# Announcement: Launched new website on Covenant Theology



## JTB.SDG (Apr 1, 2018)

Guys,

This has been a long time coming. I've been studying the covenants for 4 years as I've been putting together an in-depth course on covenant theology for local pastors here. I feel these materials can also bless others. I've created a site and now it's up and ready. Please have a look and offer any feedback. If you are blessed by it, please tell others too. Here it is: www.ruinandredemption.com

Reactions: Like 6 | Edifying 1


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## Cedarbay (Apr 1, 2018)

I like the name and look of your website and will plan to spend time there this week. What a great work, Jon.

Reactions: Like 1


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## arapahoepark (Apr 1, 2018)

Bookmarked. Can't wait to dive in!


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## Stephen L Smith (Apr 1, 2018)

arapahoepark said:


> Can't wait to dive in!


I would not recommend this for a Paedobaptist. You see the expression "dive in" implies Baptist quantities of water

Reactions: Funny 6


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## arapahoepark (Apr 1, 2018)

Stephen L Smith said:


> I would not recommend this for a Paedobaptist. You see the expression "dive in" implies Baptist quantities of water


Oh you!
Go jump in the deep end of a pool!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## ccravens (Apr 2, 2018)

Looking forward to diving in to this.
Thanks very much.


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## Stephen L Smith (Apr 2, 2018)

arapahoepark said:


> Oh you!
> Go jump in the deep end of a pool!


Well my friend, I do have scriptural support “Surely you also are _one_ of them [a Baptist], for your speech betrays you.” Matt 26:73. You not only talked about "diving in", but then you told me to "jump in the deep end of a pool"  Now if you are a true paedobaptist you would have told me "go sprinkle yourself"  

If you want to punish me  I said I am actually questioning my Reformed Baptist beliefs in another post to feel free to challange my argument https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/wcf-verses-1689-confession-on-covenant-theology.95269/


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## deleteduser99 (Apr 2, 2018)

Brother, I can hardly wait to read all you’ve got on here!


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## arapahoepark (Apr 2, 2018)

Stephen L Smith said:


> Well my friend, I do have scriptural support “Surely you also are _one_ of them [a Baptist], for your speech betrays you.” Matt 26:73. You not only talked about "diving in", but then you told me to "jump in the deep end of a pool"  Now if you are a true paedobaptist you would have told me "go sprinkle yourself"
> 
> If you want to punish me  I said I am actually questioning my Reformed Baptist beliefs in another post to feel free to challange my argument https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/wcf-verses-1689-confession-on-covenant-theology.95269/


Sprinkle youself in the deep end of the baptismal!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## JTB.SDG (Apr 2, 2018)

Stephen L Smith said:


> Now if you are a true paedobaptist you would have told me "go sprinkle yourself"



Correction, a true paedobaptist would tell you to "go have yourself sprinkled." The sprinkling must be done by a minister of the gospel, lawfully ordained


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## JTB.SDG (Apr 2, 2018)

Thanks so much guys for the encouragement.


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## Stephen L Smith (Apr 2, 2018)

JTB.SDG said:


> Correction, a true paedobaptist would tell you to "go have yourself sprinkled." The sprinkling must be done by a minister of the gospel, lawfully ordained


Very true. I stand corrected


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## aadebayo (Apr 2, 2018)

I have downloaded the material and will be diving in from time to time. Thanks very much for this.


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## LaurenC (Apr 2, 2018)

JTB.SDG said:


> Guys,
> 
> This has been a long time coming. I've been studying the covenants for 4 years as I've been putting together an in-depth course on covenant theology for local pastors here. I feel these materials can also bless others. I've created a site and now it's up and ready. Please have a look and offer any feedback. If you are blessed by it, please tell others too. Here it is: www.ruinandredemption.com


Really good looking graphics. I'll pass it on in places where I can 

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk


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## RBachman (Apr 3, 2018)

Well done. Looking forward to going through it.


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## Stephen L Smith (Apr 3, 2018)

JTB.SDG said:


> I've been studying the covenants for 4 years as I've been putting together an in-depth course on covenant theology for local pastors here. I feel these materials can also bless others. I've created a site and now it's up and ready. Please have a look and offer any feedback.


Jon, just had a skim through it and it looks great. You quote my favourite theologians - both Dutch and Puritan - so that is a bonus. I have decided to do a formal study for myself. I also like how you add additional material for further study.

I note there is nothing there on both the Davidic Covenant and the New Covenant so I assume this is still a work in progress?

A suggestion for your material on the new covenant. Given that reformed Baptists use the new covenant as an argument to defend a reformed Baptist covenant theology, it may be helpful to interact with key reformed Baptist writings on this. The best two I know of are "From Shadow to Substance: The Federal Theology of the English Particular Baptists" by Sam Renihan https://www.amazon.com/dp/1907600310/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_ZDVQAbX27KRB8 and "Recovering a Covenantal Heritage: Essays in Baptist Covenant Theology" by Richard Barcellos https://www.amazon.com/Recovering-C...r=1-1&keywords=recovering+covenantal+heritage. There is also A.W. Pink's "The Divine Covenants".

Finally, I saw a picture of you on the webpage on a bike transporting your covenant family in a carriage. In these days of pollution and global warming, were you making a suggestion for Christians to get back to a "covenant with nature"?


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## JTB.SDG (Apr 3, 2018)

Stephen,

Thanks so much for your encouragement. I did try intentionally to more or less keep it simple and straightforward up top, but include a lot of quotes and further thoughts in the footnotes from the Puritans and others. This was both to show that none of these thoughts are new on the one hand, and also to give people some access to materials most wouldn't have readily accessible. 

Yes, the course is still being written. I still need to write the lessons on the Covenant with David and the New Covenant. And there is also an initial introduction lesson that I've written but still need to edit; so Lord willing there will be 9 lessons when it's all said and done (unless the new covenant takes 2).

Good thoughts on the New Covenant. And FYI, I do interact a bit with Jeremiah 31 in particular in The Covenant with Sinai PART 2, on pages 11-12 ("Effect"), and also especially have a lengthy footnote on that passage on page 13. 

Thanks again,

JB


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## Stephen L Smith (Apr 4, 2018)

JTB.SDG said:


> Good thoughts on the New Covenant.


Just a follow up re my comments on Sam Renihan, he is widely regarded in reformed Baptist circles as one of their very best covenant theologians. So I think interacting with his book would be insightful. Here is a lecture he gave summarising his view of Baptist covenant theology. It will give you an idea of how he treats the new covenant.

I am sure you have Dr Pratt's article on the new covenant. This article helped me to see the fallacy of the Baptist view of the new covenant; it has been widely praised on the Puritanboard.


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## JTB.SDG (Apr 5, 2018)

Stephen L Smith said:


> Just a follow up re my comments on Sam Renihan, he is widely regarded in reformed Baptist circles as one of their very best covenant theologians. So I think interacting with his book would be insightful. Here is a lecture he gave summarising his view of Baptist covenant theology. It will give you an idea of how he treats the new covenant.
> 
> I am sure you have Dr Pratt's article on the new covenant. This article helped me to see the fallacy of the Baptist view of the new covenant; it has been widely praised on the Puritanboard.



Thanks Stephen


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