What is this new Progressive Covenantalism all about? I’ve seen this question asked several times in forums.
Stephen Wellum and Brent Parker give a brief outline of what PC is about in a B & H Academic article. PC aspires to be a mediating position between Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism. Interestingly, Progressive Dispensationalism has sometimes been referred to as an interface between Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism. Do we need a new mediating theology?
Progressive Covenantalists state that:
We labeled our view progressive covenantalism (PC) to distinguish it from various alternatives. Progressive seeks to underscore the unfolding nature of God’s revelation over time, while covenantalism emphasizes that God’s plan unfolds through the covenants and that all of the covenants find their fulfillment, telos, and terminus in Christ. We strongly argue for the unity of God’s plan-promise culminating in the new covenant. Our focus on the new covenant is not to exclude the other covenants since in God’s plan each covenant is significant. In order to discern that significance, each covenant must be placed in its own covenantal location and then placed in terms of what covenant(s) preceded it and follow it before we can rightly discern how God’s entire plan is fulfilled in Christ. By doing this, we interpret Scripture on its own terms and discover God’s glorious plan unveiled before our eyes. We learn how in Christ all of God’s promises are yes and amen (2 Cor 1:20). (Emphasis mine)
Note what is said about fulfillment in Christ. The following comments clarify their position a little further:
…PC advocates can accept historic premillennialism or amillennialism, yet all the authors are united in their rejection of a dispensational understanding of the land promise to national Israel “apart” from Gentile Christians. Or, with regard to a text such as Romans 9–11, people within our view may differ, yet all agree that this text does not demand a dispensational interpretation. (Emphasis mine)
This video ought to be helpful as well Dr. Stephen Wellum Explains Progressive Covenantalism
Does Progressive Covenantalism succeed as a mediating position? More importantly, are its criticisms of the dispensational view valid, and is its position biblically defensible? The term fulfillment in Christ and the incorporation of Gentiles into the land promises suggests that this is a type of Fulfillment Theology, which is essentially grounded in Replacement Theology. Dispensationalists reject this view. The land promises were never offered to the church.
Dispensationalists have responded to the PC position. For example, Progressive Dispensationalist Craig Blaising has taken issue over what he feels is their misrepresentation of PD and biblically problematic view.
Excerpt of his brief response:
One cannot speculate about individual motivations, but from what has been published, it seems that PC authors recognize that progressive dispensationalism has a valid biblical argument against covenantalism. PC claims to build off of that and present an even “more biblical” position in turn. However, by failing to fully appreciate both hermeneutically and theologically the role and function of ethnic, national and territorial Israel for biblical anthropology and new creationism, PC falls short of a holistic biblical theology—a move, in my opinion, in the direction of a less, not more, biblical view….keep reading
Blaising has critiqued PC’s Kingdom Through Covenant (KTC) and offered an in-depth response HERE
Dr. Michael Vlach has also responded to KTC in his article Have They Found a Better Way?
Michael Vlach notes:
Non-dispensationalists often claim that Jesus’ identity as “true Israel” means there is no longer any future significance for Israel as a national entity. (See What Does Christ as “True Israel” Mean for the Nation Israel?)
Finally even dispensationalism is not without some fault. As I’ve done before, I recommend Paul Henebury’s insights into Biblical Covenantalism.
Biblical Interpretation Series – Covenants by Paul Martin Henebury
See also Telos Ministries.
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