...this book. If so how is it for a beginner?

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Sean Caouette
Independent Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Memphis, Tennessee

It is awesome! Not a quick read though.

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Nathan Eshelman
Grand Rapids, MI
First Reformed Presbyterian Church

PRESBYTERIAN THOUGHTS

First Reformed Presbyterian Church

I've taught from it - small group Bible study format. It's very good, and while Nathan's right - it's not a quick read - it's very accessible to someone fairly new to reformed thinking (I think)

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Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://semperubi.rtrc.net

"Many men, after a long conversion, see more of the workings of sin in their hearts than ever they did before or at their first conversion. Now, such men have not an increase of sin, but an increase of illumination and light" (Christopher Love)


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I read it probably a month or so ago. I found it a helpful introduction to the covenants of the Bible; however, you may want to take advice from someone with a much deeper understanding of covenant theology than myself.

It helped me appreciate the over-arching greatness and majesty of God's redemptive plan. Specifically, the fact that God has a perfect plan for the redemption of His people which He has been carrying out throughout history.

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Taylor Otwell
Member -- Oak Cliff Baptist Church
Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA

Did we ever hear any cry out on their deathbed that they have been too holy, that they have prayed too much, or walked with God too much? – Thomas Watson, The Godly Man’s Picture

Not a problem, I just finished Bondage of the Will. It was a good read but took a while especially since I had not read Erasmus' Diatribe. BTW do any copies of the Diatribe exist?

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Sean Caouette
Independent Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Memphis, Tennessee

I believe there are a couple of versions that include in one printing both the Diatribe and Luther's Bondage of the Will.

Another great book on that same subject is Calvin's Bondage and Liberation of the Will, in which he takes on a guy named Pighius (boy, did *that* guy get teased in school, I bet, with a name like that!) on a similar set of issues. That work is very VERY good.

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Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://semperubi.rtrc.net

"Many men, after a long conversion, see more of the workings of sin in their hearts than ever they did before or at their first conversion. Now, such men have not an increase of sin, but an increase of illumination and light" (Christopher Love)


Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Robertson slays the dragon of dispensationalism pretty handily.

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Bruce
PCUSA
Ocean City NJ

I'm reading it right now. The first two or three chapters are pretty slow going but then the pace quickens and the book turns into a very interesting read. I'm really enjoying it.

Finished twice. It is a great help to understand the whole Bible from Covenant perspective.

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<Raj>
Church Planting/Community devolepment
U.P. and U.A. States, North India

No other Name except Jesus (Acts 4:12)
http://groaningcreation.blog.com

The copy I have doesn't have the nice picture on the cover. Mine is third printing October 1982. I read it back then (while I was a dispensationalist) and remember being challenged by it, but not really persuaded.

About 15 years ago, I re-read it and Robertson's book along with some writings by Gerstner and Witsius brought me firmly to the conclusions that dispensationalism was wrong, and that Covenant Theology was Biblical.

Of special help to me in making the transition was chapter 2: The Extent of the Divine Covenants and chapter 11: Excursus: Which Structures Scripture--Covenants or Dispensations?

The whole book is well written, but as has been noted in a previous post, sometimes slow-going. It is however, well worth the time it takes to read.

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Sterling Harmon
Coventry, CT
PCA
Deacon
________________

"Whatever is laudable in our works proceeds from the grace of God."
-- John Calvin, Institutes III:xv.3.

"Our Lord God must be a good man, to be fond of worthless fellows. I cannot like them, and yet I, myself, am one."
-- Martin Luther, Table Talk

I just recently started reading it. I've finished chapter 4 so far. I especially appreciated the way he handled the obligations of man in the pre-fall conditions. I also think the terminology "covenant of creation" and "covenant of redemption" is probably useful.

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Mike Shingler
Pastor: Steep Hollow Baptist Church (SBC)
Bryan, TX

Moved to Literary forum. Folks, please create threads in the appropriate forums.

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Josh Hicks, Chloë's Daddy
Member of TRBC. My Blog
The Puritan Pub (Team Blog)
Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

I know that the book has its critics but I found that I got more out of Michael Hortons Amazon.com: God of Promise: Introducing Covenant...

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Mike
London City Presbyterian Church
London
England

"Surely, we wish to be orthodox, but we must first learn what real orthodoxy is. Surely, we wish to be progressive, but we must first have a basis to progress from."

Read it 6 years ago and thought it was good. However, Richard (AV1611) thought that his definition of the meaning of the word "covenant" was wanting (or so he said on another thread).

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Daniel Ritchie
Saintfield, Northern Ireland - Queen's University, Belfast:History/Politics
Member of Dromara Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland (Covenanter)

Doesn't he define covenant as "a bond in blood, sovereignly administered"? I prefer the term "covenant of works" to "covenant of creation".

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Ruben
Moderator

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Calvinistas Conversando - Reformed Discussion Board in Spanish.

Spanish Blog -Teologia en Mexico
English Blog -The Howling Wilderness

It is on a list of books of expected reading for elder candidates at my church.

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Richard H. King
Providence PCA
Lubbock, Texas
"No matter how far a man goes, he eventually finds out God's already there." John Wayne - the last line in "Chisum"

The Christ of the Covenants is a great book, IMHO. Particularly helpful and encouraging is that the book includes a lot of exegesis and comments on a lot of Scripture. It doesn't just present the theology, it presents the basis for it. For this reason it's very useful for going through what Scriptures says on the covenants, but also to give to those who do not yet accept covenant theology.

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Casey Bessette
Westminster OPC • West Suburbs of Chicago • My Blog: Paradise Regained

"It is part of the calling of the ekklesia to learn to know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge and also to make known within the world of science 'the manifold wisdom of God' in order that the final end of theology, as of all things, may be that the name of the Lord is glorified. Theology and dogmatics, too, exist for the Lord's sake." — Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 1, p. 46

And it was not just me. It is helpful, don't get me wrong, but there are better works.

Economy of the Covenants :: Other Classic Authors :: Classic Authors :: Monergism Books

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Richard
CofE
UK

Yes, he does.

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Daniel Ritchie
Saintfield, Northern Ireland - Queen's University, Belfast:History/Politics
Member of Dromara Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland (Covenanter)