My statement on expansionism is interested in addressing only the cessationism and continuationism debate. Both are wrong, although cessationism is much worse. Cessationism is an outright rejection of the gospel. Continuationism, by allowing the anti-gospel group to define the terms of the doctrine, becomes a compromise of the gospel. Jesus commanded expansion, not continuation.

The gospel doctrine is that more and more people should exercise miraculous power by faith, by the Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ, and this power should increase from generation to generation. Cessationism is against this. Continuationism is inadequate to represent this. Continuationism is very lame compared to what the gospel actually teaches.

As for your question, if you wish to relate this to Theonomy and Reconstructionism, then my first comment would be that every Theonomist and Reconstructionist who is a cessationist is also a liar and a hypocrite. If you want to apply God’s law to mankind and reconstruct society according to God’s word, then you must do it with the gospel, and the gospel is as I stated above — expanding the participation and magnitude of the saving message and miracle power in the name of Christ.

The cessationist Theonomist and Reconstructionist — like any cessationist — is not truly interested in extending Christ’s kingdom, but in implementing his own personal philosophy about the proper operation of society. He wants to mold society in his own image — perhaps a conservative political philosophy labeled “Christian” – but not the image of Christ.

A program that seeks to change society by Jesus Christ would preach the gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons, and prophesy before it even thinks about controlling politics, education, and so on. If there is to be any legitimacy to Theonomy and Reconstructionism, then it must be an aspect of expansionism – extending the kingdom of God by spiritual and miraculous power.

Most Theonomists and Reconstructionists are cessationists. Therefore, I do not think they should even be talking about the topic, or how they should transform society. They have forsaken Jesus Christ, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. This ought to be the epitaph of every cessationist.

From: email