New Reformed Baptist Seminary

Pete Richert · #1 08-14-2003, 03:06 PM

A New Reformed Baptist Seminary is in the planning just north of Austin TX. The school, to be named Providence Theological Institute, has been donated land and money for a building and wishes to begin classes in the fall of 2004. The school will began as a post-graduate Bible college and transistion into a full fledged seminary as time and more importantly, the Lord permits. The school's distintive difference is that is overriding hermanutic will closely align with Reformed Baptist theology as opposed to dispensatialism or Convenant Theology which dominate all current seminaries. Most aspects of Reformed Baptist Theology has been brought under the label New Convenant Theology though the views of the seminary and that of outspoken representives of NCT may not be exact in all details or ephasis.

If I still live in Austin ten or fifteen years from now (when I plan on seminary) I think I might see how this school has progressed. I find that most schools really ephasize either Dispy (Like Dallas, most conservative Baptist schools) or CT (Westminister, any Presbyeterian, etc) but only the bigger more diverse schools have room for more Reformed yet Baptist folks. Gorden-Conwell comes to mind.

swaimj · #2 08-14-2003, 04:18 PM

Quote:

...Reformed Baptist theology as opposed to dispensatialism or Convenant Theology which dominate all current seminaries.

Thanks for the post. A question: How does reformed Baptist theology differ from covenant theology? I think I have an idea but I'd like to hear you state the disctinctives.

Pete Richert · #3 08-14-2003, 05:06 PM

I will discuss NCT as a specific instance of Reformed Baptist Theology.

I don't think I could ever do it justice as I am learning many of the distictions myself and don't know a whole lot about CT to begin with (coming from a Dispy background) but I guess you could place NCT somehere in between CT and Dispy. NCT believes there is one people of God, like CT, but not in the Bible is to be read flat like a CT. So NCT believes the Church was born in the NT, even though it is not a different people nor a plan B so to speak. NCT also treats the Law very similar to Dispy, denying it unless specifically quoted in the NT, while CT uphold the law believing it has the same purpose today as in the OT. NCT does not believe their our unbelievers in the New Convenant, while CT does, and therefor NCT rejects any infant baptism which practicially has a monopoly in CT. NCT recognizes many discontiunities between the old and new conventant (unlike CT) but also recoginzes many continuties (namely one people of God) much like CT. All in all, I find the NCT is very similar to Progressive Dispensationalism though NCT are probably post-trib or amillieniel.

Here is a link where the four systems are compared.
click here

NCT tends to look at salvation history as exactly that, an unfolding plan of God that includes the nation of Israel and then progesses to that of everyone who believes in Jesus. Remember, Israel was in no means replaced. Indeed, they were the firstfruits to believe. Any Jew who believes today is a child of God. It wasn't that Israel was replaced, it was that the gentiles were added in! Now the people of God are those who believe in Jesus Christ, either Jew or Gentile. CT would focus more on the continuity between the two conventants and not see much difference between the church today and isreal. Classic Dispensationals see them as completely distinct, yet progessive dispensationals see it more as an unfolding plan, but agree with their classic brothers that there is a political future for a nation of people who are ethnically Jewish. As I said before, NCT and progessive Dispensational seem very close to me.

swaimj · #4 08-14-2003, 05:20 PM

Quote:

NCT and progessive Dispensational seem very close to me.

Yes, they do. Thanks for the summary and for the reply.

Gunther · #5 08-14-2003, 05:28 PM

I think Pete did a good job in his description. One thing that he mentioned that I will reitererate, is that eschatology is not even part of the focus of NCT. Basically, if you are a NC theologian, you are on your own in eschatology. Frankly, I am strongly attracted to NCT and really have no problem with it, so far. I am definitely pretrib/premill.

Dr. Bob · #6 08-15-2003, 12:12 PM

I am Reformed Baptist and dispensational (and pre trib).

A minority would be an understatement!

Pete Richert · #7 08-15-2003, 01:05 PM

Yes D-Bob, you are quite in the minority. Baptists who are calvinists, while remaining premilliniel, are usually not pre-trib. But I find that this board actually has quite a few of you, with Pastor Larry, Daniel David, and it looks like my man Gunther as well.

As Gunther pointed out, eschotology is not a major focus within circles that would claim the Reformed Baptist title. In my Church there appears to be lots of Post-Mill, Amill (the churches official position though it is not forced on anyone, it is the offical position because it is the consensus of the elders), and Post-trib. And indeed, there are even some pre-trib. If you head on over to the Puritan Board which has a mixture of Reformed Baptists and Conservative Presbyterians in discussion you will see a good mixture as well, and I know the moderator who is a strong Reformed Baptist in pre-trib.

Gunther · #8 08-15-2003, 01:57 PM

John MacArthur is another that really emphasizes the New Covenant and is Pretrib.

Pete Richert · #9 08-15-2003, 02:07 PM

Oh yes yes, how could I forget. MacArthur is the flagship of that position.

gb93433 · #10 08-15-2003, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gunther:
John MacArthur is another that really emphasizes the New Covenant and is Pretrib.

I don't know that much about MacArthur other than what I see in pastors who graduated from there. In what way is he a covenant theologian? What are some examples you can think of?

I graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary on Ft. Worht, Texas. I never thoguht of it as a covenant school or dispensational.