The Fulfillment of the Promises of God: An Explanation of Covenant Theology,

(2020) by Richard Belcher, A review of the progressive covenantalism critique.

Written from a covenant theology (CT) perspective, this book fortunately distinguishes

between confessional Baptists, New Covenant Theology (NCT), and Progressive Covenantalism

(PC). Belcher presents PC as fairly recent, of course, and mostly uses KtC 2018 but incorrectly

references it without specifying 2nd edition. He does later recognize there is an earlier 2012

edition.

Another CT book is coming in November 2020 that is said to have a more thorough

comparison of PC to CT. I read a preliminary copy of that chapter. It will need to include a lot

more in order to be more thorough than the comparison in Belcher’s book.

I believe Belcher fairly represents PC. I have no arguments with his representation. I

questioned a few of his statements, but when I verified them, I found he was correct. I won’t try

to be exhaustive, but I thought a brief overview of his PC critique may be useful.

The Nature of the New Covenant community:

1. Belcher takes exception (p. 224) to PC thinking that CT understands the mixed

community of the church in the same way [emphasis in the original] as the mixed

community of Israel, as if there is no difference between Israel and the church. The KtC

terminology is the same in structure and nature. (KtC 2d, p. 810) The church is different:

not establishing a theocracy, spiritual in nature, fighting spiritual battles, not advancing

through physical warfare.

2. Unbelievers in church is an existential reality.

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3. KtC makes no distinction among New Covenant, New Covenant community, or covenant

community. “They are used interchangeably and many times are not qualified in any

way.” (p. 245) He makes the point that one may be part of the community but not

actually in the covenant. “So much rides on their [PC] view that the New Covenant

community is not a mixed community that it feels like special pleading to argue that there

are professed believers, who may not be true believers, in the New Covenant community,

but that does not make it a mixed community.” (p. 245) Speaking of one who professes

but does not have faith – “Yet, from a human standpoint [emphasis added] they are

received as part of the New Covenant, and thus as part of the New Covenant community

(the church).” (p. 246)

Warning Passages and the “Already-Not Yet” Character of Salvation

1. Belcher makes a distinction between the completed work of Christ and the ongoing

application of salvation to believers. (p. 248)

2. He also makes a distinction between personal and legal aspects of covenant. He

understands the olive tree metaphor in Romans 11:16-24 as indication that holy branches,

members of the covenant, can be cut off, as well as, new Gentile branches grafted on and

later cut off. Each one can be personally part of the covenant without being legally part

of the covenant.

The Genealogical Principle

1. “A covenant is administered through the representative principle whereby covenants

include the descendants of the representatives.” (p. 251)

2. “Circumcision should not be limited to a national covenant because the Abrahamic

covenant was intended by God to fulfill a spiritual purpose. Circumcision is an outward

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 sign pointing to an inward, spiritual need. The covenants develop in relationship to each

other in an organized way, each taking up the promises of the covenants that have gone

before. It is better to see one line that develops in redemptive history than to argue for

different seeds of Abraham.” (p. 252)

3. “Because these principles are built into the administration of covenants, typological

understanding of the genealogical principle does not do justice to how the principle

continues in the New Covenant (Rom.11:16-24).” (p.252) [the olive tree again]

4. Colossians 2:11-12 standard argument. (pp. 256-257)

5. Of course, some who were circumcised did not believe, but the same can be said of

baptism. (pp. 257-258)