New Covenant Theology

(Updated 05/05/06)

Order this title through www.SoundOfGracebooks.com

"Wells does a fine job of analyzing some of the historical and broadly theological issues, while Zaspel concentrates on a careful exegesis of key New Testament texts especially the pivotal Matthew 5:17-20. The combination is impressive and persuasive. ...Their careful biblical argument needs to be taken into account as the task of reforming our traditions in light of the witness of Scripture goes forward."  - From the Foreword by Douglas J. Moo

"If there is any hope of a meeting of minds, let alone of a resolution of the issues, it takes time, patience, intellectual humility, a willingness to be corrected, and thoughtful and empathetic listening combined with accurate and understated articulation of each party's understanding. And those are the values of this book. ...perhaps, in the mercy of God, we will discover, in time, that some genuine steps have been taken toward theological agreement."  - D. A. Carson

"Tom Wells and Fred Zaspel have moved us along the road of profitable discussion. They have shown unity with their contending brethren on many points while making clear the leading principles of NCT and setting in bold relief some of the major implications of those principles. Some of us who may not agree with all aspects of the position as articulated here, nevertheless hope that this book gains a wide and respectful reading."  - Tom Nettles

Tom Wells is a resident of West Chester, OH (Cincinnati area) where he has been a pastor of The King's Chapel for 28 years. He has spent his entire adult life in Christian ministry, including evangelistic work and various Bible teaching roles. He is the author of a number of books including A Vision for Missions, Christian, Take Heart, God is King, and Faith the Gift of God. In earlier years he was the regular speaker on several radio ministries originating in Cincinnati and Dallas, Texas. Pastor Wells has been married for 41 years and he and his wife, Luann, have three children.

Fred G. Zaspel is Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Church of Skippack, PA, following many years as Senior Pastor of Word of Life Baptist Church in Pottsville, PA. He is also adjunct Lecturer in Religious Studies at Pennsylvania State University, Schuylkill Campus. He holds two M.A. degrees, a Th.M., and is currently a Ph.D. candidate. He lives in Orwigsburg, PA, with his wife and their two children.

The Four Seeds of Abraham
John Reisinger
An examination of the basic presuppositions of covenant theology and dispensationalism as they each relate to the promise of God to "Abraham and his seed."

Dispensationalism
A Reformed inquiry into its leading figures & features
Jon Zens
Available from Searching Together.

Jonathan Edwards on Biblical Hermeneutics and the “Covenant of Grace”
Gilliland
Through Jonathan Edwards’ writings, Dr. Gilliland has identified the "Achilles heel" of covenant theology: a one covenant of grace—two administrations system with its main implications epitomized in infant baptism which places children of believers "externally" in covenant relationship with Christ without repentance and faith—a theological teaching which is foreign to the teaching of the New Testament. Available from The Sound of Grace

God's Righteous Kingdom
Walter J. Chantry
Written by a Reformed Baptist Covenant Theologian against New Covenant Theology and Theonomy. This work is not productive for understanding the true issues at hand. It does, however,  display some very prevalent misconceptions and caricatures. 

God's Righteous Kingdom Unrighteously Defended: A Review of Walter Chantry's "God's Righteous Kingdom"
John Reisinger and Randy Seiver
A response to the above book. Available from The Sound of Grace.

In Defense of the Decalogue
A Critique of New Covenant Theology
Richard Barcellos
Written by a Reformed Baptist Covenant Theologian against New Covenant Theology. It is important to know why you believe what you believe. Here is a test for those who hold to NCT as dear truth. While this book is very user-friendly and easy to read, it misrepresents many of the aspects of New Covenant Theology (NCT) that it is attempting to clarify, leaving the reader with a less than accurate understanding of the basic tenets of NCT. According to Richard Barcellos, "This is the greatest concern we ought to have for New Covenant Theology; it ends up producing a diseased system of doctrine, which produces diseased Christian thinking and living." (page 110) This book misunderstands and misinterprets many of the basic elements of NCT, in addition to handling several portions of Scripture out of context

Is John G Reisinger an Antinomian?
Tom Wells
What is the relationship between the Mosaic Law and the New Testament Christian? What is the standard for Christian conduct? Where does the Christian find his code of ethics? Are the Ten Commandments the highest expression of God's unchanging moral law? Many serious students of the Bible disagree on the answers to the above questions. In this booklet, Tom Wells defends the position of many—including John Owen and John G. Reisinger—who hold that there are two distinct covenants, rather than a twofold administration of the same covenant, and that each covenant has its own law. Tom writes, “Often when I am talking to someone who disagrees with me on the matter of the Mosaic Law, I feel the urge to cry out, 'but we are Christians!', I mean both my fellow Christian who does not see things my way, and myself.) Why would I want to do that? Because as a fellow slave of Jesus Christ I fear that he is not granting the Lord Jesus his crown rights. I do not often cry that out, of course. Even believers who outstrip me in love to Christ would hardly know what I was talking about. The message is not difficult, however. A slave looks to his master for his orders.” Available from The Sound of Grace

Continuity and Discontinuity
Perspectives on the Relationship Between the Old and New Testaments 
(essays in honor of S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., Crossway Books; edited by John S. Feinberg)
"This is a favorite area of study for me, but I must confess that when I first saw this book advertized I knew I wanted it if only because of the man in honor of whom it was written. Early in my ministry Dr. S. Lewis Johnson influenced me greatly, and I count it a privilege now to be acquainted with him. But the book proved valuable in its own right, and it is a good contribution to this ongoing hermeneutical debate. Various key issues are taken up and discussed, in turn, by men from either side of this hermeneutical fence. You will find it fascinating to see men from both sides pull toward center at times, but in the main the two sides are left clearly distinct. There are some chapters which in my opinion could have been done better at defining and clarifying the issue and the respective position and at exegeting the related passages, but overall this book provides a helpful overview of the varying approaches to this important issue. You who know me know of my special interest in the subject of Divine Law, and chapter 9, "The Law of Moses or the Law of Christ" by Doug Moo, is very well done – did I mention that I like Moo?" - Fred Zaspel

Some Musings on the Law
Tom Wells
Available from Tom Wells.
Tom Wells, 7686 Granby Way, West Chester, Ohio 45069-2300, phone (513) 779-1191

Tablets of Stone
John Reisinger
This is a careful examination of the place and function of the Ten Commandments in the history of redemption. Displays that the Ten Commandments were actually the terms of the Old Covenant. 

But I Say Unto You
John Reisinger
This serves as the sequel to "Tablets of Stone" in showing that Christ was declaring Himself to be a new Lawgiver. The "But I say" contrasts in the Sermon on the Mount are far more that just a correction of the Pharisee's distortion of Moses. Jesus is adding to, but never contradicting, the Law of Moses. 

The Continuing Relevance Of Divine Law
Fred G. Zaspel
This paper presents a study of the law of God as a rule of life. Biblical evidence is examined to show, 1) a distinction that exists between the law of God, the law of Moses, and the law of Christ; and 2) the binding character of the law of Christ for believers today. Available from The Sound of Grace.

Biblical Law and Ethics: Absolute and Covenantal - An Exegetical and Theological Study of Matthew 5:17-20
Gary Long  

All Things New
The Significance of Newness for Biblical Theology
Carl B. Hoch
That Christians should call the second part of their Bible the New Testament is not disputed. What is debatable is what exactly is new in the New Testament. All Things New seeks to address this issue in an interesting way. By rigorously analyzing the twelve things that are called "new" in the New Testament, the author helps us understand better the theological message and uniqueness of the New Testament. Studying such themes as the new covenant, the new creation, and the new man yields rich results. All Things New also sets out a practical newness that is now at work in the Christian (freedom in Christ, life in the Spirit, and warfare against the flesh). Illustrative material presents a wealth of analysis of the covenants and Old Testament laws. Appendixes offer an approach to dealing with the problem of identifying Israel in the new covenant, at this point the author displays a Progressive Dispensational position rather than a New Covenant position. The book concludes with helpful indexes and an extensive bibliography.

The New Covenant and the Law of Christ
Christopher Scarborough
A great little study on the topic. Available from The Sound of Grace

The Relationship of Israel to the Church
Tom Wells
There are two prominent beliefs today regarding Israel's relationship to the Church: one stating that the ancient ethic nation of Israel was the "church of the Old Testament", as taught by Covenant Theology and the second stating that Israel and the Church are "two separate people with separate promises and separate futures", as taught by Dispensationalism. In contrast to these systems this booklet demonstrates that Israel and the Church have a typological (type/anti-type, shadow/substance) and organic relationship. The Church is the New & True Israel! 35 pages. Available from Tom Wells.
Tom Wells, 7686 Granby Way, West Chester, Ohio 45069-2300, phone (513) 779-1191

The Israel of God: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow 
O. Palmer Robertson
"Robertson's new book is about how we are to understand “Israel” in biblical theology.  The main question that is addressed is whether or not Israel has a “national future” in God's redemptive plan.  Robertson looks at several different aspects of Israel in Scripture (land, people, worship, lifestyle, kingdom, and Romans 11) and in each aspect he walks us through Scripture clearly showing us the changes that occur in the concept over the course of redemptive history.   The scope of the book is massive but Robertson handles his subject masterfully.  As usual, Robertson is clear, concise, easy to read." - ids.org

From Sabbath to Lord's Day
A Biblical, Historical and Theological Investigation
D.A. Carson
"This is truly the classic, the standard work on the subject – there just is no other book like it. Whether you share Carson's non-Reformed stance or not, this is the book that must be consulted by anyone examining the Sabbath question; you just haven't finished studying the subject until you have. Carson – along with Harold Dressler, C. Rowland, Max Turner, D. R. de Lacey, Andrew Lincoln, and R. J. Bauckham – has put together an examination of virtually every aspect of this question. Their work is comprehensive, thorough, and honest. Absolutely the best on the subject. Must reading. Highly recommended." - Fred Zaspel

Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free
F.F. Bruce
If there is a modern authority on the Apostle Paul, it must surely be Bruce. His splendid biography uses history, archaeology, and the biblical text to focus primarily on the apostle's life. Bruce also examines the main themes in Pauline thought, set in their historical background and illustrated from his letters. This book should be your starting point for Pauline studies! 510 pages.

Paul: Apostle of Liberty
Richard Longnecker

Jesus, Paul and the Law
James D.G. Dunn
What attitudes did the earliest Christians hold toward Jewish law? This volume gathers essays from Dunn's past ten years of fruitful research, as well as new material, on a major issue in the study of Christian origins. An introduction maps out Dunn's extensive work in Pauline and Markan studies, and the final chapter summarizes his current position on Paul and the law. Paper from John Knox, 277 pages.