I’ve just picked up the book entitled The Law is Not of Faith edited by Bryan Estelle, John Fesko, and David VanDrunen, all professors at Westminster Theological Seminary in California. The book intends to address the doctrine of republication, which holds that the covenant of works is in some sense republished in the Mosaic covenant.
The introduction of the book begins with a fictional narrative set on the floor of presbytery in which an ordinand is being examined in theology. In the process of examination, it comes out that this candidate holds to the doctrine of republication. The rest of the short narrative is taken up with the man defending his position and correcting some of the misunderstandings of the doctrine. Here are some of the clarifications provided in that narrative, as well as in the section “Common Misconceptions.”
1. The doctrine of republication is not even remotely related to the doctrine of dispensationalism. The OT saints were saved only by faith and by looking for the Messiah to come.
2. The doctrine of republication affirms that the Mosaic covenant is an administration of the covenant of grave per WCF VII. However, because that covenant is administered differently in the time of the law and gospel, the Mosaic covenant is distinct in that it was administered through types, shadows and promises. In other words, the works principle served a typological function, exposing the people’s sin and pointed them to the Messiah. Therefore, the Mosaic covenant is not a covenant works, but rather an administration of the covenant of grace in which there is a works principle operative at a typological level.
3. The doctrine of republication is not a new and novel doctrine, but has been held by theologians such as Calvin, Turretin, and Hodge.
4. To affirm the doctrine of republication does in no way deny the third use of the law. Rather, the doctrine of republication points the redeemed sinner to Christ who has fulfilled God’s broken law and save him from the curse of the law.
The next section of the introduction seeks to answer the question, “What is the Doctrine of Republication” and looks at the answer in biblical theology, and in systematic theology.
A section is then devoted to various expressions of the doctrine of republication throughout church history in order to abate fears that this doctrine is new and novel. Selections are cited from Polanus (1561-1610), Turretin (1623-8) and Hodge (1797-1878). Though the formulations by these men might be varied, the essence of the doctrine of republication can been seen throughout church history, proving that such a concept is not foreign to Reformed theology.
If the doctrine of republication is historic, then what has happened to it? Why haven’t we heard about it. Fesko, VanDrunen, and Estelle answer that the republication doctrine has fallen by the wayside preeminently because of the work of the late professor John Murray. Though thankful for much of Murray’s contributions to Reformed theology, the editors hold that Murray’s recasting of covenant theology to combat dispensationalism has had a deleterious effect on our understand of the place of the Mosaic economy in God’s covenant of grace. Murray believed that the doctrine of republication was contrary to the teaching of the continuity of the covenant of grace. ”With such rhetoric Murray released the clutch, and those who had studied under him or were influenced by his writing, without appropriate reflection and criticism in these areas set in motion a chain of events that would produce deleterious injuries for confessional Reformed theology and beyond (pg. 17).
The introduction then ends summarizing the plan of the book, cautioning the reader that though the doctrine of republication is, in one sense, simple, in other respects it is complex and difficult to navigate through.
Furthermore, the editors wish to assure their readers that the book does not intend to “thrust a single monolithic view of the Mosaic covenant upon Reformed churches” (pg. 19-20). Rather they hope the book will, “encourage and catalyze discussion about what we believe are important issues for the doctrine and life of the church” (pg. 20).
Finally, the readers are encouraged to take up the essays in the order in which they are presented, the historical essays laying the groundwork for the essays that follow in Parts Two and Three.
I found the introduction of The Law is Not of Faith interesting and informative. The fictional narrative at the beginning was helpful to see the practical reasons why the editors put this book together, and the section on “Common Misconceptions” helped to address some of my own misconceptions about the doctrine.
