# The Spirit in the Covenant of Redemption?



## jwright82 (Jan 24, 2011)

I was reading Berkhof on the Covenant of Redemption and I noticed that the Holy Spirit had no place in it, at least I didn't see it. What is the place, if any, for the Spirit in the Covenant of redemption? It would seem to me that all Covenants are a Trinitarian thing, right?


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## Notthemama1984 (Jan 24, 2011)

I have heard it said that the Spirit applies the covenant or is the seal of the covenant.


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## Grimmson (Jan 24, 2011)

Chaplainintraining said:


> I have heard it said that the Spirit applies the covenant or is the seal of the covenant.


 
(Eph 1:13 NKJV) - In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,


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## Notthemama1984 (Jan 24, 2011)

David,

Thanks for the back up and dunking the offensive rebound home.


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## ServantsHeart (Jan 24, 2011)

I personally can't imagin the Triune God not being involved in all things at all time either in the past present or future. I know GOD is not subject to time and space but language which is lacking is all I know to use to express an infinite being. The concept I'm aiming at in Scripture does not address the Covenant of Redemption but more the results of the Covenant of Redemption produces. 1 Corinthians 12:4 to 6 > One GOD who works all in all, verse 6.


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## Peairtach (Jan 24, 2011)

I think that the reason that the Holy Spirit isn't mentioned in the biblical texts that prove the Covenant of Redemption is that 

(a) The emphasis is on the Father giving his Son and the Son being willing to come into the World to die for those the Father has chosen.

(b) The Holy Spirit is subsequently sent to glorify the Father and the Son. The Spirit, Who also inspired those who wrote the Scriptures, doesn't "draw attention" to Himself, in any way that is incompatible with what He has come to do.

Undoubtedly in the Covenant of Redemption, the Spirit agreed to enter the hearts of the elect and transform them, it's just not something that is explicitly stated in Scripture. When we read that the Spirit is to be sent in a new way from the Father and Christ, we know that He is _willingly_ sent. Thus in what we call the Pactum Salutis or Covenant of Redemption, we can infer from this, and from the Divinity and equality in power and glory with the Father and the Son that the Holy Spirit "agreed" to carry out His role in God's great work of redemption. 

Is there anything more explicit on the subject in Scripture ?


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## R. Scott Clark (Jan 24, 2011)

This question comes up frequently. The answer, as suggested above, is that the focus of the covenant of redemption is upon the _accomplishment_ of redemption not its application. That said, the older Reformed writers did reflect on the Spirit's work in the incarnation and his equipping work/ministry in the life of Jesus the Last Adam. Those are aspects of the Spirit's part of the covenant of redemption that are sometimes overlooked. Dave VanDrunen and I wrote on this in _CJPM_ in "The Covenant Before the Covenants." There we also responded to the charge that the _pactum salutis_ is anti-Trinitarian.


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## toddpedlar (Jan 25, 2011)

A good friend of mine, Dr. Mark Jones, wrote on this very subject in part of his dissertation on Thomas Goodwin's Christology. His book is published by Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht (so it's wildly expensive), but it looks as though the relevant material is available on Google books. The subject of the Spirit's role in the _pactum salutis_ is found in chapter 6.


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## Poimen (Jan 25, 2011)

Notice that Berkhof relates the work of the Holy Spirit to the covenant of redemption by way of the covenant of grace:



> The Holy Spirit, which produces faith in the sinner, was promised to Christ by the Father, and the acceptance of the way of life through faith was guaranteed by Christ.


page 271 

 For "without faith it is impossible to please [God]” (Hebrews 11:6) and so the Spirit was given to produce that faith within our hearts to unite us to Christ (John 3:5; Acts 13:48; 1 Corinthians 2:7-16). Indeed it is He who "witnesses to us" (Hebrews 10:15) of Christ who is of the substance of the promise of the covenant of redemption.[FONT=&quot]
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## jwright82 (Jan 25, 2011)

So His place is in the application of it? That is kind of what I was leaning toward but I thought I would just double check.


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## Poimen (Jan 25, 2011)

James:

Yes. As Hywel Jones has said: "without the Spirit, Christ is absent."


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## Peairtach (Jan 25, 2011)

jwright82 said:


> So His place is in the application of it? That is kind of what I was leaning toward but I thought I would just double check.



Yes. But see what Dr Clark says here:-



> That said, the older Reformed writers did reflect on the Spirit's work in the incarnation and his equipping work/ministry in the life of Jesus the Last Adam. Those are aspects of the Spirit's part of the covenant of redemption that are sometimes overlooked.



In any Covenant of Redemption, the Holy Spirit would also have to "agree" with the Father and Son to not only apply redemption, but also help Christ in His humanity to accomplish redemption.

Of course when we talk about the Holy Trinity "agreeing" or "covenanting" with each other, our language about God is maybe more inadequate than usual.


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## MW (Jan 25, 2011)

Poimen said:


> Notice that Berkhof relates the work of the Holy Spirit to the covenant of redemption by way of the covenant of grace:


 
Which is why redemption and grace should not be separated into two covenants. What was taught as a distinct loci has regrettably taken on a life of its own.

David Dickson writes (Therapeutica Sacra): "The Fourth Article of this Covenant of Redemption, past between the Father and the Son, shall be of the Means and Ways whereby the Gifts and Benefits purchased, may be wisely, orderly and effectually applied to the Redeemed." If application is an article of the covenant it is impossible to make redemption and grace two different covenants.


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## jwright82 (Jan 26, 2011)

That makes sense all thank you. I have been really trying to nail Covenant theology more than I do, so thank you.


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