This quote below is from a book co-written by the Pastor of Escondido Orthodox Reformed Church. It’s theology is not particularly wholesome in my estimation as I hope to demonstrate.
These chaps who wrote this are young guys. I’m sure they are full of good intentions. Unfortunately their mind were warped by the God forsaken “theology” taught at Westminster Seminary California. Doubtless, this “theology” was appealing to this Pastor as he had come out of a Dispensationalist past. The dispensationalistic flavor of much of R2K would be a good fit for someone whose mind has already been conditioned in that direction.
Now this Pastor is feeding this rot gut to his congregation. This is why I hate R2K so desperately. It is now infecting countless numbers of both congregations and seminaries. Young men who hear this “theology” get no lasting answers to larger questions and so the church not offering any answers young me turn to other dubious sources for truth that they are not getting from the R2K Churches. Some of these young men could easily get bad theology from these other sources.
Anyway on to the quote and analysis done by fisking.
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(1)”The doctrine of the new covenant guards us against triumphalism. (2)The new covenant shows us that the kingdom of God is no longer identified with any geopolitical nation on earth. (3)This is particularly critical to grasp in American culture, where there is a tendency to confuse the kingdom of God with the United States. (4)Americas, however, is not in covenant with God as a nation. (5) It had no representative on Mount Sinai. The only nation in covenant with God is God’s new global nation, that is, his new covenant church. (6) “But you are a chosen race,” says the apostle Peter, “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9). (7) In the new covenant, the church is no longer limited to the physical descendants of Abraham but is made up of all the nations of the earth, people of every race, color, and language. (8) While the old covenant was an era of driving the nations out of God’s holy land, the new covenant is an era of believers living side by side with unbelievers in patience and love. (9) Today is the day of salvation, not judgment. (10) God’s judgment is delayed until his return. “(148)
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Now we note the faults but before we do that keep in mind that this chap attended Westminster Escondido Seminary, the home of Radical Two Kingdom Theology. This quote reveals who taught our good Rev.
The numbers below correspond to the numbered sentences above.
Errors,
(1.) “The doctrine of the New Covenant guards against triumphalism.”
Right out of the gate Rev. Escondido tells us he is amillennial in his eschatology. God forbid that the Resurrected Christ who was crucified in space and time should Triumph over all the nations in space and time. THAT would be a horror. Keep in mind this theology is not happy unless it is being defeated. We don’t need no stinkin’ victory. Victory is for wussies. “Dear God in heaven keep the church from triumphing in your name and give us the glory of being fed to the lions and being turned into Nero’s living tiki torches.”
So, the initial statement that speaks to guarding against triumphalism begs the question, “Given your theology Rev. Escondido who will guard us against defeatism?”
(2.) With apologies to the Covenanters Solemn League and Covenant. Keep in mind the implication of this statement (2) is that there is no such thing as a Christian nation. If there is no such thing as a Christian nation then there is no such thing as a Christian family, as nations are merely extensions of families. In this view Nations are always pagan and can’t be anything but pagan.
Also on this one please note how the idea of the Kingdom of God is limited to being exactly synonymous with the “Church.” The Kingdom of God is restricted to the Church. As such nothing is part of the Kingdom of God that isn’t the Church. This means that no field, such as education, law, arts, etc. can be considered as having anything do with the Kingdom of God according to Rev. Escondido.
The devil is always in the details, aren’t they?
(3.) I actually agree with this statement. Anybody who thinks these united States are a Christian Nation is smoking peyote. I do believe at one time in our history we could have legitimately been considered a Christian nation but it has been decades since that was so. Ironically enough, in order to return to being a Christian nation, we would need to give Rev. Escondido’s covenant theology expressed here the good old double bird salute.
(4.) I know of no nation today which takes seriously God’s covenant. I do know that such nations existed in history. Now, as to whether or not America is in covenant with God, if one looks at our founding documents going back to the Mayflower compact and on to the original Charters and state constitutions one could well conclude that God still considers us in covenant and that we are now experiencing the judgments of Dt. 28f for not keeping our covenant promises.
(5.) The Ninevites who Jonah preached to also didn’t have representatives at Mt. Sinai and yet God held them accountable for violating His law and law is the major component of the covenant. Nebuchadnezzar also didn’t have a representative at Mt. Sinai and yet God held him accountable for violating His law. Sorry, Rev. Escondido, this “reasoning” is specious and does not work. Theoretically, nations could be in covenant with God if they were to bow to His Law and authority. Note also an implication here. If no nation can be in covenant with God then neither can any family be in covenant with God. As such, per this theology, there is no such thing as “Christian families.”
(6.) Quoting Peter proves nothing except the Church is now the Israel of God. It doesn’t disprove that a family, people group, or nation can’t be in covenant with God.
(7.) Right, and every people, in every race, culture, and language in their race, culture, and language can be in covenant with God AND also be the one people of God in their varied people group expressions.
(8.) Says who? That’s not the way the Reformers thought. They explicitly taught that the Christian magistrate had a responsibility to suppress wickedness as defined by God’s law. As one example of my patience and love, when I patiently wait for sodomy to be criminalized again I am acting with love towards unbelievers in Christ. Christians do not live side by side with unbelievers in patience and love if by patience and love it is meant that Christian should not advocate for God’s definition of Justice in our legal code. I know this is contrary to what they taught your at R2K seminary Rev. Escondido. For Pete’s sake one of their rock stars (Mike Horton) even said,
“Although a contractual relationship denies God’s will for human dignity, I could affirm domestic partnerships as a way of protecting people’s legal and economic security.”
I’m pretty sure this would be an example of your living side by side with pagans with patience and love. If so, I say you contracted ‘idiotitis’ from Horton.
(9.) So much for,
Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
Heidelberg Catechism Q. 10.
Q.) Will God suffer such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished?
A. By no means; but is terribly displeased (a) with our original as well as actual sins; and will punish them in his just judgment TEMPORALLY and eternally, (b) as he has declared, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” (c)
Now keep in mind that the implication of (9) is that capital punishment as warranted by Scripture would be wrong since this is a time of salvation and not judgment.
(10.) Really? Tell Servetus that.
