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A   R E F O R M E D   S E M I - M O N T H L Y   M A G A Z I N E



I N   T H I S   I S S U E


          Meditation:
              Mahanaim - The Two Camps

          Editorial:
              Topsy-Turvy Joy from "Down Under"

          Feature Review:
              "The Challenge of our Age"

          Situation Ethics
              (see: The Strength of Youth)



                                              Volume XLV./ Number 20 /September I,1969


458                                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



                          CONTENTS:                                                                        THE STANDARD BEARER
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   Mahanaim - The Two Camps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .458 Editor-in-Chief: Prof. H. C. Hoeksema
                                                                                  Department Editors:  Mr. John M.  Faber.Rev:  Cornelius Hanko,Prof.
Editorials -                                                                      Herman  Hanko,  Rev. Robert C. Harbach, Rev. John A. Heys. Rev. Jay
   Editor's Notes                                                                 Kortering, Rev. George C. Lubbers, Rev.  Marinus Schipper, Rev.  Gise J.
                       . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 1    Van  Baren, Rev. Herman Veldman, Rev. Bernard Woudenberg
   Topsy-Turvy Joy From "Down Under" . . . . . . .46 1 Editorial Office:  Prof. H. C. Hoeksema
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Meditation

                     Rnahanaim  - The Two Camps
                                                                  Rev. M. Schipper

             "And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them,
            he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. "
                                                                                                                           Genesis 32:1, 2

   At the most crucial moment!                                                    the wrath of a raging brother according to the flesh;
   Just when this friend of God had been delivered out where he had labored hard for his wives and  sub-
of one crucible, and was on his way to be cast into                               stance; where he had been tried by the cruel  mach-
another -                                                                         inations of a father-in-law, whose every move toward
   That is when the angels of God met him!                                        Jacob was motivated by selfish and materialistic
   For Jacob was returning from his uncle  Laban,                                 ends; where nevertheless the God of Abraham, Isaac,
where he had fled some twenty years before to escape                              and now Jacob had blessed him exceedingly  -


                                               THE STANDARD  BEARER                                                   459


  the God Who had now commanded him to leave the now approaching homeland Jacob and company
~ country of  Laban and to return to his own promised          appeared not as the vanquishing but the vanquished.
  land. Indeed, a great relief it was to escape the miserly      But this is not all!
  fingers of  Laban, which for some twenty years had             What we have said so far only describes the camp of
  threatened Jacob's throat.                                   Jacob as one  ,might see it there, encamped as they
    But alas he was at the moment on the way to even a         were on the rugged terrain of northern Palestine.
  much greater trial!                                          What one could not see, but which was just as really
    He must face his brother Esau!                             there, was the forlorn and fearful spirit of the leader of
    Would Esau deal kindly with him? Or, was Esau the this host. There is where one is helpless most. Meekness
  same ruthless, cruel, vindictive monster Jacob had is not brought on first of all by the taking inventory of
  escaped from long ago? Jacob had no way of knowing one's physical resources which are of little account,
  that when he would actually see his brother again his but by the spiritual knowledge of one's smallness, his
  face would appear to him as "the face of God." Gen. little self-worth. Jacob expresses this sense of meekness
  33:lO). All he could remember was the wrath of a only a little while later when he prays: "0 God of my
  brother that threatened to kill him; and during the father, Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord
  twenty years of absence he no doubt heard of the which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to
  marauding exploits of his brother, who was bent on thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee. I am not
  living by the power of his sword.                            worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the
    What now was to become of him? Of his wives and truth, which thou hast  shewed  unto thy servant. .  .."
  little ones?                                                 When one stands in the presence of God, this is the
    Crucial indeed was the moment in which this child only true estimate one can make of himself. And when
  of God finds himself!                                        one takes a proper inventory of all of' Jehovah's
    When suddenly there appeared to him an army of mercies, the littleness  ,of self-worth becomes most
  brightly harnessed angels!                                   apparent and humbling. And when Jehovah providen-
    "`And when he saw them, he said, This is God's host:       tially drives Jacob into this confrontation with his
  and he called the name of that place Mahanaim."              adversary, He also brings out of Jacob  this true
    Mahanaim !                                                 assessment of himself as the  .fi-uit of  His everlasting
    The two camps!                                             mercy.
    On the one hand, the poor, defenseless Jacob                 But notice, too, that other camp!
  leading as well a defenseless host. On the other, there        They are described as the angels of God!
  was the impregnable body guard which God had                   As Jacob saw them, they constituted the camp of
  caused to light upon him and which now stood                 God, symbolizing the protective power of the Al-
  between him and his foe.                                     mighty, sent forth to guard His humbled servant and
    So there is one camp down here which included his his camp.
  helpless wives and children as well as his own frightful       Angels - those ministering spirits, sent forth to do
  self. And the other camp up there, seen no doubt only        service for the sake of them who shall be heirs of
  by Jacob, servants of the Most High, sent forth for the      salvation! So the writer to the Hebrews describes them
  service of God's elect. At the sight of it there must in Hebrews 1: 14. Such is also the significance of the
  have come over the soul of this child of God the glow        angels as expressed by the psalmist (91: 11) "For he
  of confident joy, which causes him to exclaim:               shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all
    Mahanaim!                                                  thy ways." Daniel also exclaims from the bottom of
    Observe, first of all, these two camps!                    the lion's den, "My God hath sent his angel, and hath
    The one camp represents the meek of' the earth.            shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me."
  Jacob was no soldier, nor were his servants prepared to And were not the apostles, Peter and John, let out of
  take up arms for defense. Jacob did not live by the          the prison where they had been held because of their
  sword as did his brother according to the flesh. Indeed,     preaching? And was not Peter again let out of prison
  he belonged to those whom the Scriptures designate as when his very life was about to be taken from him by
  the meek of the earth. Jacob had learned, and he Herod the king, who, after he had killed James, sought
  would live to learn again and again, that he cannot to please the Jews by also taking Peter's life? (Acts
  stand in his own strength. How often he had tried it,        5:19;  12:7).
  and would try it again. But how miserably he had               0, indeed, God has many angels. Not all have the
  failed. As to being able to withstand physical combat,       same tasks, nor do all fulfil the same purpose of God.
  and to bring an offensive against brute strength, `he was He has His  Michaels and His  Gabriels.  He has His
  harmless and defenseless. There was no man, nor an cherubim and His seraphim. He has His angels which
  arm of strength that is human to whom Jacob could with flaming swords guard the gate to Paradise and the
  appeal `for defense, were he to be brought into physical tree of life so that the banished may not return. He has
  confrontation by Esau. In the rugged terrain of his His angel that stands in the way on which rode


460                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



disobedient Balaam to threaten him for his dis- where the appearance of the Lord's host is necessary.
obedience. But He also has His angels which must bring If, however, we walk that way by our own devising, we
good tidings of salvation, and bring comfort and relief had better look for that angel with a sword, as he
to His distressed people. Witness the heavenly host appeared unto Balaam. Jacob, on the other hand, was
which appears over the shepherds at Bethlehem, and walking the way God had ordained, and commanded
the ministry of these heavenly servants as they appear him to walk in it. It is in this area, when we walk
with their comforting strength to the Man of Sorrows           according to the counsel and commandment of God,
as He crawled on the ground in Gethsemane, where He            that becomes also the occasion for the appearance of
appeared as a worm and no man.                                 His angels.
  In this time of Jacob's distress they appear as a well         At the most critical moment, that is when the two
harnessed and shining host of  armoured beings, as a camps meet! Many years later David, a man after God's
protective wall above and around him, no doubt                 own heart, experienced this also, and, by the way, in
reminding this saint of God of that experience he had this same place, when he was fleeing from his son
with them when he left his father's house, taking flight Absalom. (II Samuel 17). When he despaired of his life,
from the wrath of his brother Esau. Then at Bethel when he who ate bread with him had lifted up his heel
they appeared unto him in a dream as ascending and             against him, then God turned the evil counsel of
descending from heaven on a ladder, which experience Ahithophel, that Judas of the Old Testament, to
Jacob then interpreted as dwelling in the very                 nought, and delivered His servant back to his throne.
presence, in the house of God. Therefore he called the         Do you not think that this saint of God as he lay there
place Bethel, meaning: .House  of God. Reminding him           on the ground of Mahanaim reminisced, calling to
too of what the Lord told him on that occasion: "I am          memory the story as it had been handed down, how
the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of that his father Jacob had seen a vision of angels in this
Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it,    very place? 0, indeed, he did! Listen to him as he
and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of penned his Psalms recalling this occasion. "I laid me
the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west,           down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me."
and to the east, and to the north, and to the south:           And again, "I will both lay me down in peace and
and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the      sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in
earth be blessed." (Gen. 28: 13, 14). Here, however, it        safety."  (Ps. 3, 4). And again, "There shall no evil
is Mahanaim, the two camps. But there is evidently a           befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy
connection between these two visions of angels,                dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee,
between Bethel and Mahanaim. For when the Lord gave            to keep thy in all thy ways." (Ps. 91). 0, indeed, the
commandment to Jacob to return He said, "I am the              Lord knows just the right moment to sent  His host.
God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and           And these angels know exactly in what form they shall
where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get               appear to fit exactly the need of Jehovah's saints.
thee out of this land, and return unto the land of thy           What cause is there to fear then, 0 Jacob, so long as
kindred." (Gen. 3 1: 13). At Mahanaim, therefore, the          you know you are walking in God's way? The heavenly
Lord was showing Jacob that He will see to it that             protectors hover round thee, and therefore no harm
nothing, not even a raging and threatening Esau, shall
                     .                                         can come to thee!
intervene and spoil His purpose to realize His cov-              Why then fear, 0 child of God, often cast into
enant with Jacob, or to stop Jacob from keeping his            despair as you walk the dusty road of obedience, and
vow.                                                           are confronted with many foes, often much more
  As always, so now, these two camps meet at the               imposing than Esau ? Not only do you have the
most opportune time and place!                                 comforting assurance of Jehovah's guardian angels,
  As to the place, we read that Jacob was on his way who, when you are cast down, will not allow your feet
when the angels of God met him. The way was that               to touch the stones, but Who Himself has said: "Lo, I
which His God had bidden him to walk. 0, it is also            am with you always, even unto the end of the world."
true that the way was Jacob's It formed a part of his            Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?
life. And it is also certainly true that the angels of God     And who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
meet God's saints on the dusty road of common life. If           Be persuaded that nothing shall be able to separate
we do not recognize their presence in the common               us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
place, we need not look for them in some special place.        Lord !
And it is in the path of duty that those occasions arise         Amen!

   Watch your church bulletin and the September 15 issue for more details about the annual meetings of the
       R.F.P.A. on September 25.


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                         461



Editorials

                                          EDITOR'S NOTES

Your special  attention is called to the Feature Review      the committee. It seems that especially in the Jenison-
in this issue. It deals with a subject of widespread Hudsonville area something went amiss with the postal
current interest, that of the philosophy behind such         service; several peqple in that area have informed me
movements as the A.C.S.S., C.A.F., the C.L.A.C., and         that their copies never arrived. The committee regrets
others. Personally, I am more and more inclined to           this,. and will, of course, make amends if it is called to
characterize these movements as neo-Reformed, with a their attention. Hence, if you have not yet received
strong admixture of neo-Kuyperian leaven. However your book, do one of two things: 1) Telephone Mr. T.
that may be, they bear ctieful  watching and analysis.       Newhof Sr., 458-5643. 2) Write to: The R.F.P.A., Post
And Prof. Hanko's careful and thorough review of Office Box 2006, Grand Rapids, Mich. 49501.
"The Challenge of our Age" should be read by all who                                     ***
wish to keep abreast of developments.
                          ***                                Our Theological School will  open its doors for the
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and paid for a copy of "Behold He Cometh," and have and seven students and their labors to the prayers of
not yet received your copy, please get in touch with         our people and our churches.


                 Topsy-Turvy Joy From "Down Under"
                                               Prof H. C. Hoeksema

   The June 20 issue of "The Banner" carried a few better things, began to philosophize about a  static-
thoughts on "The Joy of Systematic Theology" which ontological way of theologizing and a dynamic-
came from "down under," that is, from Australia, relational way, to deprecate the former, and to extol
from the pen of Dr. Klaas Runia of the Reformed the latter.
Theological College in Geelong.                                Imagine, further, my dismay when I discovered that
  Now Systematic Theology, although I much prefer Dr. Runia devoted about one-fourth of his  four-
to call it Dogmatics, is dear to my heart; I find great column article to what he thought was an illustration
joy in it. And the subject of Dr. Runia's article, of the to-be-rejected "static-ontological" method from
therefore, immediately caught my eye. Ah, I thought the "Reformed Dogmatics" of Herman Hoeksema.
to myself, this will be an article which exalts the value      And imagine how my disappointment and dismay
of Systematic Theology and which even presents it as a gave way to downright consternation when I dis-
delight to him who engages in the study of it. Besides, covered that to Runia the allegedly sound "dynamic-
I thought, Systematic Theology (I prefer to speak of relational" way of theologizing in. fact meant that one
"Dogmatics") has largely fallen upon evil times,  fallen turns theology upside down (substituting a changeable
into disrepute; and it can therefore very well stand a for an unchangeable God), and that therefore the
"boost." And when Dr. Runia wrote, "And yet we "joy" of which Runia was writing was after all a
maintain that systematic theology is a joyful affair," I topsy-turvy joy, rooted in a topsy-turvy theology.
breathed a hearty "Amen," therefore. And even when             Let me explain.
he added, "But, of course, it all depends on how you As To Dr. Runia's  Illus&ation
are doing' it," I unsuspectingly went along with him;          As I already mentioned, Dr. Runia attempts to
for, I thought, it is certainly possible for some illustrate what he means by the "static-ontological"
systematic theologies to be "dry as dust" and for way of theologizing by referring to a section of H.
classes in this branch of theology to be "dull and Hoeksema's "Reformed Dogmatics." In this connec-
lifeless and uninspiring.`? I was naive enough to dream tion Runia writes as follows:
that Dr. Runia had in mind Systematic Theology                     Let us &&ate what we mean by an example. Let
which is thoroughly Reformed in its method and in its            us take the attribute of God which is usually called
content when he spoke of it as being a joyful affair.            God's immutability. In the fast way of thinking the
  Imagine my disappointment, therefore, when this                emphasis is on the ontological  aspect. Immutability
"down under" theologian, of whom I  had expected                 means that God cannot change and this is applied to


462                                                     THE STANDARD BEARER



       his Being, that is, to God as He is in himself.              the earth." And this "opposite" Dr. Runia cannot find
       Recently we read the Reformed Dogmatics of Prof.             iri Hoeksema's explanation, nor in any of his writings.
       H. Hoeksema. One could call this work a typical                What, then, is the point which Hoeksema makes in
       example of the static+ntological way of thinking.            this connection? It is this, that whatever the explana-
       The immutability is circumscribed as follows. "God           tion of God's repentance may be, that explanation
       is that He is in all the infinite and constant fulness of
       His Being. He does not grow older, does not increase         may not be such that it contradicts the truth of God's
       or decrease in Being or power, is from eternity to           immutability, but must be such that it is in harmony
       eternity the same in all His tifues, in His mind and         with the Scriptural truth of the divine  unchangeable-
       will, His love and life, the absolute fulness and            ness. I know not what Dr. Runia thinks of this. But to
       Self-sufficient God." It is not surprising  that             me this is both sound exegetical practice and sound
       Hoeksema does not really know what to do with                dogmatics: Scripture does not contradict Scripture! It
       such biblical expressions as "God repents." Actually         is not Hoeksema's intention to explain God's repen-
       in his explanation, the expression is entirely robbed        tance in this connection, but only to show along What
       of its meaning: "We must remember that the eternal           lines that explanation must be made, namely, that
       and immutable God reveals Himself in time, and that          "these instances may never be explained as presup-
       what is thus revealed to us in a succession of               posing a change in God." And if Runia had quoted the
       moments is eternally and unchangeably in the mind
       of God." Whatever these words may mean (it is                entire paragraph from which he takes a couple
       rather hard to understand them), it is clear that they       sentences, this would have been clear to the readers of
       virtually change the expression into its opposite!           "The Banner."
                                                                      But this also renders the vaunted and allegedly
  Now I will pass by the question why Dr. Runia, joyful systematic theology of Dr. Runia suspect. For if
especially when writing for readers of "The Banner," he accuses Hoeksema of virtually changing the expres-
did not choose his illustration from the dogmatician of sion ("God repents") into its opposite, when
the Christian Reformed Church, Prof. Louis Berkhof, Hoeksema only insists that God's repentance must be
who speaks similar language about God's immutability. explained in harmony with His immutability, the
  But there are certain items which should not be suspicion immediately arises that Runia indeed wants
ignored in this connection.                                         to explain God's repentance as presupposing a change
  One of them is the fact that Dr. Runia finds this in God.
language dark and difficult to understand, so that he is              And this is literally what Runia wants, as is plain
in doubt about its meaning. I profess that I fail to see from the following quotation:
what is difficult about this explanation. It is written in                In the dynamic-relational way of thinking, the
plain English: "We must remember that the eternal and                   approach is quite different. The term immutability is
immutable God reveals Himself ti. time, and that what                   not primarily seen as a qualification of God's
is thus revealed to us in a succession of moments is                    Being-in-the-abstract, but rather it is interpreted as
eternally and unchangeably in the mind of God." What                    God's remaining faithful to himself and therefore to
is so .obscure about this statement? Apply it to one of                 his word to us, both his word of promise and bis
the instances of God's repentance cited in this connec-                 word of judgment. It is obvious that the ontological
tion, that of Genesis 6:6. It means that the "moment'?                  aspect is not denied. On the contrary, it is seen as
of God's making man in the earth, the moment of the                     basic, but at the same time it is stated in relational
fall, the moment of the rapid development of the first                  terms: God being faith&Z  to himself, to his inner-
world in sin, the moment of the filling'of the measure                  most Being. And this is immediately related to his
                                                                        faithfulness to us.
of iniquity by that  fast world, and the moment of                        This is also the way the Bible itself speaks about
God's wrath with respect to the wicked pre-diluvian                     God's unchangeableness. Hoeksema quotes three pas-
world,  - all these moments were eternally and                          sages of Scripture (Malachi 3:6; Psalm 102:25-27;  and
unchangeably' in God's mind, and that too, in relation                  James 1: 17), but in all three cases he completely
to one another.                                                         ignores the context. These passages are not state-
  But what is not clear to me, in the second place, is                  ments about God's Being-in-Himself, but they all
that fact that while Runia finds this statement "rather                 speak of God's faithfulness to his people. This faith-
hard to understand" and is not clear as to its meaning,                 fulness is not based on anything that is in these
nevertheless suddenly the statement is so clear to him                  people, but on God himself for He is a God who is
that he can write:  ". . .it is clear that they virtually               far from all arbitrariness and capriciousness. He
                                                                        is a God  upon whom his people can rely in
change the expression into its opposite!" Now the                                  .._
                                                                        all circumstances. Witbin  this context, expressions
latter is exactly not clear; nor can Runia by any stretch               like "God repents" do not create a real problem
of the imagination demonstrate this. It is plain to                     either. They are indicative of the fact that our
anyone that the opposite of the statement, "It                          faithful God is a living God. Although He is in no
repented the Lord that he had made man in the earth,"                   way imprisoned in history (He is the Creator, who in
is: "It repented not the Lord that he had made man in                   an act of Sovereign freedom created the universe and


                                                  THE  STANbARD   BEAkR                                                     463


    thus started its history), yet He is right. in history     splitting. I submit that the statement of Runia is a direct
    with us, and He acts and reacts in history. He never       contradiction of Malachi 3: 6, a passage of which he
    changes his word, but He does change His attitude          states that Hoeksema ignores the context. Let us grant,
    toward people in full accord with the word He has          for the sake of argument, that Hoeksema ignores the
    spoken to them. If they sin, his wrath is kindled. If      context. But then Runia ignores and contradicts the
    they repent, his forgiving grace comes to them.
       There is no change in God, in the sense that one        text. The text says: "I Jehovah change not." Runia
    does not know what He will do the next moment. On          says: "He does change. . ." And here is the seriousness
    the contrary, one knows this all the time, for He has      of the matter from a practical, spiritual point of view:
    spoken and his word is firmer than the strongest           by contradicting the text Dr. Runia contradicts the
    rock.                                                      very basis for the comfort expressed in the last part of
  Now I will not criticize this confused passage in the same verse: "therefore ye sons of Jacob are not
detail. I will pass by the many unsupported, irrelevant, consumed."
and contradictory statements.                                    This is indeed topsy-turvy theology, the perversion
  Let me point out, however, the one glaring fact. Dr. of true theology.
Runia contradicts the truth of God's unchangeableness            And whatever joy may be derived from it is a
and bluntly teaches that God  changes!  This is not topsy-turvy joy!
merely my interpretation of Runia; it's his own literal          This kind of theology does not make me glad, but
statement. There it stands: "HE DOES CHANGE sad.
HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD PEOPLE. . .." Runia may                      Moreover, if this is a fair sample of the way they do
try to qualify this and limit it and speak of a sense in theology down under, then I can only feel sorry for
which God does not change. The fact remains that in the Reformed Churches of Australia. And as far as this
his vaunted "dynamic-relational" theology he em- country is concerned, "The Banner" does its readers
braces a proposition which no Reformed man should no service by giving this kind of theology a forum in its
ever be able to get out of his pen: God changes!               pages. I strongly advise Editor Vander Ploeg to make
  Now this is dreadfully serious! Let no one think this correction, - in the interest of the Reformed faith.
is a matter of academic debate or theological hair-                                  (to be continued)


Feature Review
                  "The Challenge of our Age"
                                                        Pro$ H. Hanko


THE CHALLENGE OF OUR AGE, by Hendrik Hart;                       A closer look at various aspects of the book will
published by The Association for the Advancement of make this clear.
Christian Studies, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; 148 pp.,            The main thrust of the book is defined in the
$2.00 (paper).                                                 preface:
                                                                         The book presents an attempt to come to grips  "
  This book, written by the assistant professor of                  with the broad cultural context in which we live and
philosophy at the Institute for Christian Studies in                to indicate the general direction in which we must
Toronto, Canada, is part of the Christian Perspective               move. In other words, through all the confusion that
Series and includes lectures given at the 1966 and 1967             characterizes the twentieth century, the book
Study Conferences of A.R.S.S. and F.C.U.C.                          attempts to reach a Christian perspective.
  This is not an easy book to review. The difficulty in          What the author means by "Christian perspective" is
reviewing it lies not so much in any problems of more precisely defined in the last chapter. In fact, the
determining the main thrust of the author in this series last chapter is  the  important chapter in the book. It
of lectures. This main thrust is rather clearly stated in states in a positive way the author's position. The rest
the book. But the difficulty lies rather in the fact that      of the book points to it and builds up to the climax
the arguments marshalled in support of the chief thesis found in it. For this reason, one becomes increasingly
of the book are not at all clearly stated. From a impatient to arrive at this last chapter. The question
theological point of view there are highly questionable that continues to nag is: What does the author mean
positions taken. In support of the main theme there by "Christian perspective?" What is "The Challenge of
are arguments made which are difficult to follow and           Our Age?" Yet the last chapter is a disappointment.
of highly questionable validity.                               The big things promised never completely materialize.


464                                                        THE STANDARD BEARER



One feels cheated. Having traversed a long and difficuit             2000 years. It is true that Hart speaks of this as our
road, one comes at last to an almost empty cave. The calling "in our age"; but the question remains: If this is
author mentions in an Appendix to the lectures that our calling in our age, why has it not been the calling
the chief criticism offered by those who discussed the of the Church in every age? Does the calling of the
lectures was that the book was filled with too many people of God change with various circumstances in
generalities and not enough specifics. While admitting a society? It is evidently Hart's position that it does. We
certain validity to these criticisms, the author contends disagree. And here lies a major weakness in the book.
that generalities are necessary on the one hand because If the true nature of biblical living is communal
a foundation has to be laid and on the other hand' Christian social action, one would expect Scripture to
because the answers to all the specific problems are not show this clearly. And one would expect Hart to point
yet in. He attempts to fill this lack in a brief way in the this out in Scripture and bolster his argument with
Appendix. But the disappointment I felt had not so sound Scriptural proof. This he does not do. Various
much, to do with the generalities of the book as with texts are from time to time referred to (mostly in: the
the fact that the author seemed to me to fail to make footnotes), but there is no exegesis of these texts and
his case. The jump from the argumentation of the first no attempt made to show how they support his thesis.
chapters to the last chapter seemed to be too big a                    However all this may be, it is more important to get
jump to be stistained  by the logical argument.                      at the argument behind Hart's position. The key to this
  It is better to turn to specifics.                                 seems to lie in the expression at the very end of the
  The author is intent on demonstrating that the true quotation made above: "This is biblical seculariza-
Christian perspective is a perspective in which the tion." Hart calls for biblical secularization. What does
Christian lives in every area of life from a biblical he mean by that strange term? The answer lies
standpoint. This biblical standpoint is communal imbedded in a footnote. (By the way, this is one
Christian social action in every sphere of life. This formal criticism of the book which ought to be made.
perspective calls upon the Christian to subdue every The footnotes are lengthy, copious and important. In
area of life to the rule of Christ and on behalf of fact they are so important that material found in them
Christ's kingdom. To use the author's words:                         ought really to be included in the main body of the
          A full life in the Kingdom of God can mean                 text. But they are always found at the end of the
       nothing less than to be antithetically contending with        chapter. And this makes for difficult reading. One can
       every spirit which is not of Christ, to be rendering          scarcely follow the argument of the text without
       every aspect, every force of creation captive to the          consulting the footnotes. But to page to the end of the
       Word of God, the Will of the Creator, the Law of the          chapter, sometimes four or five times in  a short
       Kingdom, the Ordinance of the King. In other words,           paragraph, makes reading exceedingly difficult.) This
       sons of the Kingdom must make the entire world
       their concern with the powers and resources of their          footnote (note 21 on page 112) dermes this "seculari-
       whole lives. This is bl%lical se'cularization.  p. 123.       zation" as being a deliverance of "human life out of the
          . . . learning to live biblically in OUY age is fust of    bondage of institutionalized ecclesiastic dominion."
       all learning to live in terms of organized Christian          This is a very key point in the author's argument.
       action. Those who have been confronted with this                I have long suspected that the proponents of
       and still keep stressing in principle the primary need        separate Christian action take a very jaundiced view of
       for individualistic witness within the secular struc-         the church institute. When I broached this possibilit$
       tures, without assuming reformational responsibility          to various proponents of such views, I was always
       toward the latter, grieve the Holy Spirit and deny the        vehemently assured that this was not the case. The
       power of the Kingdom to this world. p. 127.                   book speaks of this matter. The position of Hart is that
  Thus the author's plea is a plea being increasingly the institute of the Church has, in our day, become
heard  ,in our  dajr not only by those organizations wrongly identified with the body of Christ. This
before which these lectures were given but by other erroneous identification (whatever that may mean) has
groups throughout the country.                                       led to a life in which Christianity no longer speaks to
  It is not my intention to quarrel in this review with all areas of Christian concern. In other words, the
the thesis that there is room for united Christian action failure of the believer to permeate all of society with
in various spheres of life such as politics, econon$cs, the leaven of Christianity is due to this erroneous
etc. This is entirely possible. But whether this is the identification. (precisely how this all comes about is
real thrust of Scripture is quite another question. not made clear.) The institute is therefore in need of
Whether this calling is really the essence of biblical deliverance. What the institute ought to be in distinc-
living is something else. To do anything else but join in tion from what it now is is made clear in the following
such united Christian action is, in the author's words, quote :
to grieve the Holy Spirit and deny the power of the                         Learning to live biblically in a secular world means
Kingdom. To this I cannot subscribe. In essence this                     learning to give full and active support to Christian
means that the Church has grieved the Spirit for almost                  education, Christian political action, Christian labor


                                                  THE  STAbhARD   BEARER                                                       465


    activity, Christian everything; and learning to under-    the very strong impression is left that the author, in
    stand the church-institute as the organization which      some form, maintains a certain continuous authorita-
    is called upon to promote such support concretely          tive revelation apart from the Scriptures or at least in
    andauthoritatively in  the name of Christ. p. 127.        addition to the Scriptures. There is need for further
  In other words, the institute assumes its proper role clarification by the author at this key point.
only when it is a means to instruct the believer in his          It is precisely in this connection that the author
calling in society. All of this does not seem to give to leaves the strong impression that he does not want
the institute of the Church the place which Scripture objective truth as part of the revelation of God. The
gives it. This suspicion is strengthened by a statement statement is probably too strong. He deliberately
such as:                                                       disassociates himself from those who relativize and
       The exercise of faith in the home is of extreme
    importance and perhaps the only means of recovering        subjectivize all truth. But again, the author is not clear.
    a life close to the Scriptures. p. 141.                   He leaves the impression that objective truth is not
                                                              important, at the very least. A few quotes will help to
  The objection to the above statement is not that it clarify the point.
stresses the importance of the exercise of faith in the               (Many Christians) say that truth is objective and
home; it is the author's use of the word "only" which              absolute and that it is independent of us. But this is a
causes trouble. This "only" seems to be a sigh of                  very dangerous thought. . . . pp. 55 & 56.
despair that the institute will ever take on its proper          The author would probably object to the use of this
task. The author's disillusionment with the institute quote in the short form in which I use it. He would
(particularly of the Christian Reformed Church) is insist that the quote is taken out of context. He would
evident is various criticisms which he has of some point out that in the context he asserts emphatically
classical and synodical decisions.                            that he means that no single isolated "fact" can be
  But this matter of the institute is directly related to truth taken by itself. Truth is only truth as it stands
the Holy Scriptures and the author's view of them. The historically related to all the other "facts" and all the
author speaks repeatedly of a "biblically related life". other circumstances to which it is connected. The
His view of Scripture is of some importance therefore. author uses an illustration to clarify what he means.
But here again we are left in doubt as to precisely what              During the last war many Christians in the
the author has in mind. In the Appendix to this book               Netherlands wondered what they ought to say in the
(cf. p. 137) the author maintains "the unconditional               event that they were hiding someone and an enemy
authority of the infallibly inspired Scriptures". But he           came to the door asking if that person were there.
discusses at length the relation between the Word of               Those people argued: If we say no, we surely lie,
God and the Bible. In warning against the extremes of              because the person is here. And we may not lie. But if
"Biblicism" and liberal views which deny the inspira-              we say yes, the person will be caught and probably
tion of Scripture, the author says:                                shot. Then we have committed treason and that is
       But if the Scriptures provide us with an authorita-         not allowed either. The unfortunate mistake made by
    tively inspired  instance, a  sufficient instance, of          these people was that they had a conception of truth
    God's Word-revelation, of his dealing with his people          called correspondence-to-facts. They did not under-
    and of their obedient response, for our instruction:           stand that to say yes in such a case, was, instead of
    in that case the power of the Word cannot be limited            speaking the truth, giving false witness. The truth
    to that instance, but comes to us in its universal             in this case would have been to take a stand in the
    authority. p. 120.                                             love of that brother for Christ's sake. Further, the
  I confess that I do not understand what the author               meaning of the entire situation was such that the
is saying in this quote. But the troubling word in it is           man for whom the enemy was inquiring, viz,  a-
the word `"instance." The Scriptnres are an. authorita-            person-whom-they-had-the-right-to-kill, was not
tive instance of God's Word-revelation; and for that               there. That was indeed why he was  hiding there.
                                                                   Now, in this case what could be verified? The only
reason, the power of the Word cannot be limited to                 thing that would have stood up to the test of
that one authoritatively inspired instance of  Word-               impartial observation would have been that the
revelation. When therefore, I read the author's                    person was there. But he was not. What could be
criticism of "propositional revelation" and when in a              verified was  180-pounds-of-fearfully-breathing-flesh-
footnote to the above quote the author says: "If one               in-the-closet. But the  truth could not be verified.
ties  the Word  down  to the verbality of the written              Notwithstanding the fact that there was a man in the
Scriptures, as the Scribes and Pharisees had done                   closet. (p. 55.)
(biblicism and verbalism) the Word no longer comes to            This strikes me as the baldest kind of sophistry.
us in its full authority", then I wonder if there is not Carried over into the field of theology however, this
some Barthianism in the author's conception. It is has very dangerous consequences and implications. The
difficult to say how much stress the author intends to whole position of Hart sounds suspiciously like the
place upon the underscored words "tie. .  .down" and position of those who deny that God can be known in
what effect this is intended to have on the quote, but Himself - or that the knowledge of God in Himself is


466                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER



not important. This is a relativizing of truth.                          undermine the full authority of the Bible and on the
    This suspicion is strenghthened by the footnote                      other hand to reduce the Word of God to a set of
appended to the quote on pp. 55 & 56 (made above):                       truths, a  collection  of infallible propositions.
             Theories of truth that speak of absolute objec-           It is no wonder then that the author has quite a
          tivity make truth to be a conceptual matter of             different conception of what constitutes a lie. Only the
          doubtful origin. Intellectualistic doctrines of truth      whole context of the circumstances of a "fact" can
          cannot possibly account for the biblical notion of         determine this. He approves therefore of the lie of
          truth as something to be done and lived. (These            Rahab for example  - although he insists that Rahab
          italics are mine, H. H.) Truth primarily concerns          told the truth when she denied the presence of the
          man's relation to the Word of God and not his first        spies in her house. He errs when he maintains that
          of all having correct ideas or beliefs.                    Scripture approves of Rahab's lie. The fact is that
    This footnote is particularly interesting. The author Scripture says nothing about it. Hart may not argue
maintains that it is not primarily what we believe from Scripture's silence that Scripture condones it..
which is important. It is rather what we do and how                    Another interesting question which is also con-
we live. But what is forgotten is the fact that what we nected with all the foregoing is the question of the
do and how we live is only something important when possible postmillennialism in Hart's thesis. Does not
it is rooted firmly in what we believe. And what we the Christian communal and social action which Hart
believe is what God has objectively revealed concerning pleads for necessarily imply postmillennialism? Does,
Himself. It is true that no single proposition can be Hart give any indication of being postmillennial? The
understand by itself in isolation from the whole of answer to this question is not easy. If placed before the
Scripture. But the whole of Scripture is nevertheless. question, I am sure Hart would emphatically deny any
objective revelation of God as the God Who saves His
elect people through Christ. And that central truth has postmillennialism  in his views. But there are quotes
                                                                     from the book which are troubling nonetheless. They
meaning only because of all the individual truths which are not definite and conclusive. But one wonders if
are incorporated in Holy Writ.                                       they do not have' some of the overtones of postmil-
   It is not difficult to see how all this fits in with the lennialism nonetheless..
author's view of Scripture and of the church institute.
And this is the basis for communal Christian action in                 On page 68 Hart writes:
                                                                            To gain a real foothold in western culture which is
every sphere of life.                                                    completely overpowered by the secular grip of
   Two more quotes on this same subject will give                        Humanism takes, I would think, more time than
some idea of the importance which the author gives to                    barely one hundred years and more men than a few
-this.                                                                   thousands. To dethrone or compete with or even
            And I would therefore venture to say that what               challenge successfully a power which has had its
          has been said so far should not be taken to be merely          strongholds established and built up for some two
          someone's  view,   but should be approached as an              thousand years is no mean thing. Yet, we may keep
          attempt to let the Scriptures be their own witness.            our hopes and our courage high. For when we are
          The necessity in our lives is not that of being stated         doing the Lord's work there is no power ultimately
          correctly in some sound theological doctrine of                strong enough to withstand him; as he made known
          Scripture, nor even of being formulated in an                  to us in such men as Gideon.
          orthodox manner in the confession of the church. Its         Or again, on page 71 we read:
          place is to function as the canon of a new creation.              (The antithesis) means that we must take hold of
          (This expression "canon of a new creation" is one              this world and reform it to the Spirit of `Christ,
          the author uses often in the last chapter. By it he            reconcile it to the recreative power of the Savior of
          means that the Bible is the authoritative rule of life         this world, in an antithetical spirit of compassion.
          in the kingdom as the author defmes that life; i.e., as
          communal social action. H. H.) Views, doctrines and          In a footnote to this quote the author reveals his
          confessional statement of the Bible have their place,      agreement with Kuyperian common grace:
          which is to serve as a formulation of obedient                    The Holy,Spirit  does not only work in the.Body of
          response; meaningful only when such a response is              Christ. There are enough examples in the Old
          actually there. p. 121.                                        Testament which teach us that God often leads a
            Preaching is not meant primarily to inform but to            pagan people to, carry out one of his missions. Thus
          reform, not fast of all to unravel doctrines, but to           when during the Enlightenment Humanists pro-
          build lives. Preaching should be a directive to the            tested against the tyrannic forces of science loosened
          ordinary everyday lives of the congregation's mem-             by some of their brethren, we may count that as a
          bers. It should give a message which presents an               gracious blessing of God. And we should remember
          immediately-understood challenge, a dynamic                    that such a turn for the better is not to be credited to
          motivation to act in the Kingdom. p. 139.                      those Humanists, who used the betterment in
All this is why the.author  can say:                                     idolatry, to serve themselves. p. 83.
            What we have to avoid at all cost, if biblical living      All this is not sufficient to prove the author's
       is to be meaningful  .livmg, is on the one hand to.           possible postmillennialism. But these quotes certainly


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                               467



are of such a kind that they place upon the author the Christ's concern for the whole world and bases upon
obligation to answer forthrightly and explicitly this cosmic concern of Christ the Christian calling to
whether or not he believes that united christian social influence every social, economic and political sphere of
action will result in success here upon earth in the life, the logic is not clear. Indeed, while we are
sense that the various institutions of society are indeed prepared to grant that the child of God in the midst of
to be subjected to the influences `of christianity. The the world must be an instrument in Christ's hands to
author has not done this in the book.                      make known the truth of God and His Word as it
   For the rest, a large section o$ the book deals with touches every part of life, we find the basis for the
the prevalent spirit of Humanism which has been the absolute necessity of Christian communal social action
moving force of society for the past many centuries.       extremely weak.
The book shows the bankruptcy of Humanism and the.           In the Appendix Hart admits that he may have said
inevitable anarchy of society if Humanism prevails. It things which may sound as if they stand outside the
shows the evil of the scientific method as a tool of tradition of Reformed thought.  He justifies this by
Humanism. It speaks boldly and loudly for the appealing .to a lethargic church which has to be
antithesis. It criticizes at length Cox's book: "The       "alarmed': so that it will spring into action. He has
Secular City" and exposes the errors of Cox's position.    succeeded in "alarming" me. The alarm is caused by a
All these are worthwhile parts of the book.                conviction that the basis for Christian communal social
   But when the author jumps from the antithesis to action is extra-Scriptural.
                                                                      _-

In His Fear
                             BUT BY EVERY WORD (1)
                                                 Rev. John A. Heys

   Man lives by bread.                                     God's mouth will find no support in these lines. But if
   His earthly, physical body is sustained by bread; and your soul is troubled, and you sincerely seek light in
he must therefore receive a certain amount of that these dark and evil days and would have the "bread
bread regularly, if he is to retain his earthly life. Take question" considered in the light of God's Word, read
that bread away from him, and in effect you take away on. And may God give strength and comfort and
his life.                                                  guidance to you and courage to walk according to His
   But man does not live by bread alone. I-Ie lives also Word.
by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.           Let it be pointed out then from the outset that the
The man who refuses to live by these words will find, words that proceed from  God's mouth  are the words
as did' the fool in Jesus' parable, that although he has which we must heed. It is He Who gives us, our bread. It
his barns full of that bread, God will require his life is He Who alone can and does give life. He is the one to
from him sooner or later. Likewise, long before this, Whom we must give account for all our deeds in this
Adam and Eve found that the wages of not living by life. We can avoid His word; but we cannot escape
the words that proceed from the  mouths of God is Him. We can strive to live by bread alone; but we
death! Uzzah, who violated that word and touched the cannot flee from the words of judgment that  will
ark of God, also found that life was no longer his to proceed forth from His mouth. Let us beware lest
enjoy. II Samuel 6 : l-8.                                  words from the mouth of man work a sinful influence
   This basic principle, which Jesus voiced to Satan in upon us to cause us to dare to defy the Lord of life!
the wilderness, when He was tempted to seek bread            As we search His Word we find nothing that forbids
apart from the words from God's mouth, and which is us to organize into a labor union. We do find that
a quotation from Deuteronomy 8:3, we will use in our Abraham was confederate with some of the Ca-
consideration of the matter of membership in a labor naanites, and that Scripture in no way condemns this.
union in the light of Holy Writ. Here, to begin with, is Genesis 14: 13. However, there are two qualifications
Scripture's answer to the "bread question," that is, which Scripture does make in regard to any such
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word organizations. The union, society, organization or
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew federation must have for its purpose the fostering and
4:4.                                                       not the hampering of our Christian stewardship. Its
  Those who are not willing to bow before this Word purpose must not be to foster the satisfaction of our
of God need read no further. Those who wish to place carnal coveteousness.  A man's calling is to provide for
man's word in the place of that which proceeds from the needs of his family; and to organize with others to


468                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



insure this in a lawful way is not denied us by Holy -ALL the workers in the establishment. If he joinssuch
Writ. But to join with others in order to strive for what a-society, he puts aside the words from God's mouth in
others have, with a greedy eye and a desire for the lust II Corinthians 6: 14-18 and agrees to work with these
of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life, is unbelievers in their policies of collective bargaining,
condemned by the tenth commandment. Let a man be which will also be drawn up apart from and in conflict
sure that he is organizing or joining with others for his with the words from God's mouth.
needs, honest needs before God, and not to keep up           The unbeliever is exactly that: One who does not
with the Joneses! A man's life, Jesus says, does not believe that he has to reckon with the words that
consist in the abundance of the things which he proceed from God's mouth. He does not and cannot
possesses. And unless he is rich toward God, all his sincerely say, "I believe in God the Father, Almighty,
bread will bring .him no more good than the rich fool Maker. of heaven and earth." Rather does he with
in Jesus' parable experienced, when God took away his Pharaoh say, "Who is the Lord that I should obey His
life.                                                     voice . . ?" Exodus 5 :2. Or as Paul writes to the church
   Another qualification of organizing. into a labor at Rome, "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for
union, or of joining such an organization, is that we it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can
may not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. II be." Romans 8:7. He cannot see heaven and earth as
Corinthians 6 : 14-18. We are one with unbelievers as God's. He considers it all man's to do with as he
members of a particular nation. We are born that way pleases. He knows no Christian stewardship. He never
and cannot escape membership in a nation. This is the sees himself as God's royal priesthood. And, what is
work of God's providence; and it is unavoidable, for more, for that is what Paul says, he sets himself up as
God will have man governed by those whom He invests God's enemy. He opposes God in all his thinking,
with authority. But membership in a labor union is willing and acting. And essentially it means that he is
voluntary, and may not be sanctioned when it puts one still intent on becoming God, according to Satan's lie,
in the position where he will have to behave contrary and take from Him the heavens and the earth of which
to the words that proceed from God's mouth. Un- He is the Almighty Maker.
equally yoked with the unbeliever he will have to do         Yoked with such, we must go along with them in
things the unbeliever's way.                              their evil way. A little later we will be more specific
   Indeed, a man may have to join himself to an and list the evil policies and practices which are
ungodly man for his daily bread. His employer may be characteristic of the so-called neutral unions. But at
an unbeliever; and he may not be able to find any the moment we would simply point out that the
work except to work for the unbeliever as his policies of the unbeliever can only be contrary to the
employee, or he may have to ply his trade in the words that proceed from God's mouth, and can only
service of the unbeliever. This is not yoking oneself to be those with which the believer cannot possibly
that unbeliever. Joining a union of unbelievers, swear- agree. For the believer is one who believes in God, and
ing loyalty to.its constitution, voluntarily sitting down' that he is obliged to live for Him, even as he lives
with them to make policy is agreeing to a program that through Him with life that comes from Him. Entirely
will advocate going contrary to God's Word.               apart from the specific evil practices of the unbeliever,
   But we hardly need say anything about this further, it is contrary to God's Word for a man to join himself
for according to governmental regulations this is the to the unbelievers by promising to go along with them
only kind of union that is possible anymore in our in their "collective bargaining" and efforts for an
country. The possibility of a group of believers uniting honest wage, safe working conditions and hours of toil.
on the basis of God's Word to seek improvement of If it is true, and it most emphatically is true, that we
working conditions, salary, hours of employment and must live by every word that proceeds from God's
the like is limited only to those establishments where mouth, then we simply may not join any organization
all the employees who organize a union are believers.     of any kind that intends to ignore these words and sets
The Taft Hartley law takes care of that in Section 9, itself up to make policies that defy that Word! Let us
(a), when it declares, "Representatives designated or not, in our attempts to defend such membership in this
selected for the purpose of collective bargaining by the very act depart from the words that proceed from
majority of the employees in a unit appropriate for God's mouth and are recorded here in II Corinthians 6!
such purposes, shall be the exclusive representatives of For then we are trying to live by the words that
all the employees in such a unit for the purpose of proceed from, Satan's filthy mouth. It was his evil word
collective bargaining in respect to rates of pay, wages, that first turned man from heeding God's words. He
hours of employment and other conditions of employ- moved man to believe that he could live apart from
ment." That simply means that the believers will have and in fact contrary to these words from God's mouth.
to be unequally yoked with unbelievers in these He wrought enmity in man's heart against God. He
pursuits or get out of the factory, when there are deceived man into thinking that there was great profit
unbelievers in the labor organization that represents in going contrary to these words of God and to hate


                                                                                                                     -cz-

                                               THE STANDARD  BEARER  -.:                                         469



Him for speaking words which frightened man from we can attain to the things above by seeking the things
reaching the glory he "could" have.                            below. This is but an echo of Satan's lie that we can
  And today it is a case of "either . . . or. . . . " There    become like God by doing what God hates.
is this Word of God that we must obey Him in all                 And let a solemn warning be given to all those who
things; and there is this word of Satan that we will live, would try to hide behind this argument that providing
truly live, only in the way of departing from and of for one's family is one's calling and makes such yoking
walking contrary to God's Word. The Word of God with the unbeliever right and necessary. Such an
puts God and His glory first. Satan's word puts man argument is laying the groundwork for acceptance of
and the lust of his flesh, the lust of his eyes and the        the mark of the beast when the Antichrist appears.
pride of his life first. God's Word presents life as For, if we must go contrary to God's word today for
knowing God in His favour and covenant fellowship. bread, the need will be far greater in that day when we
Satan's word lays all the stress on the physical will not be able to buy or to sell, unless we take that
existence of man with the satisfaction of his flesh. We mark. But read Revelation 14: 11, and you will see that
agreed with Satan and chose to seek self and our flesh. though one may live a little longer on this earth by
  Thus it is today also that Satan's word has gamed such violation of God's Word, he loses his soul and will
such a foothold and we hear the argument that it is not have the joy of the everlasting life before God's
man's calling to provide for his family, and that this face in glory.
makes the yoke with the unbeliever right and neces-              Today we are not in danger of starving to death, if
sary. This is but another way of saying that we need we *heed God's Word and flee from all unequal yoking
not heed every word from God's mouth. It is the with the unbeliever. In the day of the Antichrist we
repetition of Satan's lie, "Ye shall not die." It will not only be in that danger but in that situation.
proclaims that the wages of some sins is not death. It But let us remember today, with a view to those evil
places all the value on the things of this life rather than days, that we do not live by bread alone but by every
on those of the life to come; and in fact teaches that word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
                                                                                          c

A  Clolld of Witnesses

                           The Death  .gf Absalom
                                                 Rev. B. Woudenberg

             And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and
          as he went, thus he said, 0 my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had
          died for thee, 0 Absalom, my son, my son!
                                                                                          II Samuel 18:33

  We sing from the Psalter, "The tender love a father gracious to me, that the child may live?" only this was
has for all his children dear," and few things bring out more intense. Before Bathsheba's child lay the grave,
more `emphatically the strength of this love than the while before Absalom there loomed the anguish of
attitude which King David maintained toward his child hell. It was too terrible for David to be able to
Absalom. In a way it was not a good love. Absalom              contemplate.
had proved himself a very wicked man through his                 This attitude of David toward Absalom could be
sins, not just against David, and his own family, but detected throughout the dreadful history. When
against the whole nation. That under all the misuse Absalom took justice into his own hand and slew his
that. David experienced at the hand of Absalom he brother Ammon, it was more than was his right to do,
should not have become bitter and hateful is some- and he should have paid with his life in turn; but he
thing which only one who has been the father of a was allowed to flee to Geshur and live there with his
prodigal son can ever appreciate. It seemed that the grandparents in peace. When the woman of Tekoah
more he suffered the more David only yearned with stood before David to plead his cause, the king knew
heart-rending prayers in hope that somehow, someday that it was not right, but he followed the inclination of
this his child might yet come to repentance and his heart and allowed the murderer to be restored to
salvation. It was much like his fasting for Bathsheba's the royal city. And again when Joab pleaded in his
first child, "While the child was yet alive, I fasted and behalf, Absalom was even restored to the rights and
wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be priviledges of the royal court. Meanwhile he was


470                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


.allowed full freedom to surround himself with all kinds finally -invincible before all opposition. But the time
of luxurious symbols of royalty and to woo the people comes inevitably when God will endure their boast no
to. himself without restraint. The result was his revolt, longer. In a moment He turns his judgment upon them
and even then David was not ready to press down upon to cut them down and destroy them, as the heat of the
him too severely. It was simply that each move of the sun withers the new mown grass.
young man called for the penalty of death, and before         The time of climax came soon after the battle began.
the thought of this the father hesitated and trembled. Absalom's forces began to disintegrate almost immedi-
In the case of anyone else, David, regardless of his age ately. Although a large force in number, the men were
and circumstances, might well have fortified the city as untrained and untouched by any true sense of dedica-
best he could and defended it against any invader tion, while David's men in contrast were men who
trusting the Lord to deliver him; but before Absalom loved their master and who were dedicated to his God
he. chose rather to turn in flight lest an open in a believing faith. Moreover, among the army of the
confrontation should prove to be too conclusive.            rebels, no one was more unprepared for battle than
  The time for confrontation had to come, however. was Absalom himself. His driving force was pride and
For Absalom, the continued life of his father only ambition, not courage. Raised as he was in the
meant. that he was not really established as king yet sheltered life of the royal court, he may' well have
even if he had taken to himself all of the royal dreamed of himself as a great hero in battle, but he had
presumptions. David had been anointed of the Lord never really tasted the hardship and anguish of actual
and the people knew it. He simply had to get his father fighting. To be suddenly engulfed in the din of
out of the way before the excitement of his own struggling, screeching, bleeding and dying men was
ascendancy began to wane and the hearts of the people more than he was prepared to take.
turned back to his father once again. The only thing          And so it happened that Absalom himself was one
that he could do was, as Hushai had suggested, to of the first of his own to turn and flee from the battle.
gather as large an army as he could possibly call behind Perhaps he felt almost immediately that the battle was
him and to march  against  the defenses which David turning against him, and perhaps he simply lacked the
had set up in the wood outside of  Mahanaim.  It turn, courage to be able to endure such life and death
David was left with no choice but to prepare his own engagement. He had come into the battle with un-
men for the battle which had to result.                     wavering confidence, dressed in all of his royal regalia;
  As' a good soldier should, David went through all of but now he turned his donkey about and fled along
the preparations he knew so well to make his army one of the obscure and wandering paths of the wood.
ready to meet the impending battle. Even more, he It was the end of the battle. At stake was only one
expressed to them his intentions of going along with question, who should be king, David or Absalom. With
them into the battle, a thing he no doubt would have Absalom gone, no one knew where, all reason for
done if the men themselves had not persuaded him not continued strife was taken away. The rebel army could
to. And yet through it all there was o.ne great fear that only turn in confusion and flee for its life.
weighed more and more heavily upon his heart; it was          But this time Absalom was not about to escape so
the fear that this battle might cost the life of his son easily. The time for judgment had come, and it was to
while he remained still hardened and unrepentant in be in all of the shamefulness which he deserved. Not
his way of sin. It finally came out in that last hour even the honor of death on the field of battle was to
when all of the army was passing by in review before be given him - only the shame of a fleeing coward.
him as they left the city. There in the presence of all,      As Absalom rode through the woods, the long
David instructed the three captains of the army, "Deal flowing hair of which he was so vainly proud blew out
gently for my sake with the young man, even with in the breeze beyond him. It was handsome hair in the
Absalom."                                                   city and had served to attract many; but on the field of
  As it was, however, the time of God's longsuffering battle it was an incongruity. Any experienced warrior
with the wickedness of Absalom had come to its end. could have told him that it would have to be dispensed
This has often been God's way of dealing with the with for practical reasons. Absalom, however, had
outstanding men of sin. For a time he will let them go taken it proudly with him into the battle, quite
and accomplish their heart's fondest desires. Along the confident that his own aura of greatness would
way God may warn them from time to time, but being somehow protect him. Now as he rode through the
the men they are, they are completely insensitive to wood, it was this very badge of vanity which was his
such' warning and at most become bitter because of undoing. Along the twisting path his animal dashed,
them. Pressing on with all of the strength of their weaving around bushes and beneath low hanging trees.
wicked characters, they go from prosperity  .to pros- For a time Absalom was able in a wild and reckless sort
perity while all the time nourishing within themselves of way to evade all serious damage; but soon they
the growing confidence that it is their own strength came beneath the sturdy branches of a huge oak tree
which has accomplished it and which will make them which reached down to grasp the head of Absalom


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                            471


with its limbs. Meanwhile the beast upon which he Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware that none touch the
rode, having taken unto itself the terror of his master, young man Absalom. Otherwise I should have wrought
dashed furiously on, leaving Absalom suspended falsehood against mine own life: for .there is no matter
between the ground below and the heavy vegetation of hid from the king, and thou would&t have set thyself
the woods above. It was  ,a. strange and freakish against me."
situation, one into which only a man with a vain crop          But Joab knew just exactly what he wanted done,
of hair such as Absalom's could become ensnared. His and he was not one to wait to do it. Answering the
long locks of hair were caught up far higher than his man curtly," I may not tarry.thus  with thee," he took
arms could possibly reach while his legs could only three darts and hurried to the place where Absalom
kick helplessly beneath him. Dangling foolishly like a hung. By this time quite a' crowd had gathered about
puppet, he could only hang and scream with anguished the spot, no one being quite sure how this thing was to
shame and wait for someone to come along.and cut his be handled. But there was decisiveness in his steps as
prized locks to let him free.                               Joab approached. Taking the three darts he thrust
  But. that was not how it went. To be sure, soon the them through Absalom's heart until he was dead. To
wood was ringing with the sounds of many men, men David's captain it was as simple as that. Absalom
fleeing just as he had with only concern for their own deserved to die and ought to die for the good of David
lives. As they swept past, if in their wild haste they and the nation. It was not to him a-matter of what
recognized him at all, there was no love for him any David would think or do to him for it. He was
more, only bitter hatred and a passing curse.  `It was determined to do what had to be for the sake of his
actually the pursuing soldiers of David, when they master.
came, that showed him the greatest respect. They did          Even that was not enough, however. Next Joab
not free him, but they didn't harm him either. They' commanded that ten of the young men who formed
remembered the warning of their master. They only his own company should set upon Absalom and cut his
waited while one of the soldiers ran to Joab and body into ribbons. Then he had it cast into a deep pit
reported to him of their finding.                           and all who stood about were commanded to cast
  Through the course of Absalom's rebellion, Joab stones upon it until the pit was filled and a great heap
had done some serious thinking. In earlier years, was built up upon it. There was an old law in Israel
realizing David's love for his son, he had often pleaded that any child who disgraced his parents should be
Absalom's cause. He had thought that whatever would stoned in shame. This Absalom had done and Joab was
make David happy would be best for him and for the determined that all should know the shame of that
kingdom. But now he had come to see how foolish he which he had committed.
had been. Neither was he about to repeat his error.            Through the army of David there went a great sigh.
  To be sure, Joab had heard David's parting com-           of relief when they heard of what had been done.
mandment. Yet, when the report of Absalom's                 Absalom had brought shame to Israel and now justice
predicament was brought to him he flung back at the         had been satisfied. It was only David who could not
man, "And behold, thou sawest him, and why didst            appreciate what had been done. He looked at the
thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would         whole thing from the point of view of a father, and
have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle."       when the message was finally brought to him, there
  The man was shocked and thought perhaps that.             was only one cry that went up from his soul: it was
Joab was testing him. Quickly he answered, "Though I        this, 0 my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom!
should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine         would God I had died for thee, 0 Absalom, my son,
hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the       my son!"  - the cry of a bereaved father, a father.
king's son: for in our hearing the king charged thee and    whose son had died in his sin.


 The Strength of Youth

                      Situation Ethics - An Introduction
                                                   Rev. J. Kortering

   Mere mention of the new morality, another name Francisco and the topless waitresses serving drinks to
for situation ethics, brings many things to mind. We gawking customers. Sometimes we are shocked by the
think of co-eds shacking up for the semester at the news media's lurid description of Off-Broadway and its
pads of their lovers. Our minds wander to San nudism. The beach does not escape the trend. Even in


472                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



church we are distracted by the bare knees -of the that between cause and effect. It is at once obvious.
mini-skirted lass sitting in the pew across the aisle.        that one has to have the right ethics if one is to have
  True, this has something to do with situation ethics. correct morals. If someone will act unethically, his
  Yet, the subject is broader than sex. Sometimes we conduct will be immoral or vice versa.
mistakenly correlate the new morality with sexual               The adjective "situation" added to ethics, indicates
promiscuity and leave it at that. On the contrary, the that those who advocate this science of right or wrong
effects of this perverse view of ethics can be seen in lend a great deal of credence to the situation. We will
many ways today. Public swearing, the carnival atmo- see how this is done, D. V., in future articles. For the
sphere on the Sabbath day, the clamor for a new present however, we may observe that the adherents to
theology and liturgy in the church, drug addiction, civil this view of ethics insist that nothing is wrong or right
disobedience, liberalization of abortion laws, birth con- of itself, nothing is right or wrong because it conforms
trol, corruption in high offices of government, stealing or fails to conform to a certain standard, code, or law,
and looting, to name only, a few, have their roots in rather the rightness or wrongness of any act must be
this view of morals.                                          determined by the situation in which the act was
   The truth of the matter is that unless we come to performed. They reject legalism, in which certain acts
grips with this philosophy of ethics, we will not be able of behavior are condemned and others are extolled. At
adequately to understand the times in which we live. the same time they also reject  anti-nom&m  (without
What is more, unless we understand the philosophy law) for this leads to unbridled license. They insist that
behind the evil practices of our day, we will not be the Christian must be motivated by the law of love,
spiritually strong enough as covenant youth to reject not as it is spelled out in a code of ethics, rather as it is
them and walk righteously in the midst of our evil age. a dynamic power in one's whole life. The only law that
                                                              exists for the Christian is the law of love. This law must
THE NAME                                                      be the governing rule for the Christian's life. Since no
  Situation ethics flies under the banner of the new acts are in themselves wrong or right, the Christian
morality. These two names are used interchangeably to must determine for himself on the basis of the love of
designate this approach to morals. Purposely, however, God and the love of the neighbor whether he should
we have chosen to use the term situation ethics. There do or not do a certain act.
are two reasons for this preference. The first is that the
name new morality is really a mis-nomer. Inherent in A SUBTLE VIEW
the idea of morality is the right view of conduct. We           If one takes time to read seriously the line of
say that something is moral when it displays right argumentation put forth by the adherents to this view,
conduct. On the contrary, something is immoral when he cannot help but conclude that this approach to
it contradicts proper conduct. The practical outcome ethics is very subtle and for that reason, dangerous. It
of the new morality is an abundance of immorality. is not true, for example, that they blandly cast aside
The same thing applies to the designation new. In all the Word of God and ignore it. They distort the Word
honesty this view of right and wrong is very old. It is as of God and do violence to proper interpretation; yet
old as sin itself. In the days of the Apostle Paul, some the subtlety lies in this, that they claim to be the
cried out, let us sin that grace may abound, Rom. 6 : 1. faithful adherents to the Word of God.
John Calvin had to contend with the Libertines who              To illustrate this briefly (documentation will follow
advocated the right to sit at the Lord's Supper as well later), they point out that Christ distilled the entire
as the table of devils. The new morality.is the same old law to its simple form of love God and the neighbor,
whore described in Rev. 17:4,5, "And the woman was Matt. 22:37-39. The key word is "distilled." We ask, is
arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with this text a distillation or a summary? The difference is
gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden crucial. They interpret Paul's reference in I Cor. 6: 12,
cup in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not
her fornication. And upon her forehead was a name expedient," as meaning that according to the law of
written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE love; Paul claims he could do anything he wanted to,
MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF only he recognized that expedience or "the situation"
THE EARTH." The only difference is that sometimes had to be considered. They say that David's act of
in history she wears a more seductive dress. In our breaking the law by eating the shewbread was con-
generation she is the most enticing.                          doned by Christ in Luke 6: l-5, the reason being that
  The second reason for our using the name situation the situation warranted this act. Similarly, Rahab told
ethics, is that it is more descriptive. When we speak of a lie, but is still considered one of the heroes of faith,
ethics in a limited sense, the emphasis is not on the Heb. 11: 16, the situation making all the difference.
conduct and activity of a person, rather it is upon the         Following this "argumentation" from Scripture,
philosophy or outlook on life that produces this those who advocate this view of ethics resort to all
activity. The relationship between ethics and morals is kinds of subtle reasonings to justify conduct that is


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 473


contrary to Christian behavior. Since nothing is wrong revealed in the Holy Scriptures.
in itself, any act could be right, it just depends on the      Following such a correct understanding of  God;
circumstances. Murder of the neighbor in order force- Who He is, and who we are in Christ Jesus, the
fully to take his possessions might be wrong in one Christian is in a position to follow God's instruction
circumstance (a lazy man  w.ants money for his beer and do His will in gratitude to Him for revealing these
and doesn't want to work for it), but in another secrets. Ethical conduct, moral behavior follow as the
instance it might be justified and motivated by love (a sublime apex of God's revelation, for by it His name
poor black man, the victim of discrimination, wants a is glorified now and forever.
decent meal for his family). Pre-marital sexual relations      From this it is obvious that if one's view of the Holy
might be wrong in one instance (a young man or Scripture is wrong, his doctrine will be wrong, and
woman who  promisciously spends the night with inevitably his ethics and morals will be wrong too.
anyone) or it might be properly motivated in another
(a young couple engaged to be married, but completing          This is the heart of the error of those who maintain
their schooling). Telling a lie may be wrong for some situation ethics. They have a wrong view of the
(simply to be kept from being penalized by the law) or Scriptures, and this is a fundamental and fatal error.
right for another (to keep a mental patient from being Because they view the Scripture as a human account of
overly burdened). So we could go on and on.                  God's Word they take liberty with exegesis, relegate
  This is subtle reasoning because on the surface it has much to myth and folklore, construct their own
the semblance of credibility both scripturally and doctrine of God, man, Christ, salvation, the church,
morally.                                                     and the end of all things. When man believes the lie
                                                             about God, he will inevitably have a superficial view of
ITS INHERENT E VIL                                           human conduct.
  If we are going to evaluate meaningfully this                There must be no doubt in our minds that `this
approach to morals, we must have certain guide lines system of ethics is the one that is now and will be
to follow. Since ethics and moral conduct deal with advocated by the anti-Christ. Proud man rejects God as
the fruits of faith or unbelief, we must at once look revealed; he wants to be his own god. Since he believes
deeper than the act itself and ask what is behind this that he is not a dead sinner, only a sick one, he rejects
act. What dominates the thinking of such individuals to` the atonement of Christ and the sovereignty of divine
allow them to act this way not only, but also to grace and substitutes the medicine of modem psychol-
provide them with the conviction that this view of ogy and social gospel. If God is not a personal God,
ethics is the only real, correct, and Christian view? Who is worthy of praise and worship, religion is reduced
What then must guide us in making such a study?              to human philanthropy. The natural man wants only
  There exists a close relationship between Scripture, one thing, to be able to sin and silence his conscience
doctrine, and  ,morals. In fact, we may picture this before the God he knows to exist, but Whom he
relationship as a pyramid, the broad basis which serves rejects. When the church teaches an ethics that tells
as the foundation of the structure is the Scriptures. man to sin with impunity, you have the lowest form of
The Bible is the revelation of God. Morality is not depravity found on earth.
determined by man's relationship with man, rather it is
first of all God's relationship to man then man's              We are reminded of the word of Peter, "But there
relationship to God, followed by man's relationship to were false prophets also among the people even as
his fellow. man. God determines what is right and there shall be false teachers among you, who shall
wrong, not man. Hence His Word, the revelation of His privily bring in damnable heresies, even denying the
will, is determinative for morals. Our ethics must be Lord, that bought them and bring upon themselves.
Scripturally orientated or it fails.                         swift destruction. . . .for when they speak great swell-
  The central message of the Word of God is not how ing words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of
man should behave, rather it deals with the revelation the flesh through much wantonness those that are clean
of  God. The Bible tells us that God is the Sovereign escaped from them who live in error; while they prom-
Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth, that we are ise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of
totally depraved and subject to condemnation and corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the
death, that Christ is the Son of God come into the same is he brought in bondage," II Peter 2: 1, 18, 19.
world to redeem His own from sin and death, that the           "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober
way of salvation is through repentance from sin and and hope to the end.. .as obedient children; not
faith in Jesus Christ, that God in Christ gathers His fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in
elect people unto Himself by the preaching of the your ignorance: but as he which hath called you is
Word and strengthens them daily until the end when holy, so be -ye holy in all manner of conversation", I
He. shall reign as King in the new heavens and new Peter 1:13,14.
earth. This is called doctrine, the doctrines of God


474                                                     THE STANDARD BEARER



Contending for the Faith                                   :
                                          THE DOCTRINE OF SIN
                                              THE THIRD PERIOD - 730-1.517  A.D.
                                                 PROTESTANT DOCTRmE OF SIN
                                               ACCORDING TO THE CONFESSIONS

                                                                Rev. H. Veldman

  In our preceding article, quoting from the creeds of                         no other liberty to do right than that which God
the Reformed Churches, we quoted from the Second                               gives him.
Helvetic  Confession. In this article, our first quotation,                This article speaks for itself. We do well to bear in
in re the doctrine of sin, will be from the  Gall&n mind that this Gallican Confession was composed
Confession, A.D. 1559. Concerning the history of this when Calvin was 50 years old, and the reformer lived
Confession, Schaff writes the following in his Creeds of only some five years beyond that. In this article we
Christendom, Vol. I, 429492; and we quote:                              read that man's nature is totally corrupt, that he has
          But it was only after Calvin, himself the greatest            lost all integrity, that the light he has becomes
       Protestant of France, had taken up his permanent                 darkness when he seeks for God, so that he can in
       abode in Geneva, that the Reformation movement                   nowise  approach Him by his intelligence and reason,
       was organized into a separate Church, and acquired a             and that he is altogether captive to sin.
       national importance. He therefore, and his friend and              Article X also speaks for itself, setting forth the
       successor, Beza, may be regarded as the fathers of the           result of Adam's sin for his posterity, and we quote:
       ,Reformed Church of France. Geneva became an                              We believe that all the posterity of Adam is in
       asylum for their persecuted countrymen, and the                         bondage to original sin, which is an hereditary evil
       nursery of evangelists. Henceforward French Protes-                     and not an imitation merely, as was declared by the
       tantism assumed a Calvinistic type in doctrine and
       discipline, but, owing to the hostile attitude of the                   Pelagians, whom we detest in their errors. And we
       government, it was kept separate and distinct from                      consider that it is not necessary to inquire how sin
       the state. Although cruelly persecuted, and number-                     was conveyed from one man to another, for what
       ing its martyrs by thousands, it spread rapidly among                   God had given Adam was not for him alone, but for
       the middle and higher classes, and in 1558 it                           all his posterity; and thus in his person we have been
       embraced four hundred thousand followers.                               deprived of all good things, and have fallen with him
          The fnst national Synod was held in Paris, May                       into a state of sin and misery.
       25-28, 1559, under the moderatorship of Francois de                In this article, the Confession declares that they
       Morel, then pastor of Paris, a friend and pupil of               detest the Pelagians in their errors. And the same
       Calvin. It gave the Reformed Church a compact                    absolute presentation of the truth we have in Article
       organization by the adoption of the Gallican Con-                XI:
       fession of Faith, in connection with a Presbyterian                       We believe, also, that this evil is truly sin,
       form of government and discipline, which remained                       sufficient for the condemnation of the whole human
       the firm basis of the Church as long as she was                         race, even of little children in the mother's womb,
       allowed to exist and to hold national Synods,                           and that God considers it as such; even after baptism
       twenty-nine in all, the last being that at  Loudun,                     it is still of the nature of sin, but the condemnation
       1659.                                                                   of it is abolished for the children of God, out of His
  From this Gallican Confession of Faith we now                                mere free grace and love. And further, that it is a
quote Articles IX, X and XI. Art. IX reads as follows:                         perversity always producing fruits of malice and of
         We believe that man was created pure and perfect                      rebellion, so that the most holy men, although they
       in the image of God, and that by his own guilt he fell                  resist, are still stained with many weaknesses and
       from the grace which he received, and is thus                           imperfections while they are in this life.
       alienated from God, the fountain of justice and of all             The Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England,
       good, so that his nature is totally corrupt. And being           A.D. 1563 and 1571,  with the  American Revision,
       blinded in mind, and depraved in heart, he has lost all          1801, devoted two articles to this subject of sin, Art.
       integrity, and there is no good in him. And although             IX and X. Article IX reads as follows:
       he can still discern good and evil, we say, notwith-                      Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam
       standing, that the light he has becomes darkness                        (as the Pelagians do vainly talk); but it is the fault
       when he seeks for God, so that he can in  nowise                        and corruption of the Nature of every man, that
       approach him by his intelligence and reason. And                        naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam;
       although he has a will that incites him to do this or                   whereby man is very far gone from original righteous-
       that, yet it is altogether captive to sin, so that he has               ness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that


                                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                        475



              the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit; and       This utter corruption of man certainly receives
I             therefore in every person born into this world, it         emphasis in all the articles we have quoted until now.
              deserveth God's wrath and damnation. And this                And the same emphasis upon man's depravity
              infection of nature doth remain, yea in them that are      appears in Article IX of this Confession, which treats
              regenerated; whereby the lust of the flesh called in       the subject of man's free will:
              Greek the mind of the flesh (which some do expound               I. God hath endued the will of man with that
              the wisdom, some sensuality, some the affection,
              some the desire of the flesh), is not subject to the           natural liberty, that is neither forced nor by any
              Law of God. And although there is no condemnation              absolute necessity of nature determined to good or
              for them that believe and are baptized (if this be a           evil.
              quotation of Rom. 8 : 1, then the undersigned, H. V.,             II. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom
              prefers the text: there is no condemnation for them            and power to will and to do that which is good and
              which are in Christ Jesus); yet the Apostle doth               well-pleasing to God, but yet mutably, so that he
              confess, that concupiscence and lust hath of itself the        might fall from it.
              nature of sin.                                                    III. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath
            Also in this article, the error of Pelagianism is                wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good
     condemned. Article X, speaking of free will, reads as                   accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being
                                                                             altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is
     follows:                                                                not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or
                The condition of Man after the fall of Adam is               to prepare himself thereunto.
              such, that he can not turn and prepare himself, by his       It  is true that these articles speak of man's inability
              own natural strength, and good works, to faith, and        to do any spiritual good. This could conceivably leave
              calling upon God. Wherefore we have no power to do
              good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without         the.impression  that the natural man is able to do good
              the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we          in the things that are civil. However, we do read that
              may have a good will, and working with us, when we         he is dead in sin, cannot do anything of himself unto
              have that good will.                                       his salvation, or to prepare himself thereunto.
                                                                           Of interest also is what we read in the Westminster
            The Westminster Confession of Faith, A.D. 1647, Shorter Catechism, 1647 :
          also calls attention to the subjects of sin and free will.            Question 14. What is sin?
          Chapter VI speaks of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of                  Answer. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or
          the Punishment therefore:                                          transgression of, the law of God.
                I. Our first parents, being seduced by the subtilty             Ques. 15. What was the sin whereby our first
              and temptation of Satan, sinned in eating the                  parents fell from the estate wherein they were
              forbidden fruit. This their sin God was pleased,               created?
              according to His wise and holy counsel, to permit,                Answer. The sin whereby our first parents fell from
              having purposed to order it to His own glory.                  the estate wherein they were created, was their eating
                 II. By this sin they fell from their original               the forbidden fruit.
              righteousness and communion with God, and so                      Ques. 17. Into what estate did the fall bring
              became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the fac-         mankind?
              ulties and parts of soul and body.                                Ans. The fall brought mankind into an estate of
                 III. They being the root of all mankind, the guilt          sin and misery.
              of this sin was imputed, and the same death in sin                Ques. 18. Wherein consists the sinfulness of that
              and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity           estate whereinto man fell?
              descending from them by ordinary generations.                     Ans. The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man
                IV. From this original corruption, whereby we are            fell, consists in the guilt of Adam's first sin, the want
              utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all         of original righteousness, and the corruption of his
              good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all          whole nature, which is commonly called original sin;
              actual transgressions.                                         together with all actual transgressions which proceed
                V. This corruption of nature, during this life, doth         from it.
              remain in those that are regenerated; and although it        In  question and answer 19 the Catechism calls
              be through Christ pardoned and mortified, yet both         attention to the misery into which man fell. But also in
              itself and all the motions thereof are truly and           these answers we read of the corruption of man's
              properly sin.                                              whole nature. It is obvious from all these creeds,
            Also in these articles we read that man became dead quoted until now, that our churches are in good
     in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts company when they emphasize the truth that the
     of soul and body. And we also read that we are utterly natural man is wholly under  the  power of  sin,  and.that
     indisposed and disabled, and wholly inclined to all evil. he is unable to do any good in the sight of the Lord.

           Reserve the evening of September 25 for the annual meeting of the Reformed Frge Publishing Association.

     I                                                                                                                                           I


476                                          THE STANDARD BEARER
                                    - - -

Studies in Depth

                        More Crusade Movements
                                             Rev. Robert C. Havbach
  Already we have made a rather lengthy appraisal of But don't make them issues. It takes a lifetime to
five articles on the Campus Crusade for Christ in TSB, invest oneself in the cardinal issues of the Word.
Vol. 45, pp. 68, 89, 132, 152, 189. But since there are Whatever his position on the matter of eternal security,
so many other similar organizations, some brief atten- the man who is genuinely born again, whose heart and
tion may be given them. They are not any more based life are fully yielded to the Lord, who walks openly
on the primitive and reformed faith of the church of and honestly before him every day of his life, is a man
all ages than the one referred to above, but must be who has great spiritual security." (YFC Mag., April
put down as based on the semi-Pelagian and Arminian        195 1, p. 63). What a piece of blasphemy under the
philosophies. For example, this goes for the  Youth- garb of ultra-piety! Think of one  fu& yielded to the
for-Christ  movement. Billy Graham (see TSB, Vol. 42, Lord who may nevertheless believe the falling away of
pp. 196, 268, 319,  358,416,438,451,461  and Vol. the saints! Think of such a one being honest before
43, pp. 10, 66) was  YFC's first full-time evangelist.     God every day of his life! But then, too, what is there
The movement boasts of ushering "in a brand-new in the Bible that is not disputed? What fundamental of
kind of evangelism." Its literature and brochures do the faith is not made by today's ecclesiastical Babylon
not clearly define this "evangelism," merely stating a mere side issue? Further, how utterly unfair, and
that the evangelists "were ridiculed and criticized" unkind, it is to imply that insisting on this truth
because "some churches felt the men were `going too (where is there any Good News without it?) is of the
far' in attempts to attract" crowds. Today, YFC devil, i.e., a satanic side-tracking of souls! Then to
suggests, we smile at those boisterous methods, includ- prate of leading young people to "a life of victory over
ing the zany ties, loud suits, bizarre programs, novel sin!" What kind of victory is it which has no final
antics of rally leaders, and the employment of "the perseverance of saints? or does not know whether
extravagant, the clownish, the corny, even the ridicu- there is such a thing? What kind of victory is it that
lous." Much of this flamboyance is gone now, we are possibly may turn into defeat? What is victory without
informed. Yet programs today run such things as security?
take-offs on TV comedians. Then what is meant by             But that doctrine is a "side issue." God is, rather,
"in-depth evangelism" is anybody's guess. There is honoring those busying themselves with the one big
frequent reference to "the Gospel" or "a Gospel" or to issue of soul-winning. This means that He more honors
being "solidly Bible-based."                               self-styled soul-winners who deny  His great work of
  However, the doctrine of "the eternal security of infallibly leading the elect to glory! Easily men fall
the believer," which we would call the preservation into humanism and modernism's principle that life's
and the perseverance of the saints, YFC regards (1) as a greatest work is for the advancement of mankind. God
disputed issue, (2) and a satanic tactic to side-track honors most the seeking of the greatest good of the
Christians, because (3) it recognizes opposite greatest number, regardless of Scripture truth. It is also
(Arminian). views on the subject, (4) adopting the rationalistic subjectivism which makes room for oppo-
policy not to explain this doctrine, (5) putting           site, contradictory views, and which ignores the
"winning souls" and "delight in a wonderful Lord" determining of what is the objective teaching and
above this truth, further (6) reasoning that a born position of Holy Writ. Then to attribute the inconsist-
again man "has great spiritual security," "whatever his ency of such contradictory views to the Holy Spirit
position on the matter of `eternal security.' " In will certainly serve to confuse the young mind, to say
answer to a request to explain this subject and furnish nothing of the more mature, when it is claimed, We are
advice on it, YFC youth  counsellor editor replied,        "standing fast on the facts of the Bible."
"Satan delights in side-tracking Christians on disputed      Young Life is another teen-age beamed organization.
issues about the Bible. While many folk solidly behind It is not a church, nor does it substitute for church,
YFC take one view on this subject, others take the but is non-sectarian and interdenominational, "stand-
opposite view. God honors most those who busy ing in the main-stream of historic Protestantism,"
themselves on the one big issue  - winning men to whatever that may mean. "Doctrinal matters that
Christ and leading them into a life of victory over sin should be properly left to the various churches are
and growth in the knowledge of a wonderful Lord. As        avoided." The `movement is international in scope,
you study your Bible, you will find for yourself your being found, at least, in Germany, France, Switzerland
own position on this as well as other disputed passages.. and Brazil. It seems to be primarily a Christian social


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                               477



welfare, Bible club and summer camp organization. Its God incarnate, and to seek to lead others to a personal
goal is to bring the Christian faith to young people, to    faith in Him as Lord and Savior; to deepen and
reach people with the truth about Jesus Christ, to strengthen spiritual life by Bible study, prayer and
introduce them to the Gospel. "It believes that every Christian fellowship; to help students discover their
young person has the God-appointed right to. . .            place in world-wide evangelization and missions."
decide . . . whether or not to acknowledge. . . Jesus IVCF publishes a magazine,  His,  and an array of
Christ . . . " Arminians never do explain how God gives paperbacks dealing with such subjects as witnessing,
men the right not to acknowledge Christ. You see how Bible study, prayer, intellectual problems and sex. The
their free-willism heads them into antinomianism.           movement is said to be pastors' and parents' solution
   This organization'has a Bible institute patterned on to the problem of keeping in touch with their young
the seminary scheme, and requires staff members to be people who have gone away to college. The I-V
seminary graduates. Activities are carried on in the missionary conventions feature an interdenomina-
ghetti, holding teaching academies to educate drop- tional, international, interracial, non-sectarian and
outs in secular subjects, with a view to leading them to open communion, with the sacrament administered
Christ and a respectable place in society. It carries on not by or at a church, but by some 224 I-V chapter
Christian and social work among probationers. It officers, and to a convention of nearly 10,000,
maintains apartments in the slums for homeless young consisting of many denominations and all races. The
people, in order to cure them of dope, to get them thankoffering taken at such a communion may consist
back into school or into a "meaningful job." It of gifts and pledges in the amount of  $93,000.00 for
maintains recreation centers providing remedial educa- "student work overseas." `The I-V basis of faith
tion, training in skills and arranging "job fairs" where expresses belief in the inspiration of Scripture, the
employers may meet prospective employees. As with deity of Christ, His substitutional death, bodily resur-
all these `"crusade"-type movements, the brochures, rection, the need for regeneration and the return of the
magazines, catalogs, study booklets, teaching manuals, Lord. Common grace is held. Along with this is the
leadership courses and doctrinal statements reveal very noticeable contention that God loves all men, and
content, biblical position and methodology as very that Christ died for all men. The evangelism mentioned
superficial.                                                is the usual modem "invitational" type. The under-
  Then there is the Inter- Varsity Christian Fellowship, lying philosophy of this and the other movements
which is "not a club where students rush to escape the herein mentioned is that of freewillism. What we have
pressures of the world to be secure, safe and enter- said about such movements as these in the Standard
tained. It is a vigorous society which sees the campus Bearer  articles referred to above applies as much to
as a mission field. Every Christian student is a            those we have just now examined. In closing, we can
missionary on campus." IVCF is part of a world-wide         do no better than to quote Henry Atherton, who in
movement, the International Fellowship of.Evangelical 1929 said, "All systems of Theology are reduced to
Students, and is active in evangelism and missions two outstanding principles, called  Calvinistism  and
through the Student Foreign Mission Fellowship. Arminianism. Arminianism is man's religion, which can
There is a Christian nurses fellowship. Summer camps be accomplished by man. Man is the main power: with
are maintained, which emphasize training for evange- man it begins, and with man it shall perish. Calvinism is
lism and Bible study. On campus, students and faculty       the Divine revelation. It requires the Lord for every-
I-Vers meet regularly for prayer and Bible study. The       thing, acknowledging the sovereignty of God; and all
announced goal is to learn "to think biblically," and, its purposes and power must come from God. God
"How to communicate the gospel to the secular elects, God redeems, God ingathers, God keeps, pro-
mind." The aim is "to establish groups of Christian vides, sustains and operates according to His own
students in colleges, universities and schools of nursing purpose and wisdom, and all redound to God's grace
whose purpose is to witness to the Lord Jesus Christ as and glory."


From Holy Writ
                    THE  i3OOK OF HEBREWS
                                               Rev. G. A. Lubbers

THE OLD TESTAMENT TABERNACLE  - continued                     There is a difference between the type and the
(Hebrews 9: l-5)                                            parabolic. The type emphasizes that the Old Testament


478                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


was a shadow of things to come and pointed toward there were three different rooms in the Old Testament
the heavenly and antitypical reality in Christ,,.,whereas tabernacle. And we may safely say that this parabolic
the parabolic unscored the thoughts, the revelation of arrangement ought to be noticed by us for the
God. The parabolic pointed toward the content of the revelational content which is suggested and implied.
things exhibited and not directly to their fulfihnent. This arrangement of the temple represented parabolic
The parabolic is a means of revelation in action. It thoughts. Such was its very nature as is plain from the
belongs to the realm of symbolic prophecy.                 relative pronoun "eetis" in  the text.
  ,Perhaps  it was for this reason that the writer here      The threefold division of the temple was as follows.
underscores that it was such a parabolic for the "time There was, first of all, the outer court where the
present." In the Greek we read here  "eis ton kairon people lived, who were Israelites but who did not
ton enesteeko ta. " Literally this reads "into the proper belong to the priesthood. (Exodus  27:9-17) Next,
time (season) which is present." There are two there was the holy place where the priest ministered
interpretations of this phrase in question. The first is continually for the people, in the morning and evening
the interpretation -which is given by Westcott and sacrifices. Here we find the temple furniture such as
others. It then refers to the time of the Old Testament the golden candle-stick, the table of shewbread, and, in
dispensation while the temple stood. As long as the the O.T., the altar of incense. The writer to the
temple stood it was a parable; it contained lessons Hebrews places his altar within the vail. Perhaps he
concerning good things to come. The time present then places it here whereas it is here where it ideally belongs
refers to the time  "`pre-Christian epoch in which the in connection with the prayers of the saints before the
unconverted Jews were still practically living." (Fairer) throne. And, finally, there was the Most Holy Place,
Says Westcott "The Levitical system then, represented which symbolized the place where the Lord's glory
by the `first Tabernacle' is described here as a parable dwelt and was revealed. Here no sinful man or angel
`to serve for' or, perhaps to last `as long as' the present could present himself, much less could he dwell there.
season." It conveyed the lessons while the preparatory This was the place where the keepers of the throne, the
age continued up till the time of the change. .  .As a Cherubim hide their faces from God's glory, while they
parable (Chap. 10: 19) it is regarded not so much in look upon the mercy-seat where the blood of atone-
relation to a definite future which is directly pre- ment is sprinkled. Here is the place where the LORD'S
figured (`type') as in regard to its own power of glory dwells.
teaching. The parable suggests thoughts: the typex           Now it ought to be observed that all Israel was a
points to a direct fulfillment." On the other hand the priestly people. They were a kingdom of priests. Thus
Dutch exegete Dr. F. W. Grosheide writes the transla- we read in Exodus  19:5 "Now therefore, if ye will
tion of the phrase in question as follows "It was a type obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye
(afleelding) in view of the present time." and then he shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for
explains the phrase in question as referring to the time all the earth is mine: and ye  shah be unto me a
of the N. T. Dispensation wherein the Hebrews now kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. .  ." This
live in these last times. Grosheide does not make a passage is given in amplified and expanded manner in I
distinction, evidently, between the "parabolic" and the Peter  2:9 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
"typical." As is- evident from his translation priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people: that ye
"afieelding" he takes the term `paraboleen"  to be the should shew forth the praises of him who hath called
same as  "tupos.   " And if the term is understood thus you out of darkness into his marvelous light. . ." From
then the type simply refers to the time of the New these passages it is quite evident that Israel itself was a
Testament.                                                 priesthood. We might call this priesthood: the office of
   It seems to me that since there is a unique thought all believers. Apart from this. priesthood of the
in the interpretation which distinguished between congregation (the people) there would be no point in
"parable" and "type" we ought to choose for the the other two special, instituted priesthoods in Israel.
former of the two above-given interpretations. For The latter two priesthoods were there to serve the
even when we understand the parable for the time former, to wit, the priesthood of all the people.
present to refer to the Old Testament dispensation, we       That the priesthood was the chief element and idea
still have the idea of the imperfection of the type. of the temple and its ordinances ought to be evident
Only we see the actions in the temple, the sacrifices from the fact that the entire temple was built around
and the  feastday rites are one grand parable, earthly the priesthood. Everything was subservient to the
transaction of the heavenly. Such was its design and service of the priests and to their ministrations in the
limitation! !                                              tabernacle. When there came a change in the priest-
                                                           hood there also was of necessity a change in the law. A
THE MINISTR Y OF THE THREEFOLD DIVIDED                     case in point is that the priesthood in the Old
TABERNACLE (Hebrews 9 : 2-5)                               Testament was out of Levi-Aaron, while in the New
  The writer to the Hebrews elaborates the fact that Testament the Lord of glory is born our of David  -


                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER                                          479



Judah. His is a different priesthood, and therefore  a Testament dispensation. And it is noteworthy that the
different law and ordinance applies.                        KJV translates not "Holy Spirit" but "Holy Ghost"
  In the Old Covenant in the tabernacle there were the The writer to the Hebrews speaks of the name "Holy
reg.ular priests appointed for the temple service in the Ghost" in various passages. It is found in Hebrews in
Sanctuary, while in "the Most Holy place, the High Chapter  2:4. Here the Holy Ghost is connected with
Priest might enter once each year on the great day of the works of God in the church after Christ came on
atonement. Thus everything in the temple was cen- earth, and after His ascension into heaven. However
tered about this threefold priesthood. Yet this very this same Holy Ghost also is still testifying in what the
arrangement suggests that there were really two walls Psalmist writes in Psalm 95  :7-l 1, concerning the
of separation. It was a ministry in a threefold, divided provocation of the Lord, and falling away from the
tabernacle. These were not simply walls, but they were living God through unbelief. And in Hebrews  6:4 of
"walls of separation." They were a twofold wall which the testimony of the Holy Ghost in the natural
proclaimed that the way into the Most Holy Place had enlightenment of those who live under the means of
not yet been manifested. The entire temple was so grace, yet who are not saved by the Lord and brought
"prepared" as to teach this parabolic lessen. The to the worship of the living God. And Hebrews 10: 15
tabernacle  was.  builded, constructed, erected and speaks the testimony of the Holy Ghost in Jeremiah
adorned by the LORD. And all proclaimed in this 31:33 concerning the New Covenant which-God  will
temple: HOLINESS TO THE LORD! That was the make in the latter days. This is the testimony not
very design. The Lord's people are to be a holy people. merely of Jeremiah, but it is the testimony of the Holy
And that which separates the people from the LORD is Ghost. Ever the writer to the Hebrews speaks of the
their`sin! All calls for the purifying blood of reconcilia- Holy Ghost in connection with the Word of God, the
tion and atonement; it calls for cleansing by blood. Word of revelation, whether this be in the written
The justice of God must be satisfied! Such was the idea record or whether this be in the signs. which accom-
which was built into the temple in every part as well as pany the Word, or, as in our text, the pointing out of
into the design of the whole.                               the divine meaning (deelountes)  both of the words of
  It is for this reason that the Old Testament Scripture and in the ordinances and arrangement of the
tabernacle is built as a pyramid, so to speak. In the tabernacle with its divinely arranged and instituted
outer court the congregation might worship from afar, furnishings.
but they might not enter into the Sanctuary. And,             The writer to the Hebrews does not go into the
again, the common priests might be ministering daily, details of the meaning of the furnishings of the temple.
continually in the Santuary but they might never, How interesting that would have been. Jewish theology
never, never enter into the Most Holy Place, which sym- and heathen philosophy is full of speculation con-
bolized the very presence of God. That was the cerning the meaning of all this. Evidently the Holy
point to be noticed. Even they, the priests, might not Ghost did not mean it for us to need all these details.
enter. However, the High Priest might enter into the The central truth in the parabolic message of the
Most Holy place, in the very presence of God, once per temple ordinances ought to come through clear and
year, not without blood. He would bring a sacrifice for strong! That is the very nature of the parable. Such is
himself first of all, and then for the people. This is the case with all parables. And thus also here. The one
clearly stated in Leviticus 26. On this day all the sins central message in the entire worship service in the
of all the people, the uncleanness associated with the O.T. tabernacle as this culminated in the feast of the
sins of the people as having contaminated the very great day of atonement was: the way into the Most
tabernacle itself were all washed away, and Israel starts Holy has not yet been manifested!
once more with a ceremonially clean slate.                    Such was the testimony of the Holy Ghost in the
  The walls of separation continued!                        parabolic symbolism of the Old Testament tabernacle.
  The middle wall of the partition contained in
ordinances stood as the end of all contradiction, as
that which was settled and binding "for the time
present," as long as that tabernacle stood and was                          ANNUAL MEETING
maintained by the LORD of hosts! It was a divine               The Board of Reformed Free Publishing Association
ordinance and arrangement till the time of reformation      urges all, not part, of its members to  make a united
at the Cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ!              effort to attend this meeting to be held in our South
                                                            West Church September 25, at 8:00 P.M.
THE TESTIMONY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE                       Young men, the time and need is here that you join
PARABOLIC TEMPLE-SYMBOLISM  Hebrews 9:  8,9                 this organization and apply those talents given you in
  The writer to the Hebrews attributes a certain            this Kingdom work.
presence and testimony of the Holy Ghost in the Old                                         Board of the R.F.P.A.


480                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


                              News From Our Churches

                                       August 14, 1969 Ocean, to Disneyland; and discussions on Dating, The
                                                          Generation Gap, Christians in Politics and Christian
   South Holland received notice that Rev. C. Hanko Witnessing. The songs chosen for the singspiration
declined the call they had extended him; Rev. included, "The Love of God", "Great is Thy Faithful-
Engelsma  alSO  decided  against   accepting Pella's bid to  ness7,  "Standing  on  the  Promises~~,   and  several
come over to help them.                                   apprdpriate Psaltar numbers. Jim Lanting led in
                        8  9  *                           opening devotions and Rev. Van  Baren closed the
   Expressing a need for much volunteer help, a notice meeting with prayer, after having addressed the  "jet-
in Loveland's bulletin was a plea for typewriters set" giving them some wholesome advice concerning
(machine and human) to prepare some 1000 address their behavior while at the convention. We oldsters
labels, and to fold and stamp the pamphlets that the only hope that the young folk surpass us in evaluating
church extension committee was to mail for distribu- the ,spiritual  aspect of the convention more highly than
tion in the city of Loveland. What is the subject of that the physical.
pamphlet?  "The Christian School-why?"                                             *  *  *
                        *  Y  ic                             Our first Jamaica missionary-elect felt constrained
   Excerpt from the Principal's Report in a Newsletter to decline the call for him to work on that Island. Rev.
from our Covenant Chr. High School:                       Heys' statement was to the effect that he believed it
   "Several new courses  will be added to the curricu- was not the Lord's will that he accept the post at this
lum next year. They include physics, shorthand, time.
electronics, advanced composition, medieval church                                 )c  8  *
history, English literature, economics, government,
modem world history, and an additional semester of           Understandably, little trouble was experienced in
world geography. The teachers and I are busy on these our Michigan churches during this summer's vacation
courses. Mrs. A. Quenga is learning shorthand and time in filling our pulpits with ministers. This was
gathering material for the composition course. Miss accomplished by multiple-trades between Classical
Lubbers is busy researching medieval church history appointees and vacationing(?) ministers, and by  re-
and English literature. Mr. Langerak is evaluating text arranging the time of servikes.  Understandably because
books and seeking advice from experts in the field of of the heartwarming co-operation among our clergy
social studies. I am working on equipment and notes revealing the same "love of the saints" as was
for the electronics course." From that description one manifested between the Apostle Paul and his fellow
would conclude that Mrs. Quenga is hoping to keep a workers.
squiggle ahead of her pupils as her fellow staff                                    *  *  *
members keep a step ahead!
                        8  8  9                              In a notice found in the newest Kalamazoo's
                                                          bulletin we learned for the first time that Rev. C.
   Young People Hold Pre-convention  Hymnsing  In Hanko has written an officially published tract on,
First  Church Sunday Evening, Aug.  lo!  According  to  C.cWhat   Is  Tmly  Reformed  3,  Tfis  is  purpoti,ed  to
                                                                                        .
remarks heard, this was the best singspiration yet! explain briefly what the Reformed faith is. If the
Kalamazoo's congregation scheduled their evening ser- purpose of this latest publication is that these be
vice for 6:30 so that some of their people might join "handed out" then it might be welI that our children
the throng in First's auditorium. Ed Ophof led the and young people be the first recipients thereof. In this
spirited singing. The Kregel sisters played a stirring day of "Reformed" labeling of everything connected
piano-organ duet entitled, "The Heavens are Telling", with the activities of the churches of the Reformation
- indeed, it was literally breath-taking! Mr. Gerald it is urgently necessary that we and our children be
Kuiper sang his own arrangement - a medley of two keenly aware of the true character of the  Reformed
songs, "My Heavenly Father Watches Over You", and, Faith!
"It Is Well With My Soul," beautifully rendered in his                             *  *  )c
clear tenor voice so every word might be understood! ,
Miss Patricia Kamps read one of the late Rev.  H:            Newly arrived at the manse in Loveland, &lo., an
Hoeksema's meditations from a 1943 Standard Bearer infant son born to Rev. and Mrs. Engelsma.
on the prayer, "Teach me, 0 Lord, the way of Thy  :-,                              *  Y  *
statutes; and I  will keep it to the end." Ken Kuiper        Church,  a word whose letters suggest a timely motto
gave a resume of the planned activities awaiting them; today-: Conscientiously Hold Up Reformed Church
trips to the mountains, to Hidden Valley, to the Heritage.                       . . . .see you in church. J.M.F.


