The Covenant of Grace and the Eternal Covenant

The Two Main Covenants

by Matt Slick | Nov 23, 2008 | Doctrine and Theology, Christian Theology

God works covenantally. A covenant is a pact or agreement between two or more parties. In fact, the Latin word “testamentum” (Old Testament, New Testament) is the word “covenant.” Following is a chart that represents the Two-Covenant position. There are different interpretations of how many covenants there are, but CARM leans towards two:

THE TWO MAIN COVENANTS
COVENANT NAME	ETERNAL COVENANT ALSO CALLED THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION (HEB. 13:20)	COVENANT OF GRACE
PARTIES INVOLVED	Father and Son (Inter Trinitarian)	God and Man
PROMISE	The Father would . . . Prepare the Son a body (Luke 1:35; Heb. 10:5). Give the Son the Spirit without measure (Isaiah 43:1, 2; 61:1). Always support and comfort the Son (Isaiah 49:1-7; 49:8). Deliver the Son from the power of Death (Psalm 2; Psalm 16:10). Bring to the Son all whom the Father had given Him (John 6:39; 17:9, 24). Give the Son a number of redeemed that no one could number (Psalm 22:27; 72:17).	Eternal life for mankind The complete restoration of fellowship between God and man
CONDITION	The Son . . . Was to assume human nature (Gal. 4:4, 5; Heb. 2:10, 11, 14, 15). Was to be under the Law (Psalm 40:8; Gal. 4:4, 5; Phil. 2:5-8). Was to bear our sins (1 Pet. 2:24).	Faith in Jesus Christ
MEDIATOR	No Mediator	Jesus Christ