Part II: Covenant Theology

Covenant theology, very basically, is the idea that God's historical plan of redemption is consistent and coherent. Instead of seeing the Bible as a series of random, unrelated stories, covenant theology emphasizes the central Biblical narrative which centers on the cross. Central to covenant theology is the view of God as a covenant God (seems pretty obvious). This means that God makes promises to his people and with the acceptance of these promises come specific responsibilities. A portion of a post I wrote back in September, "A Brief History of God and Man," summarizes covenant theology well:

God’s covenant with man, his commitment to redeem and recreate a kingdom for himself, is the most dominant, over-arching theme of the Bible. This commitment is perhaps best summarized by the statement repeated throughout Scripture: “I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Ex 29, Jer 31, 2 Cor 6, Heb 8, Rev 21). There is but one covenant which has a number of different expressions in the course of redemptive history. Each expression was initiated by God, the superior party, but in all instances, something was required of man: obedience. This covenant was perfected in the person and work of the God-man Jesus Christ, who lived a perfectly obedient life and bore the wrath of God on the cross so that God might be reconciled to his people forever. All other expressions of the covenant foreshadow this new covenant.

This is why PCA churches have a strong commitment to the centrality of the gospel, for they believe the entire Biblical narrative centers on (either by foreshadowing or explaining the effects of) Jesus' death and resurrection for us. Understanding how the Bible fits together consistently also vastly reduces major misinterpretations that might lead to false emphases and regulations. There are some doctrines man cannot know with absolutely certainty, and others in which we should be charitable. But I am glad to be in a church that, for the most part, knows what it believes and relates it through and to the cross.