New Covenant Theology &
Progressive Covenantalism

New Covenant Theology is a technical term referring to a theological view of redemptive history primarily found in Baptist circles and contrasted with Covenant theology and Dispensationalism. It has been assumed that one has only two primary options in understanding the structure of the Bible in evangelical Christianity — Covenant Theology (coming out of the Reformation) or Dispensationalism. However, proponents see what has come to be called New Covenant Theology as middle ground with a biblical basis of understanding.

Proponents maintain that the primary thrust of New Covenant Theology is the recognition of a promise-fulfillment understanding of Scripture. They suggest that whereas “Dispensationalism cannot get Israel and the church together in any sense whatsoever, and Covenant Theology cannot get them apart” (Reisinger, 19), New Covenant Theology finds the realization of all that the Old Covenant typified in the New Testament church (Covenant Theology, in contrast, merely levels the playing field and identifies them for all intents and purposes). The Mosaic economy is viewed as a temporal, conditional covenant that has been forever replaced by the glory of the New Covenant (2 Cor. 3).

History
Despite its seemingly recent representation in modern theological discussions, today’s proponents of New Covenant Theology (NCT) see roots extending back to the post- Reformation theological developments. Baptist history, especially the Reformed variety, is rooted in the basic tenets of New Covenant Theology. Much of its primary teaching is reflected in the influential First London Baptist Confession of Faith, especially in its 1646 edition (which is held by many New Covenant Theology churches today). However, in the historical whirlwind of this period, Calvinistic (Particular) Baptists felt a need to show close alignment with their Reformed brethren in the Congregationalist and Presbyterian churches in order to avoid persecution and thus adopted the Second London Confession in 1689, a virtual restatement of the famous Westminster Confession with slight modifications, especially, of course, in the area of baptism. This move left an indelible mark of “covenant theology” in the Particular Baptists from that point forward.

The last twenty-five years have seen a great resurgence of Reformed theology in Baptist circles. As a result, many within this camp have sought to develop a more clarified system of the covenants that relate back to older thought. Leaders of this movement include such theologians as John Reisinger, Jon Zens, Peter Ditzel, Fred Zaspel, Tom Wells, Gary Long, Geoff Volker and Steve Lehrer. The writings of Douglas Moo, Tom Schreiner, and D.A. Carson on the relation of the Christian to the law reveal their sympathies with NCT. However they have not wanted themselves to be so labeled. John Piper also has many points of contact with this movement, but an article at Desiring God carefully distinguishes his position from the Covenant, New Covenant and Dispensational theological systems. [1]

Contrasted with Covenant Theology
New Covenant Theology, while having some similarities to Progressive Dispensationalism has more in common with classic Covenant Theology, in particular in how Israel and the Church are viewed. Both sides do not see an absolute distinction between the Old Testament people of God (Israel) and the Church as Dispensationalism does. They also are similar in their soteriology and eschatology (some see literal millennium and some don’t, but neither would hold to a future millennium for the reinstatement of Israel as in Dispensationalism).

There are points of contention however. New Covenant Theology has more in common with Dispensationalism than Covenant Theology in terms of the relation of the Mosaic Law to the New Covenant economy.

Agreement
• The Church has become “spiritual Israel.” The New Covenant people of God.
• Gentiles are heirs to the Abrahamic Covenant (Gal. 3:8-9; Eph. 2:11-22; Rom. 4:1-13; Rev. 5:9).
• Acknowledges the redemptive-historical hermeneutic.
• Calvinistic in soteriology.
• The Old Testament does have prophecies of the Church age (Jer. 31:31-34; cf. Heb. 8).
• God’s main purpose in history is Christ and His Church (elect throughout all ages).
• Everyone ever saved is saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Rom. 4).
• Christ offered a spiritual kingdom to ethnic Israel but was rejected. Spiritual Israel, however, accepted and continues to accept the kingdom.
• Inaugurated eschatology. (The belief in Christian theology that the end times were inaugurated in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and thus there are both “already” and “not yet” aspects to the Kingdom of God).

Disagreement
• The Church started at Pentecost, and there is therefore no “Church” as such in the Old Testament/Covenant.
• Rejects the three “theological covenants” often espoused (with some variation) in Covenant Theology, viz. the covenants of redemption, works, grace.
• Sees the Mosaic Law as only a means of blessing in Canaan.
• The Mosaic Law is fulfilled with the advent of Christ and the New Covenant; New Covenant believers are under the Law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2; cf. Rom. 8:1-11).
• All hold to credobaptism.
• The Holy Spirit worked differently in the Old Covenant than in the New (the Spirit now indwells believers).

Law/Gospel
The biggest difference between classical Covenant Theology and New Covenant Theology is how they view the Mosaic Law. Covenant Theology sees the Mosaic Law as divided into civil, ceremonial, and moral, with only the moral law remaining in effect. New Covenant Theology sees the New Testament writers as referring to the Mosaic Law in its totality (in other words all 613 laws, not only the Ten Commandments). Therefore, when Paul says that “we are no longer under a tutor” (Gal. 3:25) he is saying that the Mosaic Law has passed away.

There is still a Law in the New Testament however. Paul says that he is “under the law of Christ” (1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2), and he is therefore still responsible to Law. The eternal, unchanging moral law is expressed in both the New and Old Law, but the Old Law doesn’t itself carry over. The Law of Christ are the moral commands given by the writers of the New Testament (Jesus and his apostles). As Moses went to a mountain to get the Law, so Christ went up into a mountain to give the new Law (Matt. 5-7; cf. 2 Cor. 3).

Criticisms
Detractors, like Reformed Baptist Sam Waldron, see New Covenant Theology deviating from the traditional Reformed hermeneutic of the law which argues that whatever is not abolished in Christ continues. For example, in Waldron’s assessment “New Covenant Theology says that the entire Law of Moses has passed away and only remains in so far as it passes through the hands of Christ. According to Wells and Zaspel, prior to Christ’s actual teaching in the New Testament one simply cannot be sure what He will do with the law of the Old Testament. Thus, none of the Law of Moses or even the Ten Commandments remain binding for us unless Christ hands it on to us in the New Testament.”

Reference
1. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-does-john-piper-believe-about-dispensationalism-covenant-theology-and-new-covenant-theology

Further reading
Reisinger, John G., Abraham’s Four Seeds, (Frederick, MD: New Covenant Media, 1998).
Tom Wells and Fred Zaspel, New Covenant Theology: Description, Definition, Defense, (Frederick, MD: New Covenant Media, 2002).
Wayne G. Strickland (editor), Five Views of Law and Gospel, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993).
Richard C. Barcellos, In Defense of the Decalogue: A Critique of New Covenant Theology, (Winepress Publishing, 2001).
(See: https://www.theopedia.com/new-covenant-theology)

An Overview of New Covenant Theology

New Covenant Theology (or NCT) is a Christian theological position teaching that the person and work of Jesus Christ is the central focus of the Bible. [1] One distinctive result of this is that Old Testament Laws have been abrogated [2] or cancelled [3] with Jesus’ crucifixion, and replaced with the Law of Christ of the New Covenant. It shares similarities with, and yet is distinct from, Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology. [4] 

Hermeneutic

The hermeneutic of the New Covenant theologian is Christocentric: to let the New Testament interpret the Old Testament. This means that when the NT interprets an OT promise differently than the plain reading, then NCT concludes that that is how God interprets his promise—and it may be surprising to us. [5]

Example: Acts 15 and Amos 9

As an example, Amos 9:11-12 is quoted by James in Acts 15 and is interpreted by him to associate rebuilding “David’s fallen tent” with the Gentiles’ salvation. This would be a highly surprising interpretation to the Jewish believers, since there is no precedent for it to be interpreted as anything other than a promise to the nation of Israel. NCT would say that God has given us His interpretation of that passage, through James. [6]

Consequences

The consistent Christocentric interpretation of the OT in light of the NT (Luke 24:27, 44; Rom. 10:4; 2 Cor. 1:20) results in the following theological distinctives: [7]

The Plan of God

One plan of redemption, centered in Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:10; 2 Cor. 1:20; Col. 1:18), implemented according to the God’s eternal purpose (Eph. 1:11; 3:11; 2 Tim. 1:9), and securing the salvation of God’s elect (Rom. 8:28-32);

The Biblical Covenants

The covenants of Scripture progressively unfold God’s kingdom purpose (Matt. 6:10) in history, culminating in the New Covenant;

The Old Covenant

The conditional (Exod. 19:5-6) treaty which God established with the ethnic descendants of Jacob at Mount Sinai - a covenant which formed the nation of Israel as a geopolitical entity, the sign of which was the Sabbath (Exod. 31:15-17), which was temporary in terms of its purpose and duration (Heb. 8:7-13), and which was superseded by the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-33); 

The New Covenant

The promised everlasting covenant (Heb. 13:20) established by Christ Jesus (Luke 22:20; Dan. 9:26-27) that fulfills all preceding biblical covenants - a covenant in which all believers have full forgiveness of sins (Jer. 31:34), are permanently indwelt by the Spirit (Ezek. 36:25-27; Eph. 1:13-14), and are empowered by the Spirit to please God. (Jer. 31:31-33; Phil. 2:12-13);

The People of God

All God’s elect, consisting of believing Jews and Gentiles (Eph. 2:15), first formed as the body of Christ, which is the Church, at Pentecost (Acts 1:4-5; 2:1-41), not before (John 7:39; 17:21; Col. 1:26-27; Heb. 11:39-40), as one corporate spiritual body in New Covenant union with Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 2:19-21; Col. 1:18, 24); 

The Nation of Israel

The ethnic descendants of Jacob (Gen. 28:13-15) formed into a geopolitical entity at Sinai via the Old Covenant (Exod. 19:5-6), consisting of both believers and unbelievers (1 Cor. 10:1-5; Heb. 3:16-4:2), typological of Christ (Hosea 11:1; Matt. 2:15) and His Church (Exod. 19:5-6; 1 Pet. 2:9), the believing remnant (Rom. 9:27; 11:5) of which was transformed into the Church at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-10; 2:41).

The Law of God

The two greatest commandments - love of God and neighbor (Matt. 22:36-40) - constitute God’s absolute or innate law , which is righteous, unchanging, and instinctively known by man (Rom. 2:14-15) created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27), and of which each system of covenantal law is a temporary, historical outworking (Heb. 7:12) in accordance with God’s eternal purpose (Eph. 1:11; 3:11; 2 Tim. 1:9);

The Law of Moses

The covenantal outworking of God’s absolute law under the Old Covenant - the exhaustive, indivisible (James 2:10; Gal. 5:3) legal code, summed up in the Ten Commandments (Exod. 34:28), the sign of which was the Sabbath (Exod. 31:15-17), covenantally binding upon the Nation of Israel (Exod. 19:5-6; 24:3), temporary in its duration (Heb. 7:11-12; Col. 2:14), and fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:4; Matt. 5:17-18; Col. 2:16-17);

The Law of Christ

The covenantal outworking of God’s absolute law under the New Covenant - the gracious law of the New Covenant (Rom. 6:14), which is covenantally binding upon the Church (1 Cor. 9:20-21) and consists of the law of love (Matt. 5:44; Gal. 6:2; James 2:8; Rom. 13:8-10), the example of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 13:34; Phil. 2:4-12), Christ’s commands and teaching (Matt. 28:20; 2 Pet. 3:2), the commands and teachings of the New Testament (Acts 1:1-2; 2 Pet. 3:2; Eph. 2:20; Jude 1:17; 1 Jn. 5:3), and all Scripture interpreted in light of Jesus Christ (Matt. 5:17-18; Luke 24:27,44; 2 Tim. 3:16-17);

The Kingdom of God

The everlasting reign of God over the universe and His people, progressively unfolded via the biblical covenants - ultimately realized in the messianic reign of Jesus Christ in heaven with His saints (Heb. 1:1-4; Rev. 20:4; Eph. 2:6), that was eschatologically inaugurated at His ascension (Dan. 7:13-14) in fulfillment of the Biblical Covenants (2 Sam. 7:12-16; Acts 2:25-36), is advanced through the Spirit-empowered preaching of the Gospel (Acts 1:7-8), and will be consummated in the new heavens and new earth after the Second Coming when Christ subdues all His enemies (1 Cor. 15:24-28).

Theological Background

New Covenant Theology is a recently [4] expressed Christian theological view of redemptive history that claims that all Old Covenant laws have been cancelled [3] in favor of the Law of Christ, the Law of the Spirit of life, or New Covenant law of the New Testament. This can be summarized as the ethical expectation found in the New Testament.

New Covenant Theology does not reject all religious law, they only reject Old Covenant law. NCT is in contrast with other views on Biblical law in that most other do not believe the Ten Commandments and Divine laws of the Old Covenant have been cancelled, and may prefer the term “supersessionism” for the rest.

New Covenant theologians see the Law of Christ or New Testament Law as actually including many of the Divine Laws; thus, even though all Old Covenant laws have been cancelled, many have been renewed under the Law of Christ. This is a conclusion similar to older Christian theological systems on this issue, in that some Old Covenant laws are seen as still valid or renewed, but this conclusion is reached in a different way.

New Covenant theologians view their theology as a middle ground between a Reformed and Dispensationalist view of how the Old Testament, and in particular the Mosaic Covenant, applies to the Christian today. New Covenant Theology is markedly different from dispensationalism, [8] and probably has more in common with Reformed Covenant Theology. [9] On the issue of the law, dispensationalism is most similar to NCT but their core belief is that the age of the Old Covenant is in the past, not that it has simply been cancelled. But NCT rejects the idea that the Bible can be divided into dispensations or ages. Some have criticized NCT for proposing that the Ten Commandments have been cancelled. [10]

Theological Distinctiveness

New Covenant Theology is an Evangelical position, but within evangelicalism there are divergent views on a number of topics. One of those topics is how the salvation history fits together, and the relationship of the covenants within salvation history.

New Covenant (Law of Christ)

But now Jesus has obtained a superior ministry, since the covenant that he mediates is also better and is enacted on better promises.

— Hebrews 8:6, NIV

Christ’s work on the cross is the New Covenant, by which people are reconciled to God sola gratia, and it includes various promises given in Old Testament times.[11] The Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants were temporary covenants—the latter were for the (generally unbelieving) people of God, Israel [12]—and had their fulfillment in the New Covenant.[13] The New Covenant law is the Law of Christ, which includes the commands of his Apostles. [11]

The New Covenant is the spiritual fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant. Adherents believe that the New Covenant came into effect with the ministry of Jesus, such as at the Last Supper when Jesus said in Luke 22:20 “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

The New Testament, echoing Jeremiah 31:33, also states,
“This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

— Hebrews 8:10, NIV

Thus, the New Covenant is a gracious covenant. Those included in the covenant are reconciled to God by grace alone, apart from anything they do. Jesus purchased a people by his death on the cross so that all those for whom he died receive full forgiveness of sins and become incurable God-lovers by the Holy Spirit. They have thus become his new creation.

Abrahamic Covenant

New Covenant theologians believe that the Abrahamic covenant reveals God’s plan to save a people and take them into his land. The Old Covenant with the Israelites and the promised land is a temporary picture of what is accomplished by the New Covenant, where Jesus actually purchased a people and will take them to be with him forever in the “new heavens and new earth” (Rev. 21; 22).

Old Covenant (Law of Moses)

The Old or Mosaic covenant is a legal or works covenant that God made with Israel on Mount Sinai. This covenant is brought to an end and is fulfilled at the cross. It was never intended to save people, but instead its purpose was to demonstrate the inability of even God’s own chosen people to eradicate sin and guilt until the coming of the Messiah. The fallen world, since the fall of Adam and Eve, can only increase in sin and guilt. Israel, under the Mosaic covenant, was the physical fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant, a foreshadowing of the superior New Covenant of grace.

Law

New Covenant theologians and advocates, such as Steve Lehrer of New Covenant Bible Fellowship in Tempe, Arizona; Peter Ditzel of Word of His Grace Ministries; [14] and John G. Reisinger of Sound of Grace Ministries, hold that since “the whole Old Covenant is obsolete”, “none of the commands of the Mosaic Law are binding on believers today.” [15]

The version of law in the New Covenant era is the Law of Christ, which includes the commands of Christ that pertain to the New Covenant era and the commands of his Apostles, but not the Apostolic Decree.

Others believe that at least portions of the Old Testament law is binding on Christians, although there is some variation on which parts and how they apply.

Circumcision and Baptism

New Covenant Theology holds that circumcision was the physical picture of the changed heart promised to believers in Christ. It signified that you were physically born into the people of God, Israel. It was given to all Israelites, irrespective of repentance and faith. Baptism is the outward sign that regeneration has occurred. It signifies that you have been spiritually born into the believing people of God (a new creation), the church. It is given to all those who give evidence of regeneration, which is repentance and faith. [16]

Critics

Critics claim NCT does not have any non-Biblical historical writings to help validate their system of theology. Many critics such as Richard Barcellos in his book In Defense of the Decalogue : A Critique of New Covenant Theology find fault with NCT treatment of the Ten Commandments as having been abrogated. They also claim that NCT makes the mistake of claiming a different form of salvation between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant even though the ‘salvation act’ had not yet been carried out in the Old Testament. One such example would be from the book New Covenant Theology by Tom Wells and Fred Zaspel. Page 31 deals with the gospel preached to Abraham and says that it was not “the gospel” but the “promise of the gospel”. Referring to Romans 1:2, the book states, “Paul looks on the gospel as ‘promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures’ plainly implying that it had not yet come in OT times.”

Differences between
New Covenant Theology & Progressive Covenantalism

“Although these views are often identified, there are enough differences between them that they need to be distinguished. For example, within new covenant theology, some deny a creation covenant, others deny Christ’s active obedience, and others are not nuanced in their grasp of God’s moral law in relation to the Decalogue. Progressive Covenantalism, on the other hand, strongly affirms a creation covenant, God’s demand of Adam (and all humanity) for perfect obedience thus necessitating Christ’s active obedience for our justification before God, and that the Decalogue is a reflection of God’s moral law for Christians now applied to us in Christ. Yet what both views have in common is seeing how all of God’s plan and covenant promises are brought to fulfillment in Christ and the new covenant.” [18]

Resources

• Lehrer, Steven, New Covenant Theology: Questions Answered (2006)

• Reisinger, John G., Abraham’s Four Seeds (Frederick, Maryland: New Covenant Media, 1998).

• Scarborough, C., The New Covenant and the Law of Christ: A Biblical Study Guide. (Published privately and available from New Covenant Media/1-800-376-4146).

• Wells, Tom and Zaspel, Fred. New Covenant Theology: Description, Definition, Defense (Frederick, Maryland: New Covenant Media, 2002).

• Journal of New Covenant Theology, Steven Lehrer, editor

• The Law, the Gospel, and the Modern Christian: Five Views Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993. ISBN 978-0-310-53321-4, (also republished as Five Views on Law and Gospel). One of the authors, Douglas J. Moo, presents what he refers to as a “modified Lutheran View”, but it is basically a New Covenant Theology view. [17]

Notes

1)    Lehrer, p 18

2)    Moo Archived 2010-08-27 at the Wayback Machine, p. 375; Gibson, ALL Old Testament Laws Cancelled, pp. 48, 143, 144

3)    ALL Old Testament Laws Cancelled: 24 Reasons Why All Old Testament Laws Are Cancelled and All New Testament Laws Are for Our Obedience, Greg Gibson, 2008, p. 7: “New Covenant Theology ... [has] ... a better priest, better sacrifice, and better covenant (containing a better law).”

4)    Dennis M. Swanson (Fall 2007). “Introduction to New Covenant Theology” (PDF). The Master’s Seminary Journal. 18 (1): 149-163. Retrieved August 30, 2015.

5)    Lehrer, p216-217

6)    Lehrer, p219

7)    Providence Theological Institute of New Covenant Theology, PROGRESSIVE DISPENSATIONALISM COMPARED TO NEW COVENANT THEOLOGY

8)       Lehrer, p 215

9)    Vlach, Michael J. (Fall 2007). “New Covenant Theology Compared with Covenantalism” (PDF). The Master’s Seminary Journal. 18 (1): 201. Retrieved October 6, 2011.

10)  In Defense of the Decalogue : A Critique of New Covenant Theology, Richard Barcellos, Founder’s Press, 2001. Barcellos is an associate professor of New Testament Studies at the Midwest Center for Theological Studies.

11)   Lehrer, p 20, 109ff

12)   Lehrer, p 20, 65ff

13)   Lehrer, p 19, 29ff

14)   http://www.wordofhisgrace.org/newcovenantneonomian.htm

15)   New Covenant Theology: Questions Answered, pp. 155, 181-82

16)   Lehrer, p 20, 211ff

17)   * Page 343: “The entire Mosaic law comes to fulfillment in Christ, and this fulfillment means that this law is no longer a direct and immediate source of, or judge of, the conduct of God’s people. Christian behavior, rather, is now guided directly by ’the law of Christ’. This ’law’ does not consist of legal prescriptions and ordinances, but of the teaching and example of Jesus and the apostles, the central demand of love, and the guiding influence of the indwelling Holy Spirit.”

* Page 376: “The content of all but one of the Ten Commandments is taken up into “the law of Christ”, for which we are responsible. (The exception is the Sabbath command, one that Hebrews 3; 4 suggests is fulfilled in the new age as a whole.)”

* Richard C. Barcellos, In Defense of the Decalogue: A Critique of New Covenant Theology, (Winepress Publishing, 2001).
(See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Covenant_theology)

18) From: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/progressive-covenantalism-and-new-covenant-theology/

See also:
The Sabbath in the Old and New Covenants

For a comprehensive outline of how the Bible structures itself
through New Covenant Theology: Click the link below.
New Covenant Theology Outline!

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