COVENANT THEOLOGY: A Baptist Distinctive Paperback – December 4, 2012

If you're looking for a book that's preaching to the choir this is it.

This is a great primer on the subject of Covenant Theology, as held to within the Reformed Baptist tradition. Each of the contributors clearly present the basis for accepting Covenant Theology as a necessary distinctive of Reformed Baptist theology. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the meaning and place of Covenant Theology within Baptist thought, this will be a useful introduction. For those already well versed in the history and meaning of Covenant Theology, there will be little new ground broken. With the exception of the first chapter the book reads quickly and presents a lot of information in a concise manner. This is a book worthy of having a place on any bookshelf.

This book has been a long time coming and not a minute too soon. This was the perspective of many Baptist pastors from the 1645 to the 1890s. Some will claim that you can't hold to Covenant theology and be a Baptist. This group of authors make a case for the opposite.

This book is a wonderful overview of Baptist Covenant Theology. If you are interested in learning about the subject, this is a great place to begin.

This is probably the single best book for understanding covenant theology.

Gift for husband - who has enjoyed this book immensely!

Covenant Theology - A Baptist Distinctive: Edited by Earl M. Blackburn with contributions by Walter J. Chantry, Ken Fryer, Fred A. Malone, Kenneth Puls, and Justin Taylor (Solid Ground Christian Books, Birmingham, Alabama 2012) 164 pages.Simply put, Covenant Theology - A Baptist Distinctive, is a rich, thoughtful, well disciplined, and Christ-centered work that is worthy of commendation. Earl Blackburn and all of the contributors of this title have supplied Christ's body with a valuable tool for comprehending the scriptural distinctions between brethren of the Reformed Baptist, Reformed Paedobaptist, and Dispensational communities. Though the book primarily focuses on a scriptural defense of Reformed Baptist theology, it also manages to issue correctives of other viewpoints, but with a deeply irenic tone. As to this latter point, Covenant Theology - A Baptist Distinctive supplies an excellent example of what is sorely needed in the present day, especially in view of those who seek to vilify and marginalize any form of Covenant Theology without exception. Additionally, I am glad to say that this book manages to keep the Lord as the central focus in everything, as is evident from the very beginning:"It [Covenant Theology] is the exciting truth of the Eternal Father giving to His Beloved Son a fallen people for His own to redeem by His incarnate blood and righteous life; it is the humbling truth that One so divine would gladly agree to His own suffering for such sinners; and it is the miraculous truth that the Holy Spirit would invade the rebels hearts' to free them from their enemy's grip and to resurrect their dead souls to embrace by faith alone the covenant Mediator of their covenant Father. Truly, the Covenant Theology of the Bible is a wonder of God's infinite grace which brings Him eternal glory from the lips of those covenant sons and daughters who eternally give thanks to His glorious name." (CT, p. 10).The heart of this work consists of five chapters, followed by three appendices:Chapter 1 - Covenant Theology Simplified (Blackburn) - Supplies an excellent introduction for the subject at hand, giving the reader a simplified foundation for all that follows.Chapter 2 - Biblical Hermeneutics & Covenant Theology (Malone) - Enters into the needful mechanics of scriptural interpretation.Chapter 3 - The Covenants: Of Works & Grace (Chantry) - Unpacks the relationship between the Law and the Gospel.Chapter 4 - The Imputation of Righteousness & Covenant Theology (Chantry) - Reveals the importance of the Federal Headship of Adam and Christ in Romans 5.Chapter 5 - Baptism & Covenant Theology (Chantry) - Issues a needful comparison between credobaptism and paedobaptism.Appendices I-III: I - Was There a Covenant of Works? (Taylor); II - Covenant Theology in Baptist Life (Fryer); III - A Comparison Between the Old and New Covenants (Puls).All of these sections come together very well, giving the reader a careful consideration of the various elements of continuity and discontinuity between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. From an editorial standpoint, the book's multiple layers harmonize very well. Especially strong are Malone's presentation of hermeneutics (Chapter 2) which supplies a very persuasive foundation for the entire book, and Chantry's emphasis on the centrality of imputation (Chapter 4) is both clear and cogent, stressing the gravity of this important doctrine.Throughout the book, priority is given to the principle of Sola Scriptura, however, significant elements from church history are interwoven throughout, including important portions of the LBC/1689 in addition to mentions of the strengths and weaknesses of various theologians, both past and present.All in all, this is a much needed work in a very needy time.

This is a collection of essays on covenant theology from a baptist perspective. It goes without saying that this perspective is unknown or misunderstood by many dispensationalists and paedobaptists. Therefore, this collection is a well-needed contribution. None of the essays are difficult to read, but some of the authors writing style can be a bit dry- I would not allow this to prevent one from reading it. My favorite contribution comes from Fred Malone who wrote the forward, and Chapter 2- Biblical Hermeneutics and Covenant Theology. For any with the notion that such a topic is dry or irrelevant, Malone's opening words from the forward will move one to worship:"Our covenant Savior sit upon a throne at His Father's right hand receiving the praise of all heavenly creatures. The saints of the OT and NT gone before us gaze upon His face with awe and wonder and love, both redeemed from sin in their times by the same blood of the crucified Lamb, slain by His Father's timeless decree before the foundation of the world. Songs of praise and adoration fall upon His ears while He delights in the joy of bringing many sons to glory.....He is the Covenant Himself, the Mediator of His covenant salvation for His own. He is faithful to his promises, kind in His gifts, patient with their infirmities, and merciful to their sins."

This is an excellent shortish book. I found all the chapters easy to read and understand except for the second on the way people interpret the Bible differently. Apart from that everything else was easy to understand.It does not argue the Baptist point of view much, which is, perhaps a disappointment but, nevertheless, the rest of the book is of such interest and value that I did not feel cheated.

An excellent read on Covenant Theology and should be in every theologian's library.