Understanding Progressive Covenantalism: A Balanced Approach
Introduction: Progressive Covenantalism is Picking Up Steam
Progressive Covenantalism (PC for short) is becoming an increasingly popular way of understanding how the whole Bible fits together. If you’ve heard of it but feel like you’re missing the big picture, or maybe you just assumed it had something to do with politics, don’t worry, you’re not alone.
In this article, we’re going to walk through what PC is, how it fits into the broader world of biblical theology, and how it’s different from the other big frameworks like Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism. We won’t go too deep into the weeds, as this is more of a friendly introduction. So grab a cup of coffee (or tea, I guess) and let’s dig in.
What Exactly is Progressive Covenantalism Anyway?
Covenants: Not Just Fancy Contracts
Covenants are at the heart of the Bible’s story. They’re not just legal agreements, but instead they’re God’s way of building a relationship with His people. Think of God saying, “I will be your God, and you will be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33). That’s the heartbeat of covenant.
Progressive: Like a Good Netflix Series
The word “progressive” here doesn’t mean politically progressive; it means that God’s redemptive plan unfolds over time. Like a good Netflix series, each covenant is an episode building toward the grand finale: Jesus.
The Big Picture: God’s Story Through Covenants
Major Biblical Covenants at a Glance
Here’s a quick table to help you track the big covenantal movements in Scripture:
| Covenant | Mediator | Key Promise | Fulfillment in Christ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creation | Adam | Life and blessing through obedience | Christ, the Last Adam, secures eternal life |
| Noahic | Noah | Preservation of creation | Christ preserves and renews creation |
| Abrahamic | Abraham | Offspring, land, and blessing to nations | Jesus is the true offspring, the blessing to all nations |
| Mosaic | Moses | Law and nationhood; blessing through obedience | Jesus keeps the Law and mediates a better covenant |
| Davidic | David | Eternal throne and king | Jesus is the forever King from David’s line |
| New Covenant | Jesus | Forgiveness, new hearts, Spirit-filled people | Inaugurated by Christ through His death and resurrection |
What Makes Progressive Covenantalism Different?
Not Quite Covenant Theology
PC agrees with Covenant Theology (CT) that the Bible tells one redemptive story centered on Christ. But it differs in how it structures that story. CT traditionally organizes everything under two covenants: a covenant of works (pre-Fall) and a covenant of grace (post-Fall). PC doesn’t use that framework. Instead, it sees a plurality of historical covenants progressively unfolding and culminating in Christ (Wellum, Progressive Covenantalism, 2016).
Visible and Invisible Church? Not Exactly
Covenant Theology sees the church as a mixed community, believers and their children, because it mirrors the mixed nature of Israel. That’s why CT includes infant baptism. PC disagrees. The New Covenant community, PC says, is made up of those who are truly regenerate. That’s why baptism is reserved for believers. The church is not a mirror of Israel but a new, Spirit-born people in Christ.
Tripartite Law?
CT traditionally divides the Mosaic Law into moral, civil, and ceremonial laws. PC says the Bible doesn’t make those divisions. The Law is a package deal, fulfilled by Christ. That changes how we apply Old Testament laws today, through the lens of Jesus and the New Covenant.
Definitely Not Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism draws a sharp line between Israel and the Church. It holds that God’s promises to Israel (especially land and kingdom promises) will be literally fulfilled in a future millennial age. PC sees more continuity. Jesus is the true Israel who fulfills those promises, and in Him, Jew and Gentile are one. The land promise, for example, finds its ultimate fulfillment in the new creation (Romans 4:13).
The Covenant of Grace: Progressive Covenantalism Style
PC doesn’t isolate a separate “Covenant of Grace.” Instead, it sees grace running like a golden thread through every covenant, that is, from Adam to Christ. Each covenant builds on the last and prepares the way for the New Covenant, where the promises of grace are fully realized.
Israel and the Church: It’s Complicated, But Not Really
One People, Two Different Covenants
God has one people, those who trust in Him. But the form that people takes shifts across the covenants. Israel under the Mosaic covenant was a mixed community. The Church under the New Covenant is made up of those who are regenerate—born of the Spirit.
From Israel to Jesus to Church
This is the heart of PC’s Christological approach. The promises move from Israel to Jesus and then to the Church. Christ fulfills what Israel could not, and in Him, both Jew and Gentile are united as one new people.
How Progressive Covenantalism Handles Eschatology
Already/Not Yet: Welcome to the In-Between
PC embraces the “already/not yet” structure of the kingdom. Jesus reigns now, but the full effects of His kingdom are still to come. We’re living in the overlap of ages, where hope is real, but struggle still lingers.
Land Promises: New Creation Over Real Estate
PC sees the land promises not as unfulfilled real estate deals but as types that point forward to the global inheritance of the saints. Christ inherits the world, and in Him, so do we.
A Quick Word on Hermeneutics (Interpretation)
PC encourages us to read the Bible as one story that builds to Jesus. The Old Testament isn’t a separate book, but instead, it’s Act One of a drama that finds its climax in the cross and resurrection.
Reading Recommendations
If you want to dig deeper into Progressive Covenantalism, here are a few helpful resources:
- Kingdom through Covenant by Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum — the foundational text
- Progressive Covenantalism: Charting a Course Between Dispensational and Covenant Theologies (ed. Wellum & Parker)
- 40 Questions About Biblical Theology (DeRouchie, Martin, and Naselli)
For a shorter introduction, start with one of Wellum’s essays in Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, or catch a podcast or interview where he explains the heart of this view.
Conclusion: Progressive Covenantalism Made Simple
Progressive Covenantalism aims to help people read the Bible as a unified, Christ-centered story. It avoids the ditches of flattening all of Scripture into one covenant, or dividing it into unrelated eras. Instead, it walks the covenantal road with Jesus as the center.
FAQs about Progressive Covenantalism
- Is Progressive Covenantalism compatible with evangelical beliefs? Absolutely! It’s fully grounded in historic evangelical theology.
- Do you have to reject other theological systems to embrace Progressive Covenantalism? No, you can appreciate insights from Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism, too. These frameworks are not always a one-size-fits-all solution. For example, I personally tend to lean more into the CT view overall, but lean more PC in the view of Israel/Church.
- How does Progressive Covenantalism view Israel today? It sees believing Jews and Gentiles unified in Christ as part of the Church.
- Does Progressive Covenantalism influence how we live practically? Yes, it emphasizes living faithfully as new covenant believers guided by Christ’s teachings.
- Is Progressive Covenantalism growing in popularity? Yes, especially among those seeking clarity between traditional Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism.
