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Covenant Theology: A Reformed Baptist Perspective
Phillip D. R. Griffiths
Wipf & Stock (2016). 204 pp.
Griffiths begins his work with a rather bleak description of the current state of theology and the church. He lists several problems that the church had to contend with over the last two centuries: Darwinian evolution, liberalism, the rise of revivalism, and most pertinent to the book, the rise of dispensationalism. In response, Griffiths urges Baptist churches to return to their covenantal heritage. This work represents Griffiths’ view of that covenantal heritage: a particularly Baptist understanding of the relationship of the covenants.
Chapter two begins with a basic explanation of what covenants are: “essentially a conditional promise” (p. 9). He cites and explains the distinction between covenant and testament (per Heb 9:16). Chapter three is a brief explanation of the covenant of redemption, followed by an explanation of the covenant of works in chapter four. Citing Gill, Griffiths strongly affirmed the law of nature written upon Adam’s heart from the beginning. He includes multiple quotes from various authors (e.g., Martin Lloyd-Jones, A. W. Pink, N. Cox, Thomas Watson, John Owen) describing the plight of man after Adam sinned.
Chapter five explains the work of Christ in the new covenant. Griffiths sees this work as necessarily covenantal. Christ is the Second Adam that succeeded where the first failed (p. 24). Chapter six speaks to the two kingdoms (i.e., federal heads, covenants) that divide humanity: Adam and Christ (or covenant of works and covenant of grace). Griffiths explains that every person has one of those two federal heads. Indeed, he explains, even OT saints were made a part of Christ’s kingdom (p. 36).
Chapter seven is where things start to really get interesting. Griffiths here begins to really differentiate himself from the paedobaptist position. One of his major arguments against a paedobaptist interpretation is from Gal 3:6: God promised to Abraham’s seed (singular, i.e., Christ) blessings that become ours by virtue of our being joined to Christ spiritually, rather than the blessings becoming ours by virtue of our physical lineage.
For Griffiths, the paedobaptist hermeneutic confounds the two covenants: “whilst it acknowledges two posterities, it fails to acknowledge two covenants. It fails to see that the new covenant is not just another administration of the covenant of grace but is itself the only covenant of grace” (p. 60).
Chapter eight briefly deals with the covenant sign of circumcision. In sum, to cite Lloyd-Jones’ comment on Rom 2:25:
What Paul is saying here is that it is true that circumcision is of great value but it has not intrinsic and inherent value in and of itself . . . it proclaims that you are God’s people—yes, but only on the condition that you really are one of God’s people in the true and vital sense—namely that you are a holy people, for God is a holy God (p. 67).
Chapter nine follows with the usual follow up question: Was circumcision replaced by baptism? Griffiths quotes several paedobaptists that would reply in the affirmative. But, he argues, they make the “classic paedobaptist mistake of assuming that all old covenant children were in the covenant of grace when they were not, and [they] therefore wrongly infer that the children of believers in the new covenant are likewise in the covenant of grace” (p. 74). Griffiths concludes the chapter by arguing instead: “The only circumcision that is of spiritual significance is that performed by God in the heart, and the only baptism that means anything is that which follows a confession of faith, signifying union with Christ” (p. 82).
The next chapter attempts to tackle various complex issues surrounding the nature of the Mosaic Covenant. He begins with the standard Reformed argument for the tri-fold division of the Mosaic Law. He then veers into the complex and often abstract debate about whether or not the Mosaic Covenant is a republication of the covenant of works and concludes that the Mosaic Covenant is a republication of the curse only, not of the condition of life for obedience (p. 88). He also examines the “earthly promises” made to Israel. He concludes, contra the dispensationalists and pre-millennialists, that the promises find their “yes” in Christ (p. 114).
After giving a brief description of the Davidic Covenant, chapter twelve jumps into the nature of the New Covenant. He argues that OT believers could enter the New Covenant before Christ’s completed work (p. 125). He further explains the distinctions between the Old Covenant and the New—the covenant of the flesh and the covenant of the Spirit—being sure to distinguish his position from both the paedobaptists and the “New Covenant” theologians.
Chapter thirteen explains how union with Christ functions within a Baptist covenantal system. This chapter runs through the standard ordo salutis categories and closes with a discussion of whether (and how) OT believers were united to Christ. He answers that OT believers, like Abraham, possessed all aspects of the ordo, even though they lacked the awareness of them (p. 150). Griffiths also compares this position with various other approaches to the question (e.g., New Covenant Theology, Owen, Federal Visionists).
Chapter fourteen addresses the question of the warning passages in the Bible and how they relate to perseverance. Griffiths maintains that the New Covenant is “unbreakable” (p. 166), contra paedobaptists (p. 173).
Chapter fifteen explains what is new about the New Covenant. For Griffiths, baptism in the Spirit is a “validation of a previously existing position in Christ” (p. 182). Or, to say it another way: “If we just accept the baptism of the Spirit by faith, just assume that it happens as conversion, then it appears that the only thing that actually differentiates us [from Old Testament saints] is our clearer understanding of redemption. The fact that we have the New Testament and a greater intellectual understanding of our position in Christ” (sic., p. 185).
The final two chapters contain an analysis of typical proof texts used by paedobaptists, as well as a conclusion.
Griffiths tries to cover a lot of ground in this little book. He does an admirable job interacting with many important interlocutors; however, there remain a few weaknesses. For one, Griffiths sometimes treats paedobaptists as somewhat monolithic, when instead he could have interacted with different categories of paedobaptists. For example, he interacts with Doug Wilson, John Murray, and Joel Beeke within just a few paragraphs without giving sufficient nuance to their differing understandings of paedobaptist covenant theology. Admittedly, this is an introductory book and does not provide limitless space for nuancing; however, footnotes explaining the differing views would have been appreciated.
Second, and much more interesting, was Griffiths’ understanding of baptism in the Spirit. He reduces baptism in the Spirit to an increase in intellectual understanding that accompanies salvation (e.g., pp. 182–83). Rather than the Spirit working in a greater way since Pentecost, or working in New Covenant believers in a way somehow greater than the work done in Old Covenant believers, Griffiths’ understanding seems to limit the significance of Pentecost. To put it another way, it seems like his systematic theology is flattening his biblical theology: attempting to emphasize that OT saints were saved the same way as the NT saints, Griffiths seems to minimize the biblical emphasis on the importance of Pentecost and the coming of the Spirit in fullness upon God’s people.
Overall, the book is helpful. It fills a need: an introductory explanation of covenant theology that clearly lays out the differences between Baptists and paedobaptists. While sometimes tedious and occasionally quirky, this work is appreciated. I have already bought and handed out several copies to young people that I have the joy of introducing to Baptist covenant theology. I hope you will do the same.
Jon English Lee is Pastor of Discipleship at Morningview Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL. He has earned a Bachelor’s degree from Auburn University in Montgomery, a Masters of Divinity from Southern Seminary, and a PhD in Systematic and Historical theology at Southern Seminary. Prior to serving at Morningview, he served various churches and para-church organizations in Alabama and Kentucky. He is a member of the St. Augustine Fellowship of the CPT.
