Every day the Church experiences the fruits and effects of Christ’s sitting down at the Father’s right hand; and the enemies of Christ, including Satan himself, whether they like it or not, marvel at it, and tremble.

Synopsis of a Purer Theology, Vol. 1, 325.

The covenant first was announced to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15. It was demonstrated with Noah, clarified with Abraham, perpetuated with Moses, refined with David, and most fully disclosed in the new covenant declared by the prophets and realized in Jesus Christ. Through all of these historic covenants, God has been gradually revealing both His redemption and His people’s need of it, even as He has been gathering His covenant people out of every generation until, at the consummation of the age, all of His people will have been gathered to Himself. For that reason, these historic covenants often are called covenantal administrations, because they are the means that God has used in history to administer the redemptive purposes of His covenant of grace. They progressively reveal the presence of God’s redeeming covenantal work in the lives of His people. That is the covenant of grace—the historical accomplishment, through covenantal administrations, of the redemptive glory of the counsel of peace. It is the eternal counsel of peace perforating time and creating the people of God.

STEPHEN G. MYERS, GOD TO US – COVENANT THEOLOGY IN SCRIPTURE, 147.

The covenant of grace is God’s eternal, sovereignly effective plan to create a people for Himself. Beginning in the eternal counsel of peace, the covenant of grace stretches forward to the consummation of the age, all the while accomplishing the redemptive ingathering of the people of God. It is the account of this covenant of grace that constitutes the majority of the task of covenant theology.

STEPHEN G. MYERS, GOD TO US – COVENANT THEOLOGY IN SCRIPTURE, 147.

The language of Scripture is the best language to express God’s mind. But it does not follow from this that it is the best language to express my mind, even although I may mean to express to another man, so that there shall be no misunderstanding between us, the very same truths which God has expressed. With the change in the meaning of language which takes place from age to age,—with the different interpretations actually put upon the terms of Scripture by multitudes,—with the various and even opposite senses which reason, or prejudice, or error has made to be associated with its phraseology; the very words of the Bible may not be the best words to declare my mind and belief to another man, so that betwixt him and me there shall be no equivocation, or reservation, or guile…. The Church may take the Bible into its hand, and hold it up to the view of the world as the one profession of its faith; but in doing so it is merely exhibiting the mind of God, not declaring its own.

James Bannerman, Church of Christ , 1:297–98

You begin at the wrong end if you first dispute about your election. Prove your conversion, and then never doubt your election.

Joseph Alleine, A Sure Guide to Heaven , originally published as An Alarm to the Unconverted, in a Serious Treatise (1671 ; repr., Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1989 ), 30.

This glory of Christ as Head is not merely in name only, but it is also accompanied by power and rule over all creatures.

Synopsis of a Purer Theology, 323.

But Christ’s Church has a twofold state, the one of grace and the other of glory in the future, we should distinguish the current government of the Church from the one that is to come. For in this life Christ rules his Church through the intervening agencies of ecclesiastical administration by faithful pastors, and he protects it by the administration of devout political magistrates.

Synopsis of a Purer Theology, 303.

If the New Testament authors cannot serve as a model for our use of the Bible, then what model are we left with?

RYAN M. MCGRAW, BY GOOD AND NECESSARY CONSEQUENCE, 69.

When a man or woman is converted and joins the church, it is not likely that he or she will immediately understand doctrines such as the two natures of Christ or the Trinity very well. He or she may have great confusion as to how to piece together what the Scriptures reveal concerning these doctrines. After all, it took the church several centuries in the face of much false teaching to define these doctrines precisely. Good teachers will teach people these doctrines and direct them to the Scriptures in which they must be found. Learning the doctrines of Scripture is like learning a new language. Through a gradual process, what was once foreign or obscure gradually becomes clear and easy through use.

RYAN M. MCGRAW, BY GOOD AND NECESSARY CONSEQUENCE, 65.

The role of reason is not to create theology from reading Scripture. Reason is a necessary tool that is used to receive the doctrines already stated and implied in the Holy Word of God.

RYAN M. MCGRAW, BY GOOD AND NECESSARY CONSEQUENCE, 63.