Kingdom Through Covenant Second Edition

Kingdom through Covenant is a careful exposition of how the biblical covenants unfold and relate to one another—a widely debated topic, critical for understanding the narrative plot structure of the whole Bible. By incorporating the latest available research from the ancient Near East and examining implications of their work for Christology, ecclesiology, eschatology, and hermeneutics, scholars Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum present a thoughtful and viable alternative to both covenant theology and dispensationalism. This second edition features updated and revised content, clarifying key material and integrating the latest findings into the discussion.

The Bible records a number of covenants that God made with his people. However, rather than merely abstract ideas for theologians and scholars to study, the covenants in Scripture hold the key to understanding the Bible’s overarching story and message. In God’s Kingdom through God’s Covenants, two world-class scholars offer readers an engaging snapshot of how God has chosen to lovingly relate to his people in history, tracing the significance of the concept of “covenant” through both the Old and New Testaments. Explaining the differences between covenant theology and dispensationalism while offering a thoughtful alternative to both, this book ultimately highlights the covenantal framework through which God has promised to remain faithful to his people.

Building on the foundation of Kingdom through Covenant (Crossway, 2012), Stephen J. Wellum and Brent E. Parker have assembled a team of scholars who offer a fresh perspective regarding the interrelationship between the biblical covenants. Each chapter seeks to demonstrate how the covenants serve as the backbone to the grand narrative of Scripture. For example, New Testament scholar Thomas Schreiner writes on the Sabbath command from the Old Testament and thinks through its applications to new covenant believers. Christopher Cowan wrestles with the warning passages of Scripture, texts which are often viewed by covenant theologians as evidence for a "mixed" view of the church. Jason DeRouchie provides a biblical theology of “seed” and demonstrates that the covenantal view is incorrect in some of its conclusions. Jason Meyer thinks through the role of law in both the old and new covenants. John Meade unpacks circumcision in the OT and how it is applied in the NT, providing further warrant to reject covenant theology's link of circumcision with (infant) baptism. Oren Martin tackles the issue of Israel and land over against a dispensational reading, and Richard Lucas offers an exegetical analysis of Romans 9-11, arguing that it does not require a dispensational understanding. From issues of ecclesiology to the warning passages in Hebrews, this book carefully navigates a mediating path between the dominant theological systems of covenant theology and dispensationalism to offer the reader a better way to understand God’s one plan of redemption.

A team of world-renowned scholars explores on what grounds and to what extent the New Testament shapes and prescribes Christian theology.

This fresh assessment of covenant theology may represent the first book-length examination of the structural relationships of the Old Testament covenants. Tremper Longman, a professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, describes The Covenants of Promise as “a marvelously written and profound book which deals with some of the most crucial issues in biblical theology.” “The significance of The Covenants of Promise,” writes the author, “is in its application of the structure of the covenants to biblical theology. . . . The division of the Old Testament covenants into the categories ‘promissory’ and ‘administrative’ is unique in the literature on the covenants.” This complex “bi-covenantal” structure within which God disposes of the inheritance promised to his people becomes discernible in the biblical text through a sound application of proper exegetical theology. The textual evidence leads one to question the way some tenets of traditional covenant theology have been expressed, but not the tenets themselves. The author first explores the promise in its Old and New Testament settings. He deals with the way in which the promise is expressed in the major covenants, devoting considerable space to the law in the teachings of Jesus and Paul. Next he argues that the promise covenant is eternally valid and that circumcision, the law, and the new covenant are “administrative covenants.” Finally he examines the implications of this structure for biblical theology. Selected topics are the redemptive relationship between Father and Son, the covenant of works, law and grace, and the relationship between the testaments.

The divine inspiration of Scripture may be confidently affirmed from Paul's epistles. However, it is hard to find such an explicit approach from Jesus and the Gospels. In this NSBT volume, Matthew Barrett argues that Jesus and the apostles have just as convictional a doctrine of Scripture as Paul or Peter, but it will only be discovered if the Gospels are read within their own canonical horizon and covenantal context.

A thorough study that traces the kingdom program from Genesis to Revelation, relating the various biblical covenants.

“Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.” —Genesis 17:4 Throughout the Bible, God has related to his people through covenants. It is through these covenant relationships, which collectively serve as the foundation for God’s promise to bring redemption to his people, that we can understand the advancement of his kingdom. This book walks through six covenants from Genesis to Revelation, helping us grasp the overarching narrative of Scripture and see the salvation God has planned for us since the beginning of time—bolstering our faith in God and giving us hope for the future. Part of the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series.

The kingdom of God and the atonement are two of the most important themes in all of Scripture. Tragically, theologians have often either set the two at odds or focused on one to the complete neglect of the other. In The Crucified King, Jeremy Treat demonstrates that Scripture presents a mutually enriching relationship between the kingdom and atonement that draws significantly from the story of Israel and culminates in the crucifixion of Christ the king. As Israel’s messiah, he holds together the kingdom and the cross by bringing God’s reign on earth through his atoning death. The kingdom is the ultimate goal of the cross, and the cross is the means by which the kingdom comes. Jesus’ death is not the failure of his messianic ministry, nor simply the prelude to his royal glory, but is the apex of his kingdom mission. The cross is the throne from which he rules and establishes his kingdom. Using a holistic approach that brings together the insights of biblical and systematic theology, this book demonstrates not only that the kingdom and the cross are inseparable, but how they are integrated in Scripture and theology.

God has always dealt with his people through the covenant, yet covenant theology from a Baptist perspective is a teaching that is all too often neglected. Many Baptists don't know why they are Baptist. If questioned they are most likely to respond by alluding to the mode of baptism rather than its underlying theology. This book is easily accessible, providing the reader with a clear understanding of the historical Baptist position. The work points out the errors inherent in the Reformed paedobaptist paradigm, and seeks to show that the only covenant of grace is the new covenant in Christ.