Arguments for paedocommunion - a response (2)

The (now finished) series of posts: Part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven. You can read the paragraphs I'm responding to now here.

I think I'd like to return the complement to Joseph by also agreeing with him. Not just in highlighting an inconsistency in how paedo-variouses argue for the idea of "expanded covenant privileges", but also in that the nations now belong to Jesus Christ.

The Old Covenant was local; the New is universal. The Old had limited territorial aims; the New does not. The Davidic King under the Old Covenant had the right, under the Covenant, to rule only over the portion of land which had been described to Abraham; King Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18ff), and his Father has granted him his request for all of the nations (Psalm 2:8). Jesus is Lord of all, and that really does mean all. Thus Joseph in Omaha and I in Nairobi can join in a glorious fellowship of those who go out and tell people anywhere and everywhere that the King Jesus now demands (not requests!) that they bow to him in repentance, and offers them everlasting life in his name.

I don't know Joseph, and do wonder if he meant more than this, but I can go with him at least thus far, in recognising that the Scriptures explicitly teach a universality of the New Covenant in this present age.

Nevertheless...

I failed to make the above observation when I said "the New Covenant fulfillment of the Old Covenant land promises should be seen in terms of a spiritual inheritance during the present time and a physical inheritance only in the age to come". It is implied by the understanding that the "age to come" is already present, though not climaxing until Christ's return; I'm grateful for being able to add the clarification . However, I don't believe that this observation materially affects the argument I was making.

I sought to explain the privileges which infants of believers enjoy in this era, as they are raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4), having the gospel explained to them in its New Testament revealed clarity, as being a privilege which far transcends the previous privilege of participation in the Passover Feast. I also sought to clarify that the infants who we are particularly interested in here are ones who don't express faith - because those who do are (as we all agree) of course eligible to partake in all of the Covenant's ordinances.

Continued...