The Fatal Flaw: The Fatal Flaw of the Theology Behind Infant Baptism by Jeffrey D. Johnson

Author:Jeffrey D. Johnson [Johnson, Jeffrey D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Free Grace Press
Published: 2017-06-06T00:00:00+00:00

10. The Deficiencies of the Old Covenant

Although the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant were typified by earthly and temporary fulfillments in the Old Testament, the New Testament shows us how they ultimately spoke of eternal and spiritual blessings. Therefore, for the Mosaic Covenant to be an extension of these eternal and spiritual promises, the Mosaic Covenant would need to be spiritual and eternal in nature as well… yet the Mosaic Covenant was neither (1.) spiritual nor (2.) eternal, and therefore (3.) cannot fulfill the Abrahamic promises.

The Abrahamic Covenant Was Spiritual in Nature

First, God’s eternal promises to Abraham were ultimately spiritual in nature.[ccxl] One of the promises given to our Father Abraham was that his seed would be a holy people unto God. Yet the nation of Israel, throughout their history, proved to be a perverse nation. Moreover, they, as a nation, rejected their Messiah. The bulk of Abraham’s natural children were not spiritual at all. Therefore, it would appear that this particular Abrahamic promise was nullified by Israel’s failure and unbelief.

Paul, however, explains that this was not the case. “Shall their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?” Did Israel’s failure and unbelief nullify God’s promises to Abraham? “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:3-4). “Not as though the word [promises] of God has failed[ccxli]” (Rom. 9:6). In other words, Israel’s failure did not annul God’s promises. God’s spiritual promises to Abraham were unconditional. Thus, God’s faithfulness has overcome Israel’s failure.

Rather than the promises going unfulfilled, God has established Abraham’s seed as the ‘people of God’ (Rom. 4:16; 15:8). But, how? How can Abraham’s seed be God’s people, when Israel has rejected God? Paul explains how when he says, “Not as though the word [promise] of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel” (Rom. 9:6 KJV). That is, the promise that Abraham would have a godly seed was not referring to all of Abraham’s physical descendants. As Paul goes on to clarify: “For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the [physical] seed of Abraham…That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God” (Rom. 9:7-8 NKJV). By this Divine commentary on the Abrahamic Covenant, Paul teaches that “the Jews” are not the true children of promise.

If the physical seed of Abraham are not the children of promise, then who are the children of promise? To answer this question, we must understand the fine print of the Abrahamic Covenant. “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds (sperpmasin) as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed (spermatic) which is Christ” (Gal. 3:16 KJV). In shining a bright light upon this small but important detail, Paul shows that the Abrahamic Covenant was not fulfilled by Abraham’s natural descendants (the Jews), but with his one distant descendant—Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the true promised seed.

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