A couple of years ago I read Getting the Garden Right by Richard Barcellos. It's a well-written book with great insights, especially as he draws a biblical theology of Adam's vocation and its fulfillment in Christ as the last Adam. But one of the things that I found myself provoked by was a constant return to the idea that all human beings by nature have the law written on their hearts. This is something the London Baptist Confession of Faith states in 19.1 and 19.2 (referencing Romans 2:14-15) and which Barcellos repeats again and again and is foundational to the argument for a covenant of works in the Garden. [14] For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. [15] They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them (Romans 2:14–15, ESV) From what I can see, there ...
As the people of God, we must hold to apostolic tradition (2 Thessalonians 2:15, 3:6) but reject human tradition (Colossians 2:8). Jesus criticized the religious leaders of His day for making void the word of God for the sake of their tradition (Matthew 15:6). And He said they did this in many ways (Mark 7:13b). We are not immune to this error today. This blog exists to test (1 Thessalonians 5:21) our modern Christian traditions against Scripture to discern where we might have done the same.