Covenant Theology: Baptists’ Discovery vs Presbyterians’ Administration (Ep. 215 Audio)

One of the biggest disagreements between Baptists and Presbyterians is related to baptism, it’s administration and what it means within the church. And these differences in practice are tied directly to differences in how God’s Covenant and the covenants that He has made with men are understood.

One primary difference that we want to concentrate on is that the Baptist view has more of an upward focus, looking at how each of God’s covenants with man reveals or discovers the Eternal Covenant of Grace whereas the Presbyterian view is more downward focused with their description being that the Covenant of Grace has different administrations in the time of the law and the time of the gospel.

Because of these different focuses, Baptists and Presbyterians see the effect of continuity and discontinuity very differently, with Baptists looking for those details to be expressed in physical vs spiritual typologies expressed as the earthly covenants with man reveal the heavenly Covenant of Grace (for example: circumcision of the flesh being fulfilled through circumcision of the heart, physical offspring pointing to spiritual offspring, physical households pointing to spiritual households, etc). Alternately, Presbyterians look for continuity and discontinuity within the earthly covenants. (physical households continuing, circumcision becoming baptism, etc).

Most of the differences in this episode are found in Chapter 7 of both the Westminter and the Second London Baptist confessions of faith. In the Westminster, this chapter is titled, “Of God’s Covenant with Man” and in the SLBC it is titled, “Of God’s Covenant”

Note: While we are focusing on real differences that we believe affect the church and doctrine in real ways, we are also grateful for the many areas of agreement that exist within the larger body of Christ. We also believe that it is through wrestling with God’s word and doctrine with the guidance of the Holy Spirit that greater unity will come.

Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Permanent Hosts – Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson

What Stops Christians from Sharing the Gospel? (Ep. 213 Audio)

Sharing the gospel is central to the Great Commission. But doing so on a day-to-day basis is more complicated than we often want to admit. It’s definitely more complex than just memorizing the Romans Road or learning a three-step approach for door-to-door witnessing.
So in this episode, we want to ask two different questions about sharing the gospel: first, we want to ask why don’t we do it, and second, how should we change the way we think about sharing the gospel?

Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Permanent Hosts – Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson

Can God Be Just and Merciful? (Ep. 211 Audio)

Many Christians would describe justice and mercy as being at odds with one another, but most confessions of the faith, such as the SLBC and the Westminster Confession, say that God is most just and He is most merciful. But if they are in opposition to one another, how can God be both merciful and just?

Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Permanent Hosts – Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson

Recent Comments