biblelighthouse
Puritan Board Junior
How can Baptists consider themselves \"Covenant Theologians\"?
This point seems to keep popping up in discussions, so I figure it deserves a thread all to itself.
How exactly can a Baptist consider himself/herself a "Covenant Theologian"?
This question is not meant to be offensive in any way. It is a genuine question for which I do not have the answer. And it seems that a lot of other paedobaptists like me have this same question.
Here is my perspective:
Paedobaptists recognize OT/NT continuity . . . that the OT covenants were administrations of the overall Covenant of Grace, and that ALL the covenants between God and man include both the regenerate and unregenerate in covenant with God (including the covenant of works with Adam, the Noahic covenant, the Abrahamic covenant, etc.).
Paedobaptists recognize that 100% of OT Israelites were members of the Covenant of Grace, even though many of them were not elect.
It seems to me that baptists confuse the Covenant of Grace with the Covenant of Redemption, and fail to properly distinguish between the two. This leads to the fallacious idea that the Covenant of Grace is ONLY with the elect.
If baptists want to try to make this argument, then fine, let them do so. But in doing so, they reject Covenant Theology itself.
Why would baptists want to *say* they believe in Covenant Theology, if they really do not believe in it, and only want to redefine it altogether?
Obviously, baptists DO NOT think they are doing this. Therefore, they must have some reason for thinking that they actually DO hold to Covenant Theology.
I just don't understand how that can be.
So, baptists on this board, please explain to me how it is that you believe you hold to Covenant Theology.
Again, I am not trying to be offensive at all. I am just trying to understand where you're coming from. I was baptistic for many years, but I NEVER claimed to believe in Covenant Theology during that time. My conversion to CT went right along with my conversion to paedobaptism.
Being a "Baptist Covenant Theologian" just sounds like a contradiction in terms to me.
So please help me understand how Reformed Baptists view Covenant Theology.
Thank you!
Your brother in Christ,
Joseph
[Edited on 7-5-2005 by biblelighthouse]
This point seems to keep popping up in discussions, so I figure it deserves a thread all to itself.
How exactly can a Baptist consider himself/herself a "Covenant Theologian"?
This question is not meant to be offensive in any way. It is a genuine question for which I do not have the answer. And it seems that a lot of other paedobaptists like me have this same question.
Here is my perspective:
Paedobaptists recognize OT/NT continuity . . . that the OT covenants were administrations of the overall Covenant of Grace, and that ALL the covenants between God and man include both the regenerate and unregenerate in covenant with God (including the covenant of works with Adam, the Noahic covenant, the Abrahamic covenant, etc.).
Paedobaptists recognize that 100% of OT Israelites were members of the Covenant of Grace, even though many of them were not elect.
It seems to me that baptists confuse the Covenant of Grace with the Covenant of Redemption, and fail to properly distinguish between the two. This leads to the fallacious idea that the Covenant of Grace is ONLY with the elect.
If baptists want to try to make this argument, then fine, let them do so. But in doing so, they reject Covenant Theology itself.
Why would baptists want to *say* they believe in Covenant Theology, if they really do not believe in it, and only want to redefine it altogether?
Obviously, baptists DO NOT think they are doing this. Therefore, they must have some reason for thinking that they actually DO hold to Covenant Theology.
I just don't understand how that can be.
So, baptists on this board, please explain to me how it is that you believe you hold to Covenant Theology.
Again, I am not trying to be offensive at all. I am just trying to understand where you're coming from. I was baptistic for many years, but I NEVER claimed to believe in Covenant Theology during that time. My conversion to CT went right along with my conversion to paedobaptism.
Being a "Baptist Covenant Theologian" just sounds like a contradiction in terms to me.
So please help me understand how Reformed Baptists view Covenant Theology.
Thank you!
Your brother in Christ,
Joseph
[Edited on 7-5-2005 by biblelighthouse]