Because it is God’s revelation, everything in the Bible is true and trustworthy, and it is unified and coherent. DeRouchie … The problem seems to be that many self-professed covenant theologians are also advocates of credo-baptism. The destiny of the kingdom of God administered through Old Testament covenants reached its climax through the work of Christ in establishing the new covenant. The kingdom and covenant belong together. The review is written by Harrison Perkins. This entails that previous types in Scripture must be read in light of their subsequent, antitypical fulfillment. Therefore, Gentry and Wellum conclude, “God himself, as the covenant maker and keeper, must unilaterally act to keep his own promise through the provision of a faithful, obedient Son” (p. 668). £28.99/$45.00. While I have no complaints with their treatment of this text, closer attention to any number of NT texts likely would have served their purposes better. When we engage in biblical theology, we must approach the text in light of what it is, which is the very Word of God. This is part 2 of a two-part review of Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum, Kingdom Through Covenant (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012). It is best to begin with the theological point, for the authors have clearly indicated that this was their goal in writing the book. You are purchasing a digital product. Davidic Covenant: God establishes David as king over Israel and promises to make his name great. Christ is the goal and fulfillment of every covenant. It is only when Scripture is interpreted this way that a proper foundation is laid for systematic theology, which is the discipline that seeks to apply Scripture to every area of life. Peter J. Gentry (PhD, University of Toronto) is professor of Old Testament interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and director of the Hexapla Institute. Gentry and Wellum also claim that this way of reading the biblical story lines results in a “via media” between covenant theology and dispensationalism. It is critical to understand the interrelationship of the biblical covenants. The kingdom is established as God himself keeps both sides of … Because of this, I am concerned that many believers and even some pastors will be intimidated by the lengthy word studies, frequent scholarly citations, and references to German and French literature. The NT contains several key passages that hinge on reading covenants and Scripture canonically. Following Goldsworthy’s lead, Vaughan Roberts summarizes the concept of the kingdom as follows: “God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule and blessing.”7. God’s Kingdom through God’s Covenants is the abridged version of Gentry and Wellum’s magisterial 2012 work, Kingdom through Covenant. This book reveals the structure that supports the revelation of Gods message throughout time. There is a marked progression as the covenants build on one another and move towards Jesus. God’s unified plan is revealed in the unified Scriptures, but this unity progresses and develops until its culmination in Christ. . The question will be asked, why another commentary on Romans? God established the Mosaic covenant just after the prospect anticipated in … Proper biblical theology seeks to read Scripture as a divine revelation that progressively develops over and through time. As the authors demonstrate with careful attention to the exegetical details of every major covenant in the OT, all of the biblical covenants are in fact conditional. Kingdom through Covenant is an important book. Peter J. Gentry and Steven J. Wellum, Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012). “Kingdom through Covenant has helped me better understand the Bible as a continuous narrative. The remainder of this article is premium content. A canonical reading of texts is not optional but necessary. Close. In the coming kingdom of God, in the new covenant inaugurated through Jesusâ own sacrifice, there is no need for a temple in Jerusalem, or anyplace else for that matter. Thus biblical texts need to be read with a sensitivity to both their immediate context and to their location in God’s unfolding revelation (i.e. However, throughout the Bible, while God faithfully meets his covenant commitments, the human parties consistently fail to meet their obligations. Become a member The fundamental flaw of dispensationalism that Gentry and Wellum emphasize is insisting on the literal fulfillment of the land promises to the physical descendants of Abraham. It was formerly a print journal operated by RTSF/UCCF in the UK, and it became a digital journal operated by The Gospel Coalition in 2008. The first is theological and logical, and the second is exegetical and structural. Kingdom through Covenant is not a system-driven work, but a careful exposition of the covenants as key to the narrative plot structure of the whole Bible. In short, the authors see the biblical covenants as a means of fulfilling God's saving promises as outlined in previous covenants, with the goal of finally and fully establishing God's reign over his people. These covenants represent critical epochal developments, but their interrelationship demonstrates their centrality in one unified plotline. 146, 149, 156, 160), who through suffering have been given a clean heart (pp. God intends Scripture to be read canonically, with the key being the centrality and culmination that comes in Christ. The book maintains that God establishes his kingdom through the biblical covenants, all of which point forward to, terminate in, and are fulfilled by Jesus Christ. to continue reading. “Kingdom through Covenant is hermeneutically sensitive, exegetically rigorous, and theologically rich—a first-rate biblical theology that addresses both the message and structure of the whole Bible from the ground up. That is to say, paedo-baptist covenant theology does not recognize the extent to which the new covenant is presently fulfilled. While one could argue that these phenomena must go hand-in-glove, I am not convinced the authors have done this. The six major biblical covenants are the covenant with creation, Noah, Abraham, the covenant made at Sinai, the covenant with David, and the new covenant. The authors examine key issues of biblical and systematic theology, hermeneutics, and exegesis, all of which are necessary in order to come to a proper understanding of the significance of the covenants in God’s plan of redemption. One happy spot in it all, however,⦠Kingdom through Covenant, a biblical scholar and a theologian offer readers an accessible overview of the overarching structure of the Bible. While the authors do give space to the NT fulfillment of certain OT texts and themes, I was very surprised to find Eph4:15 as the only NT passage given its own chapter in a book that aims to present a biblical-theological understanding of the covenants. God not only acts in time and space, he interprets his saving acts for us in Scripture. The provisions of the covenant of David therefore form a broad platform for the eschatology of Israel embodied in the Davidic kingdom. Davidic Covenant. The Importance of Covenants in Grasping the Bible’s Story. Introduction: Kingdom Through Covenant is written by Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum who both serve at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.Gentry is professor of Old Testament Interpretation and Wellum is professor of Christian Theology. The strength of the book is in the way the issues are laid out in the first part of the book, as well as the summary and theological implications in the third part. 848 pp. Covenant theology and dispensationalism are two popular theological systems that disagree about how the covenants are related â this disagreement is not merely theoretical, but generates a host of practical entailments for Christian theology and practice. Kingdom Through Covenant presents a case for a via media between dispensationalism and covenant theology. God will raise up a Davidic descendant who will build a house for the Lord and his throne and kingdom will last forever. The New Covenant in Danielâs Seventy Weeks 15. Through them God gave the Scriptures and through them God has illustrated many of His attributes, especially those of His faithfulness, love, and righteousness. There is a marked progression as the covenants build on one another and move towards Jesus. Davidic Covenant – Unconditional The Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7) is an unconditional covenant. Summary . After all the groundwork and exegesis, the book closes with a discussion on the implications of this middle way. I have yet to read a better explanation of the conditional and unconditional aspects of all the biblical covenants. My suspicion is that such a treatment would have only strengthened the argument of this already outstanding exegetical study. The Bible itself presents an unfolding, unified plotline. Style: Block Imprint Script Imprint. In the OT, this sign was circumcision, and in the NT, it is baptism. Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum have produced a remarkable work. Given the long history of credo-baptist covenant theology, it seems that Gentry and Wellum are critiquing infant baptism more than covenant theology per se. The covenants are seen as the backbone for the metanarrative of Scripture. The kingdom is established as God himself keeps both sides of the covenant. The book is written with the conviction in mind that “biblical theology and systematic theology go hand in hand” (p. 11). Romans: Kingdom through Covenant, Part 1. 108, 125, 142) and thus keep God’s covenant by obeying his will (pp. Answer: The Davidic Covenant refers to Godâs promises to David through Nathan the prophet and is found in 2 Samuel 7 and later summarized in 1 Chronicles 17:11â14 and 2 Chronicles 6:16. Summary: In this abridgement of the groundbreaking book Kingdom through Covenant, a biblical scholar and a theologian offer readers an accessible overview of the overarching structure of the Bible. They are viewing the development of the covenants (the “s” is also an … Antioch School Hawai’i Because of this and other similar insights, few exegetical studies will lead you to worship as often as this book does. The foundation to this claim is that each of the two systems has a central tenet that is fundamentally flawed. This of course leads to the necessity of infant baptism. In other words, the kingdom is established through the progressive fulfillment of God's covenants. 13. If any editors from Crossway happen upon this review, I would like to make a suggestion: perhaps the most effective way to get this book into the hands of pastors in a readable and accessible way would be through publishing a condensation along the lines of the summary of Thomas Schreiner's Magnifying God in Christ: A Summary of New Testament Theology. OT covenants may contain elements of both. However, I am not persuaded that the mostly solid arguments against infant baptism constitute in and of themselves an argument against covenant theology. Understanding the plotline of Scripture demands an accurate understanding of the relationship and development of the covenants. Because of the fulfillment that is found in Christ, the relationship between the biblical covenants is marked by both continuity and discontinuity, tied largely to promises made and fulfilled. Peter Gentry and Steve Wellum have produced the most extensive study of the biblical covenants published in over a century, arguing for what they call Progressive Covenantalism, a middle-way between Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology. However, throughout the Bible, while God faithfully meets his covenant commitments, the human parties consistently fail to meet their obligations. In fact, it is somewhat ironic that this review falls under the heading of “New Testament,” at least in this journal, because the most glaring omission (at least to my NT eyes) is the lack of serious and sustained interaction with the key covenant texts in the NT. The book seeks to provide a third way between âcovenant theologyâ and âdispensationalismâ through an impressive collection of exegetical and ⦠Editors’ Note: As noted in our recent interview with authors Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum, Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants (Crossway, 2012) is a groundbreaking contribution to any discussion about the intersection of exegesis, biblical theology, and systematic theology. Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants. First, because Romans provides the ABC’s of the Gospel, it is Christianity 101. Category. British Missionaries and the End of Empire: East, Central, and Southern Africa, 1939–1964, The Searchers: A Quest for Faith in the Valley of Doubt, Theology in the Public Sphere: Public Theology as a Catalyst for Open Debate, Faith, Hope and the Global Economy: A Power for Good. “Kingdom through Covenant is directly applicable to a pastor faithfully seeking understanding of God’s Word as it reveals the structure that supports the narrative of God’s message throughout time. Christopher R. Bruno Along with many others, I have long doubted the overly clinical distinction between covenants that fall into the unconditional/royal land grant and covenants of the conditional/suzerain-vassal type. Chapter 2 That feat alone puts this volume ahead of most others. Both parties must meet the terms of the covenant. From here, they introduce the key questions that they intend to address in the rest of the book. Part 3: Theological Integration 16. âKingdom through Covenantâ: A Biblical-Theological Summary 17. âKingdom through Covenantâ: Some Theological Implications And He will do this by means of … This helpful definition of the kingdom is directly related to the biblical covenant. The purpose of the Abrahamic covenant, of course, is to continue God’s program of “kingdom through covenant” by means of Abraham’s family. The book maintains that God establishes his kingdom through the biblical covenants, all of which point forward to, terminate in, and are fulfilled by Jesus Christ. This error leads to an unbiblical view of Israel and an expectation that the promised land of Palestine will be given to the geo-political nation of Israel during the millennial kingdom. Covenants form the backbone of the Bible’s storyline, and God’s historical covenant making and covenant activity is essential to his revelation and a proper understanding of the work of Christ. Stephen J. Wellum (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of Christian theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and editor of the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology. These covenants form the backbone of the Bible’s storyline. In the ancient Near East royal grant covenants and suzerain-vassal covenants were common. Wellum, Stephen, and Peter Gentry. Theology. While these two errors are very different at a superficial level, Gentry and Wellum argue that they actually share a common problem: failing to understand the nature and symbolism of typology. However, the biblical metanarrative is built on the unfaithfulness of the covenant partners and thus the progressive establishment of God’s kingdom through covenants over time. Wellum is professor of Christian theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Covenants in the Bible and the Ancient Near East. Introduction: Kingdom Through Covenant is written by Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum who both serve at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.Gentry is professor of Old Testament Interpretation and Wellum is professor of Christian Theology. While we could single out many other positive aspects of this book, perhaps the most important is how the authors describe the nature of biblical covenants. Biblical covenants are not contracts that are concerned with benefits and things â on the contrary. here for audio: ... Summary. texts need to be understood on the basis of their place in the canon â it is important to know what is revealed before and after them). Gentry is professor of Old Testament interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015. The Mosaic Covenant. Heâll give David a royal kingdom in which the promises made to Abraham and Israel will be fulfilled through his lineage. New Covenant. Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants. Being the 92) from all nations (pp. Thus God’s kingdom is established through covenant. Covenants formalize relationships and carry obligations. Written by Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum, The Writing Pastor: An Essay on Spiritual Formation, Music, Singing, and Emotions: Exploring the Connections, The Present and Future of Biblical Theology1. The Bible’s theology is not inconsistent, nor are the human authors writing things that are hermetically sealed from one another â on the contrary, every human author is led by the same Spirit to write the words of God that are ultimately part of one revelation. In this abridgement of the groundbreaking book Kingdom through Covenant, a biblical scholar and a theologian offer readers an accessible overview of the overarching structure of the Bible. One thinks of Rom 11, 2 Cor 3, Gal 3, Heb 8, or even Eph 2 as better candidates for careful examination in a book on the biblical covenants. Some of the more technical arguments of their first work are glossed over, but the main points with the main supporting arguments are presented in a clear and succinct manner. Gentry and Wellum have produced what will … When we turn to a critical evaluation of the book, I have two central questions. The New Covenant: Jeremiah 14. The majority of American evangelicals view Scripture as divided into periods of time governed by substantially different theological principles. While some theologians argue that there are three covenants prior (the covenant of redemption, covenant of works, and covenant of grace), the first explicit covenant ⦠The covenants are seen as the backbone for the metanarrative of Scripture. Since God’s revelation is progressive, parts must be read in light of the whole, and earlier parts must be interpreted in light of the revelation that comes later in time. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012. The study of the covenants provides a framework for understanding and applying the message of the Bible to life in the new covenant community. Since The Intolerance of Tolerance was published, readers have been sending me new examples they have spotted-examples of egregious intolerance masquerading in the name of tolerance... Themelios is a peer-reviewed international evangelical theological journal that expounds on the historic Christian faith. The biblical covenants form the unifying thread of Godâs saving action through Scripture. Being made in the image of God denotes Adam’s role as “servant-king” over God’s world. God makes covenants in history that are interpreted in Scripture and which are organically related. In the former, kings gave special grants of privilege or possession to those they favored, while in the latter the greater would formalize obligations with the lesser. Bible Personalization (1): $ 6.99 each. 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. The main argument of the book throughout is to present a “progressive covenantalism,” to use the term the authors coined for their system (p. 24). 133, 170). ... Summary. The book is written with the conviction in mind that âbiblical theology and systematic theology go hand in handâ (p. 11). It is a rare book that is able to move from systematic theology to biblical theology to exegesis and then back again to theological synthesis. They were made to operate at different levels, from individual agreements to national and international treaties. 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