People in Reformed and Presbyterian circles who pay attention to politics need to be aware of this "Two Kingdoms" theology coming out of Westminster Theological Seminary in California and what damage it is doing in our churches. Things have gotten so bad that some professed conservative Calvinists are even trying to say that a Christian case can be made for the legalization of gay marriages.
This has also been crossposted to the Christian Observer URCNA and OPC forums, and the Puritan Board at these links.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/co-urc/message/25367
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/presbyterians-opc/message/44925
http://www.puritanboard.com/f54/old-reformed-views-escondido-2k-views-politics-75448/
For those who want to read more, here are some additional links to discussion of the Escondido Two Kingdoms theology:
"Green Baggins, 2K, Westminster-West, gay marriage, and Calvinist politics" http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2862357/posts
"Ongoing review of Van Drunen's 'Natural Law and the Two Kingdoms' in the Puritan Board Theological Forum; Dr. Nelson Kloosterman of Mid-America Reformed Seminary has begun what promises to be a lengthy review of this book."
http://www.puritanboard.com/f54/ongoing-review-van-drunens-natural-law-two-kingdoms-63558/
Those of us who are Calvinists and believe in political engagement need to take a close look at what is going on with this “Two Kingdoms” movement.
For those who are not familiar with the movement, it is an argument that when Christians enter the political realm, we are not to argue based on Scripture but rather using natural law or general revelation. Some of its advocates really and sincerely believe that engagement in politics runs the risk of replacing the Gospel with political compromise that leads to theological compromise. Others have far more questionable motives, and the accusation has been made (in some cases, definitely wrongly) that Two Kingdoms theology is a cover to allow liberal politics into the church.
I am not a fan of attacking academia — I am a Calvinist, after all, and I believe in a studied ministry — but this is an ivory tower movement coming predominantly out of one seminary and spreading in academic circles. This is definitely not a grassroots movement. Most theologically conservative Calvinist laymen involved in business or professional lives are also politically conservative.
It's time for elders and laymen to stand up and speak out. The stakes are simply too great to let politically uninformed pastors muddle things up for our churches. They may mean well, but they're causing major problems at a time when we need to be unified to fight against the culture wars that threaten to destroy what is left of biblical Christianity in America.
Sounds like your classic tempest in a teapot ultra-conservative Reformed/Presbyterian debate to me. Honestly, I don’t think this touches 1% of American evangelicals...
Any professing conservative Calvinist teachers pressing for sodomy-marriage simply need Church discipline.
Great article - ping to read again in greater detail
We worship and follow the King in spirit and in truth (Word). We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and our testimony.
Yahweh, created _all_ things, including leadership, “business, government, media, arts and entertainment, education, the family and religion”. Man has freedom to develop in these and all other spheres with the guidance of the Word. Furthermore, the apostolic call on the His people requires us to lead the world in all these efforts. The intellectuals which muzzle His guidance, thru His chosen ones is of our enemy. It is a big part of what has happened to our culture, nation and now even the whole earth: collapse.
The very Word translated into church ecclacia (or whatever) means (to) legislate. His people are His sons and this is what He called us to do.
Torah is instruction much more than it is _law_.
2. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables: the first four commandments containing our duty towards God; and the other six, our duty to man.
(Related WLC: 98 WSC: 41)
3. Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the new testament.
(Related WLC: WSC: )
4. To them also, as a body politic, he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the State of that people; not obliging any other now, further than the general equity thereof may require.
(Related WLC: WSC: )
5. The moral law doth forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that, not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator, who gave it. Neither doth Christ, in the gospel, any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation.
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"You shall not give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the Lord. You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. Also you shall not have intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion." (Leviticus 18:21-23)
(fascinating how homosexual behavior is listed right along with child sacrifice and bestiality, isn't it? Also fascinating how homosexual activists today are almost uniformly pro-abortion...and most favor other sexual perversions too.)
So, since the Moral Law--of the Old Testament--applies to everyone today (no exceptions for "secular government") how can anyone call themselves Reformed at all...let alone a conservative Presbyterian--in obedience to the Westminster standards, and deny that? I really don't see any leeway, whatsoever, on homosexuality.
An OPC PASTOR'S WIFE? What? She, or perhaps her husband, needs to be charged in his presbytery for departing from holy Scripture--and his vows to uphold the Westminster standards.