Kuyper's Common Grace #CG1.1 Chapter 2

Chapter 2. The Starting point of the doctrine of common grace

Surprisingly Kuyper begins his look at common grace not with Adam but with Noah and the Noahic covenant: "By means of that starting point with Noah, common grace, which began in Paradise acquired its more definite form".

He feels that the Noahic covenant, despite being the most detailed of the covenant in the scriptures, has been neglected and that too often we move too quickly to Abraham. The Noahic covenant has no hint of saving grace - there is no forgiveness or promise of eternal life.

Kuyper contrasts Noah with Adam. Noah, was the second progenitor of the human race, but was not the second head of our race, Noah, unlike Adam, was the fruit of himan procreation..

There are three upheavals mentioned in the Bible effected by the wrath of God: the fall, the flood and the Maranatha (the return of Jesus). The fall resulted on a curse, thorns, wild animals and Paradise vanished; in the flood water played a key role but there is now new conditions, which will remain until the Maranatha. The third catastrophe will be different in that the first two caused disaster but the third will bring restoration.

We are not given many details of the pre-flood condition of the earth other than that there was an increase in violence and people were living for long lives; only Noah's family were God fearing. The implication is that without God's intervention there would eventually be no church. God's intervention was common garce aquiring a definite form.