04-Was Isaiah a Preparationist?

Isaiah knew how to address sinners with the gospel, and God has
left a record of him doing it. The prophet, therefore, is a very
useful guide for us: we have much to learn from him in this
important matter. Now was he a preparationist? That is the
question I wish to answer in this article.
This is not an academic matter. The Reformed tell us that we
cannot preach the gospel to sinners until we have preached the
law to them and so prepared them for Christ. In this they are
following John Calvin. And they are mistaken. Grievously, this
Reformed emphasis upon the necessity of preaching the law to
sinners to prepare them for Christ – preparationism – is a severe
hindrance to the free preaching of the gospel. So much so, I am
convinced that it is only those who act in accordance with new-
covenant principles who can reach full biblical freeness in their
addresses to sinners.