Fun, frivolity, and even serious discussions about important issues ensue when our own Dr. Clark sits down to talk with HB contributor Mike Abendroth, on his radio show, No Compromise Radio. You can subscribe to NoCo Radio and listen to the episode in its native environment here»
Here is the HB audio archive of the episode. This is part 1 of 2 episodes.
For more on the Federal Vision theology see the resources below.
Resources
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- For Those Just Tuning In: What Is The Federal Vision?
- Resources On The Federal Vision Theology
Hi Dr. Clark,
In your conversation you explained Baptist Theology as asking the question, who is in the church? Answer—regenerate people. The Baptist believes there aren’t two ways of being in the church, or being in the Covenant of Grace, there is only one way you’re either in or out.
You explained FV as understanding it similarly, that there is only one way to be in the COG not two ways of being in the COG as the Reformed typically say. Could you expand on or clarify this idea of two ways to be in the COG? Are you speaking of the visible and invisible church? As essentially explained by Paul in Romans:
6 “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’” Romans 9:6–7 (ESV)
And also covered in the Belgic Confession Article 29:
“But we speak not here of hypocrites, who are mixed in the Church with the good, yet are not of the Church, though externally in it;”
Thanks for your time and clarification!
Jeremy
Hi Jeremy,
See these resources:
https://www.cpjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/CPJ2-RSClark.pdf
https://heidelblog.net/2016/03/tracing-the-paradigm-shift-two-ways-of-being-in-the-covenant-of-grace/
https://heidelblog.net/2018/03/baptists-and-federal-visionists-together/
https://reformedfellowship.net/collections/clark-dr-r-scott/products/baptism-election-and-the-covenant-of-grace
For the baptist, one is either in the covenant of grace by regeneration (which is then recognized by baptism) or one is not. For the Reformed, there are two modes or two ways. As I explain in those essays we have to account for what Paul says in Romans 2:28, Romans 3 (about the importance of the external administration), and Romans 9. It is certainly true that not all Israel is Israel but Paul was not a Baptist and we may not read a Baptist view of the covenant of grace into Paul.
Thank you! I’ll check those out..