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20*Infant*Baptism:*Putting*Old*Wine*Into*New*Wineskins?**enants*made*with*Noah,*Abraham,*Israel*and*David,*and*reaches*its*climax*in*Jesus* who* inaugurates* the* promised* new* covenant* through* his* death* and*resurrection.* Whilst* Dispensationalism 3 *fails* to* read* the* unfolding* biblical*story* of* salvation* as* a* single* unified* programme* for* the* salvation* of* God’s*elect*people,*Jew*and*Gentile*alike,*through*a*series*of*interlinked*covenants,*and* hence* denies* the* unity* of* the* covenant* of* grace,* classic* Reformed*theology*fails*to*recognise*the*progression*of*the*fulfilment*of*the*covenant*of*grace,*from*typological*physical*fulfilment*to*antitypic*spiritual*reality*in*Christ. 4 *In*the*light*of*this*promise:and:fulfilment*dynamic*it*will*be*argued*that* circumcision* and* baptism* serve* essentially* different* functions.*Circumcision*is*given*as*a*sign%of%the%promise*God*made*to*Abraham,*which*is*ultimately*a*promise*of*the*coming*of*Christ*and*the*blessings*he*will*bring.*Baptism* is* a* symbol%of%the%fulfilment%of%the%promise* God* made* to* Abraham*and* the* enjoyment* of* the* blessing.* As* such* baptism* does* not* function* as* a*sign* of* God’s* promise* of* future* salvation,* but* as* a* sign* of* the* inaugurated*experience* of* salvation,* including* the* forgiveness* of* sins,* new* birth* to*eternal* life,* union* with* Christ* and* the* receipt* of* the* Spirit.* It* is* only*appropriate*for*those*who*have*received*the*blessings*of*the*new*covenant*by*faith*in*Christ.**The%Relationship%Between%Biblical%Covenants%and%%their%Accompanying%Signs%*It*is*necessary*to*start*by*considering*the*relationship*between*the*biblical*covenants* and* the* signs* which* God* commanded* to* accompany* them,* since*paedobaptists* argue* that* circumcision* is* an* outward* sign* of* an* inward*spiritual* reality,* and* hence* that* circumcision* is* parallel* to* baptism.* They*argue*that*circumcision*was*a*sign*of*regeneration,*the*mortification*of*the*flesh,*and*justification*by*faith. 5 *This*is*thought*to*be*the*case*because*of*the*way* in* which* the* Old* Testament* speaks* of* the* need* for* the* Israelites* to*circumcise*their*hearts,*and*how*in*Rom*4:11*Abraham’s*circumcision*is*said*to*have*been*a*seal*of*his*righteousness*by*faith.**Whilst*circumcision*certainly*came*to*be*regarded*in*the*Scriptures*as*a*metaphor*for*the*need*for*complete*dedication*and*wholehearted*loyalty*to*God,*in*Gen*17:9:14*circumcision*is*not*presented*as*if*it*were*an*outward*sign* of* spiritual* reality,* but* rather* as* a* physical* enactment* of* the* promise*that* God* made* to* Abraham*in*the*covenant,*which*was*to*serve*to*remind*********************************************************************3*See*for*example*Charles*Ryrie,*Dispensationalism,%Revised%edition*(Chicago:*Moody*Press,*2007).*4*The*approach*adopted*in*this*article*is*akin*to*that*of*Peter*J.*Gentry*&*Stephen*J.*Wellum,*Kingdom%through%Covenant%(Wheaton:*Crossway,*2012).%%***5*See*for*example*Berkhof,*Systematic%Theology,*633:634.*
FOUNDATIONS*21**him* and* his* descendants* of* the* promise* that* he* had* made* to* them.* The*purpose* of* the* sign* was* not* to* reveal* outwardly* the* inward* spiritual*character*of*Abraham,*nor*to*initiate*him*into*membership*of*God’s*people,*as*this*had*already*occurred,*still*less*to*effect*any*inward*change*in*him,*but*rather*to*reassure*him*and*his*descendants*of*the*trustworthiness*of*God’s*word* of* promise* to* him* and* of* the* need* to* keep* the* conditions* of* the*covenant.*This*is,*in*fact,*the*common*characteristic*of*the*signs*that*accompany*the*biblical* covenants.* There* are* three* main* Old* Testament* covenants* which*have* accompanying* signs:* the* covenant* with* Noah,* for* which* the* accom:panying*sign*is*the*rainbow*(Gen*9:12:17);*the*covenant*with*Abraham,*for*which*the*accompanying*sign*is*circumcision;*and*the*covenant*with*Israel*for*which*the*accompanying*sign*is*the*Sabbath*(Exod*31:12:18).*It*is*perhaps*possible* to* regard* God’s* promise* to* Adam* and* Eve* in* the* garden* as* a*covenant,*in*which*case*the*covenant*sign*could*be*the*animal*skins*that*he*provided* for* them* to* wear,* which* would* be* a* physical* enactment* of* his*promise*to*remove*their*sin*by*sacrifice*and*covering*(Gen*3:21).**However,* taking* just* the* three* covenants* that* unequivocally* have*accompanying*signs,*it*seems*that*the*relevant*sign*is*a*physical*enactment*of*the*substance*of*what*is*promised*in*the*covenant.*Thus*in*the*case*of*the*Noahic*covenant,*the*rainbow*is*a*physical*manifestation*of*the*triumph*of*the* sun* over* the* rain,* which* reminds* of* God’s* promise* never* to* flood* the*earth*again*with*water.*Similarly*in*the*case*of*the*Sinai*covenant*the*sign*of*the* Sabbath* physically* enacts* God’s* promise* of* rest* and* holiness* to* his*people,*reminding*them*of*the*purpose*of*their*redemption*from*slavery*in*Egypt*(Exod*32:17;*Deut*5:12:15).*The*signs*are*not*outward*manifestations*of*inward*spiritual*realities,*but*physical*reminders*of*the*substance*of*the*promises*that*God*has*made.*High*Presbyterian*theology*seems*to*me*to*be*shaped* by* an* incipient* sacramentalism, 6 *which* rejects* a* bare* memorialist*understanding*of*the*covenant*signs,*yet*there*is*no*indication*in*the*biblical*texts* themselves* that* the* signs* are* anything* other* than* reminders* of* the*promises*that*God*has*made*to*his*people.**We* should* expect,* therefore,* that* circumcision* should* function* as* a*physical* embodiment* and* reminder* of* the* promise* that* God* made* to*Abraham* and* his* descendants.* When* viewed* in* this* way* the* ritual* of*circumcision*makes*eminent*sense*as*the*covenant*sign.*God’s*command*to*Abraham*to*circumcise*himself*and*his*descendants*is*given*after*Abraham*********************************************************************6*See*for*example*Letham,*A%Christian’s%Pocket%Guide%to%Baptism,%182*who*cites*John*Knox’s*rejection*of*a*bare*memorialist*understanding*of*the*sacraments:*“We*utterlie*damne*the*vanitie*of* they* that* affirme* Sacramentes* to* be* nothing* ellis* bot* naked* and* baire* signes.* No,* wee*assuredlie*believe*that*be*Baptisme*we*ar*ingrafted*in*Christ*Jesus,*to*be*made*partakers*of*his*justice,*be*quhilk*our*sinnes*are*covred*and*remitted.”*See*also*Peter*J.*Leithart,*The%Baptized%Body*(Moscow:*Canon*Press,*2007),*1:28.***********!
Page 1 and 2: No 63AUTUMN 2012ContentsEditorial 1
Page 3 and 4: Foundations*63*(November*2012):*194
Page 5 and 6: FOUNDATIONS*3**Baptist* Confession*
Page 7 and 8: Foundations*63*(November*2012):*5:1
Page 9 and 10: FOUNDATIONS*7**Among*the*points*of*
Page 11 and 12: FOUNDATIONS*9**Infants”. 9 *The*s
Page 13 and 14: FOUNDATIONS*11**Baptists* and* paed
Page 15 and 16: *FOUNDATIONS*“Dipping%is%not%nece
Page 17 and 18: FOUNDATIONS*15**Few* statements* ha
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Page 24 and 25: 22*Infant*Baptism:*Putting*Old*Wine
Page 46 and 47: 44* A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
Page 50 and 51: 48**A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
Page 62 and 63: 60**A*Covenantal*View*of*Baptism*an
Page 68 and 69: 66*The*Anglican*Doctrine*of*Baptism
Page 70 and 71: 68*The*Anglican*Doctrine*of*Baptism
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70*The*Anglican*Doctrine*of*Baptism
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92* “Let*the*little*children*come
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100*“Let*the*little*children*come
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112**Baptism:*Three*Views**written*
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114**Baptism:*Three*Views**family)*
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116**Baptism:*Three*Views**“impas
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118**A*Christian’s*Pocket*Guide*t
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