God's Law

Does “God’s Law” transcend its covenantal expressions (i.e. Mosaic, or Law of Christ)?

I am inclined to think so. Now I’ don’t try to get the “ten commandments” into the NC as eternal expression of the moral ethic (will, law), as the CT tradition does; but I do see an eternal, moral ethic (will, law) that transcends the revelation of covenants.

It is true that knowledge of God’s moral demands written on man’s heart (Rom. 2:14-5; i.e. law of nature / conscious) and the law expressed at Sinai are two separate laws. Yet they intersect at many points. So it would seem that there is some sort eternal standard that binds them together. Surely we can’t claim that these “different laws” were formed in a vacuum, with no moral foundation (i.e. God).

It is this moral foundation, that I believe, serves as the basis for the revelation / law of nature (Romans 2:14-15; cf. 1:19, 20, 32, i.e. creation ethic), the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ.

I believe this is true because God Himself is the standard for morality, and since sin is an infraction of God’s character, not necessarily and infraction of the covenant in place at the time of the infraction.

Let me know your thoughts as I wrestle with this myself

The following link expresses the eternal, moral ethic as I have come to understand it: Three Enshrinements of God’s Eternal Moral Ethic (Law / Will)

Covenantal Metanarrative

Rather than get hung up whether the hermeneutic of Dispensationalism or Covenant Theology is the thrust of your system, why not use a more organic, simpler approach?

Such as covenantal metanarrative or progressive covenantalism. Here is my rational:

God has chosen also to reveal Himself and the Kingdom of His Son by way of Covenants.They are of significance in the drama of redemption. Or to put it anther way, God’s eternal purpose as revealed in creation, and in the culminating covenants, which find there fulfillment in the coming of Jesus – God’s Kingdom. This is the primary way God has chosen to reveal Himself.[1]

A covenant is the way God reveals His own job description for His partner and signs it.[2]

As already expressed, I believe the Bible tells a story – a meta-narrative – the all-encompassing theme of the whole Bible. The prefix meta is used to mean “about” or “with,” and a narrative is a “story.” Therefore, metanarrative means “about a story” or “with story.” The story God and the kingdom of His Son. So, the biblical metanarrative is the story of how God revealed Himself to the world through a chosen people.

And since covenants are God’s chosen way to reveal Himself, I use the phrase, Covenantal Metanarrative to describe how the framework for how one should approach scripture.

[1] Yet, not every instance significant to redemption comes to us through a covenant. i.e. in the Garden, prophecy, etc
[2] Definition of God’s Job descriptions is taken from a sermon by: John Piper, God’s Covenant with David (II Sam. 7:4-17)

Space: an Analogy of the Trinity

The Trinity can be a difficult 'subject' to explain. The following example, I believe is the best one that I have come across. It is from the book, "Trinity and Triunity: Salvation and Nature of the Godhead;" by E. Charles Heinze; pp. 6-7. Let me know what you think:

An acceptable analogy may be found in the “illustration of the Trinity in infinite space with its three dimensions.”[1] This concept of space has been expounded at length and with great clarity by Nathan Wood and is worth examining in detail.[2]

Space
Consider a volume of space in the form of a cube. If we drew a line from the front lower right corner to the front upper corner, we could say that this line denotes height. The dimension called height describes not only the edges but an infinite number of vertical measurements throughout the cube. No part of the cube is exempt from being described by height. The space of the cube is, in its entirety, described by height, so that all of the space is included in height.

Similarly, that property or dimension of space called width is also demonstrated to describe all of the space, and all of the space is found to be width. The third dimension, length, also describers all of the space, and the space is likewise three dimensional. This is the nature of space – all of space.

In applying these observations, we see that height is all of space, width is all of space, and length is all of space. Therefore, that space of which height is all is the very same space of which width is all and of which length is all. While each is all of space, space does not exist unless all three dimensions exist. For example, if there is no height then there is not space at all. It is not all three dimensions. Space really exists, and it exists in three dimensions – no more and no less.

In space we observe inherent and inseparable threeness sand oneness, plurality and unity, otherness and identity. Height clearly is not width; height is other than width. The same can be said respecting each of the dimensions with reference to the others. This is otherness. It is also true that each dimension contains all the same space as the others do. This is identity. The three dimensions are co-existent and co-equal.

[1] H.L. Geer, Baptist Review (July 1880), quoted in A.H. Strong, Systematic Theology, 11th ed. (Philadelphia: The Judson Press, 1947), p. 344.
[2] Nathan R, Wood, The Trinity n the Universe ( Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1978).