I'm posting this mainly to help define the term "conservative." It's a misunderstood word, though it is frequently used. Many who call themselves conservatives today are actually classical liberals, who advocate a freedom from most constraints both socially and economically. I would generally call myself a classical conservative. Here I’m speaking of conservatism broadly in …
In his magnificent work, A Treatise on the Law and the Gospel, John Colquhoun has a chapter titled, “Rules for Rightly Understanding the Ten Commandments” (pp 85-98), which is similar to Question 99 of the Westminster Larger Catechism, “What rules are to be observed for the right understanding of the Ten Commandments?” I highly recommend all …
Continue reading What does it look like to apply the Ten Commandments?
Some of those who identify as theonomists today refer to themselves “general equity theonomists,” believing that this identification lands them within the boundaries of Reformed confessional orthodoxy. But if it does, then the term “general equity” needs to be defined the same way the tradition defined it. The technical term “general equity” is used in …
Continue reading Is general equity theonomy a confessional and biblical doctrine?
Before critiquing theonomy, we need a good definition. Some people today who use the word “theonomy” don't mean anything more than “God's law” because the etymology of the word theonomy is "theos" which means God, and "nomos" which means law. They only want to affirm that God's law is supreme over man's law. And they're …
Historically, American Calvinistic Baptists have been fairly unified on their understanding of the role of civil government. They expressed their views in various confessions but the the Second London Baptist Confession was their mother confession. In Chapter 24, Of the Civil Magistrate, it provides the historic Calvinistic Baptist understanding of the role of civil government. …
There seems to be a fair amount of confusion today about what it means to be “under the law.” And there’s confusion about what it doesn’t mean. Some suggest that all of the members of the Old Covenant were “under the law.” Others say that for a believer to accept any commands or directives from …
Are believers in Christ required to obey any part of Old Testament law, or is all Old Testament law abolished? Both Dispensationalists and proponents of New Covenant Theology simply say that believers are under no obligation to any Old Testament law. In their view, the laws of the Old Testament are fulfilled and abrogated in …
Continue reading Are the Ten Commandments distinct from other Old Testament law?
Christians often make two mistakes when they think of anger. Some Christians say Christ forbids all anger because it's murderous. But other Christians claim that every kind of anger about sin and error is righteous. Neither perspective, however, is biblical. The Bible is very precise when it comes to anger.
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