Sealed with an Oath: Covenant in God's Unfolding Purpose (Volume 23)

New Studies in Biblical Theology #23

by D.A. Carson, Paul R. Williamson

Paul R. Williamson looks at the role of the covenant concept in Scripture and the meaning of this terminology. He then sets the idea of covenant in the context of God's universal purpose, and traces the idea through Noah and the patriarchs, the nation of Israel and the kingship of David. Lastly, he shows how the new covenant is anticipated in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New. In this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume, Williamson offers new insights into key texts and issues related to the theme of covenant. He is not afraid to challenge established positions. One example is his dual-covenant approach to God's dealings with Abraham. His robust scholarship will be appreciated by scholars, lecturers and students in theology, ministers and all who have a serious interest in the covenant concept. Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, Academic, Christian

247 pages, Paperback

First published January 19, 2007

About the author

Donald A. Carson is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He has been at Trinity since 1978. Carson came to Trinity from the faculty of Northwest Baptist Theological Seminary in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he also served for two years as academic dean. He has served as assistant pastor and pastor and has done itinerant ministry in Canada and the United Kingdom. Carson received the Bachelor of Science in chemistry from McGill University, the Master of Divinity from Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto, and the Doctor of Philosophy in New Testament from the University of Cambridge. Carson is an active guest lecturer in academic and church settings around the world. He has written or edited about sixty books. He is a founding member and currently president of The Gospel Coalition. Carson and his wife, Joy, reside in Libertyville, Illinois. They have two adult children.

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some books in this series are excellent; others are less impressive. This one falls into the latter category. The author is very widely read in his field. The problem is that his field is much too narrow. To discuss a subject like the biblical doctrine of the covenants, one needs to address it in terms of exegesis alongside systematic and historical theology. Relying on modern "biblical studies" is wholly insufficient. Theology is to be done with the church catholic, not merely the latest scholarly fads.

The want of serious interaction with pre-20th century sources is most clearly exposed in the highly defective treatment of the covenant of works. Other than a passing reference to Herman Witsius's Economy of the Covenants, there is not much serious interaction with the Reformed tradition on this point. Hence, unsurprisingly, he makes silly arguments against the prelapsarian covenant that were refuted about a zillion times in the earlier literature.

[Cameron McCartney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book giving a detailed and extensive Bible-wide exploration of the development of God’s unfolding covenant with mankind. Williamson does a great job of turning over pretty much every stone, looking at basically every passage where “covenant” is explicitly or implicitly mentioned. This impressively provides the reader with a fully-orbed map of this theological concept. He also really nicely explains the differences between each covenant, but also how they are always developing and heading in the same direction. To be honest, I think a lot of this book went over my head. That’s because Williamson is highly intellectual and an expert in the field, and I, on the other hand, am certainly not and I probably wasn’t quite ready for this book. I feel that a conclusion chapter would have been really helpful for me to tie all the covenants together. Would I recommend it? Yes, but only if you are interested in learning more about this topic, because this is an in-depth, academic read, which requires time and attention.

[Neil Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

2021 reads: #39
Rating: 4 Stars

Williamson offers a considerable contribution to understanding how the covenants and their interplay function within God's plan and purpose for creation and humanity. Chapters on the royal covenant with David and the new covenant anticipated by the prophets were a particular highlight.

[Rylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm starting to think that anything with a grey NSBT cover is gold. These books are the extended book version of a BibleProject theme video. I love walking the "familiar" path of Scripture with an eye out for different landmarks with each installation.

[Jesse Ramshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3 1/2 rating. Quite the intellectual work here!

[Peter Howrth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I probably had the wrong purpose in reading this book. Very little which brought joy to my soul, or application for the Christian life. Most of what he said which interested me about covenant in biblical theology was obvious or I already knew. Lots of what was new to me seemed scholarly and unimportant. Don’t take this review as gospel, particularly if you’re investigating covenant from a more academic perspective.

[Carl Di-Palma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very helpful overview of the Covenants God makes with individuals and the nation of Israel, and how they run parallel to and complement the earlier covenants, culminating in the the coming of Christ, though still awaiting the final completion with Christ's second coming.

[Joseph Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

No, it’s not the best in the series, but there is a lot of good in this book! Williamson provides a excellent overview of the covenant idea in Scripture, bringing them together, showing their differences, and connecting it to their ultimate fulfillment through Christ. He is faithful to Scripture, and even though it is broadly written, it is still worth the investment. Great read!

[Brian Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Williamson wrote an excellent work on the covenants in Scripture. He begins with a discussion of the concept of covenant in biblical and theological scholarship. He (rightly in my view) discounts the concept of an overarching covenant of grace. This approach flattens out the diverse covenants of Scripture. It is therefore better to speak of one "unfolding purpose" of God worked out through the various covenants. Williamson also argues against a covenant with creation or Adam. The biblical covenants begin with Noah. Williamson's treatment of the Noahic covenant, an often neglected covenant, is excellent. He also provides a helpful treatment of the New Covenant, which he sees as replacing the Mosaic covenant. To this point I have remained unconvinced by his thesis that Genesis 15 and 17 represent two Abrahamic covenants, one conditional and one unconditional. I also remain unconvinced by his mild supercessionism. Disagreements aside, this is a major contribution to the discussion of the biblical covenants and one to which I'll turn often in the future.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this one in seminary, but was helped to review and read some sections more closely. Other than his argument against a Covenant of Works, his scheme of covenant throughout the entire storyline of Scripture is incredibly insightful. I do think his unwillingness to recognize a covenant of Works in Adam does undermine his understanding of New Covenant, especially with Paul. And it's quite unclear, then, how the theme of "covenant" relates particularly to anything before Genesis 8-9. This is the one weakness of the book, which I would say the other books in the NSBT series make up for.

It's a bit technical in places to simply hand to lay leaders or lay elders in your church, unless you did the work of marking out selections in order to not discourage readers who may not be up to date with current discussions around covenantal nomism and source criticism.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book on covenant theology. A lot of detail. Williamson offers insightful critiques of almost all explications of covenant theologians have offered. Williamson says that the evidence of Scripture doesn't warrant a belief in a covenant between God and Adam, viz., a 'covenant of works.' Reformed theologians will not like this. But, Williamson also offers some claims about the 'new covenant' that reformed paedobaptists may find helpful. Standing in the tradition of the Westminster Confession of Faith (for the most part), I obviously don't agree with all of Williamson's conclusions. But his deft handling of the data requires the reader, whatever her persuasion, to take Williamson's arguments seriously.

[Bfleegs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good biblical theology of covenant in Scripture, starting in Genesis and ending in the NT. I especially appreciated how Williamson wove throughout the book the theme that the covenants were always part of God's plan to reach out to the nations and not just Israel. As a downside, his exact position on how church-age saints relate to the new covenant is a little unclear as he does not develop the idea very deeply as it is not necessarily within the purview of the work. Definitely a good read on the covenants!

[Chris Armer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel that the author did a good job at giving an overview of the various covenants in the Bible. But Williamson was very interested in arguing strongly for interpreting biblical theology through covenants. He simply presents his work as another worthy possibility.

[Philip Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of the covenants. Williamson does not see a covenant of works but is fairly close to the Reformed understanding for the most part. There is virtually no application (in keeping with the NSBT series generally) so the reader has to chew this over in their own time.