Carey Conference 2012 08

Sam Waldon's final paper looked at the universal work of the Spirit in the new covenant. He had three points

1. The emphasised dissimilarity of the new covenant

Some writers on the covenant emphasise similarities to such a point that there seems to be no dissimilarity 

2. The precise superiority of the new covenant

Often commentators from Calvin on say that the newness of the new covenant is simply quantitative not qualitative. Surely though when it says that all will know God under the new covenant that is the difference. Under the old covenant there were many who were not saved. That is not the character of the new covenant. Under the new covenant there must be repentance - something not required under the old covenant. Similarly, spiritual sight and spiritual circumcision is now necessary which was not the case before.  Sonship was quite a differen thing too. Mt 3, John 1, Php 3, Rom 8, 9, etc)..

The old covenant people are a physical nation while the new covenant people re a spiritual people.

3. The ulitmate fulfilment of the new covenant.

Presbyterians say that the new covenant church is very similar to the old covenant community. Part of the difficulty here is the need to remember that the ne covenant is not yet consummated. There is more to come. in the presnet age the promises are being fulfilled but there is more to come. The importance of this is that we are not now looking back to old Jerusalem and its mixed multitiude for our model but forward to new Jerusalem for it.

Applications

1. The fundamental importance of a regenerate church membership

2. The biblical necessity of believers baptism

3. We learn here a fatal flaw in arguments for paedobaptism

4. The glorious privilege of being a member of a new covenant church