The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Sovereign Grace

How is Sovereign Grace theology different from Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism? IOW, what is a person saying when he denies the latter two and affirms the former?

John,

Simply put, "Sovereign Grace" theology generally refers to soteriology (aka: the doctrine of salvation which emphasizes monergism), e.g., in opposition to "General Grace" theology (aka: semi-Pelagianism/Arminianism, which emphasizes synergism).

Covenant Theology isn't really a direct comparative to Dispensationalism, because Covenant Theology is more comprehensive, in that it sometimes includes soteriology. However, used in the narrower sense, i.e., in relation to Eschatology (aka: doctrine of last things) they are antithetical. Covenant Theology emphasizes the continuity of God's dealings with man from Genesis to the eschaton. Dispensationalism, as the word implies, emphasizes the discontinuity of God's dealing with man. Both involve their own specific hermeneutic; i.e., the way one interprets Scripture.

Like I said, the above is a very simplistic description of these three things and volumes have been written on each.

In His Grace,

I was thinking John was referring to Sovereign Grace Baptists. Or am I mistaken? I do know that Sovereign Grce Baptists differ from what's normally considered Reformed Baptists in that SG Baptists tend to be NCT.

Really don't know. I heard a friend speaking of knowing someone who claims not to be either a CT or Dispy, but refers to himself as just Sovereign Grace. I thought NCT were mostly identified withe Dispensationalism than CT.

I would not think, NCT (New Covenant Theo) would be identified with Dispensationalism. Their are a couple of sight who claim they are 1/2 between the two. NCT is hard to put a handle on (and please correct me if I am wrong) but Sovereign Grace seem to follow a Baptist Style of CT but separate when dealing with God's Moral. For example, the Ten Comandments (specifically #4) are done away except if when they are specifically taught in the new testament.

The problem with the term is that Soveriegn Grace Baptists cover a wide territory. There are landmark Baptists that claim the title of Soveriegn Grace Baptists, so do some of those that also call themselves Reformed Baptists. And there are Primitive Baptist that also fall under that category as well as those that belong to the Continental Baptist Churches. What I have seen is many of them hold to the 1644 Baptist Confession, and some of them hold to NCT but not all.