Reformed Pastors Give a Primer on Covenant Theology

Host Rev. Chris Gordon and guest Rev. Michael Brown unpack the fundamentals of Covenant Theology. They explore how God consistently interacts with humanity through covenants, starting with the Covenant of Works with Adam. The episode meticulously traces the devastating consequences of Adam's broken covenant—guilt, death, and suffering—through scripture and the different administrations of the various covenants (Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic…)

The conversation includes the Law/Gospel distinction and the emphasis that every human being has a personal relationship with God, either through the covenant of works or the Covenant of Grace, and present the powerful image of Christ's righteousness covering us, just as God covered Adam with animal skins. It’s a must-listen for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of God's redemptive work through history and its direct application to our lives today.

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:03:00 - Why Covenant Theology Can Be a “Bad Word”
00:03:30 - “Fulfillment Theology” Not “Replacement Theology”
00:04:30 - The Nature of a Covenant
00:06:00 - God Never Deals with His People Apart from a Covenant
00:06:24 - The Covenant Formula: “I will be your God and you will be my people”
00:07:40 - The Covenant of Works
00:08:10 - The Adamic Covenant
00:09:35 - Kline on Covenants and God's Spirit of Judgment
00:10:10 - The Consequences of a Broken Covenant
00:11:10 - The Federal Headship of Adam
00:12:08 - Federal Headship in a Familiar Context
00:13:11 - Adam’s Free Will
00:15:10 - Why We Need to Think in Terms of Grace
00:16:30 - Defining Mercy
00:17:00 - The Mentality of "You Get What You Deserve"
00:19:00 - The Book of Life vs. The Book of Deeds
00:20:30 - The Distinction Between "Do" and "Done"
00:21:30 - The Law/Gospel Distinction
00:22:20 - The Devil's Strategy
00:22:45 - Everyone Has a Relationship with God
00:24:35 - God Covering Adam with Animal Skins as a Picture of Christ
00:27:34 - The Noahic Covenant
00:29:50 - The Shift from Genesis 1-11 to Genesis 12+
00:30:00 - The Abrahamic Covenant
00:32:15 - Cutting a Covenant in Genesis 15
00:38:50 - The Suffering Servant: The Fulfillment of Abraham
00:39:40 - The Mosaic Covenant

#covenanttheology #fulfillmenttheology #covenantofworks #covenantofgrace #federalheadship #reformedtheology #lawandgospel

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Rev. Michael Brown is an ordained minister in the United Reformed Churches in North America and a missionary called and overseen by the Escondido United Reformed Church. He serves as pastor of Chiesa Riformata Filadelfia, a small but growing congregation located on the northwest side of Milan.

Before being called as a missionary, Rev. Michael Brown planted Christ United Reformed Church in Santee, California, where he served as pastor from 2003-2018. He is a graduate of Westminster Seminary California, and the author of numerous articles and books, including Sacred Bond: Covenant Theology Explored. He has also been a frequent guest on the White Horse Inn podcast for many years. Pastor Mike served as the chairman both of the URCNA Study Committee on Missions and the URCNA Missions Committee.

He and his wife, Janie, have four children, three of whom are grown and live in the United States, and one (Iain) who is in high school in Milan. Pastor Mike, Janie, and Iain speak fluent Italian and love the people, culture and history of Italy. They have a passion for the gospel and feel very blessed to serve the growing church in Milan.

To learn more about Rev. Brown’s ministry, visit his missionary website, missionmilan.org.

To contact Rev. Brown directly, send him an email at: [email protected]