Christ and the Old Covenant

Francis Turretin (1623-1687) on Christ's Suretyship under the Old Testament

by Gyeongcheol Gwon

Book cover: Christ and the Old Covenant

Extent: 168 pages

Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht

Subjects: Biblical Studies, Early Modern & Renaissance Studies

Series: Reformed Historical Theology

Series volume number: 51

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(December 2018)

ISBN: 9783525516416

0.63 x 9.29 inches

Price: $88.00

In stock

This study explores the Cocceian-Voetian debate through the eyes of Francis Turretin (1623-1687). There is a dearth of research on Turretin’s take on this debate, the author will parse out how Turretin adheres to the Voetianism of the Utrecht theologian Melchior Leydekker (1642-1721) while remaining conciliatory to the Cocceians. With Leydekker, Turretin argues that Christ’s suretyship in the Old Testament is identical to what it is in the New Testament. As the Father decrees that Christ is the most perfect and certain fulfiller of God’s promise, the ancients benefit from Christ’s sacrifice as much as do the saints in the New. The sins of the elect must be fully forgiven regardless of the progress of redemption in history, for the faithful both in the Old and the New are saved by the same grace of Christ, the expromissor. At the same time, not only does Turretin leave out some of the controversial issues between the two parties, but he also tends to neutralize Leydekker’s acid criticism of the extreme form of Cocceianism. This conciliatory gesture indicates that Turretin does not consider Cocceianism his archenemy. Seen in this light, Turretin can be viewed as a moderate and peaceful Voetian.>

  • By (author) Gyeongcheol Gwon

"Gwon's study of Francis Turretin's interaction with the Voetian/ Cocceian debates broadens our grasp of the international and local contexts of post-Reformation Reformed theology. He illustrates why understanding both narrow and wider contexts matters in such studies. This is a valuable work that will help researchers continue to expand the development and trajectory of Reformed covenantal thought." --Ryan M. McGraw, Calvin Theological Journal, April 2020 issue (55.1)
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