<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]Under a theonomy, who decides proper doctrine?</font><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>Who decides proper doctrine now? The creedally commited Reformed church does. Theonomy, contrary to the Reformers and Puritans, does not allow the State to decide proper doctrine or punish those without it. Only the church has the keys to the Kingdom.<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]Wasn't the RCC a theonomy and this was part of the roblem the reformationists had was too much power?</font><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>No, the RCC is "anti-theonomy", not only by its
[u]rejections of 5 Solas of the protestant reformation[/u], but also by Rome's adherence to
[u]Thomas Aquinas' Natural Law theories[/u] and synthesis of law and grace. <br><br>Theonomists are followers of the views of Cornelius Van Til who strongly opposed Aquinas and the RCC on natural law.<br><br>While the reformation did permit a little too much power to the magistrate, it was due to a very slow process of reform. But the
more Theonomic the Puritans got (e.g.
Lex Rex by Samuel Rutherford and the Scottish Covenanters), the
less power the magistrate was given. This is because God's law puts a
restraint on all forms of Tyranny, since all tyranny is based on man-made law.<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]Didn't Israel, under that theonomy, have a prophet under direct guidance by God; or basically, wasn't Israel under direct revelation nearly consistently?</font><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>Yes, but Christians under the NT now have the power of the Holy Spirit, with the law of God written upon our redeemed hearts in addition to the law written down in Scripture (which is the same law).<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]If Israel couldn't get it right, what makes Colin think he can?</font><hr></blockquote><p><br><br>I am not under the Old covenant, but I am in the new covenant (Jer 31:31-33; Ezek 36:26) with better promises such as are found in 2 Tim 3:16:<br><br>
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness:<br>That the man of God may be perfect,
throughly furnished unto all good works. While keeping in mind Galatians 6:14.<br><br>Colin
