Covenant Theology: A Baptist Introduction

What is Covenant Theology?

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Covenant Reformed Progressive New Covenant Progressive Modified Classic

Baptist (1689) Covenantalism Theology Dispensationalism

Termionlogy

New Covenant

(cf. )

One People

(esp. 3:26–29)

Two Adams

(cf. )

Fulfilled Hope

(cf. , )

,

;

Termionlogy

What is Covenant Theology?

Broadly: A way of understanding the relationship of the various parts of the Bible, and the development of the plan of redemption from creation to new creation.

Formally: The manner in which the Reformed put the Bible together in 16th and 17th centuries

This usually refers to: Presbyterians and Continental Reformed

What are the three broad covenants?

Covenant of

The Covenants of Redemption, Works, and Grace

Covenant: “A declaration of [God’s] sovereign pleasure concerning the benefits he will bestow on them, the communion they will have with him, and the way and means by which this will be enjoyed by them.” –Nehemiah Coxe (17th Century Baptist)

Covenant of Redemption: The trinitarian will to redeem man, from the Father through the Son by the Holy Spirit. The Father sends the Son and gives to the Son a people. The Son is from the Father and, in his human nature, obeys as the second Adam. The Holy Spirit unites the elect to the Son in justification and conforms them to him through sanctification and glorification.

Covenant of Works (also called “Covenant of Creation”): The covenant between God and Adam, and those in Adam, in which eternal life was promised upon obedience and certain death was threatened upon disobedience.

Covenant of Grace: The outworking of the covenant of redemption in time. In Reformed covenant theology, the covenant of man with God across time, taking various shapes depending on the era. In Baptist covenant theology, though promised in and progressively revealed in the old covenant, a proper covenant ratified in the incarnation.

Dispensation: An epoch of time characterized by a particular way in which God deals with man. In dispensationalism these are siloed epochs while in covenant theology they are progressive.

Millennium: The thousand-year reign of Christ in which Satan is bound (). Dispensationalists universally agree that this comes after the present age. All other forms of covenant theology vary in their placement of the millennium.

People of God: Covenant theology (both paedobaptist and credobaptist) believes it includes Jews and Gentiles as one people. Dispensationalism has held to either two peoples (classical and modified) or a distinction in the one people (progressive).

Key Passages

New Covenant

(cf. )

One People

(esp. 3:26–29)

Two Adams

(cf. )

Fulfilled Hope

(cf. , )

,

;

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Covenant Reformed Baptist Progressive Covenantalism New Covenant Progressive Modified Classic

Baptist (1689) Covenantalism Theology Dispensationalism