"the church is comprised of the elect, be they Jews or Gentiles. For a fundamentalist, Israel antedates the Church, but for a covenant theologian, the church antedates Israel. For a covenant theologian, the distinction between promise and fulfillment applies, not so much to Israel and the Church, as it does to BC and AD, to the OT church and the NT church, to the Church before the advent of Christ and the Church after the advent of Christ.

For a covenant theologian, Israel was a part of the church, a medium of the Messiah, a custodian of the covenants, and a type of Christ. It would be good to think of the relation between promise and fulfillment along the lines of testament and inheritance. A covenant is like a last will and testament. Christ is the heir, and the church his inheritance.

God cut a covenant with Abraham and his seed. Who is the seed of promise? Who is party to this covenant? Is it the Jew? Is it ethnic Israel?

JD wrote:
Those verses you put up in no way supports a covenant of grace beginning with Abraham.
"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the BLOOD of the EVERLASTING covenant"........
I am beginning to think you know nothing about Christianity and you could be lost as a goose in a snow storm. Please let us give you the gospel

Therefore
Born a murderer is acceptable???
Born a rapist is acceptable???
Born a paedophile is acceptable???

Homosexuality is a sinful choice and according to God an abomination. Justice for this evil crime may not come on earth but will certainly come on Judgement Day!!!

Sodom and Gomorrah and all the people therein were destoyed by God. - FACT!!!

Spiritual wrote:
You are clearly missing something very essential here. The context of the moneybags and swords is the impending desertion of his disciples,

Are you now saying that Christ repented and retracted this instruction?

This appears to open the doors to all and sundry religions.

If God had a perfectly acceptable religion which did not entail the terrible and ignominious death of His Son; - would He not have avoided that?

Yamil Luciano wrote:
I am sure that according to your hermeneutic those verses can easily support polygamy as well.
So you know how to cut and paste. Good job. Now would you mind giving us a sincere exegesis of any of the sample verses that you gave.
Or is this one of those vere-launching contests that you guys like to play.

BTW Do you have someone there who can explain the Bible doctrines for you, if I send them?

Abigail wrote:
You are wrong. When Peter used his sword, Jesus rebuked him and said that all that take the sword shall perish with the sword. After that, Peter nor any of the saints in the New Testament ever used the sword to defend themselves.

Second you have NO proof of your assertion above that HE rescinded this advice.

___________

"spiritual"
Your
"They lacked "nothing," like my highly valued, consecrated friend, Sister Abigail, who likewise walks with Jesus."

You appear to assert here that Abigail is better than the Apostles, and that her walk with Christ is under greater divine protection than the Apostles.

Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the PROMISES made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is CHRIST.

First we see here the link made between Abraham and Christ. Second Christ is the Mediator of *THE* Covenant, which *IS* the Promise made by God to Abraham. Gen 17:7,19,21.

Rom 5
18 Therefore AS BY the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; EVEN SO by the righteousness of one(Jesus) the free gift came upon all men UNTO justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience(Adam) many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one(Jesus) SHALL many be MADE RIGHTEOUS.

God's people are made righteous only by Christ. The Promise/Covenant("EVERLASTING" Gen 17:7/19) of God with His *Covenanted* Elect receive this righteousness/justification IN AND FROM Christ.(Imputed)

Thus

21 That as sin hath reigned unto death,(in Adam) even so might GRACE REIGN through righteousness *UNTO ETERNAL LIFE* by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Heb 13.20 "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the BLOOD of the EVERLASTING covenant"

The Covenant of God's Grace in Christ.

"TO THE CHRISTIAN READER,
ESPECIALLY HEADS OF FAMILIES"

Part of this intro reads::

"The first concerns heads of families in respect of themselves; That as the Lord hath set them in place above the rest of their family, they would labour in all wisdom and spiritual understanding to be above them also. It is an uncomely sight to behold men in years babes in knowledge; and how unmeet are they to instruct others, who need themselves to be taught which be the first principles of the oracles of God, Heb. v. 12. Knowledge is an accomplishment so desirable, that the devils themselves knew not a more taking bait by which to tempt our first parents, than by the fruit of the tree of knowledge; So shall you be as gods, knowing good and evil. When Solomon had that favour shewed him of the Lord, that to lie was made his own chuser what to ask, he knew no greater mercy to beg than wisdom, 1 Kings iii. 5, 9. The understanding is the guide and pilot of the whole man, that faculty which sits at the stern of the soul: but as the most expert guide may mistake in the dark, so may the understanding, when it wants the light of knowledge"

Q31: With whom was the covenant of grace made?

A31: The covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed.[1]

1. Gal. 3:16; Rom. 5:15-21; Isa. 53:10-11

Q32: How is the grace of God manifested in the second covenant?

A32: The grace of God is manifested in the second covenant, in that he freely provides and offers to sinners a Mediator,[1] and life and salvation by him;[2] and requiring faith as the condition to interest them in him, promiseth and gives his Holy Spirit [3] to all his elect, to work in them that faith,[4] with all other saving graces;[5] and to enable them unto all holy obedience,[5] as the evidence of the truth of their faith [6] and thankfulness to God,[7] and as the way which he has appointed them to salvation.[8]

1. Gen. 3:15; Isa. 42:6; John 6:27
2. I John 5:11-12
3. John 1:12; 3:16
4. Prov. 1:23
5. II Cor. 4:13
6. Gal. 5:22-23
7. Ezek. 36:27
8. James 2:18, 22
9. II Cor. 5:14-15
10. Eph. 2:18

(Larger Catechism)

"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ."Gal 3:16.

Spiritual wrote:
We who have actually been born again, have beaten our swords into plowshares. We do not imitate wicked men in any way. We are of a royal priesthood, and priest cannot participate in war. We must leave the sword of God's wrath in the hands of Caesar,

JD wrote:
Concerning these comments by Eph2 (Its hard to imagine how some come up with their handles, Ha Ha).

Take for example your colleague Yamil's use of "Weapon of mass D...." And the obvious modern connotations of this phrase. I cannot imagine Jesus associating Himself with such a murderous term. It's not exactly what you would call "likemindedness with Christ" is it?
In fact it is similar to the muslims, where instead of using a machine gun, Yamil uses verbal and ideological munitions. Perhaps his belligerant attitude would release Barabbas rather than Christ?

________

"Dispensationalists"
Ref:: Covenant and the above theory.
I do not mean the carving up of Scripture to select and reject various chapters and verses to create your own type of theology.

The term "Covenant" for example.

Papist wrote:
However, the idea of Sola Scriptura? Faith Alone? Now those are traditions of men- particularly started by Luther and propogated by other reformers. Those are not found in Scripture.

The "idea" of Sola Scriptura???
God wrote His Laws and Precepts - Simple!

But NOT good enough for the papal-antichrist.

No! The papists want a piece of the action too. God's Word is insufficient to meet their demands!!!
Just like the Pharisees they want to add their additional rules to delude the gullible and pollute the Word.

"Faith alone" in God - Complete trust in HIM.

Nuh! - Not good enough for the popish mind set. If not faith alone then what do you want to add? Well salvation by works is the usual place to start. Find a way to squeeze the Lord out - and introduce the evil hearted sinner to replace Him.

The RCC is definitely the Mother of all Cults.

Throw in some iconolatry, a couple of old relics.
And promote a few dead sinners to answer your prayers, - instead of God.

And hey presto
The recipe for disaster.

Rom 9:6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are NOT ALL Israel, which are of Israel:
7 NEITHER, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the CHILDREN of PROMISE are COUNTED for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that THE PURPOSE of GOD according to ELECTION might stand, not of works, but of HIM that CALLETH)

Gen 17:19 And GOD SAID, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I WILL establish MY COVENANT with him for an EVERLASTING covenant, and with his seed after him.

= Thus ISAAC is the son of the promise!

20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him,

= Only an earthly blessing

Then has God withdrawn His authority?
Or is this just a trial?

Pr 29.16 When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall"