Thursday, January 26, 2006
New Critique of New Covenant Theology
Sam Waldron's new web site includes the papers from a four-part lecture series (in PDF format) on New Covenant Theology (NCT).
They are both informative and persuasive. He explains NCT's history and basic beliefs. Then he examines the Word of God on their ground--the post-resurrection portions of the New Testament. He also handles the "problem passages": Romans 14:1-6; Galatians 4:8-11; and Colossians 2:16, 17. Waldron's critical interaction provides us with a helpful and proper response to proponents of NCT. This series is definitely worth reading.
They are both informative and persuasive. He explains NCT's history and basic beliefs. Then he examines the Word of God on their ground--the post-resurrection portions of the New Testament. He also handles the "problem passages": Romans 14:1-6; Galatians 4:8-11; and Colossians 2:16, 17. Waldron's critical interaction provides us with a helpful and proper response to proponents of NCT. This series is definitely worth reading.
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4 Comments:
thanks for sharing this
It was helpful to find your link to Sam Waldron's articles at your blog. [I'm happy with NCT, but it is good to read what others are saying about it.]
I am a Calvinistic Baptist, yet I get the sense from Sam Waldron that he is more interested in defending the 1689 Confession than dealing with the biblical data. The tripartite law was a theological innovation of Thomas Aquinas passed on the the Reformers. It is not in the Old or New Testament, and no one in the first century would have viewed the Mosaic law that way. As biblical Christians, we should hold to the Reformation principle "Semper Reformanda." If a part of our system, creed or confession is unbiblical, it needs to go.
I fear that Sam Waldron does not really understand what those writers of NCT are putting forth.
Sam Waldron wrote:
"In this context I mean by the New Testament evidence what I perceive New Covenant theologians would mean. In their view anything preceding the great redemptive-historical transition that took place at the resurrection of Christ and with the coming of the New Covenant is not technically speaking New Testament evidence. The pre-resurrection parts of the gospels are not New Testament in the sense that they would use the word and that I am using it here."
(Part 2, Introduction)
(I think this statement would be more of the view of the Dispensationalist, not a NCT, from what I have read.)
However, articles and papers by those who support NCT use the very words of Christ recorded in the Gospels to evidence that He is Lord of the Sabbath, and can, and does, fulfill it's (the Sabbath's) type.
Sam Waldon is free before God to use any day he feels appropriate to reverance, worship and glorify our Lord and Savior. Personally I am thankful our society has (for the most part) allowed Sunday to be a normal day of rest from laboring at our employment, and the church I attend improves this opprotunity by joining together for worship and fellowship in a way not possible (or at least not probable) other days of the week. But is it a commandment for the day we named Sunday? I do not believe the Word of God presents it as one, and I also think to elevate it to such a status, imposing it on the conscience of believers, detracts from the God intended purpose He gave it - a picture of our rest in Christ Jesus Who is our Savior and Who is Lord over all.
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