2<Q                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R           -^__1_ --.-&._-
                                                               request of the president of the United States, and
                                                               negotiations were begun, in which also the governor
                   _.----.-"^-- ..-___                         of the State of Michigan deeply interested himself.
                                                                  In the meantime, however, the G. M. C. still insisted
        The Sitdown Strike And Politics                        that the sitdowners should evacuate their plants. And
                                                               they brought the matter into court. This is in itself
   Recently a new element was introduced in the con- sufficiently strange. Imagine that a man enters your
stant class-struggle' between capital and labor, a new house and declares his intentions to stay there as long
method of warfare on the  part of organized labor; as he pleases, to eat at your table and to sleep in your
new, at least, as far as its introduction in our country bed. And you cannot directly call in the police to
is concerned.                                                  throw him out. You must go to court to determine
       We refer, of course, to the "sitdown" strike.           the right of such an intruder to remain or your right
   This method of warfare on the part of labor was to throw him out! However, the sitdowners lost the
already tried out in socialistic France, though for case. Circuit Judge Paul V.  Gadala  decided that they
practical if not for principal reasons even the socialist did not have the right to remain in the plants.
government of that country hesitated to  atta-h  its              But even this was not sufficient.
seal of approval to the new method.                               A second appeal had to be made to the court, and
   Lately the method was applied in Flint,  Mich.,             this resulted in the issuing of an injunction, ordering
when under the leadership of  Jfahn L. Lewis, -president, the sitdowners to leave the plants within twenty-four
the U.A.W.A. employed by the G. M. C. struck and hours and giving the proper authorities the right to
literally "sat down on the job". The bone of conten- force them  ,out if they should refuse.
tion in this strike was union recognition, that is recog-         The  sit,downers  refused. They barricaded them-
nition by the G. M. C. of that particular union of which selves in the factories, prepared loads of ammunition
Mr. Lewis is president. Although it apparently con- from material they found in the plants and prepared
stituted but a relatively small minority of all the for battle.                  '
workers employed by the G. M. C. the union claimed                The governor of Michigan was called upon to fur-
the right to be the sole collective  bargaining agency nish forces for the ejectibn   of the sitdowners. But
for all the employees in the G. M. plants.                     the governor refused to act.
       Evidently, the purpose of the union is to gain ex-         The sitdowners won. True, Iegally they lost, but
clusive power. And this power is, undoubtedry,  to be practically they won. They did not evacuate the plants
used to coerce all the workers to become members of until a tentative agreement had been rean,hed by the
the union. Let our men beware !                                representatives of the G. M. C. and those of tlhe nnion.
       And it appears too, Mr. Lewis' personal  ambition to       And that they did win is due to the fact, that the
become a sort of labor-dictator.                               governor refused to act and, therefore, virtually pro-
       In this article we dlo not intend to decide on the tected the sitdowners over against the injunction is-
relative merits of the case. On the basis of the prin- sued by the court.
ciple of the class-struggle there is no solution of thek          The governor was quite generally praised for his
labor problem. It is merely a question of the survival wisdom in the matter. A settlement was beached  with-
of the fittest.                                                out bloodshed. And for this, credit is given to the
       Nor can we see a principal difference between a sit- governor, a credit which, undoubtedly, he deserves.
down strike and any other strike. A strike alwavs                 Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that in
purnoses  to be a "sitting down ton the job". A strike displaying this wisdom and obtaining the desired re-
is alwavs a method of coercion on the part of labor,           sult, he +z!r,ted  his trust and neglected his plain duty.
consisting in a refusa1 to work together with a claim             As a magistrate he is called to punish the evil-doers ;
to the right to keep the job.  -4  sitdown  strike is he actually protected them that took possession illegal-
merely a very practical and extreme application of ly of the property of others.
this principle and method. Instead of leaving the job             As an executive it is his duty to maintain law and
and trying to keep a hold of it bv nicketing  and thus order. TJtilitarian  considerations such as prevention
preventing others from taking their places, *he rneE4 of bloodshed cannot possibly relieve him of this duty.
merely stay on the job, but refuse to work.                    The principles of law and order are more valuable than
       In this article we are interested in the attitude the lawless blood. But the governor actually ignored the
government assumed over against the sitdown  strikers. authority ,of the court and took lawlessness and dis-'
       The G. M. C. insisted that the sitdowners would order under his wing.
have to evacuate the plants before they would meet                What we witnessed in Michigan is a "red" move-
with ,representatives  of the nnion to discuss the matter ment protected by the government.
and to try to reach a settlement.                                 And this is serious.
       Lady Perkins was desperate.                                Esnedally if one considers the Michigan incident as
       Finally, the G. M. C. yielded because of an indirect a possible and very probable precedent.              H. H.


                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                      253
               ____1-          --_                                                                            ._-
                         Socialism                          as to its essence the exchange of the thoughts of the
                                                            heart. Thus friendship operates in the Triune Life.
    Socialism : What a beautiful idea !                     `r'he Holy Spirit everlastingly searches the deep  things
     Yes,  S admit, that sounds strange to us. I re- of .God and brings all the life of the Father to the Son,
 member that many years ago we would sometimes testifying of that Life in truth. And likewise does
 say regarding a very bad fellow: Hij is een leelijke, that Spirit bring the blessed life of the Son to the
 rooie socialist ! (He is an ugly, red socialist !)         Father, testifying of that life of the Son to the Father.
    How is it possible then that we dare to say: Social- And all this inter-relation in the Divine Being is a
 ism is a beautiful idea?                                   relation of love. Love characterizes the friendship,
    And the answer is that the reprobate world often that is, the exchange of the thoughts of the hearts.
 uses beautiful words to denote their own hellish con- In that exchange the Father cries out to the Son:
 ceptions of things.                                        In Thee is all My good-pleasure. And the Son ex-
    And that is also true about the word `socialism'.       presses that it is His meat to do His will in love.
    The proper sphere of socialsm  is not the world at         Moreover, it is clear that friendship can only operate
 all. I mean with this, that  .our own natural sphere among those that are in a certain sense equals. SO
 is not the proper sphere of socialism.                     also in God. Just because they are equal in essential
    And that is so because socialism is a very beautiful virtues, therefore they are also friends. And they
word and it is bearer of a most beautiful idea. Social- live their life of friendship in the sphere of Divine             i
 ism means literally: friendship. Now we all know Love. Never do they hide anything from one another.
 that friendship does not dwell in the natural sphere but constantly they live the life of the eternal Covenant
 of man at all. Because he is a hater of God and a in blessed harmony.
hater of his brother who is made in the similitude of          Thus it is also possible for a man to be the friend
 God. How then could friendship dwell in their hearts of God.
or in their communities? Impossible.                           In a creaturely  sense he is the image of God. He
    Yet they use the word and that in very many dif- is made in the similitude of God and thus can be the
ferent forms. They prate of socialism, social wel- friend of God. Man is not able to comprehend God
fare, socialability, societies, associates, etc.  And. they but he indeed may know Him. This makes friendship
are all forms of the same word: socius, that is, friend.    possible.
    No, the proper word for them to use would be               Standing in the relation of love to God, the ex-
enemy. Man by nature is a rebel, a hater of God and change of the thoughts of the beak-t  is possible and it
man. If they love at all, the Bible calls it the love       actually becomes history.     We clearly see this ex-
of death. See Prov.  8:36.  In that passage the Holy change of the thoughts of the hearts in the discussion
Spirit testifieth that because they hate wisdom they of the three angels with Abraham. "And the Lord
love death.                                                 said: Shall I hide from Abraham that thing `which I
    Socialism, hower, is friendship. It is derived from do? And Abraham also opens his heart under the
the latin word: socius, i.e. friend.                        operation of the love of God and utters his plea for the
    And if we are to say anything at all about this righteous in Sodom.
concept we must first of all see that friendship is one        So in general we may say that frienship between
of God's own virtues. God is the original Friend from God and man constitutes from God's side the giving of
Whom is derived all friendship worthy of the name.          the thoughts of his heart, which is the Word of God- ;
    And the Bible very clearly teaches that God is first and from man's side his prayers, petitions, praise and
of all His own Friend. It is true that this is not          worship. That the church of God always conceived of
stated in God's Word with so many words, but by friendship in this way we may learn from the Dutch
implication it is clearly taught to be the case.            version of the Psalm th St speaks : Stel Uw vrie7t&eZQTc
    That God is His own Friend is taught in all those       hart, op Wiens gunst wij hopen, eeuwig voor ens open ;
passages that call God the Covenant God, denoting that weer steeds alle smart.
God first of all lives the Covenant life Himself in His        And thus it is also with the idea and practice of
blessed Triune life. And this covenant life is clearly friendship among men. Also there it operates only in
a life of friendship, for we read in Exodus 33 :I1 that     the sphere of the covenant of God. In the sphere of
God spake to Moses as a man speaks to his friend.           the love of God.
And this friendly speaking of God to Moses was the             So we do not make friends with just anyone. We             '
speech of the covenant which the Lord established: do not open  our hearts to the d,evils or the worldlings.
with Moses. The same thing is true of Abraham.              And we refuse this because there is no communion of
With emphasis God's Word calls him the friend of love. Neither do we long to hear the thoughts of
God. The covenant relation is a relation of  friend-        their hearts. For they speak folly and vanity. It is
Ship.                                                       David,  who testified so many years ago that he would "
    From it we see furthermore that friendship is           not come in the congregation of the evil-daers. And ia


254                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
 - -
his nrst Psalm he ails that man blessed who walk&h              and tell Him all our thoughts. We will plead and cry
not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand&h  in the to Him: we will ask and petition Him for all our
way of  smners,  nor  sit&h  m the seat  .of the  scorn- needs ; we will sing and praise Him; we will love and
ILL   No, when David longs for friendship with its              adore Him. And thus it will eternally be said of us
wondrous operation he says:  I. am a companion or that we are the friends of God.
teem  that fear Thee.                                               And  filled with this friendship we  will look around
   NO,  tne proper sphere of friendship, is the                 us and prove the spirits if they be of God. And
sphere of God's covenant in the church.           `fhen we recognizing the children of God by their walk that
endeavor to live that friend-life in societies rightfully speaks of Divine friendship, we will endeavor to make
so-called. And there we exchange the thoughts of our friends with them and we will organi,e  our Focieties
near&     `Inhere we tell our friends how we see tne            of tne friends of God. And with them we wiil converse
beauty of holiness as revealed  m God's  vvoord.  And and say : Come, let us magnify  the Lord together. And
tnere   tney  tell  us how they see  it.  `mat makes  ror       we shall be a testimony against the whormg  world,
rriendly discussion. `l'hat  makes ior tne exercise vr          who dare to call themselves by the adorable name of
sociansm worthy of tne name. xna thus we practice God's own virtue, but who deny the power thereof.
frlen~smp   tnrougnout our  walk.      `Inen we give our        We shall be a testimony against them and refuse to
hearts  LO  the  bretnren  and  they give their  nearts  to be inscribed on their lists cf membership of God's
us. hearts that are illled with  tne kntiwleoge   or the        enemies.    We will realize that the frienship of the
glory of God  *in the  race of Jesus  C;hrist.   And thus       world is enmity against God.
we benefit by that friendship.  For God in his  wis-                And we shall be blessed in that friendship.
ctom   has  revealea  a  w,ondrous  variety in  the  Church,        You will be blessed when you experience the friend-
xnd tnus we enjoy this variety.                                 ship of God through the blessed body of  aesus Christ.
   And such friendship in its exercise is only possible For that Body is the wonderful Society of God's
through the W.ord and Spirit of God.                            friends.
   `I'heiefore  it is a lie when  the world talks of friend-        You will  be blessed in Jesus, for He is the greatest
ship and its exercise among them. In a formal sense             Friend of God that ever lived. And unto the praises
they may practice the exchange of the thoughts of of Triune God, He shall be the President of your So-
the heart, but it has nothing in it of real friendship..        ciety. And all the labor unto all eternity shall be the
it is not  praetised  in the sphere of the love of God exchanging of the thoughts of the heart in the sphere
and its contents are not the thoughts of the heart of of unutterable love, so that God through Jesus Christ
J'ehovah  our God. The earth was  filled with violence, shall tell you how glorious He is in His love and great-
w&h  every kind of hatred against God and the brother ness ; in His power and wisdom. And you shall through
in the time of Noah. And so it is continually on this Jesus Christ, together with all the membership in the
sin-cursed world.                                               Society of Friends tell the Almighty how glorious He
   And this ought to keep and by God's grace it will            is. You will tell, nay, sing unto Him all the ecstasy
keep us from making friends with the world. We will of your soul and body, all the adoration of your blessed
listen to His. injunction : "Ye adulterers and adulter- being.
esses, know ye not that the friendship of the world                 And all this blessedness is bound up in the Son of
is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a HIS good-pleasure. Is it a wonder then that we now
friend of the world is the enemy of God.                        sing : What a Friend we have in Jesus?
   In the face of this Divine injunction, I w,ould  ask                                                               G. V.
you: how can we then ever be a member of a godless                                      -
society? Its existence is a continual reproach against                                 In Memoriam
the Almighty. In the sphere of hatred and malice                    Whereas it has pleased our Heavenly Father to take one
and violence we could never practice the exchange of of our members,
the thoughts of the heart. Look at the results  08                                MRS. J. MdELKER,  Sr.
socialism a,s found in the world? Look at the strikes from our midst by death, the Ladies' Aid Society of the Hope
and boycotts and murders in the name, in the fair               Protestant Feformed Church at Riverbend,  Mich, wishes to
name of Socialism. It is provoking the God of the express its heartfelt sorrow and sincere sympathy with the
heavens. And He shalllavenge it.                                bereaved  husbtind and family.
   Nio,, but we will be friends with God. That first                May the God of all grace, strengthen and comfort the
of all. We shall listen to Him when He says to the sorrowing family and may we as Society be diligent in the
Church: draw nigh unto God and He shall draw nigh study of God's Word and faithful in the work of His King-
to you. And drawing nigh to Him, we shall listen to dom.
the thoughts of His loving heart which He revealed                                                In name of the Society,
in Christ. We will listen and be filled with His Word.                                                  Rev. H. De Wolf,  Pres.
And as true friends of God we will also open our hearts                                                 Mrs. G.  Korhorn,  Sec'y


                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                               257

           Grand Haven, Michigan                             4:5 and 6 and Rev. P. De Boer conducted the instal-
                                                             lation of elders and deacon.
   With the last'of the necessary formalities having                           Our Gift From God.
taken place, i.e., the ordination and installation of our       From a trio composed of our three candidates of
pastor, we feel constrained, in gratitude to our Triune,     1936, a call was sent on June 29 to Candidate M.
Covenant God, to *acquaint our brethren with some Schipper.  At the end of the allotted time we were
history of our youngest congregation, the Protestant gladdened with the news of his acceptance, and on
Reformed Church of Grand Haven, Michigan. Only               August 17, he began his labors in our  m&l& The
to the extent that we see God's providence in the Intervening period until his ordination and installa-
events that led to our congregational existence,  <do we tion on January 21, 1937, has swiftly passed, and we
desire to relate these items.                                now enjoy the c,ompleteness  of orderly congregational
    Under Supervision of Our Mission Committee.              activity.    With confidence and hope in the eternal
                                                             promise of our God we purpose to remain steadfast
      "And other (seed) fell on good ground and did in our calling to proclaim His full counsel as revealed
yield fruit that sprang up and increased. . .  ." So in the Scriptures and formulated in our Three Forms
was it also when under the preaching of one of God's         of Unity, and patiently and prayerfully wait upon
servants, in years past and later through the Reforma-       Him Who continually gathers His Church. May He
tion of 1924, that this seed was imbedded in the hearts      do so, also in our field of labor.
of one of our families and, in later years, separated                               Appreciation.
only by distance from the then organized Protestant
Reformed congregations, they were compelled to wor-             The congregation of Grand Haven expresses here-
ship either under the roof of the denomination which by, its sincere appreciation to all our leaders, who, as
had cast us out or with far distant Protestant Re- ministers and students, have labored in our midst in
formed congregations. Feeling strongly a need for the conducting of services, and otherwise, particularly
the preaching of the unadulterated reformed truth in to Rev. M. Gritters, who served as our Consulent.
their home city, they requested our Mission Committee           FinalIy,  we hope that from this account of Grand
to sponsor Sunday services, and an occasional lec-           Haven's history our Protestant Reformed people may'
ture, which was soon arranged, and on Sunday, April with increased zeal, lab.or in the midst of His kingdom,
14, 1935 the first services were held in Muskegon, and always sustain our God-given leaders with Chris-
Mich. There were then four families from Muskegon tian joy. Especially must we remember before the
and outlying districts in attendance.         One of these throne of grace that Kingdom work entrusted to us
families, Mr. and Mrs. E. Hoekzema, by their witness- in the sending out of our own missionary.
ing, proved instrumental in  dnawing  four families             Our Greetings !
`from Spring Lake to these services.                                                     Consistory  of,
   Our expectation of increased attendance of Muske-                              Grand Haven Prot. Ref. Church
gon families, however, did not materialize. So, be-                                      Andrew Peterson, Clerk.
cause of this and other reasons  whch weighed, we
"moved" to Spring Lake, to the home of one of our
families. After ab,out  eight weeks, the way w'as opened                            In Memoriam
to "move" once more, this time into a church building,           On Wednesday evening, February 3, it  pieased  our Heavenly
which we may use Sundays and some week evenings. Father to take unto Himself our  husbqnd,  father and grand-
This is in Grand Haven, where we are confident the father,
Lord has placed us in a promising  fiel,d.                                         WILLIAM EAMPS
   During these early days of our history, we derived
increased knowledge of the reformed truths in our at the age of  80 years.
mid-week Peoples' Society, which was led by one of               We deeply feel our loss, but are grateful that the Lord
our present elders, Mr. N. J.  Yanker.  What blessed in His wise protidence has spared him for us so many years,
memories we have of those days!          How faith was and we are comforted by the thought that he is now enj0yin.g
increased ; hope renewed !                                   eternal rest and peace in thoqe mansions above.
                                                                                         Mrs. Wm. Kamps
                   Our Organization.                                                     Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Kamps
   During May, 1936, a meeting was held at which                                         Mr. and Mrs. C. Riemersma
we expressed our desire to organize into a congrega-                                     Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kamps
tion. This request was carried to the  FulIer  Ave.,                                     Mrs. Grace Nobel
consistory,  approved by them, and on June 9, 1936,                                      Mr. and Mrs. Louis Kamps
an organization meeting was held, during which Rev.                                             30 Grandchildren.
B.  Kok preached an appropriate sermon based on Cor.             Grand Rapids,  Mich.


 2 5 8                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

                                                          These are disquieting words coming from the Saviour.
                                                          Their, hearts  ,it must be, fill with evil forebodings. Yet
                                                          it is evident from their questions that even n:w they
                                                          little realize what the night has in store  for  their
          Jesus Comforts His Disciples                    Master.    It seems to them as if He still speaks in
                                                          riddles. This is evident. He tells them that they must
                    John 14:1-15                          not lef their hearts be  trocbled,  as He goes to pre-
                                                          pare a place for them and that whither He goes they
     "Let not your hearts be troubled. . . ." So spake know, and the way they know. `Thomas now speaks
Jesus to His disciples. Their hearts were troubled. up. Says he, "Lord, we know not whither thou goest;
The reason we learn from Christ's own utterance: "I and how can we know the way?" And Luke tells us
go. . .  ." He is saying to them. In this vein He has that even now, while assembled with Him in this cham-
been speaking to them for some time now. From the ber, and with the tokens of His suffering and  death-
time that He charged His disciples "that they should the bread that He breaks and the poured wine-before
tell no man that He was Jesus, the Christ (Matth. their very eye, they again begin to strive among them,
16 20) " He over and over has been telling them t&at which of them should be accounted the greatest. Luke
He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things 22:24. Amazing! But it will not be long now, before
of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be       they wiil have the greatest need of that word of Jesus,
killed and also be raised again the third day. The dis- "Let not your hearts be troubled. . .  ." Yet a little
ciples, so it is written, had understood none of these while, a few moments, and the predictions of the Mas-
things. Nor had it ever occurred tu them, it seems, ter concerning what death tie should die, will be in
to ask, the Master to shed light upop  txese doleful process of fulfilment before their very eye. Judas has
announcements of  His. They had felt no  particular       already left  ta bargain with the scribes and the phari-
need of this light, as these predictions had failed to sees. Then their Messianic hopes will be completely
grip them. And the reason for this was that their blasted by the doings of God. In his fear and con-
Messianic hope differed too radically from what this fusion of mind and heart, the boasting Peter will in-
,hope actually was and that they were pre-occupied deed deny Him thrice. And the profound John,  th,e
with their own false notions of Christ's mission, of disciple of love, will. be standing there at some distance
His future and destiny, of the character of the king- from the cross, silent and pensive, not knowing what
dom He had come to establish. It was impossible for to think. The others will be fleeing. How their hearts
them to imagine their Master in the hands of `His will be troubled in that hour! And with His body
enemes. In the world that they in their minds had laid away in the tomb, they will be saying to each
constructed for Him, Christ wore not a crown of other over and over, "But we trusted that it had been
thorns, but a crown of earthly gold, was seated not on    He which should have redeemed Israel. . .  ." But
a heavenly but on an earthly throne. Nor would they let them not allow their hearts to be troubled then.
`have it otherwise, as at this juncture they saw not Let them in  th.e terrible gloom that will soon encircle
the necessity of the cross. Peter on a certain occasicn their souls, bring to remembrance the words that He
had even taken Him aside and rebuked Him for His spake  tu them in the chamber, "Ye believe in God,
tianifested  willingness and eagerness to suffer many believe also in me. In my Father's house are many
things of the elders.  Saird  he to Christ, "Be it far mansions. . . ."
from  ttiee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee."             "Ye believe in God, believe also in me. . . ." `Dis-
     However, as He neared His cross, His  discoures      miss all trouble from thy souls. Exercise full trust in
centered more and more upon His approaching suffer- God and in Me, Who am one with the Father and
ing. But never before has He spoken to them so plain- Whose glorification is the glorification of the Father
ly and persistently about His cross as here in the in the Son.' The thought here is not certainly that
chamber, where He is now for the last time assembled there should be an addition of faith in Him to faith in
with His disciples.    Be  *says to them that on this God, or a  transser  of trust from God to Himself, or
very night one of their number will betray Him ; that a sharing of faith between God and Himself; what
yet a little while He is with them, that whither He       the Saviour mean?  is that there must be faith in God
goes, they cannot come. Peter speaks up now, "Lord, through Christ. The man who so believes, and he
whither goest thou?" Jesus replies, "Whither I go,        only, has peace toward God.        Faith in God alone'
thou  canst  not follow me now. . .  ." To this Peter engenders fear. The devils believe in God, and. they
retorts : "Why cannot 3 follow thee `now? I will lay tremble. So too, the one whose faith is concentrated
down my life for thy sake." Jesus' answer is, "Wilt on God alone, he must needs tremble.                 For God
thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily,       is a consuming fire to every one not hidden in Christ.
T say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast The God who forgives and saves and showeth mercy
denied me thrice." The disciples are sad and worried. is the Triune Jehovah, the God and Father of our LoiTd


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                        259
-..-P_".          I____                         ----
Jesus Christ, God seen in the face of Christ and Who          judged and separation must be made between the sheep
through Christ's cross, and through the cross oniy, and the goats. When  all this shall have become an
can take His ill-deserving yet chosen people to His accomplished fact, these places in the Father`s house
heart.                                                        shall have been prepared. Then Christ will come a-
    Let the disciples believe in God through Christ. gain. The just by His power shall rise and be caught
So believing, the cross, the suffering and; dying Saviour up in the clouds together with those that remain, to
will cease to confound them. For so believing, their meet the Lord in the air (I Ttiess.  4 :16) d And Christ
eyes will open to the necessity of His cross and they         (John  143) will receive them unto Himself. Unto
will understand that they are sinners laden with guilt Himself He will and must needs receive them as He
that must be atoned for, understand that they cannot is and ever remains for His people the cornerstone of
be allowed to occupy the mansions, the .dwelling-places       the temple, the head of the body, the true vine, the
in the Father's House except these places first be pre- true bread, the living water, the tree of life, the Lamb
pared for them by a Saviour Who goes to the Father who leads them. He will receive them unto Himself,
by way of Golgotha with its cross.                            that where He is, there His own may also be, there, is
                                                              their dwelling places---each in his own place--that  H.e
   "In my Father's house are many mansions, dwell- prepared for them in His Father's house. Thus they
ing-places. . . . I go to prepare a place for you. . . ."     will be with the Father, too, in His very house.
How simple,  childli,ke and cheering, this address.                                                               For
                                                              there Christ is.
Father's house is home, the place of peaceful  a'nd dur-
able rest for His children, as it is the place where they        "And' if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come to everlasting rest in Him. But we can be more come again". It must n@eds be that ke comes again.
specific. The Father's house with its many dwelling-          Otherwise all that work of His consisting in His pre-
places, is the great family of `the elect, the church of      paring a place for His own would be in vain. Also
God, which is His  bodjr, viewed from the point of this discourse of Christ is a complete overturning of
view  of the places in it. Now before these places can the pernicious view that Christ offers Himself and the
be occupied, they must be prepared. To understand salvation He wrought to all men head for head, that
this, it is necessary to consider firstly that tbis family, thus He is actually striving to save all men. Con-
this house with its many mansions, was eternally with sider that Christ according to His own saying went
God in His counsel, as a family with members, which to the Father with the purpose in His soul of plepar-
He foreknew, predestinated to be conformed to the ing places exclusively for  HIS own, which, He says
image of His Son, called, justified and glorified in His further (consult the context) are His very own sheep,
counsel. But God was also resolved to manifest the those given Him of the Father, thus not all men. And
works of His in time, resolved that this family of elect, if we add to this that according to Scripture, the whole
led in His counsel through sin and death to glory,            house will be full, that not,one  member of the body,
should appear as a historical reality on the new earth.       (how could this be) stone of the temple, will be miss-
If this be understood, it will be seen what it means ing, it follows that the number of rooms in the Father's
that Christ prepares for His own their dwelling places house can be no greater than the number of the elect,
in the house  of His Father.                                  so that the view according to which heaven has teen
                                                              opened to all men falls to the ground.
   It means firstly, that this family, these places, He
brings into being juridically (from the point of view            "And whither I go", said Christ to His disciples,
of right) through His suffering and dying on the cross "ye know, and the way ye know." Christ goes to the
for the sins of His people, that is, through His enter- Father and the way He takes leads, as was said, over
ing at once into the holy place by His own flesh and          Golgotha with its cross, into death and through the
blood" having obtained eternal redemption for us". grave. It is the only way that leads home, for Christ
Preparing these places is, secondly, a task of the  glori-    Himself as well as for His people.
fied  Christ  consisting in His bringing these places            Thomas now says to Him, "Lord, we know, not
into being acCuaZly, which He does through; building whither thou goest: and how can we know the way".
His house, that is, through His bringing into being,          Thomas and the others would know, if only they had
as children of the light, the elect. In the comprehen- been attentive to Christ's words. Attend now to Jesus'
sive sense, this task consists in the glorified Christ reply, "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man
doing all th& must be done before the family of God cometh  unto the Father, but by me." This st.atement
can appear with Christ in glory. All the elect must of Christ must be read thus, "I am the way, because
be gathered in ; this earth must be cleansed from the I am the truth and the life". Hence, if we would
race of men, the serpent's brood, that now corrupt it; know what it means that He is the way, we must first
the heavens must be rolled up as a scroll, and the discover the meaning of His being the truth and the
elements must burn, that the new heaven and the new life.
earth may appear; the quick and the dead must be                 He is the truth in Himself, the origin and fountain


260                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
_ --"A --_               -_---^                            __I--._..                     - - - -         ..-
of all truth, the reality of all things, the fountain of the truth and the life and is thus vested with His satis-
ail knowledge of truth, the light in which we see light. faction and righteousness and cleansed in His blood.
He knows all things as they are, knows God and can Such only does the Father receive. Rightly considered,
thus reveal Him. He loves and speaks the truth, so it is terrible to say with the exponent of common grace
that His testimony of self is true and corresponds per- that the wicked, the unrighteous, men reprobated, men
fectly with what He is, the Christ, the Saviour, the whose portion is not Christ, have access to the Father's
Son of God as God. He is the truth in the sense that heart and favor.
He is verily, truly, what He must be to be the Saviour       A man's coming to the Father by Christ does not
of His people: the true prophet-priest-king, the true of course mark him as one whom the Father now be-
sacrifice, the true bread, the living water. . . . He gins to love. The love of the Father for His own, for
is thus the body of the shadows, the reality of all the those chosen in Christ, is from  leverlasting.  And of
types and symbols of the Old Covenant, the  fulfilment    this love our coming is but a manifestation, an expres-
of the law. He is the truth. He satisfied truly and sion, as of our coming He is the author and finisher.
perfectly divine justice and made full satisfaction for What this coming to the Father by Christ does mark
the sins of all His  Ieople,  He entered by His own       the beginning of, is our tasting the Lord's goodness,
ilesh and blood ,into the holy place, having obtained and of our fellowship with the Father and with the
eternal redemption for. Verily, He is the truth, the      Son.
true lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the
world. And He is the life. The truth is He; through          Christ is the way-the way  ad His people out of
His being the life. Life is He, because He is also God. their sin and misery, their death, hell, and eternal
Being God He has life in Himself, and is for this doom to the Father. They, who believe in Christ, the
reason, the source, fountain, creative source of the way, are therefore even now with the Father in His
life that He merited for His people. If He                House and have fellowship with Him, though they still
were not the life, He would not be the truth, the true lie and will continue to lie until the hour of the2 de-
Saviour.        Being life, He bore and could bear the parture in the midst of death. But when Christ comes
burden of God's wrath against sin, swallow up death they will arise in Him and be born then bodily upon
unto victory, rise from the grave unto the justification the Saviour's everlasting arms of mercy to the Father.
of His people. Only because He is the life, can He For He is the way.
make the fruits of His cross effective in the life of        Jesus continues, "If ye had known me, ye should
His chosen ones, deliver them actually fro'rn  the power have known the Father also; and from henceforth
of Satan and sin and death, keep them in this world ye have known him and have seen him". The dis-
and actually lead them as the captain of their salva- ciples had not known Him, that is, their knowledge
tion to glory. All these works call for a Christ Who of Him was imperfect, so much so, that they were
is the life.                                              unaware of His being the way, consequently, whereas
                                                          no one cometh to the Father but by Christ, they, not
    Because He is the truth and the life, He is the knowng Him, knew not the Father. But from
way to the Father. Another way there is not. How henceforth, in view of the fact that He told them so
true this is. appears from Christ's "No man cometh plainly what He is, they know Him, the Father.
unto the Father but by me". Thus the man who re- Especially will they know Him from the moment of
fuses Christ is completely shut out from the presence the coming of the Spirit of truth. Christ adds,
of the Father; mark you, the Father, the God and "And ye have seen Him" the Father. They have seen
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, thus the God of the Father in Christ, yet without realizing it, so imper-
mercy and grace. The man therefore, who is pitted fect their knowledge as yet is. For Philip now says
against Christ is unloved and unblessed, is thus cursed to Christ, "Lord, shew us the Father, and it suficeth
by the Father. How glaring the conflict between the us. Jesus replies, "Have I been so long time with you
teaching of this Scripture and the theory of common and yet hast thou  not known me, Philip? He that
grace.                                                    hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayeth
    The reason that a man, disallowing Christ, comes, thou then, Show us the Father?" The reason that
may not come, to the Father, is that he, being without he who sees Jesus, sees the Father is given by Christ
Christ, is in his sins and is thus a man guilty, unright- in the following verse. He is in the Father and the
eous and unholy. Now such a one the Father does, Father is in Him, so that the words He speaks to
cannot receive, forgive and bless, and dwell with, in them He speaks not of Himself; but the Father that
His house, He being righteous and holy God. The dwelleth in Him, He daeth the works.
Holy One can receive, forgive and bless righteous men        As.. the believer is in Christ, so Christ according
only, men righteous in Christ. Christ then is the way to His human nature is in the Father through a living
to the Father. To come to God by Him is to appro- faith. The Father is His very sphere of existence,
priate Him by faith, He who does so possess Him as        in the Father, He lives and moves and has His very


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         261
                               --.___"^_
being, thinks and wills in the Father, knows and loves love to His will, thoughts, purposes, decrees, works
the Father  oniy,  His eternal decrees, purposes  and and accomplish.ments,  His kingdom and glory. These
wor,ks.    And the other side of this is that the Father things, and these things only does one who a.sks  in
is in Him as His life and light, His meat and drink,         His name and seeks in prayer, namelv the things that
by the Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, He Himself asks and also taught His disciples to pray
the Spirit of  coLmse1 and might, the Spirit of know- far when He said to them, "After this manner, there-
ledge and of the fear of the Lo,rd. Through Him there- fore, pray ye, Our Father who art in heaven. . .  ."
fore, the Father speaks and works, that is, reveals          It is to these things, the things above, the things of
Himself, gives visibility to all `His glories so that His    the Spirit, the things heavenly, that the word "What-
words and works are not of Him .but of the Father.           soever" must be applied. These things are not a few in
Hence, to see Him is to see the Father. It cannot be number, so that a prayer focused on these things has
otherwise. Here Jesus Himself tells us what it means hardly no content. Attend to this word  of Paul (Rom.
that He is the truth and the life.                           8 :32). He who spared not His own Son. . . .how shall
    Let the disciples believe Him when He tells them He not with Him also freely grant us all things " The
that He is in the Father and that the Father is in Him. all things are the things above, so that, to seek in
Let them believe Him when He tells them this for His prayer  thd heavenly is actually to seek  uZZ  things.
works sake, for His works certainly verify His testi- Christ will certainIy  do, if the discipIes in their asking,
mony concerning Himself, they being works that only seek these things.             And it is  pnecisely the  aoming
He can perform, who is in the Father.                        and appearance of these things  that results in the glori-
                                                             fication of the Father in the Son. Finally, Christ will
    Let them believe on Him. Then the works that d.o always and only in conjunction with the asking
He does they shall also do, and even greater works           of His disciples.    Let them therefore pray without
than these shall they do, because He goes to the Father. ceasing. Then they love Him, as then they keep His
So it is. Flor to believe on Christ, is to be in Him the commandment .
vine, is thus to be one with the Father. Such a one                                                     G. M. 0.
is through Christ in rapport with the Father. Hence,
he shall perform  the1  Bame works, and speak the same
words that Christ performs and speaks, yet not He,                                 -           -
but Christ through him. The disciples preached the
Gosnel  and performed miracles the same as Christ and
in His name, and through these works the kingdom of
C&l was and is being made to come,                                 Jesus Prays For His Disciples
    And greater works than these--these. namely, the                      John  16:5-`7;  17~14~26
works that Jesus at that time had and was performing,
they shall do. because He goes to His father, through           These words of Jesus form one piece with the ad-
suffering and death. to bring as the glorified Christ dress that He uttered in  ttie evening of the night that
those other sheep "not of this fold", to wit, all the        marked the beginning of His passion. When He spoke
families of the earth blessed in Abraham, in Christ, these words He was still assembled with His  dtsciples
the gentile elect. And this He will accomplish thtiugh       in the chamber where He ate with them for the last
the works of His church, through the preaching, wit- time the Passover. In this chapter (16 of John's gos-
ness, testimony, and miracles of His disciples, upon         pel)  He begins to enlighten them in regard to their
whom He as the Glorified Christ will pour out His future, in order that, together with what is sad, He
Spirit.  Th.!ese works to be done in the future are may  tell them the most gladdening things. The enemies
greater. They are this as the stage upon which thes of the  cmSs would put them out  of  the synagogue.
are nerformed is not the land lo'f Canaan but the whole Yea, the time will come that whosoever killeth them
world and thus result in the `salvation of the whole will think to be doing God a service. This treatment
world and in the consumation  of His kingdom.                the men of the world will afford them, because they
    The thought conveyed by th,e statement of Christ know not the Father. But so little is it the intention
(verses 13, 141, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in mv of Jesus to affright them with these things. that He
name, that will I do. that the Father mav be glorified tells His disciples of them, `that a later  recollecti;on  of
in the Son" is not certainly t&at the disciples may pray these fore-announcements may gender in them the con-
for any imaginable thing and that so  praving: thev will viction that God doeth all things and that thus nothing
always be heard.      The "whatsoever" is limited by can befall them except by His direction.
"in my name? and by the expression "that the Father              And now (verse 5) Jesus goes His way-the way
may be  ,$orified  in the Son". To prav  in Christ's that will take Him over Calvary with its cross, into
name is to pray an the basis of His merits. is to pram       death, through the grave to the Father. So will He re-
as one joined to Him by 3 living faith, thus joined in       turn  to Him  :by Whom He was sent. He  goetb His


262                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
II_^-.....                                       ______I.^ .._..._  -____^-                                  _.
way and none of His disciples is asking Him whither                The word found in the  orignal for Comforted is
He goes. They give themselves up to the sad thought paracleet. The Spirit is this as He pleads the cause
that He goes and inquire not into the nature of His of the elect before God. The elect have a cause. They
departure and ask Him not that He shed light upon are in Christ their Redeemer, children of God, Who in
the glad announcement that He goeth to the Father. the Saviour have pardon of all their sins and life'
Their minds are occupied solely with the disquieting eternal, and the destruction of all their enemies by
tiding that He is about to leave them. Sorrow there- whom they are being persecuted. This is their cause,
fore, fills their hearts. Aware of this, Christ in  HZs which is th+ cause of their God. This cause the Spirit
inexhaustible patience-a patience born of a great pleads in and through. the believers  befiore the face of
love-again directs their minds to the great benefits God. It means that the believers themselves as the
they are to derive from His departure, "Nevertheless organs of the Spirit appear in Christ before the face
I tell you the truth ; it is expedient for you that I go      of God and confess that they are ,His children; that
away: for if I go not away, the  Comforter  will not as standing in this faith they confess their sins before
come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto          Him, seek in prayer the fulness that dwclleth  in Christ
you." How eager He is to lift up Fheir  bowed-down and pray for the deliverance of Zion through the de-
spiritis, to quiet their troubled heart, to anchor their struction of the wicked.
souls to the truth about Himself, that when they see               Closing His address to His disciples with the words,
His blessed body nailed to the cross, they may still be- "These things have I spoken unto ybu, that in me ye
lieve in Him then and have hope. Even now He stands m;ght have peace. In the world ye shall have tribula-
there  on the threshold of His hour with a soul dis- tion: but be of good cheer, I haveovercome the world",
quieted by the spectrum of His dreadful cross, we             Christ now prays to the Father. In the section of this
see Him by the strength of His love bent over His dis- prayer selected for the lesson (John 17:14-26)  Jesus
ciples, endeavoring to dispel by His word their gloom.        prays for protection of His disciples from the evil one
Instead of Him comforting them, they should be com- in the world, and for their sanctification in the truth
forting Him. But so it might not be. EIe had to suffer to God. Jesus declares before the face of the Father
alone. And He does so, clasping His own to His heart.         that He has given His disciples His word: and that
       That they are sad and troubled because He leaves the world has hated them because they are not of the
them, pains Him, "I tell you the truth: it is expedient world, even as He is not of the world.. The contrast
fur you that I go away: for if I go not away the Com-         here is between Christ and His disciples on the one
forter will not come unto you. . . ." The Comforter, hand and the world on the other. It is the world that
the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, Whom He will Christ prays not for, thus the present cosmos as it cul-
m!erit  for them by His suffering and death. How then minates and is centered in the reprobated. This pre-
can He send Him, the Spirit, if He depart not, satisfy sent world therefore, together with the race of men
not through His sacrifice the justice of God, be not that are  corrupt;ng  irt will be destroyed. Thel present
raised up to the justification of Self and His people, form of this world will be made to disappear with the
be not received into heaven, be not crowned and wicked. This will spell the redemption of the cosmos
nnointed  aTcording  to His human nature. In a word, and its reappearance with the elect in glory. The worlld
how can He  rend the Spirit,  w$thout  first meriting .that.  Christ prays not for, hated and does hate His
Him and as the resurrected and glorified Christ reciev-       disciples, hath conceived a hatred for them. The rea-
ing Him. It is indeed expedient that He go away. son is that they are not out of the world, but out of
       Having gone, He will send Him unto them, the the Father of light (ethical). Thus the contrast here
Comforter. This He is, the Comforter, as He makes, is between light and darkness, so that it is inevitable
the chosen of God by a true faith partaker of Christ that the world hate them. Christ's prayer is not that
and of all His benefits.     Being the Comforter, He the Father take them out of the world, but that He
breathes new life, the life of Christ, into the dead keep them from the world, from the world's influence,
spirits of these chosen ones, fills them with Christ's ideals, aspirations, and godless strivings and methods.
grace and truth, applies the truth so to their hearts In a word, what Christ prays for, is not a local but
that they know themselves as saved through Christ a spiritual-ethical aeperation between His followers
to God, that is, testifies with the spirits of the ones and the w'orld. And what He desires is that this sepa-
born anew that they are God's children. So does He ration be absolute. What the theory of common grace
strengthen and cbmfort them. And as the Comforteti             insists upon is that this separation is and cannot be
He will abide with them forever. Forever will He otherwise than relative.                            The teaching is that the
be making the redeemed to partake of Christ., the wicked are not darkness but light to a degree and that
living water and the true bread. Forever will He be therefore the world and the people of God can go arm
sustaining jn the redeemed,, their faith, their hope and in arm. Christ prays further that this separation be
their love, testifying with their spirts that they' are effected and maintained by the truth, that is, by the
God's sons.                                                    word.           And so it will be.      Through the word,  the


                                      T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                             363
         ~~?-.~.:~~.~.  .-...._  -
Father will continually throughout the ages call His
Feople   oLt of the world, out of  dar,kness to Himself                  The Book Of Deuteronomy
and to the heavenly. Thus through the Word He will
indeed sanctify them, separate them from the world              The style of chapters 12-26 continues to be horta-
and attach them to Himself and His cause.                    tory. However, the exhorations of these sections do
                                                             not consist in such statements as, "Fear the Lord and
   As the Father sent Christ into the world, so He           love Him", linked with promises and threats, but in
sends His disciples into the world, even so, as anointed     a large number of stat&es  and judgments, comuni-
ones, to witness for the truth, to champion God's cause,     cated by Moses to all the people. This section may be
to testify against the wickedness in the world as the        said o form the body of the book of Deuteronomy.
servants of Christ,  and  to  prea:h  the heavenly. And         The  legal  ma'terials  contained in this section  of
for the sake of the disciples and all His servants,          the book (of Deuteronomy) have to do with the fol-
Christ sanctifies Himself. He separates Himself from         lowing matters.
the world and all that is out of it, hates His life and      Worshipping other gods : Duet. 5 :7 ; 6 : 14-16 ; 8 : 19,
gives Himself wholly to the Father to work His works,           20;  11:16-17;  30:17,  18; 11:26-28;   28:13; 17:2.
in the midst of this  w,orld. Hence, He accepts His          Solicitat;ons  to religious  apotacy  : Deut. 13 :l-18.
cross and lays down His life for His sheep. He does          Idolatry: Deut  5:8-20;  16:21,  22;  7:5;  12:2,  3;
so that His people may be sanctified through the truth,          27:15;   4:15-28.
may in Him their Saviour be saved from this world            Divination and Sorcery : Deut. 18 :9-14.
and be exclusively God's eternally.                          Sacrifice of children: Dent. 12:19-U; 18:lOa.
   Neither prays He for the disciples  alone(  the elect     Blasphemy : Deut. 5 : 11.
cvut of the Jewish nation) but for them also which shall     False prophecy: Deut. 5  :ll.
believe  ,on Him through their word. (the gentile-elect).    Labor on the Sabbath : Deut. 5 : 12-15.
So He prays that they (the former and the latter) may        Sin against parents: Deut. 5:16; 21:18-21;  27:16.
be one in the Father and in the Son, that is, one in         Murdsr : Deut. 5 :17 ;19 :l-13.
the Father through Christ, one as the Father is in'          Assault: Deut.  27:20,
Him and as He is in the Father. (This last statement         Kidnapping : Deut. 24 :7.
js explained in the foregoing lesson). As the Father         Adultery : Deu.t 5 :18 ; 22 ~22-24.
is in Christ through the Spirit and Christ in the            Rape : Deut.  22 :25-27.
Father, so Christ is jn His people again throllgh  His       Deduction: Deut. 22 :28, 29.
Snirit and His people in Him. So is the church one in        IJnlawful  marriage : Deut. 22 :30 ; 27 ~20, 22, 23.
the Father  thl;ough  Christ. For  th;s the Saviour          Sodomy: 23 : 17, 18.
prays,  that the world mav know that the Father sent         T Jnnatural lusts : 27 :21.
Him. It is exactly the sniritual  oneness of the church.     Prostitution : Deut. 23  :17, 3.8 ; 22: 13-21.
R oneness marvellous  and beautiful, a oneness in Christ     Indecent assault : 25 :ll, 12.
that forms the evidence that Christ is of God as of          Interchange of the dress of the sexes : Deut. 22  :5.
this oneness God only can be the source. It is that          Unnatural  mix'tures  : Deut. 22 :9-11,
His people may be  ione in Him that He gives unto            Exacting interest from the  noor:  Devlt. 23 :19.20.
them His glory. the grace, truth and honor that was          Wronging the defenceless  : Deut. 24 :14. 15 ; 27 :18.
His as the Christ before the foundation of the world         Bribery: Deut.16 :19b; 27 :25.
in the eternal counsel of God.                               Perverting justice : Deut. 16 :19a,  20.
                                                             Perjury:  5:20;  19:16-21.
   Christ declares it to be His will, that then  whom        t%vetonsness  : Deut. 5 :21.
the Father gave Him, be with Him where He is (in             Deliberate defiance of the Law: Deut.  17:12,  13.
the Father's house as a people redeemed and glorified)       Theft : Deut. 5 :19 ; 23 :24. 25.
that  they may behold His  gliorg (the glory of the Medi-    Land stealing: Deut. 19 :14 ; 27 :17.
R.tor). that He had as Mediator in the counsel before        False weights and measures : Deut. 25 : 13-16.
the world was. For the Father loved Him before the           Honor and obedience due parents :           Deut. 5 :16 ;
follndations  of the world.                                      21:18-21;  27 :lG.
   The World has not known Him, the  righteous               Rights of husbands and wives : Deut.  21:10-14.
Father. but Christ has known Him and His followc:?s          Rights of masters and hired servants:  Del!t.   24:14-
have known  that  the Father sent  Hun: for  He  has             15.
declared unto them the Father's name and will declare        Permanent slaves : Derlt.  15 :X6. 17.
this name through His servants as the glorified Christ.      Manumission of Israelitish slaves : Deut. 15 : 12-
that the love wherewith the Father loved Him may be           15, 18.
in His people, and He in them.                               Reception of fugitive slaves : Deut. 23  :15, 16.
                                             G  .M. 0.       Religious privileges of slaves:  12:17, 18;  16:10, 11.


                           A   R e f o r m e d   S e m i - M o n t h l y   M a g a z i n e
             PUBLISHED BY THE REFORMED FREE PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.





                          - -
  Vol. XIII, No. 12. Entered as second class mail
                        matter at Grand Rapids.  Mich.     MARCH 15, 1937                          Subscription Price, $2.00

                                                                     nation perish not ; Lazarus also must be killed; the
           M E D I T A T I O N                                       very evidence of Jesus' power must be obliterated !
                                                    -I-                 And in the night in which He was betrayed Jesus
                                                                     had forced the issue ! The  traitor  had been sent away
              The World `s Preference                                in the darkness of `the night, dn his still darker errand,
                                                                     with the majestic command: What thou doest do
                     Will  ye  there&m  that I  relewe   unto quickly !
                  you the  Kini of  the Jews  ? . . . .                 Thus it had, quite unexpectedly, become a busy
                      Not this  man, but  Bambbas! . . . . night for the powers of darkness. The Most High sum-
                                           J o h n   19 . *S&&J.     moned them all before His tribunal, that they might
     It is the hour!                                                 be tried, and they knew it not! By a band of soldiers
     The Father's hour, Jesus' hour!                                 Jesus had been taken captive in the garden : had been
     The hour, when the world must needs be judged; subjected to a preliminary hearing before  Annas  ; had
e when Zion must be redeemed through judgment ; when been examined and maltreated in the night by a dis-
 the prince of this world mu& be cpat out ; when powers *orderly and hastily convoked crowd of Sanhedrists;
 and principalities must be stripped to the skin, and had been officially condemned by that tribunal as soon
 made an open show. . . .                                            as it was light; and had been led to the pretorium of
     The hour of the cross !. . . .                                  the Roman governor.
     In that hour control of the course of events is                    The enemy had no alternative; and Jesus must be
 forcibly wrung from the hands of the hostile powers. killed even though it must be in the way of a public
 They would have had things different.                    Not their trial and condemnation and on the feast-day!
 intention it was to appear at this hour before God's                   And there, before the Roman governor, God judges
 tribunal in order to become manifest in all their naked t.hem!                     '
 shame and corruption. Nor was this even their hour.                    Hear but the question, God's question, though they
 Jesus must be killed, but not in  ithe way of any public know it not: what will ye?
 procedure ; rather must he be taken by subtility and                   Jesus, W'ho is called the Christ or Barabbas, the
 stabbed to death, or stoned, or cast down from some                 murderer? What is your preference? . . . .
 precipice; and not on the feast-day, lest there be up-                 And hear but the self-condemning answer: Not
 roar among the people! And, behold, here they stand this man, but Barabbas !
 before the bar of the worldly judge, demanding sen-                    It is the hour, indeed!
 tence on Jesus of Nazareth; and that on the very
 feast-day they had meant to avoid !
     Two events especially had directed th.e course of                  Shameful proposition !
 events into channels so radically different from their                 Will ye that I release Jesus or Barabbas?
 own plans&,                                                            Shameful from the viewpoint of the Roman judge
     There was the raising of Lazarus and the en- that proposes this duo to the people and thus tramples  6
 thusiasm it had caused among the people. All the under foot all justice whose representative he was
 world followed Him and the enemies perceived clearly called to be !
 that they prevailed nothing. It had urged them to                      W'ho, then, was this Barabbas?
 hasten. And they had determined that not one man,                      From his name it was deduced that he was the
 but two should die "for the people",  (that the whole               son of a rabbi, for why otherwise should he be called


266                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
--11_1                   -"-
"son of a father"? If this be so, which, indeed, is not moment is in the bosom of the Father according to
improbable, he was born and  .trained  in a respectable His divine nature, though in the likeness of sinful1 flesh
Israelitish family, and was nurtured in the fear of Je- He reaches down to hell and descends into the lowest
hovah. But his training had become his curse, for he parts of the earth ; and even at this very moment He
delighted in the way of sin. From the gospel according stands in the consciouness  of being in the form of God!
to Luke we learn that he was guilty of sedition; with a Besides He stands before the judge of the world, clearly
band of other banditti he had instigated an uprising conscious of His righteousness and holiness; there is
against the Ro,man government. Moreover, all Scrip- no guilt in Him, and He was conscious of it; there was
ture witnesses that he was a murderer; and Matthew no guile found in Him and He knew it better than
significantly describes him as a notable prisoner. He any other! . . . .
was a notorious criminal, widely known, a kind of                  The glorious Son of God placed on a par with public
public enemy number one!                                        enemy number one !
       Whom will ye that I shall release, Barabbas or              The Holy One proposed for pardon to the will of
Jesus ?                                                         the people together with the most notorious criminal!
.      Barabbas, the murder; Jesus, the Christ !                   And Jesus, too, accepts the proposition!
       Barabbas, public enemy number 1;  Jesus, Jehovah-           He might, indeed, have declined and solemnly re-
salvation !                                                     fused to accept the possibility of pardon thus offered.
       Did he, the representative of world-justice, the He might have protested against the infamous humilia-
bearer of the sword in  God?s  name, who proposed this tion heaped upon Him by placing Him on equal footing
shameful alternative, not know? Did he not under- with one from the lowest strata  <of  societv. He might
stand the wickedness of his proposition? Indeed, he have  flashed forth in the glory and power of `His
did ! To whatever exetent he may have been ignorant divinity and put His enemies to flight. He might have
concerning Jesus, he certainly was convinced that the dropped His  b,nds, made Himself invisible and  passed
Sanhedrists had delivered Him in their envy, and that through their midst,  l.eaving  His accusers and His
there  w.as no guilt in Jesus. This he had decIared  re- judge behind in utter astonishment. . . .
peatedly ; and this was his sentence even at this moment           Yet, He was silent!
now he places the shameful duo before the people and               He knows that "now is the judgment of the world"!
their leaders. Yet, the judge now places the innocent God is the Judge, not Pilate, in this hour! And the
on a level with one of <the greatest criminals he can           powers of darkness, the  "worlad".  Pilate,  Herod.  the
select I surrenders Him as if He were found guilty to high priest, the chief nriests. the "powers and nrinci-
the wilI of the peopIe : he betrays his trust : he vioIates     ralities", are being examined by the Most High. that
his calling; he submits his power and authority to the the  th.oughts  of many hearts may be revealed, the sin
people's preference; he dethrones justice in favor of of the world may become manifest to be sin indeed. . . .
the whims of the wicked mob. . . .                                 And God's judgment must have its course to the
       Shameful duo, indeed !                                   very end !
       No less shameful from the viewpoint of the people           The question must be put: what will ye? . . . .
to whom the proposition is made.                                   Jesus or Barabbas?
       For, mark  ,that they accept the alternative and  aa-
prove of the duo! They were well acquainted with
both of the nominees, Jesus and Barabbas. Jesus
they had heard and seen and learned to know  by His                Trying question, indeed !
Word and work as it reached its climax in the raising              The answer to which must fully and clearly reveal
of Lazarus; Barabbas thev knew as the notorious the preference of the *`world", of you an,d of me! . . . .
criminal , the murderer, whom to release was a per-                And the "world", you and I in our s;nful  nature,
version of justice and meant to imperil the safety of were  we11 represented in that hour of judgment, when
the public. The monstrous inequality, the  gress  in- the most trying of questions was put to us: what will
justice, the shameful wickedness of the proposition of ye, the release of Jesus or Barabbas? It was pnt to
Pilate they  well  .knew.  Yet, they receive it,  aanrove       the  worId at its best! For, here were gathered the
of it without a voice of protest, and proceed to declare scribes and chief priests,  *the pharisees and  sadducees,
their preference? . . . .                                       the wise men and good, together with the people whose
       Even this acceptance of the proposition is sufficient leaders they were. Israel! . . . .          .,
to their condemnation !                                            The Church! . . . .
       And from Jesus' point of view? . . . .                      No. indeed, not the Church as she is regenerated
       How  shamefully humiliating it must have been be- and called. She disappears in this hour,  utterlv   n-
fore His consciousness to be  nlaced on  eoual  footinp         mazed, perplexed, offended in Him ! But the Church,
with the  lowest  of men. with the scum of the "worId"!         nevertheless, is represented here, the carnal Church.
for, mark well, He is the Son of God, Who even at this          the worId at its best; sinful men, under the ester&


                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                          267
     --.-~.                                      ._
influence of "religion". For, these men had covenants ;          Self-condemning answer !
the Word of God was entrusted to them; they had                  Self-condemning for the leaders, for the multitude
Moses and the prophets; they had the law of Jehovah that is assembled before the judgment-seat of the
and they boasted of the righteousness wb.ich is by the Roman governor, for the "world" at its best and at
law. And this world at its best - and, therefore, at          its worst, for you and me, for all men as `they are by
its worst - is now being tried !                              nature.
      They are on the witness-stand !                            It reveals that we are enemies of God, Iovers of sin!
      And they are being examined by the Judge of heaven         For, make no mistake! A serious mistake, indeed,
and earth, though they know it not. The question is a most fundamental mistake you and I .would make,
put to them: Whom will ye that I shall release unto, if we  wduld assume the attitude of "holier than thou"
you, Barabbas  or Jesus which is  call.ed the Christ? over against the multitude that preferred Barabbas to
Wil,l  ve that I release unto you the King of the Jews? Jesus,  .the criminal to the Holy One, the murderer to
The `criminal or the King? The murderer or the the Son of God. Do not stand aghast at the choice !
Christ? . .  .,  .                                            Do not assume an attitude of holy indignation! The
      Clear-cut, heart-searching  quest&   !                  question was at that moment put to  U; and the answer
      Here no plea of ignorance or incompetence to of the multitude was very really  orurs!               It was the
answer could be entered, either now or ever! The hour of the judgment of the world ! And the import
cruestion  was in its deepest significance: do ye prefer of the question was: if the world, if you and I as we
God or the world, righteousness or sin, holiness or are by nature, will ever have an opportunity to lay hold
iniquity, the Son of God or the most notorious rebel! of God and murder Him and to save the "world" in
If ye stand before the aIternative  that either of two its worst manifestation, what will ye do? And the
rniT.st be killed and forever be put out of your way, the answer was : then the world, then we will -kill God
living God, Who is God indeed, or the lowest criminal, and save the "world"!
the scum of your "world", what is your choice?                   The answer is instigated by the Ieaders!
      Such was the deep significance of the question !           They pass through the multitude, these blind
      Nay, do not object that they did not know, that, at leaders of the blind and instruct the crowd how *to vote!
least, they did not believe that Jesus was the Son of            And they are readily persuaded !
God; that Jesus at this moment certainly did not ap-             The choice is  defitite   !
pear  Iike the glorious Only Begotten that `is in the            What  wiI1 ye? We want  Bayabbas,  the rebel, the
bosom of the Father: that He, on the contrary, stands murder&-, the scum of the "world", the criminal ! Not
before the judge of the world as a mere, helpless this man ! what, then. shall I do with Jesus, which
h1Tman being, weak and miserable; and that, therefore, is called the Christ? Your will, your preference, your
to them the intent of the question could never be the choice. the delight of your heart, must become very
choice between God and the world, between the Son clear to all! Let it become  cIearIy  manifest, what was
of God and the "son of perdition". For, had Jesus at the nature of the sin ye committed. when, centuries
this moment become -manifest in all the glory of His ago, ye ate of the forbidden fruit! Speak, then, de-
essentia1 divinity, they would have been-  tiled with clare your preference, revea1  your heart, ye "world",
terror, and the thoughts of their hearts would never pious, religious, instructors and instructed, scribes,
have been expressed: it belonged to the very essential priests, pharisees and  sadducees,  multitude, men of all
elements of this trial that God should stand before ages and names and positions, take off your cloak of
them  as a mere,  helnless  man! And they knew the righteousness and piety and show yourselves. that God
T ord ! He had walked among them and become mani- may pour out His wrath upon the "world" and be
fest to them in many signs and wonders as the revela- justified ; speak : what. then, shall I do with Jesus,
tion of the Father! He had spoken words of eternal which is  calIed  the Christ? Crucify Him! . . . .
life and they had been witnesses!  Righteousness.                The trial is over. . . .
truth, and holiness had become revealed through Him              ViaIs of wrath are poured out!
and they knew it. . . .                                          And in this hour of execution of the righteous judg-
      And thus they are competent to answer the question !
      The trying, searching. unambiguous question : Jesus ment of God, Jesus goes  .to the place of judgment!
                                                              The cross?
or Barabbas, whom will ye that I shall release?
      If God stands before you in the form of a helpless         And He bears the wrath of God against the sin of
man. so that it is in your power to kill Him. . . . or the world  ; obediently,, willingly, in  love of the Father
to kill Barabbas? . - . .                                     and of His own ; satisfying, atoning for that sin that
      What will ye?                                           became manifest in  all its hideousness in that
                         __--                                 choice. . . .
      Barabbas !                                                 That the world of God's choice might be saved !
:     Not this man!                                              0, the depths !                             H. H.


                                     T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                  275

`1lchaa.m  en `geestelijk' zijn hier 266 gebruikt, dat er
in hun verbinding niets tegenstrijdigs ligt, mits men              Steadfastly Walking To The Cross
de  termen verstaat zooals de Schrifi ze bezigt, en niet,
in een haar geheel vreemde gedachtenwereld levend,                                Then Peter took Him, and began. to rebuke
deze in haar indraagt".                                                        Him, saying, Be it far from thee,. Lord: this
   Nu zijn deze paragrafen ook van beteekenis met                              shall not be unto thee.
het oog op andere aanhalingen in de brochure van Dr.                              But' he turned, and said unto Peter, Get
                                                                               thee behind me, Satan: thou art an  offence
Hepp.
   Doch  we haalden ze aan met de bedoeling om een                             unto me: for thou savourest not the things
antwoord te krijgen op de  v?aag  of de twee .ketterijen,                      that be of God, but those that be of  mea
die de geachte schrijver van "Dreigende Deformatie"                                                       Matth.  16:22,  2%
bier nu werkelijk  worden  gevonden.                               Strange it may seem, but is it not true that the
   Dr. Hepp vindt hier in de eerste plaats de "afwij-           best and the bad in God's people meet sometimes?
king", dat  de  dood  beschouwd  als  doorgazy  tot  heit       This is not surprising at all, if we consider man as
eeuwige  Eeven niet begeerenswaardig is voor den chris- he is by- nature and what he became through regebe:
ten. Ik kan die dwaling hier niet met de beste  bedoe-          ration. There must be such~ a contradiction- when life
ling in vinden. Dr. Vollenhoven heeft het over het and death, light and darkness, grace and sin meet.
sterven a& zoodatig. Hij vergelijkt de Heilige  Schrift         It cannot be otherwise. The best that is within us will
op dit punt met de heidensche philosofie en vindt dan, not have peace with sin, for the one excludes the
dat de S&rift den dood voorstelt als een vijand, als            other. Only one of our race did not have the experi-
straf op de zonde,  als lijden. En dan is een andere ence of the contradictory forces that oppose one an-
weg om in  te gaan in de heerlijkheid begeerlijker dan other. Why? Simply because He did not have two
die van den dood. En 266 beschouwd vind ik hier noch            forces operating in Him, but one. His' was the life
dwaling, noch iets, dat niet strookt.met  de bevinding of holiness, of perfection and therefore of love  atid
van den Christen. Men kan  we1 bang zijn voor een obedience that filled His being and- actuated all His
operatie, ook al is de uitkomst daarvan begeerenswaar-          deeds. Our Lord did not know, from this point of
dig. Men kan  we1 liever een anderen weg naar  de-              view, of an internal strife. Moreover, the enticing,
zelfde bestemming verkiezen, ook al is de bestemming glittering world with its pitfalls and powers of dark-
nog zoo heerlijk. Zoo versta ik Dr. Vollenhoven.                ness round about him, could never take him by sur-
   De tweede dwaling, die Dr. Hepp in bovenstaande pnse.               He was at all times prepared to meet erery
aanhaling vindt, is, dat Dr. Vollenhoven onzen tijde-           situation unflinchingly. The Saviour knew and willed
lijken dood beschouwt als een betaling voor de zonde, the only good and perfect will of the Father, because
en dat hij dus feitelijk de sutisfactio  vicar&x van Chris- his was the life of purity and knowledge; knowledge
tus loochent. Ook dat kan ik niet zien. Struf en be- of the will'of God as contained in the Scriptures that
taling   voor de zonde zijn geen gelijke begrippen. In never failed him.
de eerste plaats- reeds, omdat  ,lang  liiet alle stra.f be-       How different it is with the disciples! Especially
tiling is voor de zonde. Dat is, strikt genomen, alleen with Peter. Peter, if .we had to  decide what we know
het  straflijden van  onzen Heiland.  Zelfs in de  he1 concerning you, we surely would put a number of
betaalt   men niet.    In de tweede plaats. omdat ook question marks behind your confession and' your ac-
alle straf nog geen  rechtvaardige   vergeltimg   is. De tions. True, your impetuous character would offer us
S&rift spreekt  meermalen  van  straf  ook voor Gods an excuse, nevertheless, we would not be able to under-
kinderen. David bidt : "Straf mij niet in Uwen toorn". stand you. It is not so, that at one moment he con-
En feit is zeer zeker, dat de dood straf is op de Zcnde. fessed: Thou Son of Man, art the Son of the Living
Nu is het  we1 waar, dat voor het kind van God de               God? and the  ne.xt moment: "Be it far from thee,
gedachte.   aan  rechtvaardige  vergelding ook uit zijn Lord: this shall not be unto thee".
sterven is weggenomen. Maar  bet  lijden des doods                 Indeed, this disciple, and for that matter the twelve
blijft. En dat lijden is niet begeerenswaardig. Wij as a whole, revealed  ia many ways how contradictory
willen niet ontkleed worden,  maar overkleed, ook al they were.
zijn we  gewillig  om de heerlijkheid van het overkleed            Not so with our Lord.         In a former article we
worden,  om eerst ontkleed te worden.        Zoo staat het wrote, that Christ announced his death approximateiy
ook met mijne "bevinding", en ook met de bevinding four months before he died. The announcement was
van alle honderden kinderen  Gods, die ik heb zien heen- not arbitrarily, but in close connection with the con-
gaan, ook al gingen ze  heen roemende in de hope.               fession made by Peter. It contained in brief th.e out-
  Doch dit artikel is reeds te lang.                            line of the whole program of his last suffering. He
   Ik hoop deze bespreking voort te ,zetten in een vol-         must die, because he willed to die and he knew and
gend nummer.                                                    prophesied the manner of his suffering and death.
                                                H, H.           Elders, Chief Priests and Scribes were the  execu-


276                                 ,,  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
                           l___l                        ..-1_1_
tioners. The overseers of the Church, the men who not understand how Peter even dared to think to take
knew the will of God in respect to the sacrifices and his Master's place. Jesus, according to his confession,
rituals, and the instructors of the people, who knew the is the Son of God. Well, who has the courage to enter-
Scriptures, were the parties forming a league of mur- tain the thought of telling him, whether or not  ne
derers that intended to do away with him whenever should suffer and die? He acted on the spur of the
and wherever the opportunity presented itself.              moment and it was one of the characteristic `Peterian'
       He must die and suffer willingly. Yet, that same impulses. That after all *does not change the situation,
prophecy also contained and made plain the final re- for impulses must also be brought under control of
sult of it all. In simple language he spoke of his re-      the one and only Word of God and should be fought
ward as the ultimate of all his suffering and death against. Whosoever will try to defend Peter does so,
in a few words: "And be raised again the third day".        because that defence  might be a cloak for his own sin.
From that time forth he began to instruct his disciples     We may not and cannot defend the apostle, for by
concerning the coming events. The first question was, doing so, we contradict the Saviour and the Word of
would they from now on listen more attentively? It our God. Who was to instruct, the Master or the
has been said, coming events cast their shadows be- pupils? If Christ is the Son of God, Peter has no
fore, and this was certainly true of the suffering and      right to take him apart, for the Son of God is his
death to come for their Master. He himself showed teacher. There is absolutely no excuse for this act.
in all his actions that the time was not far off. They All we can say is, that Peter acts boldly and his ef-
were afraid to ask him when he set his face toward frontery caused the Saviour more suffering. Every
Jerusalem, for the shadow of the cross spread itself self-willed act is nothing else but the result of conceit.
over all his features. There was every indication of Yes, and after this act Peter began - for Jesus did
hostility from the side of the leaders of Israel that the not suffer him to finish  - to speak. Note, not a few
hnal crisis was at hand. Plain it was also from the polite questions were asked, in order that he may re-
:;ttitade  of the fickle multitude, who were about to       ceive comfort with a view to the terrible suffering
leave Jesus. And above all, Jesus spoke at this mo- and death, but to tell the Lord that he must be beside
ment in no uncertain terms, in connection with his himself to speak about his death and suffering in such
suffering and death.                                        a manner. The Lord had said to the disciples, my
       However, the same is true of the disciples, that suffering and death are necessary in fulfilment of the
none of them tried to somewhat grasp the meaning of divine purpose, but sinful man resists the divine pro-
this suffering and death. Death to them was to be the gram and that because flesh and blood do not under-
end of it all. We need not single out Peter, for al- stand God's work, God's ways and God's purpose.
though he is +:he spokesman, the others were of the            How are we to explain this terrible contradiction
same opinion. They were all alike, be it with a little from the side of the disciples? Let us consider that
variation. Considered in the light of the subsequent the confession (verse 21) made was genuine. It could
history it is obvious that they did not even as much as     not be otherwise, because it was the result of God's
ask for light concerning the things to come. When Jesus     own work, flesh and blood had not revealed it to
sets his face toward Jerusalem every one of them re- Peter. But ,this did not mean, that Christ must not suf-
veals his wilfull ignorance and his unwarranted op- fer and die and be raised again. The old Judaistic leaven
position.                                                   had `also permiated the minds of the disciples and
                                                            they conceived of Christ as an earthly king. No longer,
       Peter took him apart to speak to him privately. according to their view, was Jesus to be the object of
Not in a gentle or friendly way, to ask the Master humility, but of power, honor and glory. Christ and
whether it was really his intention to walk right into the earthly throne, with earthly power and majesty,
the lion's den and why this must be done? It was not in the midst of the Jewish race, ruling over earthly
a matter of grave concern first of all, of a loving dis-    enemies was the ultimate goal. So thought Peter and
ciple who groped in darkness and therefore wanted to his fellow disciples. Peace, and not the suffering and
ask him privately for some light. No, not at all. This death of the Messiah, was their conception of the king-
is plain if we study the words in which his action is dom to come. Hence, his outburst: "Be it far from
revealed. One of the best exegetes rend,ers  it in this thee, Lord: this shall not be". Seemingly, the disciple
wise, `after he had taken him to himself, as if he pos- is much concerned about Jesus' life and safety. He
sessed the authority to exchange his place with that means with these words, may God be gracious to thee  '
of the Saviour'. The disciple acted with greater fa- for this shall not and cannot be the thing that should
miliarity after the token of acknowledgment had been happen. His first act was to take the Master apart
given (namely, Peter's confession) and Jesus was by as though he was the superior, after that he com-
Peter's act reduced to the disciple's level. When the menced to admonish and to instruct. Strange indeed,
confession is compared with this .act, the confession to take matters in his own hands and to seperare the
"thou art the Christ, the Son of the living `God", we do Lord from the divine mission. The rock,  t!le noble


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           277

stone, becomes a block of  offence,  lyin; right across of the Most High, refuses to listen and sings `I come
the road in  which  Jesus  must go. Over against this to do Thy will, 0 God !'
false, fleshly conception our Lord takes a definite stand       Why, we ask, was it that our Lord treats his dis-
and rebukes the offender.     "But, the Lord turned", ciples in- this manner? Do we  find the explanation
the Lord, not as some would have it, turns to Peter, in the fact, that he found so much weakness in Peter?
but away from him. It cannot be, that he wishes to Is it only because, Peter, thou savourest not the things
discuss this matter, for he knows his disciple to be an that be of God, but those that be of man? Is it the dis-
instrument of Satan. This is clear when, while turn- ciple as such whereupon his text centers? Superficially
ing, Peter receives his chastisement:  `~Get thee be- it seems, that such is the case. But that cannot pos-
hind me Satan". How severe is this rebuke, but also sibly be if we look at the  w.ords  of our Lord in the
how well deserved. The rock called Satan. We are preceding verses. He told  <hiis  disciples about his suf-
inclined to soften these words and make them sound fering and death to come not as something that was
less vehement and more in harmony with the confes- inevitable, but as divinely determined. He must go
sion made by the apostle. We try to get around the to Jerusalem, and suffer until he died at the cross.
full weight of the situation if we set ourselves to that And that must was the divine necessity.
task. Yes, we defend Peter, if we infer that he was             If we look at the connection of how he announced
motivated by love for the Saviour. Love, we argue, his death, immediately after their confession: "Thou
means well, yet love sprouting out of our sinful flesh art the Son of the living God", then we find a beautiful
is a corrupt love and therefore no love at all. Or harmony between the two instances, in the announce-
perhaps, we do not take these words to be addressed ment of his death and in the way he approaches his
to Peter, but directly to Satan himself. Then of two death. He is the Christ, hence He must execute a
things only one is possible and that one thing would threefold office. As the ordained Prophet he speaks
be : Peter had a perfect right to speak as he did. This the full counsel of God also when it concerns his death.
would imply, that the Saviour was too severe, to say He loves that Word and it filled him to such an ex-
the least, in addressing Peter. Besides, the Lord would tent, that the Word becames a living testimony to all
then have spoken to Satan and not to the disciple. The who heard it. Hence, when he speaks all must listen,
apostle was a satan to our Lord in that he revealed for the contents of  <his prophetic words center around
ulmself  through his action to be a real adversary. In God and His work, God's grace and salvation. And all
the second place, the words may be a little different, things must be precisely executed in accordance with
but the rebuke itself is the same as the words spoken the divine command. Thus it was with the Lamb
in the temptation. And finally, in both eases they were of God, the one and only perfect sacrifice that could
intended with the same purpose in view.         Namely,      fulfil God's demand.  T,herefore,  "Get thee behind
to keep Jesus from going to the cross. In the wilder- me, Satan : thou art an offence  unto me". He loves
ness the invitation came, to be King and Ruler over his own and carries them upon his heart, but not a
this world, but at the expense of going to the cross, single adversary is able to keep him from doing that
the same is true here. Be our Christ, but without which was divinely set aside for him. To him it was
suffering and death. Besides, Satan finds in the dis- an offence,  because mere, sinful man tried to contradict
ciple a willing helper, although P,eter  is not aware of the Word and the Prophet of God, not savouring the
it at this moment. And both, Satan and Peter, desire things that are of God, but those of man. At the en-
a Christ, that is, the anointed Prophet, Priest  and trance of his suffering the Lord executes the Prophetic
King, but without shedding his blood for the sake of office perfectly. Triumphantly he overcame and push-
his people. I know and admit that there remains a ed aside the block of  offence,  even then when the
difference between the fallen angel and the disciple offence  comes from the side of his bride.
of Christ, yet there is also similarity in purpose and          Is it different when the same office calls for Priestly
motive and that is, not to abide by the will of God and duties? He is the Priest. Indeed, Christ is sacrificed
to reject the foreordained and revealed way, whereby for our sins, but at the same time sacrifices himself.
our Saviour was to establish the righteousness of our We pointed out before, active and passive obedience,
God, necessary for `his people. The one wilfully and active and passive suffering are not two seperate parts
filled with hatred, the other in ignorance by following of his suffering, but the one and the same suffering
the impulses of his sinful flesh, but sin nevertheless. always coinciding. We separate them, Christ unites
And it is not  difficult to see that both were instrumen- both and blends them into one.  H.ence,  the Priest  )
tal to add to the Lord's suffering. The most severe must take his way to the place of sacrifice not arbi-
wound was caused not by Satan, but by Peter. Even trarily, but conform to the will of his God and Father.
as the hurt inflicted by a friend `hurts more than that Peter's wish or prayer, is that of sinful flesh, *minding
of an enemy; so it is when the Bride of Christ, by her the things of the flesh and may not be accepted by
`flesh and blood' causes him to suffer. In both cases the Mediator. God forbids such prayers, because they
it is the anointed of God, who  ,is filled with the Spirit are not contained in His Word and therefore cannot


 2j8                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 be heard. That prayer of Peter was not to renounce                    De Rechter Voor- Den Rechter
h.~s own will and obey the will of God,  nay, for the
 prayer of the flesh is sin. The Priest of God, knows               Het is opmerkelijk, hoe groot de tegenstelling is
the will of God and dedicates .himself  wholly to that tusschen den Christus Gods en de door de zonde ge-
~111. And when he sents his face toward Jerusalem vloekte wereld.
we hear him sing: Thy will, Thy will alone be done on               Waar men ook  maar  den lijdensweg van Jezus
earth, by me, even as it is done in heaven. And the re- gadeslaat , daar vindt men ook de tegenstelling.
frain we hear in the words: "Get thee behind me                     Judas, die maar zijn naam  Godlover  diende te
Satan: thou art an  offence  unto me". I must hasten zijn, verkoopt den eenigen, waarachtigen  Godlover
to be sacrificed and to sacrifice myself and I do it            voor dertig zilverlingen.
*llingly.                                                          De hoogepriester daagt Hem-voor zijn rechterstoel,
   I And finally, the King alone may and must rule. die alleen het hoogepriesterlijk ambt vervulde en laat
The earthly kings rule at the expense of their subjects. het toe, dat Hij bespogen en geslagen wordt.
Their power can only be maintained by force. Besides,              Hij, die onder menschen de rotsnaam draagt,  valt
the rule of the earthly kings depend upon the good in een zonde die zijn broosheid en onstandvastigheid
pleasure. of their peopie, and they themselves are of- verraadt; terwijl het de ware Rots is die ook Petrus
ten not much more than a nice fixture. The Anointed dragen  moet.                 Immers, terwijl Petrus, de  rotsman
of God does not depend upon any man. He himself vloekt en zijn Heiland verloochent, bidt Jezus, de Rots
is the great warrior of Jehovah not dependent upon der eeuwen, die  all66n van geen wankelen weet.
mere creature. For the secret  of `his power is in his             Straks wordt Jezus, de Rechter. des hemels en der
blood. And that blood must be shed, come what may. aarde, voor den wereldschen rechter, Pilatus, geleid.
For in that way alone he can subdue his enemies, God's en wordt  *de rechtvaardige Rechter als een  vloekschul-
enemies and the enemies of His people. His life is dige heengeleid om gekruist te  worden.
the ransom to deliver them and no one can stand in                 Het vuige  overschot  van wat  zich  wederrechter-
His way. Therefore, if anyone tries to persuade him lijke Koning der Joden  noemt, de sluwe Herodvs,  be-
to turn from that way, either to the right or to the staat het om Hem, die waarlijk de Koning der Joden
left, such a one will hear the word of authority and is, te bespotten en te verguizen.
majesty  : "Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an                 Ook moeten we het aanschouwen, dat Bar-Abbas
offence  unto me".                                              tegen.over  Barabbas staat en  moeten  we een keuze
    Thus the suffering Servant of Jehovah, the Anoin- doen tusschen den Zoon des Vaders en den zoon des
ted Prophet-Priest-King, enters the final battle and al- vaders. (Barabbas beteekent  zoon van den Vader.)
though suffering and death awaits him, he knows that               En ten laatste hangt de Onschuld tusschen de mis-
he has the victory and shall be raised again the third dadigers aan het vervloekte ehout.
day.                                                               Wat tegenstellingen !
                                                   w. v.           Het is dan ook God geopenbaard in het vleesch:
                                                                eeuwig Thema van verrukkelijken zang en jubel der
                                                                Engelen Gods en menschen des welbehagens.
                                                                   De Hoogepriester, Jezus  Christus onzen  Heere, had
                   WEDDING ANNIVERSARY                          een proeve  van Zijn w,onderlijk en heerlijk werk gele-
                                                                verd door  Petrus   aan te zien met den blik van het
                           1897 - 1937                          verwijt der liefde zwanger. En Pet%us weende  bitter-
    On March 4, our beloved parents                             lijk in dien  bangen  en duisteren  nacht. Wat zal Hij,
                      EDWARD BYLSMA                             de Rots,  gebeden  hebben, opdat  Petrus'  geloof niet  op-
                              and                               houde ! En Zijn gebed werd verhoord, want  Petrus
             GERTRUDE BYLSMA - Helmholdt                        is blijven weenen, ook toen zijn tranen ophielden. De
                                                                pijlen van gewonde liefde waren 266 diep in zijn hart
commemorated their 40th Wedding Snniversary.                    ingeboord:  toen  $het oog, zoo rood bekreten, droog
    That our God may bless them in the future as He has         wierd, ging hij voort te tranen in `t diepste gemoed.
blessed them in the past is the prayer and wish of their be-    0 ! droefheid tot `God ! Gouden  kleinood van onbegrij-
loved children.                                                 pelijke liefde des Vaders!  "t. Leidt ons weer  Huis-
                             Mr. and Mrs.  Gee. Spruyt          waarts  ; tot bede tot dank !
                             Mr. and Mrs. John Bartelds            Doch  terwijl het Petrus uit genade gegeven wordt
                             Mr. and Mrs. Adrian Griffioen      om te weenen tot God, gaat het al dieper  den eeuwigen
                             Geraldine                          nacht in met Jezus.
                             Gerard E.                             Gebonden werd Hij en  geleisd tot Pilatus. Met bet
                             Beatrice F.                        doe1 om naar het befaamde Romeinsche  recht   ver-
    Grand Rapids, Mich.                                              ,ardeeld  te  worden.


 282                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

 keel doorsnijden  - in elk geval, niet hij maar die                                         --                 ---
kogel of dat mes ontneemt hem zijn leven. Maar
Jezus- heeft Zijn uitgang volbracht. Hij, de eeuwige                Sunday School Lessons
Zone Gods in het vleesch, door de kracht  des eeuwigen       1
 Gee&es,  in de menschelijke natuur, heeft Zelf het
kruishout   opgericht  (door middel der wereld), den                       Jesus Before Pilate
toorn Gods gedragen,  is  den dood ingegaan, en  we1 tot                    John  19:4-g,  14-H
aan  bet eeuwige einde toe ; Hij heeft,  wanneer  de
laatste penning was betaald, alles  aan den eisch Gods         We cannot here delineate on all the various phases
was voldaan, ten  slotte, om ook die vernedering te of this trial. Let us give the chronological order of
smaken, door Zijn Goddelijke kracht, gepaard met  vol- all its details and thereupon make the very observa-
komene menschelijke gehoorzaamheid,  ZlJn leven  ge- tions that are necessary to one who would discourse
geven, niet als eene daad van zelfmoord, maar gegeven on this trial with understanding.
aan het eeuwige recht Gods, alzoo dat zelfs Zijn ster-         I. Christ's first appearance before Pilate.
ven voor den hoofdman over honderd een bewijs was
van Zijn eeuwige Godheid.                                      Jesus is led from Caiaphas into the hall of judg-
   Zoo alleen kon de Heiland, geboren in den nacht          ment. Pilate asks the Jews, "What  accusation bring
van  schuld en vloek, vaarwel zeggen  aan dien vloek ye against this man." To which they reply, "If he
der wet. Alleen in dien weg was  bet Hem mogelijk were no malefactor we would not have delivered him
om  straks te verrijzen  aan de hemelsche zijde van het unto thee." Pilate's response is that they take. him
graf. Alleen aldus, naar Gods allerheiligst  recht, kon and judge him according to their law. They refuse
de  Heere Jezus  Christus  Zijn uitgang bewerken uit on the ground that it is not lawful for them to put
dezen nacht  des doods, waarm Hij vrijwillig was neder- a man to death, and prefer. their charge. They found
gedaald als de Knecht des Heeren, tot in de eeuwige Him perverting the nation and forbidding to give tri-
vrijheid en lieflijkheid van Gods verbond.                  bute to,, Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a
   Jezus uitgaan is ook  onze  uitgang. Zonder den king. Luke 23:2. Pilate now enters with Jesus into
Christus  is een uitgang uit den dood ondenkbaar. De the judgment hall and out of hearing of the Jews,
goddelooze, die ook dit leven zal moeten  verwisselen questions him. In response to Pilate's question, "Art
voor het bange bestaan der eeuwigheid, die zeker een thou king of the Jews", Jesus replies, that He is and
bestaan zal ontvangen als aangelegd op een eeuwig forthwith explains to Pilate the nature of His king-
helle-lijden, naar lichaam en ziel, zal echter  nooit op- dom. Pilate returns to the Jews with the verdict that
staan uit den dood. Wat hij in dit aardsche huis zijne he finds no fault in the man. The Jews now accuse
tabernakels  ervaart is  slechts een bange voorsmaak Jesus of many other things in their fierce zeal to sub-
van wat komen zal, een begin der smarten. Hij gaat stantiate and prove their original charge. They now
niet uit den dood maar door het  sterven  zinkt hij weg go into detail. They say, "He stirreth up the people,
in een eeuwigen dood.                                       teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee
   Maar, Gode zij. dank, dit geldt we1 voor ons. De         to this place." Luke 23:5. Jesus makes no attempt
grondslag van dit feit ligt in het eeuwig welbehagetl       to defend himself. He answers nothing. Pilate says
tiods.  De Heere heeft  Christus  Jezus  als Hoofd van to him,  "Hearest  thou not how many things they wit-
Zijn uitverkoren volk gewild, niet alleen in organischen ness against thee?' Jesus answers him not one wcrd
zin des woords waardour Hij onze volheid is en wij          and Pilate marvels. Matth. 27:12-14.  Pilate hearing
uit Hem leven, maar ook in rechtelijken zin, om ons in of Galilee, and discovering that Jesus belonged to
alles voor God te vertegenwoordigen.    Daarom is het Herod's  jurisdiction, sent him to Herod, who at that
Goddelijke eisch dat juist die Heere Jezus  Christus time happened to be in Jerusalem.
onze zonde als schuld drage, daar het hoofd aansprake-         II. Jesus before Her'od.  Luke 23 :6-11.
lijk wordt gehouden voor het lichaam. Maar ook daar-
om is Zijn uitgang uit den nacht  van ellende en schuld        III. Jesus second appearance before Pilate. Matth.
en toorn ook de onzer. Hij draagt onze zonde, betaalt               2'7 :15-31; Luke 23 : 13-26 ; Mark 15 :6-20 ; John
onze  schuld. Zijne gerechtigheid is onze  gerechtig-               18 :29-39 ; `l-16.
heid ; en, wanneer Hij den laatsten adem  uitblast, is         To his great disappointment, Pilate again has Jesus
voor ons verworven naar Goddelijk recht onze  ver- upon his hands. What will now be his next act? He
lossing uit de vallei des do&s. Wat thans geschiedt dare not without- further ado order Jesus to be put
is de toepassing van de vrucht des kruises  aan Gods to death as he had openly declared that he found no
volk door den Geest van den Heere C,hristus. Nu roept fault with him. His inconsistency was, that, after hav-
Hij ons in beginsel uit den dood, maar zal ons straks       ing declared this, he threw Jesus' case in  Herod's
met Zichzelf verheerlijken in de nieuwe hemelen en cuurt. So, in his embarrassment, Pilate actually pleads
op de nieuwe'aarde.                           H. V.         not merely with the leaders but also with the people


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         283
                       -I___
to permit him (mark you, permit him) to set Jesus,        at this reply, He puts the question  in this form, "WII~
whom he  *has publicly declared to be  without  fault, ye that I release unto you  the  king of the Jews." But
free after he will have chastised him. Amazing! So now they leave him no doubt as to what their will ls,
again calling together the chief priests and the rulers "Away mth this man," they all cry at once, .-and re-
and the people (mark you, the people also) he ad- lease unto us Barabbas  !" John  18  :Y9, 40. "What
dresses them as follows, "k e have brought this man to shall I then do with Jesus, which  1s called Christ?"
me, as one that perverteth the people: and behold, Matth. 27 :22. With this question Pilate now puts him-
I having examined him before you, have found no self completely into the hands of the multitude, and
fault in this man touching upon those things whereof they will now make him do their will. "What shall I
ye accuse him: no, nor yet herod : for i sent you to      then do with Jesus?" "Let him be crucified," they say.
him; and lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto It is the first time they name in the hearing of Pilate
him." I will therefore chastise him and release him." this word.        `.Crucify  him".    Give up the most  ig-
Luke 23 :13-16. But why chastise Jesus now? Firstly, nominous of all deaths this innocent one.' Can they
to save the reputation of the members of the Sanhe-       mean it? In his surprise Pilate says to them, `*Why,
drin. They tell Pilate that they found Jesus guilty of what evil has he done?" But the one and only cry
treason. Pilate now says to them in effect, "Though of this now uproarious  cr!,wd  is, .-Let him be crucified "
1 find no fault in the man, I will concede that there Twice Pilate asks them what &me  Fe has committed.
may be some truth in what you say. I will therefore He gets but the cry repeated. Yet a third time he puts
on the basis of your testimony chastise him. But as the question, "why, what evil has he done? I have
I find no fault in him, as I know of nothing that sub-    found no cause of death in him : I will #therefore  cl: :s-
stantiates your char.ye, I will thereupon  release him. tise him and let him go." Luke  23:22.  But they are
What is more, such a public humiliation of his person instant with loud voices, requiring that He might be
will lose for him whatever influence He has had among crucified. The mention of letting him go stirs them
the people. The leaders of the Jews ought to see this to tenfold frensy, "And the voices of them and of the
and be satisfied. However, in deference to them, Pi2 chief priests prevailed." Before this storm Pilate can-
late has gone so far against his own convictions. The     not stand. He thinks he has done the most he can. If
Jews conclude that he, if pressed, will go farther. He he go further, he .will raise another city tumult. So
has yielded the inch, they will force him now to yield "when Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but
the all. His proposal  t.herefore  is rejected. Pilate that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and
is now thrown back upon some other expedient. There washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am
lays bound in Jerusalem a notable prisoner, one Barab- innocent of the blood of this just person ; see ye to it."
bas, who for murder and sedition had been cast into Then answered-all the people and said, "His blood be
prison. Recollecting that at the time of the Passover, on us and on our children." They mean, `His blood
it was customary for the governor to release whatever will not be upon us'.          Then released he Barabbas
prisoner they might ask to be given up, he presents       unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he de--  .
to them the alternative of taking Barabbas or Jesus, livered Him to be crucified." Matth. 27:24-26.
thinking that they could scarcely fail to take the           Pilate's final attempt to rescue Jesus. Matth.
latter. It may be that his, placing them before this         27 :24-31; Mark 15  :17-20 ; John 19 :2-16.
alternative and his proposing to them that he chastise       So does Pilate then give up Jesus to the will of the
Jesus and thereupon release Him, form a single act        multitude to be crucified. He has done his work as
on his part so that in rejecting his proposal, the people judge. The executioner must now come forward. and
are at once choosing Barabbas and rejecting Je- do his task. Over this it is no part of the governor
sus. However this may be, to give to this latter pro- to pre,cide. Pilate may now withdraw. Cut yet he re-
posal greater effect, Pilate ascended the movable ros- mains.       There is something that binds him to the
trum or judgment-seat and facing the multitude said spot,  - perhaps the lingering hope that he may yet
to them, "Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barab- succeed in rescuing the victim out of  the hands of his
bas, or Jesus who is called Christ." While waiting enemies. He has handed Christ over to the soldiers,
their answer, a message comes to Pilate from his wife,    to have the scourging afflicted, which was preliminary
"Have thou nothing to do with that just man, for I to the crucifiction. But the scourging does not satis-
have suffered many things this day in a dream be- fy these brutal soldiers. They will out do Herod's men,
cause of ,h.im."    Matth.  27:X-19. The time occupied their Jewish comrades. The soldiers of Pilate take                c
by the hearing and cqnsidering this message, gave the     Jesus, after having scourged him, into the common,
cheif priests and the rulers the opportunity to prompt    hall, where the whole band of soldiers gather about
the multitude that they should ask Barabbas and de- hJm. They strip him. Taking an old military cloak,
stroy Jesus. So when Pilate again turns to the people of the same color with the robes of the emperors, they
and says to them, "Which of the two then will ye, that put it on his bloody shoulders. They plate a  cro\h
I release to you," they say, "Barabbas". Surprised        of thoFns and put it upon his head, and a reed in' his


      254                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
      --                                   _--_-.- -."".-"-__.-.------...                ._-..---..-_       --_-l_._l___ -" . .._. ^_.-
      right hand. Then they bow the knee and hail him is known. Wonderful words. They give us a giimpse
     as a king. But they soon  tire of  this mock homage. into Christ's soul. After all he has thus far under-
      `l'here is a demon spirit working in these heathen  SOI- gone, his faith in God is still in full bloom. How could
     diers. And it inspires them to savage cruelty. `l'hey           it be otherwise. He has his eye fixed on God. And
     snatch the reed out of his hand and with it saute the           the conviction is his, that God doeth all things and that
     crown of thorns. And they spit upon him and saute               wicked men are but his agents. This answer of Jesus,
     him with their hands. All this is done in the inner instead of diminishing, but increased that desire Pilate
     court, out of sight of the crowd that is still waiting.         already had, to free him. So he tried again, but
     Pilate sees it all. He makes no attempt to interfere. again he failed. They now shoot at him the last arrow
     Is he perkzps  absorbed in wonder as he gazes upon in their quiver, "If thou let this man go, thou art not
     Jesus - the silent, gentle, meek, unmurmuring, un- Caesar's friend ; whosoever maketh himself king,
     complaining, patient sufferer? Such patience ! `A llere         speaketh against Caesar." Pilate knows that he al-
     is no weakness in it, but power and dignity. May this ready stands on uncertain ground with the authorities
     sight not move the hearts of the people without? May at Rome, and knows that a fresh report of his un-
     it not satisfy their thirst for vengeance? He will see. faithfulness to Caesar will cost him his position, the
     He goes forth with Jesus following and says to the              loss of which ,he is not prepared to face. So he brings
     multitude, "Behold I bring him forth to you that ye Jesus forth, and sits down in the judgment seat. But
     may know that I find no fault in him." Then turning before he yields to this last pressure, he once more and
     and pointing to Jesus, Pilate says, "Behold the man!            for the last time now  ad,dresses  the Jews, "Behold"
     Behold and have pity, behold and be satisfied  - behold says he, "your king". But they cry out, "away with
     and allow me, now that I have thus chastised him, to. him, away with him, crucify him." "Shall I crucify
     let him go. Certainly you have nothing to fear from your king?" Their reply is instantaneous, "We have
     the man now. His prestige is gone."                             no king but Caesar !" Then delivered he him there-
            But that sight to which he points, instead of mov- fore unto them to be crucified. And they took 3esus
     ing to clemency, only evoked fresh outbursts of fero- and led him away. And He bearing his cross went
     cious violence. The same wild cry from every side forth. . . .
     solutes the ear of the governor. "Crucify  him,`crucify                 Purpose  of t.he trial. God's purpose was twofold.
     him!" What a ,display  of immovable and unappeasable Firstly it had to appear that Christ was without guilt,
     malignity !     Provoked and disappointed, Pilate says and that thus He bore not his, but our sins in his
     to them, "Take ye him and crucify him, for I fmd no own body on the tree, that we being  dead  to sins should
     fault in him."                                                  live unto righteousne,ss.  The evidence of this was the
            But they will not let the weak and yielding gover- verdict of guiltlessness repeatedly pronounced upon
     nor slip out of their hands. Now at last they tell him Christ during the progress' of the trial. Secondly, it
     what they had hitherto concealed, "We have a law, had to be made plain through the pronouncement of
     -and by our law he ought to die, because he made the sentence of death upon the Holy Son of God that
     himself the Son of God." When Pilate hears this                 sin, in the words of the apostle, is exceedingly sinful,
     saying, he is the more afraid. Afraid of what? Like that man by nature is desperately wicked and that
*    so many of the educated Romans, Pilate had thrown               God's appraisal of him is true, and that thus the
     off all faith in the divinity of heathen gods and demi-         world's damnation is just.
     gods, descending and living upon the earth. But is                      The  cmductor  of  this  trial was  Pilute.   He  seas  a
     their still lingering within, a faith in some being, heathen, yet he belonged to and represented a race
     superior to our race? Is it the dread of God that now of men, who achieved abiding fame as cultivators of
     fills  hs soul? Is he afraid of Christ? Or is he afraid the science of jurisprudence. The  Remans  were the
     of the  conseqences,  and does he realize that if the case jurists of their age, men exceptionally skilled in legal
     should begin to turn on this element, the fanaticism science. By common consent, the system of laws they
     of the Jews could not at all be broken anymore? We gave to the world is of unsurpassing merit. Pilate was
     need not choose between these possibilities. The one a Roman and thus a man of legal attainment. That
     does not exclude the other. When Pilate hears this, sense of right and wrong, peculiar to every man, be
     he again goes into the judgment hall with Jesus and he pagan or Christian, had in him taken on a keen
     says to Him,  "Wehence art thou?" But Jesus gives him edge, as a result of his having been born and reared in
     no answer. His silence  can be explained. Pilate's an atmosphere that may rightly be called legal. Thus I
     question springs not from a true desire to know the viewing him from the point of view of his developed
     truth about Jesus, but from a superstitious fear. Jesus'        moral sense, of his rational capacity to know and
     silence exasperates him.      He would fain have him appraise human conduct, he was well qualified to sit
     speak, "Speakest thou not unto me?" says he to Christ, as judge on Christ's case.  .He knew, too, that what
     "knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee,            was expected of him is that he find the man against
     and have power to release thee?" The reply of Jesus             whom no charge could be sustained guiltless, and place


                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                     285
             _---               --..
him beyond the reach of mob violence, that, in a word, approve their sentence and grant them permission also
he do justice. God, Who had placed in his ahands the to execute it.
sword that he wields, demanded this of him. And of            But this does not satisfy the Jews. They are re-
this he was also aware. Yet Jesus of whom he over solved that Pilate Himself put Jesus to death. Such
and over again declared, that in him he found no fault, is the plan hatched out by them in their secret councils.
he delivered up to be crucified. Natural light is no       For they feared that the high esteem in which. Jesus
true virtue. It merely leaves a man without excuse was still being held by many of their countrymen for-
and heightens his guilt.                                   bade that they themselves with the approval of Pilate
   Whether a wornfry  Judge, devoid of grace, will do put Jesus to death on the ground that he blasphemed
~&ice, depends not upon the mtural  light with which God. Such a doing might cause too great a com-
he may be  endow,ed,  but upon whether his verdict will motion among the people. But it had also  occured
be to his advantage or disadvantage. If he is com- to them that if they were to succeed in compelling
pelled to choose between self and truth, justice, god, Pilate to try Jesus in his court, they would have to
if his choosing and doing the right will involve him appear before him with a charge against him, other
in the lass of his life, he chooses self and -crucifies    than that of blasphemy, with the charge that he had
truth. And the reason is that he cares nothing about in the past been plotting against Pilate's government.
truth, justice, but loves self only. How true this is      For a long time now their spies had been hounding
appears from the doing of the man Pilate.                  Jesus in the' hope of cajoling him into saying some-
   Pilate was without true virtue. He was a weak thing that they could use against him in Pilate's' court.
and thoroughly pr.ofligate  character. He cared nothing It will be recalled that on one occasion  they had put
about Jesus as such. It was a matter of total indiffer- to him the question'whether it is lawful for a Jew to
ence to him, whether Jesus lived or died. Consider the pay tribute to Caesar. His reply had disappointed
following. At the very outset of the trial  `he urges them. When they finally lay hands on him, they still
the Jews to take Jesus and to judge him according have nothing out of his mouth that marks him a politi-
to their law. If they found him worthy of death, such cal criminal. Yet they will go through with their plan.
is indeed the implication of his proposal, they could      If the plan succeeds, everything will be gained. How,
return to him to receive permission to execute the sen- if he dies at the hand of Pilate as a seditionary, urged
tence. That the Jews under Roman dominion had lost bv political motives, can anyone rightfully hold them
the power over life and death simply means that this chargeable for his death? And who will dare to hold
power could not be exercised by them without the a public demonstration for one condemned and put to
permission of the Roman authorities. Think of the death as a political enemy of Rome? They realize, too,
stoning of Stephan. After finding Jesus innocent, he that if they succeed in sustaining their charge,  cruci-
sent him to Herod  and thus, as far as *he could know      fiction is the form of punishment that he will be made
and also as far as he was concerned, to his death. to undergo. But this will be according to their liking.
He later asked the Jews to choose between Christ and The ending of his career upon the ignominious cross
Barabbas. After inflicting upon Jesus the punishment will render it impossible for whatever following he
of scourging, the soldiers subject him to every kind may still have to perpetuate His name and memory.
of injury, and mock with his kingship. Pilate should So they reason. .
not have allowed this, but he did. Then, finally, he          So in response to Pilates's question, "what accu-
told the Jews to take Jesus and crucify him themselves, sation bring ye against this man," they say, "If he
as he found no fault in the man. Mark you, he gave         were not a malefactor, we would not'  have delivered
permission to the Jews to crucify One Whom he found him up unto thee." Their meaning is clear, `Pilate,
innocent.                                                  this man is a menace to thy government. Thus His
   But did not Pilate at the same time exert himself case is one for thy court. Therefore bring we Him
to the utmost to beget for Jesus His freedom? He did. to thee'.                                        .
To understand this action of his, regard must first be        Pilate is thus brought under the necessity of ex-
had to the motive that moved the Jews. Thev, the amining Jesus. He does so and finds Him innocent.
dews, have led Jesus from Caiaphas into Pilate's court. This conviction of his grows as he proceeds with the
Pilate goes out to them. In response to their renly, trial. So he recoils from having to be the one to offic-
"if he were not a malefactor we would not have de- ially send Jesus to his death, shrinks from having
livered him up unto thee", Pilate replies, "Take ye him resting upon him this responsibility. And we now ask,
and judge him according to your law." Pilate means         why? And the answer: Because he is afraid of Jesus,
what he says. He feels certain that Jesus' case turns afraid of his conscience, afraid of God, afraid of a
on some point that concerns their religion.      About power higher than human. Rightly considered there-
such matters he cares nothing. They wearied him. fore, his real aim is not to beget for Jesus his freedom
He will therefore turn the case over to them. If they - he cares nothing about Jesus - but to escape the
find him guilty, let them return to him and he will        responsibility of Jesus' death. The proof of this is


  `286                                  THE  STANDARD   BBAk8R
                                                          -_                             -    -                   ___-
  again that he first proposes to the Jews that they them- cross. (HOW could He?) what crucified Jesus was not
  selves try Jesus, that he thereupon sends Jesus to mere ignorance, but the ignorance of unbelief, malice
  Herod,  that he finally by speech and through the cere- and of a fierce and deadly hatred on the part of Pilate
  mony of the washing of hands, declares to the Jews, as well as on the part of Jesus. This is not saying that
  that, whereas they are compelling him, he is innocent there was no difference.                            G. M. 0.
  of Jesus' blood and that thus the responsibility of the
  shedding of his blood will rest solely and squarely
  upon them and not upon him. Here, of course, Pilate
  willingly deceives himself. He will indeed be held re-
  sponsible (though the Jews have greater guilt) he may                           God The Creator
  not allow himself to be intimidated. He knows this,                          Genesis  I  A-5,  26-31
  to be sure.
     Pilate then shuns the responsibility of Jesus' death.           In the  bcginltimg God created the  hcavcn and  the
  This is  all.    He strives therefore, then to compel ccc&h.
  the Jews to allow him to release Jesus. But in all                 *In the beginning,  that is, in the beginning of time
  this striving, he acts not under the impulse of a true         As to time, it, too, was created simultaneously with
  regard for Jesus, for truth and justice, but under the the procession of the creative word. Time is the neces-
  impulse of a dread of God and thus of fear of his              sary mode of existence of the creature. To it, there-
  cwn well-being. Pilate seeks solely himself. But finally fore, is not to be subscribed an existence outside of
  he consents to do their bidding. He is afraid of these the will and the creative power of the Almighty. For
  fanatical Jews, afraid, that if he fails to do their bid- then time were eternal as God. The expression in  tlze
  ding, they will lodge a fresh complaint against him beginning  also contains in it the idea that the creation
  with the authorities at Rome and thus expose his posi- will have a history. For there was present in the eter-
  tion to loss. Thus to retain the favor of Caesar, to nal counsel of Gcd, besides this earthv.  also a heavenly
  save his life, he yields to the crowd. His superstitious creation, that in Stiripture  is brought forward not as
  fear of that higher power is mighty in him. But when an addition to the earthly, but as the earthy redeemed
  he sees finally that it is either Pilate or Jesus, he mocks    and glorified, as the earthy reaching in Christ
  also with this fear, and pursuades himself that if there its eternal destiny - a destiny which it had in His
  is anything for him to be afraid of, it is those fanatical counsel. It means that the history cf the earthy will
  Jews, it is his  n-aster  at  Rcme. Thus he  deliverp   up not have been made until God shall have realized His
  Jesus to be crrC:fied.    He will save his, Pilate's, life purpose with it in the way of sin and grace, until He
  and position at all ccsts,  at the cost of duty, justice,      shall have reconciled by Him. the Christ, all  thirgs to
  Jesus, God. And so he does. This is his terrible sin.          Himself; by him, whether they be things in earth,
  3J.e knowingly, deliberately crucified truth, holiness, or things in heaven  In the beginning,  the creation
  Christ, God,. to retain the favor of Caesar, and thus therefore, was adapted to the aforesaid purpose of
  to save his life, his position.                                God's counsel and every creature so formed that it could
     A word  abcut  Jesrs'  conduct during this trial. serve Him in the realization of this purpose. The say-
  Now He replies to the qrest:ons Pilate puts to him, ing, "and God saw all that He had made and it wa?
  then again he keeps silence, as obedience dictates. When very good" uttered at the completion of creation and
  Pilate asks him, "Art thou king  of the Jews" Jesus            at the completion of each of its part, means that what
  speaks. Silence here would have ammounted to a de- God had brought into being was without defect but
  nial of His kingship. But Jesus at once gives Pilate also that it was adapted to the final purpose whereto
  to understand that He is not king in the sense in which He had made all things. Creation constituted a one-
  the Jews would  hare him believe. Christ tells him ness in which creature was adapted to creature and in
  that he is king in the realm of truth, that thus He is which all things through man were adapted to God.
  indeed a threat to Pilate's government, but again not But in addition to this, creation was so formed that it
  in a sense in which the Jews would have him, Pilate, could become the domain of a fearful struggle of sin
  believe, yet a threat nevertheless, Jesus' kingdom will and grace, of a higher revelation of God's virtues, and
  come and fill the earth, and the coming of his kingdom that ultimately all things could  redown  to the highest
  will spell the complete destruction of Pilate's kingdom. possible revelation of the covenant of God in Christ in
  This is indeed the meaning of Jesus' answer, and Pilate His eternal tabernacle. To this end all creatures must
  also grasps this meaning well enough. But the trouble serve. All things were very good and could therefore
  with Pilate is that he does not believe. And in his un- be of service to the Lord in the realization of His coun-
  belief he regards Jesus as a harmless enthusiast. By sel. Therefore creation is also an image of recreation.
  his retort, "what is truth" he mocks with Jesus' king- this earthy of the heavenly. Adam was an image of
_ dom, denies the reality of it. Jesus did not withhold          the Lord from heaven, Christ Jesus. He was this
  from Pilate the truth about Himself to escape the in the dominion he exercised as the friend-servant


                                       THE  S T A N D A R D   BEARER                                                387
-".-.----_.--_"  ..-._ -^-____                                                                       _..-_-l.l___-l-~___
of God over this earthy.          The first paradise was a of His almighty will, the same will by which in the
figure of the eternal paradise of God, and that eventu- beginning the shapeless mass was brought creatively
ally will appear in glory,.and the tree of life is a figure    into being. All this took place in the beginming.
of the eternal tree of life, that stands in the midst of          That the heavens and the earth in this first verse
God's paradise. The whole creation is a revelation denote the unformed mass, is evident from verse 2
of God. The heavens declare the glory of God; and that reads,  "And the earth  WGS without form  and void;
the firmament  i;heweth  His handiwork. Day unto and the daykness  was upon the face of the deep. AT&
day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth the Spirit of God moved upon. the face of the u.&ers."
knowledge. All thing : displn J God's povr -r and might The earth was first without form and void, empty ; but
and also point to the completion of His counsel in through the operation of the Holy Spirit and the speak-
f&w.                                                           ing of God every seperate creature was given existence,
    Before the beginning God only was. There was form and place in God's creation and this according to
nothing outside of God's being from which He could HIS eternal decree.                The seperate creatures were
form creation. The origin of creation lies not in God's brought into being in a definite order. In this order
being, but in His almighty creative will. It is not there is an upward trend, the high-point of which is
correct to say, that God created heaven and earth out man, created after God's own image.
of nothing. The thought that this saying seems to                 God first created the light. For darkness was upon
convey is that the origin of things is to be found in the face of the deep.             This darkness was absolute
&hing.      In the beginning God created. . . . The            and thus unlike the `darkness as we know it. The
verb found in the original means to separate from darkness of our night is a creature, for God formed
and in this way to form.           According to Scripture. the light and created the darkness. This darkness is
crcati7ty  in the radical sense of the word, is an act of but a shadow and is not to be compared with the first
God's will. It is that act of the Almighty God through darkness of the original void. The chaos of the earth
which He brings into being out side of Him, the things and of the universe was without life at first. without
that He from eternity had before Him in His counsel. movement, without communion, because light was
This He did through the Word, through His Almightv lacking to it. For light is life.  P,hysical light is the
calling. He calleth those things which be not as though life of matter: it is motion, vibration. How are we to
they were. Ram.  4 :17. By the word of the Lord were conceive of this first light and its operation? Had it
the heavens made; . . . . Ps. 33 :6. For He snake and a light center as our light? Did it revolve about the
it was done: He commanded and it stood fast. Ps. 33 9.         earth and was it through its doing so the cause of
Through this deed or act of His, He brings Himself the change of day and night? Or was as yet every-
forward as God. As to man, he can only name or call thing at a standstill and was the light brought forth
things after they exist. Through his speaking, he does anew every morning by the Lord only to be with-
not give to things existence. But as a result of God's drawn again at the end of the day? Scripture gives
speaking, things come into being. Therefore creation us no  defmite answer, But the first conception de-
can only be explained out of God's will. Creation is serves the preference, for the following reasons:
thus no emanation of God. The creature forms no Firstly, if the light was withdrawn at the end of each
part of God's being. The difference between God and day, the universe repeatedly disappeared in the ori-
His creature is and remains infinite. Yet the whole ginal darkness. Now this could not be.  Secondlv.
creation is God's' work, created through His sovereign light is a creature of God. After having been called
will.    And in willing and bringing into being the into being. it must  ,have been sustained in its existence.
creation, He was bound by nothing outside of Him. same as all the other separate creatures. Thirdly. on
Man on the other hand forms his productions from the fourth day, God created not light but the bodies
materials provided him by the Almighty. The thing of heaven as centers of the light that was created on the
he  makes  therefore, is not, properly speaking, a crea- first day. Thus the light of the first day remained
tion. God only, can create. His creation is exclusively and is the same light that we know now. From this
the product of His will and wisdom.                            it follows that on the first day, warmth, heat, must
    In the beginning God created  &zeawen  and  cyccrth.       also have been created. Light and warmth are inti-
This announcement denotes the unity of creation. de- mately related. In the darkness of the chaos absolute
notes that according to the counsel and will of God,           cold reigned.
all things in heaven and on earth are one. The an-                Light is the life of matter. Light and heat are the,
nouncement signifies secondly that creative act of God conditions for life of plant, animal and man. Light
hv which He called into being the unformed mass, is also the ground of communion in the whole creation
the raw material. Heaven and earth in the first verse of God. It is the basis of communion between creation
of Genesis is this mass. Out of this shapeless mass, and God and between the separate creatures. Light
God called and formed the various creatures, not travels at the rate of 186,000 miles per second, returns
through a process of evolution but solely by the power from the object that-it reaches, and casts the image


288                                        T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
          -._-               _.---.-.--.---_"      -.-_-^^"ll_l___ll___                            -...___--
of that object upon the eye of man and beast. Thus              will lose.    In Christ this image was raised  to  the
in this physical light we see the light. Therefore              highest possible glory. According to the image cf
physical light is at once the condition and the image of God as now born by Christ the people of God are con-
that higher light, ta the possession of which man is            formed.
adapted. This higher light is the eternal Word of                  So God created man. . . ." male and female created
God who is the light of the world and is also in the            He them". And God blessed them and said to them,
world.    And this Word, the effusion and revelation Be fruitful and multiply and replendish the earth. . . .
of the thoughts of God~in  His creatures, was also the Through blessing them, Gcd gave them the power
life of man. But physical light is also the image of and the will to multiply. So did He likewise through
the light of love that God sheds abroad in-the hearts           blessing them give them the right, and the pow eel
of His people so that they know God in love.                    to subdue the earth and to have dominion over the
    Genesis 1:26-31.                                            fulness thereof - the fish of the sea, the fowl of the
                                                                air and every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
   "And God said, Let us  ,make man in our  4wagc,              Thus was man elevated to the position of lord over
after  our  likmess."'      This speaking of God to Himself Gods' earthly creation. And for food God gave to
has been explained in more than one way. There is               man every herb bearing seed and every tree, in the
the view that God here speaks not to Himself but                which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed. And to the
to the angels. But this cannot be. For if this were             beast and to the fowl and to everything that creepeth
true He would be placing the angels on the same foot- upon the earth wherein their is life, He gave every
ing with Himself. Further, the expression oz~r imgc green herb for meat; and it was so. The distinction
reappears in the next verse as God's im6c.ge.  "So God          here is not between two kinds of herbs but between the
created man in His (God's image) ". This shows that herb with its seed, that is, the corn in it and the husk.
the angels are `not included in the pronoun  our. Ac- The seed, or corn was for man while the green foiiagc
cording to another view, the pronoun our is a plural            was for the animals.         The statement, "It was so"
with a singular meaning. But this cannot be as such should be noticed. The animals, according to the ordi-
a r-se of the plural pronoun  ncwhere   .else  occurs in        nance of God, were attracted to and instinctively kept
Scripture. The most acceptible  view is that the pro-           themselves to the kind of food appointed to  them'and
no-n our here signifies the trinity. That God, now l i k e w i s e   m a n .
that He is ready to create man, turns to and addresses             *In explaining Gen.  ,l  :l-5 and verse 26, I have
Himself, tells I-S that man, according to his be%.g is adopted the exegesis of Rev. H. Hoeksema, contained
distinct and separate from  a11 the other  crcat-lres.          in articles from his pen and appearing in previous
God now forms a creature in which the entire crcaticn           issues of The Standard Bearer: in the issues for Nov.
will be consciously linked to Himself, c-an  comm'ne            1, 1928; and Dec. 15, 1928. In these articles the views
with Him and rejoice in His fellowship. God emnhati-            !-resented  above (views on Gen. 1 :l-5 and verse 23)
rally declares that He will create man "in our image,           arc fully expounded.
after our  liken.ess."      Regard must be had to the two                                                       G. M. 0.
words  inta.r/e and likeness. The words signifv the same
thing from a different angle. The word  12zncss
expresses more definitely what is meant. The  ex-
nression z7nn:agc  of God,, if it stood alone could be taken                           IN MEMORIAM
to signify -the conception that God formed of man                   6n Wednesday morning, the 17th of  Eebruary,  it pleased
in His counsel. and according to which He will now our Heavenly Father to take unto Himself, our dearly beloved
create him, without  exnressing  that this image showed father and grandfather,
n likeness with God. The addition of the word likemss                                 TJERK  ELHART
."rlrbids this explanation. According to this image God
made man, formed man's nature and being. If man at the age of  73 years.  '                  .'
loses this image therefore, his nature undergoes a                  We deeply feel our loss, as he was a true devoted Christian
radical  sniritual  change. For upon man's nature and father, but we are comforted by the  ,thought  that he is now
Kng this image was nat superimposed. iVan is created enjoying eternal rest and peace with his God and Saviour.
in God's image.           This image is the nobility cf his                                  Mr. and Mrs. John Kuiper
nature. Through it man is related to God, can be                                             Mr. and Mrs. Joe  Langerak
God's friend, know and love God and live for Him in                                         : Mr. and Mrs. Roy Koeze
righteousness and holiness, can be God's servant, can                                        Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Vander Veer
be lord over the whole creation. If man loses this                                           Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Elhart
image, he loses his holiness and love and knowledge                                          20 grandchildren and 2  great-
and becomes a child of disobedience, dead through                                            grandchildren.
tresspasses and sin. This image man can and acutally                Grand Rapids,  Mich,


