                                    h e

                              tandard

                                            earer

A   R E F O R M E D ;   S E M I - M O N T H L Y   M A G A Z I N E



ml THIS ISSUE

          Meditation
             Waiting For God's Son

          Editorials
             About The New  Jenison Congregation
             Implications  .of the Kuitert Decision

          The Day of Shadows
             Mixed Seed And A Fixed Crop

          All Around Us
              Moderh Views Of Marriage



                                               Volume XLIX /Number 9 1 February I,. 19 73


194                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER



                           CONTENTS:                                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER
                                                                               Semi-monthly. except monthly during June, July, and August.
Meditation  -                                                                  Published by the Reformed Free  PublishinS  Association, Inc.
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   Waiting For God's Son . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194         Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Homer  C. Hoeksema
Editorials  -                                                               Department Edit&s:  Rev. Robert D. Decker. Mr. Donald Doezema, Rev.
                                                                            David J.  Engelsma,  Rev. Cornelius Hanko, Prof. Herman Hanko, Rev.
   Gambling Made Respectable -                                              Robert C.  Harbach,  Rev. John A.  Heys. Rev. Jay Kortering, Rev. Dale H.
                                                                            Kuiper,' Rev. George C. Lubbers, Rev.  Marinus  Schipper, Rev. Gise J.
       But Still Gambling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196      Van  Baren. Rev: Herman  Veldman.  Rev.  Bernard
                                                                                                                                  .     I.
                                                                                                                                               
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                                                                            Editorial  dffica:   Prof. H. C. Hoeksema
   About the New Jenison Congregation . . . . . . . .197                                            1642 Plymouth Terrace, S.E.
                                                                                                    Grand  Raoids.   Mich.   495OF1
   Implications of the Kuitert Decision . . . . . . . . .198                Church  News Editor:           Mr. Donald Doezema
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M e d i t a t i o n

                             `Waiting For God's Son
                                                             Rev. M. Schipper
             "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which
            delivered us from the wrath to come. "
                                                                                                                   I  Thessalonians  1:lO

  AndtowaitforhisSon...!                                                    They are intertwined. Always they accompany one
  This expression, with what follows in the text,                           another.
suggests that it is not a complete sentence. It all                            This is true whether you are a friend of God or not.
belongs to what the apostle had been speaking of in                         If you are His friend, you will always keep your
the immediately preceding context.                                          garments clean, fight the good fight of faith in the
  And in that context the apostle speaks of a living midst of the world, and deny yourself. Believing on
hope and a sanctified walk.                                                 Him,~you  will deny yourself, suffering with Him. And
  These two always go together. Without the one, the your attitude will be one of a living hope, by which
other cannot be. Reciprocally they motivate one you look for the Son of God Who must come from
another. Each is the other's stimulant. Where the one heaven. And. the opposite is also true. Looking for the
fades, the other pines: Where the one flourishes, the Saviour from heaven with steadfast longing and patient
other is strong. Inseparably they are knit together. waiting, you will feel- the urge to be like Him at His


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 195



coming, and will have a strong incentive to keep you could say of Him was what His disciples declared
yourself pure, striving to keefi His commandments.          of Him: "My Lord and my God!" The Immortal,
  If, on the other hand, you' are a friend of the world, Creator, Infinite, Eternal Lord of all!
you will in much of your life'seek the things which are        But the gospel concerning God's Son also .declares:
below. You will refuse to  :suffer with Christ, and Whom God raised from the dead, even Jesus!
carefully avoid the cross. Your attitude will be such          0, indeed, this presupposes what actually took
that your hope will pine away. You will experience no place; namely, that God's Son died in human nature.
Christian joy in your heart. And there will be no song He laid down His life, allowing Himself to be nailed to
of expectation on your lips. Your hope will be weak the tree of the cross. And He tasted death for all His
and wavering. The flame of hope's yearning will be own. Even voluntarily descending into the abyss of
quenche,d. The strong assurance of hope will be lacking hell. There He bore our sin and guilt, and made
in your soul. And gone will be the power to be patient satisfaction, brought an atonement for our sin.
in tribulation, so that you will not be able to endure         Therefore, God, has highly exalted Him in  His
unto the end.                                               human nature, having raised Him from the dead.
  Not the latter, but the former was the case with the Because He had finished on the cross and in His death
saints in the church to whom the epistle is directed. the work of our justification. Therefore God raised
What a beautiful testimony  .the apostle gives to this Him as the Head of His church from the dead, and
church! The children of God there had received the exalted Him at His own right hand. When He had
gospel in much affliction and joy of the Holy Ghost. obtained righteousness and eternal life for all that are
They -had become followers of the Lord and the in Him.
apostle. They had become an example to all believers.         It is He for Whom we wait!
Their faith to  Godward was spread abroad. By the             From heaven!
power of grace they had been called and had turned            With His church on earth He was only for a while.
away from idols to serve the living and true God, and He lived our life. He spoke face to face with His own.
to wait for  His Son from heaven, who had delivered They saw Him, heard His voice, handled Him Who was
them from the wrath to come.                                the Son of God in the flesh. And they confessed that
  0, yes, always these two: serving the living and true He was the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the
God, and waiting for  His, Son from heaven, go Father, full of grace and truth.
together!                                                     But He left us! Even His resurrection was no return
  A sanctified walk, and a living hope!                     to us. From the Mount of Olives He tendered His
  And the latter is described .as a constant waiting for farewell, and ascended into heaven, another part of
Jesus!                                                      God's creation, but as close to the heart of God as the
  Waiting for God's Son!                                    creature can be. Thither He went, the Son of God in
  How rich in meaning is this expression!                   our nature. There He was glorified with the glory
  The object of the Christian's hope, God's Son, is not which He had before the world was. Leaving us with
called such by virtue of any honor, power, or title the promise that as He had gone, so He would also
which may be conferred upon ,Him, whether that be by return to us, to reward every one as his work shall be.
God or by man. He is God's Son in Himself! Eternally          And now for Him we wait!
and in coequality with the Father and the Holy Ghost.         That is, to look for Him Whose coming is known,
Essentially He is God, .full of infinite virtues. He is the and foreseen, and with the added notion of patience
Almighty, All-Wise, Sovereign God, Who is Lord of all, and trust. He who waits longs for Him, and has long
and over all. Not to adore Him as He is, is to serve the patience until he sees Him Whom his soul loveth.
idol; for there is no true God beside Him.                    Waiting for God's Son from heaven constitutes the
  Here the very heart of the gospel is touched!             hope of all God's saints!
  Deny it, and there is no gospel of salvation possible!      This, of course, holds in it unmistakable
Confess it, and you have eternal life!                      implications.
  For the gospel is God's message concerning His Son!         It implies, first of all, that we will be striving to be
  God's Son Who is become Jesus! The historical Jesus found faithful at His coming. We will not be neglecting
of Nazareth! Whose incarnation, His coming into the our earthly duties, as some who claimed to be waiting,
flesh, we lately celebrated!    I                           have done. Asceticism and monkery are not the proper
  For the Son of God became man, who came in our ear-marks of waiting children of God. Neglecting our
likeness of sinful flesh, though personally without sin; calling of faithful stewardship, failing to heed our
and He tabernacled among us. The Creator became Lord's command to represent His cause in the world, -
creature. The Eternal became temporal. The Lord these cannot be the proper works of the church of
became servant.                                             Jesus Christ. On the contrary, those who are truly
  Yet the Immutable did not change! He is and ever waiting for their Lord from heaven, will be fighting the
abides, God! Should you have seen Him in the flesh, all good fight of faith to the day of His coming, and with


196                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


the firm conviction that theirs is the victory through and in which we are still liable to sin. It implies that we
Him Who loved them. This waiting implies that look for final deliverance from those who would kill us
faithfully we will be discharging our duties which He all the day long; when our persecutors shall be put to
gave us to perform, and using the talents He supplied naught, when all of Christ's enemies, and ours for His
as obedient stewards of the grace of God. As faithfully name's sake, shall be disposed of in righteous
as we would be doing :in His presence, so faithfully we judgment.
will be doing as we wait for Him.                              These are the unmistakable implications of waiting
   Secondly, to wait for I-l% Son from heaven implies for the Son of God, even Jesus!
that we understand that while He tarries He is                 Waiting for Jesus, Who has already delivered us from
unraveling all the good counsel of God. We know that the wrath to come!
He cannot come at any moment, as the Chiliast would           What a beautiful testimony is it which the Word of
have us believe. Shame on them for deluding the minds God here gives concerning the waiting church!
of God's people into thinking that by the momentary           Not of the world!
appearance of Christ they shall escape the great               The world does not wait for Him. Always the world
tribulation. Or, the dangerous doctrine of a certain mocks with the truth of His coming. They are like the
rapture that shall be initiated by a secret coming of the beasts that die. And when He shall appear in  His
Lord. Not so will the Christian, who really knows his coming, we know already what the wicked will do.
Bible, be waiting: Rather, he knows that the Son of They will cry out to the mountains to fall on them
God, even Jesus, cannot come, and will not come until ,that they may be hid from the face of Him with Whom
all is fulfilled that is predicted in God's prophetic they iwill have to do. From the fierceness of His wrath
Word. All of the signs, of the times must have been in will they hope to escape through some kind of
evidence, all of the purposes of God in history must annihilation. But so it will not be! Suddenly in His
first be realized before His return. Yea, also the very coming, His wrath shall fall on them, and they shall be
place which He is now preparing in the heavens for all cast into outer darkness, where there is weeping and
His own, and their preparation for that place, must all gnashing of teeth. This is the testimony of all
be worked out before He will come again.                    Scripture. As it was in the days of Noah, they were
   In fact, all that, we hope for is connected with His     eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage,
coming. Positively, our hope of His coming is the until sudden destruction fell upon them; so shall it be
ushering in of a better world, in which righteousness in the day of the coming of the Son of God, even
shall dwell, and everlasting peace shall reign. It entails Jesus.
the hope of deliverance completely from the body of           But for the saints of the Most High, - glory!
this death in which we dwell, in which we now suffer,


E d i t o r i a l s

       Gambling Made                        espectabl!e--But  Still Gambling
                                               ProJ: H.C. Hoeksema

  I am referring to the fact that here in the State of      of the winners  - especially the big winners  - are
Michigan we now have a state lottery. Perhaps others        spread all over the state.
of our readers also reside in states which conduct such       But this is not what should restrain a Christian.
lotteries. In Michigan this thing seems to have captured      What should restrain the Christian from participation
the imagination of the public. The state, of course,        is the plain fact that the lottery is gambling; and
adopted the lottery as a means of revenue for the           gambling is sinful.
never-satiated appetite of the state treasury  - which        Time was, of course, that gambling was rather
only means, of course, that the state, not the              generally looked upon as a disreputable pursuit. It was
individual, is the big winner.                              associated with the criminal,  .u.nderworld  element of
  But this is not my point.                                 society. When one thought of gambling, he almost
  My point is that this is a temptation - for all of us,    automatically thought of the "Syndicate." Or he
but perhaps especially lfor youth.                          thought of Las Vegas and its slot machines and gaming
   True;, perhaps the fact that winners will inevitably     tables. Or he thought of that segment of society that
be exposed to the glare of publicity in the news media haunted the race tracks and/or the betting parlors
will act as a restraint upon some. The names and faces      associated therewith.


                                                    THE  SThDARD  BEARER                                                        197


   Now all this is changed.                                           And would that not be a relief in this day when it is
   For one thing, the state itself has become involved. sometimes very difficult to "make ends meet?" In fact,
Gambling is not an illegal pursuit. It is not limited, in could you not do much for the cause of the kingdom,
its legal form, to the parimutuel booths at the race should you "happen" to win the,big prize?
track. No, the lottery is a state function. I suppose one             But nothing has changed!
could even pursue the sophistry that the lottery is a                 Gambling is sin! Its motive is covetousness, and its
good thing: for it adds to the state's coffers at a time n a t u r e   i s   a   v i o l a t i o n   o f   t h e   C h r i s t i a n
when state governments are looking for more sources of stewardship-demand of the eighth commandment.
revenue and when all of us `are interested in keeping                 Whether you are a habitue of the gaming parlor or
taxes down.                                                        of the race track, or whether you merely gamble where
   For another thing, you can now gamble in a most all respectable people gamble, at the neighborhood
respectable way. You need not visit a bookie. You supermarket and under the aegis of the state, gambling
need not be seen in a `locale where your very is sin!
appearance would  cont:radict your Christian                          And principally it makes no difference whether you
confession. You need  not' associate with criminal purchase one fifty-cent ticket or whether you squander
elements. No, today you can go to the local your week's wages and your family's'living on a fistful
supermarket, where you shop weekly for your of tickets. The sin is the same.
groceries, and purchase your lottery tickets!                         Moreover, that the state has adopted the lottery is
                                                                   but one more indication that the state itself, which
   It has become very respectable!                                 ought to consider itself God's minister, has become
   And everyone is doing it!                                       corrupt.
   And it costs only fifty cents per ticket!                          Beware of this sin!
   And that fifty-cent ticket could conceivably win                   Be not tempted! Flee temptation!
you a small prize, but it could also conceivably win                  Walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye have been
fifty or two hundred thousand dollars!                             called.


                  About the New Jenison Csngregaition

   As noted in the Report of  Classis East, plans are add that when an infant is born  .after long years of
under way for the organization of a new congregation, waiting, there is additional reason for joy.
the Lord willing, in the Jenison, Michigan area. As of                Besides, the proposed congregation in the Jenison
this writing, I do not know when this organization will area furnishes reason for gratitude because it
take place; I would guess it will not be before this represents an extension of our Protestant Reformed
editorial sees print. And part of my remarks is based witness, the establishment of another center `of
on this guess.                                                     witness, in that community. It is our hope, too, that
   First. of all, congratulations to those who have taken this new congregation may be zealous in church
the initiative in this matter, that is, to the consistories extension work, and that it may serve as a
of Hope and Hudsonville, to the brethren who gathering-point for others who love the Reformed faith
petitioned Classis East for organization, and to Classis in that community.
East who approved the petition. This is something                     In the second place, I would like to take this
which has not happened in our churches since 1960 opportunity to urge others who live in that area to
(when Isabel and Forbes were organized) and which organize along with those who have already signified
has not happened in  Classis East since 1944, when their intention. And I say intentionally: to  organize
Southeast (then Fourth) was organized.                             with them, not merely to join them later. Everyone
  There is reason here' for rejoicing and for recognizes, of course, that no one can be compelled to
thankfulness to God. For this represents growth and do this. We do not have a boundary-system in our
progress. And I would add: it represents healthy churches. This is a matter of free choice. But I call
growth. For this proposed new congregation does not attention to the fact that it makes good sense for those
arise out of dissension or dissatisfaction of any kind, who live in the area to support this movement. Not
but simply out of the twin facts that our Hudsonville only do I have in mind the over-crowded conditions at
and Hope congregations are outgrowing their quarters Hope and Hudsonville. But I also have in mind that if
and that a good many families of our Protestant you live in that area, it is, in the main, good sense to
Reformed community live in the Jenison area. This have your church-home and that of your children and
kind of growth from within is healthy growth. And young people in that community. And besides, it is
this is reason for joy and gratitude. And perhaps I may well to help the infant congregation  porn the start.


198                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



This will insure a robust' beginning, rather than a of that shortage already, as all our churches know; and
struggling one - both from the point of view of church the outlook for a future supply of ministers is at the
life and from the financial point of view. And it will moment very bright! Moreover, let us not only pray
furnish greater choice of consistorial material, even for a home missionary. Let us concentrate as churches
though  Classis East  ,was convinced that there was upon practical measures to make it more feasible and
sufficient consistorial material to warrant organization possible for one of our ministers to accept a call to this
(and I concur).        I                                  work. This is no easy task; and it is no simple matter,
                            *****                         especially for a minister with a family of young
  And yet the very reference to the historical statistics children, to accept such a call. Let us do what is
made above must needs remind us of another side of possible in order that the way may be open.
the picture, it seems to me.                                 And, it seems to me, that another fact is this, that -
  Not a new congregation since  1960! Not a new whether with or without a home missionary  - our
congregation in Classis East since 1944! And not a new churches must concentrate more of their attention and
congregation in Classis East as a result of home mission their labor on this aspect of the Lord's work. Perhaps
labor since 1943 (when Randolph was added to Classis it is not too much to say that the very lack of new
East)!                                                    organizations is evidence of this. Think about it!
  Yes, I know: our churches have gone through some           And think. on this, too, that this calling is all the
stormy times in that period. Besides, we suffered from more urgent because of the rapid apostasy of our day,
a severe shortage of ministers. And besides that, it is especially in the Reformed community, and because
possible to point to ,instances of growth and progress. of the crying need for church reformation.
No, the picture is not all gloomy by any means.              Meanwhile, if these lines fall under the eyes of any
  But let this not blind us to the facts.                 outside of our Protestant Reformed Churches who are
  One of these facts is that we sorely need a home genuinely concerned about church reformation and
missionary to labor in behalf of our churches. Pray the `who through our  Standard Bearer  recognize in our
Lord fervently that He will grant us one. Let us not churches a bastion of the Reformed faith in these
forget this as churches. It is so easy to become troubled times, I am confident to say: our churches
wrapped up in our own congregational life and to be stand ready to answer any call for help, whether we
satisfied that we have our Protestant Reformed have a home missionary or not. Moreover, we do not
congregation and our minister, and even that we are despise a small beginning, as our history in the
through various means witnessing to those outside of organization of churches will plainly show. Nor, if a
our churches. And  we must not ever become smug! congregation is organized, will our churches leave it an
Nor must we be tifraid of a minister shortage. Not only orphan; but we are ready to help and support
has the Lord always' provided well for our churches financially, and, above all, to provide a congregation
even when there was more of a shortage than today; with faithful, thoroughly Reformed preachers of the
but the Lord has also graciously alleviated the severity W'ord!


                   Implications of the Kuitert Decision
  Thus far we have not  no#iced  much comment  - to take a stand as to the decision in the Kuitert Case
either critical or favorable  - about the Kuitert and consequently as to their attitude toward the GKN.
Decision in the religious press on this side of the And in taking such a stand such churches will
Atlantic. It would seem to us, however, that not only necessarily have to reveal, it seems to us, their own
comment but also decisions will have to be attitude toward the doctrinal issues at stake in the
forthcoming sooner or later. This. is due to the fact Kuitert Case. And not- only is this true for various
that the  Gereformeirde Kerken  of the Netherlands denominations; it is also true for the RES, which at its
occupy a place"among  Reformed churches and stand in recent meeting in Sydney, Australia avoided a
`so me kind of relationship to many other showdown onthe matter of the Gereformeerde Kerken
denominations of  thk.Reformed community. For one and their membership in the RES;
thing, they are members of the RES, along with many THE RES AND THE KUITERT DECISION
other Reformed churches. Besides, there is a relation        In  -our October 15, 1972 issue we reported and
o f   correspondenc'e, and in some cases a full editorialized on the question of the membership of the
sister-church relationship, between the GKN and other GKN in the Reformed Ecumenical Synod and on the
denominations.                                            decision of the RES on this matter.
  Sooner or later, therefore these churches will have        Permit me to refresh your memory.


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                    199


    First of all, the decision of the RES itself was a very some years hence, the GKN can continue as members,
 bland one. It really decided nothing. It was a neat way continue to participate in RES activities, continue to
 of declaring that it would not take a stand on matters have a place in the Interim Committee and in various
 concerning the GKN while, in effect, it declined study committees, and continue to exercise what can
 overtures of member churches requesting it to take a only be a bad influence. And nothing can be done, I
 `stand. It welcomed concern on the part of member fear, to prevent this.
 churches. It declared that it was the business of the         Yet - although this is looking far into the future -
 RES to be concerned about the spiritual welfare and it would seem that eventually the RES is going to be
 the Scriptural government of the churches. And, as far forced to face the issue which it failed to face in 1972.
 as the subject under discussion is concerned, it This time, it would seem, there will have to be a
 expressed its "deep concern about the theological showdown - unless the powers that be are again adroit
 views of Dr. H. M. Kuitert and some other enough to steer clear of it.
 theologians." And while the decision did not in so           However, even before the next RES is convened,
 many words `state this, apparently the reason for the various member churches will have to face the issue.
 RES's failure to take action lay in the statement that        And the latest decision of the GKN on the Kuitert
 the RES "accepts the assurance of the delegates of the matter only serves to underscore this necessity, it
 Reformed Churches in the Netherlands that their would seem.
 churches are giving their serious and continuing              You will recall that there were some specific
 attention to these views."                                overtures from member churches concerning the
    For the sake of argument, let us accept that last Gereformeerde Kerken.
 statement of the RES for a moment, although, of              From the Orthodox Presbyterian Church there were
 course, even that statement represents a bad decision two communications. One had to do with the dual
 from every viewpoint. If it is a good faith statement, membership of the GKN in the World Council of
 then it only bespeaks the fact that the RES was Churches and in the Reformed Ecumenical Synod. But
 tremendously naive as to the true nature of that the second had to do specifically with the Kuitert case.
 `%erious and continuing attention" of the GKN to the It raised the question whether the GKN were not in
 views of Kuitert and others. How, in the light of all conflict with the confessional Basis of the RES. And it
 that happened and all that was decided even prior to stated specifically: "It is difficult for us to understand
 the latest Kuitert Decision of the GKN, could anyone how the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands can
 accept such assurances as are mentioned? Mind you, on the one hand declare that Dr. H. M. Kuitert's
 Kuitert's views had already been under discussion for a `negation of the historicity of the fall of man' is not in
 long time! Nor had there been any indication that the agreement with the confessional` statement of the
 GKN, in spite of all its "serious and continuing Scriptural truth which `must also  be. maintained as
 attention," intended to censure either Kuitert or his authoritative by the church as having importance for
 `views. On the contrary, there was every indication that the proclamation of the Gospel' and then on the other
 room would be made officially for Kuitert's views. I hand proceed to resolve that `the unity of the
 fail to understand how anyone could put any stock in confession of the church is not so much threatened
 the assurances of .the Dutch delegates. One would have that special decisions would be necessary.' " And in an
 to be as naive as was Chamberlain at Munich.              attached letter this OPC overture, adopted by the
   But this is not the worst. The very decision of the Thirtyeighth General Assembly, refers directly to the
 RES to accept these assurances was itself a bad declaration of the Synod of Sneek-1970 concerning
 decision: for it accepted the. failure of the GKN to the letters of protest against Dr. Kuitert's views.
 exercise doctrinal discipline instead of engaging in         Also, you will recall, the Reformed Churches of
 "serious and continuing attention." This was exactly New Zealand asked for action on this matter at the
 part of the problem brought up in overtures by            1972 meeting of the RES. Specifically the resolution
 member churches of the RES.                               of the New Zealand churches was as follows: "That the
   But for the sake of argument, let us accept the Reformed Ecumenical Synod consider whether the
 statement.                                                r e s o l u t i o n s   a d o p t e d   b y   t h e   S y n o d   o f   t h e
   Then the question is: what now?                         Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland, in its meeting of
   The die is cast. The GKN has officially terminated      5 November 1970, regarding the teachings of Dr. H. M.
 its `"serious and continuing attention" to the Kuitert Kuitert and others, who share his convictions, do not
 matter. And the termination has left Kuitert, in spite conflict with the requirements for membership as set
 of his admittedly anti-confessional views, in good out in Art. IV of the Rules and Standing Orders of the
standing in the GKN.                                       R.E.S. . . ., and b. that the Synod should it find that
   And the GKN remain members in good standing in there is conflict, request the Gereformeerde Kerken to
 the RES!                                                  withdraw from the R.E.S. or alternately make
   In the interim before the next meeting of the RES provisions for the exclusion of these Churches from


200                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


the membership' of the 1R.E.S. in order that a situation that "An evaluation of trends cannot be completed
in which the basis of the R.E.S. becomes ambiguous be until it is clear which trends will prevail and which
avoided."                   '                               positions will finally be adopted."
  Both of these member churches of the RES,                   However, there is-more involved.
therefore, are now confronted by this set of facts:           In 1970 the Christian Reformed Synod addressed a
1. The- R.E.S. utterly failed to take the action letter of admonition to the GKN concerning these
requested in their overtures. Presumably this failure matters. And although, in our opinion, the letter was
was based in part on' the assurance by the Dutch extremely mild and not sufficiently specific in view of
delegates that the GKN were still dealing with this the serious situation in the GKN, nevertheless it did
`matter and were; doing so seriously.                       serve to call these matters to the attention of the
2.  The  Gereforineerde. Kerken  have now terminated Gereformeerde Kerken.  Besides? over the years there
the discussion of the Kuitert Case, have maintained the have been various overtures before the Christian
position of the Synod: of Sneek, have refused to find Reformed Synod concerning doctrinal developments in
any grounds for; further action against Kuitert and thus the GKN.
justified him, and therefore remain in conflict with the      Moreover, in the debate about Report  36/44 (The
confessional basis of the RES.                              Nature and Extent of the Authority of Scripture), it
   If,. as I wrote earlier, these churches were faced by was claimed  - as one of the arguments in favor of
the necessity of taking a stand as to their own adoption of this Report - that although the report did
continuing membership in the RES, this is certainly not mention the views of Kuitert by name,
doubly true now. The GKN have taken their stand. nevertheless it excluded the possibility of  Kuitert's
There is no longer the excuse that they are giving views and of his approach to Scripture.
"continuing and serious attention" to this matter: they       But now the GKN have taken their stand.
themselves have declared the case to be terminated.           What will the CRC do about this?
But the conflict with the confessional basis of the RES       It is to be hoped that the CRC will now be moved to
remains. At best, these two member churches can take "definitive action" concerning their sister-church
make their continued membership in the RES relationship with the GKN. Failure to take resolute
contingent upon RES condemnation of the stand of action will certainly mean that the doors of the CRC
the GKN.  I                                                 are officially wide open to the same errors and the
   They would ido better, in our opinion, however, to same doctrinal liberty which plague the GKN.
follow the example of the Hapdong Presbyterian Personally, however, I have little expectation of such a
Church of Korea.' This denomination was not resolute stand. My reasons? They are several. But here
represented at  ihe 1972 session of  .the RES; and the are some: 1. The Christian Reformed Church has
General Assembly of the Hapdong Church, we are shown no inclination in recent years to take a resolute
reliably informed, took a decision in September, 1972 stand on doctrinal matters. 2. Already when Dr.
to withdraw from the RES. As yet we do not have the Kuitert spoke in this country a few years ago, there
details of this decision.  But undoubtedly the decision were not a few among the Christian Reformed clergy
was influenced/ in part by a published Critique of the who agreed with him and who were ready to defend
RES by Rev. Sang Ghan Lee, a critique which, among him. 3. The Christian Reformed Church has refused to
other things!, exposed the sad situation in the take action with regard to Dr. Willis de Boer, whose
Gereformeerde  :Kerkeri.                                    views of Genesis are at least in some respects - if not
   In our opinion, the / RES has not shown itself to be altogether - in harmony with those of Dr. Kuitert. 4.
worthy of consideration as an ecumenical option for To take a clear stand on this matter would involve the
Reformed churches.                                          CRC in a doctrinal controversy within the
                                                            denomination, the kind of controversy which it wants
       THECHklSTlAN REFORMEDCHURCH                          to avoid.
                     AND THE GKN                              .But time will tell.
  The Christian Reformed Church has shown great
reluctance to take any'definitive action with respect to
the GKN thus far.
  Their delegates to the RES went to Australia in
1972 with  synodical,  instructions "to oppose any
definitive action by the RES re termination of the
membership of the Gereformeerde Kerken at  RES
Australia 1972." And the grounds were that "The
situation is still in flux in the churches of the
Gereformeerde: Kerken, and the matter is being dealt
with by the Synod of Dordrecht  (1971-1972)," and


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                               201


The Day of Shadows

                        Mixed Seed And A Fixed Crop

                                                 Rev. John A. Heys

  There are no female angels.                               Christ traced down to Adam, who is then literally
  Neither are there baby angels.                            called the son of God. Israel is called God's son in
  The mind of man under the power of sin likes to run       Exodus 4:23. Christ, according to His human nature, is
wild in its imagination, and' refuses to listen to the      called God's Son in Psalm 2:7. It is implied in Isaiah
Word of God. And then men speak of "cherubs" or             64:8 when Isaiah cries, "But now, 0 Lord, thou art
baby angels, and draw pictures of them to try to            our Father."
express what these creatures look like, while admitting        The idea, then, in Genesis  6:1-4 is that the
that they never saw one.                                    descendants of Adam and  Shem,. the seed of the
  The word of Jesus in Matthew 22:23 ff. in answer to       woman, coming more and more in contact with the
the fault-finding  Sadducees,   jwho tried to trap Him,     descendants of Cain, the seed of the serpent, began to
should suffice. For to them He said, "Ye do err, not        seek their wives from Cain's unbelieving daughters and
knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. For in looked for a pretty face, rather than for a pure heart,
the resurrection they neither. marry, nor are given in for a nice figure instead of a vibrant faith. The seed of
marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven" those born in the covenant community, that had
There is no marriage in the angel world. The word stayed by the entrance to paradise, began to mix with
angel in  S'cripture  is always a masculine noun. And       the seed of those born outside that sphere in Cain's
there are then no angel fathers and mothers, and            city of Enoch. A mixed seed appeared, that at once
certainly no baby angels. All were created in the meant that a fixed crop of sin would soon be brought
beginning, and not one angel has been born.                 forth and reveal itself.
  The fact, then, that they neither marry nor are given       It is not so strange that such a mixed marriage of
in marriage takes away any ground for the contention believer and unbeliever took place already at that early
that, when we read in Genesis 6: 1, 2 that the sbns of stage of the history of God's Church. All are conceived
God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and and born in sin. All are the "corrupt offspring" which
that they took them wives of them, angels had the "corrupt stock" (of which the Canons of
intercourse with women and produced some super Dordrecht speak in Heads Three and Four, article 2)
race. It may be granted, however, that angels are called    brings forth. The sons of God, the children in the
sons of God, and that verse 4 indicates that when the covenant sphere also had their flesh. And a rebirth
sons of God did take them wives, and went in unto does not take away the old nature. It adds a new,
them, the result was that giants were born, and mighty nature which fights against the old. The rebirth is not
men, men of renown.                                         the death of the old man of sin.
  The angels are spiritual beings and no such                 The trouble is that the sons of God did not fight
intercourse is possible. Nor is such an interpretation that old nature but instead let it. rule them in the
necessary to explain giants and mighty men, which selection of their wives. This does not simply happen
were of old, men of renown. Goliath and his brother
                                    . -5."                  in the world. David was afflicted with it. It became the
were giants, and that from a conception that occurred downfall of such a wise man as Solomon. And rather
without any angel's efforts, and without anything that than. to be surprised that this happened so quickly
such an angel supplied. David .was a mighty man, born after the fall of man, and in spite of the presence of
of two very ordinary human parents. And Nimrod was Enoch and his fiery preaching, we could be surprised
a man of renown whose earthly, human father is that it did not happen sooner. That old nature is so
mentioned by name.                                          wicked! And that power of sin within us is so strong!
  It is true that in Job  1:6 we read of the angels But for the grace of God we, too, would mix more
coming before God and of being called the sons of rapidly than we do with the false church and with the
God. It is also true that Satan was there. And the world. We mix enough, or rather far too much, because
theory is that these sons of God were fallen, corrupt no mixture ought to be there at all. We ought to be a
angels who were no longer in heaven but on the earth. separate people, and come out from among the wicked
However, the believers also are, both in the Old and world. And the outcome for us likewise, when there is
New Testament, called the sons of God, As a point of mixed seed, will only be the fixed crop of sin. The
connection we have in Luke,  3:38 the genealogy of children of such an union, except for the grace of God,


 202                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


 are going to follow the example of the parent of faith that God raises up from time to time in the
 unbelief, and go the way of the line of least resistance.    Church, and would covet their zeal and spirituality.
    Let our young people, our covenant young people, How encouraging and comforting it would be to see
 understand that a pretty face can hide a very evil heart. them seek companions only of those that fear God and
 A fair complexion can' distract from a heart filled with keep His precepts.
 contempt for and hatred against God. A fair                    Instead, as history repeats itself, the sons of God
 countenance, and nothing more, means to the serious, today are looking to the world - and striving to make
 believing child of God that to marry such means themselves look like `the world. The men of renown
 anything but fair weather ahead.
 ._-.                                                         o,f the world they know. The men of faith are strangers
   Marry simply for looks, and you will have plenty of to them. They would find it difficult to list even half
 time to look the other way and elsewhere when the of Jesus' disciples, tell you the names of the books of
 beauty, which is often not even skin deep and comes the Bible - or even of only the New Testament books.
 out of a bottle, can no longer be produced, when the The giants of sports, the "big" men and women of
 wrinkles cannot be covered, and the inner hatred Hollywood, of the whole world of entertainment on
 against God and His. cause come so clearly to the radio, television and eight-track cassette players in
 surface. Adding a drop of ink to the water does not their cars they know, and are thrilled by them! The
.improve  t h e   i n k , ,but it does spoil the water. revolutionists of our day they know; the Reformers of
 Introducing an unbeliever into one's life as life's days gone by are strangers to them. The sinners they
 companion will not benefit that unbeliever, but it will know by name, the saints they recall with a sense of
 do havoc to the life of the believer, except in those shame. The fellowship of the worldly they seek, of the
 rare cases where God is pleased to work His grace, and saints and their spiritual victories by God's grace they
 to bring that unbeliever to the faith. But when we find it hard to speak.
 deliberately mix in our marriages with the unbelievers,        And history repeats itself because spiritually
 we cannot expect, and.have no promise from God, that mankind is not changed. Surely he is not changed for
 He will come with Hisgrace to realize a conversion. We the better in spite of theories of  `6common grace" -
 can instead heed the Word of God which says that which in this day certainly is shown to fail utterly to
 what a man sows, that will he reap. And a mixed improve mankind and restrain sin "in the life of the
 marriage with an unbeliever sets us on the course of a individual and in the community . . . . by the,general
 fixed crop, a crop of jsin that is inevitable, when our operation of His Spirit, without renewing the heart of
 children are the result of  our  fleshly choice of a man" and so "restrains the unimpeded breaking out of
 husband or wife, and the flesh of that unbeliever. `Even sin, by which human life in society remains possible"
 when believer and believer marry, they bring forth - and in spite of all the efforts of men to curb the'
 nothing but enemies of God. How then can we expect constant rise of crime. Law enforcement agencies just
 that, when a, believer' marries an unbeliever, he is in cannot change the nature of man. And the seed of sin
 God's way and can expect Him to perform the work of sown in Paradise, transmitted and transferred into
 His grace to give him, children that have the new life every descendant of Adam and Eve, brings forth a
 from above?                                                  continuous and fixed crop of sm. As man, without a
   Let it be clearly understood, and let it be borne in change in his nature. from a spiritual, ethical point of
 mind that no matter how sweet the world may behave view, grows in knowledge and natural wisdom, he
 before us, no matter how lovely they may talk in our develops in sin, and not in righteousness. Under the
 presence, no matter, how beautiful they may be power of the lie he "learns" only how to seek more
.according to the standards of the judgment of our effectively to escape the curse without the cross. And
 flesh, THEY ARE ENEMIES OF GOD! And being a his wisdom is shown to be folly.
 child of God he or she is your enemy too. He or she            With the advent of the printing press, the camera,
 may love you with a fleshly love, but he or she hates radio and television, the ungodly are able to show their
 you as a child of God. And it inevitably will be that ungodly deed which they have ungodly committed to a
 your new man in Christ will be assaulted day by day wider and ever widening audience of eager watchers,
 by the evils that the unbelieving partner delights in and readers and observers. Time marches on, the saying is.
 seeks.                                                       But sin marches on with it. And when the covenant
   How different are the words of the psalmist when in community, the church sphere, joins with the world
 Psalm  119:63 he writes, "I am a companion of all to march along with that world and keep in step with
 them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy it, we are rushing to another visitation like that of the
.precepts." Is that really true in our lives? Is that true flood. Only this time it will be a visitation by fire!
of our covenant seed? Or are the giants of the world,           The plain teaching of these  .first four verses of
 the men of renown, `those the world praises, whose Genesis 6 is that the sons of God and the daughters of
 exploits are extolled by the ungodly? How wonderful men - and that means also, the daughters of God and
 it would be if our children would look to the `giants of the sons of men  - must not mix in marriage. There


                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER                                                    203


  must. be an antithetical life exercised in the. church.               It is only because THE Son of God set His face
  Mix and you will get into an awful fix! Mix and you steadfastly in God's way, separated Himself completely
  set out on a way of sin against the living God; you from the sinful pleasures of the world and refused to
  begin to sow the seeds of an evil crop to follow. And it seek the friendship of the sons of man, that we have
 is only, as we said before, the.mercy of God that rights the harvest of righteousness and good works, and that
  the wrong we do, and brings `a Ruth to Canaan, and a we now in God's grace are virgins for Christ's sake and
  Timothy to the side of Paul.                                       presently enjoy the wonder of being His royal bride.


  Contending For The Faith

     The Doctrine of Atonement (Reformation Period)

                                                               H.  Veldman

   We were busy, in our preceding article, with a all its parts complete, perfect and intact, even if the
  discussion of Art. V of the Rejection of Errors of Head merited redemption had never in fact been applied to
 II of the Canons. Let us quote'this article again:                   any person. Then, they taught that it was not the
         Who teach: That all men have been accepted unto              purpose of the death of Christ that He should confirm
      the state of reconciliation and unto the grace of the          the new covenant of grace through His blood, but only
      covenant, so that no one is worthy of condemnation             that He should acquire for the Father the mere right to
      on account of original sin, and that no one shall be           establish with man such a covenant as He might please,
      condemned because of it, but that all are free from            whether of grace or of works. This means that Christ
      the guilt of original sin. For this opinion is repugnant       merely  me&d for the Father the right to enter into
      to Scripture which teaches  t&at we are by nature
      children of wrath. Eph. 23.                                    whatever negotiations with the sinner He would desire.
                                                                     In Article III we read that, according to the Arminians,
 We concluded our  prece;ding  article by calling Christ by His satisfaction did not merit either salvation
  attention to two statements in this fifth article, itself for anyone, or faith whereby this satisfaction of
  namely, that all men have been accepted unto the Christ unto salvation is effectually appropriated. In
 grace of the covenant, and that no one is worthy of other words, the salvation of the sinner is separated,
  condemnation on account of original sin. No one shall divorced from the cross. Christ merely merited for the
  be condemned because of it, but all are free from the Father the authority or the perfect will to deal again
  guilt of original sin. These views of the Arminians with man, and to prescribe new conditions as He'might
  follow inexorably from their teachings, and they are desire, obedience to which, however, depended upon
 also very prevalent today. And we promised to call the free will of man, so that it therefore might have
 attention to this in this article.:                                 come to pass that either none or all should fulfill these
    Now we must understand that when the Arminians conditions. And what these new conditions are is set
  speak of all men as having been accepted unto the state forth in Article IV. This new convenant of grace, into
  of reconciliation and of beingjaccepted unto the grace which the sinner has been accepted by God through
  of the covenant, they mean something which is the death of Christ, does not consist herein that we by
  completely contrary to what the Reformed faith faith, in as much as it accepts the merits of Christ, are
 means and that which is set  iforth in `the divine and justified before God and are saved, but in `the fact that
 infallible Scriptures. Indeed,  ; the Remonstrants also God having revoked the demand of perfect obedience
 speak of the sinner that he has been accepted into the of the  .law, regards faith itself and the obedience of
 state of reconciliation and into the grace of God's faith, although imperfect, as the perfect obedience of
 covenant. But notice, if  l you please, what the the law, and does esteem it worthy of the reward of
 Arminians believe as set forth'here in these articles in eternal life through grace. 0, yes, the Arminians speak
 this Rejection of Errors of Head II of our Canons. of this covenant as the new covenant of grace. But
1 They believe that God the Father has ordained His Son they are merely playing with words. It is not really a
i to the death of the cross without a certain and definite covenant of grace, but another covenant of works. The
 decree to save any, so  <that the necessity, sinner is not saved because Christ died for him, but
 `profitableness, and worth of what Christ has merited only because he believes. God regards a sinner's faith,
 by His death might have existed, and might remain in although very imperfect, as worthy of everlasting life


   204                                            THE STANDARD BEARER


  and glory. Faith is the new- condition which the Lord race and that all men are held accountable for the sin
  now prescribes as the w,ay of salvation.                        of Adam. But this also implies the denial of original
     And, according to the Arminians, all men have been pollution. Of course! The truths of original guilt and
  accepted unto the grace of the covenant. How original pollution are inseparably connected. The
  strikingly similar this view is to that which is being sinner is born in original pollution, is born dead in sins
  taught and proclaimed, today! All men are equally in and in trespasses because of his original guilt. If he be
  the covenant of the  ' Lord. All men are heirs of not guilty when born, he cannot be born in pollution
   everlasting life and glory. All children receive this and corruption. And, of course, the Arminian was
   divine assurance at their baptism. Every child receives compelled to deny original pollution. The new
   at baptism the assurance from the Lord that the Lord covenant of grace into which all sinners have now
- loves him and desires to save him. All men have been entered through the death of Christ demands this. This
  accepted into the grace of the covenant. There is now is really another covenant of works. But then it follows
  salvation for all. The Lord would have all men be saved that the sinner must also be able to fulfill this new
  and come to the knowledge of salvation. And we bo               condition. So, the sinner is not worthy of
  well to understand that this is Arminian heresy and condemnation on account of original sin, and neither is
  condemned by our fathers of Dordt. How important it he born in original pollution and corruption. This, we
  is that we understand our confessions and that we put understand, is Pelagianism, the heresy that denies the
  forth every effort to familiarize ourselves with these Scriptural truth of original sin. How true it is that the
   confessions!                                                   denial of one truth must inexorably lead to the denial
     To this must be added that the Arminians, according of all other fundamental truths of the Word of God.
  to this fifth article, also taught that no one is worthy The denial of man's corruption, also taught today, is
  of condemnation on account of original sin, and that not Reformed, but Arminian and Pelagian. Let us
  no one shall be condemned because of it, but that all always bear this in mind.
  `are free from the guilt of original  sin. This, too,             This heresy of the Arminians the Reformed fathers
  the Remonstrants were compelled to believe. Also declare to be contrary to the Word of God. On the one
  this is currently taught and proclaimed today. `hand, the fathers quote Eph. 2:3: "Among whom also
  Years ago, in the Christian Reformed Church, we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of
  they spoke of a special baptismal grace, a grace which our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh and of the
  was not regenerating, butit enables the recipient of it mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even
  to be able to accept the offer of salvation when later in as others." One might ask the question: but why do
  his life that offer of salvation was presented to him in the fathers quote this particular passage of the Word of
  the preaching of the gospel. They were compelled to God? And it is not difficult to understand the
  teach this. You see, they taught that all the children reasoning of .-the fathers. According to the Arminians,
  were in the covenant of the Lord, heirs of the promise, there are no children of wrath. All men have been
   objects of divine love and favour, and that the offer of accepted into the state of reconciliation. No one is
  salvation would be extended to him in the preaching of held condemnable on account of his.original sin. And
  the gospel. But they were aware of the fact that the this also implies, as we have seen, that no one is held
   Scriptures taught that,all are born dead in sins and in condemnable on account of his original pollution. This
  trespasses, and that a `dead sinner was in no position to means that, according to the Arrninians, there are no
   accept this offer that  :was extended to him. So they children of wrath by nature. But this is surely directly
   taught this special baptismal grace. This grace did not in conflict with the teaching of the Word of God here
  regenerate him, but it did enable him to accept this in Eph.  2:3. And may I add that this is directly in
   offer of salvation. This, we understand, was nothing conflict with all that is taught in the Word of God?
   else than Pelagianism, the teaching that the sinner is Does not verse 1 in Eph. 2 teach us that we have been
   not dead in sins and in misery. A sinner that is able to quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins?
   accept salvation, without the renewal of the heart, is Does not verse 3 speak of those who were by nature.
   certainly not dead in sin and in misery.                       the children of wrath, even as the others? And do we
     The Remonstrant was compelled to teach what is not read in this third verse: "Among whom also we all
   held before us in this fifth article. After all, this new had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our
   covenant, as we have ah-eady observed, is nothing else flesh," etc? So, there is no exception. The truth of
   than a covenant of works. The new condition -which original guilt and pollution is clearly held before us in
   the Lord now prescribes is the condition of faith. The the inspired Word of God. And in Rom. 5: 12 we read:
   Arminian was forced to teach this. Notice, please, that "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,
   they taught that no one is worthy of condemnation on and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,
   account of original ,sin. So, they denied the Scriptural for that all have sinned."
   truth of original guilt. `The truth of original guilt means      However, the Arminians also deny, in this
   that the sin of Adam is imputed to the entire human connection, &another fundamental truth of the Word of


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   205


God. Mind you, they say that all men have been               course, we now understand that this expression,
accepted into the state of reconciliation. And then          "accepted into the state of reconciliation," has a
they teach that no one is worthy of condemnation on          meaning completely foreign to the Reformed faith and
account of original sin, and they also taught that no        the Divine Scriptures. But the Word of God teaches us
one is born in original pollution and corruption.            that the state of reconciliation implies the washing
According to the Remonstrant, therefore, the sinner is       away of all sin. In the state of reconciliation, based
held accountable only for his actual sins. He is not. upon the perfect work of Christ upon the cross of
charged with the sin of Adam. That sin of Adam is not        Calvary, we are free from all guilt, not only from our
charged against him. That he perishes is only because        original guilt, but also from all the actual sins which we
of the actual sins he himself commits. But this is surely    commit in the midst of our earthy tabernacle. The
contrary to the Word of God. The Word of God                 Arminians, therefore,. make an unscriptural distinction
teaches us that the blood of Christ has washed us of all     between our original sin and our actual sins. It stands
sins and iniquity. The Arminian teaches that all men         condemned, therefore, also upon the basis of this
have been accepted into the state of reconciliation. Of      Scriptural truth.



From  Holy Writ

               Pure And Undefiled Religion (7)

                                              Rev. Robert D. Decker

chapter 1:13-l 7, cont.                                      over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel
  No one may say when  he.succumbs to temptation, unto honor, and another unto dishonor?" (vss. 20,21)
"`I am tempted of God." The reason no one may say               God, therefore, the Bible teaches with unmistakable
that is: "for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither clarity, is sovereign over evil; it must serve His purpose.
tempteth he any man." Literally the text reads: "for At the same time we may never say that sin has its
God is untemptable of evil." That is contrary to His         origin in God. Ultimately this is beyond our puny,
very Being and Nature as God. God is pure. and holy, human, and sinful comprehension. And there we leave
righteous and good; He is the light in whom is no the question. God is sovereign, and we may not
darkness at all (cf. vs. 17, I John 1: 5). Because God is question that! We may not ask, `Why doth he yet find
untemptable of evil, it follows that He never tempts a fault?" And at the same time we must insist with the
man. God never entices anyone to sin. The source of          Scriptures that God is untemptable of evil and tempts
our sinning must never be sought in God. That would no man. Man always sins willingly and because he
be to shift the blame of our sins from ourselves to God wants to sm. He never sins because God forces him to
and make Him the author of sin. That is blasphemy.           Sin.
  This, however, does not change the fact that God is           James explains the whole terrible process in verses
sovereign over evil. Evil is not some kind of eternal        14 and 15. "But every man is tempted, when he is
force alongside of God.  It,: too, according to the          drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." This is the
eternal counsel of God and under His sovereign power first step. The sinner is drawn away by his own lusts.
serves His purpose in Jesus Christ. God says in Isaiah       Lust is that terrible, .powerful craving for that which is
45:7; "I form the light,  and.create darkness: I make forbidden by the Word of God. By that man is enticed.
peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things." That term is  reahy "to bait, catch by bait." The idea
The inspired Apostle Paul in the famous ninth chapter        then is that the sinner's own lusts are the bait by which
of his Letter to the Romans speaks of God's raising up he is caught in the trap of sin and drawn away from
of Pharaoh. to show His, power and concludes:                God.
"Therefore  bath he mercy on whom he will have                  "Then," (vs. 15); this is now the second step. Having
mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." (vs. 18) In           been drawn away and enticed by his own lust; "Then
answer to the objection, of unbelief to God's when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sm." When
sovereignty the Apostle quotes from Isaiah 45: "Nay lust has conceived or seized hold on us, it brings forth
but, 0 man, who art thou that repliest against God?          or produces sin. That sin is the willful `missing of the
Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why mark of the glory of God. And that sin, that missing of
hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power            the mark is the product of our own lust, our craving


206                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



for that which God's Word forbids. Lust produces the            means complete in all its parts. Every gift then which
sm. The original fall into sin illustrates the truth of this    serves to make the child of God complete, fully
exactly. Having heard the lie of Satan and conversed            mature, in the service of his Lord comes from God.
with him,`.' . . . the woman saw that the tree was good           Those gifts come from above James writes. That
for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a           means they come from heaven. They are heavenly
tree to be desired to make one wise, . . ." Notice the          gifts. The contrast is all too obvious. Lust comes from
lust here. "She saw that the tree was good for food";           within us, and sin comes from that lust. But from
that's the lust of the flesh. "It was pleasant to the           above, descending from the Father of lights come only
eyes"; that's the lust of the eyes; and "a tree to be           good and perfect gifts!
desired to make one wise"; that's the pride of life.              That is always, invariably the case. The. source of
Therefore "she took of, the fruit thereof, and did eat,         these good and perfect gifts is the Father of "the
and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did             lights." The Lights here must mean the sun, moon, and
eat." (Gen.  3:6, I John 2: 15-17). Lust took hold of           stars. God is the Father of them in the sense that He is
Eve and produced her missing of the mark. God said,             the. Creator of them, Light as such is always the
"Thou shalt not eat of it," but she ate and gave to             symbol of moral, ethical perfection in the Scriptures.
Adam, and he ate.                                               That is the idea in the text, too. The sun, reflected by
  The third and concluding step in the process is               the moon, and the stars are the lights of creation. But
stated in the last part of verse 15: "and sin, when it is       as the earth turns in relation to the sun, shadows of
finished, bringeth forth death." `"When it is finished," darkness are cast. That is never true of God. He, as the
that is, when sin has come to full maturity; when it has        Father-Creator of the lights, is infinitely greater than
fully developed and reached its full potential, it brings       these. With God, the Father of the lights there is no
forth death. `Sin may, be compared to a cancerous               variableness. That is, with God there is no variation. He
growth in the human body. It grows and spreads and              is always the same, always the giver of every good and
pervades our entire system, finally killing us. Sin, when       perfect gift.
it  is. finished, gives birth to death. And death is the           Still more, with God the Father of the lights there is
exhression of the wrath of God. Death is banishment             no "shadow cast by turning." What a blessed comfort
from the favor and fellowship of God. Death is to be            that affords the child of God who finds himself in
expelled from the paradise of communion with God.               divers temptations! His God is the Father of the lights,
And that death is experienced now by the sinner. He is          with Whom is no variation, neither shadow cast by
like the troubled sea; he finds no peace, no rest, no           turning. His God never changes! He is Jehovah, the I
lasting satisfaction or  ,happiness.  Rather, his life is       Am That I Am. The never-changing, always faithful
characterized by a frantic search for meaning and               God of His children.
comfort,`unrest, turmoil, discontent, anxiety,-and fear.          Blessed, then, is the man that endures temptations.
Death is the punishment of the sinner, his final                Blessed is he who does not say when he is tempted, "I
alienation from God. The process is complete: the               am tempted of God." Blessed is that man who
child of lust is sin, and the child of sin is death.            confesses his sin and goes to His heavenly Father, with
  "Do not err, my beloved brethren" (vs. 16). Do not            Whom is no variation or shadow cast by turning. From
be deceived or led astray or fooled, my beloved                 Him he receives the good and perfect gifts of salvation
brothers. This is the origin and the working out of sin         in Jesus Christ; the faith, the wisdom, the grace, the
and death. Do not say then, when you fall into sin, "I          hope, the love, the strength to endure. Blessed,
am tempted of God." Say rather, "God be merciful to             supremely blessed, is that man. "For when he is tried,
me, the sinner." Confess your sins, pray for grace to           he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath
resist temptations, fight the good fight. But, whatever         promised to them that love him."
you do, never say that your sin is the fault of God.              Endure, soldier of the cross. Find your strength in
That is a one-way street to hell. Lust is the cause of the Father of lights.
our being drawn away and enticed; and that lust
produces the sin, and the sin gives birth to death. Do
not err! Sin does not come from God.
  The inspired James expresses that positively in verse
17: "Every good gift  ;and every perfect gift is from
above, and  cometh down from  the father of lights,
with whom is  .no variableness, neither shadow of
turning." God gifts and perfect gifts come from God,
the Father of lights! Every good gift comes from Him.
Every gift which is beneficial to us, which serves to
prepare us for glory. Ina word, every saving gift comes
from God. And every perfect gift. That word "perfect"


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  207


The Strength of Youth

                   Divorce and Remaruiage (4)
                                                  Rev. J. Kortering

  .One of the beautiful Reformed principles for common and why marriages fail so often. Yet, we must
determining truth is sola Scrip tura, only the Scriptures.    also remind ourselves that in Christ, the original
This must be our guiding light as we now explore the purpose of marriage is restored. We believe that we are
Biblical principles concerning the duration of marriage,      covenant young people, ingrafted into Christ by a true
how to handle difficulties if they arise within marriage, and living faith. This reality enables us to approach
and what to do if a marriage breaks down. Is divorce a marriage, not from the point of view of sin, but
Scriptural option for the believer? And if so, is sanctification. We may study with such sanctified eyes
remarriage proper in any circumstances? We may not what God created and learn what God requires of us,
be guided by our emotions, even though they                   now that we are renewed in His image through
inevitably run very high in dealing with such a sensitive salvation in Jesus Christ. Looking back will help us get
subject. We may not be guided by what others are the proper perspective for marriage.
doing, as if majority opinion will determine for us             Our Lord taught this very clearly. In the context of
Christian conduct. With Luther, our "conscience is Matt.  19:1-g, which we will examine later, the
bound to the Word of God."                                    Pharisees came to Christ asking about divorce and even
   We propose to study Scriptural teaching on this divorce as "suffered by Moses." In answering this,
subject by following the historical order. We must Christ exhorted, "Moses because of the hardness of
examine somewhat, marriage as created, marriage and your hearts suffered you to put away your wives, but
divorce in the Old Testament times, Christ's teaching from the beginning it was not so," Matt.  19:8.
on marriage and divorce, and finally Paul's instruction       Reckoning that sin came between the  beg%ining and
given in his epistles. We shahsee that the Bible teaches the present, Christ insists that the principles of
from beginning to end that marriage is for the life of marriage, as created by God, take precedence over
both partners, that this marriage bond is never dissolved other seeming variances from them. Hence, Christ also
by. any action on the part of husband or wife, but only said, "Have ye not read that he which made them at
by death, and that true love seeks reconciliation in all the. beginning made them male and female and said,
things.                                                       For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and
MARRIAGE IN THE BEGINNING                                     shall cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one
   Divorce is the break-down of marriage. It is the flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one
result of sin as it affects  : marriage. We must be flesh. What God hath joined together, let not man put
reminded of this, else we may be influenced by the asunder," Matt. 19 :4-6.
frequency of it and develop a calloused or nonchalant           What principles of marriage can we learn from the
attitude toward it. If we are exposed to evil frequently original creation.
enough, we may even accept it as a way of life, and our `SIX PRINCIPLES
sensitivity to sin becomes `dull. As covenant young             The first one is that marriage is a divine institution.
people we must guard against this, also as it relates to      Adam and Eve did not discover marriage for
divorce. True, it is so common that it hardly shocks us       themselves. The origin of marriage is not in man; it is
anymore; yet that does not make it any less wicked.           in God. God created them for marriage, it was all part
We must preserve our spiritual balance and remind             of His perfect plan. If we believe in evolution, we lose
ourselves that divorce is the result of sin, and therefore    this: for then marriage is simply a refinement of the
to be abhorred. It is to be included in the "wages of         sex-drive of the animal, a social bond that, the
sin" which is death.                                          enlightened animal found necessary for a time, and that
   All of this is impressed upon our minds when we            possibly with the passing of time may be discarded if
examine the "first marriage" which was "from the              "enlightened" man thinks life will be better without it.
beginning." If we do this, we will see God's purpose          Emphatically, marriage is oft God, a divine calling that
for marriage, see that God has instituted marriage `for       we as covenant young people must view as being
His glory, and that therefore to live in the bond of within the will of God. Paul did not reject this in I Cor.
marriage requires of us obedience to God. To be sure,         7:7; he was speaking about the advantages of serving
sin has come between the original creation and the            God  ' if one has the gift of  continency. Yet he
present world. This explains ,for us why divorce is so        wholeheartedly acknowledges, "But every man hath


208                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



his proper gift of God, one after this manner and complemented each other perfectly. What the man
another-after that," I Cor. 7: 7.                              needed the woman could provide, and what the
   Secondly,  God  is the one who joins in marriage. woman needed the man could provide. God created
This is a principle from: the beginning. Here too, it isn't    them with a nature that would find fulfillment in
a question of who, happens to "fall in love." To be            marriage.
sure, God uses means of physical attraction,                     One other thing we should mention in this
personality, ability to love, etc. to bring two people         connection. By virtue of God's creation, the distinctive
together. Yet, God is the one who joins in marriage.           roles within marriage were also determined. God did
God created Adam for Eve, and Eve for Adam. After not create Eve  fast, something which cannot in any
their creation He brought Eve to Adam, Gen.  2:22.             way be harmonized with the error of evolution; God
God brought the marriage partners together within the created man first. This fact requires that man assume,
institution that He had ordained. The Marriage Form the position of responsible "head" of the wife and
in our Psalter emphasizes this, "Therefore, ye are not home, and the woman be helpmeet to him. These are
to doubt, but that the ,marriage state is pleasing to the      creation principles for all time, I Tim. 2: 13.
Lord, since he made unto Adam his wife, brought and              Fifth, God also determined through creation what
gave her himself to him to be his wife, witnessing             the purpose of marriage would be. In catechism we
thereby that he doth yet as with his hand bring unto learn that Adam's relationship was three-fold: before
every man his wife." God over-rules our romance and God he was covenant friend; before the creation he
sovereignly realizes each marriage. Hence, Christ said,        was servant-king; and as far as the human race was
"What  God  hath joined together, let not man put concerned he was both first father and representative
asunder," Matt. 19 : 6.                                        head. How then does marriage fit into this? With just a
   Thirdly, God joins  ,one husband and  one wife in           casual consideration, we will notice that it touches all
marriage. This was different for the animals: the sea three.
brought forth many birds; and the earth brought forth            How did marriage serve Adam's relationship of
many animals. There were many males and females of friend-servant before God? This way: Adam and Eve
each species, yet for man there was only one. This is a        possessed in their marriage a daily expression of the'
creation principle. God by virtue of His creative work,        covenant friendship which they had with their God.
intended and still intends, that marriage be the               This covenant friendship which they both enjoyed was
exclusive relationship of one husband and one wife. We         motivated by divine love. God loved Adam and Eve;
see this clearly "from the beginning." This is true both       and by creating them in His own image, He gave them
according to God's purpose: He willed this relationship        not only the capacity to receive divine love, but also to
to be carried out in this manner and He so created             express it both to God and to one another. This is the
man that the intimate relationship of love requires abiding principle for marriage rooted in creation;
this: "love is strong as death, jealousy is cruel as the       "marry in the Lord," I Cor.  7:39. Just as Adam and
grave," Song of Sol. S:6.                                      Eve could not reach fulfillment with one another
  Fourth, the exclusive relationship of marriage is            without God, no more can this be done today. Both
rooted  j.n  the  nature  of  man's creation.  After God Adam and Eve loved the Lord their Creator, and this
created Eve, He did not bring her to Adam and have to          love enabled them to reach out for one another in the
explain to Adam what marriage was all about. He                bond of a perfect marriage. Through this love-life,. they
didn't have to give Adam a course in marital                   enjoyed a visible and sensuous expression of God's love
counselling.  Adam's response is recorded in Gen. 2: 23, and friendship for them. This is what God intended
"And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and              through His creation and institution of marriage. This
flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because          purpose can only be realized today when young people
she was taken out of man." You sense the excitement?           love one another in the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is still true today.                                        The marriage of Adam and Eve also served Adam's
  Why was this? Two things have to be pointed out in           rule as king. How long this lasted we don't know; one
this connection. Adam and Eve were very much alike.            gets the impression that it  didn"t  last very long. Yet,
They were both created human beings. They both                 the purpose that God had in this conuection  was that
walked erect in the  : Garden of Eden. They both               Eve would be the  helpmeet  of Adam., This did not
possessed the gift of intelligence, reasoning, memory,         simply apply to Adam's personal needs; it had
intuition, etc.  ,Both had desires that they longed to         implication for His work. The principle is this: a wife
have fulfilled. Both were created able to love and to          assists her husband in everything, and she can make or
respond to love. This :could never have been true for          break a man in his  work.  By the loving bond of
any other animal in all the creation. Adam and Eve             husband and wife, a contented husband can work
were made for each other. Yet, they were different.            better. We sometimes refer to it this way, "Behind
Physically, psychologically, spiritually, they were male       every successful man is a great woman"; and there is a
and female, man and woman. Their differences                   lot of truth to that. Through the mutual bond of love


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                      209



 in marriage, a man is better able to serve God in His         mother and cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one.
daily calling. This was true for Adam, and all who             flesh," Gen.  2:24. Marriage is more durable than the
 would be "kings under God.."                                  sibling relationship, it is for life. Christ stressed this in    '
    Obviously marriage had much to do with the third           Matt. 19: l-9 when He emphasized that the original
 relationship, first father and representative head of the marriage ordinance takes precedence over any human
 human race. It was also God's purpose that through            changes, "What God hath joined together, let not man
 marriage the human race would be born. Marriage is put asunder. " This is a principle from the beginning
 the divine institution by which this is accomplished.         which may not be altered by man, no matter how the
 Today we add, more particularly, that it is through times may change. Man must bow before God's
 marriage that the covenant seed are brought forth, command and not think that God will accommodate
 Gen. 3:15.                                                    him in his sinful ways.
    Finally, the original creation sets forth the principle      These principles have bearing upon marriage for all
 of the duration of marriage, `as long as both husband ages. They also help us understand marriage and
 and wife live. This can be seen in the creation divorce as it was expressed in the Old Testament times
 ordinance, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and which we will consider next time, D.V.


 Studies in Election :

                             16. It's Proclamation (cont.)
                                                Rev. Robt. C. Harbach

   This truth is not a part of modern-day evangelism           into the desert. Consequently, the churches are
 and its methods. In the last two generations, the             becoming an ecumenical, one-world church with a
 revivalistic evangelists never referred to it, except,        membership of mere natural men. Preaching is not
 perhaps, to deal it a backhand slap. Modern mass              even of the devotional type. It comes with a pious,
 evangelism, mainly, preaches a humanistic religion,           religious veil and verbiage, which sounds very much
 based, as it is, on free will. Modern evangelists regard      like language familiar in Reformed circles, but it is all a
 those as naive and narrow who: think of their cause as a      conveyance to take us down the road to humanism in
 compromise.  J Their "co-operative" evangelism is no          the form of social democracy or "Christian" socialism.
 compromise. They can co-operate with Romanists,               Nothing of it is according to the historic, doctrinal
 Modernists, Jews, Unitarians, ecumenists, atheists and        standards of the church. It gets to the flattery of man,
 existentialists "without any compromise of my                 not the misery of man; the love of God, not the law of
 message. " That may be so, especially underscoring the        God. It is little above  "only-believeism" and
 word nzy. But what of the message? For the gospel is          "decisionism," and as much as the latter, if not more,
 so badly compromised and so ;poorly presented, if not         denies the mortal effects of the fall of man and his
 sorely misrepresented, that the present generation            total depravity. The latter proffers a weak and helpless
 hardly knows what it is. Years ago, the popular               Christ to a people never prepared to see their helpless
 evangelists thought the primary object of the calling of      impotence to come to any savior. The neo-orthodox
 the church was the salvation of souls. Everything had         have a  Christ whose kingdom is of this world,, and
 to conform to that man-centered end. But today                whose servants will fight, whose kingdom is from this
 converts from the Roman, Jewish, Christian Scientist          world and for this world.
 or Modernist circles are not instructed to follow Christ        Listen to Jesus as He preaches in the sy-nagogue of
 out of the false church into the true church, but to          Nazareth, or as He delivers His Bread of Life discourse,
 remain where they are as witnesses to Christ there. Not       or hear Paul, as in Romans Nine. Compare this to the
 to do this is taken to imply a great lack of faith in the     sensationalism of modern preaching. Rev. By-Ends
 Holy Spirit. Actually, it is anti-predestinarian and          always has one finger in the air, one ear to the ground,
 anti-Reformation, in that it ignores the leading of the       and one eye on the cat. This keeps him so posted that
 Spirit who directed the saints in the past to                 he never preaches anything that makes his hearers
 re-formation, according to the pattern of holy                uneasy in their sins. Such people, he believes, must not
 Scripture. It also by-passes the church with its              be driven from the churches, but must be catered to,
 indispensable, identifying mark, the pure preaching of        and given that which will inflate their ego, flatter their
,the Word of God, and drives the sheep out of the oasis _ flesh and tickle their ears.


210                                         THE STANDARD BEARER



  Men who advise, "preach Christ and never mind Romish argument against putting the Bible in the
theology," do not preach Him as God's Elect (Isa., hands of the people in their own language, and against
42:1) with whom God has made the covenant (Ps. putting the Word of God in the pulpit and in the study
89: 3). They preach an effeminate, sentimental, class. It sounds more plausible to argue that these
reactionary Christ, who never takes the initiative, who mysteries are the secret things which belong to the
is not found in Scripture, but only in their own Lord, and that therefore we are not to meddle with
imaginings. But the Christ of Holy Writ is Jehovah's them. But this truth, everywhere and plainly revealed
Elect Servant, the Lamb foreordained before the in Scripture, is, surely, no secret. It is, indeed, one of
foundation of the world (Rev.  13:8), the One set for the mysteries of the faith. But so are the doctrines of
the fall and rising again of many in Israel (Luke2:34), the trinity, the incarnation, the virgin birth, the
the Stone of stumbling and Rock of  offence (I Pet.        creation and the resurrection of the dead. It does, too,
2:8), as the crucified, risen and ascended Lord in have its origin in the secret counsel of God. But much
whom all His people died to sin, have been raised of that counsel is revealed in the gospel. Christ is "our
together with Him and made to sit together in the chief prophet and teacher, who has fully revealed to us
heavenly realm in Christ. They preach not Christ the secret counsel and will of God concerning our
according to the eternal counsel of God, but a redemption." (Heid. Cat., Q. 3 1). When it is objected
caricature of Him.    '                                    that election preaching kills missionary endeavor, then
  With doctrinal preaching so extremely unpopular, the patriarchs, prophets, apostles and the Lord Himself
there is a strong aversion to the doctrine of election.    were all useless servants of God, for they preached it
Sermons on election are not only not understood by continually and fully. When it is objected that the
the average church-goer, and way over his head, but are doctrine has the effect of driving to despair any who
often vehemently denounced and bitterly resented; attempt to grasp its teaching, we have a sophism which
Back in September 2, 1855, Charles H. Spurgeon said, could as warrantably be brought against the doctrine
". . . there seems to be an inveterate prejudice in the of regeneration, for it is no easier to determine
human mind against this doctrine, and although most whether truly born of God than to make personal
other doctrines will be received by professing             calling and election sure. These are some of the
Christians, some with  : caution, others with pleasure, difficulties encountered in the proclamation of this
yet this one seems to be most frequently disregarded glorious truth.
and discarded. In many of our pulpits, it would be           A further difficulty in the proclamation of this
reckoned a  high sin  and  treason  to preach a sermon truth, which its faithful teacher will encounter, is the
upon  election,  because they could not make it what insistence of some that it is of such a nature,
they call a `practical' discourse. I believe they have     emphasizing God's sovereignty as it does, that it tends
erred from the truth . . . There is nothing in Scripture to blind us to man's responsibility. They hide behind
which may not, under the influence of God's Spirit, be the former as a cover to excuse themselves from the
turned into a. practical discourse; and free-grace latter. They excuse their sin by hiding behind "total
practice is the best practice. . .  ."  (`Semzons  on      depravity." They excuse their total depravity by hiding
Sovereignty,  Election, p. 51, underscoring, CHS). This behind God's sovereign ordination of sin. ("Out of the
is the way it was over a hundred years ago. It is much mouth of the Most High proceedeth not evil and
more extreme today. In many Reformed and                   good?"- Lam.  3:38). Their contention is that it
Calvinistic churches, where Predestination is found in makes no difference whether men live in carelessness,
the doctrinal standards, the bare mention of this idleness, wantonness or lawlessness, for if they are
heart-line of the gospel makes `many see red. Ministers reprobates, they will go to hell, anyway; and if they
who still preach it are leither regarded as disturbers of are elect, they may live as they please, enjoy sin to the
the peace (bulls in a China shopBg or untactful menaces full, and still be converted to walk in righteousness and
long out of touch with reality. Self-righteous salvation. To this we answer, -first, that such reasoning
hypocrites still think they have every right to the pew is not that of a Christian. The elect would still prefer a
while they deny this truth to the pulpit. Faithful men life holy and without blame, even if it could be proved
contending for this truth are few.                         to them "there is no God." In the second place, this is
  So deeply embedded is this doctrine that to subtract childish thinking. What truth is there that corrupt men
         cripture would mean to tear and destroy the will not pervert? Recently, some hold-up men robbed
fabric and organism of Scripture, root and branch, to an entire church while at worship. They took the
cut out the very heart of the gospel from the bosom of contents of the offering plates and of individual wallets
the church.  haore than once we have heard this truth and pocket-books. With the congregation held at
denied by Arminians in coast-to-coast radio broadcasts. gun-point, the minister childishly called out to the
Also it has been contended, that even if it has biblical bandits, "God loves you !" One of them, collecting the
support, it ought not to be preached, since it only loot, answered, "I hope so!" Men will easily go on
creates division and  schis.m. This is much like the       living in sin, on the assumption that God loves all men.


                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER                                                         211



The truth is, God is love. Error comes in when men rejected the counsel of God against themselves;
assume that that is all He is! So it is rather strange, yet _ For those who have within them the  fnstfruits  of
Arminian, to contend that the doctrine of election the Spirit, who have been. already delivered from the
either does, or has the tendency to, make men careless wrath of God, and who long for the perfection of their
and profane. For the doctrine itself, as it stands pure d  li
                                                                   e verance in the day of Christ, - the waiting for the
and uncorrupted in Scripture, teaches  that the elect Son of God, even Jesus, can bring them only fullness
were chosen before the creation of the universe in of joy, and everlasting bliss.
order that they might be holy and blameless before
God (Eph.  1:4). While any continue in a life of                    This is what the saints at Thessalonica expected, and
ungodliness, they may conclude, not that God loves longed for; that. they might see Jesus, in Whom. is
them, for the w&h of God abides on them, but only                 bound up all their glory.
that they are in the way the end of which is the way of             And this is also your and my expectation, children
death.                                                            of our Father Which is in heaven!
  Bad men will not only use the counsel of God as a                 You and I who know we have already been delivered
cover for their indolence and perversity, but, when it            from the wrath to come, because the Son of God, even
suits them, they will also object to it in the most               Jesus, bore for us that awful wrath, so as to remove it
hateful spirit. It was said of all the elder sons of Jesse,       from us forever. You and I who believe the Word of
"neither hath the Lord chtosen these" (I Sam. 16: lo),            God's Son, even Jesus, Who told us in no uncertain
which was, finally, too much for the eldest, whose                terms that as He left us so He would return to take us
"anger was kindled against David" (17: 28). When Jesus unto  Himseh? You and I who, therefore, walk in the
preached that God made sovereign choice of Gentile                midst of the world, not as children of darkness, but as
widow in preference to the \ividowsl of Israel, and of a          the children of light, who also fight the good warfare
Syrian leper in preference to the lepers in Israel, the           of faith daily, joyfully bearing His cross, but always
people in the synagofle of Nazareth were so incensed              following after Him, we wait, always expecting, never
that they attempted to do away with Him (Luke                     growing weary, but in patience trusting that God's
4:25-29). When Jesus taught that all given to Him in Son, even Jesus, shall come from heaven, - we wait,
the decree of God shall come to Him (John 6:37), and              and shall never be brought to shhame.
that no man can come to Hi+ except the Father draw                  No, never idly waiting!
him  (6:44), many of His former adherents went back                 But waiting in hope that always is characterized by a
and walked no more with  m. They either wrested                   godly, sanctified walk!
the Scriptures to their own destruction, or they                    Such is the beautiful testimony of all God's saints!


AZ1 Around Us

                      Mocbrn Views Of  Marrizge
                                                           Pro& H. Hanko

  In many different ways and from many different                       themselves are dependable. The relationship between
sources, the home is under attack today. A concerted                  husband and wife, and in different ways between
and devilish effort is being made to destroy utterly this              parents and child, is being looked at. critically by
fundamental institution of society which was ordained                  people who are aware that neither the law nor any
by God at the very dawn of history. Included in the                    other institution of society has, in reality, the power
quote below is a modern sociologist's views on the                     to compel within the home behavior that people do
need for radical change in family life. It gives some                  not believe in.
                                                                            For couples who do not intend to engage in
idea as to the thinking of all too many people in this                 parenthood, and therefore have a right to exercise
country. We are indebted  to Christian News  for the                   their own freedom as private persons, we can expect
quote.                                                                 that today's `yes-or-no marriage choice will be
          It is marriage that has been changing profoundly in          replaced by a much more individualized freedom of
    recent decades, not just what married people do.                   contract, in which couples will enter that kind of
    There is now perhaps a universal awareness that the                marriage which suits them. This could be done either
    basic rules of the family game are being challenged,               by offering different kinds of marriage from which
    rather than individuals cheating in terms of rules that            each couple will select one ,(at a time); to which they


212                                                      THE STANDAd  BEARER


       are then bound, or by engaging the services of a                    same obligations that any marriage entails, such as
       marrying counselor (likely a lawyer) who would assist               formally registering the terms of the agreement
       couples in drawing up their own internally consistent               among the members; any significant change in the
       contracts.                                                          arrangements among members of such a familial
                                                                           commune will have to be recorded in the appropriate
           Neither monogamy nor indefinite permanence are                  public place in the same way as marriages and divorces
        important in this: respect, so they will not be                    which involve only one husband and one wife.
        required. However,' the agreed-upon choice will be
        explicit and recorded so there's no question of                      There will be great freedom with regard to the
        deception or misunderstanding, as well as to provide             number of people in the commune, but internal
        statistical information, and official registration of this        consistency concerning the give-and-take among the
        choice is an element of marriage which will remain a              members, their privileges and obligations, will be
        matter of public concern.                                         required. The- functional, pragmatic ethic emerging in
                                                                          today's youth culture will be strictly adhered to,
           Explicit choice of the kind of marriage one enters             some years hence, not as moral absolutes, not because
        int 0 is, of course, an effect not only of the                    people have come to the belief that these represent
        emancipation of women, but of men as well. What                   the true right and wrong, but in order to prevent
        will some of the major options be? With the insurance             serious conflict.
        functions that were formerly secured by having
        children (who would provide during one's old age)                    The great misery of many families today makes it
        being completely taken over by the government                     evident enough that radical change is needed. The law
        (assisted by unions; pension funds and the like), there           will have to catch up with most of society - educated
        will be little reason to warn those who choose                    youth, the affluent classes, liberated women, and the
        childlessness against this course.                                culture of poverty. All these are starting to
                                                                          experience new family norms of which the law gives
          With celibacy. no bar to sexual satisfaction                    no hint.
       (because of the acceptance of nomriarital  sex with
       contraceptions), society will accept the idea that               There is a lot of food for thought in the above essay.
       some segments of the population can obtain whatever            What strikes one especially is the calm assurance that
       intimate satisfactions they require in a series of             these things  are indeed in store for us in the future.
       casual, short-term `affairs' (as we call them today),          They are not the wild-eyed dreams of a radical. They
       and will never enter any publicly registered marriage.         are not the far-out speculations of one mildly mad.
           Another not-unfamiliar option in this regard will          They are the calm reasonings of one who sees that
        be the renewable `trial marriage, in which people             these very things are already happening. The big
        explicitly contract for a childless union which is to be      question for the author is: when will what is already
       comprehensively evaluated after three years or five            common among us in our society be made legal? Nor
       years, at which point either a completely new                  will it do to answer this with an emphatic: Never. It is
        decision can be reached or the same arrangement can           too clear that society most  generally follows this same
       be renewed for another term of three or five years.            pattern. Gambling, long illegal, is practiced anyway. So
          This would not be, then, a question of divorce; it          the solution is to make it legal. Abortion is contrary to
       is simply a matter of a definite arrangement having            the law; but there are innumerable abortions being
       expired. The contract having been for a limited term,          performed every day. So . . . make it legal. There is
       both parties are perfectly free to decide not to renew         little reason to doubt then that some such thing will
       it when that term is over. This would be a normal,             also happen in the institution of marriage.
       perhaps minor, part of one's `marital career.'                   It is also beyond doubt that these current practices
          A third option, which introduces very few                   influence the people of God. I think it is not so much
       complications is the' permanent childless marriage; the        that any child of God would-ever give any thought to
       arrangements between the two adults are of indefinite          the whole principle presented above or to the options
       duration, but they have agreed in advance that there           to marriage suggested there; the danger is more subtle..
       will be no off-spring, and of course, there is no              It is a kind of evil influence which creeps into
       question but that medical technology will make it              marriages which are made in the Lord. There are the.
       possible for them to live up to that part of the               ideas, for exainple, that sex is the be-all and end-all of
       arrangement. Some will choose sterilization, others            life in general, and of the marriage state in particular.
       will use contraceptive methods which can be
       abandoned if one changes his mind and is authorized            There is the whole notion that one of the chief
                                                                      purposes of marriage is not the bringing forth of
       to procreate.                                                  children. There is the silly idea that a marriage which is
          Compound marriages will also be allowed, whether            successful and happy just happens; romantic love is
       they be polygamous, polyandrous or group marriages.            sufficient to hold it together and make it blissful. And
       However, these communes will not be free of the                if romantic love does- not do the job,  well, then the


                                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                                      213



 marriage was a mistake to begin with. If any of these                        and young people, what Scripture has to say about the
 ideas or others creep into our thinking, the result will                     marriage bond. This is increasingly a solemn obligation.
  be indeed unhappy marriages not only, but marriages                         Only then will we all be tied so tightly to Scripture and
  which no longer are pictures' here upon this troubled                       its only rule of faith and life that all the corruptions of
  earth of the relation between Christ and His elect                          the world will not be able to tug us away from our
      bride, the Church. Here is where the danger lies.                       only immoveable rock and from the only way to
        And this  .requires of us that we set forth very                      happiness and peace. God's Word is still the only lamp
 succinctly in the Church and home, to our children                           to our feet and light upon our path - also in marriage.




                          Creationism. In California's Schods

        We have discussed before in these columns. the                        unscientific, is, in fact, religion. And therefore, the
 controversy which is presently going on in California                        adoption of any form of creationism in the schools will
 over the question of whether creationism is to be                            violate the separation between church and school
 taught in the public school system. You will recall                          required by the Constitution. They are wrong on all
  that, chiefly through the efforts of the Creation                           counts. They are wrong when they say that
  Research Society, the State school authorities were                         evolutionism is scientifically proved; for it is not. They
  considering a plan to order the schools to teach                            are wrong when they say evolutionism is science and
 creationism along with evolutionism as being a possible                      not religion. Evolutionism is religion too, though a
 explanation for the origin of the world and the                              very evil and God-denying religion. When it is taught in
 universe. This whole question stirred up a storm of                          public schools, religion is being taught. This is so
  controversy - as one can well imagine.                                      manifestly obvious, only a fool cannot see it.
        The Curriculum Commission, after an open hearing                         On the other hand, I cannot be in complete
 on the debate, decided to follow this policy. That is,                       sympathy with the position of the creationists either.
 `they decided to recommend this policy to the State                          They want creationism to be presented in the public
 School Board.                                                                schools along with evolutionism as a "viable`~option."
        Recently the School Board considered the matter. It                   They do this on the grounds that there  is-as much  -
 w a s   h o p e d   t h a t   t h e   B o a r d   w o u l d   m e r e l y    scientific support for creationism as there is for
  `"rubber-stamp" the recommendations of the                                  evolutionism. They too are wrong. It is wrong to
 Curriculum Commission;  ,but this is not what                                present creationism and evolutionism as viable options.
, happened. While the Board's  ,decision is not entirely                      It is wrong to say (or even to suggest) that we accept
 clear, and while it still remains to be seen precisely                       creationism on the basis of scientific evidence. This is
 how the Board will carry out its decision, apparently                        wrong because the whole question is not one of
 the Board decided only to revise the textbooks in such                       "eviclence," of scientific fact, ofproof for either in the
                                 7-- -.
 a way that, while evolutromsm will stirbe taught and                         creation. The whole question is not an intellectual
 creationism excluded, nevertheless evolutionism will be                      question, but a question which is spiritual in character.
 taught as a theory rather than as a scientifically proved                    It is a question which arises in the arena of faith vs.
  explanation of origins. In other words, evolutionism'. unbelief. We do not believe creationism because there
1 will be presented as a possible explanation, not yet                        is scientific proof for it. We believe creationism
proved, but one held by the majority of scientists.                           because this is the teaching of the Word of God. And on
 I                                                                            that basis we are confident that there is not a shred of
        Evolutionists are not at all satisfied with this and are              scientific evidence which will refute what Scripture
 pressing for the old position. Nor are creationists                          says, - if science is true science and if all the facts are
  satisfied, though they see the decision as a -partial                       clearly known. And therefore, man has  really no
 v&tory.                                                                      choice in the matter. He must not be permitted to
        The whole question is complex. On the one hand,                       think he has a choice. He must believe the Scriptures.
 evolutionists argue that the decision of the Board is                        If he believes he will be saved. If he will not believe the
 wrong because evolutionism is scientifically verifiable                      Scriptures, he, is damned. For Faith in the Scriptures is
  or at least the only satisfactory explanation of                            faith in Christ. Unbelief in the Scriptures is rejection of
1 scientific, facts. They claim that creationism is  ,, Christ. The issue is and always must be spiritual.


214                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



Book Reviews


                      Studies In  ihe Book Of Daniel,  Vols. I, II

Studies In The Book Of Daniel, Vols. I, II, by Robert        against its critics. In the second volume Dr. Wilson
Dick Wilson (Baker, 11972, 688 pp., $9.95). Reviewed         continues his defense of the book of Daniel, this time
by Prof. H. C. Hoeksema.                                     dealing forthrightly with the relationship of Daniel to
                                                             the canon of the Old Testament, discussing the
  This is a very worthwhile volume in a series of            apocalypses and date of Daniel, and then scientifically
publications which, on the whole, already contains           measuring the influence, background, and prophecies
several  works- worthy of preservation through               of Daniel."
reprinting, works which deserve a place in the libraries       The value of the book, in this reviewer's opinion,
of preachers and theologians. I refer to Baker's             does not lie in the fact that it meets and answers the
"Limited Editions Library."                                  allegations of the critics. There are many works by
  Dr. Robert Dick Wilson was Professor of Semitic            orthodox scholars which attempt to do this. And while
Languages and Old Testament Criticism at Princeton           we do not question their loyalty to the Scriptures and
Theological Seminary in "the good old days" of the success of many of their arguments, we have but
Princeton. He has .a place among the giants of               little esteem for work of this kind. For one thing, the
Princeton. As is stated on the dust jacket of this           critics are not convinced by these arguments. For
volume, "His writings, the result of painstaking             another, the child of God, whose acceptance of the
investigations, reflect `his firm belief that the whole      Scriptures is an a priori of faith, has no basic need of
Bibie is the Word of God and therefore entirely              these defenses. And besides, this entire method and
t r u s t w o r t h y . "                                    practice of apologetics is not without its pitfalls.
  This work, which is actually two volumes in one,             Why, then, do we nevertheless recommend this
belongs in the field of Old Testament Isagogics, or          volume? In our opinion, the value of the book lies
Introduction. And, like so many works in this field, it      chiefly in the many worthwhile. studies and
is apologetic; that is, it is a defense of the Book of       observations of a positive nature which the book
Daniel over against the higher critics, an attempt to        contains. For in answering the allegations of the critics,
meet, to answer, and to destroy their arguments              the author engages necessarily in many such studies. As
against the authenticity and the accuracy of the Book        an illustration of what I mean, I refer the reader to the
of Daniel. An accurate summary of the nature of these        several chapters in Volume I on the question of the
two reprinted volumes is found on the dust jacket: "In       identity of Darius the Mede. Anyone making a
his first book he tackles incisively some of the             thorough study of the Book of Daniel should by all
questions raised regarding the historical statements in      means take into account the studies and the help
the Book of Daniel. Each of the eighteen chapters in         proffered in this excellent book. The reader should
his first book deals with a separate allegation, and with    perhaps be warned that this is not a book to relax
characteristic thoroughness he defends the book
                             .                               with; one must expect to put on his "thinking cap."



                                    A New Breed Of Clergy

A NEW BREED OF CLERGY,  by Charles Prestwood; seminary, or who `have entered the ministry. as
Eerdmans, Grand Rapids,  Mich. (108 pp., $1.95, preachers and pastors, but who are not in the pulpit,
paper) [Reviewed by Prof. H. C. Hoeksema]                    but have found positions in the ecclesiastical
  This book is written by a Methodist preacher who bureaucracy, or in social service, or with educational
became deeply involved in the civil rights movement, institutions.
who is at present teaching sociology, and who still            But the author has neither the correct insight into
considers himself a Methodist preacher. The book is the problem nor the correct solution.
supposed to deal with the problem of a "new breed of           The reading value of this book is, in this reviewer's
clergy," that is, men who have graduated from opinion, strictly negative.


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                               ,215



IBook  Reviews  -  cont.


                         The. Church And The Ecological Crisis.

 THE CHURCH AND THI? ECOLOGICAL CRISIS, by                 scripture interesting reading, the writer falls short at
 H. Bamette; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1972; key points. He accepts evolutionism which, quite
 114 pp., $2.25 (paper). [reviewed by Prof. H. Hanko]      obviously, is going to color his discussion of the
   With everybody talking about ecology these days, it problem. He strongly favors population control - even
 is not surprising that the religious press should also    by. law if necessary. He pleads for a theology of
 take up the issue and make an effort to put the whole ecology and falls into the trap of pleading for a
 matter into Scriptural perspective. This could reworking of all theology to take into account
 conceivably be a welcome thing.                           ecological problems. If theologians would rework their
   We have in this book an  j attempt to  define the theology to take into account every passing fad  - as
 ecological problems troubling our planet in the light of many do nowadays  - there would be no end to the
 Scripture. While it is in matters of ecology and          changes of theology.



                Commentaar Op Het  Oude. Testament-Maleachi

 COMMENTAAR OP HET OUDE TESTAMENT  -                       say about the passage in Malachi 1:2-5. Especially the
MALEACHI,   by Prof. Dr. P. A. Verhoef; J. H. Kok          well-known words concerning God's love of Jacob and
N.V., Kampen, The Netherlands. (278 pp., f 37, 50)         `His hatred of Esau are the object of my inquiry. My
 [Reviewed by Prof. H.C. Hoeksema]                         judgment is that this commentary does not measure
   This is another in a projected series of Old            up. This is evident when the author writes:  "Tech is
 Testament commentaries  be,mg published by the            het ook duidelijk dat de tegenstelling tussen de haat en
 well-known firm of J.H. Kok. The series is under the      de liefde van God niet iden tielc is met verkiezing tot
 editorship of Prof. Dr. W.H. Gispen and Prof. Dr. Nit.    het eeuwige leven en verwerping tot eeuwige
H: Ridderbos.  On the whole, this entireOld  Testament     rampzaligheid.  "
series (for those who can handle the language) is worth      Nevertheless, there is much helpful exposition .and
adding to one's library. This particular volume is         also reference material-in this commentary. Perhaps it
 written by a South African professor, from the            should be added, too, that this commentary will be
Theological School at Stellenbosch.                        useful only to those who can read Hebrew; the author
   In checking the reliability  iof a commentary on        works with the original throughout.
Malachi, I always turn first to: what the writer has to       Recommended, provided it is used with discretion.





           RESOLUTION OFJTYWATHY                             Classis West of the Protestant Reformed Churches
   The Young Peopie's Society of Hope Protestant will meet in South Holland, Illinois on March 7, the
 Reformed Church of Grand Rapids expresses sincere Lord willing. Classis convenes at 8:30 AM. Material for
 sympathy to the William Kamps family in the death of the Agenda must be .in the hands .of the Stated Clerk
their son and brother                                      thirty days before Classis convenes. Delegates in need
               WILLIAM KAMPS, JR.                          of lodging should notify South Holland's clerk of their
   "I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even need.
from good: and my sorrow was stirred." (Psalm 39:2).
                           Rev. R. Van Overloop, Pres.                                       Rev. David Engelsma,
                                    Kathy Koole, Sec"y.                                               Stated Clerk


 TtiE STANDARD BEARER
           P.O. Box 6064
Grand Rapids, Michigan 46506


2 1 6 .                                        THE STANDARD BEARER
                     .-                                                                     _
                            .News  From  Our Churches
Classis  Report                                               The reports of the Stated Clerk and the Classical
   In the little remaining space . . . two short items, Committee were given.
gleaned from bulletins::                                         Several elections were held. Delegates ad examina
   Two of our congregations, apparently, are planning selected were  primus delegate Rev. C. Hanko and
building projects. Hope Church in Grand Rapids has secundi delegates Rev.  M. Schipper (three-year term)
announced its intention to sell the, present parsonage, and. Rev. R. C. Harbach (two-year term).  Synodical
with a view to building a new one. And the December delegates were chosen as follows:
24 bulletin from Randolph indicated that, at a recent                              .MlNlSTERS
congregational meeting, "the proposed plan for the                Primi                          Secundi
new church building was accepted."                                `C. Hanko                      R.C. Harbach
1 And, from a Grand Rapids First Church bulletin,                 J.A. Heys                      G. Lubbers
this : "An interesting bit of news comes from our                 G. Van Baren                   M. Schipper
Radio Committee. It reads as follows: `The printed                H. Veldman                     R. Van Overloop
copies of our Radio Sermons are mailed to many                                      ELDERS
people throughout the entire world. But you can                   Primi                          Secundi
imagine the surprise of the committee when a request              J.M. Faber                     D. Dykstra
was received recently for printed copies to be sent to a          J. Huisken                     D. Kooienga
crewman aboard the U.S.S. Ticonderoga on the Pacific              J.B. Lubbers                   H. Meulenberg
Ocean! Needless to say, the copies  .plus other Prot.             G .   P i p e                  H. Vander Vennen
Ref. literature was sent to the seaman aboard that
aircraft carrier. Amazing indeed are the ways of our             Because of Rev. Heys' absence from his
Lord to broadcast the truth of His Word!" "          D.D, congregation for five months to co-labor with Rev.
                                                              Lubbers in Jamaica, Holland requested classical
REPORT OF CLASSIS EAST                                        appointments from January  14-May 27. This request
January 3, 19 ?`3                                             was granted and the following schedule adopted:
Hope,  Pro t. Re$ Church                                      January 14 - G. Van Baren; January 28 - M. Schipper;
  Classis East met in regular session on January 3,           February 4  - R. Van Overloop; February 25  - C.
1973 in our Hope Church. Rev. Harbach Red in opening          Hanko; March 11 - H. Veldman; March 18  - R. C.
devotions and Rev. Schipper was the chairman of this          Harbach; April 1 - M. S&ripper; April 15 - H. Veldman;
session. Each church was represented by two delegates.        April 29 - R. Van Overloop; May 6 - G. Van Baren; May
Professors Hanko and>Hoeksema  were given advisory            20 - C. Hanko; May 27 - R. C. Harbach.
vote.                                                            Subsidy requests were due at this session.
  There was, of course, the normal, routine business          Kalamazoo's request for $4300 was approved and will
of the classis but there appeared on the agenda an item       be forwarded to synod. Holland announced that she
of business which has not been on a Classis East agenda       would not be requesting subsidy but would strive to be
for years: sixteen brethren, feeling a need to relieve the    a self-supporting church.  Classis received this
overcrowded conditions of our Hope and Hudsonville            information with thanks and will forward this to synod
congregations and, more importantly, feeling a need to        as well.
establish a Protestant Reformed witness in a new area,.         Classis met in closed session to treat one item of
petitioned classis to organize a new congregation in the      business. The matter raised -has been placed in the
Grandville-Jenison,area. This request was received with hands of a committee.
enthusiasm by the  classis and was considered to be a           The chairman, on behalf of the  classis, wished
mark of God's favor toward us as churches. Not since          Godspeed to Rev. Heys and his wife as they were to
the organization of Isabel and Forbes in the early `6q's      leave soon for Jamaica. The churches were urged to
has a new  c,ongregation been organized in `our remember our Jamaican missionaries and their wives in
denomination.  Classis unanimously approved this              their prayers and correspondence.
request and placed the responsibility for  org@zmg              Classis stands adjourned until April' 4, 1973, which
this congregation in the handsof the Hope consistory,' `session will be held in our Southeast Church. Rev.
  The normal business of a January session was also           Veldman closed the meeting with a prayer of
conducted. The Finance Committee, Elders W. Clason thanksgiving.
and J. Kalsbeek, Sr., reported expenses of $56.12.                                          Respectfully submitted,
Elder J. Boone relayed the appreciation of the classis                                                      John Huisken
for the catering service of the ladies of Hope Church.                                                       Stated Clerk


