2. The Covenantal Context. Next, we must study a passage in its covenantal context—that is, how it fits in God’s sovereign, unfolding purposes, “which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph. 1:9–10). God’s covenants mark how he personally deals with humanity, and his covenants culminate in the new covenant in Christ.4 God’s revelation progresses because his redemptive purposes develop and unfold as he leads