The Aaron Papers www.the-aaron-papers.net
A STUDY IN COVENANT THEOLOGY
AN EXPOSITION OF THE BOOK OF ROMANS
PREFACE
IT was quite an experience going through the ups and downs that were involved in the mental exercise that has led me to these understandings. I can recall a great many days when, by day’s end, I literally felt like I had been in a long and difficult mental wrestling match. The understandings would be there in shadowy form, but the intricate details would be just out of the reach of my comprehension. Then finally, through much persistence, these understandings would come to me bit by bit as I wrestled these things out in my spirit and in the Word. No matter how difficult this exercise became, and as tempting as it often might have been, I stubbornly refused to let it go. It was as if I was a miner, and retrieving these nuggets of truth was like mining for nuggets of gold. Though these understandings may be more than we really need to know on the evangelical level, our possession of them will give us a more complete view of the larger picture of God’s reconciliation. Then in view of the complex character of the subject matter being presented in this paper, the additional detail that some would label minutia and some redundancy are sometimes necessary reinforcements for any correct theology.
BASIC OBJECTIVE:
-To guide the reader to a useful understanding of the necessary complex definition when identifying God’s peoples within the Abrahamic Covenant of Grace-
-Visible Israel, The Visible Circumcision, The Visible Jew, The Visible Christian, The Jew-Invisible Jew, The Circumcision-Invisible Circumcision, And Israel-The Invisible Israel of God-
-Then to finally understand precisely who the peoples of God individually are-
A personal comment:
Within this manuscript I am simply trying to expand the theological landscape of the Christian Church—especially for the Reformed /Presbyterian Church, not replace it.
THE THESIS STATEMENT is presented as an overview to this entire study. After pointing out some obvious discrepancies that are very common to all of the Abrahamic faiths, it is in fact a direct challenge to all those who are seeking to understand the Abrahamic Covenant and Covenant Theology.
THE ARGUMENT is presented in an effort to lay the foundation for understand the complexities that surround the Abrahamic Covenant and Covenant Theology, the relationship between the visible institutions of Israel and the Christian Church, and then how and why we must identify and distinguish between the visible characteristics and the invisible characteristics of God’s covenant peoples.
Some additional Covenant Theology history from Dr. James Buswell’s Systematic Theology is also included within this section.THE THEOLOGY OF ROMANS - OVERVIEW
THE THEOLOGY OF ROMANS OVERVIEW is presented as a brief thumbnail sketch of the Covenant Theology that one might glean from the book of Romans.
ROMANS (RASV-1901)
Romans
Chapters 1-2 presents the inclusive Gospel message that fully defines God’s
universal reconciliation that is presently being fulfilled through the Abrahamic
Covenant of Grace. We then receive our first formal introduction to the presence
of God’s invisible dispositions (Israel, the Circumcision, and a Jew) that are
only identifiable from our previous knowledge of His visible dispositions
(Israel, the Circumcision, and a Jew). We must understand that all of these God
established dispositions (Dispositions-Webster’s-Divine Dispensations) now have complex
definitions.
Romans Chapter 3 explains the ultimate hope that remains for God’s first peoples
Israel. This section also includes some lengthy Covenant Theology history
excerpts from the Systematic Theology’s of Charles Hodge and Louis Berkhof: With
some additional excerpts from John Calvin.
The Abrahamic Covenant-God’s Covenant of Grace that is being distributed to the world through the God established institutions of Israel and the Christian Church.
Chapters five, six, seven, and eight of Romans, give us more of the details
about where we are in God’s reconciliation by explaining precisely how we got
there. That it is only by God’s grace, grace, wonderful grace.
Then we should especially notice the subtle definitions that are being given to
the visible characteristics and the invisible characteristics of God’s
dispositions.
The Apostle Paul now directly challenges some of the natural misconceptions that
had arisen within the Christian Church concerning his countrymen, as he further
defines God’s invisible dispositions by showing us the complex characteristics of the
term Israel.
We are reminded again in chapter ten that the intended universality of God’s
reconciliation was clearly predicted very early on. All Nations were to be
included in the Abrahamic Covenant.
Romans chapter
eleven brings us to the very heart of these covenant matters. Having observed
the transition that was brought about by the establishment of the New Covenant
order, we have now come to more clearly understand the universal character of
God’s reconciliation. Yet, in the light of this covenantal transition, it
remains absolutely essential that we determine, with the Apostle Paul’s help,
the precise covenant position and potential for both visible Israel and the
visible Christian Church. We must also keep this important fact in mind, that
there are many passages recorded in book of Romans that do speak specifically
about the continued hope for God’s visible peoples of Israel: Ref. Rom.3:1-4;
4:1-; 9:1-5; 10:1-3; 11:1, 2, 11-15, 26
ROMANS CHAPTERS 12 - 16 - REVIEW
For grace to be fully effective, all must receive it in exactly the same way--as a free and unmerited gift from God! Israel was elected in this sense--to the specific task of being a visible example of the covenant relationship that the invisible Creator God desired to establish with His visible creation.