                                  Iie



                             1           earer


A  REFORMED  SEMI-MONTHLY  MAGAZINE



IN THIS ISSUE


      Meditation:
        Our Great Ascended High Priest

      Editorials:
        As to the Frustration of Protest
        Our Schools and Government Subsidy

      A Relevant Liturgy?
        (see: All Around Us)

      Christ Living In Me
        (see: The Streugth of Youth)
                                            VolumeXLV/iVumber16/May   15,1969


362                                                        tHE STANDARD BEARER



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

Meditation  -                                                                      Published by the Reformed Free Publishing Association, Inc.
                                                                                         Second Class Postage Paid at Grand Rapids, Mich.
       Our Great Ascended High Priest . . . . . . . . . . . . .362 Editor-in-Chief: Prof. H. C. Hoeusema
Editorials -                                                                 Department Editors:  Mr. John M.  Faber.Rev.   Coinelius  Hanko,Prof.
                                                                             Herman Hanko, Rev. Robert C. Harbach, Rev. John A. Heys, Rev.  Jay
       As to the Frustration of Protest . . . . . . . . . . . . .364 Kortering, Rev. George C. Lubbers, Rev. Marinus Schipper, Rev.  Gise J.
       Our Schools and Government Subsidy (5) . . . . .368                   Van  Baren, Rev. Herman Veldman, Rev. Bernard Woudenberg
                                                                             Editorial Office:  Prof. H. C. Hoeksema
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Meditation,
                Our Great Ascended High Priest
                                                               Rev. M. Schipper
                    "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the
                Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be
                touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
                without sin. Let us therefore come bol@ly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain
                mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. "                                                  Hebrews 4: 14-l 6.

   We have a great high priest!                                                 Let us hold fast this our profession!
   Who is gone through the heavens!                                             0, indeed, He is the great high priest! This Jesus the
       Jesus the Son of God!                                                 Son of God!
       A sympathetic high.priest, Who is now seated on the                      Not great, you understand, is He simply because He
throne of grace! Where you may now come boldly to                            compares or is to be compared with other priests, and
obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need!                         in the comparison is greater than all. Though surely


                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   363,



that,He is! But great is He because He is the reality, the       From the Mount of Olives, in the presence of His
One to Whom all the rest pointed, and of which they disciples, He was taken up, and He ascended into
all were only faint pictures. Not one of them could heaven. Yea, the text informs us that He went through
bring a sacrifice that could really atone for the sins of the heavens. Until He came to the very heart, the very
the people they represented. All they could bring was center of the heaven of heavens-to the right hand of
the blood of animals which the people brought to the throne of God-which is now called the throne of
them, but which could never take away sins. All they grace, being no longer a throne of judgment for,  His
could do was enter an earthly sanctuary and sprinkle people.
animal blood upon a man-made mercy seat between                  There, on that throne of grace, He still serves as our
artificial cherubim, the work of a human sculptor. All great High Priest. No longer, you understand, to make
they could say to the people whom they sought to atonement for the sins of His people: for once for all
mediate was, "You must not expect salvation to come He accomplished this on the cross. But now to
from us, but from Him of Whom we serve only as intercede for them on the basis of that atonement. To
types and shadows."                                           serve there as our advocate, our lawyer, who will
   Great High Priest is He because He is the unique, the constantly plead our case with the Father. That it is
only true High Priest. Who brings not a sacrifice you the throne of grace upon which He sits; signifies that
give Him, but Who offers Himself. Who poured out His now only grace, that is, the beauty and forgiving favor
life's blood, which could effectively blot out our sin and of God can emanate from that throne to those who are
guilt, and which could merit the right to enter into the represented by the great High Priest. It is no longer a
presence of God without fear of being cast out. Great throne of wrath and of judgment for them.
is He because He can truly make intercession with the            Moreover, the text emphasizes the fact that also the
Father for us, an intercession that must be heard.            High Priest is favorably disposed to us.
   And this great high priest is none other than Jesus           We do not have a High Priest Who is not able to be
the Son of God!                                               affected with respect to our infirmities, but He was
   Jesus, the revelation of the God of our salvation!         tried according to all things in like manner as we are!
   Very God of God! Infinite in power is He! Full of though without sin. He knows, therefore, exactly what
infinite perfections!                                         we go through when our faith is tried, when we are
   For when God saw that there was no man who                 surrounded with manifold temptations. While He was
could redeem his brother, and that we all had made            strong and sinless as He was tempted in all points as we
ourselves incapable of doing any good, and `were              are, and therefore could stand in the temptations
inclined to all evil, and that we could only therefore without succumbing, He knows that we are weak and
increase our debt - He came Himself, in the Person.of- sinful and lapsible. He knows that we would not be
I-I& Son, and joined Himself so perfectly to our nature       able to stand for a moment without His sustaining and
in the womb of the virgin that He assumed that nature         redeeming grace. ~
in its entirety, though without sin, without incurring           He is the sympathetic High Priest from Whom you
our guilt; in order that He might truly represent us as       need not to flee away because He is holy and you are
our great High Priest. Then He came, as it is written in      sinner; but you may come to Him with fearless
the volume of the book, to do God's will, to fulfill the      freedom, believing that He will help you in your need.
law which we had transgressed and could not keep,                Our need!
while at the same time presenting Himself as an                  0, yes, we still have need! Though we are justified
atonement for our sins. He gave Himself unto the              before God and shall never be brought into judgment
death of the curse. He allowed Himself to be burned           to answer for our sins, (for that judgment was finished
under the fire of God's holy wrath, and satisfied God's       on the cross), and though we through regeneration
justice completely. So that we have no debt, all  .our        possess in principle eternal life and immortality through
guilt is erased, and in its place we now possess a the Spirit of the resurrected arid exalted Redeemer,
righteousness of God wherewith we may appear be-              and though our names are written in the Lamb's book
fore His face as if we had never committed one sin; and       of life and can never be stricken, yet we have great
had always walked obediently in His commandments. xneed! We dwell still in the body of sin and death that
  0, indeed, we have a great High Priest!                     never delights to do the will of God, that never wants
  Who is none other than Jesus the Son of God!                to go to heaven, and is still inclined to all evil, and still
  Who is gone through the heavens!                            constitutes  our. greatest enemy. We have not yet
  For you see He has risen from the dead, and                 finished the race, nor attained to the goal set before us.
ascended up on high as a reward of merit, because He          We still have to fight the good fight of faith in which
had first so deeply humbled Himself. And having been          we do not always taste the victory we have in Christ.
raised from the dead, the very nature of His  resur- We experience daily that we have only a small
rected body which had now become heavenly and                 beginning of new obedience, and we often falter in the
glorious could no longer abide in the earthly.                way. Moreover, we still transgress all of God's .good


  364                                         THE STANDARD BEARER


  commandments. Even our best works are  all-`-tainted        --Briefly, this is our. profession which we are to hold
  with sin. We need constantly grace and mercy. We need fast !
  the intercessory prayers of our great High Priest Who        Which while we hold it fast, will also give unto us
  must purify our prayers with His own and Who must the boldness and freedom to come to the throne of
  constantly plead. our case with the living God Who is grace.
  always inclined to heed the intercession of our High         We need not therefore stand afar off as the dhildren
  Priest and Advocate with the Father.                       of God in the old dispensation did and remain in the
     Let us then hold fast our profession!                   outer court while their priest functioned in the inner
     Our profession is to say the same thing God has sanctuary. For they feared to draw near, and remained
  revealed to us in the Holy Gospel, and by His Holy far outside the drawn curtain that separated them from~,
  Spirit in our hearts.                                      the holy of  holies  and the mercy seat. In fact they
     And what has God revealed to us?                        might not enter there on pain of death. Only the priest
     That Jesus His only begotten Son is our Lord and might enter, and that only after he had sanctified
  Saviour! That He has been sent of the Father into our himself and came with blood.
  world to unite Himself to our nature in which He             But we may come boldly, that is, with fearless
  could perfectly represent us as the Head of His people freedom to the throne of grace. The veil of the
  given to Him of the Father from before the foundation sanctuary has been rent from top to bottom, never to
  of the world. That He gave Himself unto death, even be repaired again. Now the mercy seat is open to the
  the death of the cross, in our stead. That He satisfied view of all, and we see Jesus, "`the captain of our
  the justice of God in respect to our sin and guilt. That salvation who was made perfect through sufferings,"
  He merited for us righteousness and life. That He was seated on the throne of grace and mercy, who is the
  raised again from the dead to declare our justification, hope set before us; "which hope we have as the anchor
  and to open the way for us through death and the of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entered
  grave unto eternal and heavenly life. That He is into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for
  ascended into heaven, having taken our human nature, us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever
  now glorified, into the very presence of God. That after the order of Melchisedec."
  there He may finish His priestly work, in$erceding.for       Should we then be afraid?
  us with the Father, and preparing there a place for all      Should we hesitate then to come in our need to that
  His own in the house of many mansions. That from throne of grace?
  there He might send forth His Spirit given Him of the        Indeed not! But let us go freely to Him Whom we
  Father into the church and into our hearts, that Spirit boast in our profession to be our merciful High Priest,
  which cries: Abba, Father; the Spirit which testifies Who alone has the right to plead our case, and Who
  with our spirits that we are the  ~children of God and alone can give us the assurance that His pleadings shall
  joint heirs with Christ of all the blessings of God's be heard, and Who promises grace to help.
  kingdom and covenant.


  Editorials

               As to the Frustration of Protest
                                               Pro$  H.C. Hoeksema

     Frustration is a feeling of disappointment and defeat opinion Mr. Hoeksema touches on a real problem and a
  which arises when a person has been stymied or sore wrong; and, in a sense, he has reason, as many
  thwarted in a certain course of action and  in the have had reason, to experience feelings of frustration.
  attainment of a purpose.                                   However, while voicing complaints of frustration, Mr.
     It is about such frustration in connection with the Hoeksema suggests no solutions. In "Letters to the
process of protest and appeal in general in  the Editor"  in Torch and Trumpet  (March, 1969) one
  Christian Reformed denomination, and in particular in correspondent, Rev. J. Tuininga, does little more than
  connection with a concrete case at the Synod of 1968, commiserate with Mr. Hoeksema in his frustration,
  that there has been a flurry of discussion in the March, while the other, Rev. John Gritter, attempts to soothe
   1969 issue of  Torch and Trumpet,  occasioned by an Mr. Hoeksema's feelings, but offers no real solutions.
  article on "The Frustration of Protest" by Mr. Henry         Because this so-called `"frustration of protest" is a
  W. Hoeksema (no relation to your editor) in the very sore evil which has become increasingly common
  November, 1968 issue of the same magazine. In my in the Christian Reformed denomination and others;


                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER                                                     365


because, moreover, it involves the walking of the                basis for a fair judgment of a minister's total
"ecclesiastical way," about which many have become               creedal commitment.
disillusioned and frustrated; because too, we all may          However, the Synod did a very strange thing. It
benefit from this discussion; and hecause  the Standard expunged from the printed Acts the "Observations" of
Bearer desires to furnish assistance and instruction in its Advisory Committee, and it did so in such a way
matters of concern to Reformed people, therefore I that this does not at all appear in the Acts. What was
will venture to suggest a solution to this problem of "D" (Recommendations) in the report of the Advisory
frustration. Meanwhile, I remind  Torch and Trumpet Committee appears as  "C" in the printed Acts. And
and those concerned in this discussion that our what was "C" (Observations) in the report of the
Standard  Bearer  welcomes discussion.                       Advisory Committee is simply omitted in the Printed
                                                             Acts without any indication that anything has been
A Brief Review of Events                                     omitted. Moreover, the decision to omit this material
  The concrete case cited in detail by Mr. Hoeksema is was taken on the last day that Synod met, long after
one of a long process of protest and appeal by a Mr. N. the Appeal had been treated. These observations are
Bierema against a sermon preached by the Rev. supposed to form the background of Synod's decision.
Leonard Sweetman, Associate Professor of Religion One can only guess as to the reason why they were
and Theology at Calvin College, at the Fuller Avenue omitted; but an educated guess is that the observations
Christian Reformed Church on January 3, 1965, based contradict the decision to no little degree. This Mr.
on the so-called parable of the sheep and the goats in Hoeksema calls "Knoeien met de waarheid,
Matthew. 25: 3 l-46. I do not possess a copy of the (Tampering with the truth.)" I will quote those
protest and am not in a position to say how well omitted observations, so that the reader may compare
worked out it may or may not have been. However, them with the decision quoted above:
from the synodical record it may be gathered that the C. Observations:
protestant had some serious objections to the sermon,          1. Your Advisory Committee carefully read and
involving questions concerning salvation by works, the           analyzed the sermon and came to the conclusion
Reformed view of the antithesis, and the correct and            that the appellant did indeed have a real basis for
Reformed view of the incarnation; and he asks for a             his criticism.
determination whether the theology of the sermon is           2. In the judgment of your committee, the sermon
in agreement with our Reformed doctrine. I do,                   contains ambiguities, very unfortunate expres-
however, possess a copy of the sermon in question                sions, questionable exegesis, and is an incomplete
(from which Mr. Hoeksema quotes excerpts). That                  presentation of the gospel.
there were grounds for protest is putting it mildly; I          Your committee held an interview with Rev.
assure you that the sermon was so thoroughly rotten              Sweetman in which he :
                                                                a. Withdrew certain unsatisfactory statements
and heretical that any consistory should have initiated            contained in the sermon.
suspension proceedings immediately and without wait-            b. Explained the method of the sermon which
ing for protests from the congregation. In this instance,          might lead to one-sided emphasis on one special
however, the only person who took action and made                  word or text without intention to deny the
work of his objections was the protestant, Mr.                     truth revealed in al of Scripture;
Bierema. A year later, after protracted procedure, the           c. Expressed his complete agreement with the
consistory held that the Rev.  Sweetman was not                    three Forms of Unity.
censurable. From May, 1966 to May, 1967 the matter             The above history is cited in detail by Mr. Hoeksema
was before Classis Grand Rapids East at various times as a "case in point" of the frustration of protest. His
by way of appeal, the result being again that Mr. complaint comes down to this: it is absolutely useless
Bierema was not upheld. Finally, in June of 1968 the and frustrating to follow the ecclesiastical way, the
appeal came before the Christian Reformed Synod. orderly way of protest and appeal. This is what he
But again it was reiected. The decision was as follows: writes:Taking its cue from the Annual Report of the
    1. That Synod do not sustain the Appeal of Mr. N.            Board of Trustees of Calvin College and Seminary,
      Bierema.                                                   Synod 1968 adopted the following recommendation:
      Grounds:                                                   "That Synod take note of the fact that our consis-
     a. In the presence of the Advisory Committee, Rev.          tories and people are being subjected to illicit and
       L.  Sweetman withdrew certain unsatisfactory              undermining propaganda regarding Calvin College
       expressions contained in the sermon.                      and Seminary, that it deplores this practice and calls
     b. He explained to the committee his sermon                 attention of the churches to the proper channels of
       method which appears to account for an inadver-           addressing complaints."
       tant one-sidedness in the sermon.                           "Proper channels" is the hue and cry in the
     c. He expressed to the committee his complete              Christian Reformed Church today. It is used most
       agreement with the three Forms of Unity.                  piously and fervently by the apostles of change. The
     d. The contents of one sermon are an insufficient          mainline clerics are. ardently devoted to the


     366                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER
I

            "ierkelijke weg." A precious few have recognized           tion from its published Acts. None of them explains
            that while the use of "channels" is indeed proper and      how and why it is possible, even with the vague
            desirable, the channels, although open, are not            admissions of wrong-doing which Rev.  Sweetman
            channelling properly.                                      made, to remove before a  synodical advisory com-
              The position of a complainant has worsened in            mittee wrongs which were committed in public before
            recent months. The concerned individual today is
            quickly and easily dismissed as "lacking in love;' "a      the  congreg?tion to whom the sermon was preached
            trouble maker;" "misguided and uninformed;" "too           and under the supervision of its consistory. None of
            legalistic;!' "a detriment to church unity;" or "a John    them deals with the fact that both  Classis Grand
            Bircher."                                                  Rapids East and the Fuller Avenue Chr. Ref.  Consis-
              The channelers cleverly concentrate on the "individ-     tory went  um-eproved for their failure to heed Mr.
            ual," his "attitude," and his "procedure," rather          Bierema's protest.
            than on the issue rtised. This inevitably permits            The result? The frustration remains!
            lengthy delays which will hopefully dull the issue,          And such frustration is spiritually unhealthy as far
            frustrate the complainant, and a,llow "dialogue" and       as the frustrated individual is concerned. Such an
            "conditioning" to pave the way for innocuous               individual, if he is a serious-minded child of God, is in
            disposition of the complaint should the complainant
            continue to show signs of life.                            deep trouble. He needs help!
                                                                         Nor is such frustration good for any congregation or
     Reactions To This Complaint                                       denomination. Its presence means that there is deep,
       As has been stated, two reactions to Mr. Hoeksema's underlying disunity and lack of harmony though there
     complaint appear  in Torch and Trumpet  of March, may be outward and organizational unity.
     1969. Neither of them is of any real help.                        Frustration Unlimited
       That of the Rev. J. Tuininga actually does little                 Where is the blame to be assigned for this frustra-
     more than express agreement and sympathy. If any- tion?
     thing, Mr. Tuininga underscores the frustrating nature              First of all, as far as the merits of this particular case
     of Synod's decision and the manner in which it was are concerned, there is no question about it that the
     published in the Acts. The only additional element in blame lies squarely at the door of consistory,  classis,
     the article is a warning against the dangers involved in and synod. Here was a clear-cut case of gross heresy in
     appointing committees to study such matters locally, the public preaching of a minister, totally contrary to
     supported by a quotation from the late J.L. Schaver's the provisions of the Formula of Subscription, com-
     The Polity of the Churches. The latter suggestion is of pletely at variance- with the confessions and with
     no help, for there was no appointment of a committee Scripture; and no ecclesiastical assembly would touch
     to study the case locally in the case under discussion. it with a ten-foot pole. To all intents and purposes, the
     For the r&t, an expression of agreement and sympathy guilty office-bearer went scat free. True, he received a
     in a situation like this is of no help. It may offer some mild tick on the fingers from Synod's committee.
     small comfort to Messrs. Hoeksema and Bierema, on True, he made some vague admissions. But as far as the
     the principle that "misery likes company." But it does essence of the case is concerned, he was found
     not remove the frustration. In fact, one might expect innocent. Here was a case, moreover, of gross injustice
     that if Mr. Tuininga entertains such strong feelings to a protestant and appellant who was  concemed to
     about the matter, he would do more than express his maintain purity of doctrine and of preaching in his
     agreement journalistically: he should take up this church and denomination. Moreover, the synod took
     ecclesiastical miscarriage of justice through ecclesias- pains to remove from its published records the only
     tical channels and create no small stir about it at hint that the appellant was right and that the minister
     ecclesiastical levels. But to date I have noticed no such concerned was wrong. Still more, in its unpublished
     procedure on his part.                                            records there is evidence that Synod knowingly and
       The sum and substance of the Rev. John Gritter's wilfully rejected the appeal though it knew that the
     remarks in the same issue of Torch and Trumpet is that appeal was well-founded. Besides, this injustice and
     he tries to pour some oil on the troubled waters. In the coritradiction was then expunged from the published
     twelve points of his article there is not one which is record, thus compounding the wrong-doing.
     really to the point. None of his remarks serves to help             Nor is this a matter of mere injustice to the
     the complainants in their frustration. None of them individual concerned. That would be serious in itself.
     changes the fact that here  was a sermon filled with                But there is more involved here.
     heresy and that Synod did not find any heresy. None of              Involved are what the confession calls the marks of
     them changes the fact that the Advisory Committee the true church!
     stated that Mr. Bierema did indeed have a real basis for            Involved is the mark of the preaching of "the pure
     criticism, but nevertheless advised that the appeal be doctrine of the gospel." In place of the aforesaid mark
     rejected. None of them is pertinent to the fact that of the true church by its refusal to condemn blatant
     Synod hypocritically removed this `glaring contradic- heresy the synod evinced the mark of the false church,


                                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   367


ascribing more power and authority to herself and her the latter way is always a temptation for those who
ordinances than to the Word of God, refusing to seek an outlet for their frustrations.
submit herself to the yoke of Christ. Involved, too, is            In the second place, I point out that the ecclesias-
the mark of the exercise of church discipline in the tical way has an  end,' and that this end is always
punishing of sin. When the guilty are upheld and the REFORMATION. This is necessarily the case. A way
innocent are condemned when they rebuke the church has an end. And the end of a certain way'is always the
for her errors, this important mark of the true church same; it does not vary.
is perverted into its very opposite.                               To be sure, that end of the ecclesiastical way,
  In the second place, I call your attention to the fact        Reformation, may assume different forms. In the main
that this case of Mr. Bierema is by no means an there are three such forms. The first is, of course, that
exception. What happened in this particular case is the ecclesiastical assembly heeds an appellant and acts
habitual. It is an ecclesiastical way of  .life in the accordingly. This means reformation  within  the
Christian Reformed denomination. In every case in- church. Then, of course, there is no frustration. The
volving a serious doctrinal issue  there- is either a second form of reformation is the reformation of the
rejection of the Reformed position, an attempted individual. In that case the individual is convinced by
compromise, or some kind of attempted accommoda- the assembly that his protest and appeal were wrong,
tion without a doctrinal decision.                              that there was no cause for action; or at least he may
  Put this to the test. In every recent case involving be convinced that his case is doubtful or that it is
doctrine in recent years the Synod has been afraid to           possible for him to live with a given situation. In that
make a finding of heresy, and it has refused to take a case, too, there is no frustration.
clear-cut position in favor of the Reformed truth.                 But what if the individual walks the ecclesiastical
  In fact, the question may be asked: when was the way to the very end (and no one may do less than that
last time that a Christian Reformed Synod took a in good conscience), and what if the synod, the
clear-cut Reformed stand in a case of significance?             broadest assembly, will not heed him; and what if that
  I will ,go a step farther: in what case of significance individual is convinced, on the basis of the Word of
ever since the departure of 1924 has a Christian God and the Church Order, that he is right and that
Reformed Synod assumed a strongly Reformed stance? the assemblies are wrong, and that before God he
  And is it a wonder, then, that those who in good              cannot and may not acquiesce to the decision taken? Is
faith attempt to walk the ecclesiastical way experience he defeated? Is the only way the way of frustration?
feelings of frustration? Is it a wonder that they                  My answer is that also then the end of the
complain about the uselessness of following the ecclesiastical way is the way of reformation. But this
orderly way?                                                    time that reformation necessarily takes himoutside  of
                                                                the church that has departed from the right way, that
Frustration Unwarranted                                         has corrupted the marks of the church, and that will.
  Nevertheless, I insist that this frustration  is.unwar-       not repent. This may imply that he takes steps to
ranted on the part of the individual. It is wrong. One          institute the church anew, or it may imply that he
may not live in such a state of frustration. He may not joins himself to another communion of churches (like
for his own sake, because it is spiritually detrimental to      the Protestant Reformed) which does show the marks
himself and his generations. But also he may not live in        of the true church. But separate he must! This way of
such a state of frustration for the sake. of Zion, the          separation may be difficult and painful. It is indeed a
church.                                                         serious step, not to be taken lightly.  But if the only
  What, then, is the solution to this apparently                alternative is frustration, then that step must be taken.
hopeless situation? It is easy to say that a person may           This is what these frustrated brethren ought to see.
not live in such frustration; but what is the cure? How        They must have the courage of their convictions. When
many one escape such frustration?                              they do, their frustration will end. The alternative is
  My answer is, first of all, that the ecclesiastical way       spiritual damage,-to themselves, to their generations,
by all means must and may not be abandoned. It is the           and to the cause of the church.
right way, the orderly way, the obedient way. The way             Their frustration is in this sense unwarranted.
of rebellion and revolution and agitation is wrong. And           And it is needless.



                         Wanted: church memb'ers with singleness of heart and singleness of purpose.


368                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


                                   Our Schools and
                        Government Subsidy (5)
                                       A Question of Justice or of Money?
                                              Prof H.C. Hoeksema

   Our editorial department in the last issue lacked ask: is this right? Is this living out of principle? Is this
space for further treatment of the subject of  "paro- living from the principle that we are called to walk in
chiaid."' We now continue our discussion of "More the midst of the world antithetically from the principle
Basic Considerations" which was begun in the April 15 of regeneration? Let me remind you that this is indeed
issue.                                                     what is involved as far as principle is concerned. This is
More Basic Considerations (continued)                      not only true as far as the active movement to gain
   The second consideration which I offer in support such subsidy is concerned; on that score, any genuine
of the contention that the entire concept of  govem- supporter and adherent of covenantal education ought
ment subsidy is wrong, that is, contrary to Christian to be thoroughly ashamed to be part of a movement
principles of righteousness and justice, may be stated which so completely blurs and blots out the lines of
as follows: It is wrong before God to act on the basis the antithesis. But this is also true as far as the
that government subsidy is an issue of private (or: government is concerned. The government also simply
non-public) schools versus public. schools, wrong to views all non-public schools as exactly that, and no
make common cause with enemies of the Reformed more, and if it grants aid, will grant it on that basis.
faith on that basis, wrong to seek financial support for And we may not allow ourselves to be treated on that
enemies of the Reformed faith and their schools, and basis. We may not allow ourselves, educationally
wrong to allow ourselves to be treated on that basis by speaking, to be lumped together.
the state and to accept aid on that basis.                   No, if it is at all the business of the government to
  Let me remind you that this second consideration is become involved in education, then let us have the
based on an assumption, an "if." That if is: if it were courage of our convictions. Let us not say that we are
right for the government to be in the business of colorlessly non-public, or private. Let us tell the
education at all! This, you recall, we presented as our government that we operate parental schools because
first objection of a basic nature. Assuming now that we believe that is right before God; let us tell the
this is right for the government,-which we deny,-then government that we operate covenantal schools be-
the whole concept of government subsidy would still cause we believe that is right before God; let us tell the
be principally wrong on the basis of the second basis government that we operate Reformed schools in
consideration, stated above.                               which our Reformed, antithetical principles permeate
  Notice, in the first place, that the nature of the all the instruction, because we believe that is right
entire  parochiaid- movement is such that it puts its before God; let us tell them that in schools we offer
adherents and its schools on a broad common denomi- the  only right education,  the only kind of education
nator about which there is absolutely nothing that before God has the right to be called education,
Christian. This is evident from the very names of the inculcation of knowledge. And then let us tell them
two organizations which are pushing for government that this is the reason why, if they are a Christian
subsidy here in Michigan. The name of the one is government, they will support us and should support
"Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools." The us exclusively.
name of the other is "Citizens for Educational               You say, perhaps, such speech would kill any chance
Freedom." These names point up the nature of the of government subsidy? I agree heartily. But God
entire movement. Parochial and parental and private, forbid that we ever become so blinded by dollar
Roman Catholic and Lutheran and Jewish and Chris- signs that we forget the basic principles of our
tian Reformed and-supposedly-Protestant Reformed educational system and say anything else than the
schools and their supporters,-all are lumped together above! You say, perhaps, that this is a very narrow
without regard to principle and fundamental differ- position? I agree, again. But I ask: since when has the
ences. All are lumped together and make common way of the Christian been anything else but narrow?
cause simply on the basis that they are "non-public" or      Notice, in the second place, that the government
"private." All supporters are  suppose,d  to work to- subsidy movement is emphatically not something
gether simply on the basis that they are "citizens" and neutral, but involves seeking financial support for
that they are for "educational freedom" (a freedom, enemies of the Reformed faith.
remember, which is not defined in Biblical terms, but        No, I am not now talking about so-called separation
simply in terms of a secular political philosophy). I of church and state, though it is indeed difficult to
                                                                             4


                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER                                                            369



   understand how that idea can be maintained in the influx of pupils upon the public school system. And
   courts of our land in view of the fact that support of why, pray, even in this light should we be so foolish as
   Roman Catholic schools would involve  parochial to help fight their battle?
   schools, that is, schools that are directly the property         Nevertheless, what I am concerned about is that
   and responsibility of the Roman Catholic Church.               they are  enemies  of the Reformed faith. How is it
     Nor am I talking about the fact that the' over- possible for children of the Reformation to be in favor
   whelming amount of government subsidy, if granted, of government subsidy for a school system of our
   will go to such Roman Catholic schools. I could do so. mortal enemies and a school system which stands to
   For it is a fact that the whole parochiaid movement benefit more than any other from such subsidy? Does
   would founder and fail utterly except for the fact that. this not offend the sensibilities of any right-thinking
   the Roman Catholics, as a whole, are strongly behind son or daughter of the Reformation? It ought to! Or
   it. This is true of every published instance of a drive have we become so blandly "democratic" and
   for government subsidy thus far. It is a fact that the         "tolerant" and "ecumenically minded" that this makes
   Christian school movement constitutes so small a no difference any longer?
   minority that it would not stand a ghost of a chance if                                   *  *  *  h
   it were to seek such subsidy in the halls of government Postscript
   all by itself. It is a fact, too, which can be supported         As a matter of information, I may state that as of
   by published statistics, that the Roman Catholics are this writing a form of parochiaid is being sought also in
   notoriously poor, in comparison with our schools, in the state of Indiana. The governor of Illinois has also
   paying for education and in charging and  .paying proposed it to the state legislature. Here in Michigan
   tuition. It is even a fact that in some cases they operate the state senate has passed an education bill without
   schools which are debt-free and which charge no parochiaid; it is reported that an effort will be made to
   tuition, and yet are clamoring for government subsidy. tack it on in the house of representatives, but that it
   It is also a fact that it is chiefly Roman Catholic will probably be only a token amount this year, partly
   schools which are closing because of financial diffi- for the purpose of getting a test in the courts. The
   culties and which are threatening to dump a large propaganda mills continue to grind, however.


  All Around Us

                                        A Relevant liturgy?
                                     Brief Items of Interest
                                                       ProJ: H. Hanko

  A RELEVANT LITUR GY?                                            Reformed Laymen from which we quote.
     What happens when the church listens to the young                   At 5:00 P.M. on Sunday, November 24, 1968, a
   people and revises its liturgy to suit their desires? Dr.          disgraceful event took place at the LaGrave  Avenue
   N. Wolterstorff suggested in an article                            Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids. Al-
                                               in the Reformed        though billed as a "Young Adults Worship Service" it
  Journal that if we wanted to keep the young people in               was anything but worship. A curious crowd, in-
   the church we had better listen to them when they                  cluding dungaree-clad hippie types and mini-skirted
   criticize .the liturgical practices of the church. If they         females assembled in the church lounge. Here a
   offer suggestions for improvement we ought to adapt                young man in charge gave directions for marching
   the' liturgical form of the worship services to these              silently dowstairs to the Fellowship Hall following
   suggestions. They have something worthwhile to say.                lighted candles, symbolizing the Holy Spirit.
   They know how to make the liturgy relevant to our                     Upon entering the dimly lit Fellowship Hall two
  times.                                                              Calvin Students were twanging a noisy prelude on
     Dr. Wolterstorff practices what he preaches. He                  their guitars. After the reading of a brief preface, the
   helped put the suggestions of the young people to                  "Electric Prunes" rendered a noisy selection via a
whom he listened into practice. The result was a                      recording. This was followed by a short period of
                                                                      silence.
   "Young Adults Worship Service" held at the LaGrave                    Next a young man recited some lines which
~ Avenue Christian Reformed Church on Sunday,                         constituted "God's Welcome." He concluded his
   November 24. A description of this service was given in            remarks by saying, "God says welcome to this
the "Newsletter". of the Association of  C,hristian                   happening." "Happening" is a very appropriate


370                                                       THE STANDARD BEARER


       handle for this event-it defies a more intelligent               being the Samaritan .Woman at the well), especially
       label.                                                           vs. 24: "God is a spirit: and they that worship him
          Following this, a young woman led the group in a              must worship him in Spirit and in truth." He said it
       "dialogue response" recitation of the Nicene Creed;              was difficult to define worship because you can't
       i.e., she read a portion, which was then repeated by             stop it long enough to analyze it, and if you stopped
       the audience. The two-man rock-and-roll group then               it you could no longer analyze it. Not being able to
       came forward to provide noisy accompaniment for                  define worship, Rev. Gritter gave examples of wor-
       the singing of "Clap Your Hands." And clap their                 ship. He said, "If a boy or girl says `I love you' and
       hands they did.                                                  the other responds with love - that's worship."
          The printed program listed the scripture reading as             He emphasized that Jesus told the Samaritan
       "God's Word to Worshippers," as opposed to the                   woman that " . . . Ye shall neither in this mountain
       minister's talk which was listed as "God's Word for              nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father", and
       Worshippers." (Emphasis not ours.) We simply call                concluded that there is "not a place for worship."
       this to your attention, and do not profess to know               Next he emphasized that there is "not a set.time for
       the fine distinctions apparently intended here.                  worship." Then he said, "There are no special songs,
          The scripture passage, read by a young woman,                 no special liturgy, no special dress for worship." All
       was taken from Isaiah 1: lo-20 (please read this). This          of which must have been sweet music to the ears of
       was a shallow mockery, as it was obviously intended              many of these young people, who will now feel
       as scriptural justification for this "happening." It is          justified in their manner of dress and actions, etc.,
       just another glaring example of the theologizing of              having heard it blessed by a clergyman. . . .
       many of our leaders, whereby they decide what they                 A recorded, ear-splitting, orchestral "Amen" ended
       want to teach or do, and then try to bless that idea             his talk. The next song by the audience was en-
       or action with a scripture portion. This is also                 titled "Thank you," again accompanied by the guitars
       known as using scripture "supportively."                         and hand-clapping. . . .
          The prayer, prayed in unison, is here reprinted in              The young woman announcing "God's farewell"
       full.                                                            concluded by saying, "God says it's a pleasure to
          "We are hypocrites when it comes to worship                   serve you. God says `come again.' " And that too is
       services, 0 God. We just move our lips, and make the             indicative of the thinking of today - God serving
       right motions at the right time, and attentively                 man, rather than man serving God.
       appear to listen to sermons. But we aren't in it. We               Now lest we assume that our Young People are to
       are thinking about our blue-books, our clothes, our              be blamed for all this, let it be known that theywere
       problems, our dates . . . We put on a good front, but            directed or counseled by adults. Dr. Wolterstorff and
       are not really as holy and reverent as we pretend to             Dr. Orlebeke of Calvin College staff were very much
       be. Forgive us. Do not judge us.                                 in evidence at this meeting. Undoubtedly they were
          "We are disgusted when it comes to worship                    carrying out the plans which they helped formulate
  services, 0 God.                                                      for the "Toward Christian Nurture" blueprint pub-
          "We are disgusted about:                                      lished over two years ago, which calls for "developing
          "Hymns we don't know or don't care about.                     a sensitivity in the choice of appropriate and worthy
          "People we don't like or don't know.                          vehicles and acts of worship."
          "Pews that are not comfortable or conducive to              And there was more.
       worship.                                                       It is  difficult to imagine how anyone who has any
          "All kinds of chattering before the service, and all      acquaintance with the Scriptures could possibly call
       kinds of gossiping after the service.                        this worship of God. The lofty Psalms of Israel's poets
          "Sermons that often leave us cold, and music that         point in precisely the opposite direction from this
       makes us hot under the collar.
          "We do not like this situation, 0 God; we'd like to       stuff. The soaring passages of Isaiah's prophecies
       see a change. We want to worship You, and we don't           ("Who then is like unto me? and with whom shall I be
       know how, or we are hung up over what we don't               equal? saith the Lord of hosts.") speak an entirely
       like.                                                        different language. How could anyone who has read
          "Tell us, Lord, give us some hints, some clues,           the overwhelming vision of Isaiah in chapter 6 come
       some advice about what we should do, what we                 with words such as the above contains without
       should be, and what we should change, so that when           choking? It is blasphemous. To make religion and
       we worship, we really worship and do not just fool           liturgy relevant and appealing to a younger generation
       around.                                                      is to destroy it and to substitute a confused, tedious,
          "We know You have answered the needs of many              and idolatrous innovation in the place of the true
       with your Son, Jesus. Answer our need now, with              worship of Jehovah of Hosts.
       Him.
          "We pray to you because we love Him. Amen."                 God will tell us how He must be served and
          Rev. Wayne Gritter, the Assistant Pastor at               worshipped. We had better listen to Him. If we do not,..
       LaGrave  Avenue gave a very brief talk. It was a             the results are catastrophic. The true worship of God
       complete perversion of Scripture and the gospel.             centers in the preaching of the Word of the gospel. It is
          His "Text" was taken from John 4 (The context             in this preaching that God speaks to His people and


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  371


brings them, through the wonder and power of the            Democratic Institutions. at Santa Barbara, California.
preached Word, the knowledge of Himself, Whom to His boldest grab for headlines was made when he
know is eternal life.                                       claimed to speak to his son who had committed
BRIEF ITEMS OF INTEREST                                     suicide. This was done through the agency of a
  The Church of England has decided, according to medium. A short time ago he married for the' third
the RES  Newsletter  to cease asking her clergy to time. Now he has announced, in a lengthy article in
pledge acceptance of the Thirty Nine Articles of Look magazine, that he is leaving the instituted church
Religion. While this creed dates back to the time of the altogether. This is probably the wisest thing he has
Reformation in England, clergymen had often refused done in his life with the Church.
to subscribe to it claiming that the confession is badly                            *  *  *  h
outdated. The confession itself was retained as a creed       The National Council of Churches (NCC) is be-
of the Church. But it no longer has binding force upon coming more ecumenical all the time. The latest efforts
the clergy. The decision must still be submitted to towards ecumenicity were made in the direction of
Parliament to make the change law.                          including the Roman Catholic Church in this organiza-
                         *  *  *  *                         tion. A committee is at present studying the possibility
   Somehow James Pike manages to stay in the news. after preliminary .meetings  between leaders of the NCC
He first attained some sort of national recognition by and the Romish Church. It is being suggested that
helping to author the "Blake-Pike Plan" of church perhaps the time has come for the NCC to be
union which developed into the present COCU talks. abandoned altogether to be superceded by a new
Later he was charged by his own Church with heresy. organization which would include Roman Catholics.
Although reprimanded, he remained in the Church. In This would not be a great loss. In spite of claims to the
1966 he resigned his see in ,the Episcopal Church and contrary, the NCC has never even come close to
became a fellow in the Center for the` Study of representing the Church of Jesus Christ..


Question Box

                         ABOUT ADAM AND EVE

Questions                                                   is negative. As to the word "dust," the absurdity of
  From a Holland, Michigan reader, brother Jack this suggestion can be very clearly illustrated by a
Arens, I received some questions which, according to comparison of Genesis 2: 7 and Genesis 3: 19. In the
my correspondent, are related to the teachings of Prof. latter passage we read: "In the sweat of thy face shalt
D. R. Wilson concerning creation and evolution. Mr. thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for
Arens writes: `Kindly answer this question in the out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto
Standard Bearer. In Gen. 2: 7 we find the word `dust' dust shalt thou return." What kind of absurdity is the
and in Gen. 2: 21 we find the words `deep sleep.' What result in this text if we make it read: "for animal body
do these words mean in the original? . . . Related thou art, and unto animal body shalt thou return?"
questions could be added: Does `dust' mean `animal There is no great difficulty of interpretation- involved
body,' and does `deep sleep' mean a vision?"                in Genesis 2: 7 if only the interpreter is willing to let
                                                            the Scriptures speak and if he is not shackled by
Reply                                                       evolutionistic preconceptions and prejudices. The text
  The basic questions here can be answered very plainly teaches that God formed Adam (not only his
simply and briefly. The two words in question mean in body, but his entire nature) from the substance of the
the original just exactly what they are said to mean in earth, the dust of the ground. And so we read in I Cor.
the English translation. The term rendered by "dust" 15: 47, "The first man is of the earth, earthy."
in our English Bibles, especially as it occurs in the         How the idea of "vision" can be substituted for
phrase "dust of the ground," means "dust, dry earth,        "deep sleep" is indeed a conundrum to me. In the first
clay, loam ." In this sense the term occurs rather plac.e, the very words have nothing in common in the
frequently in the Old Testament. The term "deep Hebrew.; and, surely, if the Scriptures had intended to
sleep" does not occur very often in the Old Testament convey the idea that Adam had some kind of vision in
(Gen. 2: 21; Gen. 15: 12; I Sam. 26: 12; Job 4: 13;         connection with the event of the creation of the
Job 33: 15; Prov. 19: 15; Isa. 29:  lo), and in every woman, it would have been very simple to express this.
case it is rendered quite correctly by "deep sleep."        There are words for "vision" which are used very often
  As to the related questions, the answer in both cases in the Old Testament; in fact, some of them are used in


372                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



the books of Moses. In the second place, the idea of for evolutionistic ideas and for millions of years are
"deep sleep" and the idea of "vision" have nothing in guilty of imposing views upon Scripture, and for this
common. In a vision one is active and conscious, reason they cannot stand the test of Scripture itself
though in a state of spiritual ecstasy. One who has a       and the test of simple exegesis. The second is that it
vision actually sees something. The idea of "deep           always strikes me that these so-called interpretations of
sleep" conveys the impression of passivity and sub- Genesis, which in many cases are supposed to be very
consciousness. And in Genesis 2: 21 the meaning is learned and scholarly, are absurdly contrary to the
precisely that Adam was neither witness of nor truth of the perspicuity of the Bible. Fact is that if
participant in the wonder of the creation of the            these far-fetched "interpretations" are correct, then we
woman; he was not because he could not be. Adam have a Bible which is not clear and understandable at
was a. creature; God is the Creator. Between the two all, but far less perspicuous than many writings of mere
there is an infinite difference. The work of creation is men. If it were not so deadly serious, it would almost
peculiarly the work of God the Creator. The creature be amusing how men can "interpret" the Bible in a
can neither have a part in it nor comprehend it. It is      manner in which they would treat no piece of ordinary
altogether "other." Hence, Adam was indeed in a human literature. And this is scholarly, not to speak of
"deep sleep," and he did not see any vision.                honest? People of God should be righteously indignant
  In conclusion, let me make a couple observations.         about this tampering with God's Word, and they
The first is that I have yet to see any  Scriptural and should have a holy anger toward those who are guilty
exegetical grounds  for understanding the record of of such tampering. There has been, and there still is
Genesis 1-3 in any other way than literally. All the today, far too much patience exercised toward these
so-called "interpretations" which seek to make room heretics.


The Strength of Youth
                                Christ Living In Me
                                                  Rev. J. Kovteving

  Every now and then I hear things about you young            Most importantly, you tell me this when you come
people that are not so good.                                and talk to me. You have problems of the greatest
  No, I'm not a detective. I do not tape electronic magnitude. Sometimes you are shaken to the very
sensors to your telephones. I don't snoop in your foundation of your faith, you question whether you
lockers at school. I've never hidden in the back seat of are really a child of God or not. Then you wonder how
your car while you are on dates.                            important it is that you continue to be a member of a
  Neither, do I hire others to do my detective work. I church that emphasizes doctrinal purity and virtuous
haven't bargained with your parents in order to get living. You cast a glance toward other churches and
them to tell me all the bad things they know about observe correctly, that there are children of God in
you. I haven't elicited from your teachers any gossip other churches, and then wonder why you can't
they may have heard about you. I didn't stoop so low consider leaving the Protestant Reformed Churches for
as to dicker with your "kid brother" to have him sneak an eligible husband or wife. When you are confronted
in the back seat either.                                    with the "wisdom" of the world while you are at
  Rather, I know these things because you have told college, you are impressed with the scholarly and
m e .                                                       scientific approach to complex problems and are
  The old adage holds true, "Actions speak louder persuaded that there is more than one way to consider
than words." You tell me a great deal about yourselves the teachings of the Word of God. You observe the
by the way you act. I have only to sit on the sidelines, terrible situation in our country and in the world at
listen to you speak, observe your dress, take note of large. This makes you bitter at times; sometimes in
your interests, and conclude that some things aren't so your rashness you would lay all the blame upon your
good.                                                       forefathers, and if you kick up enough dust you seek
  You tell me this when I preach. When a point is amnesty in the "generation gap." In your excitement
made directly for young people, I notice that you pay to join the "in" crowd you clash head-on with your
particular attention. This is good, and by this reaction parents' standards of right and wrong. This makes you
it is obvious that you realize that you need to be told very bitter at times, sometimes unreasonably so. In
certain things, you want to be told these things, your own thinking you even imagine that if only you
because things aren't always what they should be.           could have the entire say of your whole life, you would


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  373



be the happiest kid alive.                                  in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit
  Yet, by talking with you I know that there is much is life because of righteousness."
more to you than appears on the surface.                      To all of this the child of God responds in the words
  Deep inside of you there beats a heart that loves the of the apostle Paul, "I am crucified with Christ,
Lord. If I ask you whether you appreciate your parents nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me,
and all they have done for you, your answer is and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of
unequivocally, yes! When you are in the armed the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for
services, you tell me that you never realized how much me." Gal. 2:20.
church and home and school really meant to you. If            It is your privilege to make this confession as
you attend services elsewhere, you confide to me that covenant youth.
you notice a difference, quite a difference, in fact, so      I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me!
much so that when you are honest, you realize that the        By the resurrection of Christ from the dead, you are
Word of God means a great deal to you. You may assured of forgiveness of your sins. For this you long,
grumble when you have to work hard in catechism, yet don't you. When the pangs of guilt weigh down upon
I know that you want to learn the truth and desire to your soul, and when you look to God from the depths
have a good foundation in the Word of God.                  into which you have fallen, you desire to be able to get
  It is not easy, however, to let this depth of faith on your knees and say, 0 Father, I have sinned, forgive
dominate your life. In your exuberance, you realize me! Free me from this burden in order that I do not have
only too often that your sinful flesh is still so           to carry it around every day. It is your privilege to get
powerful a force in your lives. You see sin in others, down on your knees after you have had a terrible
including your parents, and you quickly brand all argument with your parents. Just at such a time when
religion as "hypocrisy." You look a little deeper in you feel so alone, so hurt inside, so shameful before
your own heart and you see that it is not always pure God, you have the liberty to take that burden to God
either. "Forbidden fruit" sometimes appears very in prayer and for Christ's sake have it lifted. At night
luscious .to you, if only you can convince yourselves when you return home from the date and confess
that it is justifiable to feast for a little while. You are before God how tempted you were to sin, and
titillated by the barrage of sexual filth; sometimes you sometimes how you have yielded to temptation, your
secretly savor its taste. You grow impatient with adult fevered soul may rest in the certainty of divine
"hang-ups" and argue that you can serve God just as forgiveness.
well whether your hairline is at your ears or down to         All this is rooted in the resurrection of Christ from
your neck. Why the fuss over the length of skirts, it       the dead.
happens to be style, they go up and they come down,           The death of Christ on the cross was not His death,
so what?                                                    it was our death. The sins He bore were not His own,
  Down in your heart however, your honesty pricks they were ours. The hellish agony He suffered was not
your balloon of pride. You know that you are the His hell, it was ours. And, now Christ is risen from the
happiest before God when you have a clean con-              dead! As certainly as we may say, His death is our
science. Your greatest burden comes after you have          death, we may also say, His life is our life. If Christ had
done wrong. It is not first of all that you have hurt       not conquered death and made perfect satisfaction for
your parents, or have acted improperly before some-         our sins, God could not have justly raised Him from
one else, deep in your heart your conscience accuses the dead. The empty tomb is the certification of the
you before God. This makes you the most restless. If pardon of our sins upon the basis of the perfect
only you could know that you are forgiven for past          atonement of Christ in our behalf.
sins, if only you could find strength not to yield to         The certainty of the forgiveness of our sins becomes
temptation, that would be the greatest blessing. Be- ours in the way of confession and repentance. Hence,
neath the dusty surface, so often stirred up by the sins you young people must spend much time in prayer
of youth, you long for guidance, you need a strong seeking that forgiveness. Through prayer, the burden is
hand  to`lead you .through  the times of difficulty, you lifted.
realize that you must be shown the way.                       Not only do we desire to have the assurance of the
  Herein is the glorious truth of the presence of our       forgiveness of our sins, as covenant youth we desire to
living Lord.                                                have the victory over the power of sin in our lives. We
  The Word of God makes this plain for us. Jesus said,      know that sin creates a terrible barrier between each of
"I am the resurrection and the life." Because He is the us, our parents, our fellow students, our neighbors, but
life in Himself, He also said, "I am the way, the truth,    especially between us and our God. We realize that it is
and the life." By means of the truth, Christ is the way     not sufficient that we find forgiveness of sin and then
that leads us to the life. He is able to do this for He     turn around and say, I may sin all I want because I can
said, "I have the keys of hell and death." The use of       nicely go to God in prayer and have forgiveness! Then
these keys in us brings forth the promise, "If Christ be the precious truth of the forgiveness of sin would


374                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



become excuse to continue in sin and justify sin. This the source of spiritual identification. Sensuous jazz,
thought itself.is horriblein God's sight. We desire to be long hair, short-skirts, late dates, sit-ins, are not the
freed from the tyranny of sin. We cry out, 0, if only marks of identification for covenant youth in whom
we: could resist the devil and see him flee from us. If Christ lives. The living Christian does not have to resort
only,  Iwe could love our parents and not get into to the far-out, the exotic, the glamorous, in order to
trouble with them, how pleasant life would be. If only make his identification known, rather it is manifest as
we could live clean and holy lives, how much richer an inner beauty that radiates in our thoughts, words,
our lives would become. We confess that we feel the and deeds.
best when we have the strength to resist temptation,             What are the identification marks for covenant
for then God means the most to us and is closest to us. youth in whom Christ lives?
   Here too, the `power for a sanctified life is our living      First, the praying youth wrestling with God in tears
Christ. Paul correctly says, "I do not live, but Christ and supplication seeking forgiveness of sins.
liveth in me." The source of spiritual virtue is not to be       Secondly, the attentive youth who drinks deeply of
found in our own person, for all that is of ourselves is the pure m'ilk of the Word and begins to digest some of
sinful and brings us to grief.                                 its meat, in order that he may be strengthened by the
   Christ liveth in me!                                        living Christ and so by faith serve the purpose and will
   This we know because He conquered death! Having of God.
overcome death in all its horror, God raised Him to His          I hear some bad things about you, that is when you
own right hand and crowned Him with the Holy Spirit. live according to the flesh.
By the working of the Spirit, Christ lives in us. He             Let's confess together, "I live, yet not I, but Christ
resurrects us from our spiritual death by regenerating liveth in me!"
our heart-and calling us by the gospel. He renews our            We sing this so lustily in one of our .favorite songs,
heart  in. such a way that we consciously realize that "He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today, He walks
God is our Father and Christ is our Savior. We love His with me and talks to me along life's narrow way. He
Word and earnestly seek to direct our lives according lives, He lives, salvation to impart. You ask me how I
to it.                                                         know He lives? He lives within my heart."
   The means which Christ uses to "live in us" are the           And God is glorified in the days of our youth.
means of grace. In response to the preaching of the              (Upon request, this article is published as the
Word, and through the use of the sacraments, we say, substance of a speech delivered to the Youth Mass
"the life we now live in.the flesh we live by the faith of Meeting, held Easter Sunday, April 6, at Hudsonville
the Son of God."                                               Church.)
   This presence of Christ living in us becomes for us


From Holy Writ

                                   The Book of, Hebrews
                                                   Rev. G. Lubbers

THE CONCLUSION CONCEeNlNG  CHRIST'S MORE logical, and states a conclusion. The sense is "since the
EXCELLENT MLVISTR Y BRIEFL Y STATED.                           case stands thus," namely, that Christ cannot offer
                                             Hebrews 8 : 6 gifts in the earthly temple, it must needs follow that
   The writer will now draw the inference from what we have a high priest who hath obtained a more
he has written concerning the ministry of Christ in the excellent ministry!
true temple. He will state this briefly, yet  in.such a          There are two terms here which claim our attention.
way that he prepares the way for a more deep and The first is that Christ's ministry is called "more
broad elucidation of the subject as this appears from excellent." What does this imply? It certainly means
the Holy Scriptures themselves.                                that in the comparison of the two ministries referred
   "But now . . . . " The adverbial particle  `nun" to both are considered "excellent." This is not a
(now) in the Greek language sometimes indicates time. comparison of what is evil and what is good, but this is
If this were the meaning here the writer would wish to a comparison of two excellencies! Both of these
express that now in the New Testament dispensation ministries were wonderful. They both had a glory of
we have a ministry which we did not yet have in the the sanctuary of God. The one ministry has a greater
Old Testament times. This in itself is true enough; glory than did the other. (See II Corinthians  3:ElO)
however, this is not the sense here. The term "now" is That the comparison here expressed is a comparison of


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                               375



excellencies ought to be clear from what we read in Himself did exactly that by the mouth of the prophet
Hebrews  1:4 "Being made so  much better than the Jeremiah. Says the Lord through Jeremiah "Behold the
angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a  more days are coming, saith the LORD, when I will make a
excellent  name than they." The name here refers to new covenant with the house of Israel and with the
the place which the Son has at God's right hand, far house of Judah . . . . " (Jeremiah 3 1:3 1)
above all principality and power; He is head of the          Here we see the Lord speaking of a "second
angels. (Colossians 2 : 10) And such a high priest, who is covenant" in contradistinction from the "first cove-
the Son of God, has a ministry which is far more nant." There is something very significant even in the
excellent than the ministry of Aaron and the Old phrase in Jeremiah "the days shall come." The truth of
Testament priesthood. The term therefore expresses the matter is that these days are coming so very, very
"an exceptional excellence in that which is surpassed." surely. Heaven and earth may pass away, but not one
If the ministry therefore of Aaron was glorious, how jot or tittle of this prophetic word shall pass away.
much more glorious is this ministry. In the second This very word "saith Jehovah" is the guarantee. It is a
place, we must notice the term "better." Christ is the faithful promise to Israel, and not merely a foretelling
mediator of a better covenant. Perhaps the observation of the future concerning Israel. Faithful~is  he who has
of Westcott is most aptly stated when he says "Perhaps promised it!
"`better" has regard to intrinsic superiority and "more      There was good reason for the LORD to proclaim
excellent" to a superiority which is manifested di- this word through Jeremiah to both the houses of
rectly. " Page  218, The Epistle To  Hebr&vs.  If this Israel and Judah. Both were at the  time  of this
distinction holds, ,this means that the covenant of the prophecy carried away into captivity; Israel about the
New Testament is intrinsically better than the cove- year 7 10 B.C. and Judah about 600 B.C. The curses of
nant of the Old Testament. And this latter the writer the law had come upon both as foretold by Moses in
shows in the verses 7-l 3.                                 the book of Deuteronomy. Says Moses "And it shall
  The very nature of the New Testament is better than come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the
the Old Testament!                                         voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his
  The reason why the covenant is better in the New commandments which I command thee this day, that
Testament is briefly stated by the writer: It is of such a the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all
nature  (eetis) that it is established upon better prom- nations of the earth: and all these blessings shall come
ises. Yes, the promises in the Old Testament covenant on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto
were good, they are of an excellent nature. However, the voice of the LORD thy God." (Deut. 28 : 1,2)
these are better promises, of a more exalted nature,         That was one side of the covenant which God made
bringing about complete and everlasting salvation. The with Israel when he brought them out of Egypt by the
covenant is as good as the promises. The promises in hand of Moses!
the Old Testament were connected with works of the           However, there is another side to this covenant
ceremonial law, with washings, sacrifices of goats and which is called in Hebrews the "first covenant." It is
bullocks. But these promises are yea and amen in that Israel would only receive these blessing should
Christ Jesus, to the glory of God the Father. (II they be obedient. However, should they not be
Corinthians  1:20) Here the promises do not merely obedient, curses would come upon Israel. Thus we read
point to the coming salvation, but they are the in Deut. 28: 15 F.F. "But it shall come to pass, if thou
bringing in of salvation itself.                           wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God,
  And because the former covenant of Sinai did not to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes
bring in salvation itself, could not remove the guilt of which I command thee this day: that all these curses
sin, and renew the elect unto life eternal, therefore it shall come upon them, and overtake thee: cursed shalt
was subject to criticism. God Himself "finds fault" thou be in the city . . . . "
with it. It perfects nothing. Wherefore the Hebrew           In the days of Jeremiah this latter had become the
christiaris  are not to return to that which is old and, horrible reality for both Israel and Judah. Does this
even in the days of Jeremiah the prophet, was about to mean the end of God's promises made to the Fathers,
vanish away.                                               Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Indeed not. God has better
                                                           promises than those given at Sinai. They are the
T H E   B E T T E R   C O V E N A N T   F O R E T O L D   B Y immutable promises of God which cannot fail-better
JEHO VAH GOD.                       (Hebrews 8 :7,8a.) promises. They are the promises which are yea in
   Surely God Himself would not criticize His own Christ, and in him amen to the glory of God the
work and covenant if it were blameless. If that Father. (II Cor. 1:20) The promises at Sinai came later
covenant had brought about the perfection which the by some 430 years! (Gal. 3: 17) And this law which
priesthood was to realize, surely then He would not came later (Covenant at Sinai) could not make the
have spoken of another. covenant, another priesthood, promises of God to be annulled, or make them
and the mediator of a better covenant. But now God ineffective. When God therefore `tfinds fault" with the


376                                            THE STANDARD BEARER
                                                   -.


covenant of Sinai, he does not go back on his Word;              Truly,,here `we have the better promises!
yea, rather He establishes it. He will fulfill His promises      And therefore we have the assurance of a better
to Abraham and to His Seed.                                    covenant to be enacted.
      And thus we are able to understand that glorious           The final manifestation of this we shall see in a
and sure Word of God by the prophet Jeremiah at a heaven and in a new earth where righteousness shall
time when Jerusalem lies in ashes and rubble. A' far dwell.
brighter future is portrayed to Israel and Judah.                Such a high priest we have and a ministry which is
Neither the one nor the other shall be carried from more excellent than all the ministering priests of the
their land any more. God will set His tabernacle in Old Testament of Sinai.
their midst forever; they will again be brought back to
their land. However, it will be the fulfilment of better       UPON BOTH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND UPON
promises. They shall not merely return to the earthly          THE HOUSE OF JUDAH                    (Hebrews 8 : 8b-9)
land of Canaan, but they shall be brought to the                 From the viewpoint of the prophecy of Jeremiah
heavenly country which the patriarchs so ardently the fact that both "Israel" and "Judah" are mentioned
sought, and for which they are willing to be strangers is of utmost importance. Israel is the ten tribes, who
in the. land, dwelling in tents as pilgrims and strangers. are more often called Ephraim or Samaria. And Judah
Wherefore Jeremiah must write in a book the words refers to the two tribes, also called Jerusalem. Both of
which the LORD spake to him. He must write
`I                                                             these tribes had a resting-place for God's Ark of the
      . . . For lo the days come, saith the LORD, that I       covenant. For more than 400 years the ark of the
will bring again the captivity of my people Israel.and         testimony was in Shiloh, a city of Ephraim. It was here
Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to that Joshua, an Ephraimite, pitched the tent of the
return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they      Lord. And, from his day till Samuel, the priesthood of
shall possess it." (Jeremiah  30:3) And, again, in Aaron, the covenant of Sinai was represented at Shiloh
Jeremiah 30: 17, 18 we read " . . . For I will restore         in Ephraim. However, the sons of Eli were evil, and
health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds,          God caused the glory to depart from  Sbiloh  never to
saith the LORD: because they called thee an Outcast, return. The Ark of the Covenant was taken from
saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after. Thus Shiloh and was brought after many vicissitudes by
saith the LORD: behold I will bring again the captivity David to Jerusalem. Here the Ark is once more under
of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; the priesthood of Aaron, only this time not under Eli's
and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and house Abiathar, but under Zadok. (I Kings 2:35)
the. palace shall remain after the manner thereof."            But at the time of Jeremiah's prophecy the Ark of
Indeed the prophet continues in verse 19 "And out of the Covenant was gone. Fact is that the glory was so
them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them          departed, that the very Ark of God had been destroyed
that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they by the Babylonian hordes. However, to both of these
shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall     there is comfort, the word of God's unchangeable and
not be small . . . . And ye shall be my people, and I will certain promise which cannot fail. God will restore
be your God . . . .  "                                         both Israel and Judah and bring them to Zion!


Contending for  the Faith
                     . .
                               THE DOCTRINE OF SIN
                                      THE THIRD PERIOD - 730-1.517  A.D.
                                    DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH OF ROME
                                        COUNCIL OF TRENT (continued)
                                                  Rev. H. Veldman

      At the end of our preceding article, we quoted the concupiscence remains in the baptized, against which
fifth canon or chapter of the Council of Trent of its believers are to contend, but it is declared that this
fifth session, held June 17, 1546, setting forth its concupiscence, although sometimes (as is admitted)
decrees concerning original sin. In this fifth canon the called sin by the Apostle, is not truly and properly sin
Council asserts that through the grace of our Lord in the regenerated.
Jesus Christ conferred in baptism, the guilt of original         This is all that the Council teaches under the caption
sin is remitted, and everything is removed which has of original sin. It also declared that it does not intend
the true and proper nature of sin. It is admitted that its decisions to apply to the Virgin Mary. Whether she


                                                   `THE STANDARD BEARER                                                           377



was the subject of original sin, as the Dominicans, after which he came from the hands of his Maker.
Thomas Aquinas, maintained, or whether she was                    On the other hand, however, it may be urged that
immaculately conceived, as zealously asserted by the the Church does maintain the doctrine of original sin.
Franciscans after Duns  Scotus, the Council leaves Concerning this Hodge has the following, Vol. II,
undecided.                                                      179-180:
  However, in the sixth session when treating of                        (1.) That the Council of Trent expressly declares
justification (i.e., regeneration and sanctification), the           against the Pelagian doctrine, that Adam's sin injured
Council decides several points, which go to determine                only himself, and asserts that our whole nature, soul,
the view its members took of the nature of original sin.             and body, was thereby changed for the worse. (2.)
Quoting Hodge, Vol. II, 176-177, we read:                            They assert that we derived from Adam not merely a
       In the canons adopted in that session, it is among            mortal nature, but sin which is the death of the soul.
     other things, declared: (1.) That men cannot without            (3.) That new-born infants need baptism for the
     divine grace through Jesus Christ, by their own                 remission of sin, and that what is removed in the
     works, i.e., works performed in their own strength,             baptism of infants. (4.) The Roman Catechism
     be justified before God. (2.) That grace is not given           teaches that  *`we are born in sin," that we are
     simply to render good works more easy. (3.) That                oppressed with corruption of nature, and that the
    men cannot believe, hope, love, or repent so as to               virus of sin penetrates to the very bones. This last
     secure regenerating grace without the preventing                passage does not refer expressly to original sin, but to
    grace of God. (4.) Men can cooperate with this                   the state of men generally as sinners. Nevertheless, it
    preventing grace, can assent to, or reject it. (when             indicates the view taken by the Roman Church as to
    Rome speaks here of "preventing grace," it means                 the present condition of human nature. (5.)  Bel-
    the grace of God that precedes, goes before-H.V.)                larmin is often quoted to prove that Romanists make
     (5.) Men have not lost their ability to good or evil by         original sin merely the loss of original righteousness.
    the fall. (6.) All works done before regeneration are               From all this it appears that although the doctrine
    not sinful.                                                      of the Roman Church is neither logical nor  self-
       From all this it appears that while the Council of            consistent, it is nevertheless true that that Church
    Trent rejected the Pelagian doctrine of man's                    does teach the doctrine of original sin, in the sense of
    plenary ability since the fall, and the Semi-Pelagian            a sinful corruption of nature, or of innate, hereditary
    doctrine that men can begin the work of reformation              sinfulness. It is also to be observed that all parties in
    and conversion; it no less clearly condemns the                  the Roman Church, before and after the Council of
    Augustinian doctrine of the entire inability of man to           Trent, however much they differed in other points,
    do anything spiritually good, whereby he may                    .united in teaching the imputation of Adam's sin; i.e.,
    prepare or dispose himself for conversion, or merit              that for that sin the sentence of condemnation
    the regenerating grace of God.                                   passed upon all men.
  Hodge asks the question, "What was the true                                 PROTkSTANT  DOCTRINE OF SIN
doctrine of the Church of Rome as to original sin,?"              What is sin? Is it merely a lack, a defect? Is sin
and he answers that this remained in doubt as much `merely the loss of original righteousness, which would
after the decisions of this Council as it had been imply that Adam, when he sinned, `simply lost this
before: Each party interpreted its canons according to extra gift of his original righteousness and therefore
their own views. The Synod had decided that all men was left in the state in which he came from the hands
are born infected with original sin; but whether that of his Maker? Is darkness simply the absence of light; is
sin consisted simply in the guilt of Adam's. first sin, or a dead man merely one who is not alive? Does the
in the want of original righteousness, or in concupis- speaking of the he simply imply that one does not
cence, is left undecided.                                       speak the truth? What is the Protestant conception of
  Some of the older Protestants generally regarded the sin? What do the Reformed and Protestant symbols or
canons of the Council of Trent as designed to obscure confessions say of it?
the subject, and held that the  .real Doctrine of the             Concerning this Hodge says the following, Vol. II,
Church involved the denial of any original sin in the           1 SO-1 81:
sense of sin, subjective or inherent. If it be true that
nothing is of the nature of sin, except voluntary                      The Protestant Churches at the time of the
action, or what proceeds from it, how can there then                 Reformation did not attempt to determine the nature
be any inherent or innate sin? As infants are not                   of sin philosophically. They regarded it neither as a
"knowing and willing" in the sense of moral agents,                 necessary limitation; nor as a negation of being; nor
they cannot have sin. Secondly, another reason urged                as the indispensable condition of virtue; nor as having
in favor of the position that the Church of Rome                    its seat in man's sensuous nature; nor as consisting in
                                                                    selfishness alone; nor as being, like pain, a mere state
denied original sin, is drawn from what that Church                 of consciousness,,and not an'evil in the sight of God.
teaches on original righteousness. If original righteous-           Founding their doctrine on their moral and religious
ness be a supernatural gift, not belonging to man's                 consciousness and upon the Word of God, they
original creation, then its loss leaves him in the state in         declared sin to be the transgression of, or want of


378                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER



        conformity to the divine law. In this definition all          often the word "law" is used in the Scriptures as refer-
        classes of theologians, Lutheran and Reformed, agree.         ring to that which binds, a command of one in author-
           It is included in these definitions, (1.) That sin is a    ity. It is in the latter sense that the word is used, when
         specific evil, differing from all other forms of evil.       we say that sin stands in relation to law.
         (2.) That sin stands related to law. The two are
         correlative, so that where there is not law, there is no       Thirdly, the law here is the law of God. There are
         sin. (3.) That the law to which sin is thus related, is      those who claim that this law, to which we are subject,
         not merely the law of reason, or of conscience, or of        is the law of our own reason or of the higher powers of
         expediency, but the law of God. (4.) That sin                the soul. Man, then, is responsible to himself. He is
         consists essentially in the want of conformity on the        bound to subject his life to his reason and conscience.
         part of a rational creature, to the nature or law of         This, however is obviously nonsense. In that case, man
         God. (5.) That it includes guilt and moral pollution.        would be a law unto himself. This surely seems to be
       Sin is a specific evil.  We  know this from our own characteristic of our present lawless age. If this were
consciousness.  If  born  blind, we cannot know light. true, then there would be no guilt. Then man would
If born deaf, we can have no idea of what hearing is. never be  sinning against anyone outside of himself.
Every man by virtue of his being a moral creature, and Then there would be no guilt, no punishment, simply
because he is a sinner, has in his own consciousness the because there would be none to visit such punishment
knowledge of sin. He knows when he is not what he upon the sinner. The Scriptures, however, are very
ought to be, when he does what he ought not to do, or clear in this matter. The law, to which man is subject,
neglects to do what ought to be done. And, failing in is the law of God. God is the living God, and He alone.
these things, he is chargeable with sin. He knows that He is the Personal God, and this means that He is
sin is not merely a limitation of his nature, not merely eternally and perfectly conscious of Himself. God
a subjective state of his own mind; he knows that it is knows Himself, is consciously the living God, and
not only something which is unwise, or derogatory to maintains Himself as that alone living God. This alone
his own dignity, or simply inexpedient because it is determines and prescribes. man's moral and ethical
hurtful to his own interests or injurious to the welfare conduct. He must subject himself to that law of the
of others. He knows that sin has a specific character of Lord, must serve and love the Lord with all his heart
its own, and that it includes both guilt and pollution. and mind and soul and strength. How vividly the
       A second element in our consciousness of sin is that apostle sets forth this truth in his epistle to the
it is related to law. This lies in the nature of the case.            Romans! Speaking there of the heathen world and of
The word, ought, is a very prominent word in our lives. men whom God had given over to a reprobate mind, he
This word necessarily implies the idea of law. The asserts that they not only knew God, but also His
word "ought" would otherwise have no meaning. To righteous judgments, that they who commit sin were
say we ought, is to say that we are bound; that we are worthy of death; this surely means that they were
under authority of some kind. Sometimes the word rightfully subject to the authority, and inevitably
"law" is used in the sense of a controlling power, as                 exposed to the -wrath and indignation of the living
when the Apostle declares that he has a law in his God. Sin is related to law, and this law is surely the law
members warring against the law of his mind. But very of the alone living God.


In His Fear
                           WISDOM THAT EXCELS
                                                             Rev. John A. Heys

  Few of our readers there are who would care to moon. We are a people on the move!
challenge the statement that the words of Daniel 12:4                   But we wish to concentrate at this time particularly
are being fulfilled before our eyes today.                            on the last part of this verse: knowledge shall be
  In this verse we read, "Many shall run to and fro, increased! How could we ever doubt that we live in
and knowledge shall be increased."                                    such a day and age?
  With our modern means of transportation there are                     Man explores the depth  of the sea; and he reaches
many that "run to and fro" from our country to far into outer space. To us he communicates what he
Europe and back, to say nothing of many who circle has found; and with our present-day methods of com-
the globe more often in a year than our forefathers in a munication, we receive that knowledge in a matter of
lifetime left the State in which they resided. Many moments. By television and radio, but also by the
there are who are reaching beyond this earth to the printed page, knowledge is spread from one corner of


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 379



this globe to the other. Books upon books are written being interested in preaching SIN against God, and a
on almost every subject conceivable, and knowledge is gospel that speaks of justification by the blood of the
dispensed to all who will take the time to read or to cross, these will gladly cut the sharp corners of the
listen. Educational institutions are crowded with stu- truth to attain to bigness which furthers and serves
dents; and colleges and universities have long waiting their social programs and projects. Social unrest and
lists of applicants for entrance as students who seek disorders they see as being due to poverty and lack of
knowledge. New buildings must be erected for these as opportunity, but not to man's total depravity and
well as for the other schools of preparatory education. spiritual corruption inherited from Adam. And so they
Never before have so many children and so many need not the cross and the Spirit of Christ but money,
young people received such a concentration of instruc- and understanding, and organizations of men of all
tion concerning so many subjects.                           races and unbeliefs, and freedom marches and the like.
  In the field of medicine new knowledge of the Indeed there is a development of the lie as well as of
human body and its functions have led to astounding the truth. And there is a cry for folly as well as for
bits of surgery, wherein the organs of the dead are wisdom, a yearning for ignorance as well as for
successfully transplanted into the living to take over knowledge.
the vital functions of that new host. Just yesterday the      Nor is any of this something new. It may never
organs of one dead man were transplanted into the before have reached to the height that it cherishes
bodies of six ailing persons. Not many years ago this today, but it was always there since man turned from
was impossible because the knowledge was lacking as the living God to receive the "sweet" counsel of Satan
well as the skill. Today man has the know-how. And and to learn to know something from him rather than
our children, two generations removed from .us, share to retain the knowledge that man received from God.
this knowledge with us. They do not need to wait until        The psalmist in Psalm 119: 99 could say, and we can
they reach our age before they know of these say it today, "I have more understanding than my
developments and achievements and the way that man teachers: for Thy testimonies are my meditation."
performs them.                                              Speaking of this wisdom that excels, the psalmist-and
  But knowledge is one thing. Wisdom is quite he is not David, nor Solomon-is not speaking of that
another.                                                    development of the truth of which we wrote a few
  The increase in knowledge  d.oes not insure an moments ago. He does not mean that in the develop-
increase in wisdom. And though men may run to and ment of the truth he is wiser than his teachers who
fro and thus obtain knowledge-yea even fly around lived in a former age. He received a richer under-
the moon to know by a first-hand look- what the other standing by meditating in God's testimonies. And the
side of the moon is like-this does not mean that he has plain implication is that his teachers did not. That is
increased one whit in wisdom.                               why he has more understanding than they. And it is
  In the Church you will find an increase in wisdom. For not Solomon with the greater natural wisdom that God
the fear of the Lord is the beginning or principle of all gave him above all men who speaks here. It is a humble
wisdom. God is not dead. And His Spirit is very much child of God who has more understanding, because all
alive. And we have the promise of this Ziviug God that his natural knowledge is controlled by and explained
His Spirit will lead us into all the truth. There has, by the knowledge which he received by meditating in
therefore, been a steady development of the truth. The God's testimonies.
Church has steadily become wiser in the things of our         This verse in Psalm 119 is very important and speaks
salvation.                                                  volumes to us as well. It is found in a very interesting
  Using the heretic to prod us on God has brought the trilogy of verses. In verse 98 the psalmist speaks of
Church back time and again to the Scriptures to dig         being wiser than his enemies. The text we already
deeper and yet more deeply into the mysteries of our quoted, verse 99, points out that he has more
salvation, and has given both knowledge and wisdom understanding than his teachers. And the last of these
of the things of His kingdom. This also is so very three verses, verse 100, contains the observation that
necessary. As we approach the days of the Antichrist, he understands more than the ancients, the old men of
the Church must see more clearly Christ and His             a generation or two before his birth. Note he says:
kingdom. As the lie develops, there must be a parallel wiser, more understanding and understand more. But
development of the truth. And God has not denied the        do not overlook: enemies, teachers and ancients. And
Church this but instead promised this Spirit Who            observe that it is being taught God's commandments,
would lead into ALL the truth.                              meditating in God's testimonies, and keeping God's
  To be sure, there is today a concerted flight from precepts that makes all this difference and results in
that truth and knowledge. All across the world the cry      wisdom that excels.
rises for mergers at the expense of the rich knowledge        We see then that wisdom, understanding more, and
into which God has led His Church. In order to be able having more understanding all express the same general
to ride their hobby horse of a social gospel, and not idea. So do being instructed in God's law, meditating


380                                              THE-STANDARD BEARER


in His precepts and keeping His commandments. But he wants Him to be. He then looks at His creation and
now note then that the enemies, teachers and ancients teaches it as he wants it to come into existence,
also all fall into one category. These teachers are his explains the events of men upon this earth as it serves
spiritual enemies. That follows from the fact that they his flesh, and teaches a new morality that rules God
do not meditate in God's testimonies. Such activity and His law out and satisfies the flesh. But God's
would keep them from being his enemies. Avoiding testimonies show us this God as He is and explain His
these, despising them, they must become the enemies creation as He makes it known to us.
of God's people. And likewise these ancients, then,              The only teachers we can trust, the only ancients we
were teachers who were enemies of the truth.                  can read with edification and to whom we can turn for
  How powerfully then does this passage of God's instruction are those who know this living God from
Word speak to us with a view to our children's His testimonies. Only such can teach us and our
instruction and the teachers they ought to have! By the children our calling before God and to understand our
time that this series of articles on "Wisdom that position in this world as God's royal priesthood.
Excels" is brought to its conclusion, and perhaps in Beware of all others. And if, of necessity, you must
some localities even before it is ended, you will be send your children to such enemy-teachers, such
faced with the decision of where to enroll your" testimony-despisers, you better keep close check on
children for the school year that follows this present what your children are taught and open to them the
one. Are they going to be sent to teachers who do not Scriptures.
meditate in God's testimonies? Is their instruction              The polished way, the sweet smile, the friendly
going to be based on the ancients, the departed approach of the learned of the world does not make
philosophers of the world who rejected God's Word them friends of God's people. They only underscore
and His precepts. Are they going to sit at the feet of the fact that these are enemies of you and of your
Jesus or of Plato and Aristotle? Are the enemies of the       children. For that smile, that friendly handshake, that
cross of Christ and of the truth of God's testimonies pleasant demeanor is not because he is on your side,
going to be given the opportunity to "convert" your but because he wants to get you and your children on
children to that which is not in His fear?                    his side.
  Let it be understood clearly that the psalmist is not         We better learn well and learn fast-and if God's
talking about men who had less understanding and testimonies are our meditation, we will-that any man
wisdom simply because they lived-or shall we say? who will not bow before God's Word is our ENEMY!
were born-too soon to have the advantage of the One of the first principles in obtaining a victory in any
latest discoveries of this later age. Not at all! He is war is to be able to recognize the enemy. All your
speaking of men whose source of wisdom and under- armour means nothing, if you are not able to distin-
standing differs from his. And he is speaking of those guish him from your fellow soldiers. Let us also learn
who are his enemies, even though they had the well and learn fast that this is exactly one of our
opportunity to give instruction to him. His eyes were enemy's chief weapons to gain the victory over us. He
opened, perhaps, after sitting at their feet.                 wants us to think that he is on our side and means no
  But what a warning to covenant parents!                     harm. But look and see whether he has been taught
  Those who close the Scriptures and turn to the God's commandments and loves them. Observe
scientists of old and of today for understanding the whether he meditates in God's testimonies. Make sure
heavens, the earth and that which they contain are that he keeps God's precepts. If he does not, let him
enemies of you and of your children!  The psalmist not be the teacher of your children. They, your reborn
does not hesitate to call them such. Have we less children, already have a wisdom that excels the
understanding of the matter than he had, because we           "`wisdom" of these spiritual fools. And these spiritual
will not meditate in God's testimonies? God's testi- fools can only seek to rob your children of their
monies speak of  Him as He truly is. The unbeliever superior wisdom.
draws up his own idea of how God should be and how


Pages from the Past
                                Believers and their Seed
                                   CHAPTER V - The Meaning of the Covenant
                                                 Rev. Herrnan  Hoelcsema

  In order to arrive at a correct conception of               all, that we give our attention to the meaning and
believers and their seed it is highly necessary, first of     significance of God's covenant. It is exactly in regard


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                381



to this doctrine of the covenant that we as Reformed essence of God's covenant is to be sought, how God
people differ from Anabaptists and Baptists of every realizes that covenant in history, and why and in what
shade.                                                    sense the seed of believers is comprehended in that
  The basic difference must not be sought in the covenant..
distinction between immersion and sprinkling: for on         First of all, then, we would proceed from the idea
this point there is no essential difference. Without any that God is a Covenant God. He is that in Himself,
hesitation we concede that the full sign of baptism is even apart from any relation- to His creature. From
that of a bath into which we descend and are immersed eternity to eternity the infinite God lives a divinely
and out of which we emerge, as a sign of our being perfect covenant life in Himself. This follows from
buried with Christ and of our arising with Him unto a God's triune subsistence. God is one in Being. He is
new life. Only we would also maintain that the essence one with regard to all that belongs to the divine nature
of baptism may not be sought in the external washing and with regard to His essential attributes. There is one
with water, and that therefore he whose feet are divine mind and one divine will. There is one divine life
washed or he whose forehead is sprinkled is wholly and one divine heart. And in all His attributes of
clean.                                                    omnipotence and wisdom, of eternity and omnipres-
  Neither is our difference with Baptists to be settled ence, of immutability and independence, of goodness
by citing a few isolated texts, as is so frequently and and grace and love, God the Lord is perfectly one.
facilely done by defenders of the Baptist view. They Moreover, God is good, the Perfect One in Himself and
imagine, then, that the whole argument is really settled the. Fountain of all good. For He is a light, and in Him
when they have pointed to that which the Lord is no darkness at all. He is the Holy One, Who dwells in
commanded His disciples shortly before His ascension, an inapproachable light and before Whose face the
namely, that they must preach the gospel to all seraphim must cover their faces. There is in God,
creatures, adding to this, "He that believeth and is therefore, one divinely perfect, eternal, and infinite
baptized shall be saved." They emphasize in this light-life of love.
connection that the Lord here places faith before            But God is also three in persons. For there are three
baptism, and not vice versa, and that therefore only that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and
those who first confess their faith may receive the sign the Spirit. There are in the one divine Essence three I's,
of baptism. But this matter is not so superficial as that, three subjects of that entire divine life. One divine
and the question is not to be settled in such a Being, but three Who bear that Being. One divine life,
simplistic manner. God's Word is not like a dictionary, but three Who live that life. One divine mind, but three
from which one can quote according to the mere Who think in that divine mind. One divine will, but
sound of the words. After all, even apart from the fact three Who will in that divine will. One divine love, but
that little children as well as adults can possess a true three Who love with that divine love. Thus the
faith, and even apart from the opposite fact that adult Scriptures reveal God to us. To this must be added that
confessors can very well be devoid of a true faith just these Three Persons, although essentially perfectly one
as well as little children, it nevertheless remains true and equal, are nevertheless distinct according to their
that the above-quoted words of the Lord Jesus, personal attributes. They all bear the divine Being, but
according to the context, can only refer to the bearing not all in the same manner. For the Father is Father,
of the gospel into the world of heathendom. The Lord out of Whom are all things. Of Him are also all things
is sending His disciples into the world with the within the divine Being eternally. From eternity to
proclamation of the gospel, with the testimony of His etemity He generates the Son and eternally gives Him
death and resurrection, with the promise of forgiveness to have life in Himself. And from eternity to eternity
and life through `His blood. And it lies in the very He breathes forth the Spirit Who eternally testifies of
nature of the case that then the rule must always be: Him. Hence, the Father lives and thinks and wills and
he that believeth and is baptized.shall be saved. Also loves in that full, eternally perfect divine love-life as
those of Reformed persuasion abide by this rule when Father. The Son is Son in all of His divine living and
they go to the heathen with the testimony of Jesus loving. He is eternally generated of the Father and is
Christ.                                                   therefore the express image of the Father's being. In an
  But all this says nothing at all with regard to the infinitely perfect manner He reflects the image of the
propriety of infant baptism. No, the difference lies Father. He thinks and wills and loves and lives
squarely in the area of the doctrine of the covenant. eternally as Son in the infinite Being of God. And He
Baptists simply have no eye for this truth, especially also breathes forth the Spirit, Who also eternally
not for the truth of the historico-organic development testifies of Him. The Holy Spirit is Spirit, that is, He is
of God's covenant on earth in the line of generations. breathed forth of the Father and the Son. He proceeds
And thus they close their eyes to one of main lines of from both, and then in such a manner that the Father
Holy Writ. To this doctrine, therefore, we shall have to and the Son meet one another in the Spirit. In the
give our attention. We shall have to ask wherein the Holy Spirit the Father faces the Son, and the Son faces


382                                                THE STANDARD BEARER


the Father. For the Word is with God, and the Son is may live with Him in covenant friendship. When God,
in the bosom of the Father. The Spirit searches the therefore, establishes His covenant with creatures
deep things of God and lives and thinks and wills and whom He in His sovereign grace has chosen and
loves as Spirit. He is the Spirit of truth; and He prepared thereunto, then in that covenant He is the
testifies, and He is the connecting-link in the divine Friend-Sovereign while the creature is His  friend-
love-life.                                                   servant according to the ordinance of that covenant.
   Thus, then, God is the eternally living One in The covenant is God's, and God's alone. He establishes
Himself. There is the most perfect unity of Being in it. He forms the creature who will share in that
God, and nevertheless personal distinction: Father, covenant. He imparts His life, and He writes His law in
Son, ,and Holy Spirit, willing and thinking, living and their hearts and sheds abroad His love in those hearts.
loving in the one, eternally-good and perfect divine He eternally blesses them in that covenant with the
Being, thinking and willing and loving always the same, full, rich life of His fellowship. And the creature thus
and knowing one another perfectly, and yet so, that formed by Him is the work of His hands, the revelation
each of the three Persons lives that divine life of His grace. That creature serves Him in love and
according to His personal attributes. It is herein that consecrates Himself as friend-servant of the Lord God
the essence of the covenant is to be found. That life of with his whole existence and with all things. Thus that
God is a covenant life, a life of the most intimate friend of God also becomes prophet, priest, and king
communion of ,love and friendship, resting in the unity under God. He is prophet in order to love God with all
of God's Being and living through  the. personal his mind, to know Him and to glorify His great name.
distinction. The Lord God is a covenant God.                 He is priest in order to love the Lord with all His heart
   Now it has pleased God, according to His sovereign and from the sanctuary of His heart to offer up himself
good pleasure, according to the counsel of His will, to and all things in consecration to Him. He is king, in
reveal this covenant life outside of Himself and to order that with all his strength he may cleave to the
make the creature a partaker of that divine covenant Lord his God, ask after His ordinances, and rule over
life, and that too, in the highest possible sense of the all creatures in His name. To this must be added that
word. For He is pleased to dwell with His people and         according to that same counsel of His good pleasure,
to spread His tabernacle over them. He wills to walk the Lord realizes this covenant along the antithetical
with them and to cause them to walk with Him. He line of election and reprobation, of grace and sin, of
desires to speak with them as a friend with his friends,     light and darkness, unto the higher revelation of  l%s
and to cause them likewise to speak with Him. He is glory and the greater glory of His covenant friends. For
p1ease.d to make them partakers of His life and to make God the Lord not only forms the light, but He also
them walk in His light. He wills to be known by them,        creates the darkness; He not only has mercy upon
even as He knows them. He desires that they shall see whom He will, but He also hardens whom He will. He
Him face to face. He is pleased to have them dwell has made all things for His own name's sake. For this
with Him under one roof, to eat and drink with them, reason His covenant friends must for a time be in the
to have most intimate fellowship with them, to reveal midst of a world that knows them not, that hates them
to them His secrets. Beautifully this is expressed in the because it is of the darkness while they, through God's
versification of Psalm 25 : 14:                              grace, are of His party. For this reason, too, there is in
              Yea, the secret of Jehovah                     this world a struggle for the sake of God's covenant: a
              Is with those who fear His Name;               struggle, however, which takes place according to the
              With His friends in tender mercy               counsel of <His will and in which everything, both in
              He His covenant will maintain.                 heaven and on earth, must serve to bring the people of
(Note. This version of our Psalter is not a completely His choice to everlasting victory.
accurate English equivalent of the Dutch versification         For this reason, moreover, God's covenant is not a
which the author always loved to quote in this mere way unto salvation. It is eternal! And it shall then
connection; for those who can appreciate it, we also only be fully revealed when our Lord Jesus Christ shall
cite that Holland rendering.)                                come again and when God shall forever spread His
              Gods verborgen omgang vinden                   tabernacle over all and when they shall dwell with Him
              Zielen, daar Zijn vrees in woont;              in everlasting perfection, knowing Him and seeing Him
              `t Heilgeheim wordt aan Zijn vrinden,          face to face. For now are we the children of God; but
              Naar .Zijn vreeverbond, getoond.               it is not yet revealed what we shall be; but when it
j Those friends of God are, according to the counsel shall be revealed, then shall we be like Him, for we
Iof His will, at the same time His servants in that shall see Him even as He is. And therefore God's
/friendship. For God is eternally God, and there is none people in the midst of the world must never grow
[beside Him. No one ever becomes equal to God, weary. For it is given them of grace in behalf of Christ,
Ithough His creature may bear His image and may be not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His
[like Him, yea, may know Him even as he is known and sake. And the,victory is certain!


                                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                             383


                                    BOOK-.-REVIEW
SCRIPTURE UNION BIBLE STUDY BOOKS, by `written by a team of evangelical scholars each of
various authors  (Eerdmans, 1968, each paperback whom has earned a reputation for sound and compe-
volume approximately 100 pages, $1.25). Included in tent biblical scholarship. . . . Taken together the books
this review are volumes on: Proverbs to Isaiah 39, I provide a simple and complete commentary on the
Kings to II Chronicles, Ezra to Job,  The Psalms, whole Bible."
Joshua to II Samuel.                                         Frankly, these books are of little value. As com-
                                                           mentaries, they are a complete failure, if for no other
  The claim of this series, as stated in the Introduc- reason that they are so scanty as hardly to qualify as
tion found in each volume, is a large one: "This series    commentaries at all. Certainly, material of this kind can
of books forms the intensive study level of the graded,    only with a great deal of imagination be called "basic
daily. Bible reading plan of Scripture Union, the well- study material" and a "mature and organized guide."
known and long established organization for the en- Nor, mainly because of the scantiness, is there much
couragement of Bible reading and study. Bible Study evidence of "sound and competent biblical scholar-
Books are designed to provide basic study material for ship." Not recommended.
the Christian who wishes to have a mature and orga-
nized guide for the whole of the Bible. The series is                                                       H.C.H.


          ATTENTION STAFF MEMBERS                               CALL TO ASPIRANTS TO THE MlNISTR  Y
  The Standard Bearer Staff will hold its annual                    Seminary and Pre-seminary Students
meeting the Lord willing on Monday, June 9, 1969 at
8:00 p.m. at the South Holland Protestant Reformed           All young men desiring to begin their studies this
Church. All department editors please take note of this fall in either the pre-seminary or the seminary depart-
meeting and reserve this evening. If unable to attend, ment of the Theological School of the Protestant
please contact the undersigned.                            Reformed Churches are requested to appear before the
                    Rev. J. Kortering, Secretary           Theological School Committee at its meeting to be
                                                           held, D.V., on Tuesday, May 27, at the First Protestant
               IMPORTANT NOTICE!!                          Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Mich.
  Notice is hereby given to our subscribers, the             The qualifications requisite to enrolling in the
societies of our churches, and all other groups and Seminary course are:
individuals that beginning with the July issue of The
Standard Bearer the cost of placing resolutions of           1. You must present a letter from your local
sympathy, anniversary notices, and all announcements consistory certifying that you are upright in walk and
will be $3.00. Please bear this in mind when sending in pure in doctrine.
your announcements to the Business Manager.
               The Board of The R.F.P.A.                     2. You must present a certificate of health, signed
                                                           by a reputable physician.

                  CALL TO SYNOD                              3. You must be a graduate from high school, being
   By decision of the last Synod, the Consistory of the able to show that you have completed a one-year
Protestant Reformed Church of South Holland, Illi- course in General History and in Church History, and
nois, notifies the Churches that the 1969 `Synod will that you have completed the following College
convene on Wednesday, June 4, a&9:00 A.M., the Lord courses: Latin-2 years, Greek-2 years, German-2 years,
willing, in the above mentioned Church.                    Dutch-2 years, Philosophy-l year, Psychology-l year,
   The Pre-Synodical Service will be held on Tuesday, and Logic-l semester.
June 3rd., at 8:00 P.M., Rev. John A. Heys to deliver
t h e   s e r m o n .                                        The qualifications to enter the pre-seminary depart-
   Synodical delegates are requested to gather with the ment are the same as above, except that "3" should
Consistory before the service.                             read, "a graduate from high school."
   Those in need of lodging please contact Raymond L.        In the event you cannot be present at this meeting,
Bruinsma ,of South Holland, Phone (3 12) 333-l 622.        please notify the undersigned secretary of your inten-
                Consistory of the Protestant               tions prior to the meeting.
                Reformed Church of South Holland                           Rev. J. Kortering, Sec'y
                Daniel Poortinga, V.P.                                     155 1 Wilson Ave., S.W.
                Raymond L. Bruinsma, Clerk                                Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504


384                                         THE STANDARD BEARER


                             News From Our Churches

                                      April 30, 1969       earth is becoming increasingly more corrupt until it
   Rev.  Vanden Berg, of our Oak Lawn Church, was seems that its measure of iniquity is full enough to
injured April 17 when his car overturned while on his bring it to the brink of destruction.
                                                                                  B  *  *  h
way to Randolph, Wis. where he was to fill a Classical       The congregation of First Church met Friday
appointment. He suffered a dislocated hip, a broken evening, April 18, to dedicate the new organ and
shoulder and head lacerations. He was hospitalized in re-dedicate the remodeled auditorium to the service of
Fon du Lac Wis. and was released after one week. He is our faithful Covenant God. The three church organists
now at home, but immobilized because of a body cast and the Reformed Witness Hour organist rendered
from the chest down to the knee of one leg and down beautiful organ music in such varied styles as to
the whole length of the other leg. This cast must demonstrate the versatility of the new instrument. Mr.
remain in place for six weeks, then to be replaced with R. Petersen, of the Music Committee, described the
a walking cast. At this writing his pain has subsided, organ as to its component voices separately and in
and he is as comfortable as can be under those conjunction with one another. Mr. T. Newhof, Jr., of
circumstances.                                             the Building Committee related some of their experi-
                       * * *  *                            ences in the huge task of remodeling the auditorium
  Rev. and Mrs. Lubbers and Mr. and Mrs. Meulenberg and the kitchen, and happily announced that it was
are in Jamaica, having left the Grand Rapids airport done at less than the estimated cost. Rev. Van Baren
Tuesday morning, April 8, at  8:30 and landing in read a liturgy of dedication and offered the dedicatory
Montego Bay at 4:30 in the afternoon. They received a prayer. After the program the people were invited to
warm send-off by the Mission Committee and many inspect the consistory room and the kitchen, and to be
friends and relatives, meeting in one of the conference
rooms at the airport for prayer and personal  well- served refreshments by the young people.
                                                                                  * * * *
wishing. They were not met at the Montego Bay                Southwest's congregation is enjoying their public
airport because they arrived some hours before their address system and its two outlets in the consistory
letter of information did. But they were enthusiasti- room and the cloak room where a mother may take
cally welcomed at the church at  Lucea the next her crying baby and can*s%ll*he~ the sermon.
Sunday morning with a song of greeting by the whole
congregation. Elder Meulenberg wrote: "When we               The Hope Mr. and Mrs. Society met in First Church
consider how limited our efforts have been in Jamaica, April 15 in a combined meeting, and the after-recess
then looking back to 1963, they have advanced program featured Prof. Hanko speaking on, "Extra-
wondrously, and by God's Grace stand firmly in the sensory Perception." *  *  *  *
truth even as they grow in grace and knowledge."
                       d  ;k  *  *                           Isabel's small congregation rejoiced April 20 in the
  Friday evening, April 25, was an important date in public confession of faith made by two of their
history for our Southeast Church in Grand Rapids. All members; this makes a 12% increase of their communi-
societies and the Sunday School cooperated in render-      cant membership listing in the Year Book!
                                                                                  *  8  * *
ing a program to commemorate the retirement of the           The League of Mr. and Mrs. Societies scheduled
mortgage on their church property. A social hour their Spring Meeting for May 2 in Hope Church. Dr. D.
followed with refreshments served in the church Monsma was secured to speak on a subject being
parlors.                                                   discussed in State Legislatures, in politician's confer-
                       *  *  *  Q                          ence rooms, and rather fearfully in our  circles-
  Rev. Harbach, of Kalamazoo, occupied the pulpit of
Hull, Iowa Sunday April 20 when the sacrament of "Federal Aid to Schools.`? It is generally conceded that
Holy Communion was celebrated. A congregational it is advisable to inspect the anchorage of the far end
meeting was scheduled for April 21 when the members of the string which is attached to this gift from Uncle
were called to name a minister-elect from a trio which Sam.                       * * * *
included the Revs. Decker, Engelsma and Woudenberg.          Rev. Engelsma, of Loveland, lectured in Forbes in
                       *  *  * *                           March and was privileged to preside at a consistory
  Hope's pastor, Rev. Kortering, is at present con- meeting, and to preach the sermon when two of their
sidering a call extended him by our congregation in young people made confession of their faith. So we of
South Holland, Ill.    *  *  *  *                          larger congregations share with Isabel and Forbes the
  The Western Ladies' League met on the afternoon of joy experienced when "souls are added to the church."
April 10 in Doon's  Church. Rev. Lanting, of Edger-ton,
Minn. addressed the League, speaking on, "The New                         . . . see you in church,
Heavens and the New Earth." This subject is growing
dearer to God's people in these days when the old                                                     J.M.F.


