Vos and the Fourth Commandment.

[PuritanCovenanter]

Learned something rather interesting from Richard Barcellos' Disertation.

The Family Tree of Reformed Biblical Theology

Vos does not discuss the Sabbath at this early juncture of his Biblical Theology. However, his discussion of revelation in the period of Moses mentions the Sabbath and in words which imply the Sabbath should be considered as part of pre-redemptive, Special (symbolic and typological) Revelation. Vos argues that the Sabbath principle symbolizes and typifies “the eschatological structure of History” and “was true before, and apart from redemption.” Then comes one of the most far reaching statements made by Vos in all of his writings: “The eschatological is an older strand in revelation than the soteric.” He goes on to say, “ that the… ‘Covenant of Works’ was nothing but an embodiment of the Sabbatical principal.” If the probation of the Covenant of Works had “been successful, then the sacramental Sabbath would have passed over into the reality if typified… In other words, protology is eschatological and eschatology proceeds soteriology. Pp.158,159

Vos is discussed later on in the book on pp. 205-207 when the decalogue is discussed in his thinking. According to Rich the 4the commandent gets more attention than any other in Vos' thinking.

Just a small quote on this...

Our weekly sabbatizing is a mirror imaging of eschatological sabbatizing.

Rev. Keister and I were discussing this the other day. I sought him out. What a gracious man. Anyways, we stumbled onto a discussion on Vos and the topic of the Sabbath.

The week of work ending in the sabbath is a picture of the Covenant of Works and the probation period for Adam. It was eschatological ending in a state of rest and eternal bliss with God after his work is finished. He was also given work to do as a husband of creation. Christ came and fulfilled a work, proclaimed 'It is Finished', and entered into his rest. He paid a price for us also.

Just thought that was very applicable and wonderful. I am going to teach my sons about this this week.

 

[Wayne]

Uh, Martin, I'm loving this quote, but...would you check that one line again, please? I think you have a typo there:

In other words, proctology is eschatological and eschatology proceeds soteriology. Pp.158,159

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

I would think so. I have been to the proctologist. I won't tell you why. It wasn't fun. I fixed it Wayne. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Sounds blasphemous. Ouch.

BTW,

From Dictionary.com...
protology

noun
the study of origins and first things; "To Christians, protology refers to God's fundamental purpose for humanity"

 

[Wayne]

Thank you, Martin, for drawing our attention to this. I pulled my copy of Biblical Theology (Eerdmans, 1991), and the pagination is different, but no problem finding the section on "The Fourth Word" (pp. 138-143).

What is particularly revolutionary is to pair Vos's words in your quote

The Sabbath brings this principle of the eschatological structure of history to bear upon the mind of man after a symbolical and a typical fashion. It teaches its lesson through the rhythmical succession of six days of labour and one ensuing day of rest in each successive week. Man is reminded in this way that life is not an aimless existence, that a goal lies beyond. This was true before, and apart from, redemption. The eschatological is an older strand in revelation than the soteric. The so-called "Covenant of Works" was nothing but an embodiment of the Sabbatical principle. Had its probation been successful, then the sacramental Sabbath would have passed over into the reality it typified, and the entire subsequent history of the race would have been radically different. What now is to be expected at the end of this world would have formed the beginning of the world-course instead.

with (& apologies for the full length quote) what Vos said in the previous paragraph:

Before all other important things, therefore, the Sabbath is an expression of the eschatological principle on which the life of humanity has been constructed. There is to be to the world-process a finale, as there was an overture, and these two belong inseparably together. To give up the one means to give up the other, and to give up either means to abandon the fundamental scheme of Biblical history. Even among Jewish teachers this profound meaning of the Sabbath was not entirely unknown. One of them, being asked what the world to come would be like, answered that it would resemble the Sabbath....

So, if I understand Vos correctly here, a denial of the Covenant of Works is in effect a denial of the Sabbatical principle, and a denial of the Sabbatical principle is ultimately a denial of the fundamental scheme of Biblical history.

Positively seismic!

 

[Marrow Man]

Uh, Martin, I'm loving this quote, but...would you check that one line again, please? I think you have a typo there:

In other words, proctology is eschatological and eschatology proceeds soteriology. Pp.158,159

Some people have suggested that reading Vos can be painful, but this is ridiculous...

 

[Peairtach]

I think you mentioned this before, Randy. Thanks for sharing it with us.

http://www.puritanboard.com/f31/edenic-probation-adam-concerning-covenant-works-60019/

I think this is particularly pertinent regarding the purpose of the weekly Sabbath:-
Man is reminded in this way that life is not an aimless existence, that a goal lies beyond

I think some scholars would hold that the period of Adamic probation (Covenant of Works) would have ended long before the eschatalogical/incorrruptible kingdom was inaugurated, certainly before Adam had any children. Thus Mankind would have been confirmed in his righteousness long before the world was transformed into the eschatalogical incorruptible kingdom.

Once the Cultural/Creation Mandate had been achieved by Adam, Eve and their offspring, in an already good (very good) world, their bodies and their world and their achievements would be made incorruptible.

In our world, the probation/Covenant of Works has long ago (2,000 years in 2030 or 2033) been fulfilled by Christ, but the Creation/Cultural Mandate goes on.

I don't know if there's room for debate, maybe in the eschatology section, about whether the Creation/Cultural Mandate will be completed before the Second Advent, and how we would know if it was completed. The Cultural/Creation Mandate has been retarded/marred at every point by sin.

Richard Gaffin goes into this to some extent in his book on "Calvin and the Sabbath." Calvin didn't properly take into account the typology of the Sabbath that was established at creation, but focussed on the typology of the Sabbath that was established at the Exodus, thus giving him a weaker foundation for the Sabbath than others like those who compiled the WCF.

 

[DMcFadden]

Uh, Martin, I'm loving this quote, but...would you check that one line again, please? I think you have a typo there:

In other words, proctology is eschatological and eschatology proceeds soteriology. Pp.158,159

Some people have suggested that reading Vos can be painful, but this is ridiculous...

While protology would be eschatological, proctology might rightly be called scatological.

 

[Southern Presbyterian]

While protology would be eschatological, proctology might rightly be called scatological.

DOH!

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

Uh, Martin, I'm loving this quote, but...would you check that one line again, please? I think you have a typo there:

In other words, proctology is eschatological and eschatology proceeds soteriology. Pp.158,159

Some people have suggested that reading Vos can be painful, but this is ridiculous...

While protology would be eschatological, proctology might rightly be called scatological.

Typos can sure get one into trouble. Fat brain plus fat fingers equals trouble. LOL

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

Thank you, Martin, for drawing our attention to this. I pulled my copy of Biblical Theology (Eerdmans, 1991), and the pagination is different, but no problem finding the section on "The Fourth Word" (pp. 138-143).

There is a reason for the pages being different. This is a quote from Rich Barcellos' dissertation. There are quotes from p. 140 of Vos' Biblical Theology in the first quote.

The second quote is from page 141 in Vos Biblical Theology. I lifted it from a discussion of Vos and the Covenant of Works on pages 205-207 in Rich's Dissertation. The book is wonderful and very readable. I highly recommend it.