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Reformed Reform is beneficial change Reform may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine *''Reforme'' ("Reforms"), initial name of the ...
theology, covenant succession is the idea that the children of believers "are expected to succeed in the faith of their parents, and this is accomplished through the divinely ordained means of covenant nurture." Other terms used are covenant expectation, children in the covenant, and practical covenant theology. Robert S. Rayburn describes it as the idea that "the purpose of God that his saving grace run in the lines of generations".


History

In a 1996 article, Robert S. Rayburn argued that covenant succession was held by
John Calvin John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...
, and other reformers such as Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger. It became the "historic doctrine of the Presbyterian church," appearing in documents such as the '' Directory for Public Worship''. According to Lewis Bevens Schenck, the doctrine was abandoned under the influence of revivalism. In the 19th century, theologians such as
R. L. Dabney R. or r. may refer to: * ''Reign'', the period of time during which an Emperor, king, queen, etc., is ruler. * '' Rex'', abbreviated as R., the Latin word meaning King * ''Regina'', abbreviated as R., the Latin word meaning Queen * or , abbreviat ...
and J. H. Thornwell held that "baptized covenant children were to be presumed unsaved until they gave evidence of the new birth." Rayburn lamented that in 1996, "the doctrine of covenant succession with its various parts and implications has been largely in eclipse."Rayburn, "Presbyterian Doctrines," p. 87. However, Rayburn's article proved to be influential, and in 2004 Benjamin K. Wikner described him as "the modern patriarch of covenant succession thinking," In 2011, Adam Harwood suggested that the idea was "common in present-day Reformed churches".


Biblical support

Adam Harwood notes that the doctrine of covenant succession is derived from the statement
1 Corinthians The First Epistle to the Corinthians ( grc, Α΄ ᾽Επιστολὴ πρὸς Κορινθίους) is one of the Pauline epistles, part of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and a co-aut ...
7:14 that the children of believers are "holy". Rayburn also appeals to
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
17:7 ("I will be a God to you and to your descendants after you"), and argues that "it is emphatically clear from
Deuteronomy Deuteronomy ( grc, Δευτερονόμιον, Deuteronómion, second law) is the fifth and last book of the Torah (in Judaism), where it is called (Hebrew: hbo, , Dəḇārīm, hewords Moses.html"_;"title="f_Moses">f_Moseslabel=none)_and_th ...
to
Proverbs A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic speech, formulaic language. A proverbial phra ...
to Ephesians that nurture, not evangelism, is the paradigm of childrearing in the covenant home".


Applications

Rayburn argues that the doctrine of covenant succession implies that evangelism should make a distinction "between the church's children and those outside of the community of faith", that Christian parents should be charged with "responsibility for the unbelief of their children," and that parental nurture should be included "in the treatment of the
means of grace The means of grace in Christian theology are those things (the ''means'') through which God gives grace. Just what this grace entails is interpreted in various ways: generally speaking, some see it as God blessing humankind so as to sustain and emp ...
."Rayburn, "Presbyterian Doctrines," p. 91.


See also

*
Covenant theology Covenant theology (also known as covenantalism, federal theology, or federalism) is a conceptual overview and interpretive framework for understanding the overall structure of the Bible. It uses the theological concept of a covenant as an organ ...
* Half-Way Covenant * Presumptive regeneration


References

{{reflist, 2 Calvinist theology Christian terminology