This study explores the Shepherd Controversy (1975-1982) and the contemporary debate on covenant and justification by faith from the perspectives of historical, systematic, and biblical theology. The distinctive contribution lies in the identification that the Shepherd Controversy as a logical outcome of rejecting the distinction between Law and Gospel at Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. The larger problem is that Norman Shepherd and other associated theologians reject the distinction between Law and Gospel, injecting their monocovenantalism into the theologies of Calvin, the Westminster Standards, and Murray. The result has been hermeneutical and theological confusion among some of the followers of the Union with Christ School scholars. Reformed theonomists (led by Greg Bahnsen), Auburn Avenue theologians, and pastors are also monocovenantalists and have been influenced by the Union with Christ School scholars directly and indirectly. Their common denominator is the rejection of the distinction between Law and Gospel in their analysis and understanding of covenant and justification by faith. Having been influenced by the Union with Christ School scholars at Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia, some scholars began to adopt the hermeneutics and theology of the New Perspective on Paul, which is anti-Reformational and anti-Pauline. The adaptation of the New Perspective on Paul among some of the followers of the Union with Christ School is a logical step because both of them reject the distinction between Law and Gospel, which was a key hermeneutical and theological tool during the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation against the background of the medieval legalistic religion.

Covenant: A Vital Element of Reformed Theology provides a multi-disciplinary reflection on the theme of the covenant, from historical, biblical-theological and systematic-theological perspectives. The interaction between exegesis and dogmatics in the volume reveals the potential and relevance of this biblical motif. It proves to be vital in building bridges between God’s revelation in the past and the actual question of how to live with him today.

This book is the printed form of a Doctoral Dissertation, the focus of the Paper is the application of Ancient Near East covenant principles to exegesis of New Testament Scriptures. This is an important work, for such application demonstrates many fallacies within currently held to Reformed Theology. Application of covenant principles to interpretation of New Testament Scripture is a more complete hermeneutic than what the Reformers had, and must be incorporated into the modern codified set of Biblical Hermeneutics. Because the New Testament is not a testament but a covenant modeled after ANE covenants, understanding what a covenant is and how a covenant operates is paramount to a more complete and accurate set of interpretative rules for comprehending ancient documents. This work is no less important to preachers, teachers, scholars and theologians than is Mendenhall and Trumbull's seminal work on covenants, Kline's work on covenant law, or Sander's work on the law.

Much in the Church is being touted as biblical spiritual warfare, even to changing it from being spiritual to be geographical. This book critics spiritual warfare teaching, comparing it to the Bible and offers a biblically reasoned discussion on spiritual warfare.

Since biblical times, history is replete with promises made and promises broken. Pastors and teachers know the power of the covenant, and they know that understanding the concept of covenant is crucial to understanding Scripture. They also know that covenant theology provides the foundation for core Christian beliefs and that covenants in their historical context hold significance even today. But to laypeople and new Christians, the eternal implications of "cutting" a covenant with God can be complicating. God of Promise unwinds the intricacies of covenant theology, making the complex surprisingly simple and accessible to every reader. With keen understanding, careful scholarship, and insight, Michael Horton leads all believers toward a deeper understanding of crucial covenant concepts.