Contents:
Chapter I. Revelation under the Old Covenant
1. The impossibility of direct revelation
2. God, in revealing Himself, adapts Himself to the capacity of man
3. Revelation as mediated through signs and symbols
4. Revelation as veiling and unveiling
5. Christ as the Mediator of all revelation
Chapter II. Revelation under the New Covenant
1. Revelation in Jesus Christ as the self-humiliation of God
2. The humanity of Jesus as the veil of God’s glory and majesty
3. God revealed in Jesus
(i) In certain aspects of His humanity
(ii) In His miracles
(iii) In His resurrection glory
(iv) His glory discernible only through faith
(v) His full glory known only hereafter
4. The Word and Sacraments as means of revelation
5. The Word and Sacraments as the mirror of the glory of God
Chapter III. Unity of Revelation-Unity of Substance
1. All Old Testament revelation a participation in Christ
2. True Christian experience mediated under the forms of the Old Covenant
3. Revelation under the New Covenant superior to that under the Old
(i) More rich and full
(ii) More vivid and distinct
(iii) More satisfying
(iv) More familiar
(v) More immediately substantial
(vi) More simple
Chapter IV. Unity of Revelation-Unity of Form
1. Calvin’s distinction between the form and content of revelation
2. Old Testament forms of revelation closely related to those of the New Testament
3. The form of Christ as foreshadowed in the Old Testament
(i) In the historical form of Israel
(ii) In individuals within Israel
(iii) In the political institutions of Israel
(iv) In the ritual of the law
(v) In signs and vision
(vi) The spiritual and eternal as foreshadowed in the material and temporal
4. Conclusion
Chapter V. The Uniqueness of Revelation
1. Christ as the only valid and satisfying source of revelation
2. The folly and ingratitude of turning from Christ to other supposed sources
3. The place of natural religion as a source of the knowledge of God
4. The place of the liberal arts and sciences as a source of the knowledge of God
5. The perversity of man’s mind as a barrier to any true knowledge of God outside of Christ
Chapter VI. The Place and Function of Word and Sign in the Event of Revelation under the Old Covenant
1. The use of word and sign
2. The word as interpreting the sign
3. The sign as confirming the word
4. The sign as testifying to the real presence of God
5. The sign as representing a spiritual gift
6. The sign as indicating the limits of man’s mind
Chapter VII. The Preached Word as the Word of God
1. Preaching as the Word of God
2. Preaching as a sign of the presence of God
3. Preaching as the instruments of Christ’s rule
4. The preached Word effective to accomplish its commands and promises
5. The preached Word effective only in the freedom and power of the Holy Spirit
6. The relationship between man’s speech and God’s Word
7. The preached Word effective to condemn where it is not received in faith
8. The twofold effect of the preached Word
Chapter VIII. The Written Word as the Word of God
1. Scripture as the only true source of the knowledge of Christ
2. Scripture as the sole authority in the life of the Church
3. The inner witness of the Holy Spirit as authenticating the authority of Scripture
4. A reverent approach to Scripture necessary
5. The unique origin of Scripture as a basis for its authority
Chapter IX. The Ministry as Interpretation of Scripture
1. The ministry of the Word as a gift to the Church
2. The authority of and effectiveness of the ministry dependent on divine calling
3. The responsibility and dangers of the office of minister of the Word
Chapter X. Man’s Openness to Revelation
1. Revelation apprehended only by faith
2. Faith as response to the Word of God
3. Faith as response to the promises of the Word
4. Faith as a gift of the Holy Spirit
5. The Spirit and the Word
6. The Word and faith
Chapter XI. The Sacraments of the New Covenant as Signs and Seals
1. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as sacraments of the New Covenant
2. The sacraments not valid or effectual apart from the Word
3. The sacraments as seals of the Word
4. The sacraments as representations of the Word
5. The sacraments as signs of man’s acceptance of God’s grace
Chapter XII. The Sacraments of the New Covenant as Signs of Union with the Body of Christ
1. Union with the body of Christ as the spiritual mystery figured in the sacraments
2. The necessity of this union
3. The reality of this union as sealed in the sacraments
4. The spiritual nature of this union effected by the power of the Holy Spirit
5. This union the basis of the Church
6. This union the pledge of eternal redemption
Chapter XIII. The Mystery of Sacramental Union
1. The sacraments effectual through the mystery of sacramental union
2. This union so close and intimate that the thing signified can be identified with the sign
3. This union so transcendent and freely personal that the thing signified must be regarded as distinct from the sign
4. No natural analogy for this union
5. The mystery of sacramental union paralleled by the mystery of the incarnation
6. The sacraments effectual only through the working of the Holy Spirit
7. The grace of the sacraments withheld from human arrogance
8. The effect of the sacraments independent of the preaching minister
Chapter XIV. Baptism as in Grafting into Christ
1. Baptism as a sign of introduction into a new sphere of common life in the body of Christ
2. Baptism as a sign of the mortification of the flesh and the forgiveness of sins
3. Baptism as a sign of renewal and adoption
4. Baptism as a sign of our separation from the world to God
Chapter XV. Baptism and Faith
1. Baptism inefficacious without faith
2. Where there is no faith present, the sign of Baptism can retain its latent efficacy till it becomes profitable
3. Baptism used by faith a powerful and practical means of grace
4. Baptism rightly used can cover the whole life of the Christian from infancy to death
5. A baptized person may be said to carry the seeds of future faith
6. Infant Baptism justified through the significance of being born within the Church
7. The possibility of early regeneration in children
Chapter XVI. The Lord’s Supper as Communion with Christ
1. The Word of institution to be interpreted according to sacramental usage
2. The gift communicated
3. The communication of the gift
(i) The body of Christ remains in heaven retaining all its human properties
(ii) Communion with the body of Christ is effected through the Holy Spirit
(iii) The flesh thus eaten in a spiritual manner
(iv) Christ present in a celestial manner
4. The reception of the gift
5. The Eucharistic sacrifice
Chapter XVII. Calvin’s Justification of his Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper
1. Calvin’s claims for his doctrine
(i) Clarity achieved
(ii) Mystery preserved
(iii) Absurdities avoided
(iv) Conformity with the rule of faith observed
(v) A true eschatological tension maintained
2. Calvin’s doctrine determined by his views on the nature of the sacraments
3. Calvin’s view of the ‘communication of properties’ in relation to his doctrine of the Lord’s Supper
Chapter XVIII. The Church as the Sphere of Sacramental Action
1. Word and sacraments committed to the Church
2. The use of the sacraments necessary to the health of the Church and its individual members
3. The celebration of the sacraments in the Church. The sacraments to be celebrated:
(i) In subordination to the Word
(ii) In simple and close adherence to the original form of institution
(iii) Without being obscured by other ceremonies
(iv) The Lord’s Supper to be celebrated frequently