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By Oath Consigned: A Reinterpretation of the Covenant Signs of Circumcision and Baptism
- GenresTheologyBiblical Studies
110 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1968
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135 people want to read
About the author
Meredith G. Kline
22 books34 followersMeredith G. Kline was Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He received his B.D. and Th.M. degrees from Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia) and his Ph.D. degree in Assyriology and Egyptology from Dropsie College. Professor Kline maintained an active writing and teaching ministry, serving on the faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, California. He was also an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The collection of essays in the recently-published Creator, Redeemer, Consummator, a festschrift written in honor of Dr. Kline, attests to the indelible influence his work has exerted on contemporary biblical and theological scholarship.
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March 31, 2021
Kline, Meredith. By Oath Consigned: A Reinterpretation of the Covenant Signs of Circumcision and Baptism. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1968.
This book is “early Kline” and he sharpened some of his views later in Kingdom Prologue. According to some of Kline’s students, he would rather people read KP than this book. On the other hand, this book is short, accessible, and fairly well-written. It is certainly worth your time.
A covenant is a “relationship under sanctions” (Kline 16). Sanctions is the key element and will factor largely in his 4(5) point covenant model. The sanctions go with the oath that one or both covenant partners swear. In Genesis 15 God swears an oath that the same will be done to him that was done to the split cows if God fails to live up to his covenant promise.
That’s the book in a nutshell. From that idea Kline identifies “promise-covenants” (Abraham, David) and “law-covenants” (Sinai). If God swears the oath, it is a promise covenant. If man swears the oath it is a law-covenant. He sees this contrast in Galatians 3-4. Further, Kline argues that the law-principle cannot be identified with the promise-principle, since Paul explicitly contrasts the two in Romans 3:31.
Taking his earlier definition of covenant as “relationship under sanctions,” Kline specifies that the divine covenant is “an administration of God’s lordship, consecrating a people to himself under sanctions of divine law” (36).
Circumcision: The Oath Sign of the Old Covenant
The starting point for this is the covenant ratification ceremony in Genesis 17. Things get interesting here. Kline is correct to point out the sanctions/curses aspect of the covenant (and his wonderful insights on “cutting a covenant”). Genesis 17, however, is normally viewed in line with the promise, not the sanctions. There is a warning to future generations on this covenant if they fail to circumcise. I think this is why Kline didn’t consider the book to be the final word on the subject.
Kline notes that circumcision is an “act of consecration” (44). All of this seems fairly standard. The trick is to tie it to baptism. Before making such a facile, surface-level connection, Kline continues the exploration. It’s not so much that x replaces y. Rather, in Colossians 2, we are circumcised in Christ in his “crucifixion-circumcision.” The language of baptism follows the covenantal model of circumcision: malediction, consecration, identification” (47). Seen another way: circumcision, burial, resurrection. That is Colossians 2 (and probably Romans 6).
Circumcision signifies that the sword of the Lord cuts off false servants.
John’s Baptism as Covenant Judgment
This is the best chapter in the book. It helps explain some problems Reformed have always had with John’s baptism. If circumcision/baptism is a sign and seal, and if baptism replaces circumcision, then where does John the Baptist fit in? It’s not immediately obvious. Kline notes that the elements of the covenant are already there. John the Baptist is issuing a “riv-lawsuit” to covenant-breaking Israel. He is the messenger of the covenant.
In the Old testament, passing through the waters is a covenant-ordeal (Noah, Numbers 5, etc.). It’s also more. Kline writes, “Synonymous with the motif of ordeal by water is that of ordeal by combat with sea-monsters” (60). For example, crossing the Red Sea was a battle between Yahweh and Leviathan (Isa. 51:9-10; Pss. 74:12-15; 89:10).
Christian Baptism: Oath-Sign of the New Covenant
Peter saw baptism as “a sign of judicial ordeal” by linking it “to the archetypal water ordeal, the Noahic deluge” (65; 1 Peter 3:20-22). This makes better sense of the claim “baptism now saves you,” which we normally water down to mean “salvation now saves you.” The ark/flood didn’t save Noah by magical regeneration. Water functions as the ordeal instrument. Even Peter’s language of “conscience” testifies to the judicial background. Our conscience either accuses or acquits us. It is forensic. Kline concludes, “Baptism, then, is concerned with man in the presence of God’s judgment throne” (67).
Paul does something similar in 1 Cor. 10:1ff However, the line of reasoning gets stranger (while remaining correct). Associated with the Baptism/Exodus language is also that of judicial fire, the theophanic smoke-cloud. This language avoids the problems of whether baptizo means “dip” or “sprinkle” or “plunge.” None of those words fits the situation of Israel’s being baptized, either in the Red Sea or by fire. In fact, such language makes it difficult to see how they were “baptized into Moses.” The only remaining option is that baptism is a judicial (and hence, covenantal) event.
Earlier we said you cannot simply jump from circumcision to baptism, as though the latter replaces the former. I think it does, but we have to lay the covenantal groundwork first. Only then can we approach Colossians 2. A similar parallel, as we have noted before, is in Romans 6:3. It moves like this:
Death (circumcision; Christ is ritually cut off) → accusing role by Satan/demonic antagonists (think of Yahweh’s fighting the Dragon in the Red Sea).
Conclusion: “Christian baptism is a sign of the eschatological ordeal in which the Lord of the covenant brings his servants to account” (79).
This is quite easily the best academic book on baptism I have read. The argumentation and use of sources is probably a bit too technical for the lay reader. The conclusions, however, are understandable and have been adequately developed by some of Kline’s later students (see Michael Horton, Introducing Covenant Theology).
This book is “early Kline” and he sharpened some of his views later in Kingdom Prologue. According to some of Kline’s students, he would rather people read KP than this book. On the other hand, this book is short, accessible, and fairly well-written. It is certainly worth your time.
A covenant is a “relationship under sanctions” (Kline 16). Sanctions is the key element and will factor largely in his 4(5) point covenant model. The sanctions go with the oath that one or both covenant partners swear. In Genesis 15 God swears an oath that the same will be done to him that was done to the split cows if God fails to live up to his covenant promise.
That’s the book in a nutshell. From that idea Kline identifies “promise-covenants” (Abraham, David) and “law-covenants” (Sinai). If God swears the oath, it is a promise covenant. If man swears the oath it is a law-covenant. He sees this contrast in Galatians 3-4. Further, Kline argues that the law-principle cannot be identified with the promise-principle, since Paul explicitly contrasts the two in Romans 3:31.
Taking his earlier definition of covenant as “relationship under sanctions,” Kline specifies that the divine covenant is “an administration of God’s lordship, consecrating a people to himself under sanctions of divine law” (36).
Circumcision: The Oath Sign of the Old Covenant
The starting point for this is the covenant ratification ceremony in Genesis 17. Things get interesting here. Kline is correct to point out the sanctions/curses aspect of the covenant (and his wonderful insights on “cutting a covenant”). Genesis 17, however, is normally viewed in line with the promise, not the sanctions. There is a warning to future generations on this covenant if they fail to circumcise. I think this is why Kline didn’t consider the book to be the final word on the subject.
Kline notes that circumcision is an “act of consecration” (44). All of this seems fairly standard. The trick is to tie it to baptism. Before making such a facile, surface-level connection, Kline continues the exploration. It’s not so much that x replaces y. Rather, in Colossians 2, we are circumcised in Christ in his “crucifixion-circumcision.” The language of baptism follows the covenantal model of circumcision: malediction, consecration, identification” (47). Seen another way: circumcision, burial, resurrection. That is Colossians 2 (and probably Romans 6).
Circumcision signifies that the sword of the Lord cuts off false servants.
John’s Baptism as Covenant Judgment
This is the best chapter in the book. It helps explain some problems Reformed have always had with John’s baptism. If circumcision/baptism is a sign and seal, and if baptism replaces circumcision, then where does John the Baptist fit in? It’s not immediately obvious. Kline notes that the elements of the covenant are already there. John the Baptist is issuing a “riv-lawsuit” to covenant-breaking Israel. He is the messenger of the covenant.
In the Old testament, passing through the waters is a covenant-ordeal (Noah, Numbers 5, etc.). It’s also more. Kline writes, “Synonymous with the motif of ordeal by water is that of ordeal by combat with sea-monsters” (60). For example, crossing the Red Sea was a battle between Yahweh and Leviathan (Isa. 51:9-10; Pss. 74:12-15; 89:10).
Christian Baptism: Oath-Sign of the New Covenant
Peter saw baptism as “a sign of judicial ordeal” by linking it “to the archetypal water ordeal, the Noahic deluge” (65; 1 Peter 3:20-22). This makes better sense of the claim “baptism now saves you,” which we normally water down to mean “salvation now saves you.” The ark/flood didn’t save Noah by magical regeneration. Water functions as the ordeal instrument. Even Peter’s language of “conscience” testifies to the judicial background. Our conscience either accuses or acquits us. It is forensic. Kline concludes, “Baptism, then, is concerned with man in the presence of God’s judgment throne” (67).
Paul does something similar in 1 Cor. 10:1ff However, the line of reasoning gets stranger (while remaining correct). Associated with the Baptism/Exodus language is also that of judicial fire, the theophanic smoke-cloud. This language avoids the problems of whether baptizo means “dip” or “sprinkle” or “plunge.” None of those words fits the situation of Israel’s being baptized, either in the Red Sea or by fire. In fact, such language makes it difficult to see how they were “baptized into Moses.” The only remaining option is that baptism is a judicial (and hence, covenantal) event.
Earlier we said you cannot simply jump from circumcision to baptism, as though the latter replaces the former. I think it does, but we have to lay the covenantal groundwork first. Only then can we approach Colossians 2. A similar parallel, as we have noted before, is in Romans 6:3. It moves like this:
Death (circumcision; Christ is ritually cut off) → accusing role by Satan/demonic antagonists (think of Yahweh’s fighting the Dragon in the Red Sea).
Conclusion: “Christian baptism is a sign of the eschatological ordeal in which the Lord of the covenant brings his servants to account” (79).
This is quite easily the best academic book on baptism I have read. The argumentation and use of sources is probably a bit too technical for the lay reader. The conclusions, however, are understandable and have been adequately developed by some of Kline’s later students (see Michael Horton, Introducing Covenant Theology).
June 21, 2023
*High-level reading- requires a lot of the reader.
Professor Scott Swain suggested this book as one of the top ten books to read to understand Biblical (Covenant) Theology. I see why he regards it so highly. Very good work on the justification for covenantal baptism, or the incorporation of infants as well as confessing believers into baptism.
Kline structures his position on ancient suzerain-vassal treaties where one greater king has authority over another lesser king with blessings and curses for keeping the covenant. The OT sign of circumcision was the sign of inclusion into the covenant community. Similarly, baptism is the sign of the New Covenant, which will also be administered to infants.
He concludes: "The basis for the baptism of the children of believers is thus simply their parents’ covenantal authority over them."Meredith G. Kline, By Oath Consigned: A Reinterpretation of the Covenant Signs of Circumcision and Baptism (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1975), 102.
Professor Scott Swain suggested this book as one of the top ten books to read to understand Biblical (Covenant) Theology. I see why he regards it so highly. Very good work on the justification for covenantal baptism, or the incorporation of infants as well as confessing believers into baptism.
Kline structures his position on ancient suzerain-vassal treaties where one greater king has authority over another lesser king with blessings and curses for keeping the covenant. The OT sign of circumcision was the sign of inclusion into the covenant community. Similarly, baptism is the sign of the New Covenant, which will also be administered to infants.
He concludes: "The basis for the baptism of the children of believers is thus simply their parents’ covenantal authority over them."Meredith G. Kline, By Oath Consigned: A Reinterpretation of the Covenant Signs of Circumcision and Baptism (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1975), 102.
March 1, 2021
Probably the best book I've read so far on Paedobaptism. I'm still not sold on his conclusions around covenantal authority as the basis for baptism but appreciate the work he did to get there, particularly his idea that the law covenant is the basis for the promise. It is Christ's fulfillment of the law that enables us to come to God. God's grace to us is not baseless, but dependant upon Christ's work. Always great to be reminded of these things.
July 4, 2021
There is a lot to commend in this volume. Kline presents a careful examination of Ancient Near Eastern covenants, and then seeks to apply these to scripture. As he does so, he makes one critical mistake. There are different types of covenants represented in the ANE and it is universally agreed that the Mosaic covenant represents a vassal-suzerainty treaty. So far, so good. Klines mistake is to then argue that the Abrahamic and New Covenants are also both Law covenants of the same type as the Mosaic covenant and thereby introduce curses and blessings for obedience. This is very slippery, particularly with the new covenant, and ultimately turns baptism into a forward looking sign which then becomes an oath rather than a backward looking sign (like circumcision) that testifies to the action of the Lord who is the one making the covenant with us - a promise covenant - not a law covenant.
What I really appreciate about Klines work though is that it represents a thoroughly covenantal understanding of baptism, and provides a better foundation for infant baptism than appeals to tradition. If that is what you’re after, this is a great book - though the issues I’ve pointed to above need a better defence than that given in this volume.
What I really appreciate about Klines work though is that it represents a thoroughly covenantal understanding of baptism, and provides a better foundation for infant baptism than appeals to tradition. If that is what you’re after, this is a great book - though the issues I’ve pointed to above need a better defence than that given in this volume.
February 17, 2014
This book has been out of print for years. I have an electronic copy if anyone would like a copy please message me privately with your e-mail...
This was one of the most important books that my former Pastor Dave Sherwood told me about years ago as I was just coming into the Presbyterian Church and struggling with some aspects of Covenant Theology. Dave studied under Meredith Kline and I have grown to love him as well. I just wish I could have met him...
I am re-reading this again now!
This was one of the most important books that my former Pastor Dave Sherwood told me about years ago as I was just coming into the Presbyterian Church and struggling with some aspects of Covenant Theology. Dave studied under Meredith Kline and I have grown to love him as well. I just wish I could have met him...
I am re-reading this again now!
February 13, 2018
Best book of Kline in my view (by far more readable than Kingdom Prologue). It sums up all his thought (covenant theology, circumcision and baptism, biblical theology ...). The best defense of pedobaptism and pedobaptist covenant theology. But if you want Kline more complete and last system you need to read Kingdom Prologue and this article written by Lee Irons (http://www.upper-register.com/papers/...).
May 23, 2013
Excellent and provocative.
May 30, 2021
By Oath Consigned expands the arguments of Kline’s Treaty of the Great King and applies the particularly covenantal character of these treaties to circumcision and baptism as confessional oath-signs of consecration to the covenant Lord. It’s this character as oath-signs that clarifies the relationship between circumcision and baptism while providing fertile ground for the inclusion of children in the covenant, and by consequence, their inclusion in the sacrament of baptism. While acknowledging that Kline later refines and reformulates some of these ideas, the covenantal framework laid out is still particularly useful for understanding circumcision and baptism in their biblical-theological context.
August 3, 2021
For what I wanted, this was a clear and concise take from Kline. He sets forth thoughts on baptism signifying both blessings and curses as it pertains to the covenant he defines as “An administration of God’s lordship, consecrating a people good himself under the sanctions of divine law.” He has a more unique argument for infant baptism based off parental authority in the last chapter.
The journey continues.
The journey continues.
July 14, 2017
This is a short but important book on the covenants, covenant signs, and biblical-systematic theology in general. Lots of new insights here, and a good place to begin with Meredith Kline. It is out of print, however. You can also study along by podcast with two Kline aficionados at http://www.meredithkline.com/glory-cl.... Looking forward to reading more by this author.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews