Jeff Meyers writes:

13. Related to the last point, the Report claims that Christ’s work “satisfied the covenant of works.” But where is this in the Westminster Standards? Not one of the citations listed in the Report prove such a link. Of course, Jesus had to perfectly obey the Father and did so. And his work does fulfill the calling and duties of Adam. All this is true and no FV man denies it. My concern here again is that the Westminster Standards have been misused. The references they list to prove that Christ had to satisfy the covenant of works (WLC 20, 32; WCF 3.5, 7.2, 11.1; WSC 12) do not say what the Report claims.

Nowhere in here is there a denial that Christ fulfilled the Covenant of Works. Perhaps the statement about fulfilling “the calling and duties of Adam” is an affirmation of it. But it doesn’t matter. What you believe the Bible teaches (as the Committee has established up front) is not relevant here. What is at issue is that the Westminster Standards do not and affirm what the committee report says they affirm. Thus, the committee report contains untruths that the GA must not ratify.

The report claims: “Likewise, the Confession draws a line from the conditions of the covenant of works to the obedience and satisfaction of Jesus Christ, teaching us that it is not our faith or faithfulness but Christ’s work which satisfies the covenant of works (LC 20, 32, WCF 3.5, 7.2, 11.1, SC 12).”

Here are the references. Which ones state or even imply that Jesus Christ fulfilled the Covenant of Works?:

LC Q. 20. What was the providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created?
A. The providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created, was the placing him in paradise, appointing him to dress it, giving him liberty to eat of the fruit of the earth; putting the creatures under his dominion, and ordaining marriage for his help; affording him communion with himself; instituting the Sabbath; entering into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience, of which the tree of life was a pledge; and forbidding to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.

LC Q. 32. How is the grace of God manifested in the second covenant?
A. The grace of God is manifested in the second covenant, in that he freely provideth and offereth to sinners a mediator, and life and salvation by him; and requiring faith as the condition to interest them in him, promiseth and giveth his Holy Spirit to all his elect, to work in them that faith, with all other saving graces; and to enable them unto all holy obedience, as the evidence of the truth of their faith and thankfulness to God, and as the way which he hath appointed them to salvation.

WCF 3.5. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen, in Christ, unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith, or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving him thereunto; and all to the praise of his glorious grace.

WCF 7.2. The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam; and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience.

WCF 11.1. Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth: not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ’s sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness, by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.

WSC Q. 12. What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the estate wherein he was created?
A. When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.

The committee reiterates this claim with a few more citations:

Christ’s work (active and passive,preceptive and penal, perfect and personal, obedience and satisfaction) fulfills the conditions of the covenant of works (WCF 8.5, 11.1, 3, 19.6), and thus secures a just and righteous redemption that is at the same time freely offered and all of grace.

So here are the new ones:

WCF 8.5. The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience, and sacrifice of himself, which he, through the eternal Spirit, once offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father; and purchased, not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto him.

WCF 19.6. Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified, or condemned; yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others; in that, as a rule of life informing them of the will of God, and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly; discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts, and lives; so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin, together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of his obedience. It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin: and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve; and what afflictions, in this life, they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law. The promises of it, in like manner, show them God’s approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof: although not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works. So as, a man’s doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourageth to the one, and deterreth from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law; and, not under grace.

Now these are all great statements and they should be believed and taught, but conspicuous by its absence is any affirmation in them, either directly or by implication, that Christ fulfilled the covenant of works. In fact, the most natural reading of the Confession would dictate that Christ fulfilled the natural justice of God that predates the covenant of works:

WCF 7.1. The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God’s part, which he hath been pleased to express by way of covenant.

Christ took upon himself the curse of death that was imposed for violating the covenant, but there is no reason from the confession to think this constitutes fulfilling the Covenant of Works.

I remind readers how all the Klineans, and the committee report itself (though they make you read carefully), depends on the fact that 7.1 does not use the word “grace”–in defiance of the overwhelming consensus to the contrary throughout the Reformed world at that time and earlier. The WCF is treated, when it suits people, as a very precise document stating exactly what we are to affirm. But then, time and again, material not found within light years of the Confession is boldly asserted with citations that say nothing of the kind.

• 30 Reasons Why It Would be Unwise for the PCA General Assembly to Adopt the Federal Vision Study Report and Its Recommendations (PDF, HTML).