What is the "gospel" in OT according to the Calvinist?
Upvote:1
I think you imagine all who call themselves Calvinist are identical in beliefs. I call myself Calvinist in that I believe in TULIP, but am baptist, which means some Presbyterian Calvinists would say I am not truly Calvinist. It may be better just to go with asking what does scripture teach rather than what do certain people believe.
From the beginning God revealed that one day a Saviour would come: those whose hopes relied on that and walked with God as a consequence were saved. From the very moment Adam and Eve sinned God promised a Saviour, (Genesis 3:15), and showed that faith in sacrifice and a covering (of righteousness not our own) made us right with God (Genesis 3:21).
Job had faith in a coming Saviour and he believed he would one day see him with his own eyes; i.e. he believed death is not the end but he would be raised from the dead, a personal resurrection:
"For I know that my redeemer lives, and that he shall stand at last upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold and not another." (Job 19:25).
He is very emphatic, He believed God would one day become visible (i.e. would be made flesh) and, one day, after his death, he will be raised and shall see him.
As for Lydia and Cornelius, they were saved OT believers looking forward to the coming Messiah, with the Spirit in part, who received the fullness after hearing about our Lord Jesus.
Upvote:4
One has to treat the situation of men who lived prior to the coming of Christ a little differently to those of us who live in the new covenant age after the coming of Christ.
It is certainly true that only those who believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ having heard the message of the gospel are saved. However my understanding of reformed soteriology is that those who lived under the old covenant were also saved by faith, in exactly the same way as those of us who believe are now. Their faith was in the coming Messiah who was revealed to them in the types and shadows of the ceremonial law and the words of the prophets.
Noah and Job were certainly Christians because they trusted and believed in the God that revealed himself to them in their own time. Paul's argument in Romans 4 sets out to show that Abraham was saved by faith because he believed God's promises. Even though Christ had not yet come and his true nature and mission were still somewhat veiled, yet what was revealed to these old covenant believers was sufficient grounds for them to believe and be saved.
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