Ethan
Puritan Board Freshman
I'm reading @JTB.SDG 's book, Ruin and Redemption, and have found his introductory presentation on the relationship between the covenant of grace and redemption to be very clear and insightful. I'm curious to hear where everyone here stands on the issue and what your reasoning is for your position. Below is a quote from page 24, footnote 36 of the book, expounding the differences between the views:
"The first view. . .takes the Covenant of Redemption as being made between the Father and the Son, and the Covenant of Grace as being made between God and elect sinners; whereas the second view takes the Covenant of Grace as being made not between God and elect sinners directly and without qualifications, but rather, with Christ as the head and representative of the Covenant of Grace, and in and through him, with all those whom He represented. This second view is expressed in the Westminster Larger Catechism #31: 'With whom was the covenant of grace made? The covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed.' Charles Hodge sets forth the statement of the question in this way: 'At first view there appears to be some confusion in the statement of the Scriptures as to the parties [of the Covenant of Grace]. Sometimes Christ is presented as one of the parties; at others He is represented not as a party, but as the mediator and surety of the covenant; while the parties are represented to be God and his people. As the old covenant was made between God and the Hebrews, and Moses acted as mediator, so the new covenant is commonly represented in the Bible as formed between God and his people, Christ acting as mediator. He is therefore. called the mediator of a better covenant founded on better promises. Some theologians propose to reconcile these modes of representation by saying that as the covenant of works was formed with Adam as the representative of his race, and therefore in him with all mankind descending from him by ordinary generation; so the covenant of grace was formed with Christ as the head and representative of his people, and in Him with all those given to Him by the Father. This simplifies the matter, and agrees with the parallel which the Apostle traces between Adam and Christ in Romans 5:12-21, and 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 47-49.' This is the essence of the second view, represented in the Larger Catechism. Hodge, however, opts for the first view, which he describes in this way; 'There are in fact two covenants relating to the salvation of fallen man, the one between God and Christ [IE, the Covenant of Redemption], the other between God and his people [IE, the Covenant of Grace].' Many reformed theologians (including Witsius, Vos, Bavinck, and Berkhof) adopt this same view, arguing for a distinct Covenant of Redemption (made between God and elect sinners). Both views are held by reformed theologians, but Thomas Boston argues convincingly for the position of the view expressed in the Larger Catechism, in his View of the Covenant of Grace. We mentioned that one of Hodge's hangups with this view was the fact that Scripture sets forth Christ as mediator of the Covenant of Grace, and, as he says, in the old covenant where Moses was the mediator, the covenant was made directly with the people. But if Hodge had read Boston, he might have had the answer to this question, for Boston speaks to this very thing when he says: 'Jesus Christ. . .fisted himself Mediator between an offended just God, and offending man guilty before him. . .And so the covenant of grace, which could not be made immediately with sinners, was made with Christ the last Adam, their head and representative, mediating between God and them; therefore called Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, to whom we come by believing (Hebrews 12:22-24). The term Mediator is not, to my observation, applied in the holy Scripture to any other, except Moses (Galatians 3:19). . .And of him, a typical mediator, it is worth observing, that he was not only an inter-messenger between God and Israel; but, in God's renewing his covenant, in a way of reconciliation, after breaking of the tables, the covenant was made with him, as their head and representative: "And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel." (Exodus 34:27).' (pp13-14). In Other words, Boston draws out the Moses wasn't just the mediator of the old covenant, but at the same time also its head and representative. The most compelling argument for the view expressed in the Larger Catechism is the parallel that Scripture sets forth between Adam and Christ as the two covenant heads and representatives. Boston draws this out helpfully in his volume: 'Christ is. . .the second federal head, or the representative in the second covenant; as Adam was the first federal head, or the representative in the first covenant. . .Wherefore, as the first covenant was made with Adam, as the head and representative of his natural seed; so the second covenant was made with Christ, as the head and representative of his spiritual seed.' (pp15-16). And again: 'The covenant of works having been made with Adam as a representative of his natural seed, upon the breaking thereof, sin and death are communicated to them all from him as a deadly head. This being so, it was not agreeable to the method of divine procedure with men, to treat with those predestined unto salvation severally [IE, individually] as principal parties, each contracting for himself in the new covenant of life; but to treat for them all with one public person, who, through his fulfilling of the covenant, should be a quickening head to them, from whence life might be derived to them, in as compendious a way, as death was from the first Adam.' (p21). And, 'As in the covenant of works, God promised life to Adam's natural seed, upon condition of his perfect obedience, which is evident from death's coming on them by his disobedience; so in the covenant of grace, he has promised life to Christ's spiritual seed, upon condition of his obedience; for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22). But that promise of life for Adam's natural seed was primarily made to Adam himself, while as yet none of them were in being; and they were to partake of it only through him, to whom it was made as their representative. Therefore the promise of life to Christ's spiritual seed, was made chiefly to him.' (p105). Thus, 'The covenant of redemption and the covenant of grace are but two names of one and the same second covenant, under different considerations. By a covenant of redemption, is meant a bargain of buying and selling; and such a covenant it was to Christ only; forasmuch as as he alone engaged to pay the price of our redemption (1 Peter 1:18-19). By a covenant of grace, is meant a bargain whereby all is to be had freely; and such a covenant it is to us only, to whom the whole of it is of free grace.' (p22)."
"The first view. . .takes the Covenant of Redemption as being made between the Father and the Son, and the Covenant of Grace as being made between God and elect sinners; whereas the second view takes the Covenant of Grace as being made not between God and elect sinners directly and without qualifications, but rather, with Christ as the head and representative of the Covenant of Grace, and in and through him, with all those whom He represented. This second view is expressed in the Westminster Larger Catechism #31: 'With whom was the covenant of grace made? The covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed.' Charles Hodge sets forth the statement of the question in this way: 'At first view there appears to be some confusion in the statement of the Scriptures as to the parties [of the Covenant of Grace]. Sometimes Christ is presented as one of the parties; at others He is represented not as a party, but as the mediator and surety of the covenant; while the parties are represented to be God and his people. As the old covenant was made between God and the Hebrews, and Moses acted as mediator, so the new covenant is commonly represented in the Bible as formed between God and his people, Christ acting as mediator. He is therefore. called the mediator of a better covenant founded on better promises. Some theologians propose to reconcile these modes of representation by saying that as the covenant of works was formed with Adam as the representative of his race, and therefore in him with all mankind descending from him by ordinary generation; so the covenant of grace was formed with Christ as the head and representative of his people, and in Him with all those given to Him by the Father. This simplifies the matter, and agrees with the parallel which the Apostle traces between Adam and Christ in Romans 5:12-21, and 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 47-49.' This is the essence of the second view, represented in the Larger Catechism. Hodge, however, opts for the first view, which he describes in this way; 'There are in fact two covenants relating to the salvation of fallen man, the one between God and Christ [IE, the Covenant of Redemption], the other between God and his people [IE, the Covenant of Grace].' Many reformed theologians (including Witsius, Vos, Bavinck, and Berkhof) adopt this same view, arguing for a distinct Covenant of Redemption (made between God and elect sinners). Both views are held by reformed theologians, but Thomas Boston argues convincingly for the position of the view expressed in the Larger Catechism, in his View of the Covenant of Grace. We mentioned that one of Hodge's hangups with this view was the fact that Scripture sets forth Christ as mediator of the Covenant of Grace, and, as he says, in the old covenant where Moses was the mediator, the covenant was made directly with the people. But if Hodge had read Boston, he might have had the answer to this question, for Boston speaks to this very thing when he says: 'Jesus Christ. . .fisted himself Mediator between an offended just God, and offending man guilty before him. . .And so the covenant of grace, which could not be made immediately with sinners, was made with Christ the last Adam, their head and representative, mediating between God and them; therefore called Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, to whom we come by believing (Hebrews 12:22-24). The term Mediator is not, to my observation, applied in the holy Scripture to any other, except Moses (Galatians 3:19). . .And of him, a typical mediator, it is worth observing, that he was not only an inter-messenger between God and Israel; but, in God's renewing his covenant, in a way of reconciliation, after breaking of the tables, the covenant was made with him, as their head and representative: "And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel." (Exodus 34:27).' (pp13-14). In Other words, Boston draws out the Moses wasn't just the mediator of the old covenant, but at the same time also its head and representative. The most compelling argument for the view expressed in the Larger Catechism is the parallel that Scripture sets forth between Adam and Christ as the two covenant heads and representatives. Boston draws this out helpfully in his volume: 'Christ is. . .the second federal head, or the representative in the second covenant; as Adam was the first federal head, or the representative in the first covenant. . .Wherefore, as the first covenant was made with Adam, as the head and representative of his natural seed; so the second covenant was made with Christ, as the head and representative of his spiritual seed.' (pp15-16). And again: 'The covenant of works having been made with Adam as a representative of his natural seed, upon the breaking thereof, sin and death are communicated to them all from him as a deadly head. This being so, it was not agreeable to the method of divine procedure with men, to treat with those predestined unto salvation severally [IE, individually] as principal parties, each contracting for himself in the new covenant of life; but to treat for them all with one public person, who, through his fulfilling of the covenant, should be a quickening head to them, from whence life might be derived to them, in as compendious a way, as death was from the first Adam.' (p21). And, 'As in the covenant of works, God promised life to Adam's natural seed, upon condition of his perfect obedience, which is evident from death's coming on them by his disobedience; so in the covenant of grace, he has promised life to Christ's spiritual seed, upon condition of his obedience; for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22). But that promise of life for Adam's natural seed was primarily made to Adam himself, while as yet none of them were in being; and they were to partake of it only through him, to whom it was made as their representative. Therefore the promise of life to Christ's spiritual seed, was made chiefly to him.' (p105). Thus, 'The covenant of redemption and the covenant of grace are but two names of one and the same second covenant, under different considerations. By a covenant of redemption, is meant a bargain of buying and selling; and such a covenant it was to Christ only; forasmuch as as he alone engaged to pay the price of our redemption (1 Peter 1:18-19). By a covenant of grace, is meant a bargain whereby all is to be had freely; and such a covenant it is to us only, to whom the whole of it is of free grace.' (p22)."