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universal in the sense that in it the covenant is extended to all nations, and is no more limited
to the Jews, as it was in the old dispensation.
5. IT IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME IN ALL DISPENSATIONS, THOUGH ITS FORM OF
ADMINISTRATION CHANGES.
This is contradicted by all those who claim that Old Testament
saints were saved in another manner than New Testament believers, as for instance, Pelagians
and Socinians, who hold that God gave additional help in the example and teachings of Christ;
the Roman Catholics, who maintain that the Old Testament saints were in the Limbus Patrum
until Christ’s descent into hades; the followers of Coccejus, who assert that Old Testament
believers enjoyed only a paresis (a passing over) and no aphesis (full forgiveness of sins); and
present-day dispensationalists, who distinguish several different covenants (Scofield mentions
7; Milligan 9), and insist on the necessity of keeping them distinct. The unity of the covenant in
all dispensations is proved by the following:
a. The summary expression of the covenant is the same throughout, both in the Old and New
Testament: “I will be thy God.” It is the expression of the essential content of the covenant with
Abraham, Gen. 17:7, of the Sinaitic covenant, Ex. 19:5; 20:1, of the covenant of the Plains of
Moab, Deut. 29:13, of the Davidic covenant, II Sam. 7:14, and of the new covenant, Jer. 31:33;
Heb. 8:10. This promise is really an all-comprehensive summary and contains a guarantee of the
most perfect covenant blessings. Christ infers from the fact that God is called the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that those patriarchs are in possession of eternal life, Matt. 22:32.
b. The Bible teaches that there is but a single gospel by which men can be saved. And because
the gospel is nothing but the revelation of the covenant of grace, it follows that there is also but
one covenant. This gospel was already heard in the maternal promise, Gen. 3:15, was preached
unto Abraham, Gal. 3:8, and may not be supplanted by any Judaistic gospel, Gal. 1:8,9.
c. Paul argues at length over against the Judaists that the way in which Abraham obtained
salvation is typical for New Testament believers, no matter whether they be Jews or Gentiles,
Rom. 4:9-25; Gal. 3:7-9,17,18. He speaks of Abraham as the father of believers, and clearly
proves that the covenant with Abraham is still in force. It is perfectly clear from the argument
of the apostle in Rom. 4 and Gal. 3 that the law has not annulled nor altered the covenant. Cf.
also Heb. 6:13-18.
d. The Mediator of the covenant is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever, Heb. 13:8. In none
other is there salvation, John 14:6; for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is
given among men, whereby we must be saved, Acts 4:12. The seed promised to Abraham is
Christ, Gal. 3:16, and those that are identified with Christ are the real heirs of the covenant, Gal.
3:16-29.