These guys have presented the only real argument against theonomy I’ve seen, and I’ve been thinking about it. It’s not a very good argument for three reasons.

1. They appeal to lex talionis (the principle that the proper punishment for a crime is an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth.

Lex talionis is theonomic. It’s taken from the Old Testament civil law in Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. And God has defined specifically what fits that description throughout the civil law. If you reject theonomy, by what standard is lex talionis just?

2. These guys said that if someone voluntarily agrees to submit to theonomy (or whatever system of law), then the punishments are then just for that individual. I asked whether someone who voluntarily joined a homeowner’s association that called for the death penalty for painting their house the wrong color, would the death penalty then be just for someone who picked the wrong color? They never answered the question. This shows an inconsistency in their system of thought.

3. They said that the Noahic covenant (Genesis 9) dictates that the only capital crime is murder. I asked what the Noahic covenant dictates as to the punishment for kindapping, rape, theft, etc.? They never were able to respond except that at the end they claimed lex talionis is valid and would provide the proper punishment for these things.

Their arguments are more complex than most people’s silence and inability to respond to theonomy, but their system is still arbitrary. If you reject theonomy, there’s no longer a basis to judge any law, and you can no longer say theonomic laws are unjust.