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                                                        See "A Hope of the Saints" - p. 149



   Janua y  1,1995


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    -pE.
 CONTENTS:                                                                                                                                          January  1, 1995                                                              STANDARD
Meditation - Herman Hoeksema
          The Pilgrim's Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Editorial  - Prof. David J. Engelsma                                                                                                                                                                      ISSN 0362-4692
          A Hope of the Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149                            Semi-monthly, except monthly during June, July, and August.
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          Is There 9 Basis for Unity Between                                                                                                                                                              Rev. Wilbur Bruinsma, Rev. Ronald Cammenga, Prof. Robert
                     Roman Catholics and Evangelicalsq. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158                                                                   Decker, Rev.ArtedenHatiog,  Rev. Russell Dykstra, Rev. Barry
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      Minutes and Archives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161                                    Kuipar, Mr. James Lanting, Mm. MaryBsth Lubbers, Rev.
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D,ay of Shadows'-  Homer Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                                         Terpstra, Rev.GleaVan9eran,  Rev. RonaldVanCverloop,  Mr.
           The Last Four Days of Creation-Week (cont.) ..~........,..,,.....,......~, 163                                                                                                                 Benjamin Wigger,  Rev. Bernard Woudenberg.
Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    165     EDlTORlAL  OFFtCE           `CHURCH NEWS EDllOR
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           Herman Hoeksema's meditation sets a theme for this new year's                                                                                                                                                    :         Northern Ireland
                                                                                                                                                                                                          EDtiORlAL POLlCY
issue ,of the Stan&r~? Bearer: seeking the. city of God that is not yet,                                                                                                                                  Every editor Is solely responsible for the contents of his own
                                                                                                                                                                                                          articles. Contributlonsofgeneralinterestfromwrreadersand
but is `to come. The meditation originally appeared in the January 1,                                                                                                                                     questions for The Reader Asks department are welcome.
1926 issue of the SB.                                                                                                                                                                                     Cantrlbutlons will  be llmlted to approximately 300 wbrds and
                                                                                                                                                                                                          mustbeneattywrittenortypewritten,andmustbeslgned.          Copy
           Amqng his many other gifts, Hoekseia had the gift of devotional                                                                                                                                deadlines are the first and fifteenth of the month. All
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                       The Pilgrim's  God                                                                                         .'

        For here have we no continuing city,       ing stranger, pitching his tent by the      of the final goal is abundant com-
but we seek one to come.                           wayside to tarry but for a night. On-       fort in the narrow way.
                                 Hebrews 13:14     ward, ever onward points the way,               I know that of its heavenly
                                                   now rugged and steep, now for a             beauty I can but stammer in earthly
        Christian, press on!                       while on the level and even, but            language, and of its glorious reality
        There is, at the end of your way,          mostly narrow and rough. At sun-            I can but conceive in earthly images.,
a city to come.                                    dry stations you may stop long              But even the partial and earthly im-
        The city that hath foundations,            enough to put up your Ebenezers             age of that eternal city so sets my
prepared for you from before the                   and pray over them, gratefully ac-          heart aglow with joy and hope, and
foundations of the world by your                   knowledging the Lord Jehovah's              so fills it with earnest expectation
God.             "          '                      help in the past and hopefully im-          and yearning, that for the glory of it
        It is your goal.                          ploring His care and guidance and            I am gladly willing to sacrifice ev-
        Till it is reached and you have            protection all the rest of the way.         ery earthly joy and pass outside of
entered into. its pearly gates, you may            Sometimes the way may lead you              the gate of every earthly city.
not, you cannot, you must not tarry.               through the midst of a city, fair and           For I do know that it is the city
Onward you must go, ever onward                    beautiful, stealing the love of your        of God!
you must press, never once tarrying                heart and tempting you to abide and             `God is the chief joy of the heav-
or abiding, nor ever fearfully or hesi-            bid farewell to the pilgrim's life.         enly Jerusalem. His presence fills
tantly clinging to the things you                      But you cannot stay. You must           the city. His blessed covenant-friend:
might meet on your pilgrim's jour-                 not tarry.                                  ship perfected is the very essence of
ney.                                                   No city here has foundations.           -all its bliss and rejoicing. For, un-
    Does not the pilgrim dwell in a                    No dwelling-place here is con-          like the earthly Jerusalem built of
tent?                                              tinuing.                                    wood and stone, it has no temple.
 .' He has no city.                                    The goal lies yonder, at the very       If you were to have entered the gates
        In a city one abides, digs- foun-          end of your earthly way, where time         of Jerusalem that once was, and
dations, builds firmly to erect a last-            is no more and the heavenly light of        would inquire as to the dwelling-
ing and permanent dwelling-place,                  eternity's morn beckons you.                place of the Most High, men would
a continuing home. There are the                       The light of the heavenly Jerusa-       point you to a building made with
ties that bind, the treasures one                  lem.                                        hands. And if, approaching the
loves, the joys one seeks. There is                    Thither you must press.                 temple and entering through its
one's life. In a tent, however, one                    On, Christian, on!                      outer gate, you would repeat your
tarries but for a night, to rest and                                                           query, they would direct your gaze
recuperate, in order to pull up the                   ****                                     to the Sanctuary proper, at the same
stakes at .daybreak  and press for-                    Oh, Zion eternal!                       tin-&warning  you that you could not
ward and travel `onward, till the fi-                  Glorious city of God!                   enter there to see the face of God. It
nal goal is reached.                                   How thou art the chief joy, in-         was all so imperfect,, earthly,' pro-
    The Christian's life is not like the           deed, of all that have their garments       phetic of things to come! But when
continuing citizen, but like the pass-             washed in the blood of the Lamb             you enter the heavenly city through
                                                   and that love the light!                    its pearly gates, you need not in-
                                                       Surely, I know that I know but          quire, for there is no temple there.         '
                                                  : little of the glory and beauty and         God Himself and the Lamb are the
Herman fioelisema was the first editor             heavenly joy and eternal pleasures          temple of that city, and its preemi-
of the Standard Bearer.                            of that city. But even the little I know    nent joy and glory is that there the

                                                                                                     January 1,1995/Standard  Bearer,147


tabernacle of God is with men and                    And there shall be perfect peace        But for the Christian this is not
He will dwell with them, and they           there.                                       a l l .
shall be His people, and God Him-               Glorious city of God!                        In still another sense he has no
self shall be with them and be their            Chief joy of all God's children!         continuing city here, namely, in the
God!                                                                                     sense that wherever  he. looks, and
    He fills the city!                                                                   in whichever direction he may turn
    I know that it is the city of all           Press forward, Christian, you            his seeking gaze, nowhere in the
the saints perfected, the Bride, the        must!                                        world does he find a place that his
Lamb's wife. And they walk there                For here we have no continuing           soul can satisfy and where he would
in garments white, for they had them        city.                                        build his permanent home. He~is a
washed in the blood of their Re-                Not only because here there is           pilgrim, not only because all things
deemer, `the mighty Lamb of ,God.           nothing that abides, though this is          pass away, but because of the very
There shall be, no sin there, no cor-       also true.                                   state and condition of his own heart
ruption, no stain of. defilement and            Nothing is permanent in this             and soul.
pollution left on the robes of its elect    world. There is no city here that                He is a stranger here.
inhabitants. And wreaths of victory         can boast of lasting fame. For the               For he was born from above. By
they wear on-their heads, for the           world is a child of time, and chance         nature he is from below and an in-
battle is ended and won through             and change are busy ever. We are             habitant of this world, seeking the
Him that loved them even unto               like the grass that flourisheth in the       things below. But he- received new
death. I know that there shall be no        morning and withereth before the             life, through the resurrection of the
enemy there to harass and attack and        sun goes down. Like the delicate             Lord Jesus. And that new life is from
inspire with fear, for the fearful and      flower of the. field that blooms but         above, not from below. That new
unbelieving and abominable and              for a moment and soon dies and is            life is the life of the city that hath
murderers and whoremongers and              past, even so that its place knoweth         foundations, whose builder and ar-
all sorcerers and idolaters and liars       her no more, are we. And the life of         tificer  is God. That new life stands
and dogs - these shall not enter in         generation after generation is like a        antithetically against the old, for the
any wise into that city, but shall have     passing show, a pageant, always              old was of darkness, the new is of
their part with the old serpent in the      coming, always moving always dis-            the light; the old was of the father,
lake that burneth with fire-and brim-       appearing behind the veil of death.          the devil, the new is of God through
stone, which is the second death.           And as we are, so are all things.            Christ; the old loved that which was
    I know that there shall be no           Nothing is stable, all things move.          evil, the new loves that which is
shadow of death there, no pain or           A stream is life, and all things drift       good- and pleasing to God; the old
sorrow, no trouble and affliction, no       along with it. For the world passeth         life was of the earth earthy, the new
fear or distress, for God shall Him-        away and the lust thereof, and there         life is of the Lord from heaven.
self dry the tear-stained faces of His      is in all that world nothing to which            He has become a citizen of that
weary pilgrim-children and fill their       our soul can cling.                          new city, and he walks here with
hearts with everlasting joy;                    In this sense it is true for all men:    the life of that city in his breast.
    I know that there shall benei-          we have no continuing city here.                 He can find no continuing city
ther hunger nor thirst, for the in-         And all things loudly preach: Pre-,          here, no place where he would care
habitants shall drink of the fountain       pare thy house, for thou shalt die!          to build and to abide forever.
of eternal life and eat of the fruit of         The man of the world, the in-                He longs and hopes and yearns
the tree of life and be abundantly          habitant of proud Babylon, may dig           and presses forward.
satisfied with the goodness of their        deep and make his foundations firm,              Till through the gate he will en-
God.                                        and raise his dwelling-place in the          ter into the city.
    His face they shall see.                midst of this world proud and beau-              Christian, here you have no con-
    .And in His light they shall walk.      tiful. He may close his eyes for the         tinuing city.
    His name shall be in their fore-        reality of fleeting things and say to            Press forward you must.
heads.                                      his soul, "My house shall stand for
    And they shall have put off all                                                         **u+*
                                            aye! "
imperfection and all that is of the             But he is a fool.                            Seek that city!
earth earthy, and they shall know as            Yet a little while and the world             Seek it you must, not as one that
they are known and forever and ever         shall be no more. And every home,            gropes in darkness and knows not
behold the beauty of the Lord their         every city, and every proud struc-           the way, neither is certain whether
God.                                        ture that is built upon the founda-          he will ever enter.
    There shall be no night there.          tion of this world shall perish with             The way is certain.
    All the weary night shall be past,      the world.                                       And you need not doubt as to
to be changed into eternal day!                                                          the direction.
148lStandard  Bearer /January 1,1995


    It always starts outside of the            Go out of the gate, therefore.             It is to come!
gate.                                          Have your garments washed in               It isnot yet. Its glory is not yet
    There is, outside of the gate,         His blood.                                 revealed. For .we are saved in hope,
erected on. a little hill, a cross, an         And bear His reproach. For this        and hope that is seen is not hope.
accursed tree, And on the tree there       you cannot escape on the way to the            But it is certain in its coming.
is the Man of sorrows. The world           eternal city. Washed by Him you            God prepared it for you in His eter-
would Him not. Jerusalem loved             are one with Him, and one with Him         nal and immutable counsel. It can-
Him not. As a thing abominable and         you will share His reproach. For           not fail. The end of the pilgrim's
a reproach He was cast out to suffer       the servant is not greater than his        journey that starts outside of the .gate
without the camp. Neither will that        master. If they have hated Him, they       and on the which you are called to
world ever let Him in again. The           will also hate you. The way, then,         bear the reproach of the Sufferer of
sign of that cross remains the sym-        is unmistakably certain.                   Golgotha is the beautiful city of God.
bol of His relation to the world, and          But seek the city. Know that it            And it is about to come.
of the attitude of Jerusalem, whose        is more precious than all the plea-            Yet a little patience and a little
spiritual name is Sodom and                sures and treasures of the world. Set      suffering, yet a little struggle and a
Gomorrah. But on that accursed tree        your heart on it. Long for it. Hope        little battle, and the end. of your jour-
this Man of sorrows shed His life-         for it. Strive for it. Fight for it.       ney shall have been reached.
blood, that you might have prop-           Suffer for it. Bear the cross and the          A very light affliction, quickly
erly washed garments to enter the          reproach of .Him that suffered out-        passing.                               `.
city of eternal light and joy.             side of the gate for it. Press on and          And then eternal joy!
    Over that hill and by that cross,      on; till you may enter .into its gates         Seek that city!
outside of the gate, leads the way.        and have the victory forever.                  Press on! 0
    One cannot miss it.           *




                        A Hope of the Saints
                                                                            .L

    Not fhe hope of the saints.                Theology calls this saving work            Although not our primary hope,
    The hope of the saints is the res-     of Him who is the resurrection and         the expectation of blissful life with
urrection of their body in the day of      the life upon each one of His dying        Christ at death is a distinct, second-
Christ. To this future good theHoly        people the "intermediate state," or        ary hope. It is as urgent to us as
Scriptures insistently direct the ex-      "individual eschatology." Being            death is a real possibility for us. This
pectation of believers: "for the trum-     with Christ in one'ssoul is the hqme-      new  year will bring death to some
pet shall sound, and the dead shall        life of the elect saint after death and    of us. It will bring many of us to
be raised incorruptible" (I Cor.           before resurrection. It is the begin-,     the grave of one  .whom we love;
15:52).                                    ning for each believer personally of       Some who read the January.l,1994
    But a hope of the saints.              the glorious future that is rushing        issue of this magazine were not to
    It is, to be sure, a lesser good       toward the church and the whole            read this issue. It was comfort to
than the resurrection of the body,         creation in the coming of Jesus            them in their dying that they would
but it is a real good for all that. Ad-    Christ the Lord.                           be with Christ, as it was strength to
mittedly, it is not the ultimate long-         In the body, we die. In the body,      their loved ones and fellow saints.
ing of the child of God, but it is a       we are laid. in the grave. In the              The Roman Catholic Church has
definite longing nevertheless.             body, we sleep until the voice of our      always recognized the importance of
    This is the hope of conscious life     Savior and Lord awakens us, rais-          this aspect of the hope afforded by
and glory with Christ in heaven at         ing our body.                              the Protestant gospel of grace.
the moment of death. In the words              In the soul, however, we live.         Rome, therefore; curses all .those who
of the Reformed confession, "my            In the soul, we are with Christ in         teach "that there remains not any
soul after this life shall be immedi-      heaven. In the soul, we are wide           debt .of temporal punishment to be
ately take.n  up to Christ its head"       awake to the love of God in Christ         discharged either in this world, or
(Heid. Cat., Q. 57).                       and to the splendors of heaven.            in the next in purgatory, before the

                                                                                             Ganuary  1,1995lStandard Bearetll49


entrance to the kingdom of heaven                  Christian's being with Christ in his         preacher B. Telder wrote that the be-
can be opened to him" (Canon 30,                   or her soul immediately upon dying           lief that God's children go to heaven
"On Justification," in "The Canons                 is resurrection. Christ Jesus raises         when they die is completely mis-
and Decrees of the Council of                      the one who falls asleep in Him,             taken. This belief comes from the
Trent").                                           raises him or her  in his or her soul.       dualism of Greek philosophy which
    The explanation of the hope of                 At the instant of the death of the           viewed man as composed of two
being with Christ at death is not the              believer, Christ by His Spirit per-          parts, an immortal soul and its vile
natural goodness and inherent im-                  fectly cleanses the soul, which, like        prison, the body. The truth, said
mortality of the human soul. It is                 the body, was defiled with sin, from         Telder, speaking for a movement, is
certainly not the natural goodness                 its pollution. The Heidelberg Cat-           that death is total for the Christian.
and life of the soul in distinction                echism describes this as the "abol-          The entire man or woman is com-
from an intrinsic vileness and cor-                ishing of sin" (Q. 42). Also, the Spirit     pletely in the grave. ,There is no life
ruptibility of the body. The evidence              of Christ renews the soul, which is          with Christ whatever immediately
is that the soul of the reprobate un-              thoroughly earthy, so that it is now         after this life. The resurrection of
believer does by no means live after               adapted to live the heavenly life.           the body is the so2e hope of the be-
death. Spiritually depraved and                    Christ, transforms the soul so that it       liever (see B. Telder, Stevven  . . . en
dead during the earthly life of the                is made like His glorious soul. He           Dan? Gaan de  Kinderen Gods,
unbeliever, that soul dies. eternally              translates the believer, in his soul,        wanneer   Z i j   Sterven,   naar  d e
in the torments of hell immediately                into sinless, heavenly life and glory.       Hemel?,  Kampen, Kok, 1960; the En-
upon physical death (Luke 16:19-31).                   The Heidelberg Catechism ex-             glish translation would be, Death . . .
It exists everlastingly, but it is not             presses that the intermediate state          and Then What? Do the Children of
immortal.                                          is the beginning, the first stage, of        God Go to Heaven When They Die?).
    Even the soul of the believer                  the final resurrection of the Chris-             The belief that God's children go
does not naturally fly away to                     tian when, under the rubric of res-          to heaven when they die does not
heaven at the moment of death, as                  urrection, it teaches that "my soul . . .    derive from Greek philosophy.
if released now from the prison of                 shall be immediately  taken up  to               On the contrary, the unbelief in
an evil body. For one thing, the soul              Christ its head" (Q. 57). My soul            Reformed circles regarding the
.of the believer strains to maintain               will not naturally fly. away to              believer's hope to be with Christ af-
its mysteriously close connection                  "worlds unknown." It will be "taken          ter death derives from unbiblical
with the. body right up to the in:                 up." It will be taken up by Christ.          Dutch philosophy, the deadly dan-
stant of death. God created man a                  It will be taken up in a work of res-        gerous philosophy of the Reformed
unity of soul and body. The violent                urrection. The transporting angels           thinkers, Dooyeweerd and Vollen-
wrenching apart of man is the as-                  will play a definitely minor role.           hoven.
pect of death from which all shrink.                   I believe the resurrection of the            Whoever challenges this descrip-
Even the apostle who could write in                soul, just as I believe the resurrec-        tion of this philosophy will be in-
.Philippians  1:23 that he preferred               tion of the body.                            vited to discuss with me the doc-
departing in death to abiding in the                   Scripture explicitly describes the       trines and goings-on at the head-
flesh admitted, "not for that we                   salvation of the believer in his soul        quarters of Dooyeweerdian philoso-
would be unclothed" (II Cor. 54).                  at death as resurrection. Concem-            phy, the Institute for Christian Stud-
No  one.likes  death. "Sweet death"                ing the living and reigning with             ies in Toronto. We will begin with
is a lie. To the soul of the Christian,            Christ in heaven of the souls of the         Professor H. Hart's glowing intro-
the body is not a miserable prison                 martyrs, it is said that this is the         duction to homosexual Pim Pronk's
to be :escaped, but a dear, familiar               "first resurrection" (Rev.  20:4, 5).        recent book, Against Nature? Types
house to be clung to. No, souls of                 The second resurrection will be the          of  Moral Argumentation regarding
saints do not naturally and easily fly             raising of their bodies at the time of       Homosexuality  (Grand Rapids:
away.                                              the final judgment.                          Eerdmans, 1993).
Besides, the soul, though it                           This is the legitimate, if second-          `The hope of going to heaven
knows the new life of the regener-                 ary, hope of the believer.                   when we die comes from Christ and
ated heart, is adapted for earthly life.               It is not a foolish and false no-        His apostles. Christ said to the dy-
    There is, in addition, the fact that           tion that has intruded itself into the       ing evildoer who trusted in Him in
the soul of the Christian is sinful.               faith of the Reformed churches from          the last moments of his otherwise
Of soul as of body is it true that                 Greek philosophy.. This is the charge        totally wicked life, "Verily I say unto
there is in this life only a small be-             that is being made. There is pres-           thee, Today shalt thou be with me
ginning of the new obedience. Sin-                 ently a campaign within Reformed             in paradise" (Luke 23:43)
ful souls do not naturally fly away                circles to discredit the hope, the               The apostle of Christ wrote to
to heaven.                                         creedal hope, of the intermediate            every one of us who, in present af-
    T h e   e x p l a n a t i o n   o f   t h e    state in this way: Dutch Reformed            fliction, is looking at the things that

150lStandard  Bearer/January 1,1995


are unseen and eternal, that if our            This message of hope is clear,         that .is grounded in the resurrection
earthly house is dissolved we have,       incontrovertible, compelling. The           of the crucified Christ.
at `that instant, a house in the heav-    interpretationthat finds it necessary           Death has been overcome for
ens. Now at home in the body, we          to explain this comforting message          those who are in Christ.
are absent from the Lord.' When the       away is grotesque, whether Roman                In the body, we merely sleep.
moment comes, perhaps in A. D.            Catholic exegesis that wants the                In the soul, we begin to live im-
1995, that we must be absent from         souls of the saints in the fires of pur-    mortal life.
the body (strange and unsatisfactory      gatory or Dutch Reformed exegesis               Nothing in the year of the Lord
condition!), we will be present to the    that wants the souls of the saints in       1995 will be able to separate us from
Lord. And, if truth be told, we can       the darkness and death of the grave.        the love of Christ.
find in ourselves to prefer this (II           Being with Christ immediately              Not even death. 0
Cor. 4:14-5:lO).                          after this life is a message of hope                                          - DJE




                                          low the grammatical-historical-spiri-       doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the text
                                          tual principle, I would appreciate          - the Spirit's (spiritual) Word to the
q  ~"Grammatical-Historical7              your sending them to me.                    church. Good exegesis is spiritual
Spiritual Exegesis"                                            Bernard B. L. Low      (I Cor. 210-16).  Since the Spirit al-
                                                                       Singapore      ways testifies to Jesus Christ, in the
    In the October 1, 1994 issue of                                                   section on the old covenant as in that
the  Standard Bearer,  Prof. Engelsma     R e s p o n s e :                           of the new covenant, sound exege-
called,h&.  Harold Camping back to                                                    sis seeks and finds Christ in the pas-
the grammatical-historical-spiritual          By the grammatical-historical           sage (John 5:39; Luke 24~44-49;  I Pet.
method of Bible interpretation.           method of `exegesis is meant a cer-         l:lO-12).       Spiritual exegesis is
Would you please explain more fully       tam method of discovering the one           Christological exegesis. But Christ
what this is, for those of us who         sense, or meaning, of a particular          is mediator and head of the one cov-
would want to tread carefully on the      passage of the Bible. The grammati-         enant of grace. Therefore, good,
"holy ground" of Jehovah's Word?          cal-historical method seeks to arrive       spiritual, Christological exegesis will
Is the  grammatical-historical-cov-       at the meaning of the text by means         be covenantal exegesis. Rightly are
enantal (method) something differ-        of the right ~understanding of the          the Holy Scriptures known as the
ent? Are there books or literature        words themselves in their connec-           Old and New Testaments, that is,
that you can recommend on this            tions and by means of the right un-         the book of the old and new cov
topic? I'and others will be eagerly       derstanding of the historical setting       enants. The ultimate purpose of the
awaiting your response.                   of the. text (when, where, and why          covenant Christ is the glory of the
                    D. Scott Connerley    the words were spoken, or the event         triune God (John 17~1; Rom. 11:36).
                    Bloomington, IN       took place).                                The glory of God is the "canon
                                              If the words "grammatical-his-          within the canon." Accordingly, we
    Thank you for your article, "Les-     torical," as describing the method of       could call spiritual exegesis "the07
sons from the Recent False Proph-         interpreting the Bible, are taken           logical exegesis."
ecy of the Date of the End of the         strictly and exclusively, this method           As a method, spiritual exegesis
World" (SB, Oct. 1, 1994), which- I       of interpreting the Bible is inad-          operates by means of sound, sober
read with great interest. You men-        equate. Indeed, it is a bad method.         analysis of the words, grammar,
tioned "Camping's repudiation, or         For it leaves the exegete - the one         syntax, and historical setting. It does
ignorance, of sober grammatical-his-      who interprets the Bible - and the          not bypass these elements. It does
torical-spiritual exegesis." Thus far     people whom he teaches without              not minimize these aspects of the
in my seminary training, I have only      any Word of God in the~passage.  A          task of interpretation. But. it is not
been taught grammatical-historical        strict use of this method ignores that      content with them. It cannot stop
exegesis: I would like to find out        the Bible is the inspired Word of God       with these elements and with these
and be enlightened on what you            in Jesus Christ to the church and be-       aspects of the task. <Words, gram-
mean by  grammatical-historical-          liever.                                     mar, syntax, and. historical setting
spiritual exegesis. If the Protestant         The right method of interpret-          stand in the service of the Word.of
Reformed Seminary has any pub-            ing inspired Scripture, the method          God in the passage and express the
lished materials or notes on              required by the Scripture itself, seeks     Word of God. This, this is what ex-
hermeneutics and exegesis which fol-      also, and above all, to discover the        egesis is after.

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     Herman Hoeksema advocated                 geminary notes on "Hermeneutics,"            hi&y of a given text. After the
the "grammatical-historical-spiri-             pp. 9,10,60).                                exegete has invested all those hours
tual" method of exegesis. He wrote:                                                         conscientiously translating the text,
                                                  Louis Berkhof had the same                parsing the verbs, investigating the
     The grammatical-historical inter-       thing in mind when he recom-                   historical backgrounds, and tracing
   pretation is not adequate to give us      mended, in addition to the gram-               the syntactical relationships, there
   the sense of Scripture.                   matical and historical interpretation,         is a feeling of betrayal when all that
     Scripture is a unity, and . . . we                                                     labor fails to deliver a credible mes-
                                             a "theological interpretation": "It is
   must not rest before we have dis-                                                        sage that will speak to modem men
                                             not only perfectly warranted, but ab-
   covered the one meaning of the . . .                                                     and women.. Clearly, something
                                             solutely necessary, to complement
   author of Holy Writ. The gram-                                                           further is needed. But what is it?
   matical, logical, historical interpre-    the  usual grammatical and histori-            The missing ingredient in most ser-
   tation of Scripture is not sufficient.    cal interpretation with a third. The           mon preparation is theological ex-
   Words and sentences are, after ail,       name `Theological Interpretation'              egesis.
  but vehicles that convey the one,          deserves the preference"  (Principles
   central  sigr+icance,  the Word of        of Biblical Interpretation, Baker,               Kaiser wants the exegete to find
   God, which must be discovered by          repr. 1983, pp. 133ff.).                    the theology in the passage. He even
  the spiritual interpretation.                  More recently, Old Testament            suggests what the "center" of this
     The grammatical-historical              scholar Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. has been      theology is: "God's word of bZessing
  method . . . is undoubtedly sound in       urging what he calls the "syntacti-         . . . or promise . . . to be Israel's God and
   as far as it purposes to ascertain                                                    to do someth,ing  for Israel and through
   the precise meaning of the so-called      cal-theological method of exegesis."
   secondary authors. It aims to ar-         He does not fault the traditional           them something for all the nations on
  rive at the sense of the authors ac-       "grammatico-historical exegesis ex-         the face of the earth." That Kaiser,
   cording to grammatical and histori-       cept that it fails to go far enough in      committed to "biblical theology," re-
  cal rules. But although this method        describing the main job of exegesis."       stricts the exegete to a consideration
  is effective in so far, it is neverthe-    According to Kaiser, it fails to dis-       of the theology revealed in Scripture
  less not sufficient. For Scripture is      cover the one Word of God in the            prior to the time of the text with
  more than the mere aggregate of            text. Kaiser describes the failure this     which he is working is not our co&
  its books. It is an organic. whole.        way:                                        tern here. Kaiser, like Hoeksema
  Its one Author is the Holy Spirit.                                                     and Berkhof, pleads for a spiritual,
  To the grammatical-historical inter-
  pretation, by which we may enter             Nothing could be more frustrating         or theological, method of exegesis,
  into the meaning of the human in-            and discouraging to the interpreter       and for the same reason (see Walter
  struments, must be added the spiri-          than to have a message fall flat and      C. Kaiser, Jr., Toward an Exegetical
  tual interpretation of  ~ faith, by          lifeless on an audience after the in-     Theology: Biblical Exegesis  for
  which we may enter into the mean-            terpreter has met all the require-        Preaching and Teaching  Baker, 1981,
 ing of the Holy Spirit (unpublished          ments of investigating the gram-
                                              mar, syntax, literary structure, and       especially, chapters 4 and 6).
                                                                                                                         - E d .   0

                                                       The New Year - ,
                                             Our Times in God's Hand

     I take my pilgrim staff anew,                                 But shouldest Thou visit me again
    Life's path, untrodden, to pursue,                             With languor, sorrow, sickness, pain,
     Thy guiding eye, my Lord, I view;                             Still let this thought my hope sustain,
         My times are in Thy hand.                                       My times are in Thy hand.

    Throughout the year, my heavenly Friend,                       Thy smile alone makes moments bright;
     On Thy blest guidance I depend;                               That smile turns darkness into light;
    From its commencement to its end                               This  thought will soothe grief's saddest night,
         My times are in Thy hand.                                       My times are in Thy hand.

    Should comfort, health, and peace be mine,                     Should those this year be called away
    Should hours of gladness on me shine;                          Who lent to life its brightest ray,
    Then let me trace Thy love divine;                             Teach me in that dark hour to say,
         My  times are in Thy hand.              fi                      My times are in Thy hand.
                                                                                                           Standard Bearer
                                                                                                            January 1,1935

152lStandard  Bearer/January 1,1§9!3


q   NORTH AMERICAN                           Orthodox Presbyterian Church.               discussion the plenary session voted
                                             "Nobody has ever brought any evi-           to change the current system in
PRESBYTERIAN AND                             dence that the RCUS does not meet           which the larger denominations pay
REFORMED COUNCIL                             these standards," said Duff. "Un-           more money to support  NAPARC.
    This Council (NAPARC)  has six           less someone can show that they do          Dues from now on will be divided
member denominations: the Chris-             not meet those qualifications in the        equally among all the member de-
tian Reformed Church, Presbyterian           co.nstitution,  I think they should. be     nominations.
Church in America, Associate Re-             approved."                                          The OPC proposed that
formed Presbyterian Church, Korean               Noting that the RCUS has since          NAPARC  send a letter to the CRC
American Presbyterian Church, Or-            1991 been sending observers to the          containing the  I following statement,
thodox Presbyterian Church, and              meetings  .of the Alliance of Re-           "that this meeting of NAPARC  ,ex-
Reformed Presbyterian Church in              formed Churches (ARC), made up              press to `the Christian Reformed
North America (Covenanters). In              largely of a sizable group of inde-         Church in North America its deep
addition, several other Reformed             pendent churches which have re-             thanks to God for the decision in
and Presbyterian denominations               cently seceded from the CRC, Dr.            which He led the CRC Synod 1994
send observers to its annual meet-           David Engelhard, General Secretary          to disapprove the ordination of
ing. Our churches have had observ-           of the CRC, objected to admitting           women to ruling and teaching office
ers at several recent meetings of            the RCUS. "Some of you know that            in the Church and to express the de-
NAPARC,  though not this year.               these churches (the ones in ARC) are        vout hope that that position will not
    Meeting in Philadelphia last No-,        not exactly in a blessed relationship       change and that the Church will ap-
vember, NAPARC  for the third year           with the Christian Reformed Church          ply the disciplinary work of the
in a row debated whether or not to           at this point," said Engelhard. "The        Church to those who are in viola-
admit the Reformed Church in the             constitution gives what is essential,       tion of this principle as stated in the
United States (RCUS, German Re-              but not all that is important. In the       Church Order of the CRC." When
formed) to full membership in                absence of disavowal of this kind of        the final vote came, the CRC and
NAPARC.  The Interim Committee               activity I'm afraid we have either to       PCA stood alone in voting against
recommended that the RCUS be ad-             abstain or vote against, this, (admit-      sending the letter  tp the CRC. How-
mitted to full membership. At- its           ting the RCUS)," said Engelhard.'           ever, even the PCA's  support of the
plenary session the next day,                    The Rev. Ric Perrin, delegate           CRC was qualified. "The PCA hopes
NAPARC  voted to approve the rec-            from the Presbyterian Church in             passionately that you stay on the
ommendation. If two-thirds of the            America (PCA), also objected to ad-         course you have set, but we vote no
synods or general assemblies of the          mitting the RCUS. He too cited their        on sending the letter," Pen-in  told
NAPARC  denominations agree, the             involvement with ARC. Perrin in-            the CRC delegates as he cast his
RCUS will join NAPARC  as a full             troduced a motion to require the            denomination's vote against the let-
member in 1995. All this, however,           RCUS to disassociate itself from            ter.
was not without lengthy and some-            ARC as a condition of admission.                                  Christian Obsenter
times heated debate at the interim           Perrig's  motion failed. Finally the                               Christian Renewal
committee meeting and, we assume             recommendation passed. The CRC                 Reformed Believer's Press Service
(reporters were barred from this part        voted against admitting the RCUS
of the meeting), at the plenary ses-         and the PCA recorded its abstention         n PCA PUBLISI-iES
sion as well.                                from the vote.                              PSALTER
    "The constitution says that                  It will be interesting to see if the            The Presbyterian Church in
`those churches shall be eligible for        synods and general assemblies of the        America hasjoined more traditional
membership which profess and                 NAPARC  churches approve.                   bodies by issuing a denominational
maintain the basis for fellowship.ex-            In other actions, NAPARC  re-           psalter. The Trinity Psalter is a com-
pressed in section 2 and that main-          jected a proposal for weighted vot-         plete words-only psalter issued with
tain the marks of the true church,"'         ing. Both the CRC and the PCA had           a tune reference list and two styles
noted Rev. Donald Duff, secretary            been advocating this system                 of cover. Nearly half of the 18,000
of'NAPARC  and stated clerk of the           whereby the larger denominations            first printing sold early in the year.
                                             would be accorded more votes than                   Unlike the popular  Book  of
                                             the smaller denominations. The              Psalms  for  Singing,  the  Trinity
ProJ Decker is  projessor-  of  Pracfical    CRC and the PCA account for over            Psalter has only one set of words
Theology in the Protestant Reformed          85% of the total membership of the          per psalm and there is  verse-by-
Seminary.                                    NAPARC  churches. After a brief

                                                                                                   January 1,1995/Standard Bearer/l 53


verse correspondence to Scripture.         lion) is almost certain to double by       lief, will govern family planning"
 PCA pastor Terry Johnson compiled         the end of the next century. Despite       Chesler went on to say.
the book in consultation with Crown        repeated predictions of disaster from          While no one knows the day or
 and Covenant Publications and in co-      most population activists, however,        the hour of our Lord's return, we
 operation with Charles Burney, edi-       recent scientific studies indicate that    do know from Scripture the signs
tor of the Book of Psalms for Sing-        world food production continues to         that indicate its nearness. These
 ing.  In addition to contemporary         outstrip population growth, and,           signs, as recorded in Matthew 24 and
books, some tunes come from the            rather than rising, food prices have       other passages, are occurring in our
 1871 psalter and the Irish psalter.       declined over the last half century.       world with increasing rapidity and
The 130-page  volume sells for $5.00,      According to some experts the              intensity. It would seem, therefore,
 or less in quantity. The PCA does         planet's "gross productive potential"      that the world will not last another
not sing psalms exclusively, but uses      (measured by the available land, cli:      century. However that may be, one
 as well the .Trinity  Hymnal in wor-      mate, and sunlight) could support a        thing is certain, and that is that it is
 ship. Nevertheless we are pleased         trillion people. One of the policies       going to be increasingly difficult for
to see this denomination publish a         for slowing population growth high-        the church and God's people to
psalter, committed as the Protestant       lighted in the Conference was en-          maintain and live the biblical truth
Reformed Churches are to exclusive         hancing the educational, political,        concerning marriage, child-bearing,
psahnody in worship.                       and economic opportunities of              and the place of women in the
                     Christian Observer    women, often over the objections of        church in the days to come.
                                           religious critics. "I think this con-          May God grant to us and all His
n POPULATION AND                           ference can be seen as ending 2000         saints in the world the grace to hold
THE WORLD'S FUTURE                         years of ecclesiastical authority or       the traditions we have been taught
       Recently at the United Nations      jurisdiction over marriage and             from His Word on these matters too
sponsored International Conference         women's lives," asserted Ellen.            (II Thess. 215). And, may our prayer
on Population and Development in           Chesler, biographer of birth control       be, Come, Lord Jesus, yes, come
Cairo it was estimated that the            advocate Margaret Sanger. "Medi-           quickly!
world's population (currently 5.7 bil-     cine and science, not religion and be-                                  Pulse  U





               The Beginning of Miracles
                                                     John               2:1-11


      These verses describe the first      background information. Who the            are in attendance at a marriage in
miracle which Jesus did while He           married couple is, their relationship      Cana of Galilee. A shortage of wine
was on the earth (v. 11). It is char-      to Jesus and the disciples, how Jesus      occurs and Mary comes to Jesus with
acteristic of the gospel according to      and His disciples came to be in-           the obvious hint that it would be a
John that, although it does not in-        cluded in the invitations, what role       nice opportunity for Him to display
,clude as many of the miracles of          Mary played in the marriage celebra-       His power. Jesus rebukes her in love
Christ as do the synoptics,  yet the       tion (plainly she had some role in it)     (Rev. 3:19). His answer indicates a
ones John does relate .he describes        - to all of these questions we are         number of things. First, that the re-
with great care. j                         given no.answers.  These things are        lationship between Mary and Jesus
      As  ,to  the- occasion for this      in the background, in order that our       was much more than just mother
miracle, we are not  -given much           attention might be focused upon the        and son (John 1925-27).  Second, that
          I, .                             power and the glory of Christ.             the counsel of God with respect to
               .%                              We are informed that it was            how He would be revealed as the
:Rev. l&k is pastor of Befhel Profes-      three days after Philip and Nathanael      Christ had been carefully laid down
ifanf Reformed Church in Elk Grove, Il-    had started following Jesus (1:43 and      by God ("My hour is not yet come").
`linois...     i.                          2:1), and that Jesus and the disciples     Hendricksen puts it well when he

154lStandard  Bearer /January 1,1995


states: "Christ is conscious of the          sons, even when they are the least           Q u e s t i o n s : .
fact that he would accomplish a task         deserving of it" (Form for the Con-          1. What is the "third day" referred
intrusted to him by the Father, ev-          firmation of Marriage).                      to in verse l?
ery detail of which had been marked                2.Zt shows that the Christian may      2. What can be drawn from the
out in eternal decree, so that for each      engage in legitimate times of rejoicing      passage as to the details of Mary's
act there was a stipulated moment."          and happiness (Eccl. 10:9). Jesus was        role in this marriage; the reason
Finally, all of our Lords miracles           no ascetic who denied Himself times          Jesus is invited; and the relation be-
and work were directed toward the            of lawful happiness and the enjoy-           tween the married party and either
central "hour," which was the cross.         ment of food, wine, and commun-              Jesus or His disciples?
(For "my hour" see John 7:8,30; 8:20;        ion (Matt.  11:19).  "Here too Christ        3. Discuss what Mary must have
12:23,27;  13:l; 16:32; 17%)                 indicates that he is not displeased          been thinking when she informed
    The miracle itself shows both the        with a marriage feast, nor with the          Jesus that there was no wine. Give
power of Christ to change by His will        things that belong to a wedding such         other scriptural references which
water to wine, and the abundance or          as adornments, cheerfulness, eating,         demonstrate what might be called
lavishness of Christ to provide, in ex-      and drinking, according to the us-           Mary's "motherly concern for the
cess of 100 gallons, the best wine for       age and custom of the country . . .          success of her son."
the marriage feast. John concludes           only so far as these things are used         4. What is meant by the Lord's re-
by telling us that the purpose for           in moderation and in keeping with            sponse to Mary in verse 4?
this miracle was to reveal Christ's          a marriage" (Martin Luther).                 5. Explain the significance of the
glory. But this is so only for the                                                        Lord's "hour."
disciples, to whom it serves as a sign       Outline of John 21-11                        6. Of what is wine a sign in the
to confirm their faith.                      1. The setting for the miracle (w.           Bible? references? Discuss the dif-
    There are a number of lessons                  1,2).                                  ference between the legitimate use
that we should learn in this first           2. Mary's informing Jesus of the             of wine and food and the sin of
miracle.                                           lack of wine and the Lord's in-        drunkenness and,over-indulgence.
    1. It shows that Christ honors mar-            structive rebuke (w. 3-5).             7. Discuss the comfort that Jesus'
riage. Christ's presence at this mar-        3. The miracle itself (w. 6-8).              presence at this marriage gives to
riage is indeed a high honor paid to         4. The governor's commending of              married people (see I Tim. 4:1-3).
the married life. "For this reason                 the excellence of the wine (w.         8. What was the purpose of Jesus'
the Lord Jesus Christ did also highly              9,lO).                                 miracles? What result or fruit do
honor it with his presence, gifts, and       5. The notice that this is Christ's          they have on the believer? on the
miracles in Cana of Galilee, to show*              first miracle, the purpose for it,     unbeliever?
thereby that this holy state ought to              and the effect of it in the dis-       9. What are the central lessons to
be kept honorably by all, and that                 ciples (v. 11).                        be learned from this miracle? Q
he will aid and protect married per-




                                                     Victory in Christ


    One moment on earth, the next in heaven,                     One moment on earth, the next in heaven,
            0 what a change it must be!                               Love's family tie is no more;
    To close one's eyes in this troubled world,                  Our loved one has gone, but we must go on
            In heaven, the Savior to see.                             Till we meet on that beautiful shore.

    One moment on earth, the next in heaven,                     "Lord, help us each day as we go our way- -..* .
    All pain and discomfort are past; :                '              Till the time when our moment will come;         '
   #No sorrow for sin, no battles to win,                        Then our Work will be done, our race will be w&`i
            True vict'ry  has now come at last.                       And we'll enter our heavenly home." Anneffa ]ansen
                                                                                                  .I
                                                                           _
    E                                                                                                          Dori, Michigan
                                                                                                                       -- :


                                                                                                 January 1,1995/Standard Beard155


            (kegon Voter                                                 opt Nation's,
                        First Physician-Assisted
                                              Suicide Law

                                              nity Law allows physicians to pre-       mune" from civil and criminal liabil-
     Those of us who wrote Oregon's           scribe and furnish lethal drugs to a     ity. The law also declares that any
Death with *Dignity Act are . . . t"&ni-      patient who wishes to die a "humane      benefits under a life, health, or acci-
nally ill people who believe it is our        and dignified" death. Although the       dent insurance policy shall not be
right - not the government's - to de-         physician is not authorized actually     affected by such a suicide.
cide when and how our lives should end.       to administer the lethal dosage, he
                   - Geoff Sugarman,          may be present at the time the sui-      The Right to Choose
           Oregon Right to Die (1994)         cide act is committed.                     The Oregon initiative is the cul-
                                                  Under the new law, the legal sui-    mination of years of lobbying efforts
     The Oregon Death with Dignity            cide process begins when the patient     by the Hemlock Society and other
Act, a ballot initiative ostensibly en-       makes at least two oral and one writ-    so-called right-to-die groups who
hancing the freedom of dying patients,        ten request to end his life. The at-     contend that each individual ought
is in fact a fvightful  license for physi-    tending physician must then deter-       to have the right to choose how and
cians to prescribe death, free from ouf-      mine whether the patient has a "ter-     when to end his life. The Oregon
side scrutiny and immunefvom  possible        minal disease," which is defined as      "victory" gives the suicide-rights
prosecution  - all in the name of a hu-       an "incurable and irreversible dis-      movement new impetus. Euthana-
mane and dignifies death. Relief of suf-      ease which will produce death            sia initiatives are now under con-
fering becomes the elimination of the suf-    within six months."                      sideration in' Connecticut and New
ferer.                                                                                 Hampshire. Similar euthanasia laws
                  -Dr. Leon Kass,             Safeguards                               were defeated in California in 1992
          The Hastings Center (1994)              A second physician must then         and in Washington state in 1991.
                                              confirm the diagnosis and also de-           Euthanasia zealots are led by
     Apparently oblivious to Dylan            termine that the patient is acting       Derek Humphry, the author of  Final
Thomas' poetic plea ("Do not go               "voluntarily" and not suffering from     Exif,  a how-to manual describing al-
gentle into that good night/Rage,             a "psychological disorder or depres-     ternative methods for committing
rage against the dying of the light"),        sion causing impaired judgment."         suicide. Another proponent, Dr.
Oregon voters recently legalized sui-         Additional "safeguards" in the law       Jack Kevorkian, a retired Michigan
cide for adults suffering from a ter-         require a fifteen-day waiting period     pathologist who has earned the
minal illness. The election-day bal-          after the patient makes his required     grisly title "Dr. Death" for his assis-
lot initiative passed by a slim mar-          two oral and one written request (see    tance in some 21 deaths, is presently
gin (52% to 480/o), and the nation's          box, next page) for the lethal drug,     leading a ballot drive for a state con-
first physician-assisted suicide law          allowing the physician to "offer the     stitutional amendment to secure a
was to take effect on December 8,             patient an opportunity to rescind his    "right-to-die" in Michigan.
1994.                                         request." Notification of family or          Many observers of the suicide-
     The so-called Death with Dig-            spouse is not required, so that a pa-    rights crusade are noting its close
                                              tient could ingest the lethal dosage     relationship to the abortion rights
                                              and die without his spouse's or          movement. In fact, when asked dur-
                                              family's knowledge or consent.           ing a recent interview why the eu-
                                                  The Oregon law declares that         thanasia movement has gained such
Mr. Lanting,  a member of South Hol-          physicians who prescribe. and fur-       momentum in recent years, Derek
land Profesfanf Reformed Church, is a         nish the lethal drugs in good faith      Humphry replied that the turning
practicing attorney.                          compliance with  .the act are "im-       point was the Supreme Court case

156lStandard  Bearer/January 1,1995


                                                                              `8                                   i                 i             /,
                                                       -:. _  _  (_  _  .(                                                                                                                                    .,           `
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 .                   ,_                                                              recent issue of the Wall Street Jour-
    `y                               .  `.'             . . .                .o~e~~~i.&..~us   be&   *ii&   i__  :                                                                                                                                                    _I                         .'  .(
                                               :  ._                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 nal entitled "Death by Ballot in Or-
    __- `<n &e&on day: last November; `Oregon%&&  approved the                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       egon" stating:
     Oregon'%%ath` with -Dignity?` law. (Seetext.) The law .permits-a
    ~physician`to  prescribe`s lethal cdrug `when`rejluested  by a patient                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             And physician-assisted suicide,
    suffering from : anillriess w-hi& physicians. predict. will result, in                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             once legal, will not stay confined
    death'$.&in6 months. `The, new &ego, leg&l&ion,  which was to                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      to those who.freely  elect it - and
     go `into< effects December S,2994; requires the patient desiring -s&                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              its boosters do not really want it
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       thus. Why? Because most people
     tide to's@%, the follc$&g ominous"Written  request `ti: is                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              `..
                                                         ..i(                                   (_                                                                                                                                     1  s,.,.                                                              <         who "merit" a humane and digni-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       fied death"  - persons with senil-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ity, mental illness, or Alzheimer's
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       disease;  deformed infants;  and re:
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       tarded or dying children - are in-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       capable of requesting death for
     tending physician` ha$ determinerlis~a terminal disease, and< which:'                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             themselves. But lawyers, encour-
     l&$been  medically confirmed, by a consultingphysizian.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        I; i :.                            aged by the cost-containers, will sue
             J'<fiave been fully inforined-of `my .diavosis, pro&&&$the  na-                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           to rectify this inequity. Why, they
     ture. of medicationtobe  prescribed~and 1;&@l&i as;ociated  .&sks;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                will argue, should the comatose or
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       demented be denied the right to as-
    .the.`~~e~ted~re~ult~ .and the feasible alternatives, including .comfort                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           sisted suicide? Court-appointed
    care,  hos&ce  care `and  ~ain~,control.   ' . :                                                                                                                                       .  `<  '                                                  <-                     _                                i         proxy consenters will quickly erase
     il.  I'iequest  that my &ten&&g physicianl&&ibe  medic&ion that
                                                                                                                                     ,  ,*  (.  ;..;'  (1                             T                                                                                                                                the distinction between the right to
    kill
    kill end-my
                end-my life in a humane ana,
                                                        life in a humane ana,  cugnmea
                                                                                                                                           cugnmea  manner.
                                                                                                                                                                                   manner.
                       !                                 I,                                                                                                                                         ,(,,(,                                                                                                             choose one's own death and the
             __'' !                                      I,
                            <<                                   ,.%,.%                                 .,..,.            _,_,                   <SC<SC
                                                                                                                                           c-c-   .<.<                                      ,.,.
                                                                                                                                                                       (.(
                                                                                                                                                                       (.(                              ._._                                                                                                 <-<-      right to request someone else's.
     &.&
     &.&   (jne:
                                     (jne:   _;_;   .:`
                                                                             .: ,`,   " "  ii   `: `:  ((   "-1
                                                                                                                              "-1   .;.;                                            `: 
                                                                                                                                                                                    `:                                 `::`::                                    (.(.   ::   --   `:`:
    `z.1
    `z.1 have 
                     have ,informed"~my
                                                  ,informed"~my  family 
                                                                                                            family `of
                                                                                                                                           `of  rmy
                                                                                                                                                             rmy  :der+i~n
                                                                                                                                                                             :der+i~n  and taken their
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      and taken their                                                                                The Dutch Experience
    :opinions,into
    :opinions,into    considera$on:~
                                                            considera$on:~    `I`I   1.1.   `, `,  _._.   `. `.  .i.i   -'- '  ;;   II   ::   ii                                                                                       `_`_                 ::  "" II                                                    Many critics of the Oregon law
    2 II have decided:not.to  inform my familyofmy
               have decidednotto inform my                                                                                                                                                                       decision.
                                                                                                                                                                     familvofmy decision.  ._'   '  ::                                                                                                               also allude to the current state of
    ,zIhsve   noL~arnily~t&nform~of   m y   d e c                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    affairs in the Netherlands, where as-
                                                                                                                                                                                       s i s i o n ,                                                        '                                                .`.`
    -1
          -`I   unr&rstand.t&
                    understand.that    1: `have&he$=ight
                                                                                               Il$ave&heright  to rescind this request at any
                                                                                                                                                              to rescind this request at any                                                                                                                         sisted suicide is technically illegal
     time:`
     time;.t ,`
                      `, :'
                             `:  
                                    '  _,i_ 
                                               _,i-  ,' ( '' :,,., 
                                                                                    :,,.,  \.\ ' * ' __
                                                                                                      ' __    :1   ::' 
                                                                                                                                      '  )~ 
                                                                                                                                           ,;<  (,._,
                                                                                                                                                           (,._,   (~'<SC                  ._                        ~                         `_
                                                                                               : 
                                                                                               .-_-                 ::                                                                     -_  .'  `_  ,'                                                                        II                          "_"_    though nonetheless widely practiced
    :: `-`I  -I 
           :I. undersiand
                                                                     '
                    undersiand the
                                                                      '  
                                                                             the fullimuact
                                                                                         full~mpact  of 
                                                                                                                                      of this&&$and
                                                                                                                                                 this%questand  jr 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        I. expe$to.die
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        expe$to.die                                                                  by Dutch physicians in accordance
     when I take the'medication  to:be<prescribed,  i `_, `: 
                                                                                                                                                                                                      `.. `,,  [:' j(                                                                             &.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  I_ -                               ;_). ; -i.'                                     with certain "guidelines." A recent
             . I, 
               I,  make&s
                       mal+.t@s  request volunta&ly~ 
                                                                    request voluntarily. ,&d
                                                                                                                                                           ,and  without res&vation,  and- I
                                                                                                                                                                        without reservation, and- I                                                                                                                  official Dutch government study of
     accept full 
     accept full `moral
                                                  `moral   responsibilit~yfor
                                                                               responsibilit~yfor my, 
                                                                                                                                                  my, act@@
                                                                                                                                                                             act@@  ._._  "" `,`, `, `,  `. `.  II   __   : :  1;;
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ..;i   .:.:               the practice of euthanasia in that
     Signed:
     SiPned:   `
                                          `, ,   ,`  ,' -,  -, `I  `I"   - _"
                                                                                                                  `,  -.  _. `:  ' -  .'
                                                                                                                                                                  ._-    ,_ . `-_'   . i 
                                                                                                                                                                                           '  1 (' 1.  'i   .._
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       (,,   '  ~ ,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  ~ ,    :,-t, `,-,-                                 country provided some distressing
    ,,&jGe~;+  :<I<  _~,  (  ~__,'  ;e-`:`,'  (  1,                                                                                                                                                                        2.                                     _..
     IsQL.GU.                                              _~)                          .~._.                             `.L<(                                        <-.I"  `cm`  -_  "`j  i'j  `.."                                                                                                               statistics. The study showed that
                    ((                         iiii                           .c_*.
                                                                              .c_*.   //   `_`_                                     ~,  i  ::  ,,  `ye                                                   -*_,
                    :": 
                    :":  __   _-_-                                                   `. .
                                                                                     `. .                                           ~,  i  ::  ,,  `ye
                                                                                                                   `_`_ __`. `.             ,;:.
                                                                                                                                            ,;:. .:.: . 
                                                                                                                                                                   . -,.-,. : : `i 
                                                                                                                                                                                           `i                              ;,..'
                                                                                                                                                                                            .,:z
                                                                                                                                                                                            .,:z   -.-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                -.-                                                                      `_`_                        more than 40% of Dutch physicians
                                                                                     ..,..,                                                                                                            ..`..
                                                                                                                                                                                                         `..                                                                               <<                        have performed invoZu&aly  eutha-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     nasia  - i.e., administration of lethal
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     drugs to' patients without their
of Roe V. Wade, a decision which in-                                                                                                                 licly opposed the Oregon legislation.                                                                                                                           knowledge and consent. This oc-
vented a new right "to choose one's                                                                                                                 He argued that the law would cre-                                                                                                                                curs even though that country's eu-
own destiny." And now that Or-                                                                                                                       ate an environment where suicide                                                                                                                                thanasia guidelines are more strin-
egon has blazed the trail, several                                                                                                                  would become the first line of de-                                                                                                                               gent than the Oregon law and re-
other states will undoubtedly adopt                                                                                                                 fense against terminal disease. Dr.                                                                                                                              quire that the choice of death must
similar legislation in the near future.                                                                                                             Koop also maintained that the Or-                                                                                                                                be informed and voluntary. The re-
                                                                                                                                                     egon measure is ripe for abuse be-                                                                                                                              port also alarmingly indicated that
Death as a Therapeutic Option                                                                                                                       cause of inadequate safeguards and                                                                                                                               there are about 1,000 cases per year
   .- Although suicide proponents                                                                                                                   reporting requirements. Moreover,                                                                                                                                of such involuntary euthanasia, half
were elated over the Oregon tri-                                                                                                                   because  ' of recent concerns -about                                                                                                                              of which are performed without
umph, many physicians and medi-                                                                                                                     health care cost containment, the                                                                                                                                family consultation.
cal ethicists are distressed and                                                                                                                    poor, elderly, frail and disabled per-                                                                                                                               It appears that the new Oregon
troubled by the Oregon law which                                                                                                                     sons will, in his opinion, inevitably                                                                                                                           law has commenced a new era in
arguably transforms doctors into                                                                                                                   become unwilling victims.                                                                                                                            1            this country where physicians are
agents of death. Dr.  `C. Everett                                                                                                                                    Dr. Leon Kass, a physician and                                                                                                                  now licensed to kill thosewho  wish
Koop, the former-United States Sur-                                                                                                                 medical'ethicist at the University of                                                                                                                            to "exit" this world with a "humane
geon General, vehemently and pub-                                                                                                                   Chicago, published an article in a                                                                                                                               and dignified" death, and if the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           January 1,1995/Standard Bearer/l57


Dutch experience is any indicator,         national press is the additional hor-      one is suffering from a painful ter-
the only question that now remains         ror that our nation (or at least a ma-     minal illness, but we would hope
is whether the elderly, the senile, the    jority of citizens) is now insensible      that pain medications coupled with
mentally ill, and retarded or dying        to the notion of the sanctity of life      loving consolation is the virtuous
children are next, victims to invol-       and the biblical truth that the Holy       way to face that last enemy, death.
untary euthanasia, when, in the            Spirit alone is the author, giver, and     To submit obediently to God's provi-
physician's judgment, induced death        taker of life. Reformed Christian          dence and will, even in the face of
would be more "humane and digni-           families will continue to agonize          pain and suffering is, after all, the
fied."                                     over sometimes difficult medical de-       only way to die with true Christian
    Lost in all of this debate in the      cisions encountered when a loved           dignity.  0





                      Is There a Basis for Unity
                          etween Roman Catholics
                                    and Evangelicals?

    Recently a group of prominent              This venture has created quite a       the introduction:
evangelical leaders and conservative       stir in the evangelical world and
Roman Catholic scholars spentsome          deeply shocked some of the more              We are Evangelical Protestants and
eight months drafting a document           conservative evangelicals in North           Roman Catholics who have been led
which sets forth their views on unity      America. We believe that this docu-          through prayer, study, and discus-
and cooperation between Catholics          ment represents a shameful and evil          sion to common convictions about
and Evangelicals for the 21st cen-         compromise of the Christian faith            Christian faith and mission.  This
tury. The title of this document is                                                     statement cannot speak officially for
                                           and indicates how far some Protes-
"Evangelicals and Catholics To-                                                         our communities. It does intend to
                                           tant leaders of our day are willing          speak responsibly from our corn-'
gether." It was signed by a long list      to go to join with the Roman Church          munities and to our communities.
of notable evangelicals, including,        and forget about the great Reforma-          In this statement we address what
among others, Mr. Charles Colson           tion of the 16th century. Space limi-        we have discovered both about our
of the Prison Fellowship, Dr. J.I.         tation prevents us from quoting the          unity and about .our differences.
Packer of Regent College,  OS              entire eight pages of this document.         We are aware that our experience
Guinness from the Trinity Forum,           We will in this article give only a          reflects the distinctive circum-
Bill Bright, head of Campus Cru-           brief summary of some of the main            stances and opportunities of
sade, televangelist Pat Robertson, Ri-                                                  Evangelic&  and Catholics living
                                           tenets proposed and our critique of
chard Mouw of Fuller Seminary,                                                          together in North America. At the
                                           them.                                        same time we believe that what we
Mark Noll of Wheaton  College, and             The subtitle of this. statement is       have discovered and resolved is
John White of Geneva College.              "The Christian Mission in the Third          pertinent to the relationship be-
Many of these are leading and re-          Millennium." The expressed pur-              tween Evangelicals and Catholics in
spected evangelicals of our time who       pose of this effort is somehow to            other parts of the world. We there-
have authored numerous books and           bring together the two. major                fore commend this statement,, to
gained wide popularity as confer-          branches of Christianity, namely             their prayerful consideration.
ence speakers.                             Evangelicals and Roman Catholics,
                                           divided by the Reformation. The                Further opening statements of
                                           noble- objective for doing this is to      the document stress the urgency for
                                                                                      Christian unity. Included is the
Rev. denHarfog is pastor of Hopi Prot-     present to the world a united Chris-       noble sounding statement: "As
estant Reformed Church in Redlands,        tian front to face the great challenges    Christ is one, so the Christian mis-
California.                                of the third millennium. We quote

1 BE/Standard Bearer /January  1,19!35


       sion is one." Reference is made to           should at least not imagine that their    morality among today's youth; and
       the great High Priestly prayer of our        differences are very major and they       the widespread promotion of por-
       Lord in which He prayed for the              should unite together in the love of      nography and the celebration of sex
       unity of the church.                         Christ. After all, the great mark of      and violence by the modern-day me-
           Included in this document is a           the disciples of Christ is that they      dia. A plea is made for mutual ac-
       brief statement of faith which Ro-           love each other. Roman Catholics          ceptance among the races of the
       man Catholics and Protestants sup-           and Evangelicals must demonstrate         world and equality across sexes and
       posedly have in common. Several              this love by joining together in a        classes of peoples in the world.
       passages of Scripture are quoted to          united witness to the world.              Statements are made about promot-
       give the appearance of legitimacy to             Most of the wording of this           ing free and vibrant market econo-
       this statement of faith. The final ba-       statement focuses on what its pro-        mies for the equal distribution of the
       sis for unity between Catholics and          ponents believe to be the great chal-     world's wealth. An appeal `is even
       Evangelicals is to be the Apostles'          lenges of the third millennium. The       made for renewed appreciation of
       Creed, which is to be the only com-          greatest challenge of all is massive      Western culture and for the realistic
       mon confession.                              worldwide missions to seek to bring       and responsible understanding of the
         It is declared that  evangelicals          to conversion the millions of people      role of America in world affairs.
       ought to recognize that Roman                in the world that still are not Chris-    One wonders how the church, so
       Catholics and Protestants are broth-         tians. The two greatest communi-          busy with all these social and politi-
       ers and sisters in Christ. In several        ties in world Christianity "that are      cal issues, wilI ever have any time
       places Protestants and Catholics are         most evangelistically assertive and       to preach the gospel and take care
       called upon to repent, of the evil           most     rapidly growing          are     of the people of God. In the lengthy
       judgments they  have. in the past            Evangelicals and Catholics." It is to     section describing all the social ills
       made of one another's doctrines and          be deplored that in many parts of         of our times, much language is bor-
       accept each other in the spirit of           the world these two communities           rowed from American political phi-
       Christian love. While it is recog-           are living in conflict and animosity      losophy and ideology.
       nized that there are long-standing           when they should be cooperating               In the concluding paragraphs of"
       differences between Roman Catho-             with each other. The division be-         this statement a fervent appeal is
       lics and Protestants, these are not to       tween these two is called "the scan-      once again made for Catholics and
       be considered of such magnitude              dal of the cross." The urgency of         Evangelicals to recognize that both
       that they preclude working together          the challenge of world missions is        Protestantism and Roman Catholi-
       to face the challenges of our times.         increased by the rapid growth and         cism are legitimate expressions of
       By all means these two camps in              spread of the Moslem religion, a re-      the Christian faith. Though there is
       Christendom should not look at each          ligion hostile to Christianity and ac-    to be appreciation for long-standing'
       other as enemies, neither should they        tively seeking to prevent the preach-     differences of expression of Christi-
       engage in "sheep stealing" in each           ing of the gospel in Moslem coun-         anity, we ought to unite as brothers
       other's communions. In the lan-              tries. In connection with this latter,    and sisters in Christ in promoting
       guage of the statement: "in view of          "encouraging" words are spoken            the cause of the kingdom of Christ
       the large number of non-Christians           about open and friendly dialogue be-      Jesus. It is suggested that there is
       in the world and the enormous chal-          tween Moslems and Christians initi-       little hope of ever determining with
       lenge of our common evangelistic             ated recently by Pope John Paul II.       finality the right interpretation of the
       task, it is neither theologically legiti-        Catholics and Evangelicals must       Bible in regards to the great doc-
       mate nor a prudent use of our re-            contend together for religious free-      trines of Scripture. Therefore we
     sources for one Christian commu-               dom which is called U the source and      ought to tolerate widely different in-
       nity to proselytize among active ad-         shield of all freedoms." Pope John        terpretations, realizing that no one
       herents of another Christian commu-          Paul is cited as the great champion       really has the final answer to what
       nity."                                       of our times of religious freedom.        truth is anyway.
           What this is saying is that Prot-            The other great challenges men-           What must we say about all of
       estants ought to cease and desist            tioned are, largely, seeking a rem-       this? First of all, any true Protestant
       from seeking to convert Roman                edy for the great moral and social        ought to be alarmed that now, al-
       Catholics to Protestantism since both        issues of our modern world. In-           most five hundred years after the
       Protestantism and Roman Catholi-             cluded are issues such as the exclu-      Reformation, it is being strongly sug-
       cism are equally legitimate  expres-
.                                                   sion of religion from the schools of      gested that the Reformation was
       sions of the true Christian religion.        our land; abortion; the continued ex-     largely a mistake, an evil blot on the
       One can be saved either `by believ-          ploitation of women in many societ-       history of Christianity. -The doctri-
       ing Protestant doctrine and practice         ies; the rising tide of voices to         nal differences between Roman Ca-
       or Roman Catholic doctrine and               legitimatize euthanasia; concerns         tholicism and Protestantism that
       practice. Catholics and Evangelicals         about public education; growing im-       were so valiantly contended for in

                                                                                                     January 1,1995lStandard BearerllS9


the Reformation.were really of very        cause of Christ." But no Roman             We certainly believe that the great
little moment. One can be saved, af-       Catholic has ever disagreed with           commission of our Lord stands un-
ter all, either as a Roman Catholic        that. No Roman Catholic at the time        til the day of His glorious return on
or as a Protestant. The thousands          of the Reformation would have dis-         the clouds at the end of the world.
of martyrs who gave their lives for        agreed with that statement. The            The true church of Jesus Christ must
the cause of the precious truth of         great battle of the Reformers, the         be zealous to preach the gospel
the gospel were seriously mistaken         truth for which they were willing to       wherever the Lord sends and opens
in their zeal and really `died in vain.    give their very lives, was the                 the door. She must be ready to
There was no need for all of this. In      truth that we are saved by                                make all the necessary sac-
fact, the above mentioned document         faith alone and by grace                                     rifices, face the great
even suggests that the judgment of         alone, and through              The cause of the               challenges, fearlessly
Roman Catholic doctrine by the great       Christ alone. Really         preaching of the gospel             confront the dangers
Reformers was an evil that the mod-        the one word alone             - is not advanced                 and hardships to be
ern-day church ought to repent of.         was the issue of the             by the church                    obedient unto the
    In the interest of unity between       whole  Reforma-                    when she                       Lord's  commis-
Catholics and Protestants, doctrinal       tion. That word              compromises the gospel               sion. The preach-
differences should at least be de-         stood against the                 so seriously                    ers of the gospel
emphasized. The statement of faith         great evil of Roman              that she is left                must be ready to die
presented by the proponents men-           Catholic doctrine                 with little or                for this cause if the
tioned above suggests a minimizing         which teaches that we         no gospel to preach.             Lord so calls them to.
of doctrine to a few lowest common         are saved in part by                                         However, the cause of
                                                                                                _
denominators, .vague statements of         Christ and in part by our                                 the preaching of the gospel
truth. Everyone who "accepts Jesus         own good works.                                is .not advanced by the church
as Lord" in a very general way is to           The whole system of Roman Ca-          when she compromises the gospel
be recognized as a legitimate Chris-       tholicism is based on this dreadful        so seriously that she is left with little
tian. The Apostles' Creed is to be         Christ-denying and God-dishonoring         or no gospel to preach. The church
the only statement of doctrinal agree-     error. The Roman Catholic Church           of Jesus Christ is faithful to the great
ment. The result of this, however,         today has done nothing about re-           commission when she preaches the
is that almost all the great and dis-      penting from this error. It contin-        full-orbed gospel and steadfastly
tinctive doctrines of the Reformed         ues by its official confessions and        maintains without compromise all
faith are relegated to a place of mi-      teaching today to deny the great           the glorious doctrines of the gospel,
nor importance or at least are stated      doctrine of salvation by faith alone,      which we believe are all doctrines
in such a vague and general way            grace alone, Christ alone. This is         of the sovereign grace of God. God
that everyone can agree. This is a         not a minor matter, simply a matter        is glorified by that doctrine and de-
very great evil. The doctrines of the      of difference in perspective, but a        nied when that doctrine is compro-
Reformed faith restored by God to          simple and plain denial of the es-         mised.
His beloved church in the Reforma-         sentials of the gospel. The statement             Love for God and His Son Jesus
tion were not minor points of truth,       mentioned above is guilty of selling       Christ must be manifest in our love
but they constitute the very,heart  of     the truth of the Reformation down          for the truth of God. We do not
the gospel.                                the river.                                 manifest this love by minimZng the
    Not only is the statement of faith         Furthermore, it is not at all true     gospel and reducing all its great doc-
of this document to be criticized for      that the great doctrines of salvation      trines to issues of little consequence
its generalities and vagueness, it is      are so obscure in the Scriptures that      for the faith and life and practice of
to be criticized .most severely for        centuries of theologians have not          the church. Love for God is mani-
leaving out the central tenets of the      been able to discover with finality        fest in receiving with humble grati-
gospel. The most shocking example          their true meaning. One of the great       tude the heritage of the truth that
of this is that the truth of justifica-    truths of the Reformation is the truth     He has given to His church and
tion by faith alone and by grace           of the clarity of Scripture with re-       seeking to lead the church into a
alone, the truth which everyone            gard to all that is necessary to know      deeper understanding and develop-
ought to know was the very heart           unto salvation. The true doctrine of       ment of this truth, not in reducing it
of the Reformation, is considered by       salvation is so clearly written in the     all to insignificant doctrine.
the supposedly Protestant Evangeli-        Scriptures that it can be known by                Yes, we must seek the true unity
cal signers of this statement no           every Spirit-filled child of God and       of the church and that in the love of
longer an essential of the gospel. It      must be distinctly and steadfastly         Christ. But neither unity nor true
is true that this statement of faith       maintained by the church.                  love is possible when the truth of
claims to believe that we "are saved           What about the noble objective         God and of Christ is ignored and
by grace and through faith and be-         to preach the gospel to the world?         compromised. We do not genuinely

160lStandard  Bearer/January 1,1995


de for the souls of God's elect who           ment of the law of God. Not any of          great moral and social evils. It does
must be saved.when  we do this sort           these things are changed in the mod-        not. address these"problems  with a
of thing.                                     ern-day church of Rome. What                mixture of political humanistic phi-
    May-the Protestant church today           about all of this? Are these not seri-      losophy and a semblance of the gos-
minimize the fact that Roman Ca-              ous errors anymore when judged by           pel as the document mentioned
tholicism continues to maintain the           the unchangeable and infallible~stan        above does. The answer, the only
gross errors that  .were  rightly con-        dard of the Word of God? Yet the            true answer, to all these problems is
demned by the Reformers? The Re-              above mentioned statement makes             genuine repentance and conversion
formers condemned the Pope for                no mention of all these things.             to God worked by the sovereign
claiming to be the vicar of Christ.               The Reformers considered the            power of the grace of God in the
The .Pope still makes that claim to-          errors of the Roman Church to be            hearts of men through the true
day. The Reformers condemned the              so serious that God's people within         preaching of the gospel.
Pope for his claim of being able to           this church had+ to be warned and               The Reformation must be con-
speak.ex  cathedru.  He still makes that      called to come out of her for the sal-      tinued, not by forgetting about its
claim today. The Reformers con-               vation of their own soul and for the        great and glorious doctrines but by
demned the Pope as being a mani-              sake of the glory of God. Will the          constant reaffirmation of these doc-
festation of the antichrist. Today so-        Protestant church today then agree          trines and the faithful distinctive
called Protestants will have friendly         that it is theologically illegitimate to    preaching of these doctrines by the
dialogue with him and praise him              proselytize Roman Catholics?                true church of Jesus Christ. Never
for his great achievements. The Re-           Rather, true preachers of the gospel        will the true Protestant church com-
formers called the mass of the Ro-            who love the souls of God's elect           promise these doctrines in a false
man Catholic Church "cursed idola-            will continue with utmost urgency           show of the love of Christ before
try" because of its claim of being a          to call any saint of God left in these      the world.. She shows the love for
re-offering of Christ. The Reform-            churches out of the apostate Roman          Christ when she .insists that these
ers condemned the worship of Mary             Church.                                     doctrines are of such momentous
as Mariolatry. The Reformers con-                 What about a united front to face       significance that she is ready to die
demned the worship of saints and              the moral and social evils of. our          in defending and,maintaining  them.
of images in the church as .a gross           modern-day world? The true gos-
violation of the second command-              pel has much to say about these





   -.        -  Minuh  anb:Ardiives

                                                                                          nished at the next meeting of the
                                              Furnishing Previous Minutes                 broader assembly.        I
    It shall be the duty of the church in         The main concern of this article            In the earlier history of the Re-
which the classis and likewise the (par-      is making available the minutes. and        formed churches this was necessary.
ticular)                                      decisions of the broader assemblies.        Printing and postal costs were ex-
             synod  or general synod meets
to furnish the following meeting with         In Article 34 the Church Order stipu-       ceedingly high. Bulk .printing and
the minutes of the preceding.                 lated that "in all assemblies there         general distribution of synodical and
                Church Order, Article 45.     shall be not only a president, but          classical minutes was prohibitively
                                              also a clerk to keep a faithful record      expensive. Consequently, the pro-
                                              of all important matters." That ar-         vision of Article 45 was necessary.
                                              ticle provides for the transcription          Today the provision of Article
                                              of the minutes. The present article         45 is outdated. In our churches we
Rev. Cam?Jzenga  is pastor of Southwest       requires the church in which the as-        have instituted the position of-state&
Protestant Reformed  Church in                sembly convened to see to it that           clerk, both at the classical and the
Grandvi?~e,,Michigan                          the minutes are preserved and fur-          synodical level. Besides performing

                                                                                                January 1,1995/Standard Beam'1 61


the duties of corresponding secre-        the near future. Such a tool will          2. A complete and updated mem-
tary and compiling the agendas, the       prove of invaluable service to min-             bership file, including records of
stated clerk acts as the custodian of     isters, classical and synodical com-            baptism, confessions of faith,
the minutes and archives. He tran-        mittees, and anyone seeking infor-              transfers, and dismissals.
scribes the script minutes into the       mation on past synodical decisions.         3. All important correspondence.
permanent record. He sees to `the                                                    4 . All committee reports, especially
printing and distribution of the min-'    Care of Ecclesiastical Archives                 those dealing with matters of the
utes  (Acts).  And he takes care of           Implied in Article 45 is the im-            exercise of Christian discipline.
t h e   a r c h i v e s .                 portance of the preservation of the         5. Classical and synodical agendas,
    The minutes of our broader as-        archives of our ecclesiastical assem-           minutes, and  Acts.
semblies are readily accessible today.    blies.                                      6. All legal papers relating to the
Each consistory receives a copy of            This importance is not always               church's incorporation, deeds of
the classical minutes to be filed with    realized. How many consistories                 property, and proofs. of posses-
its own archives. Individuals can         could produce all the minute books              sion.
borrow the consistory's copy of the that were filled from the day of the              9. All documents that bear on the
classical minutes, or obtain their own    church's organization, as well as all           church's origin and history.
copy by requesting it from the clas-      the supplements to the minutes?             8. Some suggest all weekly bulle-
sical stated clerks. Our Acts of          Are the past supplements organized              t i n s .
Synod are made available to all the       and filed? In many instances there              With a view to the orderly filing
members in the ,denomination  free        are gaps, with minute books and             of and safe preservation of the local
of charge.                                supplements missing, having disap-          archives, every church should have
    Today too we see- to it that the      peared through negligence or forget-        a fireproof file cabinet or vault of
Acts or minutes of previous' assem-       fulness. One of the "Questions for          some kind. Usually the duty of up-
blies are available at our broader as-    Church Visitation" is "Are the ar-          dating and preserving the archives
semblies. This belongs to the duty        chives in order?"                           falls to the clerk of the consistory.
of the stated clerk, and is one rea-          There are good reasons why a           But consistories may also appoint
son why the stated clerk, although        church and why the broader assem-           some other consistory member be-
he may not be delegated to the as-        blies should take care to preserve          sides the- clerk to act as archivist.
sembly, must be present for its de-       their archives. In the first place, the     This may especially be wise in larger
liberations. As a rule the  Acts  or      purpose is the preservation of the          congregations.
minutes of the assemblies for the         official decisions of the body. Sec-            Classical andsynodical archives
past several years are on hand.           ondly, the purpose is to make the           are cared for by the stated clerks of
    Why do these previous minutes         work of the assemblies of value to         these assemblies. The annual report
need to be at hand? For several rea-      future generations. And third, the          of the stated clerks should include a
sons. First, they must be at hand so      purpose is to preserve a record .of        report on the status of the archives.
that the assembly can ascertain           the history of the church, for to a        The archives should be safely stored
whether decisions previously taken        great extent the history of the church      and not just kept in the personal pos-
were implemented and whether              is connected to the work of the             session of the stated clerk, probably
work assigned was carried out. Sec-       church's assemblies.                       tucked away in his attic or basement.
ond, so that previous decisions on a          What should be preserved and           If necessary safe and adequate stor-
matter can be consulted. Third, so        included in the archives? It is im-         age space should be rented. One rea-
as to prevent matters which were          possible and unnecessary to include        son for the addition that is being
dealt with in the past from being         in the archives everything that is ad-     built to our seminary is to provide a
raised again without substantial and      dressed to a body. Consistories re-        suitable place for storage of denomi-
new grounds. (Cf. Church Order, Ar-       ceive .whole stacks of mail which do       national archives. The archives then
ticle 46.) And finally, so that no new    not even deserve to be taken to the        will be kept under one roof and un-
decision be taken which conflicts         consistory meetings, not to speak of        der controlled conditions, thus mak-
with a past decision.                     being included in the permanent ar-        ing the archives more accessible than
    In order to make ,the previous        chives. Notes of thanks, invitations       they have been in the past and at
minutes not merely available but ac-      to certain functions, various notices;     the sarne time assuring their preser-
cessible, past decisions ought to be      etc. would only clutter the archives.      vation for future generations. IJ
indexed. This is tedious but impor-           The following should be in-
tant work. A synodically-appointed        cluded in the archives of the local
committee has been working on in-         congregation:
dexing the past decisions of our syn-
ods, as well as the combined classes.     1. All minute books.
This project should be completed in

162lStandard  Bearer /January 1,199s


           The Reformed Family: Resolved
                                                  kingdom of heaven has always been           at all times" (The Business of Heaven,
     I will behave myself wisely in a per-        an either/or choice: "Ye cannot             C.S. Lewis). Ordinarily, a sentry
fect way....                                      serve God and mammon."                      keeps his eyes open all the time.
                                 Psalm 101:2                                                  Paradoxically, this kind of vigilance
                                                  @ - to  obey  all of God's com-             requires us to have our eyes closed
B-
         to  `
                   
                read                  -
                         the Scriptures faith-    mandments. It is not for me to pick         - to be constant in prayer. We are
fully each day,.for in them is found              and choose: I will keep my hands            living in the last frame in God's cam-
eternal life. The Bible is water to               from thievery, but flaying my neigh-        era. Pray without ceasing.
my parched soul and food for my                   bor with my tongue just happens to
hungry heart. The truly hungry man                be a pet vice of mine.  Obey  is a          &I - to exercise myself unto god-
does not pick at his meal, but at-                frowned-upon four-letter word to-           liness. In our society, there is an
tacks it ravenously. So will I de-                day. Wives are co-partners with             excessive amount of attention paid
vour the Word of God. "Take up                    husbands. Even in the marriage              to bodily fitness. The body must be
and read," said Augustine. Come                   form, to obey is frequently left out        lean, strong, well-toned, and' tanned.
apart from the storms and stresses                altogether or compromised. And              The health club has become the mod-
of life and rest a while. Read this               children certainly cannot be expected       em-day Fountain of Youth. Earlier
inspired, most elegant.Book.  Believe             to obey. They have fragile egos and         and ever more early children are en-
all that is written on its pages.                 should be reasoned with and coaxed          rolled in sports programs and gym-
                                                  to compliance. Nevertheless, "To            nastic classes. "Bodily exercise
F:- to edify others with words                    obey is better than sacrifice . . . . II    profiteth little," says the apostle to
of encouragement and comfort,                                                                 Timothy. Would that we put our
building up the languishing or dis-               Fh - to Jove God and my neigh-              intellect, energy, and enthusiasm
tressed saint. By my words of kind-               bor more and more purely. This will         into spiritual gymnastics. For when-
ness and charity, may others be                   take great effort. Loving God is dif-       ever the apostle Paul urges us to run,
strengthened in their commitment to               ficult enough. Loving my neighbor           to spar; or to wrestle it is always for
the Reformed faith. By my rebukes,                is an impossibility. When he is next        a spiritual race, a spiritual boxing
may the wise take heed to his ways.               door, I move him far away; it is            match, or a spiritual wrestling tour-
To admonish, or to be admonished,                 easier to love .a remote man. When          nament towards a heavenly goal to
is painful. Its cost may be friend-               I.do try to love him, he is either dis-     receive a laurel of righteousness. We
ships and social standing. "... teach-            agreeable or unworthy of it. "The           must work out - it is true - our
ing and admonishing one another in                Bible tells us to love our neighbors,       salvation with fear and trembling.
psalms, and hymns and spiritual                   and also our enemies; probably be-
songs..;" (Col. 3).                               cause they are generally the same           D - to do His will, not theorize
                                                  people," writes G.K. Chesterton.            or talk about it. My life must be the
dR- to seek the Kingdom and its                                                               Ten Commandments written in
righteousness first  - that is, to seek           v - to be viqilani. To be watch- large, bold letters. I must feed the
it exclusively. To seek the Kingdom               ful that the wick in my candle is not       hungry, house the stranger, clothe
by my godly walk and words, pro-                  extinguished. For he shall come like        the naked, visit the sick, encourage
moting the advantage of my neigh-                 a thief. "You will not, I most sol-         the prisoner. It is in offering a cup
bor. For everything else in this                  emnly assure you, see Him ap-               of cold water, in the Name of Christ,
world, all. that appeals to my whims              proaching, If the householder had           that I myself drink deeply of the Wa-
and desires, all .that I lust after and           known at which time the burglar             ter of Life. "In as much as ye have
covet that is not of God will soon                would arrive, he would have been            done it unto one of the least of these
and surely pass away. Seeking the                 ready for him. If the servant had           my brethren, ye have done it unto
                                                  known when his absent employer              me" (Matt. 25). C.H.  Spurgeon
                                                  would .come home, he would not              writes in  Barbed Arrows: "A
Mrs. Lubbers is a wife and mother in              have been found drunk in the                bushelful of resolutions is of small
the Protestant  Reformed  Churdh   oj             kitchen. But they did not. Nor will         value; a single grain of practice is
 South HoEand,  Illinois.                         you. Therefore, you must be ready           worth the whole." Q             .
                                                                                                     January 1,1995/Standard Bearerll63


                            *.                     C h a p t e r   4
                        The Last Four Days
              of Creation-Week (cont.)
God's Creation of the                     formed every beast of the field, and       fly in the air, and though some of
Living Creatures (Gen. 1:20-25)           every fowl of the air."                    the fowl are amphibious, their abode
    In this connection let us pay at-         There are several elements wor-        is the earth. Yet they are created to
tention to the following facets of the    thy of note here.                          fly in the open firmament of heaven.
creation of the animals which we              l.The text teaches that each of        The fowl were not brought forth by
have not yet considered.                  these different kinds of creatures is      the waters, as our King James Ver-
    In the first place, we call atten-    brought into being in its own sphere,      sion would seem to indicate. Nor
tion to the creative act as such,         ,and is by virtue of its creation and      were they produced by the firma-
whereby the fish and fowl were            according to its increated nature          ment; nor, in fact, do they fly in the
brought into being on the fifth day,      adapted to the sphere in which it          firmament, as also the King James
and the animals on the sixth day.         lives. There was no process of evo-        Version suggests. But God ordained
Concerning the fish and fowl we           lution and adaptation of various           them by their very creation to be
read, first of all, in Genesis-  1:20:    creatures to the spheres in which          creatures of the earth which were
"And God said, Let the waters bring       they lived. But they were created          peculiarly adapted to fly in the air:
forth abundantly the moving crea-         as they are and with the kind of na-       Thus we read literally in verse 20
ture that hath life, and fowl that may    ture ,they possess, and adapted to         that God also said on the fifth day,
fly above- the earth in the open fir-     live according to the, particular di-      "Let fowl fly upon the earth, upon
mament of heaven." Again in verse         vine ordinance for the existence of        the face of the firmament of the  _
21  we read: "And God created great       each. The ordinance for the fish is        heavens." This presents the birds
whales (or sea monsters, the larger       that it shall live in the water. It did    exactly as we see them and from the
creatures of the sea), and every liv-     not have to become adapted to that         viewpoint of our earth. They fly
ing creature that moveth, which the       mode of existence. On the contrary,        upon, that is, over the earth. As we
waters brought forth abundantly, af-      that ordinance is created in its very      view them, we see them in the air
ter their kind, and every winged          being and its entire existence is won-     against the background of the blue
fowl after his kind." Concerning the      derfully adapted to that end. Thus         firmament of the heavens, that is,
animals we read in Genesis  1:24:         we read that God said, "Let the wa-        not flying in that firmament as such,
"Let the earth bring forth the living     ters bring forth abundantly the mov-       but upon the face of the firmament.
creature after his kind, cattle, and      ing creature that hath life." Or, more     If thus we understand the creation
creeping thing, and beast of the earth    literally: "Let the waters swarm           of the fowl, there is a realistic pic-
after his kind and it was so." Again      swarms of living souls.II                  ture of the nature of these creatures
in verse 25 it is emphasized: "And            The same idea is emphasized            as we behold them from the earth;
God made the beast of the earth af-       concerning the fowl. The ordinance         and at the same time there is clear
ter his kind, and cattle after their      of God for the existence of the fowl       harmony between the record in Gen-
kind, and every thing that creepeth       is that, while they are earth-bound        esis 1:20 and Genesis 2:19. Also the
upon the earth after his kind." Once      creatures, they shall fly about freely     fowl, therefore, are adapted, fit, in
more, we note in Genesis 219: "And        in the air. Hence, on the one hand,        their increated nature for the kind
out of the ground the Lord God            according to Genesis 2:19, they are        of existence they are to lead.
                                          like the animals, formed from the              The same is true, in the third
                                          ground. For there we read that the         place, of the various animals. The
The late Homer Hoeksema was profes-       Lord God "formed from the ground           animals are not brought forth by the
sor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in     every .beast of the field and every        waters; nor do they drop out of the
the Protestant Reformed Seminary.         fowl of the heavens." Though they          air; but God calls them forth from

164/Standard  Bearer/January 1,1995


the earth that is to be their abode             from His own Being, separating            tions in this connection. If sin had
and to which, as their habitat, their           them, as it were, out of His counsel.     not come, what would have been the
very natures are adapted by virtue              There is no process of development        course of development in the ani-
of the creative Word of God. The                and growth, no evolutionary pro-          mal-realm? Would there have been
earth is the sphere of their move-              cess. But, as the text also informs       death in the animal-world? Would
ment and their life; and they are               us, this making and forming and cre-      there have been the feeding of one
brought forth in that sphere, belong-           ating took place by God's speech.         animal upon another? Would the
ing to it, fitting in it, as strictly earthy    God said, "Let the waters swarm . . .     animals have reached some kind of
and material living souls.                      let fowl fly . . . let the earth bring    higher state? And such questions
    2.We may note that Scripture                forth." Through His almighty Word,        can be. multiplied. How must we
emphasizes that these creatures were            that which He spoke came into ex-         view all these things in their origi-
made after their kind. There are                istence, the vast variety of living       nal state?
those who attempt to cater to evolu-            creatures representing, as it were, so        We must be careful with regard
tion here even as far as the literal            many individual words of God.             to such questions. If questions of
text is concerned. They have sought             Moreover, with that same creative         this kind arise out of a genuine de-
to explain the text as meaning, for             Word God blessed them; God ad-            sire to understand God's Word, they
example, that animal-life developed             dressed these living souls and by His     deserve to be faced, surely. But
somehow from the plants. The                    creative Word gave them the power         there are many such questions raised
plants, then, are the living earth; and         to reproduce themselves and the           nowadays in a critical spirit, and out
from that living earth the animals              power to fulfill their calling and        of a desire to show that the Bible
were brought forth by a process of-             place in His creation to multiply and     draws a foolish and impossible pic-
development. This, of course, is                to fill the waters and the earth.         ture of things. In the latter case, of
only one of various attempts to viti-              In the second place, as we have        course, there is no point in attempt-
ate the plain teaching of Scripture.            already suggested, the creation of all    ing an answer. Questions of that
But notice that Scripture here speaks           these living creatures also has its       kind have always been raised over
of the three different main kinds of            purpose, its goal, in the creation of     against Scripture. Men of God like
creatures: fish, fowl, ,and animals.            man, who was to have dominion             Augustine and Luther and Calvin al-
Then it emphasizes repeatedly, with             over all the works of God's hands.        ready faced such questions. When,
respect to each of these, that it was           Only, we must remember also that          for example, Calvin and Luther faced
created after its kind: the living              while man in the state of rectitude       the question as to what God was
souls of the waters, all after their            was the immediate goal, and the           doing before the beginning, they re-
kind; the winged fowl, after his kind;          crown, of God's creative work, this       plied by quoting Augustine to the
and the land animals, each after his            was not His only purpose. God had         effect that God was busy preparing
kind. This does not exclude the fact            in view some better thing. All things     hell for people with nosy questions.
that there are various classes and              were made in the beginning with a         That is a case of answering a fool
families'of  animals, and that there            view to that ultimate purpose of God      according to his folly. We must not,
are within these families many dif-             in Christ, and therefore also with a      as fools, ask critical questions.
ferent varieties. But aIl these varie-          view to the course of history through         Certainly, there could have been
ties are limited to their own species.          which all things are to pass. It is       no death originally. Of course, we
The Bible here plants a barrier which           because of this relationship also that    must remember that sin is a fact, and
cannot be and is not transgressed,              it can be said that part of the pur-      that it is indeed a fact also accord-
evolution to the contrary notwith-              pose of the creation of the animals       ing to God's determinate counsel: it
standing. Clearer language it could             is seen in their symbolical and typi-     was for :God no unforeseen circum-
not speak in this regard.                       cal function, which they serve in or-     stance. Moreover, we may also well
    3.Note that these fish and fowl             der to teach us concerning the spiri-     remember that in terms of our
and animals are all the product of              tual and heavenly realities.              present experience in this world of
God's work of creation. All three                   We must bear in mind, there-          sin and the curse we cannot begin
words for "create" are employed at              fore, that also the animal-world was      to imagine how things must have
one point or another in the biblical            destined to pass through a history,       been in the earthly creation prior to
`record. God made them - that is,               and it was created with that history      the fall. All that we know from ex-
they are His workmanship. God                   and the consummation of that his-         perience is a world subject to the
formed them - that is, He gave to               tory in view. In this connection we       curse and vanity, also as far as the
each creature its peculiar form and             may note the following three phases:      animal-world is concerned. While
nature, after its kind.. He  created                1. We must remember that, as          things, therefore, were created with
them, separating the one from the               they were created, all things stood       the reality of sin and death in view,
other, and giving to these creatures            at first in their original and perfect    we must remember that originally
being outside of and in distinction             state. One may raise many ques-           all things were perfectly good.

                                                                                                 January 1,1995/Standard Bearer/i 65


Death as a historical fact is the re-     into the bondage of corruption.           level of the heavenly and the glori-
sult of sin; and it did not enter the     Man, created to be the head and king      ous in the new heavens and the new
world before sin entered.                 of creation as God's friend, is at war    earth. From Christ as the  Friend-
     That also means that there could     with God. The king became God's           servant of Jehovah He sends peace.
have been no war and no conflict          enemy. This war causes separation.            Even the whole creation, includ-
originally. True, the animal has been     It is the root of the separation be-      ing the animals, recognizes this
so created that, as today, he can be      tween man and the animal. The ani-        Christ. That is why you read in Ro-
nourished by another animal. In           mal does to man what man does to          mans 8 of the whole creation ear-
fact, we cannot even conceive of the      God. He rebels. There is separa-          nestly expecting and waiting for the
whole existence of the animal-world       tion among the animals. The ani-          manifestation of the sons of God.
without the reality of one animal         mal does to the animal what man           The creature itself also shall be de-
feeding upon another and with ani-        does to man. There is suffering and       livered from the bondage of corrup-
mals feeding only upon plants. But        death in the animal-realm also, due       tion into the glorious liberty of the
before sin and death there was no         to the entrance of death and due to       children of God. We know not what
such warfare. This is in harmony,         God's curse. The creature is made         shall be the plan of that delivered
too, with the notice in Genesis 1:30      subject to vanity. The higher the         creature, nor what form it shall take.
that God gave to the animals the          animal, the keener the suffering that     CertainIy'we  must not think earthy
green herb for meat. There was har-       it evinces.                               in this regard. But the animal king-
mony originally: harmony between              3. But also that bondage of cor-      dom shall certainly be delivered,
God and man, between man and the          ruption is not the end. For Christ is     along with the whole creation, and
animal, between animal and animal.        appointed God's Ring from eternity,       under the Ring and His people shall
The creation was marked by peace,         to deliver His church and the entire      participate in the glorious liberty of
rooted in peace with God.                 creation'from the corruption of sin       the children of God. a
     2. But that creation has fallen      and death, and to raise them to the





"Good Morning Alice," by Gise J.          each child of God and can find the        Reformed Free Publishing Associa-
VanBaren. Grand Rapids: Reformed          joy and peace of trusting God in all      tion, 1994.29 pp. $3.95 (paper). [Re-
Free Publishing Ass,ociation,  1994.      His works and ways."                      viewed by Prof. Robert D. Decker.]
157 pp. $11.50 (paper). [Reviewed             God's children who struggle
by Prof. Robert D. Decker.]               with terminal illness, or those who       Studies in  II Thessalonians,  by
                                          have loved ones struggling with se-       Cornelius Hanko. Grand Rapids:
    We quote from the jacket of the       rious or terminal illness, will want      Reformed Free Publishing Associa-
book: "Alice (the author's sister,        to read this moving account. Any          tion, 1994.22 pp. $3.95 (paper). [Re-
RDD) was dying from Lou Gehrig's          believer who wrestles with the ques-      viewed by Prof. Robert D. Decker.]
disease (ALS, amyotrophic lateral         tion of how a good God can cause
sclerosis, RDD). During the last          His beloved saints to suffer will ben-        These are two excellent study
stages of her illness, notes from an      efit from the book and from the pref-     guides on the epistles to the
anonymous friend arrived daily to         ace which was written by Prof.            Thessalonians written by the Rev.
comfort and encourage Alice. Each         Herman Hanko.                             Cornelius Hanko, a minister emeri-
note reflected on a Scripture passage.        Gise J. Van Baren is a minister       tus in the Protestant Reformed
These reflections helped Alice come       in the Protestant Reformed Churches       Churches.
to terms with her suffering and           in America. He at present serves              Rev. Hanko divides I  Thessa-
brought her to acknowledge the sov-       the Protestant Reformed Church in         lonians into nine sections or lessons,
ereignty of God in His way for her.       Loveland, Colorado.                       the first of which is introductory in
    "The author skillfully weaves             The RFPA is to be commended           nature and provides an overview of
these letters into his account of and     for making this moving story avail-       the entire epistle. Each lesson be-
commentary on Alice's illness and         able to the reading public. n             gins with a brief introduction. This
death. In these pages the reader also                                               is followed by a series of questions~
can find comfort and strength to en-                                                and/or comments in outline form.
dure the sufferings, discourage-          Studies  .in I Thessalonians,  by         There are numerous references to
ments, and tragedies which come to        Cornelius Hanko. Grand Rapids:            other Scripture passages which help

166Btandard  Bearer/January 1,1995


the reader compare Scripture with             I came to know the author of          become our possession.
Scripture. The author uses the same       this little booklet at the Conference         The author sinks the roots of his
format in the six lessons or sections     in Galashiels, Scotland in the sum-       thinking deeply into the typology  of
of the booklet on II Thessalonians.       mer of 1994. I found him a man            the Old Testament, beginning with
    These two booklets could prof-        deeply devoted to the Reformed            the perfumed oil which was used to
itably be used by Bible study socie-      faith and interested in learning as       anoint those who held special offices
ties in the churches. They would be       much of it as he could. The books I       in the Old Testament church. From
helpful to God's people in their per-     have seen from him are predomi-           that starting point, he applies the fig-
sonal study of the Scriptures as well.    nantly devotional. Scent From Heaven      ure to various aspects of Old Testa-
    We highly recommend them.             falls into this category.                 ment typology  and different aspects
                                              The title of the book is intended     of the believer's life in the world.
                                          to impart the author's main thesis:           The book is clearly written and
Scent From Heaven,  by `Timothy           Just as, in the world of plants, some     easily understood. It has short chap-
Cross. Ambassador Productions             plants will release their aroma only      ters which are particularly condu-
Limited. 16 Hillview  Ave., Belfast       if they are crushed, so is the "crush-    cive to personal devotions. It will
BT5 6JR, Northern Ireland, 1994. 95       ing" or "bruising" of: Christ on Cal-     give the reader much on which to
pp. No price (paper). [Reviewed           vary the way in which the sweet           reflect as the reader is led to ponder
by. Prof. H. Hanko.]                      aroma of the blessings of salvation       different truths in Scripture. Q





                                          gan in late August, the parsonage,        Rev. Lubbers celebrated 60 years in
Congregational Activities                 located in Georgetown Estates -in         the office of pastor. A quick check
    The Council of the Georgetown         Hudsonville, MI, has been steadily        of our churches' yearbook reveals
PRC (now of Hudsonville, MI) was          moving toward completion. If all          that during those 60 years, Rev. and
able to report to their congregation      goes as planned, Rev. VanOverloop         Mrs. Lubbers served our churches
that the Heritage Christian School        and his family could be moved in          in, six different congregations, once
Board granted their request to al-        by the middle of this month.              as home missionary, and once. as
low the use of Heritage's facilities          Georgetown's Building Commit-         missionary in Jamaica.
for their worship services. The first     tee is also busy searching for a suit-        Rev. Tom Miersma preached his
service held at Heritage Christian        able piece of property for a future       farewell to his congregation at First
School, 4900 40th Ave. in Hudson-         church building. However, it has          PRC in Edmonton, GAB, Canada on
ville, was November 27. This move         proved very difficult to find five or     November 27.
was made necessary for two reasons:       more acres of,land in the Bauer, MI           The Miersmas expressed. their
Bauer Elementary School is sched-         area.                                     thanks to the congregation in
uled to undergo a major face-lift be-         In a follow-up to our last church     Edmonton for the kindness and love
ginning this winter, which means          news, we received word that the city      shown to them, not only at the fare-
that their gymnasium would no             of Lansing, IL reviewed the re-sub-       well evening given on their behalf
longer be available, and, second, af-     mitted building plans and returned        on November 18, `but also for the
ter Georgetown's organization back        them to our Peace PRC in Lansing.         twelve years that the Lord privileged
in March of 1994, their membership        The plans of Peace Church for cor-        them to serve among the church
has swelled to'over 60 families, mak-     recting the soil problems on their        there.
ing larger facilities a necessity.        proposed building site have been ap-          Rev. George Lanting, another of
    We' can also report that              proved. But no permit was given to        our churches' retired ministers, was
Georgetown's parsonage is near            begin building. There appear to be        this year's speaker for the annual
completion. Since construction  be-       about ten small items which have          Reformation Day Lecture at the
                                          yet to be changed before final ap-        Immanuel PRC in Lacombe, Alberta,
                                          proval can be given.                      Canada. He spoke on the topic,
                                              The Council of our First PRC in       "The Reformation: Liberty for the
                                          Grand Rapids, MI held an open             Believer." In addition, Rev. Wayne
Mr. Wig&r `is a member of the Protes;     house on Saturday, December 10 in         Bekkering, pastor of the Pella, IA
tanf$!eforeed Church of Hudsonville,      honor of Rev. George Lubbers and          PRC, spoke a day earlier at the First
Michigan.                                 his wife, Rena. In September of 1994,     PRC in Edmonton. He spoke on the
                                                                                              January 1,19!3S/Sfan~ard Beami 67


                                                                                                            SECOND Ci.ASS
                                                                                                            Postage Paid at
                                                                                                            Grandville, Michigan
   P.O.60~603
   Grandvile, MI 49468-0603


theme, "Our Reformational  Respon-          Hudsonville, MI PRC, calling church        extended to the Holland  community.
sibility."                                  for our mission field in Northern Ire-         Rev. W. Bruinsma preached on
     The choir of the Loveland, CO          land, have made it possible to pur-        the Word of God found in II Timo-
PRC gave their annual Thanksgiv-            chase a new washer and dryer for           thy 3:16, 17 under the theme, "The
ing concert for their congregation on_,_the  Ha&o family. Their present ma-            Profit of Holy Scripture."
November 20.                                chines are both very old and very
     The choirs of Byron Center,MI          small.                                     Minister Activities
PRC and Hope PRC in Walker, MI                      Hudsonville's Council also ap-         Rev. J. Slopsema, pastor of the
gave the first of their two combined        pointed a committee to plan the up-        Hope PRC in Walker, MI, declined
concerts on December 4 at Hope,             coming furlough of the Hanko fam-          the call he had been considering to
Church. Plans called for the concert        ily this summer, D.V. They want            serve as the next pastor of the Byron
to be repeated again on January 1 at        especially to schedule speaking en-        Center, MI PRC.
Byron Center.                               gagements by Rev. Hanko through-
                                            out the States, for the promotion of
Mission Activities                          the field.                                            ~0odforIkouflfit
     The tentative date of Rev. Tom
Miersma's installation as home mis-         Evangelism Activities                          In the Lord ]ehovah we have righ-
sionary for our churches was set for                On October 23 the Evangelism       teousness and strength; let us trust in
December 18, the Lord willing.              Committee, along with the congre-          Him for ever. Let the times roll on,
More abf?ut Loveland PRC's plans            gation of the First PRC of Holland,        they cannot affect our God.
for this as they become available.          MI, sponsored a special church ser-                    - Charles H. Spurgeon  0
     Collections taken by the               vice in which a special invitation was

                                                                                         RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
                                                                                           The  Men's/Ladies' Society of
  RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY                                                               Southwest Protestant Reformed
    The faculty, student body, and                                                     Church wish to extend Christian
members of the Theological School                                                      sympathy to Don and Judi Doezema-
Committee of the Protestant Re-                                                        in the loss of her mother,
formed Theological Seminary ex-                                                                  MRS. HELEN BYLSMA.
press their sympathy to Don and                                                            "Precious in the sight of the Lord
Judi Doezema, co-workers, on the                                                       is the death of his saints" (Psalm
death of Judi's mother,                                                                116:15).
      MRS. HELEN BYLSMA.                                                                             Phil Lotterman, President
May these words of the gospel com-                                                                 Jean Driesenga, Secretary
fort them: "them also which sleep
in Jesus will God bring with him" at          RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY                     RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY                     *-
the coming of the Lord Jesus (I                     The Adult Bible Study of South-        The  Men's/Ladies' Society of
Thess. 4:13-18).                            east Protestant Reformed Church            Southwest Protestant Reformed
    Prof. David J. Engelsma, Rector         mourns the loss of a faithful mem-         Church wish to extend. Christian
                 Protestant Reformed        ber,                                       sympathy to Gerry Kuiper and
                 Theological Seminary               MR. GERALD KORHORN.                Clarence and Grace Kuiper in the
                          Grandville, Ml            May the Lord comfort the fam-      death of their husband and brother,
                                            ily. "But thanks be to God which                     MR. HENRY KUIPER II.
                                            giveth us the victory through our              "The secret of the Lord is with
                                            Lord Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians          them that fear him and he will show
                                            1557).                                     them his covenant" (Psalm 25:i 4).
                                                        Rev. Dale Kuiper, President              Phil Lotterman, President
                                                       Mrs. Mary Kaiser, Secretary          .      Jean Driesenga, Secretary

168lStandard  Bearer/January 1,1995


