An Argument Against Theologically Constructed Covenants -- By: Jeffrey J. Niehaus

Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 50:2 (Jun 2007)
Article: An Argument Against Theologically Constructed Covenants
Author: Jeffrey J. Niehaus


An Argument Against Theologically Constructed Covenants

Jeffrey J. Niehaus

Jeffrey Niehaus is professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 130 Essex Street, South Hamilton, MA 01982.

During the last hundred years a historically unique way of doing covenant theology has developed. That way understands and works with the biblical covenants between God and people. But it goes beyond those covenants, which the Bible identifies as such, and postulates larger covenant entities: overarching covenants that assimilate the biblical covenants. John H. Walton, himself a practitioner of this approach, distinguishes the operative concepts of covenant as follows: “Covenants may be identified as ‘biblical’ covenants, articulated as covenant in the Bible, or ‘theological’ covenants constructed by theologians, often composites of several biblical covenants.”1 A concept that often goes hand in hand with such an approach is that of the “unity of the covenants.” Those who understand the biblical covenants within the framework of an overarching, theologically constructed covenant generally do so with a desire to be able to maintain the unity of the covenants. Laudable as that desire may be, however, it has produced a way of dealing with covenants, and with the Bible as a whole, that contributes more confusion than clarity. The reason for that lies in the concept of a “theologically constructed covenant.” I hope in this paper to show the inadequacy of that concept and to propose a better alternative. A survey and critique of some major theologically constructed covenants is in order before an alternative is presented.

I. Survey And Critique

There are three major variations on the theological construct approach, and each may be represented by a practitioner. One theologically constructed covenant of some standing (and long standing) among covenant theologians has been the “Covenant of Grace.”2 I will discuss and critique this covenant with reference to Meredith Kline’s recently published advocacy of it. In addition to the “Covenant of Grace,” two other constructs have recently appeared. One comes from John H. Walton. He has proposed an alternative

to the “Covenant of Grace” and calls that alternative simply “The Covenant.” The other comes from William Dumbrell. He has produced an unusual assimilation of all divine-human biblical covenants and argues that just one covenant relationship characterizes all of them.3 All of these efforts breathe the same spirit, and all of...

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