Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof - New Leaven

4. There are two Old Testament passages which connect up the idea of the covenant
immediately with the Messiah, namely, Ps. 89:3, which is based on II Sam. 7:12-14, and
is proved to be a Messianic passage by Heb. 1:5; and Isa. 42:6, where the person referred
to is the Servant of the Lord. The connection clearly shows that this Servant is not
merely Israel. Moreover, there are passages in which the Messiah speaks of God as His
God, thus using covenant language, namely, Ps. 22:1, 2, and Ps. 40:8.
C. THE SON IN THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION.
1. THE OFFICIAL POSITION OF CHRIST IN THIS COVENANT. The position of Christ in the
covenant of redemption is twofold. In the first place He is Surety (Gr. egguos), a word
that is used only in Heb. 7:22. The derivation of this word is uncertain, and therefore
cannot aid us in establishing its meaning. But the meaning is not doubtful. A surety is
one who engages to become responsible for it that the legal obligations of another will
be met. In the covenant of redemption Christ undertook to atone for the sins of His
people by bearing the necessary punishment, and to meet the demands of the law for
them. And by taking the place of delinquent man He became the last Adam, and is as
such also the Head of the covenant, the Representative of all those whom the Father has
given Him. In the covenant of redemption, then, Christ is both Surety and Head. He
took upon Himself the responsibilities of His people. He is also their Surety in the
covenant of grace, which develops out of the covenant of redemption. The question has
been raised, whether the suretyship of Christ in the counsel of peace was conditional or
unconditional. Roman jurisprudence recognizes two kinds of 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
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