The Doctrine of the Covenant

The Main Points of the Doctrine of the Covenant by Klaas Schilder

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A speech by Klaas Schilder, 1944.
This was my first foray into Dutch theologian Klaas Schilder’s writings, and it will not be the last.

The author’s name has come up in recent theological controversies, and now I know why. Schilder emphasized the outward or objective covenant, which is formally marked by baptism. And his accent is on God speaking His promises and commands to everyone in that covenant, not just the elect whom we cannot know with certainty.

The setting is quite polemical. Schilder is obviously arguing against another side in a debate. The other side is saying that if we talk about conditions in the covenant of grace, we make it a legalistic, works-based thing, which Paul was talking about and rejecting in Galatians. Schilder rejects this:

“If it is true that we are letting the covenant become a preaching of laws or a theory of morals, then [their] allegation is entirely just. Both groups are hollowing out the covenant: those who preach the promise and shove the demand into the background, and those who because of the demand neglect the sweet music of the promise; both have slipped away from the covenant” (pg 10).

We must “let God speak in a conditional manner” (12).

Schilder asserts at the same time, the confessional doctrines of grace and election. “Any good that comes from me is God’s gift and is from Him alone! Yet we must speak of conditions: I will not receive it if I do not comply with the demand – faith is the first demand” (13).

This was only a short speech. I plan to tackle Christ and Culture next.

The only publishing information in the hard copy is as follows:
Printed in Canada.
Translated by T. vanLaar, 1992



View all my reviews