Part III as we continue to examine “Rev.” Brian Lee’s pre Mid-term election article advocating that Christ desires His Church and His ministers, when in the pulpit, to remain silent on moral issues as they arise in the political process.
“Rev.” Brian Lee continues
Christ rules in the redemptive kingdom, the church, by his Word, and the means by which it is governed is by the keys of the kingdom: The preaching of the Word and Church discipline, which regulates the sacraments as a means of God’s grace. This is a heavenly and spiritual kingdom, not of this world (John 18:36).
This is the broad outline of what is commonly called the “Two Kingdom” view, as it is developed in the Augustinian and Reformational traditions. Christ rules equally but differently in the two kingdoms of common grace (preservation) and saving grace (redemption).”
1.) Note when “Rev.” Lee writes that, Christ rules in the redemptive kingdom, the church, by his Word, what he is saying is that Christ does not rule in the common Kingdom, the social order, by His word. Lee is telling us that in the culture and social order Christ does not rule by His revealed word — special Revelation. Instead, in the culture and social order Christ rules by general revelation. As such Lee is telling us that when it comes to the everyday affairs, where we, as Christians, do over 95% of our living, we may not appeal to God’s word for guidance because God’s word does not apply to culture and the social order.
2.) Of course we concur that Christ rules His Church by His Word and we agree that the Church is governed by the Marks of the Church. There is no disagreement here. We merely but strongly disagree with Lee’s Platonic Dualism that suggests that Christ is only concerned with directly Legislating the affairs of men as they live out their public lives in their respective culture and social orders.
3.) Another passage that R2K dilettantes misinterpret is John 18:36 to which Lee appeals. Like their mishandling of the Noahic covenant they butcher John 18:36 in its meaning. What they want to make it mean is that Christ has no interest in this world. But in point of fact that is not what is being taught in John 18:36. B. F. Wescott speaking of John 18:36 could comment,
The Gospel According To John — pg. 260
Dr. Greg Bahnsen echoing Wescott’s work wrote,
“‘My kingdom is not of [ek: out from] this world,’” is a statement about the source — not the nature — of His reign, as the epexegetical ending of the verse makes obvious: ‘My kingdom is not from here [enteuthen].’ The teaching is not that Christ’s kingdom is wholly otherworldly, but rather that it originates with God Himself (not any power or authority found in creation.”
Dr. Greg Bahnsen
God & Politics — pg. 27
John 18:36 along with Matthew 22:15-22 are two of the passages that are often put forth as defeaters for the comprehensive sovereignty of the Lord Jesus over this world. Bahnsen clearly shows here, quite in agreement with the Greek scholar B. F. Westcott, that God’s Kingdom, as it manifests itself in this world, is energized by a source outside this world. This is important to emphasize because many people read John 18:36 as proof that the Kingdom of Jesus does not and should not express itself in this world. Often this verse is appealed to in order to prove that God’s Kingdom is only “spiritual” and as such Christians shouldn’t be concerned about what are perceived as “non-spiritual” realms. Support for such thinking, if there is any, must come from passages other than John 18:36.
What we get from some contemporary Calvinists, is the quote of Christ telling Pilate that ‘His Kingdom is not of this World,’ as if that is to end all conversation on the Lordship of Christ over all cultural endeavors. What is forgotten is the way that John often uses the word ‘World.’ John often uses the word ‘World’ with a sinister significance to communicate a disordered reality in grip of the Devil set in opposition to God. If that is the way that the word ‘world’ is being used in John 18:36 then we can understand why Jesus would say that His Kingdom ‘was not of this world.’ The Kingdom of Jesus will topple the Kingdoms of this disordered world changing them to be the Kingdoms of His ordered world, but it won’t be done by the disordered methodology of this World and so Jesus can say, “My Kingdom is not of this World.” Hopefully, we can see that such a statement doesn’t mean that Christ’s Kingdom has no effect in this world or that Christ’s Kingdom can’t overcome the world.
John 18:36 is often appealed to in order to prove that the Kingdom of God is a private individual spiritual personal reality that does not impinge on public square practice(s) of peoples or nations corporately considered. Those who appeal to John 18:36 in this way are prone thus to insist that God’s Word doesn’t speak to the public square practice(s) of peoples or nations since such an appeal (according to this thinking) would be an attempt to wrongly make God’s Kingdom of this world.
The problem with this though is it that it is a misreading of the passage. When Jesus say’s “My Kingdom is not of this world,” his use of the word “world” here is not spatial. Jesus is not saying that His Kingdom does not impact planet earth. What Jesus is saying is that His Kingdom does not find its source of authority from the world as it lies in Adam.
Jesus brings a Kingdom to this world that is in antithetical opposition to the Kingdom of Satan that presently characterizes this world in this present wicked age. The Kingdom that Jesus brings has its source of authority in His Father’s Word. As a result of Christ bringing His Kingdom with His advent there are two Kingdoms that are vying for supremacy on planet earth. Scripture teaches that the Kingdom of the “age to come” that characterizes Christ’s present Kingdom will be victorious in this present spatial world that is characterized by “this present wicked age,” precisely because, in principle, Christ’s Kingdom is already victorious in this present spatial world.
4.) We must note that Lee speaks of his view as being part of the Reformational tradition. Unfortunately, this is just not true of what Lee is advocating. It is true that in the Reformation History there is a Two Kingdom understanding but what Lee and the R2K school has done is something quite different than standard Reformed Two Kingdom theology. Lee and the R2K school have not Reformation tradition to which to appeal. Their work is completely innovative and it is just disingenuous for Lee to appeal to something called the “Augustinian and Reformational tradition” as if such a tradition provides a foundation for R2K. It most certainly does not.
5.) Finally, Lee’s thesis that Christ rules dualistically is explicitly opposed to by Scripture
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” – Daniel 7:13-14
Note, the passage in Daniel does not say that He, that is the Son, receives dominion when He returns to earth with the clouds, but rather when He came to the Ancient of days, namely, when He ascended into Heaven to the Father.
Christ’s Kingdom now extends not only over the Church but according to Daniel it extends over cultures and social orders. Lee’s R2K “theology” is not substantiated by either Scripture or History and is a innovative but false testimony.
