What happened in the garden of Eden, and how does it shape our understanding of humanity, Christ, covenant, and the Christian life? With clarity and care, Barcellos examines two central themes—the covenant in Eden and the doctrine of Sabbath rest—in light of Christ. Beginning with the importance of hermeneutics in theological formulation, he carefully compares the New Covenant Theology perspective with the historic confessional formulation, weighing scriptural arguments along the way.

Part 1: Adam’s Work in Light of Christ explores the question of a covenant of works in the garden, setting New Covenant Theology alongside confessional theology and biblical testimony.

Part 2: God’s Rest in Light of Christ addresses the Christian Sabbath, tracing its foundation from Genesis through the prophets, into the New Testament, and culminating in its Christ-centered fulfillment. Along the way, Barcellos unpacks passages such as Genesis 2:1–3, Hebrews 4:9–10, and Revelation 1:10, showing how the biblical theme of rest reaches its goal in Christ.

The volume concludes with an appendix reviewing New Covenant Theology: Description, Definition, Defense by Tom Wells and Fred Zaspel, along with helpful indexes and a bibliography for further study.

“This book will serve the reader well from several vantage points. It provides a clean window into present discussion concerning New Covenant Theology and Covenant Theology. … Barcellos provides a model of how to integrate tight contextual issues, broadly conceived hermeneutics, biblical theology, and systematic theology into a covenantal framework… This is a great step forward in defining Covenant Theology vis a vis New Covenant Theology and will help establish a foundation for more focused and edifying interaction.” – Tom Nettles

Accessible, charitable, and rigorous, Getting the Garden Right is a helpful resource for pastors, students, and anyone seeking to understand how God’s covenants—from Adam to Christ—reveal the coherence of Scripture and the glory of the gospel.