Transcendent Theonomy

Transcendent Law

Transcendent law is the Law that was first written in the heart of man and is the only law that remains to be the righteous rule of living. It is transcendent because it depends on nothing but wholly from the transcendent God. This law, before the fall, was a part of the “Image of God” that formed Adam. It was this, along with communion with God, and the communicable attributes that compel the image of God. When Adam fell, the image of God was twisted, and all the offspring of Adam was now made in that corrupted image of Adam. Only New Covenant members experience the Transcendent Law renewed in their heart as Jesus is their new federal head and they have been given a new regenerate heart. All people, including both those in the New covenant and those not in the covenant are required to obey this law (all fall short). This Law is spoken of in the ten commandments, as the first 4 deal with our required obligation to God and the last 6 are the commands required to our neighbor. This is also fundamentally taught by Jesus as the two foremost commandments, upon which all other law hangs upon, thus it is transcendent and the others laws are not. The other laws depend on the Transcendent law for their justice within their intended purpose. Transcendent Law imparts principles of motility into the judicial law and ceremonial law that was given to Israel and expired when the Christ came. When the Christ came, the judicial law and the ceremonial law ceased, as its purpose of being a guard and protection to Israel because of their transgressions of Transcendent Law was then met. Only their general principles (general equity) can be applied today. This is not because judicial law, ceremonial law, natural law, or any other law is transcendent, but because their general principles of justice stem directly from the Transcendent Law which is binding as the only true rule of righteousness in every age. The judicial law was fundamentally for the purpose to preserve the linage of the seed that was to crush the head of the serpent and redeem those from the curse of the law in His New Covenant. It was meant to be explicitly a stricter law for national Israel for that purpose that was fulfilled in Christ. The debate of natural law VS Mosaic law is a flawed debate to begin with, as they both are not considering where those laws receive their principles of morality, and how those laws have a end designed in them. Any law that is made today, that considers its retention of morality because of either natural law or Mosiac law, is flawed as both of those receive their morality upon the Transcendent Law that they hang upon. The Christian should abandon the theonomic arguments for an adherence of law that expired in Christ. It would be highly unjust to enact supposed justice upon a nation with a law that never it intended for. Likewise, the Christian should not only use the evidentialism of natural law, as that undoes the presupposition of God`s transcendent nature in giving a true righteous law. Natural law too, one day will end as procreation and marriage will no longer exist when the second advent of Christ takes place. This means that natural law itself will have a end that it too brought about like Mosaic law has done. The Christian ought to argue for justice using the Transcendent Moral Law and its general principles of justice that it has imparted into other laws. The only way that we can convict a world with hard hearts, is by exposing sin and transgressions against God and His never ending law, thus revealing their desperate need for Christ. A denial of of the Mosaic law ending in Christ, will make every evangelist into a teacher of law rather than a proclaimer of Good News. If your system of theology elevates Mosaic law to equal ground of the Gospel, then your view of law has become an idol. In light of this, consider the main proponent of theonomy, Greg Bahnsen and some of quotes of his on this very topic:

“The Word of God is a seamless garment, and men who deny its law deny its eschatology also, and are deprived of God's power. It is not surprising, therefore, that this is an era of impotence for the church.” ― Greg L. Bahnsen, Theonomy in Christian Ethics

“It is hard to imagine how Jesus could have more intensely affirmed that every bit of the law remains binding in the gospel age.” (Bahnsen, Theonomy in Christian Ethics, 76)

“Christ ... states that the law will remain valid at least as long as the physical universe lasts, that is, until the end of the age or world. ... [W]hen we do take into account the actual ending of heaven and earth we see that Scripture teaches it to be at the return of Christ .... At least until that point the details of the law will remain. ... Παρέλθῃ is used twice in this verse: first of the physical universe, and second of the smallest details of God's law.” (Bahnsen, Theonomy in Christian Ethics, 79-80)

“The law revealed by Moses and subsequent Old Testament authors was given within a covenantal administration of God’s grace which included not only moral instruction, but gloriously and mercifully “promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all foresignifying Christ to come”

These quotes should show the Christian who may be considering theonomy two things. It is only consistent within the presupposed eschatological view of Post-mill and also only properly argued for within Presbyterianism. I would ask that you compare the above quotes to the 1689 LBCF and also some bible verse that should be reviewed about this subject.

Chapter 19 “Of the Law”

PARAGRAPH 1

God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a particular precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil;1 by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience;2 promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it.3 1 Gen. 1:27; Eccles. 7:29 2 Rom. 10:5 3 Gal. 3:10,12 PARAGRAPH 2

The same law that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall,4 and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables, the four first containing our duty towards God, and the other six, our duty to man.5 4 Rom. 2:14–15 5 Deut. 10:4 PARAGRAPH 3

Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits;6 and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties,7 all which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are, by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only law-giver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end abrogated and taken away.8 6 Heb. 10:1; Col. 2:17 7 1 Cor. 5:7 8 Col. 2:14,16–17; Eph. 2:14,16 PARAGRAPH 4

To them also he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any now by virtue of that institution; their general equity only being of moral use.9 9 1 Cor. 9:8–10

Consider

Galatians 3:15–26 LSB

15 Brothers, I speak in human terms: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And TO YOUR SEED,” that is, Christ. 17 And what I am saying is this: the Law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to abolish the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is by law, it is no longer by promise, but God has granted it to Abraham through promise. 19 Why the Law then? It was added because of trespasses, having been ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now a mediator is not for one person only, whereas God is one. 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed be by law. 22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were held in custody under the Law, being shut up for the coming faith to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor unto Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Romans 7:1–12 LSB

1 Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is master over a person as long as he lives? 2 For the married woman has been bound by law to her husband while he is living, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. 3 So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man. 4 So, my brothers, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were constrained, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. 7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! Rather, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law. For I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.” 8 But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, worked out in me coveting of every kind. For apart from the Law sin is dead. 9 Now I was once alive apart from the Law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was to lead to life, was found to lead to death for me. 11 For sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Hebrews 7:11–12 LSB

11 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.

Matthew 22:36–40 LSB

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “And the second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40 “On these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Hebrews 8:6–13 LSB

6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says, “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL COMPLETE A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; 9 NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS IN THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. 10 “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND UPON THEIR HEARTS I WILL WRITE THEM. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 11 “AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’ FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. 12 “FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.” 13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

Scriptural proofs in my opening arguments will be added in a future date