As Christians we keep hearing from the pulpits that the redemptive-historical (christocentric) hermeneutic is the proper way to interpret the scriptures (hermeneutics -> homiletics), and that this is the method that Jesus and the Apostles used. We are told that we need to interpret the bible in light of the New Testament and this method then becomes the lens by which we read the Scriptures, particularly the Old Testament. Not only that, our preaching should be subject to a “christocentric” approach where Christ is read into the Old Testament and every text is subject to Christ. Every pericope then must be seen in light of Christ or the gospel to be functionally relevant to the audience being preached to.
I was reading through J.V. Fesko’s work Death in Adam, Life in Christ and came across some interesting connections between the Covenant of Works/Adamic Covenant and its origins.
Fesko notes on pg. 72 that “…it appears that Roman Catholic theologians were some of the first to place Adam in covenant with God.”1 He attempts to tie the concept of an Adamic covenant back to Jerome through the Latin Vulgate translation of Hosea 6:7, which I find unconvincing2, and then through Augustine (though not exactly on comparable grounds), but it really finds its grounds in Ambrogio Catharinus who is a Roman Catholic priest.3
Fresh off the press, I have written a critique of congregationalism, or congregational polity, and local church membership. Before you assume the worst, please try to wrestle with my ideas and my contentions.
I am in no way implying that we should have no church polity, and I am in no way implying that I reject the local church and the importance of it in the life of the believer. Please don’t start with that assumption.
What I want to do is to show why (a) I don’t think congregationalism is the polity we should follow, whereas I adopt an Elder-Led/Rule model (think John MacArthur), (b) I don’t think we need to implement “local” church membership, since we are already members of the “universal” body of Christ. I believe this has created hurdles and problems in the local church that ultimately hurts non-members.
I expect some push-back and disagreement, but I think it is important for people to voice their thoughts about these two subjects, and since I am very much in-line with Reformed Baptist theology, I certainly want to share my thoughts in a respectful but critical way.
I hope that it will be a challenge to those of you affirm these two beliefs. I hope for those on the fence that you will consider my arguments and my reasoning and land somewhere perhaps where I have, and for those who are fresh to the subject, maybe it will give you something to think about when you enter into discussions with your leaders.
Lastly, a shout-out to my wife who is always supportive and who has been my talking partner for years around these subjects, may it make you proud.
