McAtee Keeps Shooting R2Kt Fish In A Reformed Dispensational Barrel

Steve Zrimec offered,

“The basic problem in any form of theonomy is that in its ironic striving to show forth faithfulness it actually demonstrates less faith, not more. It has great doubt as to the natural law inscribed by God onto the hearts of all men and that is really good enough to get the world from one day to the next in relatively one piece. This is the religious version of not employing one’s mind, conscience, eyes or feet each day simply because these things fail us all the time. If God endowed us with eyes, however sinful, should we really refuse to look simply because we have astigmatism? I know, I know, special revelation is supposed to be like a pair of glasses. But even spectacles can’t correct for every defect. The problem theonomy is trying to circumvent is sin. But no matter how much special revelation one wants to bring to bear on natural revelation sin will always keep things frustrated.”

The great problem with R2Kt theology is that in its striving to be faithless it succeeds tremendously. It has great confidence in Natural law contradicting its professions of presuppositionalism. Presuppositionalism teaches that man must presuppose God in order to reason aright, and yet R2Kt aficionados want to insist that autonomous man, presupposing and starting from himself can read the natural law quite apart from starting with God. So for the R2Kt guys, man must start with God in the spiritual realm to come to truth but in the natural realm man can start with himself and come to truth. The reality of God thus becomes completely irrelevant for knowledge as it pertains to the common realm. Zrimec is practicing common realm agnosticism.

Second Zrimec should realize that it is God who has called us to Holiness not theonomist. Zrimec, quite possibly because of his pessimistic eschatology (amillenialism) has a significantly under-realized eschatology. For Zrimec sin will always keep things frustrated. Zrimec has sin abounding much more than grace. Zrimec seems to suggest that since sin can’t be circumvented sin shouldn’t be contended against. Since we can’t win why battle?

Finally, Zrimec plainly underestimates the power of God in sanctification.

“Vern has a point. Instead of seeing this as a problem of being “too American,” theonomy actually suffers from way too low a doctrine of human sin. Sure, the last four letters in American are “I Can!” but that only proves that Americanism suffers from the same thing theonomy does.”

Actually, the whole premise of Church and State in America is based upon R2Kt reasoning and so it is R2Kt that reflects the American spirit. In the end the problem with Zrimec is that he suffers from way to low of an estimation of the power of God in sanctification.

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. View all posts by jetbrane