# Reformed Baptist Covenant Theology



## 5 Solas (Jan 3, 2005)

How does the Reformed Baptist view of the Covenant of Grace differ from the traditional Reformed view of the Covenant of Grace. 
Are their any threads that have already touched on this.
thank you


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## PuritanCovenanter (Jan 3, 2005)

I would be very interested in this answer also. The only difference that I have found is who is considered to be a covenant member in the New Covenant. In other words, who should receive the right of baptism. Credo vs. Paedo. 

I am very interested in hearing this answer. 

For Christ's Crown and Covenant, Randy


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## Ivan (Jan 3, 2005)

I concur.


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## blhowes (Jan 3, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Heidelberg_
> How does the Reformed Baptist view of the Covenant of Grace differ from the traditional Reformed view of the Covenant of Grace.
> Are their any threads that have already touched on this.
> thank you


Here's one that touches on it a little bit:

http://www.puritanboard.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=3049#pid35513


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## Philip A (Jan 3, 2005)

The Covenant Theology of confessional Reformed Baptists stands on two legs, both somewhat independent of the other. The first is the nature of the New Covenant (Jer 31/Heb 8-10), and the second is the nature of the Abrahamic Covenant. The former has been the focus of the most recent confessional Reformed Baptist scholarship, and is best illustrated in the work of Greg Welty, James White, and Sam Waldron. The latter was the approach of the early particular Baptists, and is best illustrated by the work of Nehemiah Coxe (one of the chief architects of the 1677/1689 Confession, and - though he was strictly speaking an Anglican Antipaedobaptist "“ John Tombes. During the Puritan era Tombes wrote more on the issue of baptism than any other writer in the history of the Church.

The recent work has focused on such issues as the "œnewness" and unbreakable nature of the New Covenant, and the exclusively regenerate makeup of the New Covenant community (as Randy has mentioned). You can read up on that from Welty HERE, White HERE (but only an excerpt), and Waldron HERE.

The historical case for Reformed Baptist Covenant Theology has been made by drawing a distinction between the "œCovenant of Grace made with Abraham" and the "œCovenant of Circumcision made with Abraham" (this is the terminology used by Nehemiah Coxe, Tombes make the same distinction but uses the terms "œGospel Covenant" and "œCivil Covenant". Presbyterians and other Reformed folks tend to regard God´s covenant dealings with Abraham as one whole, and interpret this whole as setting the pattern for all subsequent administrations of the CoG. The confessional Reformed Baptist, on the other hand, would ask the question, "œwhich Abrahamic Covenant?", because they see a distinction between the actual administration of the CoG with Abraham and a physical, typological covenant in which the truths of the CoG are reflected in types and shadows.

Because the return to Reformed Baptist theology is a relatively recent occurrence, many of the historical sources for RB Covenant Theology are still being rediscovered and reprinted. Tombes has resurfaced in the doctoral work of Michael Renihan and can be found HERE, and Nehemiah Coxe´s _Discourse Concerning the Covenants_ is soon to be reprinted by Reformed Baptist Academic Press alongside John Owen´s work from Hebrews HERE.

The next issue of the Reformed Baptist Theological Review will deal with the issue of Paedobaptism, and hence Covenant Theology, head on. It should be available shortly HERE.


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## Theological Books (Jan 13, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Heidelberg_
> How does the Reformed Baptist view of the Covenant of Grace differ from the traditional Reformed view of the Covenant of Grace.



I do not believe anyone could express it more succinctly than Philip A, except maybe James Renihan. 

Unfortunately, there is no one codified covenant theology for LBC 1689 Baptists, much like there isn't one codified view for WCF presbyterians and Three Forms of Unity Dutch-reformed.

Personally, I agree with Nehemiah Cox regarding Genesis 15 and Genesis 17. However, I believe Genesis 15 is an allusion to the covenant of redemption (the Son himself walked through the animals in Gen 15, foreshadowing the cross, in my humble opinion), which necessarily implies the covenant of grace, though. That being said, I think the COG is more of a theologomenon, or helpful theological construct. I think it is proper to speak of it, and it is a necessary category.

The "rub" is the nature of the various administrative covenants in relation to the covenant of grace. This also has implications regarding the church visible/church invisible. Reformed Baptists will teach only the regenerate are "in" the New Covenant. I, as a Reformed Baptist, disagree with this. I, as a Reformed Baptist, also take a strict Klinian view of the Mosaic Covenant, which is something many have not decided upon.

What is imperative regarding the RB CT is that ONLY the elect are in the covenant of grace, with which I agree. There is no "in but not of" distinction as highlighted by Bavink.


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