Basic HTML Version
255
suretyship, the one designated fidejussor, and the other expromissor. The former is conditional,
and the latter unconditional. The former is a surety who undertakes to pay for another,
provided this person does not himself render satisfaction. The burden of guilt remains on the
guilty party until the time of payment. The latter, however, is a surety who takes upon himself
unconditionally to pay for another, thus relieving the guilty party of his responsibility at once.
Coccejus and his school maintained that in the counsel of peace Christ became a fidejussor, and
that consequently Old Testament believers enjoyed no complete forgiveness of sins. From Rom.
3:25 they inferred that for those saints there was only a paresis, an overlooking of sin, and no
aphesis or complete forgiveness, until Christ really made atonement for sin. Their opponents
asserted, however, that Christ took upon Himself unconditionally to render satisfaction for His
people, and therefore became a surety in the specific sense of an expromissor. This is the only
tenable position, for: (a) Old Testament believers received full justification or forgiveness,
though the knowledge of it was not as full and clear as it is in the New Testament dispensation.
There was no essential difference between the status of the Old, and that of the New
Testament believers, Ps. 32:1,2,5; 51:1-3, 9-11; 103:3,12; Isa. 43:25; Rom. 3:3,6-16; Gal. 3:6-9.
The position of Coccejus reminds one of that of the Roman Catholics with their Limbus Patrum.
(b) Coccejus’ theory makes the work of God in making provision for the redemption of sinners
dependent on the uncertain obedience of man in an entirely unwarranted way. There is no
sense in saying that Christ became a conditional surety, as if it were still possible that the sinner
should pay for himself. God’s provision for the redemption of sinners is absolute. This is not the
same as saying that He does not treat and address the sinner as personally guilty until he is
justified by faith, for this is exactly what God does do. (c) In Rom. 3:25, the passage to which
Coccejus appeals, the apostle uses the word paresis (overlooking or passing over), not because
the individual believers in the Old Testament did not receive full pardon of sin, but because
during the old dispensation the forgiveness of sin assumed the form of a paresis, as long as sin
had not been adequately punished in Christ, and the absolute righteousness of Christ had not
been revealed in the cross.
2. THE CHARACTER THIS COVENANT ASSUMED FOR CHRIST.
Though the covenant of
redemption is the eternal basis of the covenant of grace, and, as far as sinners are concerned,
also its eternal prototype, it was for Christ a covenant of works rather than a covenant of grace.
For Him the law of the original covenant applied, namely, that eternal life could only be
obtained by meeting the demands of the law. As the last Adam Christ obtains eternal life for
sinners in reward for faithful obedience, and not at all as an unmerited gift of grace. And what
He has done as the Representative and Surety of all His people, they are no more in duty bound
to do. The work has been done, the reward is merited, and believers are made partakers of the
fruits of Christ’s accomplished work through grace.