This year the Reformed Baptist Blog would like to thank our readers by offering an opportunity to two of the blog's email subscribers to receive free books for Christmas this year. One of our readers will receive a free copy of Dr. Jeff Johnson's book The Fatal Flaw of the Theology Behind Infant Baptism, which I believe is the single best book on the subject from a Reformed Baptist perspective. It is also a good book for understanding Covenant Theology from a Reformed Baptist perspective.
Another of our readers will receive a free copy of two of Dr. Richard Belcher's Journey books. They will include the first two books in the series, A Journey in Grace and A Journey in Purity (see here for more information). If you already have the first two books, then we will allow the substitution of any two of the other books in the series. I suspect that once you have read a couple of the Journey books, you will want to read more of them and will recommend them to others as well. As a pastor, I have found that folks have really been helped by them and have found them enjoyable reading as well.
On December 12 I will draw from the addresses included in the email subscriber list from FeedBurner. So, if you want to have a chance to receive these books, then make sure you sign up as an email subscriber to the blog using the Subscribe in a reader link on the right panel of this page. And make sure you click the "Get Reformed Baptist Blog delivered by email" option. Current email subscribers are already in the running.
I'm looking forward to winning some good books!!
ReplyDeleteVery nice! Thank you for this giveaway. I already have two Journey books on my Christmas wish list. I'm slowly going through the series and I'm really enjoying it. I would also love to have The Fatal Flaw, to learn more about that subject.
ReplyDeleteKeith,
ReplyDeleteI've been curious about this for a while. Do you agree with Jeffrey Johnson's characterization of the Mosaic Covenant as a covenant of works instead of being an administration of the Covenant of Grace with a works principle attached? I think it's a very good book in a lot of ways (particularly with dealing with newer developments like FV and NPP) but I've been somewhat puzzled with some Reformed Baptists hailing it as a definitive exposition of Baptist Covenant Theology.
As I understand it, while dispensationalism and NCT say the Mosaic was a works covenant, the 1689 does not take that position. Instead, in the article on Covenant with the phrase "by farther steps" it clearly appears to teach that the Mosaic was an administration of the Covenant of Grace. My recollection is that our friend Jeffrey says that seeing the Mosaic as an administration of the Covenant of Grace is the fatal flaw.
When reading the book I had the sense that he had one foot in Covenant Theology and another in NCT. He uses terms like Covenant of Grace and upholds the perpetuity of the Moral Law, which NCT rejects, at least in a formal sense. But I've never known a confessional Reformed Baptist who would argue that the Mosaic IS a covenant of works. Many would state that it contains a republication of the COW as Klineans and some others would state. But even they say that the Mosaic is ultimately an administration of the COG.
But I do have to admit that I haven't done a ton of reading of Baptist covenantal materials. Until a few years ago I was a Presbyterian and most of my reading of covenant theology has been from that side of the fence. But I know the kind of Reformed Baptists that are on the Puritan Board would disagree with the characterization of the Mosaic Covenant as being a covenant of works. My guess is that someone like Fred Malone would as well. Have you read Greg Nichols new book? How does he see it?
Right or wrong, kudos to Jeff for being his own man and not being slavishly committed to a theory.
BTW, I'd be happy to receive any of Dr. Belcher's books. I could also pass along "Fatal Flaw" to a friend as well.
Who was so blessed to win?
ReplyDeleteI have drawn two names and emailed the addresses given, but have yet to hear back from either of them. I don't want to say who they are without their permission and since I don't know their names, only their email addresses through the Feddburner subscription list.
ReplyDeleteI will try to reach them again, and if they do not respond I will draw to different names.