How to Find a New Covenant Theology-Believing Church
Finding a New Covenant Theology-believing church can be very easy, but one does need to understand what New Covenant Theology is. New Covenant theology, often simply called Covenant Theology, is a way of looking at God's revelation and his dealings with humans. There are also other names used for Covenant Theology, such as Reformed Theology or Calvinism. It is also a framework for interpreting the Bible. Often, Presbyterian, Reformed Baptists and some Methodists teach Covenant Theology. Covenant Theology teaches that there is a separation between God and man, and that God takes the initiative to bridge that gap. It further asserts that no human effort can bridge that gap.
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Instructions
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Study basic theology so you have an accurate understanding of what New Covenant Theology is. Covenant theology is a framework for biblical interpretation that affects nearly every area of one's theology or set of beliefs. New Covenant Theology is at times called Calvinism or Reformed Theology, because the Reformation is where the theology originated. It holds to the belief that salvation is totally the work of God, and that man is powerless to reach God. This would naturally mean that God knows who will be saved and who will not in advance. The other side, called Armenianism, believes people do have a role to play, and some go so far as to say God does not know the future. Related to them are dispensationalists, who see God's revelation coming in separate stages, while New Theology believers see it as a more continual development.
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Examine local church directories in your efforts to find a New Covenant-believing church. Very often these will be Presbyterian or Reformed Baptists. Most Baptists are not believers in New Covenant Theology, so unless there is the word "reformed" in their name, they are likely not New Covenant Theology believers.
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Visit some churches, especially those of the Presbyterian denomination. Nearly all churches are very upfront about their theology. Ask the pastor to make sure, or call the church before visiting. Many churches also have websites that outline their beliefs and theological perspectives. Most churches also have a list of core beliefs, either in written form or online. You may compare these with the basic ideas of New Covenant Theology to make sure.
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Tips & Warnings
One of the distinctives of some branches of Protestantism is the lack of a central authority, and emphasis is played on the authority of the local church to govern itself. As a result, a church may call itself anything it chooses, so it is important to check out what their theology is. Do not rely on the name of the church.
Many people who do not believe in this type of theology will offer explanations of what it is, and their explanations are often negative and exaggerate points to make it look bad. To learn about New Covenant Theology, be sure you are getting information from the source --- a New Covenant Theology church.
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Comments
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NCT (New Covenant Theology) doesn't equal Covenant Theology (CT). They are different systems of theology at attempts to understand how the bible fits together as a singular whole. This article should be rewritten after more careful research is done.
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John, I agree. Such basic errors. Totally avoidable if the linked references and resources had been checked. A pity, since he seems to be keen to help.
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3) the simplistic combining of the labels "Calvinism" and "Reformed Theology" with NCT. While this post does contain some helpful advice, the erroneous definitions and inaccurate label associations should not be relied on.
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It is apparent to me that the author of this post did not seriously study the "References" and "Resource" he lists at the end, or the links that may be found on these sites. If he had, he would have avoided: 1) the confusion of NCT and Covenant Theology, 2) the reductionist definitions of both New Covenant Theology and Covenant Theology, and. 3) the simplistic combining of the labels "Calvinism" and "Reformed Theology" with NCT. While this post does contain some helpful advice, the erroneous definitions and inaccurate label associations should not be relied on.
