessings (unity, Trinity, and Christianity) turn out to be the basics of what we need to know about covenant theology as well, with the Son (covenant Savior), the seed (covenant church), and the sacraments (covenant signs) appearing regularly at key points in the story. While this book cannot answer every question about covenant theology, it aims to show you why this teaching is a God-given blessing to believers. Due to how much ground it covers, I have devoted three chapters to the breathtaking unity of Scripture, one to the Trinity, and one to the Christian life. Each of these chapters includes study questions that promote reflection and good conversation with others about what the Bible teaches. The final chapter answers questions related to common issues that arise when studying covenant theology, and the recommended reading resources provided in the back of the book help readers go further and dig deeper.

The bottom line is that covenant theology helps us read well, praise well, and live well. As you read this book, pray that the Spirit would enable you to see the unity of Scripture, to love the glory of God, and to live the Christian life.

Questions

1. Summarize what you currently know about covenant theology. What unanswered questions do you have?

2. Why is studying covenant theology worthwhile?

3. How can seeing a unifying theme in Scripture be helpful as you read through the Bible?

4. How can covenant theology help you pursue a deeper relationship with God?

5. What is your view of the role of the church in the Christian life? How important is the church in your walk with God?

1  For a useful critique of this view, see Keith A. Mathison, Dispensationalism: Rightly Dividing the People of God? (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 1995).

2  Westminster Assembly, The Confession of Faith, and the Larger and Shorter Catechism: Agreed Upon by the Divines Assembled at Westminster (London, 1655); John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1960); Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, 3 vols. (1871; repr., Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999).

1

Covenant Theology and the Unity of Scripture

Have you ever struggled to understand what is in the Bible? God could have said anything that he wanted to, so why do we have so many laws about sacrifices in Leviticus? Why are there ten chapters of genealogy starting 1 Chronicles? How do we piece together the picture of God appearing in fire and darkness on Mount Sinai with the account of Jesus