Pithy Outline Exposing Differences Between Classical 2K, R2K, and Sphere Sovereignty

I stumbled across a chart in my reading this morning. I thought it quite useful. I have made some of my own adjustments to it to make it uniquely mine. I hope this helps people to more easily understand the issues before the Reformed Church today in a shorthand fashion.

Two Kingdoms Debate

 
I.) Classical 2K
 
A.) Who taught Classical 2K?
 
Martin Luther and in a qualified sense John Calvin 
 
B.) What are the Kingdoms
 
Invisible — Vertical
Visible — Horizontal
 
C.) What law governs the Kingdoms?
 
Invisible — Scripture
Visible — Scripture (Law) and Natural Law
 
D.) Where is Redemption?
 
Our souls
 
E.) Are our vocations part of God’s Kingdom?
 
Our vocations are not part of God’s invisible Kingdom but are part of the visible Kingdom
 
II.) Radical Two Kingdom (R2K)
 
A.) Who teaches R2K?
 
Michael Horton
David Van Drunen
D. G. Hart
Brian Lee
R. Scott Clark
J. V. Fesko
Lee & Misty Irons
 
B.) What are the Kingdoms
 
Visible — Church
Visible — State
 
C.) What law governs the Kingdoms?
 
Church — Scripture
State– Natural Law
 
D.) Where is Redemption?
 
Our Churches
 
E.) Are our vocations part of God’s Kingdom?
 
Only Pastoral vocations are part of God’s Kingdom
 
III.) Sphere Sovereignty / Jurisdictionalism
 
A.) Who taught Sphere Sovereignty
 
Abraham Kuyper
Herman Bavinck
 
B.) What are the Kingdoms
 
God reigns over all but has assigned Spheres of Sovereignty of Family, Church, and Civil by which He rules His people. Where those spheres are in service to the Lord Christ there you find God’s Kingdom. Where those spheres are in rebellion to the Lord Christ there you find this present evil age.
 
C.) What law governs the Kingdoms?
 
Scripture is clearer than Natural Law and so if Natural law is invoked it is as Natural law is pinned to Scripture.
 
D.) Where is Redemption?
 
All creation is being redeemed
 
E.) Are our vocations part of God’s Kingdom?
 
All vocations, as those vocations are in service to Christ, are part of the Kingdom of God.

 

Author: jetbrane

I am a Pastor of a small Church in Mid-Michigan who delights in my family, my congregation and my calling. I am postmillennial in my eschatology. Paedo-Calvinist Covenantal in my Christianity Reformed in my Soteriology Presuppositional in my apologetics Familialist in my family theology Agrarian in my regional community social order belief Christianity creates culture and so Christendom in my national social order belief Mythic-Poetic / Grammatical Historical in my Hermeneutic Pre-modern, Medieval, & Feudal before Enlightenment, modernity, & postmodern Reconstructionist / Theonomic in my Worldview One part paleo-conservative / one part micro Libertarian in my politics Systematic and Biblical theology need one another but Systematics has pride of place Some of my favorite authors, Augustine, Turretin, Calvin, Tolkien, Chesterton, Nock, Tozer, Dabney, Bavinck, Wodehouse, Rushdoony, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, C. Van Til, H. Van Til, G. H. Clark, C. Dawson, H. Berman, R. Nash, C. G. Singer, R. Kipling, G. North, J. Edwards, S. Foote, F. Hayek, O. Guiness, J. Witte, M. Rothbard, Clyde Wilson, Mencken, Lasch, Postman, Gatto, T. Boston, Thomas Brooks, Terry Brooks, C. Hodge, J. Calhoun, Llyod-Jones, T. Sowell, A. McClaren, M. Muggeridge, C. F. H. Henry, F. Swarz, M. Henry, G. Marten, P. Schaff, T. S. Elliott, K. Van Hoozer, K. Gentry, etc. My passion is to write in such a way that the Lord Christ might be pleased. It is my hope that people will be challenged to reconsider what are considered the givens of the current culture. Your biggest help to me dear reader will be to often remind me that God is Sovereign and that all that is, is because it pleases him.

4 thoughts on “Pithy Outline Exposing Differences Between Classical 2K, R2K, and Sphere Sovereignty”

  1. Bret thanks that helps alot.

    One question? I have always understood, from a preterist viewpoint,
    that the present evil age was present until destruction of Jerusalem
    in 70ad, which finally consummated the inauguration of Christs kingdom.

    In other words not the final consummation as in end of time and history,
    but final consummation of age before Christ and new and final age of Christs reign.

    Christs rule so permeates the new age as to have annihiliated the evil
    ages of the past, as leaven continues to leaven the whole good lump.

    Yes with evil present but not to ever characterize the age as evil any
    longer.

    Reply

    1. Gray… “This evil age,” still is the moniker placed upon those aspects of the world that are in opposition to Christ and His Lordship. The Kingdom has come but it is still coming. “Now… not yet.”

      Reply

  2. I’ve made a chart:

    RADICAL TWO KINGDOMS VIEW
    City of God = Church
    City of Man = State

    RULE
    Church = Bible
    State = Natural Law

    ESCHATOLOGY
    Cities should remain separate until Christ returns

    CLASSICAL TWO KINGDOMS VIEW
    City of God = Christendom
    Cit of Man = Paganism

    RULE
    Christendom = Bible
    Paganism = Autonomous Rule / Rebellion

    ESCHATOLOGY
    City of God (Christendom) takes over City of Man (Paganism) prior to Christ’s return.

    Reply

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