                                        he



                                              earer

     A   R E F 'O R M E D   S E M I - M O N T H L Y   MAGA%INE



     In This Issue

               Editorials:
                              Confronted By The Same Issues
                              The P.R.C. and the R.E.S.

               Meditation:
~
                              Th S
                                e piritually Adorned Wife

               All Around Us:
                              The Christian and Movies


               The Strength of Youth:
                              Children, The Heritage of the Lord


                                                 Volume XL VII / Number I1 / March 1, I9 72


242                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER



                            CONTENTS:                                                              THE STANDARD BEARER
                                                                                Semi-monthly, except monthly during June, July and August.

Editorials -                                                                    Published by the Reformed Free Publishing Association, Inc.
                                                                                      Second Class Postage Paid at Grand Rapids, Mich.
  Confronted By The Same Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . .243 Editor-in-Chief: Prof.  H. C. Hoeksema
  The P.R.C. and the R.E.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . .245          Department Editors:  Mr. John M.  Faber.Rev.  Cornelius Hanko,Prof.
                                                                          Herman  Hanko.  Rev. Robert C. Harbach, Rev. John A. Heys, Rev. Jay
                                                                          Kortering, Rev. George C. Lubbers, Rev. Marinus  Schipper,  Rev.  Gise J.
All Around Us -                                                           Van  Baren. Rev. Herman Veldman, Rev. Bernard Woudenberg
   The Christian And Movies &. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247         Editorial Office:  Prof. H. C. Hoeksema
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                                                   Editor's Notes

   OF SPECIAL INTEREST to those of our readers every respect, I nevertheless think they are helpful in
who can read Dutch and who are interested in events obtaining a picture of the situation in the Netherlands.
in the Dutch churches is this announcement. We have As a special service to our readers, we have obtained a
received a limited supply of two brochures by Dr. Ph. limited supply of these brochures. They can be
J. Huijser which deal with the situation in the obtained for $1 .OO each, postpaid. If you are
N e t h e r l a n d s .   T h e   f i r s t   i s   e n t i t l e d :   H e t interested, write to the Business Office: The Standard
Verwordingsproces in de Gereformeerde Kerken: I, De Bearer, Box 6064, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506.
R e g e r e n d e   Klasse.  T h e   s e c o n d   i s :   H e t Enclose $2.00.
Verwordingsproces in de Gereformeerde Kerken: II,                                                          *****
De Invloed van de Tijdgeest. The first I reviewed well                        SORRY! There is no room for Question Box in this
over a year ago. The second I will review in the near issue. I have some questions on hand, and will answer
future. While I do not agree with these booklets in as soon as possible. Please have patience.


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                               243



Editorials

                              Confronted By The Same issues

                                             ProJ H. C. Hoeksema

   In the February 15 issue I suggested that the have a way of returning to confront and to plague
Reformed Churches of New Zealand might soon be those who try to avoid them and who attempt to
confronted by the same issues which they refused to compromise and gloss things over. And this can, of
face forthrightly at their last Synod.  And'1 also course, prove to be embarrassing: for how can one
promised to produce evidence of this.                     condemn in one person what he refuses to condemn in
   The reader will probably recall that the Theological another person? Or there is another possibility, which
College at Geelong, Australia, while not an only too often proves to be reality: once a church has
ecclesiastically controlled school, is nevertheless refused to exercise doctrinal discipline, it rapidly
supported in part by the Reformed Churches of New becomes easier to follow the path of least resistance,
Zealand as well as the Reformed Churches in Australia. the path of temptation, and to let down the bars again
It is also this Theological College which serves as the and again.
training school for future ministers in these                The latter is a lesson for any communion of
denominations. It was at this College that Dr. K. churches, including our Protestant Reformed
Runia, whose doctrinal views came under attack in Churches. It requires constant watchfulness to keep
New Zealand, taught. Dr. Runia, as we informed you, out the lie and teachers of heresy!
has now gone to the Theological School of the                But what is the evidence in this case?
Gereformeerde Kerken in the Netherlands at Kampen.           Through the courtesy of one of our readers who has
And he went, as we have seen, with a clean bill of been following our writings on the New Zealand
health as far as the New Zealand churches were matters and who also knew that Dr. S. Woudstra was
concerned. The Theological College at Geelong, scheduled to depart in February for Geelong, I
however, also lost another professor, Dr. G. van received a complete cassette recording of a sermon on
Groningen, who has returned to the Christian Ecclesiastes  7:16, 17 which was preached by Dr.
Reformed Church in this country, and who is now, I Woudstra on December 26, 1971 at the Christian
understand, at Dort College. The replacement for Dr. Reformed Church of Borculo, Michigan. This .reader
van Groningen as Old Testament professor is Dr. Sierd was immediately aware, upon having heard this
Woudstra, also of the Christian Reformed Church and sermon, that Dr. Woudstra had made various
most recently connected with Calvin Seminary.             statements in the course of this sermon which ought to
  It is in connection with some expressed views of Dr. be of concern in New Zealand, and, I may add, in
Woudstra that I wrote in my February 15 editorial that Australia also.
the Reformed Churches of New Zealand would soon              Now it is not  my. purpose to criticize the entire
be confronted by the same issues on which they sermon, although, frankly, I am of the opinion there is
refused to exercise doctrinal discipline, as requested, at much to be criticized. But I am interested only in the
their 1971 Synod. In fact, this article will serve to call matters of direct concern in the case we have been
these matters to the attention  of. our New Zealand discussing. Nevertheless, I took the trouble, for the
readers and to bring these items to the attention of at sake of accuracy, to transcribe the entire sermon and
least some in the churches there. I do not know what then to have the typewritten copy compared by others
the reaction may be. Judging in the light of past with the recording and checked for accuracy,.
performance, I do not expect much. But this I do             The text referred to reads as follows in the King
know, in the first place: the  Reformed Churches of James Version: "Be not righteous over much; neither
New Zealand will now be put to the test as far as the make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy
genuineness of some of their decisions of a positive thyself? Be not over much wicked, neither be thou
nature is concerned. For I will  ,show that Dr. foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?"
Woudstra's expressed views and those of the Synod are        The announced theme of the sermon was: "Don't
not in harmony. And this I know, too, in the second overdo your righteousness; don't overdo your
place: here we have an illustration of the fact that it wickedness." To this was added: "Perhaps I may also
simply will not do for a church to refuse to face issues put it this way: don't.be too conservative; don't be too
and to maintain doct.rinal discipline. Issues just do not liberal."
go away when one refuses to face them. In fact, they         How the latter is derived from this text is a puzzle


244                                                        THE STANDARD BEARER



to me. But perhaps it was this not-too-conservative, teachings, the Synod of the Reformed Churches of
not-too-liberal thought which led the preacher to make New Zealand passed a motion which, on the surface at
the following amazing application:                                   least, appears to be rather precise. It reads as follows,
          And another example. It's also a very practical            Article 43:
       example. And I think especially at the moment it's                   It was moved, seconded and adopted that:
       very pertinent in the Christian Reformed Church,                     "The Reformed Churches of New Zealand hereby
       too. As a church, of course, we have to hold on to the            unanimously  reaffitm, IN SPITE OF CERTAIN
       truth of God's Word. We have to be faithful to God's              ALLEGATIONS, that they maintain the Doctrine of
       Word, to what God's Word says. But also in this                   The Infallible Scripture as summarised in the
       respect one can be too righteous. One can make                    Confessional Standards. This includes:
       himself too wise. And you know when this happens?                 a. That we maintain the h&tori&y  of the details AS
       This happens when the church does not leave enough                   THEY ARE. RECORDED IN GENESIS 1-3, e.g.
       room for people who think just a little bit different                Creation, Adam and Eve as the `first created man
       than, let's say, you and I or someone else does.                     and woman, the Fall through disobedience, and
         And you know, in the Christian Reformed Church                     the subsequent Promise of Divine Redemption in
       too, we do face problems. Doctrinal questions, too.                  Christ.
       But in all candor, I would ask you this question: do              b. Furthermore we maintain that the WHOLE
       you really know what the correct. interpretation of                  TEACHING of the Canons of Dort (including
       the first eleven chapters of Genesis is? I don't. Do                 Divine Election and Reprobation) IS in complete
       you really know the greatness of the love of God?                    agreement with the Infallible Word of God.
       Oh, we may argue about this for years. But do we                  Consequently we require ANYONE who speaks or
       really know the answer? And again, we must admit                  writes, teaches, preaches, or counsels on behalf of
       we don't. Do we realIy know precisely what it means               these Churches to do so in accqrdance with this
       that the Word of God is infallible? It is infallible. But         statement."
       do we realIy know precisely what it means? No, we               Now it must be remembered that the above
       don't. Don't let's make ourselves too righteous, as if        statement is not entirely true. For the fact of the
       we know it all, and exclude everyone else.                    matter is that they did  not  require of Dr. Runia to
  There you have it!                                                 teach in their behalf in accordance with this statement.
  The reference in the above quotation is, of course, In fact, they refused to require it of him.
to three issues  in the Christian Reformed Church in                   Well, now they face the same issue with respect to
recent years: the infallibility question, at issue some Dr. Woudstra. Though he is not under the ecclesiastical
ten years ago and still at stake in "Report 36"; the jurisdiction of the New Zealand churches, nevertheless
interpretation of the first part of Genesis (also at stake at Geelong he will be teaching "on behalf of these
in "Report 36"); and the question of the love of God                 Churches." He says: I don't know what it means that
and the atonement (at bottom, by the way, a question                 Scripture is infallible. They say: we "maintain the
of election'and reprobation), at issue in the now Doctrine of The Infallible Scripture as summarized in
almost forgotten Dekker Case.                                        the  Confessional Standards." He says: I don't know
  Now apart from anything else, one is compelled, it what Genesis l-l 1 means. They say: "That we maintain
would seem, to face this question: what is Dr.                       the historicity of the details AS THEY ARE
Woudstra as a professor in Old Testament going to RECORDED IN GENESIS l-3. . . ." He says: I don't
teach the students  at'Geelong? Is he going to teach know the greatness of the love of God; we may argue
them that the Bible is infallible, but that we don't about this for years. They say:  ". . . .we maintain that
know what this means? Is he going to teach them that the WHOLE TEACHING of the Canons of Dort
we really don't know the correct interpretation of (including Divine Election and Reprobation) IS in
Genesis l-l l? Is he going to teach them that we really              complete agreement with the Infallible Word of God."
don't know whether and how God loves all men, and                      But there is more that bears investigating. For later
whether Christ died also for the reprobate?                          in the same sermon Dr. Woudstra deals with the very
  In the light of his own admission of ignorance on same matter about which I first criticized Dr. Runia a
these subjects, it would seem to  follow that this is couple years ago and before I had any contact with the
what he will be compelled to teach his students also. In brethren in New Zealand. I refer to Runia's denial of
other words, he is going to teach them nothing. Or the  unchangeability of God. In the course of his
worse, he is going to teach them to  doubt,  to leave sermon Dr. Woudstra said the following:
these matters an  open question,  to be doctrinal@                          The very fact that God's wilI must be done does
imprecise and vague! All this, I presume, though he                      not mean, therefore, that we may not wrestle in
will subscribe to the "system of doctrine" of the                        prayer as if, ifit were possible, to change the mind of
Reformed confessions, as required at Geelong!                            God. It. has happened before that God. changed His
  Complicating the problem is the fact that although                     mind. You read the Old Testament: God changing I&
they refused to exercise doctrinal discipline in                         mind. The Old Testament says, of course, that God
connection with the objections to Dr. Runia's                            repented; and then He did the other thing. Well, it


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                     245


    simply means that God changed His mind. We may              give up either. Keep on with God. And if you don't,
    not dictate to God; but at the same time we must            well, then, you are too wicked; and you must not be
    keep in holding on in prayer, trying to change the          that either.
    mind of God. And who knows what human beings              Shades of Dr. Runia's big words about a "static
    may yet accomplish? (Here follows a personal            ontological theology.I" Shades of his denial of God's
    example which I shall omit. And then the same line      unchangeability!
    of thought is continued. HCH) We must not pray as if      What will the Reformed Churches of New Zealand
    not expecting anything because God has decreed          now do?
    everything from eternity. Then you are working with       I sincerely wish  - although I do not expect  - that
    a static concept of God. Perhaps it has been            they would now face up to the issues, and that they
    somewhat current in Reformed Theology, but I'm
    glad we're                                              would also re-open the case of last year's Appeal, try
                drifting away from it. We're ndt dealing
    with a static God. We're dealing with a God Who is      to undo their failures of Synod-l 97 1, and do justice to
    willing to listen if only we continue in prayer, in     the brethren who tried to lead them in the right way,
    much prayer. That's the kind of God we have. And          And if the Reformed Churches fail in this, I hope
    who knows what this God may do if only we hold on       nevertheless that the eyes of many among them will be
    long enough? So, don't be too righteous; but don't      opened!



                                 The P.R.C. and the R.E.S.

Introductory                                                those who want to maintain the Reformed faith and
  Increasingly, it seems to me, the realities of what I those who do not. Under the impetus of attack, those
would call  - for want of a handier term  - our who desire to remain faithful are more and more
ecumenical calling and responsibility are being pressed attracted to one another. I believe we may expect
upon us as Protestant Reformed Churches. As will be more of this as time goes on. And I also believe that
evident, in a measure at least, to those who follow our our Protestant Reformed Churches, just because the
Standard Bearer,  the Lord has been bringing us into Lord has so signally blessed us in keeping us faithful to
contact with individuals and groups all over the world the truth, have a special calling not only to foster these
who are, it seems, genuinely interested in maintaining contacts, but also to give help and leadership to others
the Reformed faith and who have been attracted to us who manifest an interest and desire to maintain a like
because of our Reformed testimony. In many instances precious faith with us, and to do so as much as in us
the means whereby such contacts have been lies.
established has been  our Standard Bearer,  which,            This calling must, of course, be met responsibly.
though not an ecclesiastical paper, is nevertheless           This means, in the first place, that we are not
recognized as a literary voice of our Protestant interested in ecumenicity for ecumenicity's sake, or for
Reformed witness. In other instances, other literature bigness' sake, or merely for the sake  of being  able to
emanating from our churches has been instrumental. In point to the fact that we, too, have contact and
still other instances, contact has been initiated through fraternal relationships with other churches. No, our
word-of-mouth testimony of persons within and interest is solely in the expression of that unity which
outside of our churches concerning our churches and is characteristic of the holy, catholic church. And this
their position. Sometimes these contacts come in a means primarily a unity of faith, which is the same as
most unexpected manner and from surprising sources. saying  a unity in and on the basis of the truth as it is in
Some of these contacts are only personal and Jesus Christ. And for us that truth is set forth in
individual, conducted and fostered by private               Scripture and the Confessions. This is primary. It must
correspondence of various ministers in our churches - always be and remain the controlling factor in any
and I myself (and I know also of others) have contacts and relationships with other churches.
conducted in recent years a rather voluminous foreign         -In the second place, we must have a certain healthy
correspondence. Others of these contacts are of an openness as churches. We must be able to distinguish
official and ecclesiastical nature, and are already on the between essentials and nonessentials, and, be prepared
d o c k e t   o f   o u r   synodical  C o m m i t t e e   f o r not to reject those who differ from us in
Correspondence with Foreign Churches.                       nonessentials. We must be able to distinguish between
  Personally, I am of the conviction that we cannot those who stand at enmity against us because of the
fail to see the hand of the Lord in this, especially as in Reformed faith and those who are fundamentally one
these last days apostasy increases and the lines of with us in our common battle for the faith, but who
demarcation are drawn ever more clearly between may not be in every respect like us, may not see eye to


246                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



eye with us on every matter, or who may differ from question of this Basis which has caused past synods to
us because of varying historical backgrounds, hestitate as to membership or even as to official
denominational struggles, nationality, etc. With the observers or visitors.
former one cannot work, except at cross purposes.               This Basis (Article II) reads as follows:
With the latter one is called to co-labor, exactly in                                  II. Basis
order that together we may bring to manifestation our                The foundation of the Reformed Ecumenical
unity in the faith.                                               Synod shall be the Holy Scriptures of the Old and
  In the third place, we must with carefulness                    New Testaments as interpreted by the Confessions
determine the best means of investigating, establishing,          of the Reformed faith, namely the Second
and practicing any possible relationships with other              Helvetic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism,
churches. We are small and of limited capacity as a               the Gal&n Confession, the Belgic Confession,
denomination; and some of those with whom there is a              the Westminster Confession, the Canons of Dart,
possibility of contact are also small. There are                  the Thirty-nine Articles. It should be understood
                                                                  that these Scriptures in their entirety, as well as in
problems of distance and communication. But with the              every part thereof, are the infallible and
means and ability which the Lord provides, we must                ever-abiding Word of the living Triune God,
put forth our very best efforts. For this labor, too,             absolutely authoritative in all matters of creed
belongs to our obedience to the Lord Christ.                      and conduct, and the Confessions of the
  But once more I wish to emphasize it: all our labors            Reformed faith ae accepted because they present
in this direction must be in obedience to and in the              the divine revealed truth, the forsaking of which
service of the truth! Any other kind of unity is not              has caused the deplorable decline of modern life.
true unity.                                                       It has to be emphasized that only a whole-hearted
  It also lies in the nature of the case that in order for        and consistent return to this Scriptural truth, of
our churches to act responsibly in these matters they             which the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the core and
must be informed. And with a view toward informing                the apex, can bring salvation to mankind and
our people, I purpose to editorialize a few times on              effectuate the so sorely needed renewal of the
                                                                  world.
various matters connected with our ecumenical calling.               Because of the diversity in the forms of
  The first item to which I shall call attention is that          government of the Reformed Churches,
of the Reformed Ecumenical Synod. Once more our                   uniformity of church policy cannot be stressed as
churches have received an invitation to send an official          a fundamental requisite, except. in so far as the
observer to the RES which will meet this coming                   principles of this policy are contained h the
summer in Sydney, Australia.                                      Reformed Confessions, as, for example the
  And the question confronting us is: what must be                headship of Christ and the marks of the true
our response to this invitation? Should we accept? Is it          Church: the pure preaching of ,the Gospel, the
our duty to accept? And would it be worthwhile, if it             Scriptural administration of the Sacraments, and
is proper, for our churches to send a representative to           the faithful exercise of discipline.
the RES-Sidney, 1972?                                           In 1968 our churches once more received an
                                                              invitation to send an official observer, this time to the
Background                                                    RES-Amsterdam.
  In order to consider this question intelligently we           In response to this invitation our Synod took the
must go back a bit in history.                                following decision which was forwarded to the RES
  It was in 1950 that the whole question of possible          Secretariat and to the calling church.
membership or participation in the RES arose at our                               Decision on Invitation
Synod for the first time. After considerable discussion                     to the Reformed Ecumenical Synod
- and disagreement - it was decided on the basis of              1. That we are thankful for this invitation.
various grounds to send official visitors to the                 2. That the Protestant Reformed Churches are in full
RES-Edinburgh. This decision was taken in 1952.                     agreement with the Doctrinal Basis of the RBS in
Although we never did actually send these visitors be-              so far as it refers to Scripture and the Reformed
cause of our internal difficulties in 1953,                         Creeds.
nevertheless  this decision was important, especially            3. That, however, the Protestant Reformed
because of the third ground adduced. That ground                    Churches:
was: "We do not bind ourselves to anything by                       a. Do not see in the forsaking cf this truth the
at tending the sessions of the Ecumenical Synod as                     cause of "the deplorable decline of modern
official visitors from our churches." The ground is, of                life" in general (as stated in the Basis, Article 2
                                                                       of the "Rules and Standing Orders of the
course, a rather poor one in this negative form. But my                RES"), but rather the deplorable decline and
point now is that this ground is factually incorrect.                  apostasy of the modern-day church.
Under the Rules of the RES, official observers and                  b. Do not agree with the concluding sentence of
official guests are required to express agreement with                 the first paragraph of the Basis: "It has to be
the Basis of the RES. And historically, it has been the                emphasized that only a wholehearted and


                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER                                                         247



        consistent return to this Scriptural truth, of                       Belgic Confession, Articles 27,29,37.
        which the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the core and                     Heidelberg Catechism, Questions 52, 54,
        apex, can bring salvation to mankind and                             123,127.
        effectuate the so sorely needed renewal of the                       Canons of Dordrecht, I, 7; II, 9.
        world."                                                              John  18:36: I John  2:15-17;  Matthew
        Grounds:                                                             24:3-14,  22-31; Revelation 6:1-8; II
         1. Neither Scripture nor the confessions hold                       Corinthians 6:17-18;  Philippians 2:15, 16;
           forth the hope of such a wholehearted and                         John 16:33;  Revelation 21:1-8.
           consistent return to the truth of Scripture of          4. That in the light of the requirement that observers
           which this statement speaks.                               shall express agreement with said Basis as stated
        2. Neither Scripture nor the confessions hold                 above, the Protestant Reformed Churches find it
           forth the expectation of a renewal of the                 impossible to accept the invitation to send an
           world through such a wholehearted and                      observer to the Reformed Ecumenical Synod in
           consistent return.                                        Amsterdam.
         3. Neither Scripture nor the confessions speak            5. That in the light of the requirement that observers
           of an effectuating of either such a                        shall express agreement with the Doctrinal Basis,
           wholehearted and consistent return or of                  and in the. light of our inability to express full
           such a renewal of the world.                              agreement, we inquire whether the RBS is willing
        4. On the contrary, Scripture and the                        to grant the Protestant Reformed Churches
           confessions speak of the renewal of all things            observer-status with the understanding that they
           through the wonder of grace in our Lord                   take exception to the above-mentioned elements
           Jesus Christ, and of the calling of the church            of the Basis.
           to be a witness of the light in the midst of
           the darkness of this present world, and to
           maintain and proclaim the truth of the                 It will be evident that this is a radically different
           gospel, in order that the church may be              decision than that of 1952. Yet the decision as such
           gathered and preserved, with a view to the          did not shut the door to participation completely.
           coming of our Lord and the realization of              What the response of the RES was we shall see next
           this renewal of all things.                         time, D.V.



All Around Us

                           THE CHRISTIAN AND MOVIES

                                                        ProJ: H. Hanko

 The problem of movie attendance is a perennial one.            were four. 1) Attendance at movies might cause a
It apparently dates back to the invention of the movie          brother to stumble. 2) No one knows whether a play
itself and must, it  seems,  be faced with each new             or a movie is good or bad until he has seen it. 3) Some
generation of young people. It is a problem                     so-called good movies are worse  than the bad ones. 4)
compounded by the advent of television which makes              Occasional movie attendance may develop in a person
of each home a potential movie theatre. While our               a taste for movies.
Churches have never taken an official stand on the                Now these grounds on the basis of which movie
movie,  generally speaking movie attendance is                  attendance was condemned are rather interesting. What
condemned as being incompatible with the walk of the            is particularly interesting about them is the fact that
Christian in the world.                                         Synod did not condemn movies per se. The objections
  This was also at one time the stand of the Christian          were not principle objections, but practical. The
Reformed Church. As early as 1928 the Synod of the              movies themselves were not condemned; rather movie
Christian Reformed Church faced the question of attendance was condemned because `of possible bad
theatre attendance as one item in the well-known trio           consequences or because of possible misuse of the
of worldly amusements: card playing, dancing and                theatre.
attendance at movies. At that time these worldly                  One would not have had to be a prophet in 1928 to
amusements were condemned by the Church and the                 predict that this decision would not really settle the
members warned against their evils. It is interesting to        movie question. It is really a wonder that the decision
go back for a few moments and discover the reasons              lasted as long as it did. Repeatedly overtures were
why movie attendance was frowned on. The reasons                brought to Synod to review this decision. But as many


248                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



times as these overtures appeared, they were turned               But supposing that one would grant that the film
down and the decisions of 1928 reaffirmed.                     arts are a gift of God not to be despised by the
  That is, until 1965. At the Synod of the Christian           Christian. Does this still condone movie attendance?
Reformed Church in 1965 another overture was                   There are different types of film arts. There are the
received to reconsider the decisions of 1928 and a             movies shot on an 8mm camera of the children playing
study committee was appointed. This committee                  in a swimming pool in the backyard. There are the
reported back to the Synod of 1966 and the report              movies which are used for educational purposes in
was substantially adopted. The decisions of 1928 had           driver's training programs and biology courses. There
proved unworkable and were in fact being openly                are the movies which present the wonders of creation
flouted in the church.                                         and the lives of foreign people in attractive travelogues.
  The crucial part of the report, which was also               But these are quite obviously different than the movies
adopted, was that attendance at good movies was                which contain dramatic productions. But this basic and
permissible. There were especially three reasons given to      fundamental difference is ignored in the report and
support this contention. 1) The first part of the              with the poorest sort of logic the Synod simply put
argument is that entertainment, amusement and                  them all together and  labelled them "legitimate
recreation are permissible in the life of the Christian.       cultural media."
2) Secondly, the committee argued that along with                It is not strange that this has led to a very sad
newspapers, radio, music, art, television, etc., the film      situation in the Christian Reformed Church. There are
arts are a legitimate cultural medium. 3) And thirdly,         movies produced in Hollywood and elsewhere which
the committee stated that we may expect good works             are given favorable reviews in church periodicals even
to be produced by the ungodly because of the gracious          though they are condemned by the world itself as
restraint of sin. This puts the matter squarely into the       being brutally violent, sexually perverse, and of little if
area of common grace.                                          any redeeming social value, (Rev. Van  Baren
  We only want to comment briefly on the logic of              documented this assertion in an article several months
the Synod of 1965 for it was rather shoddy to say the          ago in the Standard Beaver. Our readers are urged to
least. The first part of the argument (that                    look up that article and re-read it.)
entertainment is permissible in the life of the                  What brought all this to mind and what is really my
Christian) is, in itself, a true statement. No one, I          purpose in writing of this is the January 21 issue of
think, will argue with it. What is extremely difficult to      The Banner in which were found several articles which
see is how this can be an argument to justify movie            tell in a vivid way what the fruits of this decision have
attendance. The assumption seems to be that any form           already been.
of recreation is permissible. At least this is the               One article is entitled "Movies: What's The
assumption if it is used in support of movie                   Answer?" This article is written by Karen Devos, an
attendance. But surely even the committee would not            English teacher in Grand Rapids,  Mich. Some of the
go so far as to say that all the recreation of the world is    statements in the article are shocking evidences of
legitimate for the Christian. Some wicked find                 what has happened since the decision was taken.
recreation and amusement in drinking. Others in drugs.           The article begins in these words:
Others in fornication. The mere fact that recreation is               Many orthodox Christian churches have long taken
legitimate has nothing at all to do with the movie                 the stand that commercial movies are an evil or
question.                                                          "worldly" amusement and should be avoided by
  The second reason given above is worse yet from the              Christians.
logical point of view. For one thing, Synod simply                    Whatever value that policy may have had in the
lumped together newspapers, radio, music, television               past, it is now obsolete. It is obsolete because any
and the film arts. And it called them all legitimate               survey of almost any group of under-thirty Christians
cultural media. This is precisely the point that needs             will reveal that most of them have seen at least one
proving. It may be that newspapers are legitimate                  film in a theater in the last year, and it is obsolete
                                                                   because television has taken to showing last year's
cultural media; but there is no proof. It may be that              movies (or that of the year before) in prime time
television is a legitimate cultural medium, but Synod              almost every night of the week.
offered no proof. Whether the film arts are a legitimate              The number of  fnms on television has made it
cultural medium is again assumed to be true. One does              almost impossible to avoid movies. Therefore,  I
not prove the point by putting the film arts in the                suggest that we stop treating movies as an avoidable
same bag with music.                                               evil and start making some intelligent, Christian
   Further, the question is: What is meant by "cultural            analyses of them and decisions about them.
media?" Especially this question is crucial when one              It is that little word "therefore" with which the last
faces the additional question: Whose culture? The              sentence begins that bothers me. What it means is that
culture of Babylon? The culture of the wicked world            what has preceded is proper justification for movie
which the apostle John warns the believer not to love?         attendance. We are surrounded by movies. We can


                                                        THE STANDARD BEARER                                                           249



  hardly avoid them. They come to us from all                             heard, you can't escape the conclusion that the gospel
  directions, Therefore they are good. It would seem to                   of salvation in Jesus Christ has been effectively
  follow that if an evil comes at us so often that it is                  presented, and you feel right about praying that
  unavoidable, then this "evil" becomes permissible for                   thousands of nonChristians may be led to buy tickets
  the Christian. What kind of argumentation is that?                      to this show.
     But the author goes on. She readily admits that                         The Ballad of Billie Blue is not beyond criticism.
there are bad movies which are "easily identifiable."                     In fact, since previewing, constructive criticism has
  There is also a whole philosophy of life and value                      been solicited and taken seriously, to the extent that
                                                                          some scenes have been cut and some excellent
  system which is "subtly propagated in many movies"                      footage added. (We wonder if these scenes were cut
  which is contrary to the Scriptures. But this latter need               to secure a "c" rating. H.H.) But even so, this movie
  not deter anyone from attending such movies, What is                    has its full share of violence and sex and repulsive
  needed is not so much that the Christian stays away                     characters. Sensitivity to the realities and problems of
  from them but rather that he "might begin by learning                   our society make this almost inevitable. To reach our
  something about how to interpret and evaluate films."                   adult world, the producers, in this film have had to
     Then comes this paragraph.                                           focus on tragic adult situations. Billie's wife Mae is a
           As a college student I saw an Ingmar Bergman                   vixen devoid of morals, and she shows it in every
      fdm, Virgin Spring, in which a man rapes a girl as an               movement of her body, every word she spits out,
      act of revenge. I will never forget the terror of the girl          every deed she does. She's an unfaithful wife, and a
      as the horror of what the revenge seeking had done to               disaster as a mother. Her degeneration into
      the man. The scene, one that many people would                      professional prostitution comes as no surprise. . . .
      (and did) object to, was actually one of the strongest            That such a filthy piece of pornography should be
      statements I've ever seen that seeking vengeance is            produced by Christians is one thing, horrible in its own
      destructive and evil. And there was certainly nothing          right. That this should be presented and praised as an
      in the scene to arouse sexual feelings.                        effective means of bringing the gospel of our Lord and
    If it were not all told in such a serious tone, one              Savior Jesus Christ makes one gasp in astonishment
  would think the author was being facetious. Not only               and revulsion. What is being done to Chris,t, the Christ
  do ungodly men have something of value, something                  of God, in the name of religion?
  Scriptural, something Biblical to say to the Christian;               The conclusion of the matter is that the stand long
  but they say this in depicting in dramatic production a            taken by many of our leaders that dramatic
  monstrous crime.                                                   presentations are evil in themselves because drama is
    In the same issue of  The Banner we  are informed                evil is a correct one. We have not time  .or space to
  that a corporation has recently been formed called B.              argue the case here. There are articles in former
  E. Productions ("Better Entertainment for the Entire              Standard Bearers and Beacon Lights  which present the
  Family") "to produce and distribute (for profit)  full-            matter clearly. With this position we are in complete
 length, wide-screen, Hollywood motion pictures pre- agreement. And we are increasingly convinced that
  senting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, based on the such a principle objection against dramatic productions
  infallible Word of God."                                           is the only one that can stem this terrible tide of
    At a cost of $600,000 the first movie has been worldliness which is infiltrating the Church;
  produced called "The Ballad of Billie Blue." It opened                One more remark. The article referred to above
  in Anaheim, California on December 8, 1971  ,and in                speaks of the movies brought into our homes by
  Grand Rapids,  Mich. the first week of February. television. I must say a word about this. Whether our
  Already another film is being prepared entitled "Run parents know it or not, the fact that they watch
  Baby Run" which is based on a best seller of the same             dramatic productions on television is a terrible
  title. The reviews  in  the  Grand Rapids Press  were stumbling block to our young people. They have
  enough to convince any sensitive Christian that this spoken to me many times of the fact that. they see no
  "Christian" film was, apart from the whole question of wrong in going to movies when these same movies are
  movie attendance, not fit for a child of God. But we watched avidly in the homes from which they come. I
  need not rely on the  Press.  In the same  Banner  a must admit that I am on the side of our young people
  favorable review of the movie appears which reads in in this case. What is evil in Studio 28 is evil in the
  part:                                                             family room of the home. Paul speaks in Ephesians of
           By  the time you have followed Billie Blue's             the sin of parents when they provoke their children to
      tempestuous career, lived through his heartaches,             wrath. Among other things he surely points to this evil
      laughed through his lighter moments, and finally have         in our lives as well. We may not and must not be
      a moment to reflect upon all you have seen and                stumbling blocks to our children.

                               Wanted: church members with singleness of heart and singleness of purpose.


250                                             THE STANDARD BEARER


Meditation

                           The Spiritually Adorned Wife
                                                  Rev. M. Schipper

             "`Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word,
             they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold
             your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward
             adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it
             be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a
             meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in
             the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in
             subjection unto their own husbands: even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose
             daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. "I Peter 3:1-6.
   Likewise, ye wives!                                           Let no one conclude from this sound advice that a
  That is, in the same way that citizens are to be in         woman should seek to be married to an ungodly
subjection to their government, and as servants are to husband, in the hope that later she may be
be subject to their masters, so the wives are to be in        instrumental in converting  hiin. Nowhere does
subjection to their own husbands.                             Scripture advocate or condone such a marriage. Such
  It is apparent that the apostle is still speaking of the    marriages stand always forbidden and condemned by
main exhortation in this section of his epistle, namely, the Word of God. Always Christians are exhorted to
that we are to see to it that our conversation in the marry in the Lord. However, where such a heathen
midst of the world is to be a reflection of what we are marriage has been consummated, and the wife by the
by the grace of God. We are to walk honestly as               grace of God is brought to the knowledge of her
strangers and pilgrims, abstaining from fleshly lusts salvation in Christ, let her not leave her husband, nor
which war against the soul, and positively performing mistreat him because he is not a Christian. Rather let
the good works which God has before prepared, in her by her sanctified walk reveal herself to him as a
order that we should walk in them. This we are to do          Christian.
even when we are falsely accused as evildoers; in order         Let her show to him her true spiritual beauty!
that they, beholding our good works, may glorify God            True beauty does not consist in that which is merely
in the day of visitation. This main exhortation the           external. It does not consist in the braiding of the hair,
apostle now applies also to our walk in the marital in the wearing of gold, or in the putting on of apparel.
state.                                                          True beauty consists in the hidden man of the heart,
  Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own            in that which is incorruptible, even the ornament of a
husbands!                                                     meek and quiet spirit. That is, in the sight of God, of
  You are to be in subjection to them, no matter great price!
whether that husband honors and obeys the  word of              That the apostle informs us that true beauty does
God or not. When the apostle speaks of husbands who           not consist in these external things, does not mean that
obey not the Word, he evidently has in mind heathen           he is laying down a hard and fast rule regarding the
husbands. Undoubtedly some of the wives who are               outward appearance of the woman. It certainly is not
addressed in the text were also at one time heathen his intention to imply that a woman should not'care
women; but having come into contact with the gospel,          about her outward appearance. Surely, there can be
they were converted. Undoubtedly, too, these                  nothing sinful in itself that a woman pretties herself up
Christian wives who were married to heathen                   to please her husband. Does not Scripture everywhere
husbands, concluded that because of their spiritual speak of the bride who is adorned for her husband? If
differences they ought to leave their husbands; or, if this is permissible on the wedding day, surely it cannot
they continued to stay with them, they ought to treat be condemned if she continues to so adorn herself all
them with disrespect. The apostle exhorts them in the         the days of her marital life.
text: "Don't run away from them; neither should you             But what a pity that a  wtiman,should  imagine that
treat them with disrespect. But live with tliem in such her real beauty consists  onljr in this outward
a way that, though they do not honor the Word of Adornment! Still more pitiful, yea, sinful and carnal it
God, they nevertheless may, beholding your chaste would be that she should spend all her time and  her
conversation, be won by the wives."                           husband's wages, only to be adorned in this external


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                251



sense. It should be quite--evident  that the woman who same faith she possessed and demonstrated. And in
spends most of her time sitting before the mirror, using respect to their husbands, they will also follow her
paints, powders, and perfumes, or buying up the latest example. They will recognize the God-appointed order
fashions, or covering herself with fancy jewelry merely in the home, that the husband shall be the head of his
to entice her man, cannot be motivated by inner wife, and that she is to be subordinate to him in all
spiritual principles, but by the motivations of a lawful things. And that means that the wife does not
sensuous, vain, and sinful heart. Jezebel also knew how serve her husband out of the fear of fright, because he
to doll herself up, but no one who knows what the is stronger and more powerful than she, but because
Scriptures say about her, would call her a beautiful she recognizes the truth that God has placed her
woman.                                                      husband over her as her lord, who is to be respected
   True beauty is spiritual!                                and honored for his superior authority as the head of
   It consists in the hidden man of the heart. The the home. Not in any sense does this mean that she is
hidden man is the heart. And the heart is it out of to be his slave; nor does it mean that the husband can
which are all the issues of life. As one thinketh in his do with her as he pleases. But it does mean that the
heart, so is he. The heart is the ethical center of our position of the wife in the home is not equal to that of
being, which gives direction to our whole life. And the the man. The divinely ordained order of the home
apostle has in mind, of course, the regenerated heart. whch Sarah understood, and which all God-fearing
   Out of this heart proceeds meekness and a quiet women will understand, is that the wife is placed in
spirit. Meekness is that spiritual virtue that always subjection to her husband by God. The God-fearing
considers the other better than self. And the quiet wife, who lives in subjection to her husband, and is
spirit is the expression of the meek spirit. These are controlled by this principle in the marital state, not
incorruptible. 1 These are the cosmetics which are only does good, but at the same time reveals that
precious in God's sight. Only when the wives are spiritually she is the true child of Sarah.
adorned with these spiritual virtues, are they truly fit      To be beautiful in this true sense of the word, and
to fulfill the mandate, - to live in subjection to their to emulate such a beautiful model, will have a
own husbands.                                               beauteous effect. That is, the wives will be doing
   After this manner in old time the holy women also, precisely as the Word of God here exhorts - they will
who trusted, or hoped, in God, adorned themselves.          be living in loving submission to their own husbands.
   Holy these women were, not in and of themselves.           To understand this, it must be borne in mind that
They became such only by the sovereign grace of God. this subjection will not be in all respects the same as
They had been chosen to become saints. Consequently, the subjection of citizens to their government, or of
they believed in the promises of God, and placed their servants to their masters. The relation between wife
hope in God as the God of their salvation. and husband, and vice versa, runs much deeper than
Consequently, too, they adorned themselves with a that which obtains in our relation to government and
meek and quiet spirit, which was reflected in their employers. It is the most intimate of all human
attitude toward their husbands. They were in relations,, the relation of love. Where that relation is
subjection to their husbands.                               one of most intimate mutual love, that is, where the
  As Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord!                wife truly loves her husband, and the husband loves his
   Most beautiful model!                                    wife, and that relation is tempered by the ordinance of
   The apostle refers undoubtedly to the` instance God  - there you will see a most beautiful home and
recorded in Genesis 18: 12, where we read: "Therefore family life. This is the ideal which every God-fearing
Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed woman and every God-fearing man will desire, and also
old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"        experience, when they are married in the Lord. In such
  This lordship which Sarah recognized in Abraham, a marriage the God-fearing couple will be able to see
she obeyed. To it she was entirely in submission. She realized the type of the true spiritual relation which
honored in her husband a lordship which God had subsists between Christ and His church.
given the man over the woman. She knew nothing of,            On the other hand, when the husband is an
nor would she have any respect for, the modern unbeliever and the wife is a child of God, who lives in
liberation movement, the reason being, that her subjection to her husband, emulating Sarah, the
adornment was the hidden man of the heart, which beautiful model, who is adorned with a meek and quiet
revealed itself in a meek and quiet spirit.                 spirit, and striving to live out of the principles of the
  Such a model should be emulated!                          Word of God  - there you will see a truly beautiful
  Whose daughters, or, as the original text has it, wife.
whose children ye became if you do good, and are not          This is precisely what the apostle is speaking about
put in fear by any terror. God-fearing women. are in the text. We could paraphrase the first part of the
spiritually the children of Sarah, and will follow the text thus: "When some husbands are unbelievers, and
example of their spiritual mother. They will live by the therefore respect not the Word of the gospel, let the


252                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



believing wives, without saying a word, live honestly as      O h ,   t o   b e   s u r e , she may experience many
a Christian wife should, with a view to winning their difficulties, and all obedience to the Word of God will
husbands to the faith, as the husbands witness your have to be done in the shade of the cross. But the wife
good conduct, being in subjection to them because you who lives according  to this Word must be seen by all,
fear God.                                                   including her husband, as a most beautiful woman.
  HOW beautiful is that wife who scrupulously obeys And far better, God beholds in her the beauty of  I&
the Word of God in our text!                                grace!


The Day qf Shadows

                              SHAMELESS NAKEDNESS
                                                 Rev. John A. Heys

  It would seem as though we have come full circle!         Christ. Indeed, this shamelessness has crept into the
  In paradise Adam and Eve were naked and were not          church in varying degrees with Sunday-go-meeting
ashamed. They fell into sin, and the  fast thing mini-skirts as short as, if not even shorter, than those
recorded of them after they fell is that their eyes were    worn by the unbelievers in their Sunday-go-sporting
opened, and they knew that they were naked.                 clothes, and with recreation's scanty bathing suits that
Although we do not read literally that now they were outdo those of some in the world for brevity and
ashamed, it becomes quite evident that such was the enticing revelation! Yet this does not make this
case, for we do read that at once they sewed fig leaves removal of shame the work of God through the Cross
together and made aprons to cover themselves. In light      and Spirit of Christ. It is not a condition in the world
of the fact that before they sinned they were not that the church has succeeded in realizing. The
ashamed, though they were naked, and being aware of opposite is true. The world has succeeded in bringing
their nakedness after sinning they sought clothing, into the church the evil in which it rejoices.
what else can it mean but that now they are ashamed?          Adam and Eve knew no shame because they knew
But today without any shame men and women in no sin. And they knew no sin because they still were
nudist colonies parade in the raw before each other.        wholly dedicated with body and soul in a joyous
And outside of these nudist camps women without service of love before God. Today's unregenerated
shame, at the shameless demand and shamelessly advocates of exposing the human body without shame
expressed desire of men, go about in all degrees of likewise know no shame because they know no sin.
undress even unto stark nakedness before men, and But they know no sin because they have given
that even while serving food! Then, too, on every level themselves over completely to the satisfaction of their
today not only are the matters of man's sex life, its lusts, which have now become their gods. Adam and
members and activities, spoken of freely in public Eve had pure minds, and therefore they knew no
without the slightest hesitancy or trace of shame, but shame. The unregenerated have filthy minds that are
immoral speech is openly spoken and publicly printed. hardened by their sin and cannot know shame any
Indeed it does seem as though we have come full circle, more. They are calloused by a walk of abandon in this
to where our first parents stood in their state of sin. And this boldness, this shameless nakedness which               ~
righteousness in paradise.                                  they practice is not here by a conquering and removing
  All this, if you please, is entirely apart from the of sin, but it is here because of a steady development
Cross and Spirit of Christ. It would, therefore, seem as    of sin!
though the world has brought us (many in the human            To understand this presence of shame in Adam and
race at least) back to Adam's and Eve's shameless Eve, although formerly they had none, we must
nakedness. We have here, it would seem, to a degree remember that it was a mutual experience. Eve alone
rediscovered paradise lost, and learned how silly it was did not feel shame before Adam; but Adam felt shame
for Adam and is for us today, to have such shame            before Eve as fully as she did before him. They were
before those of the opposite sex.                           both ashamed, and both made fig-leaf aprons. We
  Shall we ask, What has God wrought? Or with grief must, therefore, reject any explanation, or attempt to
shall we declare, What hath Satan wrought! Surely this explain this shame, that suggests that it was due to the
unashamed nakedness in the world today is not fact that now Adam found that he had no control of
something that God wrought through the Spirit of his passions. If that is the explanation, then Eve also


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   253



found this out at the same moment Adam did. If we           what is right in the sphere of the natural and civil and
take the position that Eve felt a strong aversion to        which enables and empowers him to pollute his way
being thus before Adam's eyes, then we must insist          and to walk in unrighteousness. And here, in this
that Adam also had just as strong an unwillingness to       article, exactly, instead of a restraint of sin by this
be naked before Eve.                                        so-called ` `common grace" of God, is taught a
  Now it cannot and should not be denied that there         development  in sin, and of sin, which man could not
is a symbolism in their nakedness. The words of God         have performed without those glimmerings of natural
to them, "Who told thee that thou was naked? Hast           light. Spiritual light it is not. And that God preserved
thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that       in man after the fall his rational, moral (thinking,
thou shouldest not eat?" indicate that sinning against      willing) nature was not a matter of "common grace"
God and their awareness of nakedness go hand in hand        but of saving grace. With a view to His elect children
within them. And the significance of this surely is that    God kept in man that nature in order that Christ, His
they were naked before God and knew it! It was not          Son, might come into our flesh, and in order that there
simply a nakedness before each other. They did not          might be that which could be regenerated to the
simply try to hide from each other by means of fig-leaf     activity of saving faith. It was with a view to His
aprons. They tried also to hide from God by these           Church  - not the human race in general  - that God
aprons, and later by running under the trees of the         did not take away from man the formal side of His
garden.                                                     image, and did not let him fall to the level of the brute
  Yet it is also a fact that they did feel shame before     beast of the field that can never have faith in God or
each other, and that they covered just specific areas of    love in its heart for Him. God kept that thinking,
their bodies. They did not try to cover themselves          willing nature in mankind in order that He might be
completely from God's eyes by those aprons. And             able presently to put enmity in some men against the
when God tore from them their Arminian-inspired,            serpent and his seed.
salvation-by-works covering of fig leaves, He also gave       But the point we wish to make, while we still have
them coats that covered only those parts of the body        space, is that although Adam and Eve were husband
that Adam and Eve now realized had to be covered.           and wife, and therefore to commit literal adultery or
Their shame was, therefore, more than an awareness of       even fornication were impossible, the moment they
guilt before God. And remember that they were man           died spiritually they, because of these glimmerings of
and wife. What is more, man still today to a great          natural light, as well as the fact that they fell into the
degree feels this same shame even in his unregenerated      arms of Christ and were regenerated, became aware at
state. In unregenerated man there still is the              once of the sinful drive within them to use their
"glimmerings of natural light," as the Canons of            powers and faculties, yea, their whole being, for
Dordrecht state it, "whereby he retains some                themselves and apart from the service and love of God.
knowledge of God, and of the differences between            By eating of the forbidden fruit they broke the first
good and evil, and discovers some regard for virtue,        table of the law, pushed God aside, sought to rob Him
good order in society, and for maintaining an orderly       of His sovereignty and embraced the idol that Satan
external department." Who would be so foolish as to         presented them. God's name and God's works meant
deny this? Although this hardening process, which           nothing to them any longer. But in this shame that
comes with the development of sin, removes this             they felt they also realized their potential to break the
shame from many, it still is in the souls of unbelievers    second table of the law as well. As man and wife they
today, and they can wage strong warfare against             could hardly steal from each other, Adam could not
pornography, and prostitution, and the like. But let it     break the fifth commandment, for he had no authority
not be foolishly maintained that God's grace causes         over him among the creatures. Bearing false witness
these unbelievers still to have shame and to cover their    against each other could not come until there was a
bodies before each other.                                   third party on this earth. Murder was possible and
  The article quoted from the Canons (Heads of              covetousness could likewise be practiced. But before
doctrine III, IV, article 4) says much more than what       them in their nakedness was the whole array of sexual
was quoted above. It adds that "so far is this light of     immorality from which their eyes could not withdraw
nature from being sufficient to bring him to a saving       themselves, and which therefore required that they be
knowledge of God, and to true conversion, that he is        clothed. This, at the moment of their fall into sin,
incapable of using it aright even in things natural and     became the closest sin of the second table of the law
civil, Nay further, this light, such as it is, man in       into which they could direct themselves, now that
various ways renders wholly polluted, and holds it in       hatred of God had come into their hearts to replace
unrighteousness, by doing which he becomes                  the love wherewith they were created. Indeed, man's
inexcusable before God." Now it would be a very             sin in paradise did not simply open up the door to all
strange grace of God that would give the unregenerated kinds of rebellion and acts of hatred against God. It
man a natural light that makes him incapable of doing       also introduced all the evil that man would commit


254                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



against man, using the neighbour in a personal lust that I Corinthians 15: 42-44 will be seen. There, in the glory
asks not after the good of that neighbdur.                    of the kingdom they will neither marry nor be given in
  Be not deceived, then, by any propaganda that marriage, but shall be as the angels in heaven. There, in
comes from the lust mills of the world. You do well to the new Jerusalem there will be a full church, and
have shame before those of the opposite sex when you there will be no need to bring forth the covenant seed,
are caught naked. Blushing brides and virgins who take and no need for a sex life, or sex organs. Besides, we
the marriage vow are still to be commended and are shall have pure minds and every thought and desire will
not to be called prudish and old-fashioned. Any lack of be directed to God and His glory.
shame that results from the world's fashions and                Indeed, Christ covers us so fully that we may
ridicule of the work of the living God Who saw fit to shamelessly be naked in the new Jerusalem. He covers
clothe Adam and Eve, and did not rebuke them for the sins of our present bodies; and as a result we have
seeking a covering, will not take away guilt from no guilt anymore, nor love of sin. In the new Jerusalem
before His holy eyes, but it will harden you to break we shall know ourselves to be naked before God and
also the other commandments in the second table of before each other; and yet we will have the comfort of
the law. The law is one, and a hardening in respect to being covered by Christ's righteousness. We will not
one of the ten commandments will make you calloused need to hide, and will have nothing to hide from each
in regard to the others as well.                              other to avoid shame and temptation; and we shall be
  In the resurrection, however, our grave clothes will in honour and joy with perfect dedication unto God
not be restored; and we will have no need of them. For with body and soul. This dedication of our souls will
Christ shall restore us to a shameless nakedness result in a consecration of the spiritual bodies so that
through the covering He has given us for our sins. The both in body and soul God shall be all in all, even in all
beauty of the resurrection body will not be covered, of our experiences.
nor will it need to be. That beauty of it presented in


Education Feature
  Discipline In The Christian Home And School (2)
                                                  Mr. T. De Vries

  We have seen that God gives us authority; now we            wickedness sacrificed their children in the fire, God
must see that that authority is used and not despised.        says to them, "You have caused  my  children to pass
The Christian parent has not only the opportunity to          through the fire."
discipline, he also has the calling. He must discipline.        This calling to discipline is one of serious  i
Paul wrote to Timothy that a Bishop in the church             implications. In Psalm 78 and Deut. 6 we read that we
must have certain requirements, one of which is that          must teach God's precepts to our children, that they
he have "his children in subjection with all gravity."        go not astray. This does not mean to give them an
(I Timothy 3:4) Paul meant not just subjection to the         academic knowledge of God or to teach them to parrot
parent, but to God.                                           a catechism lesson. It means that discipline is a
  Solomon tells us in Proverbs more than once that we         full-time job, which involves instruction  .as well as
must discipline and correct our children even to the          correction. We must teach our children to know and
point of spanking with a rod. In chapter 19: 18 he            love God, and to live a life which demonstrates that
writes, "Chasten your son while there is hope, and let        knowledge.
not thy soul spare for his crying." Solomon tells us            Because we are Christians and because we are
farther in chapter 13: 24. "He that spareth his rod           dealing with Christ's children, we do not use just any
hateth his son, but he that loveth him chasteneth him         method of discipline. Our methods certainly do not
betimes." It may not be easy to discipline harshly, but       come out of a book by Dr. Speck, and, in fact, ought
this may be necessary. When Solomon speaks of love            not to be reduced to a formula. There are, however,
for the child he does not mean parental love, but some specific references to methods of discipline in the
rather the love for Christ, and therefore the love for his    Bible, and there are many others which are to be
children.                                                     understood.
  When we consider that our children are not really             We need not look far back in this week to remember
ours but that they. belong to Christ, we realize the when our discipline or correction was motivated by
seriousness of discipline. When the Israelites in their anger or frustration or was not aimed at correcting our


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                        255



children for God's sake. What was the result? Again           the same life style. This is not to say that we bring
looking back it was, we admit shame-facedly, not what         salvation to our children through trying to be perfect.
we had hoped for. Have we, in fact, given much                Salvation is not the goal of discipline. As Christ is an
thought to our methods of discipline?                         example to us, so also we ought to be examples to our
   First, we must discipline because of, and through          children.
love. In Revelation 3: 19 we read that "God rebukes             Negatively put, we cannot expect our children to
and chastens as many as He loves." He does not                prepare well for catechism if we ourselves do not
chasten His people in hatred; He could not, because He        prepare for Men's Society or Bible Class. We cannot
loves them. We must have this same goal. We cannot            expect our children to respect the teacher if we
tell our children one minute that we love them, and           ourselves talk about him negatively. We cannot expect
then strike them out of anger the next. Love not only         our children to do well in school if we degrade
gives the motivation to discipline, it gives the control      "book-learnin'."
to discipline with a view toward correction. Harsh              Fourthly, we can discipline through encouragement.
punishment is often required to correct a child, but          This is something that is often forgotten. We can
both parent and child need to realize that this               encourage children to fear God as well as we can
chastening is motivated by love, not vengeance, spite,        encourage them to do well in school or in sports. A
or by an attempt to produce fear. God's chastisement          sometimes valid complaint on the part of children is
of His people is not lightened because of His love for        that they always hear it when they do wrong, but
them.                                                         never receive encouragement when they do right. We
   Children realize that punishment is a natural result       must demand and expect proper behaviour and our
of disobedience. They are also quite well aware of the        children must realize that, too. However, a kind and
difference between right and wrong. For the parent or         helpful word can go a long way in teaching our
teacher to punish out of love is a difficult calling, one     children the fear of the Lord.
which takes much diligence and prayer to fulfill.               In Proverbs 15: 1 we read, "A soft answer turneth
   Love's opposite, hatred, brings about either no            away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger." This is
discipline or a mean, un-Christianlike act of revenge.        a positive idea, one which can be kept in mind. We do
Paul says in Ephesians  6:4, "Ye fathers provoke not          not want to punish merely because there has been a
your children to wrath, but bring them up in the              sin, but also so that we carry out our calling to teach.
nurture and admonition of the Lord." Discipline out           the fear of God.
of anger or because of superior strength is wrong; this         The child also has a calling in discipline, and that is
then becomes a personal contest, not a God-given              to obey. Discipline is not a one-way street; it is an act
calling.                                                      which calls for the cooperation of children in order to
   Secondly, discipline must be consistent and be             be effective. We might even be able to say that
consistently applied. We would not think of giving            obedience is the harder of the two callings to fulfill.
children their physical necessities only occasionally:          Obedience is a calling of all God's people. All of us
the same must be true of discipline. Because we love          are duty-bound to show respect to many authorities.
our children and because we love Christ, discipline will      Never are we on our own to make our own laws,
be applied full-time. God does the same for us. He does       despite what the Declaration of Independence would
not overlook a sin here or there. If He did, He would         have us to believe. There are no laws of man;
also be a God who overlooked a need here or there, or         ultimately there is God's law. On the earth there are
He would overlook one or two of His children.                 the laws of God which are given through the
  Our children get confidence and a feeling of security       government and the church.
from this consistent discipline. When discipline is             Christian obedience is defined as the hearkening to
spotty, the child realizes that other support from the        the Word of God, and the complete submission to it. It
parent is spotty. It is the poorly disciplined child who      is the practice of that Word in thought and deed.
is emotionally insecure. He must constantly test                Obedience on the part of children is the following
authority to see if it is viable; he must look for support    up of God's Word, not just the word of the parent. It is
from sources outside the parents.                             submission to Christ in all the child's walk and
  It is important in this context that the attitudes of       conversation. In Ephesians 6: 1 we read, "Children
the home and school toward discipline are alike. The          obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." In
teacher receives his authority from the parents; if the       God's creation parents are wiser than children; the
parent has not used his authority the result is tragedy       social order is based on the family unit with strong
for all concerned, especially the child.                      parental leadership; and, a child's welfare depends on
  Thirdly, we can discipline by example. Children,            his obedience. These reasons are, however, only
especially small ones, are great imitators. This makes        incidental to the main goal in obedience. In all things;
for a powerful tool. All children learn more than just        including obedience, we are to honor and glorify the
mannerisms from their parents; they generally fall into       Name of God.


256                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



  This virtue of obedience is to be inculcated in the receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the
home. In this way obedience becomes a way of life, Lord Christ." God removed Saul from his position as
not just an escape followed in tight spots or when king of Israel for disobedience. Saul put on the pious
authority is present, In the baptismal formula we front that his disobedience was activated by the desire
recognize "that we and our children are conceived in to sacrifice to God. Samuel told Saul, "Behold, to
sin." We also recognize that we and our children are obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the
received by grace into Christ. We have a small fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and
beginning of that new obedience. Patiently and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." I Samuel
prayerfully the child must learn obedience from his       15:22b-23a. Only God's children will ever obey their
parents.                                                  parents. For this reason the promise of eternal life is
  The obedience of children is important enough to be extended only to them.
the subject of one of the Ten Commandments. Observe          Children must receive discipline in faith, realizing
that this commandment is directed toward children, that it comes from God and is given for their profit.
not toward parents. The child who honors his parents Parents and teachers are just as sinful as children, but
in early life will also honor all authority in later life. this is no reason for disobedience. This discipline is,
Unlike most of the other commandments, the fifth is nevertheless, from God. Paul tells us that rulers are
positive. There are many "don'ts" which could be read ministers of God to thee for good. Discipline must be
into the commandment, but this is not necessary. The received in love, love for Christ Who disciplines all His
simple question, "Am I honoring my father and people for their good. Discipline must be received in
mother?" can be applied to any activity. Any Christian repentance. Just as the parent must correct his child,
child can answer it. The Heidelberg Catechism explains so also must the child repent of his evil deeds.
that obedience means "That I show all honor, love, Correction is not given for the righteous act.
and fidelity to my father and mother, and all in             In conclusion, I would like to emphasize three
authority over me, and submit myself to their good points. First, that parents are authorities placed by
instruction and correction, with due obedience."          God to teach their children the fear of the Lord.
  Children must obey their parents and teachers Secondly, that only the love of God will cause them to
willingly and cheerfully. The outward pretense of discipline. Thirdly, children are to receive discipline
obedience along with inner rebelliousness is no better because it comes to them from God through Christ.
than outright disobedience. Paul urges in Col. 4:23 and The calling to discipline is certainly a difficult but
24, "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, blessed one.
and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord ye shall

The Strength of Youth

                 Children, the Heritage of the Lord

                                               Rev. J. Kortering

  With so much emphasis being placed upon birth it is such however, because it is Biblical. Three things
control today, one may properly ask, where does God are involved in the sovereignty of God. First, we
fit into this picture? Is it so that man has taken recognize that God is the Author of life. This is true
complete control of human reproduction and that God from the beginning of time, as Creator. The Genesis
has nothing to say about it anymore? Is it so that in     account makes this plain, as well as Heb. 11:3. This is
areas of the unbelieving world, man has over-populated also true for us today, God upholds and governs all
the world and God is standing helplessly by? Is it so things, our coming into the world is by His control and
that in the area of the believing church, Christians are our existence is under His guidance. All of life owes its
preventing child-birth and therefore man is curtailing existence to God alone. The whole of Psalm 139 is a
the development of the covenant by not bringing forth beautiful testimony of this truth. Secondly, it follows
the covenant seed?.Where does God fit into this strange from the above that God has the right to do as He
picture?                                                  pleases with this life which He brings into existence.
THE  SOVEREIGNITY  OF GOD AND CHILDBIRTH Here we touch upon the sovereignty of God regarding
  The Word of God provides sufficient evidence that the future destiny of all men as determined by
God is sovereign, To be sure, this is a Calvinistic term; predestination. It also includes the daily events in the


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lives of everyone; God's sovereignty means that He has covenant parents. Believing husbands and wives must
the right to control our lives, so that everything takes realize that in the final instance God has the absolute
place exactly as He wills. Look up Matt.  10:29, 30. say as to when and how many children we may have
Thirdly, God possesses all the power to accomplish the privilege to bring forth. This places the sovereignty
exactly what He wills for every creature. It is not so of God in perspective; it controls our whole life. As
that God has desires for mankind, but cannot believers this is of great comfort. If it is the will of God
accomplish them for lack of power. There is no power that we bear none or few children, this is not of our
apart from our sovereign God. He controls all the doing, but God's, and this provides peace and con-
power of nature, the power of the nations, as well as fidence in our sovereign God. If it is the will of God
the power of His own sovereign grace to save His that we bring forth many children, this, too, is of the
people from their sins. Everything is under the control Lord. He never over-burdens, He never expects the im-
of God.                                                    possible, He provides us with these children and He
  This also includes bearing children. There is not one promises that He will over-rule our whole life and
child born into this world without it being according strengthen us to fulfill our calling in training these chil-
to the will of God. This applies to the world in general; dren. We can appreciate the words of Psalm  1273,
it also applies to the children born to believing parents; "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord; and the fruit
  The problem of over-population was not unforeseen of the womb is His reward." All our children are
by God. The Christian church should not take the literally handed to us by God.
attitude that we have to help God out of a situation
that somehow puts His program of salvation into SOVEREIGNTY AND RESPONSIBILITY
jeopardy. On the contrary, the entire problem of             We considered in our previous article the
pollution of the earth, which is closely connected with exhortation of Scripture to bear children. God's
a large population, is exactly under the sovereign command is clear; to the married He says, I will that
direction of God. This is God's way of judging man for the young women marry and bear children. Marriage
His greed and covetousness. If we' study the book of and children are united in perfect harmony according
Revelation, we learn that the seals which are being to the will of God. This is the sacred calling and
broken, Rev. 6: 1-17, the trumpets that are sounded, responsibility of every married person.
Rev. 8 and 9, and the vials poured out, Rev. 15 and 16,      Besides this, we also recognize that God over-rules
affect the whole creation and men living upon the the whole of our lives. This is true in every instance. If
earth. These constitute God's judgments upon fallen God calls us to work as a farmer, the success or failure
man, who has been unfaithful in God's earth. Before of this work is determined in the final instance by
God casts the wicked into the everlasting torment, He God. A farmer may work at plowing, planting,
will demonstrate to Him that all his dreams for worldly fertilizing, cultivating, and all the rest, but God gives
prosperity apart from Jesus Christ have failed. The the increase. The fruit of one's labor is of God. It is
entire creation will testify against man for his being an true in marriage no less. The calling to be joined in
unfaithful king. Hence today, the so-called marriage is of the Lord; every married person must be
overpopulation of the earth and all the associated able to say, it is the Lord's will that I marry this
problems are God's sovereign judgments upon man. particular person. Once believing this, the calling
God controls the population of the world for His own within marriage is also clear. We considered this in
purpose in fulfilling righteous judgment.                  connection with the exhortation concerning husbands
  As believers, this also applies to us in a personal and wives. This applies also to the desire and effort to
way. The Psalmist David expressed it this way, "For bring forth children. God doesn't come and spell out
thou has possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in to us the exact details of our married life. He doesn't
my mother's womb. I will praise thee for I am fearfully reveal to us what His will is concerning how many
and wonderfully made; marvellous are thy works; and children we should bear. No young couple can say at
that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not the outset of their marriage how many children it may
hid from thee when I was made in secret, and curiously be the will of God for them to bear. It is wrong to
wrought in the lowest part of the earth. Thine eyes did pre-determine this for ourselves; if we enter marriage
see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book and say, we will have two children and no more, we are
all my members were written, which in continuance revealing our pride by trying to play God. What if God
were fashioned when as yet there was none of them," gives us none, or three, are we going to say that is not
Psalm 139: 13-16. Each one of us was born into this of the Lord? You see the foolishness of such planning?
world by the will of God. Before God there are no            One may ask, what should be the `attitude of
accidental childbirths. No children are added to the married people toward the number of children? Must
number that God eternally willed according to we simply breed like rabbits? Is a wife just a baby
election, none are excluded. The sovereignty of God machine manipulated by the husband? What is correct?
controls the exact number of children born to Is there a correct view of birth control?


258                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



  In answering this, we must realize that ultimately we mind to know what the will of God is concerning the
rely upon God for the answer. Here, too, we must be number of children. Then we will not be selfish, but
within the will of God with our answer. How beautiful spiritual. We will not say first of all, I want to tell God
it is when husband and wife realize that through their how many children I want, but we will prayerfully
love-life God provides children, and these children are seek His direction as to how many He wills that we
of the Lord. Through the sharing of love and life, bring into the world. Only in the way of obedience can
children are born. This is of the Lord. Believing parents we rejoice in the will of God.
have the privilege to live within the bonds of marriage     CHILDREN OF GOD
realizing that each time a child is conceived and born,       Believing parents may trust that God, Who supplies
it is God's work and such children are gifts of God.        us with the necessary strength to conceive and bring
Without any human interference and control, such forth children, will also give the ability to train them
parents rely entirely upon God for the children so properly.
conceived. This must be considered the proper                 From the foregoing, we may conclude that our
approach.                                                   children are also God's children. They are not only
  Suppose that through the normal relationship of born by the will of man, they are also born by the will
husband and wife, children are born rapidly and of God. This means that God prepared them for us,
husband and wife become concerned whether children they have a place in His eternal will of election, and
are born too soon, or the family is becoming too large,     even before they are born, they are known unto God.
then what? Here, too, we must be careful that we are          True it is that not all children of believers are in the
not conditioned by the world in determining the covenant. Romans 9: 8 makes this clear. This, however,.
frequency of childbirth and size of family. We have to is not revealed to parents at the time of childbirth.
consider these things before the face of God, and not Hence, our Reformed fathers assure us, `Since we are
our own selves or society. If one's circumstances are to judge of the will of God, from His Word, which
such that a wife's health is involved, if the ability to testifies that the children of believers are holy, not by
provide is of real concern, surely these things are also nature, but in virtue of the covenant of grace, in which
determined by God. God gives to husband and wife the they, together with the parents, are comprehended,
physical, mental and spiritual strength to bear children godly parents have no reason to doubt of the election
and to raise them in the fear of the Lord. All do not and salvation of the children whom it pleaseth God to
have the same gifts. The Lord measures these out, and call out of this life in their infancy," Canons I Art. 17.
each married couple must evaluate the size of their The same holds true for the living, so long as they do
family within this context. Does God provide the ma- not reveal themselves as despising that covenant, as
terial means to provide for these children? (Here, too, Esau.
consider the Scriptural standard of provision, not the        This makes all the difference in dealing with our
standard of our lucrative age). Does God provide the children. They are the children of God, though
physical strength to bear a goodly number of children? conceived and born in sin. They are included in the
Does God provide the spiritual strength to add more covenant, Gen. 17:7, Acts 2:39. They are entrusted to
children, (Here we must not simply say, I like more our care by God; not that we must win them for
kids, but one must say that he or she is able to share      Christ, but rather that we may be the instruments in
their love with another child).                             God's hands to bring the faith which God has
       If we approach this subject with a sincere desire to implanted in them to conscious expression.
obey the Word of God and consider the will of God             This parental responsibility  .follows from the
regarding children, we will be in a spiritual state of sovereignty of God's direction in giving us children.              ,

From Holy Writ

                             Exposition Of The Book Of Hebrews
                                                  Rev. G. Lubbers


 THE SCOPE OF ISAAC'S BLESSING UPON HIS birth. Both were children of prayer. When Rebecca was
 TWO  SONS (Hebrews 11: 20)                                 barren, Isaac entreated the LORD for her sake, and the
       The sacred writer calls attention to the faith of Isaac LORD heard his prayer, and Rebecca conceived and
 and the act of faith of the latter blessing his two sons, bore twin sons! Isaac must have been concerned in this
 twin sons they were. The firstborn was named Esau, matter, for the Word of the Lord had been to
 and the younger was called Jacob at the time of their Abraham, his father, "In Isaac shall the Seed be


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called." (Gen. 21: 11) And this Seed is Christ, and His      are to be realized in the fumess of time through John
church out of every tongue, and tribe and people and         the Baptist as the forerunner of the Christ. That
nation. All nations shall be blessed in Abraham in the       Scripture interprets Scripture is the sound rule of
Seed. And this Seed would be called in Isaac. So             hermeneutics.
important was this matter that Isaac must have a wife           Yes, these things, future events, are what will befall
from Abraham's kindred in Haran. He may not have'a           these two nations. For in Rebecca's womb there are
wife from the heathen nations of Canaan. Wherefore           not simply two individuals struggling. The struggle is
when Rebecca becomes Isaac's wife, and they receive          far more portentous and gigantic. It includes the persons
no children, the latter entreated the LORD for her. He       of Jacob and Esau as these are the heads of two great
is concerned about the fulfilment of the promise of          and separate nations. Wherefore we read in Malachi
Abraham, that he would become a great nation!                1 : l-4 "I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say,
  But the Seed would be according to the "purpose of         Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's
election." (Romans  9:ll) This purpose must stand!           brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, but Esau I
Wherefore when Rebecca is great with children, and           hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave
these two sons wrestle in her womb for the supremacy,        his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness. Whereas
the Divine word came to her, "Two nations are in thy         Edom saith, we are beaten down, but we will return
womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy            and build the waste places; thus saith the LORD of
bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the        hosts. They shall build but I shall throw down, and
other people; and the elder shall serve the younger." men shall call them The border of wickedness, The
(Gen.  25:23) This word came to Rebecca before the           people against whom the LORD hath indignation
children had done any good or evil. (Rom. 9: 11) The         forever."
scope therefore of the blessing of Isaac of his two sons       Here is elective love and reprobative hate worked
many years later was within the frame-work of and was        out in history's pages for some eighteen hundred years.
the fulfilment of this Divine announcement to                Such is the  scope  of the prophecy of Isaac, when in
Rebecca.                                                     prophetic role he sees the future through his physically
  This Word of God concerning the two sons must              dimmed eyesight, yet in the prophetic blessing he sees
have been kept by Isaac and Rebecca in their hearts all      clearly the things to come, and which will befall these
through the seventy years which elapsed from the time        two struggling nations. The outcome of the struggle, as
of the birth of these twin sons till the time when Isaac     well as the struggle, is of the Lord! Unless we see these
blesses them concerning things to come. Surely this          directives of Scripture itself, we can only see a Jewish
was something which was no mere hearsay, but it was a        and Edomitish saga in their respective national roles.
word which was the answer to Rebecca's fearful               And the latter is pure humanism.
outcry" if it be so wherefore do I live." Would the
having of these children make her happy if the               GOD'S OVERRULING  PROViDENCE IN ISAAC'S
outcome is a fierce struggle between Jacob and Esau          BLESSING JACOB (Hebrews 11: 20)
before they are even born? Surely, the divine word of          -We should notice that in the text in Hebrews 11: 20
the purpose of election stands here in this answer to        Isaac blessed "Jacob and Esau." He blessed them in
Rebecca "before the children had done good or evil."         this order. Here are two twin-brothers. `And in the
Truly, salvation is not of works, but of Him who             blessing the distinction is made between the two, the
calleth efficaciously! (Rom. 9: 12) The elder shall serve    very distinction which the LORD had announced prior
the younger.                                                 to their birth and subsequent to their pre-natal
  We see here the unity of Scripture when we compare         struggling in their mother's womb. The threads of
this with what we read in Hebrews  11:20. For when           history are woven by the LORD. If ever it became
Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau "he blessed them                evident that man cannot will the will and decree out of
concerning things to come !" Now these things to come        the world, but that His purpose of election stands, it
must be the things to come across a long span of time,       was here. It was all contrary to the natural impulse and
many centuries. They referred to the future, instead of      desire of Isaac, the father of the sons. Isaac loved Esau,
the past and present. They were the "things not seen"        notwithstanding the Divine word concerning his place
as faith is the evidence of the same. And these things       of "service" to Jacob. There was even a certain fleshly
stretched out into the future some 1800 years, even till     weakness here. Esau was a man of the field, generous,
the time of Christ. These are the things which the           wild and, yes, profane. (Hebrews 12: 16) He did not see
prophet Malachi makes the great theme of his                 the difference between the holy covenant and promise
prophecy.                                                    and the common unholy life of the Canaanites, which
  He stands four-square on this word of earlier              was full of adultery and fornication. He was a
prophecy of the Lord to Rebecca and as uttered by            fornicator! This all both Isaac and Rebecca knew. It
Isaac in his blessing of his sons. Malachi catches the       was a constant source of grief to both of them. For
rays of this prophetic light and sets it in focus as they    when Esau revealed his profanity at the age of forty


260                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



years in the choice of his wives, Judith and Basemath, LORD'S hands. Yea, and he shall be blessed, says Isaac
this was a "grief of mind to both Isaac and to of Jacob. How wondrous are the ways of God,
Rebecca." (Gen. 26:35) Notwithstanding this, Isaac's unfathomed and unknown!
soul  clave to Esau. Besides, Esau had deliberately THE BLESSING OF JACOB  (Hebrews  11:20; Gen.
despised "the birthright of the promise" when he sold 27: 27-29)
"his birthright," as this was his in Isaac's house. Esau       The terminology of the'blessing wherewith Jacob is
was well-instructed in the matter of the promise. Had blessed by Isaac is indeed poetical. It seems, at first
grandfather Abraham not lived the first seventeen flush, that Isaac is hesitant to give a blessing which is
years of his life? Both little boys were instructed on thoroughly spiritual. We ought to remember that the
Abraham's knee. But Esau loved this world, the lusts personal blessing of sharing in the Kingdom appears to
of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life! have been given to Jacob when he returned from Haran
This Isaac knew. But he preferred not to think of this after he arrived at the brook Jabbok. Here Jacob is met
when he saw Esau. This was the flesh of Isaac.               by a man, the Lord Himself. And the Lord wrestles
     Isaac is going to rush head-long in his own way. He with Jacob till he cries "I will not let Thee go except
will give the birthright blessing to Esau. But God Thou bless me." It was there that his name is changed
intervened. He used a sinful act of deception on the to Israel. He there comes face to face with God. It was
part of Rebecca and the cooperation of Jacob. We his Peniel. Not so here in Isaac's tent. Here it is the
know the history well, do we not? Rebecca made a conniving Jacob who would anticipate the Lord. And
delicious dish of the meat of the flock and Jacob must the terminology emphasizes more what Isaac foresees
be like Esau in every respect except to the ear. The and prophesies concerning the future of Jacob's nation
voice is Jacob's.  And, frankly, I believe that Isaac knew than what Jacob receives in faith at that moment.
it too. He had his misgivings. But he is taken in his own      This ought to be evident from the elements of the
craftiness by Rebecca and Jacob, but not least by the "blessing" here. It is poetic prophecy concerning
LORD Himself who overrules all the plans of Isaac! Israel's greatness in the midst of the "nations." The
For we read the short but meaningful "So he blessed starting-point is the "smell of the field." One almosts
him!" He blessed him by being taken in his own feels that Isaac is thinking that he is blessing Esau. He
craftiness! Isaac was overruled by the LORD. He may have had misgivings, but he certainly blessed the
blessed Jacob according to the purpose of election: "Esau" which he here entertained by receiving his
Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated!                    "venison." It all seems so natural: dew of heaven,
     Small wonder that we read that, when Esau appears fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine.
and desires the blessings, and when it becomes Even the terminology of the blessing: "let peoples
exceedingly clear that Esau is Esau and Jacob is Jacob serve thee, and nations bow down to thee; be lord over
and that the latter had been given the birthright thy brethren and let thy mother's sons bow down to
blessings, Isaac "trembled very exceedingly and said, thee," points toward a development which from a
Who then is he that hath taken venison, and brought it formal point of view could be given to "Esau." And
to me, and I have eaten all before thou camest, and the question arises: How can the writer to the Hebrews
have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed!" Esau write: "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau. . . , "?
cameback soon, but not soon enough. On the time-clock          The faith of Isaac became evident when he
of God he was too late! Humanly speaking, had he consciously applied this to Jacob, over the tears and
been a little bit sooner he might have succeeded in protestations of Esau "Yea, and he shall be blessed." It
obtaining the blessing which he so coveted and which was then that Isaac not only foretold this future in
his father was more than willing to give him. But it was prophetic vision, but applied this to Jacob as he would
not to be so. The purpose of election stands! God be the superior nation, the one in whom the "seed is
overruled it all. All the strands of this history are in the called."
*

Contending for the Faith

                            The Doctrine of Atonement
                                                  Rev. H. Veldman

       As stated in our preceding article, the doctrine predestination. And we also stated in our preceding
setting forth the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ article that the truth of God's sovereign predestination
 constitutes the second head of the Canons of Dordt. is vital and of primary importance. The truth that the
The first head treats the doctrine of God's sovereign Lord is sovereign in His decree of election and


                                                 THE.STANDARD  BEARER                                             261



reprobation demands the truth of limited or particular This is true of all the philosophy of the world. Sin,
atonement. They stand or fall together.                      however, is as great as God is great. Sin is disobedience
   The second head of the Canons treatsthe death of against the Lord, is man's maintaining of himself over
Christ and the redemption of men thereby, We must against the living God.-Sin, therefore, is fundamentally
notice that the fathers speak of the death of Christ as eternal. Sin is that evil whereby man would .establish
redemption. This is of the utmost significance. In himself forever. The sinner is or expresses his concern
reality, the Arminians or Remonstrants deny this vital because the living God would establish Himself forever.
truth. 0, it is true that they also speak of the death of But he has no objection against maintaining himself
Christ as redemption. But this is really only a play on forever. But God is God. And He is infinite in His
words. Fact is, they do not believe in the work of majesty. He punishes, therefore, not only temporally
Christ upon the cross as redemption. The word but also eternally. Temporally must not be confused
"redemption" is strictly a reformed term. And, of with temporarily. The latter means "for a while,"
course, it is thoroughly Scriptural. When discussing whereas the former means that God punishes in time.
these articles of the second head of the Canons, we do That God punishes temporally and eternally means,
not purpose to treat them in detail. This has been done therefore, that He always punishes. There is never a
in the Standard Bearer in the past by Prof. H. C. moment when the Lord does not punish. This truth
Hoeksema. These are wonderful articles, and our deals a devastating blow to the theory of Common
readers do well to study them. They are admirably Grace. God never permits sin to go unpunished.
suited to be used in our various societies.
  Art. I of the second head reads as follows:                  Sin, therefore, must be punished in man, in the
       God is not only supremely merciful, but also          entire nature of man, in his body and soul. Atonement,
    supremely just. And His justice requires (as He hath     therefore, is possible only in the way of the complete
    revealed Himself in His Word), that  ou sins             satisfaction of this justice of the Lord. All our sins
    committed against His infinite majesty should be         must be paid before there can be any possibility of our
    punished, not only with temporal, but with eternal       return into the favor of God. This truth is also
    punishment, both of body and soul; which we cannot       emphasized in Lord's Day 5 of our Heidelberg
    escape, unless satisfaction be made to the justice of    Catechism.
    God.
  Now it is surely a striking thing that our fathers here      To be sure, God is also supremely merciful, as stated
say something about God. We read nothing in this at the beginning of this article. How true this is! Did
article of the death of Christ as such. Before the God not so love the world that He gave His
fathers set forth this truth of the atonement, they first only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him
say something about God, what God is in Himself.             should not perish but have everlasting life? But the
  This first article teaches the necessity of atonement Lord is never merciful at the cost of His justice. Such
through satisfaction alone, Why? Because of what God would be impossible. The necessity of punishment is
is in Himself. Notice that we read here of God's not abandoned by God's mercy. This is the
revelation of  Himself  in His Word. This, we must presentation of many today. It is claimed that the love
understand, is fundamental. Our conception of the and mercy of God make it impossible for the Lord to
Lord determines our conception of all things. If we err punish the sinner temporally and eternally. This
here we will necessarily err all down the line. This, of reasoning is wholly fallacious. Fact is, in God all His
course, is a fundamental fault of Arminianism. virtues are one. It is for this reason that God's justice is
Arminianism, which is fundamentally modernism and a merciful justice and that His mercy is a righteous and
humanism, is not interested in God, but only in man. just mercy. If, therefore, His mercy is to be revealed, it
God cannot save man except in the way of  .the must be revealed only in the way of God's justice and
complete satisfaction of His justice and righteousness. the full satisfaction of His righteousness. This truth of
And this is true because God is just. The Lord is not Art. I must ever be kept in mind.
supremely merciful but also supremely just. The justice        Finally, the fathers do not quote from the
of God is the maintaining of His righteousness, is Scriptures in this first article. Now it is probably true
therefore that virtue whereby He rewards the good and that they do not quote the Scriptures here because the
punishes the evil. God is just and He can never deny `truth expressed in this article is stated in Lord's Day 5
Himself, God always acts in perfect harmony with His of the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Remonstrants
own infinite being. As the God of all righteousness, He were also bound to that confession. However,
eternally wills Himself, loves Himself, and always throughout the positive part of this second head of the
maintains Himself.                                           Canons we find very few quotations from the Word of
  Sin must therefore be punished. Our sins have been God. This need not alarm us. Fact is, the fathers do
committed against the infinite majesty of the Lord. quote from the infallible Scriptures in the second part
Also this truth is minimized and ignored by the of this second head, dealing with the rejection' of
Arminian. He is not fundamentally concerned with sin. errors.


262                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



                         ARTICLE II                          hangeth on a tree." That Christ was made to be sin for
  Since therefore we are unable to make that                 us does not mean, we understand, that He was made
satisfaction in our own persons, or to deliver ourselves     sin in the spiritual, ethical sense of the word. It does
from the wrath of God, He hath been pleased of His           not mean that He became a sinner in the sense that He
infinite mercy to give His only begotten Son, for our        actually became corrupt, sinful. 2 @or. 5 :21 tells us of
surety, Who was made sin, and became a curse for us          Christ that He I-I&self knew no sin. He was conceived
and in our stead, that He might make satisfaction to         and born without sin and corruption. He was the holy
Divine justice on our behalf.                                child Jesus. He never knew sin, never could sin. For
  We cannot make this satisfaction for our sins as           Christ to sin was an impossibility. This is because He is
required by the justice of the alone living God. In the ,Immanuel, God with us. But He was made sin in the
first place, we cannot pay the penalty: eternal death. judicial sense of the word. He was condemned by the
This means that we must be dead forever. To die this         Lord as the Chieftain of sinners, not because of any sin
death, pay this penalty would imply that we could            He had committed, but because'all the sins of all the
never possibly rise again. In the second place, we could     elect throughout all the ages were upon Him.
never meet the requirement as der%nded by the justice          The fathers do not answer the question why only
of God to make this satisfaction. This justice of the God's begotten Son could be this surety for us. We
Lord demands, not only that we pay this penalty, but need not discuss this at this time. To this question we
also that we satisfy this justice of the Lord in perfect have the answer in Lord's Day 5 of our Heidelberg
obedience. We are by nature children of disobedience. Catechism. There it is explained that our Saviour must
Hence, we could never pay even a single penny of our be one who is very God and also very and righteous
debt to God. And, in the third place, we cannot make man. Finally, this second article surely emphasizes the
this satisfaction because we can never make amends for wonderful and boundless mercy of our God. How far
any sin committed in the past. We must always love from the truth is the accusation of wicked men that
the Lord with all our heart and soul and mind and the reformed view of the Saviour makes of the living
strength. It is for this reason that we could "never take God a cruel tyrant! How absurd and wicked is this
time out" to pay for any wrong committed in the past. charge! Fact is, God, of His infinite and boundless
Nothing we could do now, no amount of `perfect mercy, gave His only begotten Son, gave Him for us
obedience can right a wrong of the past. Fact is, even if who are miserable sinners, gave Him to us even into the
we would be perfectly obedient to the Lord, we only infinite and eternal death of the cross. Fact is, they
do what we are required to do. Our good works, who deny this Scriptural truth of the atonement, who
therefore, could never be meritorious.                       teach that Christ died for all men, head for head, they
   In this second article of Head II the fathers call our are the ones who really deny the mercy of God. In this
attention to how the Lord revealed His mercy to His universal view of Christ's death upon the cross there is
people. Since we could not make this satisfaction neither justice nor mercy. There is certainly no justice
for our sins, it pleased God of His infinite mercy to give in it. And neither is there any mercy in it, inasmuch as,
His only begotten Son for our surety. The word according to this view, Christ did not pay for sin, and
"surety" surely implies the idea of substitution. The therefore nothing really happened upon the cross of
word here means "surety, bail, guarantee." When I owe Calvary.
someone a sum of money or I am under an obligation
to pay a penalty as prescribed by the law, then he who
ismy surety takes upon himself that responsibility and
will pay that penalty should I be remiss in my                         WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
obligation. This is the meaning of the expression in this      On Saturday, March 4, 1972, our dear parents,
article. God gave us His only begotten Son to be our                MR. AND MRS. HENRY J. HOLSTEGE
surety. This eternal Son of God, as in our human hope to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary.
nature, assumed the responsibility to pay for our sins         We thank our covenant God for the riches of His
before the bar of God's justice. This was an act of mercy and blessings toward us. Our prayer is that God
God's infinite mercy. God gave us His Son. The Triune may continue, to lead them in  `all their way, that
God gave Himself, in His Son, and He gave Himself. In together, in all things, we may acknowledge Him.
that unfathomable mercy the Lord gave His son for a                                   Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Holstege
surety for our guilt.                                                                          Jim, Lenny and Tom.
   The fathers here refer to two passages of Holy Writ:                                    Mr. and Mrs. Jay Holstege
2 Cor.  5:21 and Gal.  3:13. In  20~.  5:21 we read:                                 Lori, Debbie, Randy and Tracy.
"For  ; e hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no                                     Mr. and Mrs. Larry Lubben
       T;t
sin; th t we might be made the righteousness of God in                                     Dawn, Denise and Monty.
Him ." And in Gal. 3: 13 we read: "Christ hath                                         Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Holstege
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a                                         Greg, Brenda and Hiede.
curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that    Byron Center, Mich         Mr. and Mrs. Claire Holstege.


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                    263


                      IN MEMORIAM                                          RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
   On the 20th of January, 1972, it pleased the Lord             The Choral Society of the Hudsonville Protestant
to call home unto Himself our beloved husband, father Reformed Church wishes to extend its sympathy to
and grandfather, JOHN P. MIEDEMA,                             Mr. and Mrs. Henry Boer in the recent passing of his
at the age of 86 years.                                       father,              MR. JACOB BOER.
   "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;           "Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto His
and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor people." (I Kings 8: 56).
crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the                                               Paul Schipper, Pres.
former things are passed away." (Rev. 21:4).                                                     Betty Haveman, Sec'y.
                           Mrs. John P. Miedema (Minnie)
                                Mrs. C. Mohr (Katherine)                   RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
                            Mr. and Mrs. Albert Miedema          The members of The Radio Committee of The
                       Mr. and Mrs. Gerrit Systma (Pearl)     Reformed Witness Hour hereby express their Christian
                            Mr. and Mrs. Robert Miedema sympathy to their fellow member, Duane Gunnink, in
                       Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Gritter (Donna) the passing of his father,
 26 grandchildren           Mr. and Mrs. Harold Miedema                           GERRIT GUNNINK,
 16 great-grandchildren or. and Mrs. Kenneth Miedema of Edgerton, Minnesota.
                                                                 May our ever faithful covenant Father give comfort
            RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY                            to the bereaved family by means of His Holy Spirit and
   The Junior Mr.' and Mrs. Society of'First Protestant       Infallible Word, is our prayer.          Don Faber, Pres.
Reformed Church wishes to express its sincere                      /                         Patricia Karsemeyer, Sec'y.
sympathy to its members, Mr. and Mrs. Duane
Gunnink, in the passing of Mr; Gunnink's father,
               MR. GERRIT GUNNINK.                                         RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
   May they  find comfort in the following words of              The Senior Mr. and Mrs. Society of Hope Protestant
Scripture, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the           Reformed Church expresses sincere sympathy to Mrs.
death of His saints." (Psalm 16: 15).                         John Kuiper, Jr. and Mr. Milo  DeWald in the loss of
                                                               their father
                                Rev. G. Van Baren, Pres.                          REINHOLD DEWALD.
                                Mrs. Gary Bylsma, Sec'y.         "For we know that if our earthly house of this
                                                              tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God, a
                     IN MEMORIAM                              house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."
   Our Lord suddenly took unto Himself on January             (II Cor. 5: 1).                     Owen Peterson, Pres.
2 6, 1972, our beloved husband, father, and                                                       Nancy Kuiper, Sec'y.
grandfather        REINHOLD DEWALD
at the age of 69 years.                                                   RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
  In this time of sorrow, we cannot but think of his            The Adult Bible Class of the Hudsonville Protestant
favorite Scripture text  - Matthew 11: 28  - "Come            Reformed Church hereby expresses its sincere
unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I        sympathy to our members, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Boer,
will give you rest." And be comforted anew and                in the loss of their father
believe that He does all things well.                                               JACOB BOER.
                                  Mrs. Reinhold Dewald           May God comfort them by His Word and Spirit.
                                 Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Rau        "And we know that all things work together for good
                            Mr. and Mrs. Lorenz Bertsch       to them that love God, to them who are called
                            Mr. and Mrs. Le Roy Dewald        according to His purpose." (Romans 8: 28).
                           Mr. and Mrs. John Kuiper, Jr.                                            Peter Lubbers, Pres.
 20 grandchildren              Mr. and Mrs. Milo Dewald                                       Mrs. Erne Miedema, Sec'y.

                      IN MEMORIAM                                           RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
   The Sunday School and the Men's Society of the                The Martha Ladies Aid Society of the Hull
 Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church wish to                Pro,testant  Reformed Church expresses its sincere
 express their sincere sympathy to one of their mem-           sympathy to its members, Mrs. Albert Vogel and Mrs.
 bers, Mr. Henry Boer, in the recent, sudden loss of his       John Boer, in the passing of their half-sister,
 father,             MR. JACOB BOER.                                           MRS. CHARLES STEENSMA.
   May our gracious-God comfort him and his family in             "For we know that if our earthly house of this
the blessed hope of the saints, fixed upon that glorious       tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a
inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled, that passes          house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."
not away, preserved for us by our God in Jesus Christ          (II Cor. 5: 1).                   Rev. J. Kortering, Pres.
in the heavens.                  Mr. Hilbert Kuiper, pres.                                   Mrs. John Hoekstra, Sec'y.


 THE STANDARD BEARER
       P.O. Box 6064
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506



264                                         THE STANDARD BEARER


                                News From Our Churches

                    February 14, 1972                     Committee to homes in the immediate vicinity of the
                                                          church. One paragraph in that bulletin reads as
  At the time these lines were being written, follows:
Redland's congregation was meeting for the purpose of       "At First Protestant Reformed, we regularly make
calling a minister from a trio consisting of Rev. R. tape recordings of the sermons preached. These are
Harbach, Rev. G. Lanting, and Rev. M. Schipper.           brought to our shut-ins who request this. However, we
                             *****                        do want to offer this service to those outside of our
  In looking through the Sunday bulletins, from church. We have a committee of young people who
which comes the greater share of news from this would be pleased to bring over the taped sermon - and
column, I ran across the following interesting item if necessary, a recorder on which the tape can be
from the "Requested Announcement" section of played. If you should be interested, we would invite
Hull's January 30 bulletin:                               you to call the pastor that arrangements could be
   "Our congregation's history is to be included in the made."
centennial book of Hull. If any of you have old                                  *****
pictures of the history of our congregation (former         Another bulletin, that of South Holland this time,
ministers, activities, church building, etc.) please contains a paragraph which also reflects favorably on
inform the pastor."                                       the attitude of some of our young people - as well as
                             *****                        on the pastor, needless to say, It would be a mistake, I
  Church bulletins from east to west have been think, to paraphrase the paragraph, or to quote only
carrying announcements concerning activities excerpts; so, here's the whole thing:
sponsored by the young people, in their attempt to          "The pastor will be teaching a class in the Essentials
raise money for the 1972 Young People's Convention. of Reformed Doctrine in his study, at the request of a
In California there was a Spaghetti Supper; in young brother of the congregation. This class is
Colorado, a Baked Goods Sale (two of them, in fact - scheduled tentatively for Monday evening at 6:45 P.M.
and within three weeks of each other); and in Any others who wish to attend and become familiar
Michigan, an Auction and a basketball game featuring with our Protestant Reformed viewpoint are cordially
"the married men of Holland, Hope, and Hudsonville welcome. Every effort will be made to schedule this
vs. the married men of First, Southeast, and              class at a time convenient for those who wish to
Southwest."                                               attend."
  The convention, you perhaps recall, will be held in       The pastor, by the way, is Rev. Decker.
Loveland. The Young People's Society there has                                   *****
chosen the, theme, "Come, Lord Jesus," from Rev.            At the risk of appearing lazy, I'm going to quote a
22:20. The three speeches, as well as the little more, from that same January 30 South Holland
discussion-groups, will treat various aspects of the bulletin.
truth of the last things.                                   "The consistory is beginning the annual family
                             *****                        visiting. We will be basing our discussions on I Peter
  Our young people are engaged, incidentally, in other 3: l-l 2 and Ephesians 6: 14 under the general theme
activities, as well - activities less conspicuous, perhaps, `The Covenant Family.' We pray that through this
than the sponsorship of basketball games, but of very means we may be strengthened in the faith and knit
real importance, nonetheless. A committee of young together in the love of Christ."
people at First Church, for example, takes care of the      The practice of announcing, in advance, the theme
recording of the services, and the supplying of the to be considered during the visits to the various homes
tapes to the shut-ins and others who are unable to of the people of the congregation  - is that an
attend the services.                                      innovation in our churches? Perhaps not; but in the
  That service, by the way, has been offered, also, to two years that I've received bulletins from most of our
others, who are not members of First Church. We refer churches, I encountered no precedent. Whatever the
to a "News and Views from First Protestant case may be, it strikes me as being ;worthy of imitation.
Reformed" bulletin, sent by the Church Extension                                                            D.D.


