Initial Considerations - Covenant and Biblical Theology

Covenant is a core theme in the Scriptures, even as God's actions and interactions in the world are most often set within explicit covenant arrangements. Both of the major theological systems (Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism) recognize the importance of covenant (and the individual covenants) in the redemptive history, yet they fall short precisely because they are organized systems, and the Scripture doesn't present a system, but a storyline culminating with the Messiah and messianic work. The scriptural text itself, on its own terms and according to its own concerns, is the only valid lens for examining the concept of covenant and the various expressions of it in the Bible. This is the task of Biblical Theology.