A Summary of Herman
Witsius' The Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man
Those that have a hard time reading 800 page treatises on theology may
enjoy this short overview. This is taken from Witsius' work and is a
summary of each chapter in that work. It gives an brief outline in
written form of what Witsius' teaches through his two volume work - the
best work on the subject of Covenant Theology .
If you speak German, try this
translation. Book
1 – Explaining
the Covenant of Works
Chapter
1: Of Divine Covenants in General
Chapter
2: Of the Contracting Parties in the Covenant of Works.
Chapter
3: Of the Law or Condition of the Covenant of Works.
Chapter
4: Of the Promises of the Covenant of Works.
Chapter
5: Of the Penal Sanction
Chapter
6: Of the Sacraments of the Covenant of Works.
Chapter
7: Of the First Sabbath.
Chapter
8: Of the Violation of the Covenant of Works on the part
of Man.
Chapter
9: Of the Abrogation of the Covenant of Works on the part
of God.
Book 2 – Explaining
the Covenant of Redemption
Chapter
1: Introduction to the Covenant of Grace
Chapter
2: Introduction to Covenant of Redemption
Chapter
3: The Covenant between the Father and the Son more fully
explained.
Chapter
4: Of the Person of the Surety.
Chapter
5: Of the Suretyship and Satisfaction of Christ.
Chapter
6: What Sufferings of Christ are Satisfactory.
Chapter
7: Of the Efficacy of Christ's Satisfaction.
Chapter
8: Of the Necessity of Christ's Satisfaction.
Chapter
9: Of the Persons for whom Christ Engaged and Satisfied.
Chapter
10: After what manner Christ used the Sacraments.
Book
3: of the Covenant of Grace
or the Covenant of God with the Elect
Chapter
1: Of The Covenant of God with the Elect.
Chapter
2: Of the Oneness of the Covenant of Grace, as to its
Substance.
Chapter
3: Of the Different Economies of the Covenant of Grace.
Chapter
4: Of Election.
Chapter
5: Of Effectual Calling.
Chapter
6: Of Regeneration.
Chapter
7: Of Faith.
Chapter
8: Of Justification
Chapter
9: Of Spiritual Peace.
Chapter
10: Of Adoption
Chapter
11: Of The Spirit of Adoption.
Chapter
12: Of Sanctification.
Chapter
13: Of Conservation.
Chapter
14: Of Glorification.
Book
4: Of the Benefits of
Salvation
Chapter
1: Of the Doctrine of Salvation in the first age of the
World,
Chapter
2: Of The Doctrine of Grace under Noah.
Chapter
3: Of the Doctrine of Grace from Abraham to Moses.
Chapter
4: Of the Decalogue.
Chapter
5: Of the Doctrine of the Prophets.
Chapter
6: Of the Types.
Chapter
7: Of the Sacraments of Grace down to Abraham.
Chapter
8: Of Circumcision.
Chapter
9: Of the Passover.
Chapter
10: Of the extraordinary Sacraments in the Wilderness
Chapter
11: Of the Blessings of the Old Testament.
Chapter
12: Of the Imperfections falsely ascribed to the Old
Testament.
Chapter
13: Of the real defects of the Old Testament.
Chapter
14: Of the Abrogation of the Old Testament.
Chapter
15: Of the Benefits of the New Testament.
Chapter
16: Of Baptism.
Chapter
17: Of the Lord's Supper.
In
studying divine covenants in general, one is treading through
understanding God’s Redemptive Plan throughout history.
This is a matter of Eternal Salvation.
It answers the question: How may a sinful man approach God?
(Exodus 3:5). When a person
injures the sacred mysteries surrounding the divine covenants, they are
twisting the means by which men are saved (Matthew 5:19)
In Scripture, “covenant” is translated in the Hebrew “berith.”
It can have various meanings, such as: 1) An immutable ordinance
made about a thing (Jer. 33:20); 2) A testament that cannot be changed
(Heb. 9:15-17); 3) a sure and stable promise, though it is not mutual
(there are not two parties involved but just God); 4) A precept (Jer.
34:13-14); 5) a general rule or statue; and 6) a mutual agreement
between parties, with respect to something (Gen. 14:13)
God's
covenant with man may be seen as a covenant of
God with man. It is an agreement between God and man, (a pact
or agreement) about the way of
obtaining consummate happiness; including a threatening of eternal
destruction, with which the contemner of the happiness, offered in that
way, is to be punished. (Which is the manner in which Witsius defines
this). In the Hebrew, the meaning is “To cut a
covenant” or “strike a covenant (Genesis 15:10).”
The Greek is the same continuing the Hebrew ideas with the word diaqh,kh.
There are three elements of the covenant – 1) A promise of
eternal life. 2) Prescription of the conditions for obtaining the
promise, and 3) the penal sanction against transgressors of the
conditions of the Covenant. God requires the complete sanctification of
the parties involved in the covenant or threatens punishment. Nor was
the Covenant an option for man.
In
Scripture, there are two covenants of God with man: Covenant of Works.
(“Do this and live…”) and the Covenant of Grace. There are
poignant similarities between the two covenants.
In the Covenant of Works: God manifests himself as supreme
law-giver and chief good desiring to make man a partaker of his eternal
happiness. In the Covenant
of Grace He is infinitely merciful to the elect sinner.
There is a mediator in the covenant of grace, where there is no
mediator in the Covenant of Works.
The contracting parties of the covenant of works are God and man.
In this covenant Adam sustained a two-fold relation, both as man
and as representative of all men. He was created with a reasonable soul
that has the capacity for interaction and power to act perfectly with
knowledge, righteousness and holiness. The whole extent of the image of
God created in Adam consists of three parts: 1) Antecedently, in that it
consists in the spiritual and immortal nature of the soul and in the
faculties of understanding and will, 2) Formally and principally in
these endowments or qualities of the soul, viz. righteousness and
holiness, and 3) Consequentially, in the immortality of the whole man,
and his dominion over the creatures. As head and root, or representative
of mankind the whole of history proves this fact as he was the first man
to whom was spoken the creation ordinances and mandate.
God
is righteous in governing the world in this fashion by the covenant with
Adam in the garden. No one would have complained if Adam had obeyed. People often complain it is not fair since they were not
there, and that they could have succeeded if they were. However, no one can say they could have done better. Since
they are fallen now, they are thinking in a fallen state, and they think
now that they could have done better than a perfect man who had no sin.
But in Adam everyone has sinned personally.
In Adam everyone sinned, as if they had been there.
The
Law of the Covenant is twofold: the law of nature implanted in Adam
which was done at his creation, and the symbolic law concerning the tree
of the knowledge of Good and evil.
The Law of nature is the rule of good and evil, inscribed by God
on man's conscience, even at his creation, and therefore binding upon
him by divine authority. This has not disappeared since the fall.
It is compatible with love and not an enforcement or coercion but
the obligation of a just act based upon the holiness of God.
The law of nature is the same in substance with the Decalogue.
The
Creator/creature distinction necessitates law.
If God did not uphold the law He would deny Himself.
God is the sovereign Creator, not man.
If man were autonomous, then man would be “god.”
The law requires external and internal obedience. It governs not
only our actions but our nature. The
universal precepts of the law are founded upon the nature of God, that
is, an expression of His character.
The
symbolic law was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. (Gen. 2:26-17).
There is a two-fold reason for the symbolic law - with respect to
God, to test and try man's obedience, and with respect to man, probatory
law with reward of eternal life and punishment of eternal death.
A
perfect three-fold keeping of the law was required.
First, of its parts with respect to subject and object: The whole
man, body and soul, had to keep the whole law.
Also of the degree to which it is to be kept: man had to keep the
law with all diligence and heart. Also, man had to persevere: Man had to
persevere in keeping the law without fault.
The
Covenant of Works did include promises contrary to the Socinians. Man's
natural conscience teaches him that God desires not to be served in
vain, nor that obedience to his commands will go unrewarded and for
nought. Rather, true faith is rooted in the word and promise of God.
The tree of life represented the promise of eternal life. It
would have a been a nonsensical statement for God to prohibited Adam
from eating of the tree if something good were not to come from not
eating. It was a seal of the promise of God to Adam if He obeyed. If no
promise had been made, man would have lived without hope and lack of
hope is characteristic of the fall, for the very threatening infers a
promise.
The
promise made to man was eternal life.
Jesus came to do what the law could not do because man sinned. Jesus came to procure eternal life therefore it was promised
to man from the beginning. If
Adam persevered, he would have received what we received by faith in
Jesus Christ. The law
itself was ordained to life (Gal. 3:21).
Christ, the second Adam, earned eternal life for us through the
law. He did what Adam did not do.
If
there was no reward, what kind of covenant would it have been? God would act unjustly against His character of rewarding
those who diligently seek Him and all of Theology Proper would come
crashing to the ground. God
would then violate His character.
The
nature of the promise of God to Adam for eternal life has a number of
foundational truths. God
owes nothing to man. Man cannot merit anything from God. God cannot
punish a holy creature for it would be wrong for God to send a creature
to hell that is just and Holy. This
would be a denial of Himself. God
cannot refuse to grant a holy creature the communion of Himself. If He
did that would throw, again His character in confusion.
He would be saying that he does not delight in holiness and true
piety. And God does not love something in vain.
Chapter
5: Of the Penal Sanction
There
are various observations concerning the penal sanction to note (Gen.
2:17). Death is the
consequence of sin and therefore not natural.
The rebellious and disobedient and them alone are those set with
the consequences of punishment. Death
follows as a consequence of eating from the forbidden tree.
Sin here expressed is the transgression of the symbolic law. The
law seen in the tree of the knowledge of Good and evil, is the more full
expression of the Law of God.
The
term death is used generally to include all its meanings. It is to be
taken in all of its meaning, not just physical death.
It was spoken to Adam as the head of mankind. Corporeal and
spiritual death on behalf of all men as the outcome of his disobedience. This penal sanction would be administered immediately. The
moment he finished his sin in eating the fruit, he felt the change and
it began immediately. Death is the separation of body and soul. Death
means vanity or frustration of this life along with its pain and
miseries. Death means
spiritual death. Death means eternal death of body and soul.
The
necessity of the penal sanction for sin is the majesty, holiness and
justice of God. God is a
jealous God for His own glory and majesty.
God cannot deny Himself, nor can he deny His supreme majesty.
It’s the manifestation of the jealousy of God that is seen here
against sin. He must punish
wickedness. The holiness of
God demonstrates that God cannot be joined with a sinner without
satisfaction made to his justice for He cannot look upon sin. A holy God
hates sin and the sinner. God
manifests his holiness when he punishes the wicked.
The justice of God is an essential attribute of God.
God's justice demands sin be punished with death.
However, God does not delight in the death of the wicked. The
penal sanction of death is based upon the just nature of God. Eternal
death is not an arbitrary sanction. It depends on the holy nature of
God. Sin is infinite in
relation to its attack upon God who is infinite (and not in an absolute
sense since there are degrees of sin), therefore punishment must be
infinite as well. It cannot be removed but by Christ’s blood, it
stands forever.
In
the Covenant of Works there were sacraments.
They are visible proclamations of the covenant. Daily Adam
beholds the sacrament with his eyes, and remembers the promises given to
him, and the threats. They
are there to strengthen our faith in God's promises, and to confirm our
faith (Heb. 6:17-18). They
are also a foretaste of eternal blessings.
Those eternal blessings will be without outward signs and simply
grasp the thing itself signified in these lesser objects at that time,
but now we must use them to strengthen faith for they remind us of our
duty to God. They help us
remember how one is bound to his covenant-God, and they bridle and
restrain him in a certain degree from sin.
The sacraments of the covenant of works are Paradise, the tree of
life, the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the Sabbath.
The
sacrament of Paradise was the Garden of Paradise.
It was a garden planted by God, given to man as steward to take
care of it. Paradise
signified heaven. (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:4; Gen 3:10, Rev. 22:1; Gen
2:12; Rev. 21:27). Paradise
reminded Adam to be active. It
was the pledge of heaven, and Adam was to cultivate that place
continually. He was to keep
the sanctuary of God pure and holy, so that God could come and
“metaphorically – eat of its fruits” with Adam in fellowship (Song
4:16).
The
sacrament of the tree of life signified the Son of God who is the source
of life in all covenants. It
was the sign of the covenant promise of eternal life.
Adam was cut off from the sign when cast out of the garden. Being
cut off from the tree demonstrated the need of a Mediator to bring them
back to the tree. It
was a holy example – for “the fruit of the righteous is a tree of
life (Proverbs 11:30).”
The
sacrament of the tree of knowledge of good and evil signified the
promise of the covenant and the curse of the covenant.
It stood as a memorial of our duty towards God.
Adam should desire the chief good – who is God.
Man should not go after that which is simply pleasing to the
body. God’s rule is the
supreme authority before man, which Adam should have followed as
signified by the tree. Had
Adam obeyed, he would upon his trial have come to the knowledge and
sense of his good to which he was called, and had a natural desire
after, even “eternal life and consummate happiness.”
The
last sacrament of the Covenant of Works is the Sabbath that began at
Creation (Genesis 2:2-3). The
first day was the day blessed – the first day after six days of work.
As a creation sacrament, it is binding upon all men for all time.
It is binding simply on the basis of imitating God. Adam entered
into the Sabbath rest upon completion of his creation.
The first day Adam enjoyed was the Sabbath rest.
God
rejoiced over His work. He ceased from creating anything new and
contemplated his creation. He
rejoiced over what was worthy of His labor – which is consistent with
the character of His goodness. This
set a pattern which man is to copy.
Adam was engaged on the first day of his creation to contemplate
the Creator - resting and contemplating to abstain from every sin. On this day of rest God blessed man.
The
Sabbath is set as a sacrament. God's
resting signified His far more glorious rest for men in heaven (Heb.
4:10) Men enter this rest through the work of Christ which points to the
mystical signification of the Sabbath and heaven.
God's resting signified man's eternal rest in God after his
probation.
Chapter
8: Of the Violation of the Covenant of Works
on the part of Man.
The
covenant in its whole constitution was violated by Adam's sin. The broken Covenant is seen in Hosea 6:7 and Romans 5:12.
Adam was the root of mankind and all of mankind fell in that
transgression.
There
are some important observations concerning Satan's temptation of Adam
and what Satan did there. Satan
doubts God's word. He
doubts or undermines the penalty of sin. He instills Heresy (Rev. 13:11,
“He speaks like a dragon…”) He
promises greater happiness upon obedience to him.
Satan tempted him to obtain that new happiness through
disobedience. He then
appeals to God as a witness to his lie. “Did God really say?”
The serpent was overthrowing the nature of the priestly office of
Adam by causing the priest to doubt God.
Would the sanctuary of God, the holy place of God, be overthrown?
Adam succumbed to the temptation and violated the covenant by
making a covenant with the devil.
Adam's
sin was predetermined by God. The
doctrine of concurrence teaches us this: for man to act, God has to act,
and if God acts then man acts. Man
cannot act independently from God.
(1 Peter 1:19-20, Acts 17:28, Isa. 10:15).
This is a necessity of consequence.
It is not that God “made” Adam sin in his heart, but that God
withholds His morally good influence in Adam.
God's decree is the foundation for man's liberty and He cannot be
the author of sin.
When
Adam sinned, God imputed Adam’s sin to all his posterity.
Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered
the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men,
because all sinned.” An
actual sin is in view. "All"
includes those who did not personally sin. Therefore Adam's sin was
imputed to them. It
is due to Adam's one sin that death came to all. It is analogous to
salvation in Christ who is the Representative head of His elect.
Only one sin of Adam is imputed to his posterity.
All are fallen as a result.
Chapter
9: Of the Abrogation of the Covenant of Works
on the part of God.
There
are important eternal truths that transcend the abrogation of the
covenant. Perfect obedience is (still) required by all men. This should
help us to see that God does not change just because men fall. God still
speaks to people in His Word as if they are not fallen (Do this and
live.), for perfect obedience is necessary to obtain eternal life
(Galatians 5:3).
Disobedience is still punished by death and men are still obliged
to keep the requirements or face the consequences.
The
Fall did not abrogate the duty to keep the law. James Arminius believed
that it did. However, the
obligation to obey is founded principally upon God and not a covenant.
The execution of penal sanctions does not abrogate the law, and
instead God administers a greater punishment.
Inability to keep the law does not negate the responsibility to
obey it. Man is the
cause of his inability. Man's
sin cannot diminish God's authority for that would be contrary to God's
nature. The law does not
change because God does not change (James 1:17, Romans 8:4)
The
Gospel did not abrogate the duty to keep the law.
The Covenant of Grace confirms the Covenant of Works.
Perfect obedience is required to obtain eternal life because
Christ's life and death was necessary to redeem his people.
The very fact that there is a Covenant of Grace demonstrates the
need to uphold the righteous character of God.
The fruit of Christ's work does not change the law but the
sinner. The law does
not change because God does not change. This is critical to understanding the Covenant of Works.
The abrogation on the part of God was that man could no longer
obtain eternal life by the keeping of the law.
Book
2 – Explaining the Covenant of Redemption
Chapter
1: Introduction to the Covenant of Grace
The
consequence to the Fall was that the Covenant of works was broken and
the New Covenant was established. Witsius
says, “When the covenant of works was thus broken by the sin of man,
and abrogated the just judgment of God, wretched man was cast headlong
into the deepest gulf of ruin, whence there could be no escape.”
Man was now without God, as Ephesians 2:12 states that he was,
“having no hope and without God in the world.”
As a result, a further covenant needed to be established with man
– the New Covenant, or Covenant of Grace.
A
New Covenant was setup that promised a coming Mediator to overthrow the
curse. It was new from the
beginning, and characterized in that way throughout redemptive history,
then epitomized in Christ. This
is the foundation of God’s merciful plan to save sinners.
The
Covenant of Grace illustrates God's adorable perfections.
Who can rehearse it all? Wisdom,
power, truth, justice holiness goodness, philanthropy, good-will,
mercy…and the like. It
demonstrates that which Adam would not have known in the garden, but now
revealed through mercy.
It
is helpful to define The Covenant of Grace, or New Covenant in the
following way: “The covenant of grace is a compact or agreement
between God and the elect sinner; God on his part declaring his free
good-will concerning eternal salvation, and every thing relative
thereto, freely to be given to those in covenant, by, and for the
mediator Christ; and man on his part consenting to that good-will by a
sincere faith."
In
other words, as we will see, the Covenant of Grace, made with the elect
is the reality interposed in time of the covenant that God the Father
makes with the Son. In time, this covenant is manifested as the Covenant of
Grace.
Chapter
2: Introduction to Covenant of Redemption
The
Covenant of Redemption is defined as “The Father gives the Son to be
Head and Redeemer of the elect; and the Son presents himself as a
Sponsor or Surety for them.” This
covenant is between God and the Mediator, not the elect and God.
The elect simply reap the benefits of this agreement between God
and the Mediator.
The
Scriptures demonstrate the reality of such a covenant made and we want
to demonstrate this by Scripture to prove the necessity of it.
First, we should observe the nature of the sacraments, which
Christ partook of for they are evidences for the Covenant of
Redemption.. Luke 22:29
"And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed
one upon Me.” The Greek
word diati,qemai,
“to dispose of a covenant” may be better worded “and I engage by covenant unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath engaged
by covenant unto me.” (cf. Hebrews 7:22). He is a surety – he represents us to God and communicates
to us His promises. He
undertook to perform the condition of the covenant where we could not
(Galatians 3:17).
The
contracting parties are, on one side, God, on
the other, Christ; and the agreement between both is ratified.
Christ is the seed to which all the promises of God are
made and complete. He is
the executor of the testament – or diaqakh.
The economic relationship between the Father and Son, that is
Christ calling God Father and God calling Christ servant, points to a
Covenant of Redemption (Isaiah 49:5-6). In
this servanthood, the whole nature of the covenant exists.
Christ calls God his Father, and the Father calls Christ His
servant.
The
contracting parties of the covenant are the Father and Son. (Psalm 16:2;
Isaiah 53:2). It was a
covenant proposed by the Father (John 10:18), and includes a promise and
right to ask for a promise upon obedience (John 10:18; John 12:49; Psalm
2:8; Isaiah 53:10-12) This
covenant was accepted by the Son (John 14:31; Psalm 40:7-8).
This is where many misunderstand how the covenant of grace is
conditional upon obedience, but that Christ accepted such obedience on
behalf of the elect and so the elect, and they alone will be able to
keep such a covenant with God because of Christ.
Christ had to perform and keep the covenant for all this to be
effectual for the salvation of men, thus seen in his baptism to fulfill
all righteousness. The
Father declared that He accepted the suretyship, “in thee I am well
pleased (Luke 3:22).” These
things were sealed by the symbol of the Holy Spirit falling upon Him.
Importance of the Covenant of Redemption is Foundational to Covenant
Theology. It is the
foundation to the whole of our salvation. This Covenant is divided in to three time frames or three
periods: eternity, immediately after the fall, and in the incarnation.
The time period of eternity for this covenant is proven from the
Scriptures (1 Pet. 1:20; Prov. 8:23,; Eph. 1:4; John 17:6; Rev. 13:8). It was then engaged immediately after the fall.
A need for a Mediator was given at the time of the fall (Gen.
3:15; Rom. 3:25; Zech 1:12-13). The time of the incarnation is also demonstrated by the
Scriptures (Psalm 40:7; Hebrews 10:5; Galatians 4:4).
There
is an importance to seeing how Christ related to the Law. As God He was subject to no one and nothing. He is the Son of
God in this respect. As man
He was subject to moral, ceremonial and civil laws.
He partook of the ceremonies and types which He would fulfill.
In this he was obedient. As
mediator He was subject to earn eternal life and pay our debt of sin,
i.e., active and passive obedience.
The active subjection to the law was that he set himself under it
as a rule of life (involuntary), but as a way to save sinners it was a
way to obtain eternal life (voluntary).
His passive obedience consisted of various miseries of body and
soul from the cradle to the cross.
Without His active and passive obedience sinners can never be
saved. His human nature,
then was truly subject to the law and his active obedience is
appropriated to the God-man and not just the human nature which is
necessary for the salvation of God's people.
The relationship between reward and the obedience of Christ is also
critical to understand. Reward
is promised to him which is the highest degree of glory (John 17:1).
To receive this as a man is the perfect fruition of God., being
exalted above all creatures. He
is given the church, receives all power, and gives gifts for the church.
In
order for salvation for men to accrue, the Savior must be true man,
consisting of a soul and body (Heb. 2:10,11,16 17).
This does not mean the human nature was taken into the divine
nature. Rather, the divine
nature “assumed” or took upon the human nature.
The Hebrews passage is an argument for the Incarnation, not
simply a statement about it.
The
Savior must be a righteous man. You
have to be a perfect man in order to save men.
He must fulfill as man what Adam failed to do as man.
The justice of God would never be satisfied unless flesh kept the
covenant bond (Ephesians 5:30; Galatians 4:4).
He had to be a righteous man as Hebrews 4:15 states and Romans
5:19 demonstrates. The
Covenant demands perfect holiness. There has to be a legal purity about
the sacrifice for God to accept it, for an unrighteous man cannot save
himself, and only a righteous man can save others.
The
virgin birth immunized the Savior from original sin.
There are two views seen here: the Symbolic view: the Virgin
birth was a symbol appointed by God whereby he was separated from
sinners. The miracle itself had no inherent power to keep the Savior
from original sin; and the Literal view: Virgin birth had inherent power
to keep the Saviour from original sin because it is possible that part
of the body is not under the curse of sin nor a means of transferring
guilt.
The
Savior must also be true God (Isa. 43:11).
Man is not the Savior, and salvation does not originate with him.
Only God can restore us to true liberty, for he who sets us free,
makes a purchase of us for his property and possession (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
Only God can give us eternal life that is in Himself. Only God
could raise the image of God back to its right state.
Only God can give us the right to become sons of God. Only God
can effect the new creation. Sinful
man cannot but taint the soul. God
must rescue the soul, and make it new.
The
Savior must be God-man. He
had to be man in order to obey, submit, and suffer. (1 Timothy 2:5l;
3:16) He had to be God at the same time in order to have his
obedience, submission, and suffering to be of sufficient value for the
redemption of the elect. He
had to be God at the same time in order to be able to bear the
fierceness of divine wrath and conquer death by his resurrection.
The power of God had to support the human nature to offer it as a
sacrifice.
Chapter
5: Of the Suretyship and Satisfaction of Christ.
Jesus
Christ is called our “Surety” because he made satisfaction to God
for us. The Socinians
define satisfaction as “partial satisfaction,” where man must take
up the rest of the story. The
Biblical definition of satisfaction is complete satisfaction.
Christ
could, without injury or disgrace to himself, perform the satisfaction
to God for us. He was lord
of his life; able to lay His life down for others (John 10:18)
As the God-man He could endure the punishment and perform an
obedience of such value as to be more than equivalent to the obedience
of all the elect. His
life and death demonstrated an incomprehensible love for God and men.
His taking on human flesh was not injurious to His deity since He did
not cease from being God.
God
the Father was able to accept the satisfaction of Christ because it
satisfied the character and nature of God.
It satisfied also the truth of God, the goodness of God, the
justice of God, and the holiness of God - because it demonstrated the
glory of God.
The
relationship between the suretyship of Christ and the law is also
important to observe. The
law was not abrogated or derogated in any fashion.
The law says that perfect obedience is required for eternal life
and that every sinner who is not saved will suffer eternal death.
The law does not state that the very person to be saved must
perform the perfect righteousness or punishment.
The law does not state that the punishment must be infinite with
respect to duration. It was, though, fully satisfied by Christ (Rom.
8:4; Isa. 53:2; John 8:29,46). It
was not unjust for Christ to be punished for us because God can lay the
punishment for sin upon Christ, and Jesus willingly laid down his life
for our sins. We must remember that it is God who determines what is just
and not our intellectual reason.
The
obedience of Christ was for our own good.
His miracles demonstrated the truthfulness of his message.
His holy life was an example to us (1 Pet. 2:21).
His holy life pointed the way to heaven (Heb. 12:14).
The obedience of Christ was performed by Him in our stead in
order that we might receive eternal life (Rom. 5:16-19) and it was
sufficient for all. His deity enabled his obedience to be of inestimable value
for the elect. His humanity
enabled Him to obey in our place. It should be noted that the obedience
of Christ did not abrogate our responsibility to obey the law.
Chapter
6: What Sufferings of Christ are Satisfactory.
All the sufferings of Christ during his humiliation are satisfactory for
the elect and before God’s judgment seat.
The Scripture speaks of the satisfactory sufferings of Christ in
general terms (Isa. 53:1-7; Heb. 2:10; 5:8-9; 1 Pet. 2:21).
The actual death of Christ is considered part of the satisfaction
(Isa. 53:10; Matt. 20:18; John 10:15; 1 Pet. 3:18; Col. 1:21-22; Rom.
5:10; Heb. 9:15; Rom. 8:34). This
is what we call a typological argument for this: the typical
satisfaction was effected by the shedding of blood of the animal,
thereby requiring separation of body and soul (Heb. 10:20)
The veil (Christ's body) had to be rent which was done when he
died as a sacrifice on the cross. Christ's
physical sufferings (e.g. his scourging) are accounted as part of the
satisfaction (Isa. 53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24)
Christ's sufferings in the garden of Gethsemane are also
considered part of His satisfaction.
And it should be noted that His sufferings would violate the
justice of God if they were not endured in our place.
Some
argue that Christ's sufferings were not all satisfactory. However,
Witsius responds to the arguments from Scripture.
He says that the death of Christ was the completion of all of his
sufferings. Christ was
always a priest and mediator (Luke 2:49) since His birth though he was
not publicly inaugurated until the thirtieth year. Moreover, the year is
with reference to Levites and not priests.
Christ's offering was completed on the cross but He was before
that the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Moreover, by
their reasoning Christ would have had to die at one year old.
Christ was still the beloved Son of God even while hanging on the
cross. The creeds and
Catechisms teach this also.
Chapter
7: Of the Efficacy of Christ's Satisfaction.
The efficacy of Christ's satisfaction is twofold. First, Christ obtained
for himself, as Mediator, a right to all of the elect (Ps. 2:8; Isa.
53:10). Christ obtained for the elect immunity from all misery and a
right to eternal life to be applied to them (Matt. 26:28; Gal. 1:4; Tit.
2:14). Christ did not
achieve a bare possibility of salvation but actual salvation for His
elect. The idea of
redemption, ransom and price of redemption infers the reality and not
possibility of salvation. Scripture
declares that the proximate effect of redemption is actual salvation
(Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:12; 1 Cor. 6:20; Acts 20:28;
Gal. 4:4-5). Scripture does
not speak of Christ's death as a possibility of the remission of sins or
a hypothetical possibility, for it is absurd to believe that Christ died
for one who would eventually be sent to hell.
And, since possibility may never become reality, Christ may never
receive the promise given to him by the Father.
However, in terms of timing, the benefits of salvation are not
bestowed upon the elect before effectual calling, faith, repentance, and
actual union with Christ.
James
Arminius argues against an actual salvation of God's elect by Christ's
death. He says that God has
full right to impart those benefits to whom he thinks proper, and on
what conditions he is pleased to prescribe.
He argues that if Christ's death accomplished salvation for the
elect then "they are entitled to ask those benefits of God, in
right payment and purchase made, without God's having any right to
require of them faith in Christ and conversion to God."
Also, "The righteousness wrought out by Christ is not ours
as wrought out, but as imputed to us by faith."
Witsius
answers Arminius’ charges. First,
God is bound to his promise. Faith and repentance are part of the
blessings (Eph. 1:3) bestowed upon the elect on the merit of Christ's
satisfaction. Faith and
repentance are not requisite conditions before some effects of Christ's
death are communicated to a person, e.g. regeneration. Secondly, God's
elect can boldly ask for blessings because of what Christ has done.
No one can ask for those blessings unless he has first been
converted. Thus, God cannot
require faith and obedience as the means to earn the right to ask for
eternal life. This is based upon the person and work of Christ alone.
Thirdly, faith is considered as applying the already accomplished
salvation. It is the result
of Christ's mediation. Salvation
is ours with respect to its right in Christ before we are saved and ours
by possession when we believe, otherwise known as passive and active
justification which are vital for salvation.
Chapter
8: Of the Necessity of Christ's Satisfaction.
Was Christ’s satisfaction necessary, or could have it have been done
in another manner? The real
issue at stake with regard to this controversy is not the absolute power
of God. We must not ask if
God by an act of His power could have saved man another way. That would be to overthrow divine revelation.
God can do nothing but that which is consistent with his
holiness, justice, truth and the rest of his attributes.
The
real issue is the holiness and justice of God. Was Christ's satisfaction
for salvation of the elect owing to the mere good pleasure of God or was
it necessary to satisfy the justice and holiness of God?
The
following may be set forth as real and true arguments in favor of the
necessity of Christ's satisfaction. First, an unnecessary satisfaction
is contrary to the goodness, wisdom and holiness of God.
Second, an unnecessary satisfaction mitigates against the
Scripture's stress on the great love of God as demonstrated in the
giving of his Son. Third, Christ's satisfaction was a declaration of the
righteousness of God which cannot be overthrown (Rom. 3:25).
Fourth, animal sacrifices could not atone for sin (Heb.
10:1,4,11) only the sacrifice of Christ could atone for sin. Fifth,
Hebrews 10:26 infers that sacrifice is necessary for pardon. Sixth, the
necessary satisfaction of Christ exalts the attributes of God. Seventh,
the necessary satisfaction of Christ promotes Christian piety. Eighth,
the necessary satisfaction of Christ does not detract from any of God's
attributes.
Chapter
9: Of the Persons for whom Christ Engaged and Satisfied.
Particular atonement is the cornerstone to the Covenant of Redemption
and its execution. Christ's
satisfaction was sufficient for all, though the Scriptures do not make
mention of a hypothetical possibility of how Christ could have saved
all. Rather, Scripture
demonstrates exactly what Christ did.
Yet, it should be noted that Christ, as man, loved all men
according to the commandment. Also, Christ's satisfaction has brought
much good even to the reprobate in the manner in which it has affected
society in general, or by way of what we would call common grace.
In terms of the reach of the Gospel and the atonement extended to
men, the Gospel is freely offered to all without distinction. Even
though these truths about the general affects of the death of Christ in
the world may be true, Christ only died for the elect.
There
is ample Scriptural support for the doctrine of particular atonement.
The "all" of 2 Cor. 5:15, Heb. 2:9, Col. 1:20, and 1 Tim. 2:6
is restricted to the elect, which means exegetical work is needful in
order to understand the passages in question.
The term "world" in such passages as 1 John 2:2 refers
to "the collective body of believers or of the elect."
Specifically, the Scripture says that Christ died for his sheep, his
church, his people, and his peculiar people (cf. John 10:15; Acts 20:28;
Eph. 5:25; Tit. 2:14). The
accomplishment of Redemption is only as extensive as its application
which means it can only be applied to the elect and was for them alone;
Tit. 2:14. The
accomplishment necessitates application as is implied in the words
"ransom" and "bought." Also, the use of marriage to
describe the relationship between Christ and his church is penetrating
in its typological application (Eph., 5:25).
The sacrifices in the Old Testament which were a type of the
sacrifice of Christ were designed for Israel alone and not for all
people. Even for one to say that the satisfaction of Christ was for all
men, is ludicrous since having Christ die for the reprobate is unworthy
of the wisdom, goodness, and justice of God.
Chapter
10: After what manner Christ used the Sacraments.
It is important to study the role of the Sacraments in the life of
Christ since they help us to see the nature of the Covenant of
Redemption between Him and the Father, as previous noted.
The use of the sacraments was not a matter of choice but a duty
incumbent upon Christ to fulfill as righteousness, as He so told John
the Baptist.
For
Christ, the sacraments were signs and seals of the covenant between God
the Father and God the Son. It
demonstrated the benefits of salvation for His church and that they were
promised to Christ. As a
result of these promises, Christ promised to faithfully redeem the
elect.
The
sacraments which Christ used were circumcision, baptism, the Passover,
and the Lord's Supper. Christ
is set in the center of transition from the Old Testament covenantal
sacraments to the New Testament covenantal sacraments and partook of
them all before God. Not
because he was sinful and needed remission, but because He is the Lord
over those sacraments and instituted them for our benefit, as well as
fulfilling all righteousness in His pact or agreement with the Father.
Book
3: of the Covenant of Grace
or the Covenant of God with the Elect
Chapter
1: Of The Covenant of God with the Elect.
The
contracting parties of the Covenant of Grace are God and the Elect.
God is to be considered in this covenant as all sufficient in
Himself for sinful man. He
is merciful and gracious to sinful man (Ex. 34:6-7).
He is “just” to enter into a relationship with sinners. He is
wise to be able to enter a relationship with sinners because he knows
exactly how to enter into a beneficial relationship based on wisdom
(Eph. 3:10).
The
Elect are to be considered as lost miserable sinners (Tit. 3:4-5).
They are chosen by God to grace and glory, and they are those for
whom Christ died.
In
terms of the roles that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit play in
redeeming men, we term this the economic roles of the Trinity.
The Father is the principle author of salvation (2 Cor. 5:19) and
appointed the elect to be heirs of himself and co-heirs with his Son
(Rom. 8:17). The Son is the
Mediator, Testator and distributor (John 10:28) of all the blessings
acquired in this engagement. The
Spirit applies, signs, and seals the blessings to the elect.
The
covenant with the elect is restricted to the invisible, spiritual
communion of the covenant of Grace. There are promises to them in this
part of the covenant. Salvation
itself and the means leading to it are promised to them (Jer. 31:33).
This is an important notification, in that, in the Covenant of
Grace the elect receive blessings based on promises but the reprobate
who covenant with God receive cursings as a result.
There
are important differences between the promises of the Covenant of Works
and Covenant of Grace. Only
eternal life was promised in the Covenant of Works.
Eternal life and the means to receive it are promised in the
Covenant of Grace.
There
are conditions of obtaining the benefits of the Covenant of Grace.
It is important to define the idea of a condition: a condition is
that action, which being performed gives a man a right to the reward.
According to the definition, there are no conditions in the covenant of
grace. No man has a right
to the reward. The Covenant
of Grace is a unilateral covenant that is sovereignly administered by
God. Whatever can be
conceived as a condition is all included in the universality of the
promises. Thus, these “conditions" are not so much conditions of
the covenant as of the assurance that we shall continue in the covenant.
The
role of faith in the Covenant of Grace is important as a means to
assurance. Eternal life is
promised to all those who believe even as it was promised to all those
who obeyed in the Covenant of Works.
Faith is not a condition properly so-called.
Faith is the way, instrument, or means by which we receive the
promises of eternal life. The
difference between obedience in the Covenant of Works and faith in the
Covenant of Grace is the difference between giving and receiving.
However, there are still threats in the Covenant of Grace.
The threatenings of the Covenant of Grace are derived from the
law from which every curse proceeds.
Chapter
2: Of the Oneness of the Covenant of Grace,
as to its Substance.
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