              VOLUME XXXIV -                                                  FEBRUARY 15, 1958 -  GRAND  RAPIDS,   MICHIGAN                                                     NUMBER  10

        1                                                                                                                      into the ear of his "god". before his ascent  to the i'cross" : "A
                    M  .E  D  I T  A-T  I'-O'N                                                                       ll life you iove !"
                                                                                                                     u             The other example you will` find in Victor Hugo's Les
                                                                                                                               Miserables.
                                                                                                                                   The simple  M. Myriel,  later exalted to the bishoprick of
                     I, .  .  .  . J o s e p h   wil1   peradventure   hate  US,  a n d   wil1   certainly                     D., is plainly Hugo's conception of Christ, but then not so
                     requite   US  all the  wil   w h i c h   w e   d i d   unto   h i m . "                                   much in bis vicarious atonement  asin his unspotted holiness,
                     " A n d   J o s e p h   s a i d   unto   t h e m ,   Fear   n o t :   f o r   am  I in the  pl%e          righteousness, and sweet humility.
                     .of God?"                                                                                            I
                                                                                                                                   Moreover, you  will find a combination of Job and Joseph
                     I, . . . Atid  he comforted them, and  spake kindly  unto  them."
                                                                                 - G e n .   50:15b,   1 9 ,   2 1 b           in the sufferer  Jean Valjean.        mm                   I
             The living Church of Jesus Christ are not the only ad-                                                                Oh yes, Hugo was entranced with Christ's constant ad-
       mirers of  Holy  Writ. Untold  millions  -of people  who are monition-:  Love your enemies ! Attend to Valjean's saving of
       ultimately.lost  have seen the sublimity of the Scriptures. The                                                         his arch-enemy  Javert !
       very heart of the Bible, the everlasting Gospel is seen and                                                                And thus 1 could go on and on, and cite .examples  where
       tasted by  rnany.  who  wil1 never dwell in the celestial beauty                                                        wicked  men, writing `largely  for. wicked men have seen and
       of the new paradise of God.                                                                                             tasted the good Word of God, have tasted of the heavenly
             We  underestimate  the effect  produced  by the Bible on                                                          gift, and were fructified in their imaginations to reproduce
       the  minds, hearts and SOL& of the unregenerated.                                                                       the great mystery of Godliness in the sphere of this wicked
                                                                                                               :.
             In my reading of so-called classica1 literature I have very                                                       world.
     often   come  upon   scenes and  ,persons and situations which                                                               There ever is a species of humanity  who taste of the
       have a distinct  flavor  of God's special revelation. In fact,                                                          heavenly gift, and say : it is sublime  !
       you  may be able to see Christ reproduced, and saints copied                                                               But  they never  did the Word of God. Their  very  ad-
       in the most often  read classics..                                                                                      miration of the great Vicar wil1  condmn them in the day
                                                                                                                               of days.
             1 could cite many examples.
             1  wil1  just mention  two outstanding cases.                                                                                                 *  * *  *
             You al1 know that the great theme  of the Bible is Christ's                                                          Joseph's story is no  fiction
       substitutional suffering and death for His people  :~ a  revela-
       tion of the love-f God.                                                                                                   Joseph's story' is authored by the Holy Ghost.
                                                                                                                                  And it is beautiful, enthralling, sublime.
             Well, Charles Dickens really should have chosen  a dif-
       ferent  title for one of his best loved navels  : Tlce Tule of Two                                                         Look at that cluster of murmuring  brethren : they are
       Cities.  He should have called it  :  The  Grmt  Substitu.tion.                                                    visibly  scared.
       And 1 do not doubt at al1 that it was inspired by Christ's                                                                 Jacob, the patriarch is dead.
       vicarious suffering on the cross of Calvry. Sydney Carton's                                                               They never trusted Joseph's tears and kisses. Theycould
       journey to the guillotine on the `rough tumbril to the place                                                       nt conceive of so great forgiveness_on  his part.
       of execution  where he sacrificed his head for Charles Darney,                                                             1 have heard the title of a- worldly  song.which came over
       or the Marquis St. Evrmonde, is Dickens' reproduction of                                                          the air waves : "Doing what comes naturally  !"
       Christ's  via- dolorosa.  .'                                                                                               Well, that was the tenor of their `thoughts  about
             And if you should -doubt,  then study the last whisper                                                       Joseph.





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218                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D  .BEARER

   Oh ves. thev knew and remembered the                                     They are the tears of lovingkindness.
         2,        J                                   awful past.  -
Listen to these pregnant words :  "al1 the evil which w did                And listen to his  wisdom:  Fear not-: for am 1 in the
unto him !"                                                              place of God ?
    If you take time to study the life of Joseph, -you wil1 fnd            How seldom do we find this pure motive of lovingkind-
that for a long time his life was a veritable via dolorosa,  a           ness to the undeserving?
way of  suffering.   Fron-. his earliest  ~recollections  he  re-           Note : he wil1 not requite anything at all, even though he
membered  how his  father  petted him, with the  resultanti              has al1 the power to do it.
hatred  of his brethren.                                                    Do you not see that Joseph knew God ? It was the wis-
    When  his good soul heard and saw the evil deeds of his              dom of God which told him that ther is one who judges and
brethren, it was love of God and love of his brethren that               that one is God.
-prompted  him to -bring  to Jacob their evil report. But how               Now let US look into our own heart and history : how
was he rewarded  ? You know.              -                              often  did we judge this way ? When  it was in our power to
    Sharing  Jacob's  anxiety for the welfare of his brethren,           revenge ourselves ? When we could and did use hard
he travelled- to Dothan ; - and walked into the evil hands of            speeches, evil faces and words against thse that wrongfully -
his brethren. Amid his  cries' for  mercy,  he was stript of the         used US ? Were we always filled with lovingkindness and
hated coat, and tast into a pit. He saw the bargain of Judah,            say : Am -1 in the place of God?
and felt the lashes .,of the slave.                                         When 1 think on this my spirit is overwhelmed in me,
    Later he was tempted by a whore.                                     and 1 fee1 guilty.
    Stil1 later he found himself  in the. dungeon, and even                                          ****.
there he was forgotten by the man. whom  he helped.
    Oh yes, they remembered "al1 the evil they did unto hun."               It seems as though Joseph went to school with Jesus of
                                                                         Nazareth. It seems as though he stood on that unknown
                               *  *  *  *                                mountain in Galilee when  Jesus preached His Sermon on the
    But now this same Joseph is on the throne, and has al1               Mount.
the power and majesty of the great Pharaoh.  Whom  he willed                 Now let them say that the Old Testament is hard and
he saved and  whom  he willed he destroyed.                              cruel, hut-the  New Testament sweet and tender.
    Joseph  wil1  peradventure  hate  US!                                   Listen to Joseph as he talks to those evil brethren: Now
    And wil1  certainly requite  US  !                                   therefore fear ye not : 1 wil1  nourish you and your little ones.
  He wil1  do that which-comes  naturally !                              And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
    How can he ever forget and forgive al1 the evil we &d                   Do you notice how beautiful the life of grace is?
unto him,  al1 the years of heartache, loneliness,  pain and                Sin is very ugly,  but lovingkindness is beautiful. Who
sorrow. How can he ,forget his long years of suffering:  Oh,             can fnd fault with Joseph in not punishing his brethren ?
but we wil1 have to pay for it now. Most certainly he wil1               But contrariwise, dealing kindly  with them ?
requite US  al1 this evil !                                                 1 can easily see that Joseph throughout al1 the dreary
    And they sent a  servant  to Joseph.                                 years in Egypt had prayed constantly for his brethren, and
                                                                         asked of God to forgive their sin and their trespass.
    And this servant  carried a  message from Joseph's father,
now dead. That is, the message  is really from the brethren                 An attitude such as we see here isnot born in a day.
of Joseph, but through this messenger they make it appear                Behind it lie years of self discipline, self condemnation and
that Jacob left a special tidings for Joseph, to be revealed to          abhorrence of self.
him after  his death.                                                       And, positively, such an attitude of Joseph shows a liberal
    How childish, yes, and evil!                                         portion  of the heavenly Gift, and that is Jesus.
    Do these brethren think that Joseph could not see through               And also this : such an attitude is the fruit of both the
this thin  veneer  of lies ? If Jacob really had been concerned          fear of God and of wisdom.
about what would befall the brethren after his own death, he                Joseph was a man of like passions as his brethren.
certainly would have spoken directly to Joseph. Moreover,                   That they-acted  cruelly and that he acted  in lovingkind-
why this servant? Why did they not confront Joseph per-                  ness is due to the fact that Joseph. had a great portion  of
sonally  ?                                                               the heavenly gift in- him. That makes  al1 the differente  in
    But Joseph shows the grace of God which dwelled so                   the world.
richly in him.  1'                                                          Then you become a copy of the Christ of God. Then you
    When the brethren follow this servant,  fa11 down before             begin to think, speak and act like Christ. That is the only
bis face, and confess their sin, Joseph wept.                            explanation of  the beauteous picture of Joseph in the Bible.
    Those tears were  precieus  in  God's  sight.                                                    *  + * *


                                                   T H E   STAMDARD.,BE$RER                                                                                                                                219

    Victor Hugo's christ is a phantom.
     Charles Dickens'  christ is a  mirage.                                                       THE STAN-DARD BEARER
     But the prefiguration of the Christ of God in Joseih  is                     Semi-monthly,  exeept  monthly dwing  June,   July and August
b e a u t i f u l .                                                                Published by  the  REFOFMED  FREE   PUBLISHING  ASSOC~ATION
                                                                                 P. 0. Box 881,  Madison  Square Station, Grand Rapids 7,  Mich.
     And it fills US .with  holy jealousy on the on; hand ; and                                          Editor   -  REV. HERMAN  HOEKSEMA
on the other hand leads  US to pray : Oh God, make me like                        Communications relative to  contents  should be addressed to
Joseph!                                  /                                                     Rev. H. Hoeksema, 1139 Franklin St., S. E.,
                                                             G . V .                                                 Grand Rapids 7,  Mi&.
                                                                                 All matters relative to subscriptiins should be addressed to Mr.
                                                                                  G.  Pipe,  1463  Ardmore~  St., S. E., Grand Rapids 7,  Mich.
                                                                                  Announcements  ad Obituaries must be mailed to  tbe above
                                                                                  adclress and will be published at a fee of $1.00 for each  notice.
   Attention:  Synodical-  Standing- Committees                                   RJZNE'WAL:   Unless a  definte  request for cliscontinuance is  -re-
     We  cal1 attention to Article  9,if the  Rules of Synod,                     ceived it is assumed tbat the subscriber wishes  @e subscription
                                                                                  to continue without  tbe  forma& of a renewal order.
part 1 which reads : "Tlw rep&-ts  of al1 cowrw~ttees, except of
                                                                                                          Subscription  price:  $5.00 per year
the standing  coww&tteees  slzall   be  published three  wonths
before  Synod convenes, so that al1 the churches  tiuy be duly                    Entered   as  Second   Class matter at Grand  Rap&,   l&ichigap
informed."
     Wil1 the following comn$ttees kindly take note : Commit-
tee- on Liturgy, Rules, Catechism  Books, Foreign Missions,                                                               C O N T E N T - S
Declaration of Principles.                                                _ .
                                 G. VANDEN BERG, Stated Clwk              MEDITATION  -
                                                                                      L&ingkindness .._. __ _.._ _.._..... .._... . . . . . . . . . . . I . . . .._ _.. . . . ..__... . . . . . . . . . . 217
                                                                                               Rev. G.  Vos

                                                                          EDITORIALS  -
                       W E D D I N G   AtiNIVERSARY               J                   A Wonde&1 Meeting.. .                                           ._. . . . . .                                         .220
                                                                                      Dicj  Tlley Know Tbat Jesus Is The Christ?...  ._..... . . .  ,220
                               189S- 1958                                                     .Rev.  H. Hoeksma
    On February 18, 1958, the Lord  willing, our  dear parents
         MR. and MRS. AART BLEYENBERG (KRAGT)                             OUR  D O C T R I N E ; -
                                                                                      The Book of Revelation. __.__....... . .._._ .._ .._... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..222
hope to  celebrate  their 60th Wedding Anniversary.                                            Rev. H.  Hoeksema
    We are  thahkful  to our Covenant God for  al1 the blessings He
has  bes`towed on them and  US. Our prayer is that  the Lord  may         THE   DAY OF  SHADOWS-
grant them His peace the remaining  days.of their pilgrimage.'                        The Prophecy of Zechariab  __..................................................                                       226
                                                                                               Rev. G. M. Ophoff                                          .
                         Their  thankful  children
                              Mr. and Mrs. James Ver Hey                  FROM  HOLY  Wnrr  -
                              Mrs. Bert  Dotter                                       Exposition of 1 Corintbians  `7 (5) . . . . . . . . . . . .._..............................  229
                              Mr. and Mrs. Bert Brands                                         Rev. G. Lubbers
                              Mr. and Mrs.  John..Docter
                              Mr. Albert  Bleyenberg                      IN HIS )?EAR  -
                              Mr. and Mrs. Marines  Vander   Wolde                    Spiritually Sensitive ( 7) _._ __.......____........  ..,..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
                              Mr. and Mrs. Dick Tillema                                        Rev. J. A. Heys                                   _
                              Mr. and Mrs. Dick Bleyenberg
                            M r . John Bleyenberg                         AN O
                              Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Bleyenberg, Jr.                   PEN LETTER To REV.  J. BLANKESPOOR ___....,__........._..................  233
                                                                                               Rev. H.  Veldman
                              Mr. and Mrs. Lucas  Vande  Berg
                              62 grandchildren                          THE  VOICE OF  OUR   FATHERS  -
                              34 great-grandchildren                                  The Canons of Dordrecht .__.__....._.:  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Edgerton,  ?&nesota                                                                            Rev. H. C.  Hoeksema

                                                                          DECENCY  AND   ORDER  -
                         Teachr Needed                                               Article 31 ..,.,...._..._........  ;........__........__.....................,.................                        237
                                                                                               Rev.. G.  Vanden Berg
        The Hope Protestant Reformed School  wil1 need a
 Teacher for grades  3, and 4 next September. Since we al-
    ready know  that.this  vacancy  wil1 exist, we are  making  our       A%LL   .kOUND   US  -
 need known to anyone interested in applying.  Write or  cal1                         Community Cburches . . . . . . .                                                                                      .239
    Miss A. Reitsma,  principal,  `111 Boston, S. E., Grand Rapids,                   Hoeksema  An Example Of Immigrant Production.. . . . . . . . . . ..240
    or Mr. John  Kalsbeek.,  School Board Secretary, 4132 Hall.                                R e v .   M .   S c h i p p e r
    St:, S. W., Grand  Raplds, Michigan.


220                                         T H E   S T A . N D A R D   B E A R E R
                                                         `-

                                                                     question in The Sta+Lda.rd Bea.rer,  they, nevertheless, sug-
           E-D  I T 0  Ba  1 A  1  S                                 gested that they would like to have me do so.
                                                               l/       Here follows the  questioti:
                                                                        "At our  Ladies'  Aid meeting we were confronted with
                 A Wonderful'Meetinb                                 the following problem. We are studying John 8 and were
   On the evening of January 23 we had a most wonderful              busy .with the vss. 25-30. Note tihat we Tead in vs. 25. Then
and enjoyable  meeting in the auditorium of the First Church         someone made the  remark that you had said in a radio
af Grand -Rapids, Michigan. -                                        sermon (April 7, 1957, third page, a little below the middle
                                                                     of the page) that the Jews knew that Je& was the Christ
   The neeting  was called by the radio committee and a             because He had declared this repeatedly ati,d had also mani-
very nice and edifying program was prepared by them. The;            fested it in al1 His way and works . . . And this appears in
chief p&pose  of the meeting was to acquaint the audience            harmony with what we read in Matt. 21  i3S. This latter  pns-
with the work of the radio committee and to inform our               sage appears to  teach  that the Jews recognized Jesus ,as the
people about the various stations from which our program             Heir. However,  this seems to be in conflict with John 8 :2S ;
is broadcasted and thus .to  create  more interest in our radio      here Jesus says that they would know Him,. that He is He,
werk. In this they succeeded  very well. There were  rep-            when  they lift up the Son of man. And we also read in Acts
resentatives from al1 our churches in the vicinity and the           3  :17  thtit `through  ignorante  they did it as did  also your
down stairs part of the auditorium was wel1  filled.                 rulers,' and in 1 Cor. 2 :S that "had they known it, they would
   There was some beautiful singing by the men's chorus of           not have crucified the Lord of glory.'
First Church and by the mixed chorus of Hope Church as                  "So you understand our probleti.  Of what and to what
wel1  as by some individuals. Besides, two  members  of the          extent we& the Jews  guilty when  they crucified  the Lord?
radio committee gave the audience an interesting number  by
passing chrough the auditorium with microphones  and asking          What  did they  knoiv concerning Jesus of Nazareth? This
                                                                     could be an interesting question for The Standwd  Beamr.
various people of those present whether they listened to o&-
broadcast on Sunday and how they liked it.                           The  Ladies'  Aid did not  decide last Thursday evening to
                                                                     send this question to Th StandiYd Bea,rev; but the thought
   A special number was arranged by the  mission  com-               was expressed  after the meeting that it might be a good
mittee. The Rev. C. Hanko  spoke on the work of the mission          thing to do so. You would probably  rather  answer the  ques-
committee in connection with the radio. He read several              tion publicly than in a private letter to  tic. You understand
letters  from different parts of the world outside of the United     the problem and can word the question as you please. You
States which revealed fhat it was  possible to do  mission           need not  .name  me in  Tl*e   Standwd   Bemrer,  although 1
werk  in foreign lands by means of the radio.                        surely have no objection to your doing  so."
   -We  may certainly be grateful to the radio committee for            Here, then, is the question. And 1 wil1 attempt  to answer
preparing  for US such an interesting program.                       it to the best of my knowledge.
   The chairman announced that, after the meeting in the                First of all,  1 wish to quote the passage of my radio
auditorium, there would be a social  get together where toffee       sermon to which reference is made in the above stated ques-
and cake would be  served.                                           tion. The whole passage reads as follows:
   After  a few  remarks,  in which he emphasized the  im-              "We  may ask the question: who were they that crucified
portance of preaching the Word of God in distinction from            the Lord ? And the answer of Scripture is : the whole world
mere lecturing, even over the radio, t%e undersigned closed          as it lieth in the darkness of sin and death. In the first place,
the meeting with prayer and thanksgiving  to God.                    of course:  there were the soldiers that were immediately  in-
   Every~one  present certainly enjoyed the evening as was           strumental in His execution. But they were personally re-
evident from the  remarks  made at the  sociable  aftermath in       sponsible  too,  for they became more than executioners.
the basement.                                                        Already  in the trial before Pilate  they had robed Him in a
   It was a wonderful evening,  indeed.                 H . H .      mock garment,.  and put a crown  of thorns on His head, and
                                                                     a nlock scepter in His hand, and saluted Him with a mock
                                                                     salute, "Hail, King of the Jews."  They therefore were also
                                                                     responsible. Besides, they parted His raiments among them,
       Did They  Know  That Jesus Is The Christ?                     and  tast  .lots for His uppergarment, concerning which they
   Sometime ago 1  received a bit  oi  -correspondence  from         said, "Let US not rend it, but tast lots for it, whose it shall
the Rev. H. Veldman  to which, 1 believe, 1 answered in a            be." John 19 :24. Hence, although the soldiers stood in the
personal letter without,  however,  responding materially to the     service of the Roman government, nevertheless  they them-
question that was asked in  th letter. Although the parties         selves became responsible. Next, of course, and behind the
that were interested did not directly ask me to answer the           soldiers, stands Pilate,  the Roman governor, .who became


                                              .TH~Q  STAN.DARD.BEARER                                                                221

the judge of our Lord, and  although  he knew Him to be                deep things of God." And  once more in vs. 12:  "Now we
  righteous and  intiocent,  yet  condemned  him to death to           have  received,  not the spirit of the world, but the spirit
  please the Jews. His  was? of course, the greater sin.  But          which is of God ; that we might know -the +hings  that are
  even back of the Roman politica1 world was the religious             freely given  US, of God." This spiritual knowledge none of
  world  represented.by the Sanhedrin of the jews. They knew the princes  of this world possessed. Spiritually, they were in
  that he was the Christ, as He had emphasized repeatedly,             darkness. They were foolish, spiritually foolish.
  and as  al1 His way and work plainly revealed to them. And               3. This darkness and spiritual foolishness, however,  did
  therefore, we repeat : it was the whole world, - the military,       nt make it impossible for men iike Annas and Caiaphas and
  the  political, and  - the religious world,  - that crucified our    the rest of the leaders of `the Jews to know the fact that Jesus
  Lord. It was the world that lay in the darkness of sin and           was the.  Christ. Let US ask the question : would they .not
  death, with the prince of this world  at their head."                have crucified the Lord if they' had'had  some knowledge of
   The part to which Edgerton calls special attention  in the          the fact that He was the Christ ? My answer would be : they
  above paragraph is, of course, that which  speaks-  of the  fact     certainly would have as long as he walked among them in the
  that the Sanhediin knew that He was the Christ.                      state of humiliation. Did they nat den? Hiin and even invent
     The tests to which Edgerton refers do, indeed,  seem to           the st-ory that the disciples  had stolen the body of Jesus after
  teach that the Jews that crticified  the Lord did not know that      He was raised from  the dead ? In other words did they not
  `He was the Christ and that they did it in ieorance,,  so that       really crucify Him again ? And do not men today do the same
  they were not- guilty of the sin of iejecting  the promised          thing even though they cannot deny the  fact revealed in the
  Messiah and of killing Him. -                                        gospel ? But, surely, the darkness of the Sanhedrists and
     But let US look at these passages a little more closely. `-       their spiritual foolishness certainly did not  mean  that thcy
     In  1 Cor. 2 :S we  read:  "Which none of the  princes of         could not, in some-measure,  know  that He was the Christ.
  this world knew : for had they known it, they would not have             In the same way 1 would explain Acts 3 :17.
  crucified the Lord of glory." Now this passage does-not                  In the context, Peter,  &ho is speaking here, emphasizes
  prove that, at the  time of the crucifixion and  behore,  the        the great sin they had committed by  dinying  and killing
  leaders of the jews, the Sanhedrists, did not know that Jesus        Christ. They denied the  Holy One and the Just; they
  was the promised Messiah. Let  US note:                              preferred a murderer  ; they killed the Prince of life  ; and they
     1. That the apostle here does not speak merely of the             had delivered Him to Pilate  though he would .rather  let Hie
  leaders of the Jews but of the princes of this world. Now,           go.  Such .was their sin, and, surely, even apart from the
  it is very probable that by this expression he also refers  to       fact that some of them knew that He was the Christ, they al1
  the Sanhedrists, particularly to  Annas and Caiachas, but he         knew that they had committed a heinous sin. :B.ut in vs. 17
  certainly includes the leaders of the Romans, princes of  this       the apostle adds : "And,now,  brethren, 1 wot that through ig-
  world like Herod and Pilate.  Hence, the text does notaanswer        norance ye did it, as did also your rulers."  Now, in the first
  the question whether  or not the Sanhedrists knew that Jesus         place,  1 am of the opinion, as is also expressed in some'cm-
  was the Christ  when  they crucified the Lord  of-_glory.  It        mentaries, that Pefer expresses himself mildly in order to
  refei-s  to a different knowledge and to a different  ignorante      gaih his audience.  But, in the second place,  1 think that the
  which characterized al1 the  princes of this world in common.        term "ignorante"  may be referred to, not to the fact Jesus
     2. Of  this different knowledge the apostle speaks in the         is the Christ, but to .spiritcal  foolishness and carnal lust and
  context. When  in the test quoted he writes  that, if they  had      darkness: The  fact that Jesus is the Christ, or, at least that
  kxown it, they. would not have crucified the Lord of glory,          He ciaimed to be the Christ, was well-known cven to the
  he refers to a true, spiritual-ethica1 knowledge, a knowledge        high pyiest,  witness  the oath under which he put the Lord
  that is imparted  by the Holy Spirit.  For in vss. 6 and 7 we        at the time of his trial. But, although he knew the fact, he
  read : "Howbeit we  Speak   wisdom  among them that are              did not have the faith and, hence, he lived in spiritual dark-
 perfect: yet. not the  wisdom  of this world, nor of the princes      nessl In that sense, he was ignorant, as were also the rest
  of this world, that come to nought : But we speak the wisdom         of the audience.
  of God in a mystery,  even the hidden  wisdom  which God                As to John S :28, it is, undoubtedly; true that rn-y of the
  ordained before the world unto our glory." It is, evidently,         Jews did not understand that He was the Christ. They  ex-
 to this true wisdom  that the apostle refers when  he writes in       pected an  entirely  different Christ. But  after  Jesus was
 vs. S that had they known it, they tiould  not have crucified         lifted up, that is, after His cross and resurrection and exalta-
 the Lord of glory.  That this is true is stil1 further evident        tion, they understood, not only, but many also believed on
 from what follows. There we  read, "But as it is  written,            Him. To be sure, the cross and exaltation of the Lord made
  Eye hath not seen,-nor  ear heard, neither have entered into         it much clearer than before that He is the Christ.
  the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for                Still, 1 would maintain  that; even before His being lifted
 them that love him: But God. hath revealed them unto US by            up  many were acquainted with the fact that He was the
  his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth  al1 things, yea, even the      Christ.                                                     H.H.



                                                      .


 222                                               T H E   STANDAR~BIEARER

 Il                                                                     the last of the present ~dispensation.  They are, the changing
              O U R   D O C T R I N E                                   of the black signals, the rising of the smoke from the engine
                                                                        in the distance, the blowing of the whistle. When these signs
                                                                        shall occ'ur, - and they surely shall occur, as the Scriptures
               THE  BOOK OF  REVELATIOP?'                               eirerywhere  testify,  - then lift up your head: for then your
                              CHAPTER  XV                               redemption draweth nigh. The Lord cometh, and al1 the uni-
               Th  Shake-ztp   of  the  Plzysieal   Universe            verse  wil1  be  affected by His coming. Hence,  al1 the uni-
                                                                        verse wil1  also reveal the signs of that coming.
                          Revelation 6 :12-17                              The effect of these signs  upon the world is most terrible.
        The black signal changes,  and reveals that the train is ap-    To be sure, it  wil1   also have its effect  upon the `people of
 proaching.  Smoke from the locomotive is seen in the distance.         God that fhese signs shall appear in the heavens and upon the
 The shrill yell of the whistle is presently heard. And you are         earth. From a mere natura1 point of view these signs wil1
 certain that the train is coming. These last signs are ine%t-          also be terrible and alarming for them. 1 cannot understand
 able manifestations, the unavoidable signs of the coming train.        how expositors of Holy Writ, particularly on prophecy, can
       Thus it is also with respect to the coming of our Lord           deny that during these days the church, at least part of the
 Jesus Christ and the signs that are connected with this                church of God, wil1  stil1 be on earth. 1 fail to understand
 coming. These signs are not arbitrary, - not signs that  might         how-  they can deny  that they shall experience at least the
 just as wel1  have been omitted.  But they are signs that are          great tribulation in full. For Scripture testifies of this  very
 inevitably connected with the final  coming of the Lord itself.        plainly and emphatically. Whenever the Lord speaks of these
 Jesus is coming. That is the message  of the Book of Revela-           things, He speaks of them as signs of His coming, as signs
 tion in brief. It reveals the coming of the Lord. He is coming         of comfort to His people in the midst of the world, and es-
 into a sinful and miserable world, into a world that has fallen        peciallp in the midst of the great tribulatin  of the last times.
 into the power of sin and death and that is subjected  to the          He speaks to them of the fact that they shall be in ,great,
 dominion of Satan. Man and beast and al1 creation is subject           tribulation especially when the fifth seal shall be fully re-
 to this bondage. The Lord, however,  is coming to redeem that          alized. And He  also declares that after  this great tribulation
 entire world, with His elect people in the center, from the            the sigfis that are pictured  in this sixth seal shall reach their
 dominion of sin and death and hell, and to establish the reign         fulfillment. And in connection with this, He tells His disciples
 of righteousness and everlasting perfection in glory, to sub-          and al1 13s people: "And when  these things begin to come
 ject that entire world again to His God. He istcoming,  -              to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your re-
 coming throughout this dispensation, coming al1 through the            demption draweth nigh."  Lu. 21 :2S. An  1 s an 
                                                                                                                    d  `t        s
                                                                                                                              t d t0 reason
 present history of the worlcl. And therefore, al1 throtigh  this       that  also for the people of God the beginning of these signs
 dispensation the signs and signals of that coming, signs that          shall be dreadful from a  mere natura1 point of view. But it
 are inevitably conncted  with that coming, are plainly visible.       do& not fill them with fear and consternation. This` will. b&
 When  He  comes on the white  horse!  He appears in the                i&possible.  They have suffered persecution. They have been
 spiritual world, and yob can see His sighs in repentance and           in awfullest tribulation. Such is undoubtedly the course of
 faith and confession and- obedience and a walk in newness of           events in'the future, shortly before the coming of the Lord.
 life.  When He comes on the red horse, you can  sec Him  in            The fear of the people of God, their suffering, their anxiety,
 war and in  nation  rising against  nation,  as a sign of His          their persecution has been terrible, most terrible  indeed.
 coming for judgment in the end. When  you. see the black               Thousands of them have been killed and tortured because of
 horse' you- see the signs of His coming in the social  world           the Word of God and the testimony which they held. And
 and in al1 the struggles of that world. And when  the power            the spiritual result  of al1 this was, naturally, that they longed
 of death mows away thousands  upon thousands at the proper             for the coming of Christ and for their final  iedemption.  Now
 time anb place. you see the signs of His coming in the physical        these,signs.appear.  And though these signs wil1 also fill them
 world of man. So it is also tiith the blood of the martyrs.            with horror from a natura1 point of view, yet.they  fill them
 And thus it is also wit11 the sigrs in the physical universe.         at the same time with a great hope. They begin to see in
 You see Him  come in the earthquakes  and volcanic outbursts,          them that Jesus draweth nigh when  these things begin to
in  storms  and  floods, in the signs that appear in the heavens        come !o pass. Thus the Lord had told them: "Then lift up
 throughout the history of this' present  .time. For  also the          your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." Now He is
 physical universe  is in the power  of sin and death, in the           stil1 tarrying but, only for a little while. Already  they see His
bondage of corruption.  And  therefofe  you must not be                 signs. Already  they hear Him  come, for  Whom  their soul
 surprised that the coming of Jesus also in this phyiical  world        longeth. And lifting up their heads in expectation, they  look_
 causes strange signs.  They  are signs that our  redemption,           for the sign of the Son of Man in the heavens.                .-
 and also the  redemption  of the universe, is nigh. But the re-           But of this we must speak in a later connection. Our text
 clemption of that physical  universe  is last of all. And there-       `speaks  now of the effect of these natura1  phenomtia,  or
 fore, the full-reality of these signs  wil1  be seen only toward       rather,  of these super-natura1 phenomena,  upon the  wicked


                                                 T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                              223

  world. And what is that effect? Of this ive are told in the           kingdom,  a kingdom  of bliss and righteousness and justice
  last paft of the passage we are now discussing, ,6 :15-17 : "And      and peace and of material  blessedness,. That was their purpose,
  the kings of.the earth, and the great men, and the rich men,          and that was their strife. And al1 this they attempted to
 .and the  .chief  captains, and the mighty men, and every bond-        accomplish without Christ Jesus. They never believed that
  man, apd every  free man, hid themselves in the dens and in           Christ was King. They never knew that He had the principle
  the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and             of His spiritual kingdom  already  realized in the world and
  rocks, Fa11 on  US, and hide US from the face of him that             in the hearts of  His people. They laughed at the idea that
  sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For            this world was principally wicked, and that heaven and earth
  the great day of his wrath is come ; and who shall be able            would pass away. And therefore they supposed eternal
  to stand ?" Notice here, in the first place,  that al1 classes        stability of the material  universe was the basis of their hope.
  of men are included, but that the strong and mighty and               This hope was now frustrated completely, and in a moment.
  rich are emphatically mentioned first, and are predominating          The whole universe seems to pass away. The heavens and
  to a iarge degree. They are predominating not necessarily , the earth are shaking. They cannot account for it. Human
  in number, for that  .is probably not  the case, but because it       wisdom is too small, and human  science cannot explain the
  is exactly in their capacity as strong and rich according to          shake-up of the physical universe. It is beyond their com-
  the standard of the world that here they reveal their conster-        prehension.  Human  strength now availeth nothing.  They
  nation.  Al1 classes, from kings and princes to bodmen and           have been able to do great things. They ruled over the ele-
  servants, are included in this crowd~  struck with fr. What         ments, and they were in power over the sea and the land and
  they ha% al1 in common  is that they hated the Lord Jesus             the air. But  al1 these things are beyond them now. Nothing
  Christ. They certainly have never loved  Him, as is evident           can avail. They are overcome.  And therefore,  two facts  are
  in their fear. For according to  th apostle  `John,  love driveth    now powerfully  impressed   upon their unbelieving  minds.
  out fear. They hated Him. They have persecuted Him and                namely,  that `the  very  basis of their imitation  kingdom  is.
  His flock. And as  such they were the kings and the mighty            going to destruction, and secondly, that the  kingdom  of
  ones of the world, those that were  rich in  money,  that             Christ shall prevail. And therefore;  they realize that their
  dominated the social  world, the strong in physical power and         bitterest enemy, the King of heaven  and -earth, He Whom
  strong in authority, that dominated the politica1 world. They         thcy have pierced, is about to have the complete victory.
  are the ones that used to win victories in battle in the earth.       Therefore they fear. In their folly and impotente  they pray to
  They are also the strong in wisdom  and learning, that denied         the rocks and mountains, and the Word of God is literally
  the  Grist in their  worldly  philosophy, and that in their           fulfilled : "1 wil1 destroy the wisdom  of the wise, and 1 wil1
  imagined strengt11  have always laughed at the folly of the           bring to nought the discernment of the discerner."
  people of the Lord, that believed the gospel. These all, - the           Blessed are they  who in that day belong to the Lord
  mighty  and the wise and the  rich according to the measure           and are in Zion. For Joel, after  he has finished his descrip-
of this world, -are now filled with terror. They are filled             tion of that day, says : "And it shall  come to pass, that
  with a terror so strong that they seek death. They are                whosoever  shall   cal1  upon  the name of the Lord shall be
  filled with consternation. They know not what they are                delivered; for in Mount  Zion  and in Jerusalem shall there be
 doing. They  flee  to the  caves ; but of course, there  is  no`       those that escape, as the Lord hath said, and among the
  help and no protection there. They flee to the mountains              remnant  whom the Lord shall  call."  It is in full  harmonl
  and to the rocks; but behold, they find no refuge in them.            with this that the L&-d om- Savior has foretold US: "When
  Wherever they flee they see the signs of the Lord that is             these things begin to come to pass, lift up your head, for
  coming. And these signs do not cause them to  repent.  There          your redemption  draweth nigh. In the world ye shall have
  is no forgiveness for them any more. The measure of their             tribulation; but be of good  cheer,  1. have  overcome  the
  iniquity is full. They  cal1 to the rocks and to the mountains,       world."
  "Fa11 on US, and hide US from the face of him that sitteth
  upon the throne, .and from the wrath of the Lamb." The day
  of wrath and. judgment  has come, and they realize it.. And                           Notice for  Classis  West
  because they have not kissed the Son, but continued in their
  wild rebellion, they are now struck with terror, and they
                                           -.                              Classis West of the Protestant Reformed Churches wil1
  seek death, but find not. Terrible in that- day is the position       convene, the Lord willing, in  Doon,  Iowa, Wednesday,
  of the ungodly. Terrible indeed  is the day of the Lord for           March  19, 1958.
  them that have not feared His name.                                      The consistories  are reminded of the rule that they are
     How is to be explained, you ask perhaps, that now they             expected to nominate, an  elder  or elders  who are able to
  are so completely  str&k with consternation and. fear ? The           serve as synodical delegate. And,  al1 matters for the classica1
  answer is-: because the stability of the material  universe  was      agendtim  must be in the hands of the stated clerk nat later
  the presupposition of the kingdom  of the world which they            than thirty days  before  the date of Classis.
  intended to establish. They -were to build up an imitation                       I                 Rei. H.  Veldman,   Stated   Clerk


2       2      4                                    T H E   STANDAR.D   BEARER
                                                                                .-
                               C H A P T E R   1                             .In the first four seals we..noticed  the powers that were let
                                                                       _.    loose upon the world of men in .general  in this dispensaton. _
     The  Sealing of  the One  Hundred   Frty-fow   Thousand               There is, first of all, the power of the spiritual kingdom,  sym-
                            Revelation 7  :l-8                               bolized in the white horse. Secondly, there is the power of
                                                                             war, symbolized in the red horse. Thirdly, there is the power
               1. And  after these things 1 saw four angels standing         of social  strife, in the black horse. And finally, there is the
             --. on the four corners of the earth, holding the four          power of death, in the pale horse. As to the second group,
               winds of the earth, that the wind s'hould not blow
               on the earth, nor on  the sea, nor on  any tree.              seals five and sis, we found that the first of these concerned
                                                                             the saints; and pictured  to -US the people of ,God that have
               2. And 1 saw another angel ascending from the  east,          been slain for the Word of God and the testimony which-they
               having the seal of the living God:  atid he  cried with
               a loud  voice   to the four angels, to  whoq  it was given    had. Aind we found th,at the blooci of these saints becomes
               to  `hurt the earth and the sea.                              one awfl tstimony  against the world that hates and rejects
                                                                             the Christ, and rises in rebellion against His holiness and
               3. Saying, Hurt not the  art`h,  neither the sa, nor
               the trees,  til1 we have sealed  the servants of our God      truth: This means also that the fifth seal furnishes the spirit-
               in their foreheads.                                           ual,  ethical basis for the destruction of the world in the day
               4.  -And  1 heard the number of them which were               .of judgment. And thus, finally,  t.he  iixth  seal  affects the
               sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and  forty           physical tirld..  Al1 creation belongs to the kingdom  of Christ.
               and four  thousand.of  al1 the tribes of the  children'of     And therefore, as the Messiah begins to establish HiS world-
               Israel.                                                       kingdom  and reconquers it from the usurpation of the devil
               5. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand.          and his  host, it is  tio wonder at  al1 that  also the physical
               Of the  tribe of Reuben-were sealed twelve thousand.          world shows the signs of the  kingdom  of our Lord. This
               Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.              shake-up of the physical world,  however,  has the effect upon
               6. Of the tribe of  Aser  were sealed twelve thousand.        the world  of evil that they begin to realize  the coming of the
               Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve  thou-           great Judge, begiri to realize that their imitation kingdom
               sand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve             is  after  al1  vaiity.   However, they do not  come to true  re-
               thousand.                                                     pentance. On the other hand, we also remarked that accord-
               7. Of the tribe of Simeon were` sealed twelve  thou-          ing to the words of Jesus our Saviour, it is exactly these signs
               sand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve  t'hou-         that may cause the people -of God' to lift up their heads in
               sand. Of the  tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve            hopeful expectation that their suffering and tribulation  wil1
               thousand.                                                     soon have an end, and that the Lord wil1 come to redeem
               S. Of  the tribe of  Zabulon  were sealed twelve  thou-       them   completely;
               sand.  Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve
               thousand. Of the tribe of  Benjamin  were sealed twelve           Wc might perhaps  expect  that presently the book would
               thousand.                                                     Continue to reveal to US the contents  of the seventh seal.
                                                                             Evidently, however,  this is not the case. The opening  .of the
     At this stage of our discussion of the Book of Revelation               seventh seal is not recorded  before we come to the eighth
it seems necessary to remind you of the plan of the second                   chapter  of this book. On. the other hand, however,  it is also
part of -is book, from chapter  4, verse 1, on. That plan is,                evident that this seventh chapter  does no more belong to the
as you wil1 remember, dominated entirely by the number                       sixth seal. For, in  the first  place, that sixth seal is  very
seven, The !number  of the completion of the kingdom  of God.                plainly completely revealed in chapter  six, vss. 12-17. That
There are seven seals to be opened ; and these seven seals                   portion  is complete by itself, as is plain from the entire form
cover the whole  of the Book of Revelation. When  the last                   of this  section.  And, in the  second  place, the manner in
part of the seventh seal shall have been realiied,  the kingdom              which this seventh chapter  is introduced  also shows plainly
shall have  come,  and the works of the devil  and of the anti-              that here we have something new. For John tells US clearly :
christ shall have been completely destroy'ed. The seventh                    "After  this 1 saw . . .' ." And therefore,  this seventh  chapter
seal, however,  when  it is opened, reveals  itself as seven trum-           is neither the opening of `the seventh seal, nor is it the con-
pets. And the seventh trumpet is presented as seven vial's of                tinuation of the sixth. It is something in between. It forms
the wrath of God. Undoubtedly this implies - that as time                    an episode. Befor.e  the opening of the seventh seal is  .re-
goes on the judgments of the Lord upon the wicked world                      vealed, the Lord deerns it necessary to come to His people
wil1  increase ; His activity to bring the kingdom  of God wil1              with a  message of a different  nature.   Terrible-things  have
become more pronounced and emphatic.  .Of course; it also                    aliedy  been revealed in connection with the six seals that
implies that the seventh  seal is revealed to the chrch more                have thus far been opened. And the question that is asked
in detail than any of the preceding six seals.                               by the world of unbelief when  the sixth seal was opened has
     Six of these seven seais  we have thus far discussed.  These:'          undoubtedly by this  time  also arisen in the midst of the
as we have noticed, formed two main groups, the first four                   people of God, the question,  namely : "Who shall be able to
belonging  together .and the last two also being closely allied.             stand ?" Stil1  more awful ,occurences will.,be yevealed  -when


                                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R   ~.                                            225

     the opening of the seventh seal is realized. And therefore, the      are, in the first place,  those who think that we have here.a
     Lord, before He proceeds to reveal the opening of this seal,         reference to a special class of- peple of God, who have either
     answers the question that might so easily escape the worried         escaped  from or experienced the great tribulation ; and, in the
     souls -of the faithful, "Who-  shall stand ?" It is the answer       second  place, those  who simply take it that these one hundred
     to this question which we find in this chapter. It contains two      forty-four thousand refer to al1 the people of God at any time.
     parts, the first part consisting of verses  1 to 8, the second of        I must confess that for some time 1 was rather  inclined
     verses  9 to 17. And the passage we are now discussing               to  tast my lot with the first class of interpreters, and to  ex-
     speaks of the sealing of the one hundred forty-four, thousand.       plain that these one hundred forty-four thousand sealed  ones
         The first question that naturally arises in our minds  when      had reference to Israel in the literal sense of the word. 1 did
     we read these words is: who are these one `hundred forty-            not believe that we have any reference here to the Jewish
     four thousand of which the text informs US that they are             nation  as such, so that the text would mean that there would
     sealed ? Judging by the numerous interpretations that have           be a restoration of the  Israelitisch  nation.  Nor did 1 ever
     been offered, it would seem as if it `were indeed  an impossibil-    think that there would be a special kind of salvation for the
     ity to come to a satisfactory conclusion. The explanations           Jews. Nevertheless, I thought that these one hundred forty-
     that have been given may,  in the main, be divided into two          four thousand symbolized the remnant according to the elec-
     classes. In the first  place,  there are those authors  who take     tion of grace,  al1 the elect  f Israel that are to be saved in
     it that Israel  means the people of the Jews in the  literal         `Christ Jesus. And therefore, if ever  1 was inclined to  find  a
     sense of the word, and that the names of the twelve tribes           referenc in Revelation literally  to Israel as such, it was in
     actually point to the people that used to be the people of God       this passage.
     as a nation  in the days of the old dispensation. These, there-          However,  reflection and further study of this particular
     fore take this indication of the sealed ones in the literal sense    portion  changed  my mind. 1 am now firmly convinced not
     of the word. They:inform  US that here we have the record of         only that this section  does not speak of Israel  as a nation.
     the sealing of the people of Israel. But among them there            nor of the Jews only, but that-Scripture in genera1 absolutely
     are  .different  shades of interpretation. First of ah, there are    teaches that there is no more a national Israel with special
     those who believe that the nation  as such, the nation  of the       spiritual privileges and with a special way of salvation. And
     Je&, shall be saved and occupy a special place in the economy        since the subject of Israel as a natin is very frequently  dis-
     of redemption in the future. Israel as a nation shall in the         cussed, especially in our day, and since the error is often  made
     future accept their Redeemer,  Whom  they have first rejected ;      of maintaining that the Jews as a  nation  stil1 have special
     and in our text we have the indication of. the fact that the         privileges, and stil1  wil1  have a great future as such, 1 must
     +greatest  destruction of the  world  may not be initiated before    dwell for just a moment on the teaching of Scripture in this
     this has been realized. Secondly, there are also those that          respect.
     believe that in the future a time wil1 come in which every               The portion  of Scripture to which 1 naturally must cal1
     individual Israelite wil1  believe in Christ. Not only the nation    your ttention for iight on this subject is that which we find
     as a  whole, but  every individual  Jew that exists at that          in the  epistle  to the Romans,  chapters  9 to ll. There Paul
     period  wil1   cal1 on the name of the Lord. And the sealing of      begins  in chapter 9 by expressing his heartfelt grief over his
     t.he one hundred forty-four thousand foreshadows this                brethren according to the flesh because of the pitiful  condition
     glorious  event:  In the third place, there are those that do        in which they are found at this time,-after  they have rejected
     not believe in the restoration of the nation  of Israel in any       their own Messiah But he continues to argue that if any-
     manner, but who see in these sealed ones the salvation of the        one would think that the promises of God had failed, and that
     remnant of the elect of the Jews, that wil1 be and must be           He had rejected Wis people, and that the promises of a great
     grafted in into their own olive tree, from which they are cut        seed, as the sand on the seashore and as the stars of heaven,
     out. Thus, the one hundred forty-four thousand  indicate  the        would not now be realized, since Israel as a  nation  was
     .elect  from among the Jews of al1 ages and countries, into          evidently rejected, he would be sorely mistaken. On the con-
     which they have been scattered. And finally, there are  also         trary, that promise  never was fulfilled as it now is, in the
     those  who take it that these one hundred forty-four thousand        days of the New Testament, if only we make the true distinc-
     must be referred to the elect.  Jews, -hut  not of al1 .ages, but    tion between Israel and Israel. "They  are notJal1 Israel that
     only of the period of the great tribulation. That, in  general,      are of Israel," says the apostle. Not the fact that they are
     is the interpretation of the first  class we have mentioned. The     children of Abraham made them true Israelites. For Ishmael
     second class consists of those that explain these one hundred        and the children of  Keturah   also were children of Abraham
     forty-four thousand sealed ones as referring to true, spiritual      in the same sense. And yet Isaac was the only child of the
     Israel of the new dispensation. Israel, even in this portion         covenant. The  same was true of  Esau.  If Israel according
     of the book, must not be taken in the literal sense, but in the      to the flesh had been the true Israel, then surely Esau was a
     symbolic, or typical, sense of the word. And therefore, these        child  of Abraham as wel1  as Jacob. Yet Esau was rejected
     sealed ones simply refer to God's own people of al1 ages. But        according to the election  of grace. But what made anyone a
     then there is a differente  of opinion even among these. There       true Israelite was the fact of election.                   H.H.





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  226                                            T H E   S T A N D A R D  B-EARER
                                                                           b

                                                                           through Him in God the fountain of al1 our salvation. And
 /l          THE DAY OF SHADOWS                                            whosoever. believes in Him, drinks at this fountain the water
                                                                           that Christ shall give  him, shall never thirst ; but the water
                                                                           that Christ shall give him shall be in him a wel1  of water
                 The Prophecy of Zechariah                    '            springing up into everlasting life.
                       Purification  of Jerusalem                             2. ~The Lord wil1  -nat  alone purge `His people .from  al1
                                                                           sin  nd uncleanness by the fontain that wil1 be opened, but
                            Chpter 13 :2-6                                He wil1  purge'the land of al1 idols as well. The idol is a not-
                                                                           god. The idol is a lie. For the idol is. the true God. drawn
       2. 2nd it skza.ll  be in tlmt day, saith Jehovah of hosts, I        down to the leve1  of the corruptible creature.  Idolatry, there-
  wil1 cut off the names of the idols of the land, and `they shall         fore, is more than the denial of God. It is vesting God with
be  relnewtbered.no   store;.   md  also  the prophets  and the spirit     al1 the vices and .limitations  of the corruptible creture. In
  of Mncleczrtness,  rwill  I cause  to, pass  oatt of the land. 3. And    the words of the apostle, it is changing the glories, virtues,
  it shall be, if a man stil1 prophesy, his father  and his wLOti%j;      perlections of the uncorruptible God into an image made-like
  who begat  him, shall say to  hiutz,  Thozt  shalt  `not live.,  for     to the corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts -
  tho46  .hast spoken a lie  in-  the name of  Jehovah; and his            and creeping things. Conceptionally,  al1 the virtues of God
  fa.ther  and  li,is  mother,  who  bega.t  him, shall  pi~ce  him        are changed  into their ogposites. God, al1 that may be known
  through in bis prophesying. 4. Aad ik shall be ,in tha.t day that        of God by the creation of the universe and by the Scriptures,
  the  propltets  shall be aslmpaed  eqh of his vision in his proph-       is changed into~the creature and is stil1 called God. And the
  esying;  and shall- no more put on, a. hc+ry  garment  to lie; 5.        creature is worshipped`under the pretence or in the  imagin-
  but he shell say, I am not a pyophet, I aSm a husbandvtzan,  for         ing that  ,the object of worship is God. The idolater does not
  a  man  bought me  f~om   my youth. 6.  And (the other) shall            admit that the god before whom  he bends  the knee is an idol,
  sa.y  ztnto  him,  hOat  we these  wounds  between thine hands?          a creature,  a not-god, according to the Scriptures, a devil-god,
  And he  Aal1  soy, Thosc with which  I  zvas  wo%nded  in the            a fabrication, a god that he makes  unto himself according to
  home of ,VFLY lovers.                                                    the desire  of his own corrupt heart. But that it is the creature
       ,l. Regard  must once more be had to the promise  of this           that is being worshipped is plain-from  the fact that the graven
  text. that -in that day there shall be. a fountain opened for sin        image, the idol of wood and stone before which the idolater
and uncleanness. This fountain is the salvation of om- Lord                comes in the dust, is made of him to `bear the imag of some
  Jesus Christ. It is accordingly  the death-devouring life- of            creature.
  Christ. It. is His cleansing holiness. It is His guilt-cancelling            In the light of these remarks, it is plain wherein idolatry
  satisfaction and righteousness.  It is  faith, living and  in-           essentially consists. It consists, surely, in conceiving of God
  destructible faith. It is the hope that maketh   nat ashamed.            in terms of the vile creature and in the deification and wor-
  It is ,the love that God shcds abroad in the hearts f His               ship of this conception. If this is idolatry essentially, then it
  people. It is life everlasting. This fountain, in a word, is the         is plain that `idolatry stil1 abounds, however  true it  may be
  total of biessings  of Christ's cross. Salvation  is a fountain          that in this age of culture and scientific achievement men
  because  like a fountain of water it springs  u$ unceasingly and         are not literally sacrificing and burning  intense to dumb
  tirelessly from - God its eternal source. And. springing up              idols.
  from Him the overflowing fountain of al1  goed,  it flows into               The Scriptures over and over hold up- man's idols, the
  the church through Christ the Channel of al1 grace.                      graven images worshipped and the devil-gods  represented
         This fountain was always there,` only, it had to be opened.       and symbolized thereby, as  object?  for ridicule. "Their idols
  It was-opened  when  Christ assumed the flesh. and blood of              are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have
  His brethren. It was opened When, as the incarnate  Son of               mouths but they speak nat; eyes have they, but they see not.
God,, He .suffered and died for the sin of those given Him                 They have ears but they hear not; noses have they, but they          ,.
' of the  E'ather; was raised n account of their justification, was       smell not. They have hands,  hut they handle not; feet have
  exalted  at'  the right hand of the throne and  received the             they, but they do not walk; neither speak they through their
  promise  of the Spirit, `which  He  pourd   upon the church,            throat." Yet it is in these-dumb things, the graven image as
  the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem set with             wel1  as the creatur represented, the devil-god  symbolized,
  Him  in heaven. That was for US- the opening of the fountain             that the idolater- puts all, his confdence;  strange as this may
  for sin and uncleanness; And as al1 the blessings of the cross,          be. "And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his
  and other blessings there are not, are contained in Christ               graven image ; he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it,
  because.  He  merited   them by His suffering and death, as,             and p'rayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me ; for thou art my
  in other words, He of God is made unto  US  wisdom  and                  god."
  righteousness and sanctification and redemction,  drinking at                In the light of what is presented above, it is plain that
  this fountain consists in eating  .His flesh and drinking His            idolatry .is but another name for heresy, false doctrine. Idol-
  blood. It consists, in other words, in believing in Him and              atry is the love and worship of godless thoughts about God.


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                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                   237

   Hut God wil1 cut- off the names of the idols  from  theland          father  and  mother  who begot'him. And they say to the man,
   and from the whole earth, and they shall be remembered no            their very own flesh and blood, "Thou shalt not live, for thou
   more. He wil1  cleanse  the earth of al1 wrong thoughts about        hast spoken a lie in the name of Jehovah."  And they pierce
   God. And the lie wil1 be no more. In its place wil1  be truth        him through in his prophesying, that is immediately,
   in the inward parts, right knowledge of God. And it  wil1            without any delay. And this father  and mother must not be
   cover the whole earth as the waters cover- the .bottom  of the       taken as lone exceptions. So-deal  al1 the parents, the anointed
   sea. And they shall not teach every  man his neighbor, and           ones, with their sons and daughters that speak lies in the
   every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for al1 shall          name of Jehovah. They shew them no mercy  but pierce them
   know Him, from the least to the greatest. Such ishere  the           through. For al1 are consumed by this same terrible zeal of
   promise.                                                             God's  heuse.  For the heretic there is no place in the church
      Also the prophets thee Lord wil1 cause to `pass out of the        anywhere.
   land. The context makes  it clear that the reference is to the           4-6. Owing to this zeal, al1 those in the church suspected
   entjre prophetic order of the old  dispensation  and not alone       of being false prophets still, because in the past they were
   to the false prophets of th& age. The promise  is made b-            known to have spoken lies- in the name of the Lord, now
   cause ther  wil1  be no more need of  such prophets, seeing that    live in perpetual fear for their very  lives. NO longer,  therel
   the people of God  wil1   reach a perfect knowledge of  him.         fore, do they prophesy. In the words of this verse 4, they
   Joel 2 2'8-31  expresses the same expectation, to wit, that it       are now ashamed each of his vision  in ther prophesying. And
   wil1 come to pass afterward that the Lord will-pour  out His         they do  .all they  can to  dispel  the  clod  of  suspicion  that
   Spirit upon  al1 flesh, and that their sons and their daughters      hangs over  them. In that day the hairy  garment was the
   wil1  prophesy. And their old men. wil1 dream dreams, and            garb of the prophet.   Such mantle was worn by Elijah and
   their young.men  wil1 see visions. And also upon His servants        by John.  the baptist. The false prophets of this verse used
   and-upon  His handmaids  wil1  the Lrd pour out uis Spirit.         to wear  this garment to speak lies. Though spokesmen of the
   The hope of Joel interprets this passage. Al1 the people  wil1       devil,  they Wanted the people to believe that they were truc.
   be blessed  with prophetic  vision. Al1 wil1  prophesy. For al1      prophets of God speaking His word. To achive their pur-
   wil1  have the anointing, and the anointing which they wil1          pose they wore the hairy mantle. But now they are careful to
   receive wil1 abide in them, and they wil1  not need that any         be seen in it no longer. And they choose another  occupa-
   man  teach  them. The special  class `of prophets  wil1 therefore    tion.. They acquire a farm and go to  tilling the soil. And
   be removed.                                                          when  questioned by  God's  people,  who have a clear recollec-
      Further, in that day the Lord wil1 cause to pass out of           tion of their  fermer.  evil  practice, they say, Why no, 1 am
   the land the spirit of uncleanness,  that is, the unclean spirits    not a prophet,  1 am a husbandman, a farnier. And 1 never
   from the abyss operative in the false "prphets and these            was a prophet, but 1 have always been a farmer. -1 learnt
   prophets themselves together with al1 the wicked, the wor-           farming in my youth  from  a man  who bought me. And  1
   shippers of idols.                                                   have been a farmer ever since. So they al1 answer, in this
      Such is the condition  that wil1 .prevail "in that day."  How     vein, though not ,always in exactly these words. B,ut what
   Gd's  people, the anointed ones, wil1 love the truth in that        we have here in verses 5 nd G are the exact words of one of
   day, how completely  consecrated they wil1  be to the cause of       their number interrogated. He, too, is saying that he is a
   God,  how intolerant of false prophets,  how intensely the most      farmer and not a prophet. But the manlies. He is a prophet
   intimate blood relations  wil1 be hated for Christ's sake in that    of Baal even. And being such.a prophet  -he was praying one
   day, is revealed in subsequent  verses.                              day in Baal's'temple. And in his frenzy  he cut the palms of
      3. The man of this verse speaks in the name of the Lord.          his hands with a knife - as al1 these prophets were wont to
   Yet.he speaks not the word of the Lord but his own word,             do - in the hope that as moved by pity his god would hearken
   which is therefore the lie, heresy. And though the Spirit has        to his cry.  How otherwise explain those  ugly  scars between
   been  poured.   out the man stil1 thinks it safe for him to          his hands. What are those wounds between thy hands, he
   prophesy. Is he not sent of the Lord ? And does he not speak         is asked. H has the answer. He was in the house of friends
- His word ? And his doctrine. is  nat new. It's the old  time          one day. And they quarreled. And there was a fight.
   Gospel that he brings. So he says. But  Godls  people are            And in  that fight his hands were cut. Whether the  one.who
   not deceived. For  they too, have now the Gospel. It                 questions this man leaves it go at this, is not stated. Per-
   has been  fully revealed, communicated to  the church by the         haps not. It is likely that it  must.be supposed that the man
   Lord speaking through the prophets and the apostles as His           is pierced through. For instead of confessing his great sin
   organs of special revelation. Al1 know  now. For al1 are in the      and vowing that he has  forsaken  it, he tries to cover up
   possession of the  whole counsel of God regrding the  salva-        his evil doing. He is  stil1 the false  prophet  of yore. If  al-
   tion of the elect. Al1 have the anointing and by this anointing      lowed to live, he would continue to be a corrupting influence
   al1 are being led into al1 truth. God's  people, therefore, these    in the land. And,, therefore, he is put .to death as are  al1 his
   anointed ones,  clearly perceive that the tnan speaks lies.  To      spiritual `kin.
   these anointed  ones belong lso the parents of the man, his             Such then wil1  be the zeal of the church in that day. The


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false prophets in the land willbe killed. So the Lord had              stand between Christ and the believer, must be hated for
commanded ages ago by Moses as His organ. The  command-                Christ's sake. One thing is certain, the amazing zeal that
ment reads: If thy brother, the son of thy  mother, or thy             characterizes the parents of the. verses  with which we now
son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend,         deal is as yet not  ours,   however  spiritual we may be and
which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly saying, Let           however  strong our faith and however,  consecrated we may
                                                                 US
go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou               be to the Sause of God. It is not yet ours except  in principie.
nor thy fathers; namely of the  gods of the people which are           But it one day wil1 be ours. For such is here the promise.
round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from            But the promise as yet has not been fully fulfilled. And it wil1
.the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the               not be  fully fulflled until in the hour of death and through
earth; thou shalt not consent unto him, nor herken unto               death the earthy  heuse  of this our tabernacle is dissolved
him; neither shalt thy eyes pity him, but tho shalt surely            and we have a building  of God not made with hands,, eternal
kil1 him; thine eyes shalt be first upon him to put him to             in the heavens, and  when  Christ shall have raised US up in
death, and afterwards the hand of  al1 the people. And thou            the last  day.  When this shall have  come to pass,  God's
shalt stone him with stones, that he die ; because he has              people wil1  not any longer  be bearing the image of the earthy
sought to thrust thee away from the-Lord thy God, which                as used to be the case, but the image of the heavenly with al1
brought thee out of the `land of ,Egypt, from the house of             the,  ties that binded them to this earthy severed. Raised up
bondage. And al1 Israel  shall  hear and fear and shall not do         unto everlasting life, they wil1 sit with Christ in judgment
no more any such wickedness as this is am.ong  you.                    over the world. And every.man of them wil1  pierce through
    Such was the  commandment. The idolaters and false                 his brother, and every man his friend and every man his
teachers in Israel  had to be put to death and thereby cut off         neighbor,  - the friend and brother and neighbor and son and
from the congregation of the Lord, the holy land, the land             daughter that perished in their sins. For `as they bear the
-of the (spiritual) living, the  kingdom  of God. And the              image of the heavenly and their love being now perfected,
parents of such persons had to take the lead in the killing of         they no longer  know any man according to the flesh. For flesh
them. This  may be considered as one of the reasns why it             and blood and  the natura1 love and affection of which they
was rarely done. -Natura1  love of the brother, son, daughter,         were the seat are no more:They have perished. For the king-
bosom  friend, the beloved wife was too overpowering.. What            dom is not inherited by flesh and blood.
could be more painful and agonizing to an Israelite than
putting to death, a heretic,  if such a person happened to be                                                                     . .
his own son or daughter, father  or mother, intimate friend?              2. The announcement in this verse of the removal of the
Rather than  kil1 his own son,  however  ill-deserving, he             prophets - the prophetic order of the old dispensation - is
would gladly die in his stead.                                         surely not in conflict with the good tiding in Eph. 4:11, 12
    As to the commandment cited above, it is stil1 valid surely.       that Christ exalted gave pastors and teachers for the perfect-
Only the church is not literally killing  the  heretic  today, but     ing of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifca-
slaying  him by the Word of God and thereby cutting him off            tion of the body of Christ, which isthe church. The prophets,
from  the church, excommunicating him from fellowship-  with           including the twelve apostles, were agents of special revela-
.Christ, and the holy sacraments,  and from  al1 the spiritual         tion  through   whom God communicated to the church the
blessing and benefits, which God promises to and bestows               whole  counsel regarding the salvation of His people.  When
upon His church, so long as he obstinately and impenitently            at the death of th last apostle this counsel had been fully
persists in his sins. What then can be mre painful to the             revealed, the prophets and the apostles alike had served their
believer, more terrible, more soul disturbing than excom-              purpose and their  office  ceased, never to be revived. For the
municating a heretic,  a false prophet; if such a on.e happens  to     church was now in  the possession of the full Gospel of God.
be his own flesh and bloed,  or husband or wife or- bosom              But through the ages to come this Gospel had stil1 to be
friend ? That man, believer, has great heaviness and continual         proclaimed. It had to be ministered to the church according
sorrow in his heart, as was the case with the apostle.  And            as  from   time to  time the  needs  of God's believing people
he could wish, as the apostle could wish, that himself were            would  dictate.  And it had to. be vindicated against al1 heresy.
accursed  from  Christ for his son or daughter or brother ac-          And for the performance of this task Christ gave pastors and
cording  to the flesh. Such is the strength of th. devotion of        teachers, instituted in his church the teaching ministry,.be  it
-natura1  love,  such the binding power of the  ties of blood.         that essentially God's people  nu  longer  have. need that  any
Unless  sanctified by  .the redeeming  grace of Christ, natura1        man teach. them, seeing that al1 now have the anointing.
love, pity, compassion  is a thoroughly foul thing and nothing
but a  handicap  in the service of God. What  grace it  re-               3. This is the verse that  makes   mention  of the false
quires to crucify this love and turn a deaf ear to its demands         prophet pierced through by his own father  and mother. The
and groanings whenever a choice must be made between                   great sin of this man was that he spoke his lies in the name
Christ on the one hand and the son, daughter, friend on the            of the Lord. As the- true prophets of God used to. do, he
otlier  ; whenever these persons, because they  have co-me.  to                               -`(C&inued on page 232)


                                                    T H E   S T A N ' D A R D   B E A R E R                                                   229

                                                                               In-this he. is, therefore, innocent of the conduct of the un-'
 11         F R 0 M H 0 L Y W R I T- -- jl believer: -NO one has a hght to unbelief !
                                                                                   The unbeliever willed  not to live with the believer who was
                                                                               willing to live with unbelieving partner in  holy  wedlock!
                Exposit.ion  of 1 Corinthians 7                                    Once, more, Paul is speaking of such cases.
                                 v .                                              And now Paul wil1  outline the mora1 position and course
               (1 Corinthians 7 :12-16 - continued)                            of action  of the believing partner in "such cases."     -
       In our essay published in the fermer  issue of The Stand-                  As the  +>tfal  posifiion  in  "such  cases" of the believing.
 ard Bearer we did not complete our discussion on the mean-                    partner in marriage,  it must be noted that, according to verse
 ing of these verses, namely, the verses  12-16. This is par-                  15, such a believer is not "placed  under bondage," that is,
 ticularly true of the  verses  15, 16.                                        continually up to the present moment to be placed  in the
                                                                               bondage of a slave,  while in reality he or she is a free-man
       Since our discussion wil1 be on the latter two verses,  we              in the Lord.
 wil1  quote these  once more in full. They  read as follows:
 (`But   if  the unbelieving  depart..  lef him  dejurk.   A  brot?Le?-  ov       There  ar.e fundamentally really two interpretations which
 a  sister is not under  bonda,ge  in  mck cases:  bzt.t God  hath             have  come down to  US since the  time of the Reformation.
 called US in peace. For what knowest tkozt, 0 wife,  whetker                    There is, first of ah, the interpretation of H. A. W. Meyer,
 thou  shalt save thy husband? or  Jzow knowest tlzou, 0 tian,                 who holds  that the verb "to be under bondage" implies "no
 whethh  thouf  shalt save  thy  wife?"                                        longer   bound   in  marriage to  such a  depavting   ene."  On the
       In the interpretat,ion  of these two verses  we ought to keep           other hand there is the interpretation held by Dr. Weiss in
 some very definite considerations in  mind in the light of the                the Deutsche Zeitschrift, 1866, page 267 (compare  also bis-
 preceding context.                                                            biblische theologie)  who understands the verb "to be under
                                                                               bondage" to refer .to the  buvden of tlw conscience.
       It ought to be  remembered  that Paul is here speaking to
 "the rest," that is to those married people in the church,                       In passing we may here remark that from the former
 where the one is a believer and. the other an unbeliever, or                  paragraph it  may be ascertained that expositors of name in
 possibly a non-believer, one  not yet  believing in Christ Jesus,             Germany differ on the proper interpretation of this Scrip-
 the' Lord. Further, it should be noticed that to these  he. gives             ture passage. It  means that the interpretation of the school of.
 no direct and  explicit  word  from Christ, but he here  in-                  thought to which Meyer belongs and which hold that Paul
 structs the church to walk according to the new statxs, which                 teaches in 1 Cor. 7  :15 that "in  such cases" the marriage-tie
 has  come into their families, since'they and their children are              is annuled before God, did not go unchallenged, rightly or
 taken up into God's covenant.  The children are holy  for the                 wrongly !
believing parent's sake.                                                          Let it be stated here that we agree with the "genera1
       And this new status he works- ozct in. "such cases" where               thrust"  of the interpretation of Weiss, and that for the
 the one parent  (either husband or wife) is a believer while                  following reasons :
 the other is not. Such a parent  may be either an unbeliever                    _ Firstly, because the reason, which Meyer assigns from
 (reprobate) or may be a non-believer, (elect) who does noE                    the context for his'interpretation overagainst that of. Weiss,
yt believe, but wil1  be brought to faith in God's  sovereign                 is nat valid exegetically. Meyer insists that the other alterna-
 purpose by His Word and Spirit when  and where He wills.                      tive is given in the~verses  12 and 13. He refers to the fact that
       As we stated in our former essay it is entirly possible                Paul says "let him not put her awayf'  if she desires to live
 that by amicable  agreement  the unbelieving party is willing                 with him. From  this he draws the erroneous conclusion that
 to live with the believer, and- wil1  not disturb the peace `of               `"if such a party" does depart then a man can put her away
 Christ in the family. Yet, should he (she) leave the believing                or vice versa. The  latter is then implied in that in such case
 parent  the responsibility is wholly with such an unbeliever or               "a brother or a sister is nt under bondage." He says "the
 non-believer.  who leaves the family.                                         interpretation" of Weiss runs counter to the implication of
       Of "such  cases" Paul is speaking here in the verses  15, 16.           "not under bondage."
       It ought to be underscored from the otset  that in "such                   Secondly,-  because the interpretation of Meyer puts more
 cases" the believer is wholly innocent. It is his (her) heart's               into the term "to depa@ than is permitted by the simple
 desire  to live with this non-believing partner, only  such  a                meaning of the term (choorizoo) . The latter  means to de-
 believer is worthy of Christ, for he wil1 not allow tlie un-                  part lomlly. Therefore we agree with the thrust of the in-
belief of the .unbeliever  to overrule the new  Status Qzto  of                terpretation of Weiss which points toward the bondage of
 the  family  in  the Lord. He does not love  father,   mother,                the conscience !
 brother, sister or husband and/or wife more than Christ.                          In the light of the foregoing observations, 1 would  stil1


230                                                  T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                         -         -
like to point out, that the interpretation that would mke                   Th&e is another school of thought  on this verse following
"dedoulootai," that is, to be  under   bondage  tantamount- to            Cal&, the Ijeer  of exegetes. They, with Calvin, "hold that
not be bomd is against the plain sense, the root meaning of               verse 16 enunciates a nek reason for not breaking up the
the verb in Greek for "to be under bondage." And it is aho                marriage, namely, the possibility of' the conversion of the
against the current  usage of this term  when  compared with              non-believer..  In this school one  finds  such exegetes as
the verb in Greek for to be bound. The latter term is "deomai"            Flatt, Reichert, Olshausen."  .Thus  according  to Meyer in
in. Greek. The verb "deoo" means that which is bound, tied                his Commentary on this passage.                               :
together. And it is the term which alwajs is used -in those                  Meyer does not agree with this interpretation of  tlie
passages of Paul where there is no doubt but that Pavl  is                Calvinistic exegetes. He  alleges that it  "runs  counter" to
speaking of the marriage-tie. Thus in Romans 7:2. But it                  his interpretation of "to not .b.e under bondage.>'                     ._
is also thus employed by Paul in this indisputable  sense in
this  ver)  chapter  now under consideration.  Compare the                   As has already  been intimated by US, we agree with the
verses  27 and 39 of 1 Corinthians 7.           -                         interpretation of Calvin arid others, and not with. Meyer
                                                                          and the Lutheian  divines.
       Besids,  the current usage  of the term "dedoulootai" to
be under bondage, is never employed in Scripture for the                     We should  ngtice,  first of  all, that  paul  is  evidently
relationship -between  man and wife. Marriage is not bondage              speaking'of the  efficcious  calling in verse 15b. It means  that
but the highest freedom, a picture of the relationship of                 the believer has been put by Christ through the Holy Spirit,
Christ to His church. The term always refers to politica1                 and. that through the preaching of the gospel of Christ, "in
bondage or spiritual bondage, being overcome  of someone                  peace." They have  been removed from the strife of sin and
else, or of the power of sin and evil lusts. See 11 Peter 2 :19,          evil and are there where they  may bear the fruits of the
Acts 7 :6 and Romans 6 :22.                                               Spirit which are "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, forebear-
                                                                          ante,  and temperance." Gal. 5 22. This "peace" in Christ is
       According to the  nieaning  of the verb "to be under bond-         the new status of the family, the believers and `their seed.
age," that is  $to be  `:placed'> under bondage; which must not           Here there is a bond of peace, the fruit of the Spirit which
be confused  with another verb in Greek "douleuoo,"  meaning              must be maintained. And this "bond" is higher  than the love
"to serve," and according to the context it means that in the             for a husband. or wife who is a non-believer, and who would
christian   family the believer is not in the bondage of sin              subject the family to her unbelieving  will. That would  place
when  the unbeliever party leaves  him or her, while  they'               the free family in Christ once more in "bondage."
would_!ive  with them, provided Christ could come to His own
in the family.  For the chi-istian "family" is holy to the Lord.             Wherefore, if such a non-believing "husband"  or "wife"
Such are the children born  also from the unbeliever  because             desires to  leave, .let them leve. The responsibility is wholly
of `the believer.                                                         that of the unbeliever. The family's status quo is not that of
                                                                          the unbeliever bui of the b&ever  !
       Closely allied  with the fregoing-  is also- the irizplication
of the sentence "For -God  hath called  you in peace."  That is               BesideS, it is good discipline. It might bring the non-
the "reason"  why the believing party is %ot under bondage"               believer to his or her senses. And that way they would stil1
when  he allows the unbelievef-  to depart.  And thus also the            be exposed to the Word, and the Holy Spirit is mighty in His
reason becomes clear that in such a manner it is possible                 own way and tim& and place to bring  such a one to the faith.
that the believer wil1  be instrumental in the. hand of God to-              .The avenues of a proper return of the unbeliever r&
save his unbelieving wife, or the believing-  woman her hus-              thus kept open!
band.
                                                                             That is also, according  to the sequence of this passage, the
       Meyer, due  .to his conception of the verb  "`nat.  urider         manner of God's dealing. The natura1 is  first. then  the,
bondage" must here wrest the plain meaning of this' "for                  spiritual. The ordinance in Adam stands, "What God hath                       _
what knowest thouj etc." Wiites he "For neither does the                  joined together let not man put asunder !" Christianity does
(christian)  wife whether, she, by continuing to live with                not change the order of things, but puts new life into ,Jhe
her non-believing husband,  know." And since she does not                 old  farms.
know whether .the situation wil1  ever change, she. had better
get rid of the husband, sever al1 relationships with him, and                The Christian is not "under bondage in such cases" but is
consider the marriage  annuled.   Writes he "this uncertainty             free to serve the Lord. This may entail S,uffering.  He thus
cannot  be a reason  fo?  any  constraint  to the hurt of the             sOws in tears in the liope of reaping in joy, and that, to,
peace." Thus  also De Wette, Osiander, Neander,  EWald,                   in hik own family !
Maier and  Hofman.  This is  tbe school of the Luthern                      Wel1 my Paul say : "And 1 think  1 too have the Ho!y
exegetes, following in the footste$s of Luther who faught tht            Spirit."       ~     .
this passage gave the right for remarriage to the innocent
party.                                                                                                                                  G.L. .


                                                   T H E   S T A N D A R D   .B-ARER                                                         231

                                                                              works of hatred  against. God. That the glry of God that is
                                                                              due His name is denied does not bother them. To this they
                                                                              Sr& .ifi.sensible.  But the poor feelings  of man, his name, and
                                                                              his hnor  are the things .concerning  which th&y are so sen-
                     Spiritudly  Sensitive                                    sitive. That is  n& in  His. fear and is not the spiritual
                                   (7)               .                        sensitivity of the man of God. That is of the flesh. "In al1
                                                                              things, love,"  indeed,  but let it be the love of God.
   "In essentials,  unity   ; in nonessentials, liberty  ; in  al1 things,
love."                                                                            When  that is the casewe  wil1 unite on the truth; and that
  - These words of Peter Meiderlin we quoted at the end of                    truth is essentiai. The only proper. basis of union,  is on the
our discussion of these mtters of spiritual sensitivity last                 truth ,of Scripture. And that means the whole truth. Union            ;
                                                                    _
time.                                                                         that pleases  God is a union  of defense for His Word.. Never
    In themselves these words can stand qd  can even serve                    may orie point of that truth be classified as a-nonessentil  so
as. the`-basis for an ecumenical movement. In essentials there                that factions with different opinions in  regard  to this  trut&
must be  unity.   Where  ;t does not exist, there  can be no                  re giv& liberti to think as they wil1  concerning it. Even .
merger  of churches. No church may possibly merge with a                      if it can be proven that a philosophy, a theory of man's mind,
church that refuses to maintain essentials of doctrine.  Where                that is generally held by the denomination, is not a binding
there is no unity  of doctrine there.  can be no agreement  on                doctrine and is- not considered an essential element  of the
discipline and there  can  ,be no living and  walking  together.              faith of that church, one joining that church, in order to
Then we say with Paul; "What part hath he that believeth'                     walk so that his priticiple  is, in al1 things, love to God, must
with an infidel  ?"> 11 Corinthians 6 :15b. In nonessentials                  oppose  that heresy, must fight against it with  al1 the  pow&
there must be liberty. And nonessentials  may never be the                    and talent at his command. Those who do not intend to do
reason for separation and separate  existente  as churches. In. that, before God have no business uniting with that church
al1 things there must be love, or -else there wil1  be no unity               and ought rather  to remain  separate church where they
in essentials or liberty  iK nonessentials.                                   may show true love to God by maintaining  His truth. In  al1 .
                                                                              things, love t God. And therefore in essentials,  unity in
    But we find in the world today io man?  denominatioqs,                    love  to God and in nonessentials, liberty in love to God. The
sects and parties  exactly  because essentials have been  clas-               great cotnmandment is  tht we love God with  al1 our heart,
sified as nonessentials and because the love of God is not                    and with al1 our soul, and with al1 our mind ,and strength and
exercised in  al1 things. We  can begin with-  -at last  ele-                 our neighbours as ourselves. But that love to the neighbour
tient.  Love in  al1  things<  sad to say, usually  means a love              must nt militate  against that love to God. It must be a love
toward man that reveals hatred  towardg  God. Among  men                      to God and for His sake.
we must surely give the accused the  benefit  of  the doubt
when' there is no clear cut evidente  of his guilt., But we may               Th sad situation  _ today in the  undenominatiol~al  and
never give man the benefit  of the doubt over against God: We                 ecumenical-  movements  that have appeared is that they ad-
may never assume an attitude over against man that reveals                    vocate in some essentials,  unity, in others, liberality that in
an attitude. of  -hatred against God. In  al1 things there must               al1 things we may live in the~love of man to man. Meanwhile
be iove; but that love must always be Iqve toward God. Thus                   God is  insulted,  His  mtruth is not defended, the  heretic is
when  men begin to cal1 essential truths of Scripture   non-                  pampered and approved and in  al1 things love to God is
essentials, we cannot and may nat show love toward these                      glaringly  lacking. Fancy slogans are adopted: NO  Creed
departures from  the truth, lest we show hatred   towards the                 But Christ.  Ay, yes but then let  US have a  union  of the
God Who is insulted by denials of the truth and by the free-                  Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches  once  again!  Both -
dom given to the lie and to evil practices. If we love God an8                confess Christ. Let US cal1 al1 the rest nonessentials and in
are spiritully  sensitive, it  wil1 hurt  US to have God  called             al1 things live in love with &e another.
a liar by man ; and in love to God we wil1  fight  that false                    That is not the word of God !
doctrine even though it means expulsion  from  the fellwship                    Turn, if you wil1 to that "love  chapter,"  1 Corinthians 13.
of a church and the  disruptioti  of organizational  unity.              :    We may read in verse 6, that charity or love, "Rejoiceth  not
   We  often   fee1 so  sen$ive  about hurting the feeling;-of                in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth." He who has that love
fellow men. And consider it an act lacking in love to s?                     of.God-in  His heart wil1  seek-no affiliation- with a church that
something that might offend them. And yet we can stand                        shows hatred  towards God by defending and -approving  in-
al1 manner of evil~ being said about our God. His Word can                    iquity and that rejoices in fhe lie. Such an ene wil1 not plead
be distorted, theories map be expressed that make Him- le-                    with such a church simply to declare these false doctrines
wise and intelligent than man, philosophies are taught which                  and this support of wicked practices not binding for them;
make Him  bE dependent upon the  creature that He sustains,
           -- .                                                               should  they  join. Instead such an one who loves God and
and these things never bother US. In fact so spiritually in-                  in that love rejoices in righteousness ahd in the truth wil1
sensible are some that they clamor for love to man in his                     cal1 the church  tl!t  maintains  these wckednesses  -to repent-


232                                       T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R
 -              -    -      ._  .

ante  in the love of God. And he wil1  maintain his own se$&te       childi-en  thre,  who by virtue of that  election  are  aiven  to
existente  in his own church in order not to be guilty of giving     believe  and to hear His  voice. At the door of thatchurch,
liberality and freedom to the corruption of essentials.              which He  wil1 not enter (because He wrote 11 Cor. 6:14,  15
       And this is the- point, men begin to seek  merger with        through Paul`) Christ calls to these elect to come out and be
such churches  when  they lose their spiritual sensitivity. In       a separate peple to maintain His truth - which is no longer
one way or another they become dull of hearing, they be-             possible in that church at Laodicea, which is neither hot nor
come calloused to the lie and to sin, no longer  fee1 its sting      cold.-- and then He wil1 come in to them in this new church
and therefore pounce on the words of Jesus, "That they may           and sup with theni, and tliey with Him.  Christ is not pleased
be ene" to soothe yet what little speech there is of their           with heresies and denials of the essential doctrines of the
consciences. But God is not mocked. And unless it is a unity         Scriptures. And He- detests, therefore, al1 mergers that are
in the essentials, unity in the truth in love to God, it is not      hot motivated by the desire for the advancment of the cause
a union  in the fulfillment  of Christ's prayer but rather an act    of the truth. For that cause of the truth is His cause,  for H
that militates against that  very  oneness of which  Christr         is the way, the truth, and the life. He cannot apprtive  of a
speaks. For it is a movement  in the direction of worldline&         merger  that does not seek the goo'd of His cause.  And He wil1
and of the unity which for a time the anti-christian kingdom         never bless it. And those whose spiritual senses are dulled to
shall achieve,  a unity  of a false love to man in al1 things.       that extent that they seek merger  for any reason that militates
                                                                     against the furtherance of the truth  wil1  find that they  wil1
       Therefore  we `wish to set down a principle   from  Scrip-    become more- and more dull of hearing and less and less,
ture concerning  merger and -affiliation with a church other         sensitive  to the  wil1  of God, til1 they classify more and more
than the one to yhich  at the moment we belong : Unite with          of the essentials of the truth to be simply a matter of em-
ether?  only when  the cause of the- truth is thereby advanced ;     phasis, and so nonessentials in which one ought to have
Continue to maintain separate existente  when  there is any          liberty of thought ; and more and more they wil1 boast of love
danger of  any one of the essential truths of Scripture being        to man, while they walk in this hatred  against God.
denied. Is that really a principle of Scripture? Indeed, for                                                                    _
one passage alone would suffice to prove that. "Be ye not               Merger  of a church with another or affliation  of an in-
unequally  yoked-together  with unbelievers : for what fellow-       dividual with nother chuich  must always be a step forward.
ship hath righteousness with unrighteousness ? and what              Never  may it be backward. Always must it be for mo-e
&ommunion  hath light witli darkness? And  what  concord             enjoyment of the truth. Never may it be for more liberty
hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth         and freedom of thought in regard to the essentials of the
with an infidel?, 11 Corinthians 6:14,  15.                          doctrine of Scripture.  Always must it be to promote  a more          ,
                                                                     godly life. Never  may- it be consumated where the danger
       Strong language ?                                             lurks that we- and our children are encouraged to a more
       Of course, for it was  written  by one  who loved God,        worldly life. Always must it be to strngthen and entourage
whose principle was, -In al1 things, -love God. The believer         the saints in the good fight of faith. Never may it be con-
who loves God. wil1 not want to be unequally yoked with one          summated where one has to lay down -the .weapons~ of this
who  denies Him in  any point of doctrine. Together  they.           spiritual warfare in order to  re&ain in the fellowship'of and
cann&  serve the caus  of the truth. It is an unequal yoke ;.       to retain  .the friendship and favor of  these   who have ceased
and one drop of poison in tbe water does not make the poison         the battle L to any degree whatsoever - and who let un-
Jess  poisonous,   it-  makes  the water polluted. Never mind        righteousness have free sway.
seelting the good of the poison ; be concerned with the pure            Union  of churches and  affiliation  of members must be in
water of life. That point of unbelief that remains .when such        His  fes-r, and must be done, therefore, in the consciousness
a union  is sought wil1  not be swallowed up and wil1 not be         that it is before His face.                                J.A.H.
`eutralized by your faith on this point. You wil1  find your-
self unequally yoked to that unbelief ; and your faith wil1
suffer. For your motive of such union is and- must be wrong,                           THE DAY OF SHADOWS
for it is contrary to the text quoted above. Other texts can                                                               s
-be. quoted  and the above text can be explored further. But let                        (Continu& from page 22aj.
US consider yet briefly that oft-corrupted yet important text        prefaced al1 his discources by the formula, "This saith the
in Revelation 3 :20, "Behold, 1 stand at the door and knock :        Lord," and thereby laid claim to divine authority for his false
If any man hear- my voice, and open the door, 1 wil1  come           teachings. Thus though a prophet  of the devil, he posed as
in to ,him,. and wil1  sup with him, ahd he with me." .It is         the  spokesman  of God with communications from heaven by
the figment of man's imagination  that makes this the ~door          which God's people could come only through him.
of the heart, which is not mentioned  anywhere in the text              5, 6. Of the Baal prophet  of these verses  it is -stated  that
or context. -The letter is sent to the church at Laodicea that       he was wounded between his hands, which my just as wel1
has corrupted  its way ; and Christ wil1 no longer be in that        mean that his whole  body in various places  was badly cut,
church or speak His blessing there. But He bas a few elect           particularly his shoulders and chest.                      G.M.O.


                                                T H E   STANDARDBEARER                                                                233
                                                                                                                              -          -
                                                                  j               -.
  AN O?EN LETTER TO REV. J. BLANKESPdOR opinions is Rev. H. Hoeksema's  covenant conception. Did 1
                                                                        try  to "force this down  the throats of the Liberated ?" Did 1
     1  am addressing this letter to you as a reply to the              tel1 them that they must agree to our conception or definition
  article you wrote in the Reforkd  Gwwdian  of Jan, 2.5,. 19%.                         -.
                                                                        of  the  covenant as a  requirement  for admittance into `our
  1 wil1  not quote it in its ntirety..  -This  I consider unneces-    fellowship ? 1 told them, Rev. Blankespoor, and you know
  sary.  However,   .if 1 have in  any  .way   misquoted  r  mis-      this, that it made no  differente  to the undersigned whether
  represented you 1 wil1  gladly be corrected.                          they preferred Rev. Hoeksema's definition of  "covenant"   or
     My first observation concerns your remarks about per-              Prof. Schilder's.  .We define the covenant as a relationship of
  sonal theological opinions. You  state that  "mer  theological       friendship ; Schilder defined it as the regulation of friend-
opinions may never be used as criterions for membership in              ship. 1 told the Liberated immigrants that their preferente
  Christ's Church." And you also write that "it is ve,ry cha:r-         for Schilder's  definition would certainly not bar them from
 acteristic of sects that they are based on and a'dhere to cer-         membership. But 1 also told them that 1 would insist  on
 tain opinions of leaders." And although you  mention   the             this: the friendship of God with His people is sovereignly
 mov~ements  of the Jehovah Witnesses and of Christian Science
                                                    .  ...<  _          particular. Does this  smack,  Rev. Blankespoor, of  maintain-
  and Mormonism, you do not particularly refer to  them. :Of            ing personal opinions at  the  tost of the welfare nd growth
  course not! 1 am assuming that you refer to us.~ 1 assume             of  the Church?  How  wel1 1 remember Rev. Hoeksema's
 this because you are writing about the Declaration of  Prin-           warning, in my installation sermon in Hamilton, to the effect
  ciples and your synod's decision to discard this Declaration.         that we must not make of the "covenant  een stokpaardje." 1
  The Declaration was not composed  to bar Jehovah's Wii-               am sure  that the missionaries, Revs. A. Cammenga and W.
 nesses, Christian Scientists, and  Mormons; And the reascn             Hofman,  did not maintain personl opinions at the tost of the
 why you discarded it was because you did not need it in the            growth of the Church. 1 certainly was not guilty  of this in
 organization of  churches.  The Three Forms of  Unity   \`X.           my labors in Hamilton. Rev. Blankespoor,7you  are speaking
  regard as wholly adequate in this organization of churche>.           an untruth.
  Personal theological opinions may never serve s criteria for
 -membership  in Christ's Chrch.                                          My  second observation, Rev. Blankespoor, concerns your
     `Now  concerning your remarks along  this line 1 wis11 to          statement, and 1 quote: "Hasn't  it been said more than once
  observe the following: This is not the first  time  that  -re-        that we are bound by the Confessions and our own peculiar
 marks  such as these have appeared in the writings of your             historica1 position which must be explained in the light of
 magazine. Ne&, however,  has anyone of you ever made an                1924 ? What this latter means has always puzzled me, and
 attempt  to name a single one of these personal theological            stil1 does."-end of quote. 1 am not surprised that this has al-
 opinions . It is about time that you do so. Secondly, in these         ways puzzled you. 1 begin to understand  that. you have
 words you charge .us with a very grievous sin. You accuse              never understood that the interpretations of the Confessionc
 our churches, if you please, of the  sin of regarding personal         by the Protestant Reformed Churches is very  distinctive  in
 opinions above the growth, expansion,  and development of              the light of  om historica1  position  of  ..1,924. Surely,` Rev.
 the Church of Christ. It :is your  opinion that such is char-          Blankespoor, you wil1 not fee1  offended if 1 remind you, very
 acteristic of a Sect. And we are  surely,  in your opinion, a          briefly, of this  distinctive  position.  After  all, the Supreme
 Sect. Hence,  when  we must choose between the Church's                Court of Michigan has awarded to you and to your congrega-
 development and adherente to the opinion or opinions of
                  i                                                     `tion the name, "Protestant Reformed." But, how wil1 you use
 certain leaders we choose the`  latter. 1 request of you, Rev.         this name if you do not even undersfand it? And that you
- Blankespoor, that you prove this. In the `meantime ,I .will           do not understand it appears from  your entire article. There
  show you that you. are deliberately  .speaking an  untruth.           is, .according  to your article, absolutely no reason why the
  Your article was not hastily written.  According to "Where            Protestant  Reformed  Churches, the Christian Reformed
 To Look" of your Refonxed GzLardinn  your article represents           Church, and the Liberated Churches should lead a separate
 an investigation  of the mmtter (Italics mine). And now per-           existente.  You have never understood 1924. You have never
 mit me to refresh your memory on a little history which has            understood the name, "Protestant Reformed." But you have
 a vita1 bearing on this matter. You wil1  recall that 1 was            the name. You  are stuck  with it. It has been awarded to you.
 minister in Hamilton, Canada. You know  al1 about the                  And, it has been taken away from others who do understand _
 matter 1 am about to mention  for `tw reasons. First, 1 re-           it, ,love it, and wil1  sacrifice for it. So, because you have the
 vealed the entire history  of what happened in Hami1to.n  in           name, 1 wil1 tell. you what it means. First, we must never
  The  Standa:~*d   Beawr   at the  time. Secondly, you were a          forget the history of 1924. God has nat.forgotten  it. And we
 member of the committee which came to Hamilton and con-                should forget it ? Secondly, .the grace and salvation of God
  ducted a thorough investigation of the entire matter.  How.           are not only particular, but sovereignly  ,particular.  The  Ar-
 -Rev. Blankespoor, did the undersigned labor in Hamilton ?             minian  also believes that salvation-is particular. But he does
  Did 1  place personal opinions of men above church member-            not believe that it is sovereignly particular. And because the
  ship? Now 1 am going to assume that one of these theological          grace  and love.of  God are sovereignly. particular .God is there-

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

  fore the living God of the antithesis, and we must therefore            But;  when-  it would be a question of membership in our
  walk antithetically. This, Rev.  B.lankespoor,  is the meaning,         Churches, 1 for one  would  welcome  him into our &idst  with
  the implicationof  the name that has been entrusted  to you.            open arms, on the basis of- the Three Standards with no
  And, you have  my sincere sympathy if you are not faithful              strings attached." This means  that there is in your opinion
  t o   i t .                                                             no reason why the Protestant Reformed, Christian Reformed,
         My third observation, Rev. Blankespoor, concerns your            and Liberated Churches should lead a separate existente.  Al1
  dishonest camouflage of the doctrinal position of the Prot-             that is required for membership is agreement with the T,hree
  estant Reformed Churches. You speak in your article of the              Forms of  Unity.  And, you understand,  al1  ,these churchec
  "Th,ree  Points of `Common Grace'." 1 assume  that you did              profess agreement with these Farms  of Unity. It is true that
  this "deliberately.  It agrees with  yur entire article. Of course,    you write,  and 1 quote: "We are nqt some kind of club, some
  1 have no criticism of the expression, `(Three  Points of Com-          kind of society or religious organization with various require-
  mon Grace," as  such. My objection concerns what you have               ments for membership.  NO, we believe that we are Christ's
  deliberately omitted. 1 realize that the Three Points of 1924           Church. This is what we must always be able to say, and
  constitute the elevation by the Christian Reformed Churchl              also that we are the best manifestation of Christ's Church."
  of the theory of Common Grace to a church dogma. But,                   But, here you write nonsense. iMust we insist that we are
  why did you nat also speak of the Three Points as the Three             tne best  manitestation  of Christ's Church? Must we  insist
  Points of Arminianism ? These Points  also  teach Arminian-             on this also over against the Christian Reformed Church and
  ism, do they not? Or, has it also always been "`accepted  as            the Liberated Churches ? But, we must remember that these
                                                                                                        .
  reformed"  that God wants al1 men to be saved ? Of course,              churches insist  on the same thmg. And, we should welcome
  this is essentially the  same as what your churches have                peopie  with open arms who believe in the Three Points of
  adopted in the first statement of Rev. De Wolf. It would have           19&!  What  would happen to our churches, Rev.  Blanke-
  been more honest. on your part, especially in the light of the          spoor, if and when  the majority believe in the "Three Points
 fact that you were conducting a thorough investigation of the            of Common Grace" ? There re certainly the Three Points
  matter, had you called the attention of your `readers to the            OL  19~4,  are they not-? 1 now recall that Rev. A. Cammenga
  fact that the Three Points of 1924 are thoroughly Arminian              said to US once (my wife and me) when  the Revs. Cammenga
  and Pelagian. Anyone, mind you,  who expresses agreement                and W. Hofman were in Hamilton, Canada, in 1950 at the
  with the Three  Farms of  Unity  (Rev. Blankespoor, 1 do not            time of Labor Day. 1 told them  that 1 did not  expect  the
  believe you understand the Three Forms of Unity),  although             Liberated to understand our doctrine fully.  (take note of
  endorsing the Three Points of 1924, would be received by                this, Rev. Blankespoor; you knew  al1 about this). 1  also
you into your midst with open arms. This you have written                 told them that we had decided, as the consistory of  Hamil-
  in your article.                                                        ton, that they must not agitate, and also that they must ex-
         My fourth observation, Rev.  Blankespoor,.  concerns your        press the  desire to be instructed in our doctrine. Hereupon
 repudiation of the  very name that has been awarded to you.              Rev. A. Cammenga  replied that this was the least we' could
  1 now quote from your article: "This we have always main-               demand  of them, and that ariyone who adhered to the Heyn-
  tained regarding the binding issues of the Three Points of              sian.view of the covenant  could never be received  into our
  `Common Grace.'  " We've said in thempast  that they are- not           fellowship. And a man as W.  Huisken  of Edgerton  com-
  confessional. Besides, we have refused for conscience sake to           plained about Revs. De Jong and B. Kok at the same time,
  be bound by them, to consider them settled and binding. And'            lamenting that these men wanted to lower the church  walls
 correctly so, 1 think. For two or three centuries, so we spoke,          of our churches and expose our churches to ruin. And you
  there were in the Reformed Church opinions on  "Com-                    now repudiate the  very name that has been  awarded  ta  -
  man Grace," also some that denied it. There were free dis-              you ! Who,  Rev. IBlankespoor,  elevated the theory of Com-
  cussions on the subject. Those  who believed in it were  con-           mon Grace to a church dogma? Did we not declare in 1924
  sidered to be Reformed, nevertheless.  But, what would we               that the'matter of Common Grace should be discussed  ? Was
  do today if someone believing in `Common Grace" desirecl                it not  the Christian Reformed Church that always and  con-
  to join our congregation i I'm afraid  that some of US would            sistently refused such discussion? Did they not formulatc
  want to set up another unwritten declaration, and set up                Three Points, a pernicieus  mixture  of Common Grace and
another church  wal1   within the Confessions.  Rmember,  we             Arminianism? Did they not tast US out of their fellowship
  are dealing with  membership  in the Church of Jesus Christ.            because we could not subscribe to them? And now you  wel-
  And with unwritten declarations we would refuse people  such            come al1 adherents to the Three Points of Common Grace
  membership . . . What would we do today if this man                     into your fellowship? You quote Ursinus and John Calvin.
  (Ursinus  -  H.V.) would seek  entrance  into the Protestant            Tel1 me, please: were the writings you quote of these men
  Reformed Churches ? Would we apply some unwritten de-                   condemned by the Synod of Dordt and its Canons  ? The
  claration about "Common Grace," which, `by the way, he                  doctrine of Total Depravity certainly constitutes  one of the
  doesn't mention  in this statement? Surely, there would be              fundamental and vita1 teachings of these Canons, does it  nat?
  room for discussion on this opinion which he here holds.                                    (Continued on page 23%)

                                                              .-


                                                       THE.STAND.ARti-BEARER                                                                       235

                                                                                      Arminian error  also today. Let 
IjI                                                                                                                         US therefore investigate
                 rhe Vake of Our Fathers                                         l this a little more closely.
                                                                                          First of all, we should remember that the Arminian  sim
                                                                                      is to  deny the truth of total depravity. This, as we have ob-
                        The  Canons of Dordrecht                                      served before,  is the crucial stage of the Arminian error;
                                                                                      and the truth of total depravity  -is a  crucial truth  witl
                                     PART  TWO                                        regard to the Reformed doctrine of efficacious grace.  If the
                         EXPOSITION OF THE  CANON;                                    Arminian wants to maintain his theory of conditional salva-
                                                                                      tion, he must destroy the truth of total depravity, because he
                  THIRD AND  FOURTH  HEADS OF  DOCTRINE                               must have a man that is able to fulfill the conditions of salva-
       O                                                                              tion.  However;  the Arminian is confronted by the plain  fact
            F  THE  CORRUPTION OF  MAN,  HIS  CONVERSION TO  GOD,                     that Scripture speaks of the fa11 of man and of his corruption
                         AND  T&E   MANNER  THEREOF                                   and his spiritual death. Hence, he cannot very  wel1  flatly
                         REJECTION  OF ERRORS                                         contradict the  fact that man has fallen into spiritual death.
                                                                                      He must follow a devious course. He must recognize these
                    Article 3.  Who   teach:  That in spiritual death the             Scriptural  facts, and must  emply  the terminology of  Scrip-
                    spiritual gifts are nat separate from the  wil1  f  tian,        ture, and in the meantime get rid of the truth by constructing
                    since the  wil1 in itself has never been corrupted, but
                    only hindered through the darkness of the  under-                 a new explanation of these Scriptural facts and terms.
                    standing and the irregularity of the affections  ; and that           Hence, in the second place,  the Arminian,  as we sa%v-  in
                    these hindrances  having been removed,  the  wil1  can            connection with the previous article, begins with creation, and
                    ,then  bring into operation its native powers, that is, that      claims that the spiritual gifts of righteousness  and holiness
                    the  wil1   of itself is able  to  wil1 and to choose, or  nat    and goodness  did from the creation not inhere  in the wil1  01
                    to  tiill and not to choose,  al1  marmer  of good which
                    may be presented to it. This is an innovation and an              man as  such, and that therefore, there was no possibility that
                    error, and  tends  to elevate the powers of the free              these gifts could be separated from man's wil1 in the fall.
                    will, contrary to the declaration of the  Prophet  : "The         This is what the Aiminian mea& by the statement in the
                    heart is deceitful above  al1 things, and it is  exceed-          present article, "the  wil1 in itself has never been corrupted."
                    ingly`corrupt,"  Jer. 17  9; and of  the Apostle : "Among             Thence, in the third place,  the Arminian arrive"s at the
                    whom  (sons of disobedience) we  also  al1  once lived
                    in the  lusts of the flesh, doing the desires of the flesh        position that the  wil1  of the natura1 man is of itself able to
                    anb of the  mind," Eph.  25                                       wil1 and to choose, or not to`will and not to choose, al1 man-
                                                                                      ner of good which may be presented to it, just as soon as
             With the above translation we have little fault to find,                 there are no hindrances in the way of that inherently free
except  that : 1) The word "separate" could bettr  be trans-                         win.
lated "separated." 2) The  rather  clumsy expression, "the                                Thus,  `you  sec-,  the Arminian has arrived at his goal,
wil1  can then bring into operation its native powers,`l  could                       namely,  a man with a fiee  will. He betiies the depravity of
more simply be translated: "the  wil1 is free  io  exercise'its                       the will. But if then yu would accuse him of denying the
native (or: inborn)  power." 3) The texts quoted should be                            fa11 and depravity of man, he would adroitly sidestep you by
quoted from  our Authorized Version,  as follows : "The heart                         making the claim that you cannot speak of a corrupt wil1
is deceitful above al1 things, and desperately wicked," Jer.                          since, to begin with, the term "holy and righteous will" is
 17:9;  and,. "Among  whom (the childrn of disobedience)                             itself a misnomer. And so, characteristically heretical, he
 also we al1 had our conversation in times past in the lusts of                       fellows  a deceitful and devious course in his denial of the,.
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,"                      truth.
Eph. 2 ~3.                                                                                In what, then, does the fa11 and corruption of man con-
             This article follows  quite  logicalljr   upon the preceding             sist, according to  the  Arminian   ? And, if the  wil1 is not
 one. It stands to reason tht if the spiritual gifts, or good                        corfupt in itself, whence does sin arise ? The Arminian- an-
 qualities and viriues, could n6t belong to the  wil1  of man                         swer is two-fold. In the first place, man's  mind is darkened
 when  he was first created, and that these, therefore, could not                     somewhat,  so that he does not discern the good clearly.
 have been separated therefrom n the fall, then it is also true                      Fundamentally,  this implies that in the Arminian view sin is
 that in spiritual death the spiritual gifts are not separated                        an error, a  mistake.   It is  ,due to  ignorante.  And the  solu-
 from the  wil1 of man. And this logica1 connection is also  in-                      tion to the prob'em of  man's sin and  inisery  is, accordingly,
 dicated by the clause, "since the wil1  in itself has never been                     that man must be educated, enlightened, persuaded of the
 corrupted." We must bear in mind, however,  what is meant                            good. And in the second place,  man's affections, or inclina-
 by th6 last clause.  What the Arminian means by the state-                           tions, have through the fa11  bbcome irregular, disorganized,'
 ment  that "the wil1 in itself has never been corrupted" is                          so.`that  he is  somewhat inclined toward the evil, and so
 plain from the preceding article.  And it is  indeed  important                      that he does the evil more easily'than the good. But the
 to understand this, so that we may be able to discern the                            tiill; itself is untouched by the fall. and retains its power to


236                                            T H E   S T  N D A R D  BEAR.ER

choose or not to choose the good. Hence, this darkness of the           wicked, both in mind and will. in al1 his affections and in-
mind and irregularity of the affections constitute  a hindrance,        Clinations, in  al1 his thoughts and desires and actions. And
an impediment, to the will:; And if only the hindrance is re-           thus also the passage in Eph. 2 :3 teaches US that we al1 by
moved, then the wil1  can again freely. function in choosing            natiu-e  perform the desires (the wills, literally) of the flesh
or not choosing whatever good is presentedto it.                        and of the mind. Man has desires, evil desires, according
       Now let US clearly see the implications of this view.            to which he follows after the lusts of .the flesh. Whence do
       In the first place, such* a view constitutes  the destruction    those desires arise ? From bis will. Yes, but the text tells US
of  al1 true religion. It  -changes the Christian faith radically.      that they are the desires of the flesh, of our nature as it is
It substitutes education, reform, enlightenment, training,              carnal, sold under sin. Hence, the wil1 and its desires are
mora1   ..Suasion for regeneration. It is, basically modernism.         under the power of our sinful flesh, are in the power of sin
Build schools, and teach  men  social  and religious values and         itse,lf.   This  is the spiritual bondage of the will. Man cannot,
virtues, teach a virtuous and religieus way of life, - such is          and he wil1 not, and he cannot wil1 to follow the good.
the slogan of this view. Then  the enlightened mind of man                                             *  -*  *  *
wil1 cause the wil1 to `go in-the right direction, and also the                     Article  4.  Who  teach: That the  unregenerate_man  is
irregularity of the affections vvill be overcome.  Let US note                      ot really nor utterly  dead in sin, nor destitute of  al1
that by whatever devious `means the Arminian arrives at                             powers unto spiritual good, but that he  can yet hunger
his view, the ultimate.result  is that man is not corrupt, but                      and thirst  after  righteousness and  life, and offer the
inherently good; there are only circumstances, both  external                       sacrifice of a contrite and  broken  spirit, which is
                                                                                    pleasing to  bod. For these are contrary to the  ex-
and internal,  that hinder the  development  and expression of                      press testimony of Scripture., "Ye were  dead through
this inherently good man. Remove those hindrances, and                              trespasses and  sins,"  Eph.  2:1, 5; and:  "Every   imag-
man  wil1 become manifest in his true greatness. God's  help                        ination `of- the thought of his heart are only evil
may  be necessary i  the removal of the hindrances; but the                        continually,"  Gen. 6  :5  ; 8 21.
improvement   comes  from  man himself. It is a religion of                           Moreover, to hunger and thirst  after deliverance
                                                                                   ~from misery, and  after life, and to offer unto God the
self-improvement through self-development. The damnable                             sacrifice  of a  broken  spirit, is peculiar to the re-
part of it al1 is that the Arminian is not nearly as honest                         generate   and  these that are called  b,lessed.  Ps.  51:10,
as the modernist. If only the Arminian was as crass and as                          19; Matt.  5:6.
blunt as the modernist, he would not trouble the church as                 The above translation is accurate, and can stand without
much as he does. _                                                      change.
       In the second place, it may be noted that the Arminian              Here, of course, we have the consequente  of the entire
conception of man -and of his spiritual and psychological               corrupt view of man and his fa11 which the `Arminian  main-
make-up is very unrealistic. The-Remonstrant makes separa-              tains  .ancl which  bas been exposed as anti-Scriptural in the
tion between the various faculties of the soul, and he                  two preceding paragraphs of thee  Rejection of Errors. This
presents matters  as if the fll could have more influence upon         is what the Arminian  has been wanting al1 along : a man who
the one faculty, th mind,  than upon the other faculty, the            is able yet  to-hunger  and thirst after  righteousness and life,
will. But man is one. And his soul, even though it may be               .and to offer the  sacrifice of a contrite and  broken  spirit,
distinguished into the faculties of mind and will, is also one.         which is pleasing to God. He  needs   such  a man. For,  ac-
And if man falls into corruption, the entire man becomes                cording  to the Arminian, the decision  for or against salvation
subject to sin. And the presentation as if a man could be               rests solely with man. The Arminian does not need a man
corrupt and darkened in his understanding, but not in bis               who is perfect and who is able to fulfill the complete and
will, is a very strange and impossible view indeed..                    perfect obedience of the law. But he does need a man who is
       This view the fathers here cal1 both an error and an             able to fulfill the- condition  of faith and of the partial  obe-
innovation. It is  something new and strange and erroneous              dience  of faith.. He does not need a man tiho can of himself
to the Reformed faith. And it is an innovation upon  Scrip-             believe ; but he does need a man who can accept the proff ered
ture itself. And the article points  .out clearly that it is            gift of faith. He does not need a man  who is righteous  ; but
contrary to the Scriptures. The first passage, Jeremiah 17  :9,         he  .does need a man  who  can  desire,  that is, hunger and
is very happily chosen.  For it speaks of the heart. And the            thirst after, righteousness and life. This inherent need of the
heart `is the spiritual, ethica1 center of the wh'ole  man and,of       Arminian  view, with its Christ for  al1 and its conditional
his entire life. Erom  the heart are the issues of life. Make           salvation and conditional-election, cornpelled him to twist and
the  heart  good, and the entire man  wil1  .be good. Let the           to contradict the entire Scriptural teaching concerning the
heart be corrupt, and the whole man and ai1 the issues of .creation, fall, and corruption of man. And here in this fourth '
his life wil1  be corrupt. A good tree bringeth forth good fruit,       article we have the final product : man is not really nor utterly
and a corrupt tree bringeth -forth  corrupt fruit. Hence, if            dead in sin, but can yet hunger and thirst after  righteousness.
it is true, according to Scripture, that the heart of -man is           and life, and offer the  sacrifice of a  contrite. and  broken
deceitful and desperately wicked above  .all things, then it can        spirit, which is pleasing to God.
but  follow"that  the entire  man.& decejtful and desperately                                   (to be  continued)                     H.C.H.


                                              T H E   STANDARDBEARER   -'                                                           237

Il                                                                   respective of the consequences. Furthermor, unless freedom
               DECENCY and ORDER                                     be allowed for the individual right of protest without the  sup-
                                                                     pression  of  the conscience, we impose  upon the church order
                            Article' 3 1                             a most gruesome form of hierarchy  which is contrary-to al1
                                                                     `Reformed principle.
1. To Whom Must  the Contention of the Appea,l  Be Proved?               In evaluating these positions, it is our view that they are
        Under  this  sub-hading  we are concerned with the ques- .not as conflicting as they may first appear to be. Both of
tion whether, when  an appeal is made to an ecclesiastical           these views contain an element of truth but neither one
body, the appellant must prove his contention to the satisfac-       expresses the right position fully. It is an over simplification
tion of the body to which the appeal is directed  or whether         of the problem involved to  merely  assert an "eithev oti' posi-
it is sufficient  that he proves to himself that the decision        tion in the matter. On the one hand it is certainly true that
questioned is contrary to the Word of God or the Church              the binding character of ecclesiastical decisions must be
Order. That is  th,e question!                                       maintained.,  If this is not done, the  whole   structure of ec-
        With respect to this matter there have been and stil1 are    clesiastical machinery  is destroyed. On the ether  hand, the
two conflicting opinions among the exponents of Rformed             right of the individual  or individual  church in federation
Church polity. The one contends that before submission to            with the denomination must be maintained. This is a funda-
any ecclesiastical decision  can be withh.eld,  the body that        mental principle of the Reformation that is clearly inscriged
made the decision must be convinced of its wrongness. The            in Article 31 of the Church Order. To violate  it is an evil
other holds to the view that on who is convinced in his own         that wil1  inevitably lead to most serious consequences.
mind that a certain decision is in error is not bound, even             An interpretation must be.sought in which both of these
for one moment, to submit to the same. This differente  of           elements are preserved. This, we feel, can be done by plating
interpretation has more than  once occasioned sharp conflict         a proper limitation upon  the idea of ".wbvvLmion.~'  What is
in the church of Jesus Christ. Both sides have certain pat-          meant by "subvvtitting to an ecclesiastical decision wntil art
terned arguments to bolster their position with the result           appeal is heard?" The article itself does not speak of "sub-
that.  although there are two seemingly opposite views here,.        7&sion" as such but it is implied in that it states that "zvlzat-
both sides claim to maintain the same church order and find          evn-  may be agreed  ,upon by a  majoyity   vete  sha.ll  be  con-
support for their views in the same article. The advocates  of       sidered  Settled and bivtd,ing." Now if this is to be the case,
the. former view reason that their view is the only tenable          those affected by the decision must "mEwit."   If then this
one because by it decency and order are maintained in the            submission is' interpreted to mean  that one must bow ab-
church. If decisions of the  .Classis  and Synod were  not.bind-     solutely to what has been decided even to the extent of
ing upon any individual or consistory that might choose to           acknowledging that the decision is correct ethically, the  de-
disagree with  them,  anarchism  would prevail. Everyone             fenders of the second view cited  above have a vita1 argument
would then do as seemeth  good in their own eyes and there           and Article 31 is painfully in need of radical  revision so that
would be no  law and order in the churches. The very  power          the consciences of the individual may be freed from tyranical
of the ecclesiastical assemblies is then  broken and the use-        hierarchy.
fulness of the entire church order destroyed. Furthermore, it           If,  however,   `subv~istion"   be interpreted to  mean
is argued.that  on the basis of the 31st. Article of the church      acknowledgment of a legally made decision and  recognition
order itself, this position must be maintained since it speaks'      of the fact that said decision, unless revoked, is binding upon
of decisions taken by  majprity  vote as being considered            the churches  -and  every member thereof, the argument falls
"s&tled  and Oind~ng"  and this would be meaningless and             away.  Such acknowledgment does not involve a violation of
contradictory  if any member of the church could be loosed           the conscience.  The  very  fact that one appeals  indicates  dis-.
from  it by simply expressing disagreement with it.                  agreement and is evidente  of conscientious objection. .Lack
      On the other hand, those who favor the latter view, deny       of or failure to appeal indicates  submission in the sense that
these claims and point out other things favoring their position.     one is consciously bound to agree with the decision.
They reason that the  main thrust of Article 31 involves the            Furthermore,  it should be remembered by the appellant,
greater duty to be obedient  to God rather  than to man. Deci-       however,  that the right of appeal is not a license to rebellion.
sions of the church are made by man and, consequently, if one        He must understand that in the event he is unsuccessful in
is convinced in his own mind that a certain decision is in           his  attempt-to  get the undesirable decision rescinded, he is
conflict with the Word of God, he cannot allow himself to            duty bound to submit and if the matter is of such momentous
be bound by that decision even for a time. This would make           consequente  that this is for him- an ethica1 impossibility. he
an appeal against the decision impossible for in order to do         must sever his connection with the church and seek  affilia-
so he would have to submit until such time as his appeal is          tion with another that does not bind his conscience. He may
heard. This he cannot do for this-would  be binding the  con-        not live in rebellion in the church, refusing to submit to her
science and no man  may permit'his conscience to be bound            authority and doing as he pleases irrespective of her decisions
by anything other -than the authoritative Word of God ir-            any more than a citizen `who may disagree with the propriety


       235                                           T&E  5 T A N D A R . D .   B E A R E R
                                                                                     :
       of a twenty mile speed zone ordinance in a certain area,               letter-  is then made out in which is stated that N.N. has been
       appeals to the authorities without  success,   may continue to         chosen  by unanimous vote. Another significant example of
       ignore the  law and drive his automobile through the are at           this method.  being used is the adoption of our Church Order
       forty  miles per hom.                                                  by the Synod of  the Reformed Churches of Holland, held in
              Hence,  the appellant must prove to the ecclesiastical body     Emden in 1571. This is.evident  from Article 86 which states :
       the incorrectness of its decision. He does not have t do              "These  articles  . . . have been so drafted  and  adopted by
       this to himself for of this he is  already  convinced as-is evident    cowmon  consent."
       from  the fact of his appeal. If he fails to prove to the satis-           The rule of majority vote prevails in our churches. In
       faction of the ecclesiastical body, the decision taken remains         article 5 of the "Synod's  Usages and Rules"  it is stated : "AU
       `f;ettled and birtding"  for him and then he is confronted with        `YFzotions  shall  be  caw-ied by  wzajority  vote."  Intresting in
       two alternatives : (1) Submit to  the decision or, (2) severhis        this connection is the  action of the Synod of 1957. The com-
       connection with the church for conscience sake.                        mittee appointed the previous year to draw up some Parli-
                                                                              amentary  Rules submitted its report. The committee  of pre-
                                J.  Majority Vote        . .                  advice treated it. This latter committee  advised Synod in one
              Majority vote, in distinction from plurality vote, means        instance  (Art. VII, 9)  where the report reads  :  "wmjority
       that more than half of the total number of votes tast favor a          of Synog' to change this to read "two thirds of Synod'  and
     certain  measure  making it a binding dcision. Plurality vote           in another  instance  (Art. VII,  10)  where the report reads:
       denotes that the largest number of votes decides  an issue             `rreqzLyes   a  two-tlzirdi   majority"   to -change it to  read  -"(ye-
       which in some instances may be done with less than half of             qz&cs  a mujority." In the first instance  the Synod rejected
      _ the votes. Thus, for example, there may be three candidates           the advice of the committee  while in the second instance  she
       for a certain `office. Let  US say that one hundred votes are          adopted.  the committee's  advice and therein consistently
       tast. The first  candidate   receives   thirty votes,  the  second     maintained the fermer- rule : "Al1 motions  shall be cawied  by
       forty-five votes and the third twenty-five. By plurality vote          wtajority  ZIO te."
       the  second  candidate  is  elected-.although  none of the  candi-         It is undersigned's opinion that the majority rule must ,
       dates received  a majority vote which, in th'& instance  would         be maintained in  al1 matters involving policy. and doctrine
       be a minimum of fifty-one votes.                                       but sees no violation of any ecclesiastical  principle  if the
              The church order in Article 31 spaks of `%uhatever wy          two-thirds rule or three-fourths rule is applied to matters
       be agreed ztpon.by a pti,ajority  vete." Some conclude from this       that are strictly parliamentary.                               G.V.D.B.
       that no decision of any kind may be made except  by majority
       vote in the ecclesiastical assemblies. There is only one kind                 N  OPEN LETTER TO  ,REV.  J:BLANKESPOOR
       of vote in the church that is recognized and that is the vote                                 (Continued  from page 234) -
       of the majority, viz. one over half. Others disagree with this         And you write as follows : "Does that mean  that everybody
       (land obviously also with the. Church Order-) claiming that            must agree with everybody else in our church ? 0 yes, on the
       the only vote that is proper. in ecclesiastical circles is that        fundamentals of the Church of  .Christ  this is necessary. Those
      which is  unanimous.   Al1 must be agreed on  every issue so            fundamentals of the Scriptures are declared in our Three
       that there may be harmony and unity in the church. If this is          Stndards." The doctrine of Total Depravity is one of these
       not the case,  debate on the question must be extended until           fundamentals, is it not? And you would welcome  Ursinus
      al1 are convinced one way or the other. In this form, this              into-your fellowship  ? Do you know, Rev. Blankespoor, what
       position is as impractical as it is foolish. One member of an          you are writing about? Does it occur to you that Ursinus
       assembly could retard  al1 of its progress and make impossible         and John Calvin, if living today, would undoubtedly not
       every decision. In a slightly altered form, however,  it may           subscribe  to the Three Points of 1924?
       contain a very worthy element. In the early assemblies of                  Finally, to you has been awarded the name`of "Prot-
       Reformed Churches of the Netherlands, two votes would be               estant Reformed." You are Protestant Reformed? The
-      taken on every issue. The first was merely  for the purpose            whole church world knows who are Protestant Reformed.
       of determining the opinion of the majority. .Assent  to .this          You  know  it also. 1 am sure that you know that you are not
       was agreed by the minority and, consequently, a second vote            Protestant Reformed. Anyone  who sees no reason why the
       was taken'for the purpose of  making  the expressed opinion            Protestant Reformed Churches  -and the Christian  Ref0rme.d
       of the majority  the unanimous decision of the entire gathering.       Church should  lead a separate existente  is surely not Prot-
     Thus matters would literally be agreed  upon by common                   estant Reformed.  Such a man is Christian Reformed, as
       c o n s e n t .                                                        eventually he wil1 also become Christian Reformed. Humanly
              Occasionally this method is still- used when  a congre-         speaking, 1 often  wonder what the sequence of events would
       gation  calls a minister of the Word. The usual trio. is made by       have been in 1951 had the opposition to the Declaration of
       the consistory and the congregatin is called to vote. One is          Principles  revealed at that time the real reason for their,.op- -
       elected by majority vote and then another vote is. tast to             position to that document.- And, unless you repent,  the Lord
       gain the common  consent of the entire congregation.  The call-        wil1 judge between you and  -US;            --         - .        .H.V-
                                                                  .


                                              T H E   STA~NDARD   B E A R E R                                                        239
 II                                                                   large to  accommodate  only  two churches. And 1 was told
              ALL AROUND.US                                        ll that both of these churches were being filled with peoble who,
                                                                       either had no former church connection whatever, or who
                                                                      came from many different denominations. And when  1 was
                                                                      told-what  goes on in thes churches, as far as .the preaching
       The Rev. H, J. Kuiper in his rubric Timly  Topics writes      is concerned as well-as activities in the churches themselves,
  in the February,  1958 issue of  tmdz  and  trumpet  on the         the only conclusion you could come to was that they were no
  question, ."Do We Want Community Churches ?" We have                more  than'  social,  civic centers, and no church at all. A
  reason to believe that this is indeed  a timely topic in his        pathetic situation, indeed.  And we can agree with the Rev.
. particular church.                                                  Kuiper in what he sees as the danger of community churches,
       Just before the first of the year we had a conversation        and can easily understand why he considers this subject a
  with  a  member of the Christian Reformed Church in the             timely topic in his own denomination.
 `Grand Rapids area  who was just finishing his-term as elder             The writer inhis brief article delineates on two questions :
 in his church.' This brother expressed t me his deep con-           What is a  community  church ? and  Shold we have  such
 cern, as he put it, "for the future of his church." Very critic-     churches ?
 ally he spoke of some of the conditions as he saw them in his            Introducing the subject he asserts: "There is a sense in
 denomination, and especially was he perturbed relative to the        which  every church should be a community church. NO
 evangelistic'  `zeal evidenced in the rearing of  many chapels       church, or congregation;  should be isolated from the com-
 into which lietergeneous groups are being.  gathered. The           munity in which it exists. Every  church should be a city `set
 brother-  had no objection to the evangelistic zeal. Nor was         on a hill' whose  light cannot  Be hid.  It- should  reach   out
 he alarmed  by the fact that people of .many different colors        into the community to bring the message  of redemption to
 and backgrounds  were congregated by means of the chapel             those  who lead Christless lives.
 services. Nor. was he against the rearing of  many chapels.              "More than that,  every church should  welcome  to its
 His alarm was relative to the  fact that these people  are-not       membership~all  who accept the-gospel message and are willing
 being brought into the Christian Reformed Church in the              to be instructed `in the fundamentals of that gospel ; who are
 ,proper manner,  nder  the Confession and discipline of that        ready to  indicate  their agreement with its teachings and to
 church. In other words, as  he put it, "the chapel is  nat           submit  to its discipline."
 serving the purpose for whih  it was established." And 1                In answer to the question : What is a community  church ?
 gathered that he was referring to the very thing Rev. Kuiper         the Rev. Kuiper writes  :
 is concerned about, namely, that the chapel to  al1 intents and          "A community church, in the sense in which that term is
 purposes  wil1  end up being a community church. If my               generally understood today, is  quite a  dicerent  organization
 surmise is' correct, then Rev. Kuiper is not only writing on a       from the one just described. It denotes `a church which  bas.-
 timely topic, but he must be given credit for fearlessly un-         no particular .denominational  affiliation and no definite creed,
 covering  a bad tendency in his church, or rather, his deno-         and which is ready to receive as members al1 who claim to
 mination.                                                            be Christians and who are ready -in some forma1 way to
       We, too, observed first-hand a few years ago while  visit-     signify their desire  for affiliation and to actually become  mem-
 ing with relatives on Long Island,  New York near the com-. bers.
 munity of Hicksville, some of the methods used in establish-             "We should add that the term `community church' some-
 ing a so-called community  church, as  wel1  as some of the          times has a wider connotation. There are churches which cal1
 conditions.  prevailing there which literally destroy  al1  deno-    themselves by that name even though they do have  denomi-
 minational  distinctiveness, which in effect leaves the church       national affiliation and a specific  creed  but which at the same
 no more than a social  center, or a mere civic enterprise. .Here     time make the terms of membership so genera1 that al1 who
 was a case where over night, so to speak, a new community            hold to . some form of that evangelical faith, whether Re-
 mushroomed.  Its constituency comprised  mostly business and         formed, Lutheran, Methodist, or Baptist, are permitted to join.
 professional men who commuted each day to New York City,                 "Such  community chrches are numerous especially in
 but who desired the .quiet and the advantages of a smal1 coun-       new neighborhoods,  particularly where no single denomina-
 try community far from the din and smoke of the big city.            tion is represented by more than a very  few individuals or
       .The community  we were told had been pre-planned as far       families.
 as the homes,  stres, etc., was concerned. And the denomina-            "It stands to reason that this type of organization, especi-
`tion  of churches that first applied for a church site was, if       allp'in new and fluid communities, has decided practical ad-
 acceptable,  given  exclusive  right to build a church and serve     vantages over strictly denominational organizations. Yet there
 that community. In the case 1 am referring to, two churches          are very serios  objections to the community  church idea."
 made application almost  the same time, nmely, Lutheran and             Not. to quote his entire article because `of our limited
 Reformed  ; and both were granted  permission to build a             space, his main objection is a doctrinal one. Kuiper contends.
 church on the grounds that the community was sufficiently            and rightly so, "The church of Jesus Christ is not a service


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           2    4    0                                       T H E   STANDARD-BEARE-R   -

      `club, or merely an organization to satisfy the `religious as-            community church idea,  once  accepted,   wil1 permeate our
           pirations' of people. According to 1  ,Timothy  3  :15, the Church like a leaven, though the process. be very  slow, and in
           church of the living God is `the pillar and-ground of the truth.'    the end reduce US to the colorless leve1 of many denomina-
           Its mission is to preach the truth, teach and expound it, con-       tions ,today."
           fess it. and defend it against aherror . . . .
      -         "The. typical community church, with its diluted gospel         Hoksepna   An  Erautlple  of  Immigrant  Production.
           and its half-baked messages,  can never meet the spiritual              In the same issue of torch and tnuvzpet  above referred to,
      needs  of its members. For such a church wil1 fail to present             appears an article of Professor Henry R. Van Til of Calvin
           the great themes of the gospel, the basic tenets of the Chris-       College under the title : Is  Qur Theology Vita1  ? In the
           tian faith, for fear that this wil1  provoke disagreement and        January 15th issue of  The Standavd   Bearer   under the  title.:
           contention  within  its own  bosom. For that reason it is            Dr. Daane Again Under Scrutiny, we called attention to the
           bound to disappoint its best members who- want it to strike          fact that Dr: James Daane, minister in the Christian Re-
           a spiritual note and to bring a rich as wel1  2s distinctive         -formed Church was being severely taken to task because of
           message." In answer to the question: Should we have  such            some of the aspersions he casts relative to the theology of, his
           churches ? Kuiper writes  :                                          own church. In the December,  1957  tor& and  tmmpet  no
                "Even if we should want such churches we should not             less than two articles are  directed against him in defense of
           have them because they are bound to be a detriment to their          the theology of that church.
           own members and to the denomination of which they are a                  Now again Professor Van Til, very handily in our judg-
           part." He then proceeds to commend  his churches for the zeal        ment, answers Daane. 1 am not so  much interested now in
           they have evinced `in making each one a center of evangelistic       repeating what Van Til says about Daane. More particularly
._         activity. He cites several areas in his denomination where           1 am interestd in what he  writes  about Rev. H. Hoeksema.
           this zeal is particularly noticeable.1  But he concludes :               Under the sub-title : Immigrant Production, Van Til calls
                "We must not fail to fac&e  fact that this worthy pro-         attention to certain outstanding men, immigrants from the
           gram of neighborhood evangelism exposes  US to the danger of         Netherlands, to whom he pays tribute as having contributed
           establishing anemie  community churches. If our .leaders  give       considerably to the development of theology in this country.
           ear to the plea of some to lower the bars of membership for          He  mentions  men like Geerhardus Vos, .Louis  Berkhof,  Wil-
           mission   converts by requiring no expression of  agreement          liam Hendriksen, Diedrich H. Rromminga and others.
           with our Reformed  faith  - which is nothing but the Chris-          Among them also appears the name of Professor Herman
           tian- faith in its purest and clearest expression - but de-          Hoeksema. This is what he says about him:
           manding only that they confess their faith in. Jesus Christ              "Another redoubtable immigrant,  who  .has been  very
      L as Savior and Lord, it wil1 not be long before we have a productive  while Izoldirtg  the fort and ppzaintairbing tkr faith,
           number  of community churches which are Christian Reformed           as he conceives of it, is Professor Herman  Hoeksema  of the
           only in name.                                                        Protestant  Reformed  Seminary. This man has  produced
                "Such an approach to evangelism is bad for more than            prodigiously. While pastoring his people he taught many
           one reason. It is bad because it substitutes worldly standards       subjects  .to his theological students and managed to  write  a
           of success  for those of Scripture, . . .                            ten-volume commentary  on the Heidelberg Catechism  and a
                "Second, such an approach to evangelism as character-           complete Dogmatics, which is available ,at his Seminary.
           ized above is bad because it ignores the law of discipleship :       Hoeksema  is no  mean exegete and dogmatician,  hut neither
           `deny yourself, take up your cross and follow  me -which             has he neglected biblical theology, as  may  be seen from the
           includes forsaking  the world, the lodge included. It is bad         articles he hs written  for the last thirty or more years in
           because it puts more stock in `bigness' and `numbers' than in -The Sthnda,rd  Beurer.  Although we believe Hoeksema's re-
           knowledge of the Word, spirituality, and perseverance in the         jection of Common Grace vitiates his work at many points
           faith." Rev. Kuiper emphasizes in the concluding part of his         and we must agree with Professor John Murray that he some-
           article this badness when  he notes that this "approach  to          times commits exegetical violente,  we must acknowledge that
           evangelism is bad for the convert,  for the community church         he has been theologically prodctive."
           which  he joins, and for the denomination."                          _- We are happy with this  recognition  which Rev.  Hoek-
                In respect to the  latter,  he  writes:  "If the community      sema surely deserves.  iBut we are  also greatly disappointed
           church idea once finds entrance  it wil1 spread and the .result      with the concluding  remark Van Til  makes.  How  much
           wil1   be that in the end we `shall lose our creedal distinctive-    better would it have been had Van Til showed his readers
           ness. For we cannot consistently require of our oivn children        how Hoeksema's rejection of Common  Grace vitiates his
           to  receive instruction in and subscribe to our Reformed doc-        work at  many points. And why does he not give them some
           trines if we do  .not require this of  mission  converts.  No        examples  where sometimes  Hoeksema   commits exegetical
           chzwclz  ca.n  successfully  maintain  a double  shndard of  ad-     violente  ? Hit and run drivers are dangerous to have on the
           nission   -+o  membership. Such a dualism cannot last. The           road.                                                       M.S.


