A Critical Review Of God’s Kingdom Through God’s Covenant: A Concise Biblical Theology

Summary and Evaluation of Key Points, Thesis, and Argument

Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants fundamentally signifies itself as a piece of work based on aspects related to biblical theology underlying the label regarded as Progressive Covenantalism. However the concept of Progressive Covenantalism perceives itself as a highly significant adaptation of New Covenant Theology where this form of Theology itself is identified as modification, review, reformulation of conventional Covenant Theology which primarily exhibits a tendency to shift the covenant conceptualization that shifts from the customary theological aspects of covenants of Covenant Theology towards biblical covenants.  The following paper highlights the purpose of the book by further evaluates the major areas of strengths and weaknesses of the book. In addition to this, it will analyze the argumentative areas focused by the author in this book.

The title of the book, ‘Kingdom through Covenant’ essentially articulates the authors’ perception which states that the sovereignty of God emerges into significant subsistence and reality through highly developmental covenantal developments from the ideas of OT to NT. The book ‘Kingdom through Covenant’ has established exceptional hermeneutical purposes and further provides a wide array of focused exegetical observations which tend to develop biblical erudition and learning. Authors Gentry and Wellum have stated that, to attain a comprehensive understanding of the Scripture, individual needs to develop the understanding of biblical covenants. Furthermore, it has been observed that each covenant should be explicitly construed in the perception of the Scripture and further perceived intertextually as well as in canonical manner. The essential purpose of the book lied on developing inclusive understanding of each covenant and the approaches through which these covenants tend to associate with each other and further emphasizing on ways they will be responsive towards the canonical depiction.  It has been noted that the authors have fundamentally purposed to provide a third approach between covenant theological perception and aspects related to dispensationalism, further in contention with both of these theological approaches which are not being learned explicitly by biblical theological narrative. Thus the book has been recognized as a highly hermeneutically insightful and theologically enriched biblical theology which tends to emphasize on both the inclusive knowledge and structure of the whole Bible.

Furthermore, central to the interpretations of ‘Kingdom through Covenant’ is the edifice of metanarrative which exhibits a propensity to correspond to the Scripture in an enhanced manner in comparison to the propounded theory by either through covenant theology (CT) or ideas of dispensational theology (DT). It is significant to note that the three chapters developed by Wellum based on prolegomena are recognized as a highly comprehensive introduction related to the theme of biblical theology along with the intrinsic questions of the covenants which has established a foreground to understand the devour of canonical, redemptive-historical investigation which follows. Furthermore, the authors have stated that the book tends to inquire about a more precise manner to comprehend the vital association of the biblical covenants which develops an improved sagacity and prudence of the generalized portrayal of Scripture and thus aids the readers to determine some of the theological divergences. The book has explicitly stated about the importance of developing the knowledge where an individual is positioned in the biblical narrative for his own developed interpretations of God, devotion, the blessing of salvation as well the theological understanding of the Church.

Comparison with John Bright’s Kingdom of God

‘Kingdom through Covenant’ further argues that the conceptualization related to Kingdom of God is underlined covenant pledges whereby the New Covenant accomplishment are identified as means  through which the sovereignty or kingdom develops into utmost realization. Furthermore, the authors have argued that ultimate attainment emerges through Jesus Christ which the canonical understanding and depiction reaches the stage of culmination in and through the Almighty. However, the book proficiently provides a rich understanding of the exegetical study and interrelates with a select array of intellectual understanding and interpretations of biblical transcripts which indulgences the segment of divine covenants. At this juncture, it is important to understand that the book essentially endeavors to provide biblical theological interpretations of Scripture devoid of any undeviating conduct of the New Testament. Though the authors have argued that OT covenant promises have been accomplished in a sensitive realism in the New Testament which exhibits a propensity to vary in interpretations from what was literally been pledged in the OT relies on evidence derived from the New Testament which often is claimed to be insignificant or nonexistent.

The comprehensive evaluation of the book, ‘Kingdom through Covenant’ has structured the significant hermeneutical preferences for obtaining ideas and knowledge of the canonical depiction further utilizing expressions and ideas from John Feinberg which has been articulated in the title of Freiberg’s abbreviated volume: Continuity and Discontinuity. However, it has been perceived to be constructive since Feinberg aims to distinguish conceptualization of Covenantal and Dispensational interpretations of the Scripture utilizing all these conceptual mechanisms and because the authors desire to contribute a middle way between the two methods.

However, in significance of much which has been inscribed on the interpretations of canonical depiction, it is not apparent view that continuity as well as discontinuity is constructive or appropriate for narrative evaluation. Few chapters of the book as whole have failed to be well-structured or integrated and often seemed to be deranged in articulating the ideas. Furthermore, a broad area of issues have highlighted the conduct of Adam typology, however an increased rate of glaring variances associates to the treatment of messianic desire and expectation. Regardless to the author’s well-established emphasis in every segment of covenant narrative along with climaxing in God, Gentry has casted light on the whole covenant with conception but devoid of any relevant orientation to the forms of protoeuangelion. Though, the book has essentially offered an enriched exegetical evaluation of certain characteristics of the biblical covenants in major segment of OT scriptures in regards to the generalized canonical depiction that acts in contradiction its claim, it provides an incomprehensive interpretation. The elucidation and explanation of the canonical depiction has not been explicitly informed by decisive textual details.

Being provided with the long history based on credo-Baptist covenant theological understanding, it has been apparent that both the authors have essentially critiqued learning of infant Baptism rather than shedding light on covenant theology. Other forms of analysis have fundamentally provided explanations of the NT attainment of specific OT texts and themes. Furthermore, the readers through the evaluation are in the position of substantial conformity with the way Gentry and Wellum have explicitly expressed the highly progressive rise of the kingdom of God through certain covenant climaxing in Jesus Christ. The significant emphasis of the authors on innovation as well as overriding the character of the new covenant must be highly valued. However the enduring significance and inevitability of the old and conventional material must be taken into significance not because it conveys to the depiction of salvation or recovery but further due to engaging the supporters with an ethical portrait of the rigid morality and justice of God.

Thus it can be stated that the book ‘Kingdom through Covenant’ provides a wealth of exegetical explanations on OT covenant narratives and further can be regarded as an essential text for comprehending the departure of the New Covenant Theology which exhibit a tendency to signify itself as highly prevailing Progressive Convenantalism. Nonetheless it provides an emaciated reading of the generalized canonical plot structure and further has disregarded the fundamental attributes associated to the biblical narrative of the ideas of OT and NT such as the God’s blessing and preparation for people as a trait of the earth which God redeems.

References

Blaising, C., 2015. A Critique Of Gentry And Wellum’s Kingdom Through Covenant: A Hermeneutical-Theological Response. The Master’s Seminary Journal, 26(1), pp.111-127.

Bock, D.L., 2015. A Critique Of Gentry And Wellum’s, Kingdom Through Covenant: A New Testament Perspective. The Master’s Seminary Journal, 26(1), pp.139-145.

Brack, Jonathan M., and S. Oliphint Jared. “Questioning the progress in progressive covenantalism: A review of Gentry and Wellum’s Kingdom through covenant.” The Westminster Theological Journal 76, no. 1 (2014): 189-218.

Gentry, Peter J. “The Significance of Covenants in Biblical Theology,”.” Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 20 (2016): 9-33.

Gentry, Peter J., and Stephen J. Wellum. 2012. “Kingdom Through Covenant”. Google Books. https://books.google.co.in/books?id=ya1WAQAAQBAJ&dq=God%E2%80%99s+Kingdom+Through+God%E2%80%99s+Covenants+A+Concise+Biblical+Theology&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi48tuvh-DcAhUMvo8KHdbdDEoQ6AEILDAB.

Grisanti, M., 2015. A Critique Of Gentry And Wellum’s, Kingdom Through Covenant: An Old Testament Perspective. The Master’s Seminary Journal, 26(1), pp.129-137.

Grisanti, Michael. “A Critique Of Gentry And Wellum’s, Kingdom Through Covenant: An Old Testament Perspective.” The Master’s Seminary Journal 26, no. 1 (2015): 129-137.

Kimble, Jeremy M. “Book Review: Kingdom Through Covenant.” (2015): 861.

Treat, Jeremy R. The crucified king: atonement and kingdom in biblical and systematic theology. Zondervan, 2014.

Vlach, Michael J. “Have They Found A Better Way? An Analysis Of Gentry And Wellum’s, Kingdom Through Covenant.” Master’s Seminary Journal 24 (2013): 5-24.