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Discussion of George Gillespie's Wholesome Severity Reconciled with Christian Liberty
Response to my off-the-cuff thoughts on Gillespie's understand of the Torah 
Subject: Response to my off-the-cuff thoughts on Gillespie's understand of the Torah
From: Jonny Keen 
Date: Mon, 05 May 1997 18:47:56 -0400

Dear Westminster Forum,
	Thanks for all the reaction to my e-mail off the cuff thoughts on Gillespie's
treatise-I will try the next time to be more careful on what I write-I did not know
so many people read the Westminster Forum-I will try to write down my thoughts more
clearly-I am not good at writing stuff pressured with a time limit-I do not know how
to use my Netscape mail program-how to write something and then save it to send it
later-I always lose what I have written-it is maddening!I really enjoyed all the e-mail 
I received even though I do not know where to begin responding to it all? I work all day 
feeding eggs into a processing machine-hard physical work! I come home very tired and
it is hard to think-write-etc. . . I need to be more careful on what I write the next
time now I realize who is reading my reflections.
	I did not mean to come off anti-intellectual-I am graduate of Reformed 
Theological Seminary-graduated in 1986-I do consider myself a Christian intellectual-but 
I am not one to argue or defend my views-I usually keep my views to myself-I realize
that among Reformed Christians-Calvinists there are differences of opinions on such
subjects as the place of the Torah in the New Age/Messianic Age. I know the view of
the Reformers and the Puritans-I belong to a independent Dutch Calvinistic church-the 
Ten Commandments are read every Sunday in the morning service-my background is the
Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church of America-I have been reading
the Puritans for 22 years-I love the writings of John Calvin.
	But I am also a student of Pauline Theology-one of my favorite subjects is 
Paul's view of the Torah-the role of the Mosaic Covenant in the New Age-what I mean
by the New Age is the time period from the death of the Lord Jesus Christ till the
Return of Christ (see The Pauline Eschatology by Geerhardus Vos). What I meant by
not backing up our view of the Mosaic Covenant by quoting the Reformers or the
Puritans-I meant what does the apostle Paul say about the Torah? I think we need to
focus our attention on what the apostle Paul says about the Torah-like what he says
in the Epistle to the Galatians. We could as Calvinist formulate our understanding
of the Torah by quoting Reformers and the Puritans-I think we need to put aside our
Reformation understanding of the Torah and try to listen with a clear mind to what
the apostle Paul says about the Torah-the role of the Torah in the New Covenant Age.
	Now maybe the Westminster Forum does not want to do the above-what we are
suppose to do is response to Gillespies understanding the Torah for Christian 
Magistrates-I do not know if that is something addressed in the New Testament? So maybe 
I have no business trying to say anything on the topic and leave it up to others to
debate the issue.