The Words of the Covenant

Building on the foundation established in Volume 1, this second volume represents the culmination of 15 years of dedicated study into the biblical covenants. In The Words of the Covenant: A Biblical Theology, Volume 2: New Testament Continuation, Paul Henebury delves into the New Testament, demonstrating how the covenantal promises made in the Hebrew Scriptures continue to resonate and shape the apostolic writings. With precision and clarity, Henebury uncovers the covenantal continuity that runs through the pages of the New Testament, challenging theological assumptions and inviting readers to re-examine long-held beliefs. His work leaves no room for ambiguity, maintaining that God's covenants are not mere metaphors, but "gracious amplifications of plain speech about matters of great importance." As Henebury masterfully avoids the pitfalls of imposing theological systems onto Scripture, he instead allows the biblical text to speak for itself. His approach, relying on directly identified biblical covenants, offers a refreshing and insightful path forward for both theologians and Bible readers alike. Central to this volume is the issue of Israel's promised restoration, a topic that generates significant theological debate, but one which Henebury addresses with unwavering commitment to the plain meaning of God's words. This book is Volume 2 of a two-volume whole Bible Biblical Theology, bringing Henebury's comprehensive study to a powerful and thought-provoking conclusion. What Others are Saying about it: Paul Henebury is doing something so obvious that you have to marvel that no one has done it before, let alone done it so well. He is avoiding the Scylla of creating extra-textual theological covenants and imposing them on Scripture; and he is avoiding the Charybdis of creating textually-inferred dispensations and imposing them on Scripture. Instead, Paul starts with the the directly-textually-identified Biblical covenants, and lets Scripture structure itself accordingly. This is likely the best and most productive path forward, because it relies most directly on the explicit statements of Scripture.Daniel J. Phillips, Author, God's Wisdom in Proverbs. Henebury applies his keen and thorough analytical skills to the New Testament. The result is another outstanding work of biblical theology. This book not only explains the story of the New Testament, it shows how the latter Testament is in accord with the intended meaning of the Old Testament prophets. In doing so he demonstrates great continuity between Old Testament expectations and New Testament fulfillments in Jesus. Henebury's discussion of the biblical covenants and how these relate to God's kingdom program is magnificent. This book (along with Volume 1) would be helpful no matter what era in which it was written. But because of current theological trends it is even more needed today. We have entered an era in which reliance upon the assumptions of theological systems, with little scriptural support, is winning out over inductive study of Scripture based on sound hermeneutics. This makes Henebury's contributions even more helpful for the student who wants to know what "the Bible says." And while Henebury's findings are often contrary to the current supersessionist and over-spiritualized findings that are rampant today, his conclusions are thoroughly orthodox and consistent with what many fine scholars in church history have also stated. As with Volume 1, I highly recommend this book.Michael J. Vlach, PhD, Professor of Theology, Shepherds Theological Seminary.