More on Children in the Covenant

More from Horton that I believe is central:

Children in the Covenant (Church)

From Michael Horton's Pilgrim Theology.

Baptism and Circumcision

-Doug Wilson, To a Thousand Generations

Paul's Definition of True Israel

Another issue that divides Baptists and Presyterians and their end-times views the definition of a true Jew, or what people make up true Israel.  There are ethnic Jews and Spiritual Jews in Scripture.  But which group gets which promises?

Before I get started though, I totally Amen what Paul says about ethnic Israel in Romans 11. They were God's original people, first to receive the Covenant Promises, and first to be loved just because God loved them.  Even though now they are temporarily blinded as punishment for their final Covenant breaking, God will not permanantly forsake them.  Even now, as always, God is saving a remnant of Jews through missions and the preaching of the Gospel, and many Jews have put their faith in the Messiah.  And finally as Paul preaches, there will be a great revival when the ones who rejected and pierced Christ their King will bow down, repent, and be gloriously reconciled to the one they so terribly rejected.

So, back to the argument.  Paul states, "For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham." He continues, "That is, those who are the children of the flesh (i.e. ethnic Jews only), these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise (i.e. believers) are counted as the seed.

Who will inherit the promises of God? All Jews? Paul says no. Only those counted as true children.

Who are Abrahams true Children? Galatians 3:29, "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs accordingm to the promise." If you're faith is in Christ, you are a True Israelite, and YOU will inherit the promises  if God to Israel. Gentiles we're never Plan B. In Hosea we read, "I will call them My people, who were not My people...".

There are ethnic circumcised Jews who are not true Israel, and there are uncircumcised Gentiles who are true Israel.  Saved Gentiles are not second class believers in the promises of God.

There are not two plans for two people, but only one.  It's bears repeating Galatians 3:29, "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." 

Baptist vs Presbyterian Covenant Members

One of the major differences between Baptist and Presbyterians, and one of the   issues that divide the two on infant baptism, is the issue of who makes up the Covenant community, or  what type of people is the New Covenant (Church) people made up of?  

It can be explained mostly by the following two statements (for the most part):

Baptists believe the Elect and Covenant Members (baptized Church Members) are the same set of people.

Presbyterians beleive that the Elect and Covenant members are not identical sets of people (Invisible vs Visible Church).

Looking at the Old Covenant Jewish community, it was made up of Covenant members (who were members in every way) that were not believers. "Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness." I Corinthians 10:1-5

They were obvious members of the Covenant Community ("OT Church"), circumcised, baptized into Moses, and partakers of every physical and spiritual blessing.  But if we keep reading they lusted, complained, committed sexual immorality, thus tempting God.  What happened to these members?  The NKJV uses very harsh words when it says "they were destroyed".

Is it a surprise that sinners were punished? No.  What is shocking is that they were part of God's visibly chosen people.  There were blessed unbelievers in the OT Church.

Does the same hold true in the NT Church and the New Covenant?  Does the author of Hebrews ever tell us to "not be like them or suffer a similar fate?

If we wait until someone "makes a profession or decision", and then baptize them into the New Covenant Community does it guarantee that they're saved, or can they also fall into unbelief like those Jews and face a scary fate and prove they never really had faith?

Can New Covenant members "fall away" in a similar way to Old Covenant members? 

The author of Hebrews says yes, and we'll look at that next.

Where Premillennialism gets off track.

One of the fundamental misunderstandings of Premillennialism is that Christ was bringing his Kingdom to set it up here Earth, however the Jews rejected it causing Christ to withdraw the initiation of his earthly kingdom and postpone it until later.

Dr. Kim Riddlebarger is right when he states, "According to Dispensationalists, the kingdom of God was offered to Israel by Jesus himself, and when that offer was rejected, the kingdom was then withdrawn and postponed until Christ’s second advent. This understanding of the kingdom of God does not fit at all with the presentation in the Gospels of the ministry and teaching of Jesus. Indeed, it does great harm to it.” -"Case for Amillennialism".  He continues by saying, "..the present dispensation (according to Dispensationalists) results from humanity’s ability to frustrate God’s redemptive-historical purposes.”

God's plans have never been frustrated nor will they ever will be, or he wouldn't be God.  Jesus sits right now as King at the right hand of the Father.  "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear." -Acts 2:32-33

In Favor of Amillennialism

Another subject I plan to tackle on here is the sticky subject of Eschatology, which is a big word for the study of the End Times, or Last Things.  Raised in a deeply Premillennial Dispensational Church, I have since left that particular view after doing what my Dad (the pastor of that Church) recommended I always do...take Scripture at face value, and only believe what it plainly says.

That study, to Give A Reason for what I believe, has led to me embracing Amillennialism, or "Realized-millennialism" as what Scripture most plainly teaches.  Jesus' Kingdom has not been postponed till a later time, it has already begun, though not yet fully realized.  

On this blog I will flush that journey out, and I hope that the reader will also un-complicate any Biblical details and systems that they have built their End Times views on, and will take Scripture for what it says, namely that when Christ comes back, and the End comes, it will be dramatic and sudden. Period.  

The promise of the New Covenant is to who?

In Acts 2 we see all the wonder of Pentecost that was fortold by Joel when the Holy Spirit descends on the crowd and thousands are converted.  In the midst of all this we see Peter preaching the Gospel in verse 38, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you".  This directly followed Peter's explanation of how Jesus, who a few days ago was dead at the hands of the Jews according to Gos's sovereign plan, arose, and now sat at His Father's right hand as reigning King.  This Jesus was also now their Judge, and they saw that they stood at the mercy of the One they had crucified.  

"Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?". To which Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."

Why did he mention their children?  Why would the New covenant promises apply to them?  This verse should sound familiar.  "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you." -Gen 17:7. This promise directly followed the event of God blessing Abraham and making a promise to him to make for Homself a people and give them the Land.

Both of these proclamations say the same thing, that the covenant promises, Old and New, are for us and our children.  So two questions arise.  First, are circumcision and baptism related?  Second, should children receive the New Covenant sign?

More to come!

Children baptized in the OT?

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. -I Corinthians 10:1-2

Just as an appetizer before we dive into the main course of answering the question, "Does Scripture support including children into the Covenant Community (through Covenant Baptism) I want to submit the there is in fact Scripture that explicitly states that the children passing through the Red Sea, were at least in some sense "baptized".  They were so of course via their Father and Mother's faith to believe God through Moses and cross between the frighteningly high and deafeningly noisy walls of parted waters into safety.  

In short, yes, there are Scriptures where children were baptized via the faith of their parents in trusting God.

Next we will have a three-course meal on Scriptures that speak to children being included in the New Covenant in similar ways to the Old.

Children are in the New Covenant...just sayin'

My first set of posts will deal with whether Scripture supports infant, or paedo-baptism.  This is a very devisive and debated topic among evangelicals, but you, me, and every other Christian needs to be able to "give a reason" why you do or don't you think it's Biblical. "I don't know" is NOT an option.  So let's begin!

More to come!...