Scholten
Puritan Board Freshman
We are in the middle of a pivotal Bible study in our church (Christian Reformed) having to do with the number of families who have become convinced that believer's baptism is biblical. It may cause our congregation to move in the direction of practicing both believer's and infant baptism. In this connection, the following post by Taylor Otwell caught my attention:
http://www.puritanboard.com/f123/relationship-abrahamic-covenant-new-covenant-baptism-63641/
"What is the covenantal Baptist understanding of the relationship between the Abrahamic covenant and the New Covenant? Are they in essence the same covenant? Why or why not?"
In response to this question Bill Brown quoted the following from Dr. Wayne Grudem:
With all due respect to Dr. Grudem I do not agree with the above statement. The following sub points are the reasons why:
1. “. . . the way the covenant community was entered in the Old Testament (physical birth). . .”
Entrance into the Old Testament covenant community was not simply by physical birth. The conditionality of entrance into that community is little noted in the Old Testament, but at the same time it was explicitly stated. Genesis 17:14 reads, "Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." Therefore, if a person was not circumcised he had broken the covenant and was not a member of the Old Testament community. For this reason it is significant that none of the people were circumcised when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for the 40 years. They had broken God's covenant and all those born during that time were no longer members of the Abrahamic covenant (Joshua 5:5). It was by God's grace at the sign of the covenant began to be practiced again at Gibeath-haaraloth (literally, "hill of the foreskins"). So the Abrahamic covenant was not an automatic covenant perpetuated only by physical birth.
2. “In the same way, in the Old Covenant those who were the physical seed or descendants of Abraham were members of the people of Israel, but in the New Testament those who are the spiritual ‘seed’ or descendants of Abraham by faith are members of the church (Galatians 3:29; confirm Romans 4:11-12).”
I believe it is consistent with Dr. Grudem’s beliefs to take his statement to mean, ". . . in the New Testament only those who are the spiritual ‘seed’ . . . are members of the church." In the New Testament there is an explicit problem with this stance. As noted above, the physical descendents of Abraham were members of the people of Israel provided the males were circumcised. As regards what the nature of the New Testament Church is to be, Acts 7:38 and Hebrews 2:12 shed some light. Both of those passages used the Greek word ekklesia, which translates to "church," to refer to Israel. The word ekklesia in everyday Greek usage was also a general term simply meaning "assembly." In the New Testament, however, that word takes on the very explicit meaning of the people of God. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the Acts and Hebrews passages would use it in the general sense to simply mean an assembly of people. Both of those passages refer to Old Testament gatherings of God's people. The most likely understanding of the use of that term in these two places is to see it in the very specific sense that the word is used in the rest of the New Testament. As a result, the most likely interpretation of these two passages is to understand Israel as the Old Testament Church. It is highly unlikely that the term ekklesia or church would undergo a major transformation of meaning within the single book of Acts, for example, from chapter 7 verse 38 to the first verse of chapter 8.
Since in Israel, in the Old Testament, the people of God included the infants of those who were members of that community and since the word "church" is used to refer to Israel, then it is clear that just as in Israel of old, the New Testament church as the people of God must include the infants of those who are members of that community. From this we can see that Dr. Grudem is incorrect when he asserts that only the spiritual seed of Abraham are members of the church.
http://www.puritanboard.com/f123/relationship-abrahamic-covenant-new-covenant-baptism-63641/
"What is the covenantal Baptist understanding of the relationship between the Abrahamic covenant and the New Covenant? Are they in essence the same covenant? Why or why not?"
In response to this question Bill Brown quoted the following from Dr. Wayne Grudem:
"We should not be surprised that there was a change from the way the covenant community was entered in the Old Testament (physical birth) to the way the church is entered in the New Testament (spiritual birth). There are many analogous changes between the Old and New Covenants in other areas as well. While the Israelites fed on physical manna in the wilderness, New Testament believers feed on Jesus Christ, the true bread that comes down from heaven (John 6:48-51). The Israelites drank physical water that gushed from the rock in the wilderness, but those who believe in Christ drink of the living water of eternal life that He gives (John 4:10-14). The Old Covenant had a physical temple to which Israel came to worship, but in the New Covenant believers are built into a spiritual temple (1 Peter 2:5). Old Covenant believers offered physical sacrifices of animals and crops upon an altar, but New Testament believers offer "spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5; confirm Hebrews 13:15-16). Old Covenant believers received from God the physical land of Israel which He had promised to them, but New Testament believers receive "a better country, that is a heavenly one" (Hebrews 11:16). In the same way, in the Old Covenant those who were the physical seed or descendants of Abraham were members of the people of Israel, but in the New Testament those who are the spiritual "seed" or descendants of Abraham by faith are members of the church (Galatians 3:29; confirm Romans 4:11-12).
In all these contrasts we see the truth of the distinction that Paul emphasizes between the Old Covenant and New Covenant. The physical elements and activities of the Old Covenant were "only a shadow of what is to come." but the true reality, the "substance," is found in the New Covenant relationship we have in Christ (Colossians 2:17). Therefore, it is consistent with this change of systems that infant (male) children would automatically be circumcised in the Old Covenant, since their physical presence in the community of Jewish people meant that they were members of that community in which faith was not an entrance requirement. But in the New Covenant it is appropriate that infants not be baptized, and that baptism only be given to those who give evidence of genuine saving faith, because membership in the church is based on an internal spiritual reality, not on physical descent."
In all these contrasts we see the truth of the distinction that Paul emphasizes between the Old Covenant and New Covenant. The physical elements and activities of the Old Covenant were "only a shadow of what is to come." but the true reality, the "substance," is found in the New Covenant relationship we have in Christ (Colossians 2:17). Therefore, it is consistent with this change of systems that infant (male) children would automatically be circumcised in the Old Covenant, since their physical presence in the community of Jewish people meant that they were members of that community in which faith was not an entrance requirement. But in the New Covenant it is appropriate that infants not be baptized, and that baptism only be given to those who give evidence of genuine saving faith, because membership in the church is based on an internal spiritual reality, not on physical descent."
With all due respect to Dr. Grudem I do not agree with the above statement. The following sub points are the reasons why:
1. “. . . the way the covenant community was entered in the Old Testament (physical birth). . .”
Entrance into the Old Testament covenant community was not simply by physical birth. The conditionality of entrance into that community is little noted in the Old Testament, but at the same time it was explicitly stated. Genesis 17:14 reads, "Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." Therefore, if a person was not circumcised he had broken the covenant and was not a member of the Old Testament community. For this reason it is significant that none of the people were circumcised when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for the 40 years. They had broken God's covenant and all those born during that time were no longer members of the Abrahamic covenant (Joshua 5:5). It was by God's grace at the sign of the covenant began to be practiced again at Gibeath-haaraloth (literally, "hill of the foreskins"). So the Abrahamic covenant was not an automatic covenant perpetuated only by physical birth.
2. “In the same way, in the Old Covenant those who were the physical seed or descendants of Abraham were members of the people of Israel, but in the New Testament those who are the spiritual ‘seed’ or descendants of Abraham by faith are members of the church (Galatians 3:29; confirm Romans 4:11-12).”
I believe it is consistent with Dr. Grudem’s beliefs to take his statement to mean, ". . . in the New Testament only those who are the spiritual ‘seed’ . . . are members of the church." In the New Testament there is an explicit problem with this stance. As noted above, the physical descendents of Abraham were members of the people of Israel provided the males were circumcised. As regards what the nature of the New Testament Church is to be, Acts 7:38 and Hebrews 2:12 shed some light. Both of those passages used the Greek word ekklesia, which translates to "church," to refer to Israel. The word ekklesia in everyday Greek usage was also a general term simply meaning "assembly." In the New Testament, however, that word takes on the very explicit meaning of the people of God. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the Acts and Hebrews passages would use it in the general sense to simply mean an assembly of people. Both of those passages refer to Old Testament gatherings of God's people. The most likely understanding of the use of that term in these two places is to see it in the very specific sense that the word is used in the rest of the New Testament. As a result, the most likely interpretation of these two passages is to understand Israel as the Old Testament Church. It is highly unlikely that the term ekklesia or church would undergo a major transformation of meaning within the single book of Acts, for example, from chapter 7 verse 38 to the first verse of chapter 8.
Since in Israel, in the Old Testament, the people of God included the infants of those who were members of that community and since the word "church" is used to refer to Israel, then it is clear that just as in Israel of old, the New Testament church as the people of God must include the infants of those who are members of that community. From this we can see that Dr. Grudem is incorrect when he asserts that only the spiritual seed of Abraham are members of the church.