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Review Article:The Recent Bondage ofJohn Calvin:A Critique ofPeter A. Lillback'sThe Binding ofGodDavid J. EngelsmaThe Binding of God: Calvin's Role in the Development ofCovenant Theology, by Peter A. Lillback. Grand Rapids: Baker,200 1. Pp. 331. $24.99 (paper).This is an unconvincing treatment of a worthwhile subject:the doctrine ofthe covenant in John Calvin. It is a disturbing book:Calvin is made to teach the doctrine ofjustification by faith andworks.This much can be said favorably. Lillback demonstrates thatCalvin was a covenant theologian in the sense that the covenantwas "an integral feature ofCalvin's theology" (p. 137). Also, asthe title indicates, Lillback discovers that Calvin viewed thecovenant as a bond. It is remarkable that of late Presbyterian andReformed theologians are describing the covenant between Godand His people in terms of fellowship, a bond, and a relationshipoflove. Little is heard ofthe covenant as contract, or agreement,or arrangement of promise and demand, which used to be theprevailing position. But the theologians do not explain why theyNovember, 200 I 47
have moved away from the notion ofthe covenant as contract to theconception of the covenant as bond of fellowship.Regardless that one shies away from describing the rich,living covenant relation between God and His people as a contract,his doctrine of the covenant may still be that ofa cold, businesslikebargain between God and men. According to Lillback, suchwas the theology of John Calvin. Lillback is determined to showthat for Calvin the covenant is a conditional, breakable relationbetween God and every Israelite in the Old Testament and betweenGod and every memberofthe visible, instituted church in the NewTestament. God makes His covenant with all alike. But thecovenant is conditional. Whether it continues with a person,whether it will bestow its blessings upon this person, and whetherit will bring the person to heavenly life and glory depend squarelyupon certain works that the person himseIfmust do. These worksare faith and obedience. [fthe person with whom the covenant ismade fails to fulfill the condition, the covenant with him is broken,and he perishes.Calvin taught a "bilateral, mutual, conditional, and breakablecovenant" (p. 175). [n the theology of Calvin, "the covenant ismutual, conditional and potentially breakable" (p. 264).[f this was, in fact, Calvin's doctrine, he overthrew in hiscovenant theology everything that he taught in his doctrine ofsalvation. Calvin's soteriology was the gospel of God's efficaciousdeliverance of totally depraved sinners by grace alone.Grace is particular, in Calvin's thought, inasmuch as it has itssource in and is infallibly directed by election. And this election,accompanied by an equally eternal and sovereign reprobation, isunconditional.A doctrine ofa general, conditional, breakable covenant overthrowsthe gospel ofsalvation by particular, unconditional, irresistiblegrace since the covenant concerns grace and the salvation thatgrace gives. The very name ofthe covenant is "covenant ofgrace."Even such an ardent advocate ofa conditional, breakable covenantas Peter Lillback acknowledges that the covenant is grace-savinggrace-to those with whom the covenant is made; that the blessingsbestowed by the covenant are the blessings ofrighteousness, holi-48 PRTJ
Page 1 and 2: ProtestantReformedTheologicalJourna
Page 3 and 4: EDITOR'S NOTESProf. Russell J. Dyks
Page 5 and 6: For there are many, even l unruly,
Page 7 and 8: happen to hold unwittingly to some
Page 9 and 10: tion oftheir false teachings. II Pe
Page 11 and 12: est, they are very weak, at worst,
Page 13 and 14: truth~' (see I Tim. 4: 1 - 4). Ever
Page 15 and 16: Thomas Bradwardine:Forgotten Mediev
Page 17 and 18: ated grace and uncreated grace. Unc
Page 19 and 20: Bradwardine faces the question ofth
Page 21 and 22: the age, namely, that having set fo
Page 23 and 24: did not identify Thomas Bradwardine
Page 25 and 26: The first is that Bradwardine was a
Page 27 and 28: to Bradwardine as oneof"two pre-emi
Page 29 and 30: Gospels, Acts, and Revelation. Sir
Page 31 and 32: power of the papacy in Bradwardine'
Page 33 and 34: The Serious Callof the Gospel -Is t
Page 35 and 36: elieve th~s proclamation with uprig
Page 37 and 38: to bring good news with their "fig
Page 39 and 40: nation, we read of Melchisedek, the
Page 41 and 42: official activity ofa monarch's her
Page 43 and 44: 8): "Calling is ofthose elect and r
Page 45 and 46: ut all his posterity unable to obey
Page 47: alone, and He saves whom He will. E
Page 51 and 52: every member ofthe visible, institu
Page 53 and 54: fulfilling this calling is their pa
Page 55 and 56: contingent. Further, Calvin did not
Page 57 and 58: ofacceptance in terms of merit, ins
Page 59 and 60: covenant ofgrace and works, or it i
Page 61 and 62: Spiritual, Suffers Them to DefileTh
Page 63 and 64: the gospel is preached" (p. 212).In
Page 65 and 66: "They do not hold that JesusChrist
Page 67 and 68: II Corinthians 3:6 that "the letter
Page 69 and 70: is to oppose and to repulsethat sec
Page 71 and 72: Rightly Divided: Readings inBiblica
Page 73 and 74: is necessary speaks volumesabout th
Page 75 and 76: Guilt, Grace and Gratitude,Lectures
Page 77 and 78: 76ted under the new? If it wererigh
Page 79 and 80: er to keep himself holy; forthe Sab
Page 81 and 82: there is room for both positionsin
Page 83 and 84: Dr. Gannett's eschatologyalso effec
Page 85 and 86: that, but man has a corrupt nature(
Page 87 and 88: the love of God is "universal"(p. 5
Page 89 and 90: ever, throughout the book thereis n

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