Theme:
March 20, 2018:
DOUGLAS WILSON,
author, Pastor of Christ Church, Moscow, ID,
*AND*
Joel McDurmon,
author, President of American Vision,
who will
DEBATE on:
“How Does the Old Covenant Civil PENAL
CODE Apply to HOMOSEXUALITY TODAY?”
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Fundamental error. Christ did not abrogate the Law of God. He fulfilled it. Only those in Christ are no longer under the Law of sin and death. The Mosaic Code was not only for Israel but to serve also as an example to the nations. What Christ abrogated was the indictments of the Law against His sheep, not the indictments against the reprobate. Or do we believe in universal atonement?
The Law is [REMAINS] ‘holy, just and good’. (Rom 7:12) And Paul says in Roman 1 referring to sins like idolatry and homosexual acts “they which commit such things are worthy of death (Rom 1:32 KJV)”. Note the present tense “are worthy”, not were worthy. Those who would say that open (witnessed by 2 or more people) adultery, sodomy, and idolatry ought not be punished by death to to side with the wicked against the righteousness and justice of God.
It is God who declared these sins not only worthy of death but commanded such to be put to death. And there are good and proper reason for stoning, it was a punishment to be inflicted by the community in the sight of all, not done behind walls in secret 30 years after the offense.
Thank you for producing this informative exchange. Both parties are clearly very committed to the authority of God’s Word.
Douglas Wilson maintains the more traditional hermeneutic that the homosexual laws have their basis in creational order and natural design and function, and that civil penalties would apply (in some form) under the sphere of civil jurisdiction in every age on the basis of, among other things, restraining cultural rebellion against the male and female design.
On the other hand, Joel McDurmon seems to be advancing a “charim” argument that I’m not familiar with. He suggests that the homosexual act came under civil jurisdiction only in a special, contextualized circumstance, and only as it pertained to the promise of the coming Seed (Jesus Christ), with civil laws being a protection and affirmation of that Seed line. In other words, Joel McDurmon sees the application of those civil laws as involving prophecy more than social order and equity, and therefore situated only in the period before the Seed actually arrives. After the Incarnation, all(?) such civil penalties would immediately fall away.
Everything hangs on the exegetical truth between those two options. They can’t both be correct.