BOOK:

In Defense of Jesus the New Lawgiver

by John Reisinger

As I consider John Reisinger’s, In Defense of Jesus, the New Law Giver, my mind goes back to a time several years ago, when after going through various stages of influence in Covenantalism, and Dispensationalism, I discovered an approach to the Scriptures that is dictated from the Scriptures themselves. I discovered what John Reisinger had known about, and taught about, for years. I discovered New Covenant Theology. Amazingly, all of the theories of Covenantalism, and Dispensationalism, that did not work without being artificially pushed, were replaced by a clear, consistent, working revelation from God's word. Finally the Bible made sense without needing to run it through a complex system of covenants, dispensations, and theories of various people existing in numerous covenants during God's New and final Covenant with the true people of God--His elect in Christ.

One vital area that finally made sense was the stark distinction between the Old Covenant Mosaic Law, and the New Covenant in Christ Who is our all in all. Realizing the great truth that John Reisinger asserts and defends in this book, that Christ gave a higher standard than the Old Covenant Law to us in His New Covenant, in terms of living out the life of Christ that we already have in Him, this became my main hermeneutic principle for exhortation in expository preaching. Consequently I have taught, and preached, the high standard of the upward call in Christ from our position in Christ the New Covenant; and I have confidently done so without preaching the Old Covenant Law as our standard for life and godliness.

During the early years of my transition to New Covenant theology, I read books and articles by such men as John Reisinger, Dr. Gary Long, Tom Wells, Fred Zaspel, Geoff Volker, and Steve Lehrer, to name just a few. The insights of all of these men concerning various perspectives of New Covenant Theology as a recognition that is constantly growing and developing toward a more complete understanding, has been invaluable. But, at the same time, I was also reading the critics of New Covenant theology. What was amazing to me was the consistent misrepresentations, straw men, and ad hominem attacks I would see leveled at New Covenant theology. I would read, and think "I don't believe the doctrine like he is presenting it. That is not New Covenant theology like I know it to be, or have seen it to be. These writings of critics only serve to bring confusion, not clarity, for anyone who is exploring New Covenant theology with an honest and open mind.

One particular author, who, at that time, was publishing direct attacks on New Covenant Theology, was Dr. Richard Barcellos. He wrote several articles; one in Table Talk magazine, as well as the book, In Defense of the Decalogue. I was particularly concerned with his handling of the Old Covenant commandments engraved on stone. It was not until later that I became more concerned when this brother in Christ published his tradition based attack upon New Covenant theology, calling it a defense of the decalogue (aka ministry of death engraved on stones cf. 2 Corinthians 3:7). The scarring damage that I suspected that such a book would impose upon the beautiful face of New Covenant Theology became tangible to me when a fellow minister in our church visited a Reformed Baptist church in another State. While there, my friend noticed a clear and open contempt for New Covenant theology in general, and he also noticed that Barcellos' personal attack upon New Covenant theology was being sold in the church's foyer. It was the first time my friend had heard of Barcellos or his book. When my friend picked up the book and read through it, the same thoughts that hit me years before, hit him; he thought, "This is not the New Covenant theology that I have heard preached. I have never heard that before. Why is this author writing these things?"

When my friend shared his experience with me, I realized something needed to be done, but something had already been done. John Reisinger had written a series of excellent articles for Sound of Grace that soundly refuted those specious views of New Covenant Theology. If only Reisinger's articles would be put into book form to be handed to people; to be available on library shelves; to be consulted as a clarifier, and reference work that exposes, and refutes this poison being dropped into the well of New Covenant Theology. I thought about how wonderful it would be for such a book to be made available to a wider audience that is being fed a deficient caricature of New Covenant Theology's position on such things as the Old Mosaic Law Covenant, antinomianism, and indictments based upon an inexcusable failure to recognize New Covenant Theology's appreciation of a higher law standard in Christ (ie. supernominanism). The book is that book. Reisinger's In Defense of Jesus the New Lawgiver is an answer to Barcellos', In Defense of the Decalogue : A Critique of New Covenant Theology.

I am so very thankful to God for John Reisinger's desire to both promote and defend God's New Covenant. Hopefully, by God's sovereign hand, this book will be a tool in the hands of many of His servants to achieve the same end. It is my prayer that all who read it will be able to see that the so-called critique of New Covenant theology has been critiqued itself, and found lacking. It is also my prayer that in reading In Defense of Jesus, the New Lawgiver people will better understand certain key issues involved in a more accurate representation of New Covenant theology.

In Christ the Covenant,
Pastor K Kinchen
Isaiah 42:6, 49:8, 55:3-4