The covenant of works, its confessional & scriptural basis

“Moses, writing after the historical acts of creation, utilizes the covenantal name of God, Yahweh, while discussing Adam’s Edenic vocation (Gen. 2:4ff.). Isaiah utilizes concepts that started with Adam to explain the universal guilt of man, while using the word “covenant” (Isa. 25:5-6). Hosea, looking back upon previous written revelation, makes explicit what was implicit in it. The prophet’s inspired words give us God’s infallible knowledge of one of the similarities between ancient Israel and Adam. Both had a covenant imposed on them by God and both transgressed their covenants (Hos. 6:7). Paul, while reflecting on Adam’s Edenic vocation, contrasts the disobedience of Adam and its results with the obedience of Christ and its results (Rom. 5:19). The term “works” in the phrase “covenant of works” contrasts with “grace” and “gift” in Romans 5:17. Paul asserts that Adam was a type of Christ (Rom. 5:14). Adam sinned and fell short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Christ did not sin (Heb. 4:15) and, upon his resurrection, entered into glory (Luke 24:46; Acts 26:19-23; 1 Pet. 1:10-12), a quality of life conferred upon him due to his obedience (Rom. 5:21). This is the life he confers upon all believers. These scriptural realities, understood by the utilization of the hermeneutical principles of the Holy Spirit as the only infallible interpreter of Holy Scripture, analogia Scriptura, analogia fidei, and scopus Scripturae, led to the confessional formulation of the doctrine of the covenant of works.” ~ Richard C. Barcellos

Publisher: RBAP
Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9780991659968

______________

Richard C. Barcellos, Ph.D., is pastor of Grace Reformed Baptist Church (www.grbcav.org), Palmdale, CA, and author of In Defense of the Decalogue: A Critique of New Covenant Theology and Better than the Beginning: Creation in Biblical Perspective.

______________

No document more amply demonstrates the clear lines of continuity between Reformed Baptist thought and our Christian creedal and Reformed confessional heritage than the Second London Confession of Faith of 1677/1689. And in that Confession we see the biblical teaching on the covenant of works clearly and cogently expressed. It is in breaking that covenant that Adam became a covenant-breaker, and brought down upon us the covenant curse of death (spiritual, physical, and eternal); and it is in keeping that covenant that the Second and Last Adam, our Lord Jesus, became The Covenant Keeper in our place, and brought down to us the covenant blessing of life eternal. I warmly commend the exceptionally fine work represented by this book. Dr. Liam Goligher, Senior Minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA