                              tandard

                                            earer


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


IN THIS ISSUE


       Meditation:
          The Word  Of The Cross A Power

        Editorial:
          What Next?

        Sowing The Seed
          (see: In His Fear)

        "The Holy Spirit and the Catholicity of the Church"
          (see: Examining Ecumenicalism)




                                              Volume XL VII /Number 2 / October 15, 1969


26                                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


                             CONTENTS:                                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER
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 ;                                                                                   Semi-monthly, except monthly during June,  Jufy and August.
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                                                                               Editor-in-Chief:   Prof.  H.  C.  Hoeksema

Editorials  -                                                                  Department   Editors:   Mr. John M.  Faber,Rev.   Co.rnelius Hanko,Prof.
                                                                               Herman Hanko, Rev. Robert C. Harbach, Rev. John A. Heys, Rev. Jay
        Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Korterjng, Rev. George C. Lubbers, Rev. Marinus Schipper, Rev.  Gise J.
        What Next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Van  Baren, Rev. Herman  Veldman. Rev. Bernard Woudenberg
                                                                               Editorial   Ofice:   Prof. H. C. Hoeksema
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Meditation
                               The Word of the Cross A Power
                                                                 Rev. M. Schipper

                 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are
                saved it is the power of God. "                                                                      I Corinthians 1: 18.

       The power and wisdom of God in the Word of the the foolishness of preaching the Word of the cross.
cross!                                                                          And he finishes off the argument by showing that
       This is the theme which the apostle develops not God exactly chooses to reveal His wisdom, power, and
only in the text quoted above, but also in the entire glory through those things which the world counts
context. He does this by showing, first of all, that the                        foolishness. He chooses such a humble thing as the
Word of the cross cannot be preached by means of the cross to make a crown; and the rejected, despised,
wisdom of  `human word. Further, he shows that the crushed, and forsaken Jesus to be Saviour of the world.
power and wisdom of the world God puts to shame by                                  In our text the apostle presents the cross of Christ as


                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER                                                        27


God's powerful Word unto salvation! Negatively, it. is speaks. And when in time He -spoke it, that cross with
His power of destruction to those in the process of all its significance came into the sphere of created
perishing. Positively, it is His power of salvation to things. As at the very beginning God said: Let there be
those being saved.                                            light, and there was light; so also He declares: Let there
   Indeed, the Word of the cross is a power! The be the cross, and the cross makes its appearance in the
word of the cross!                                            very center of history. The way of the cross was
   Not the  ; preaching of the cross, as the above            ordained by Him. The Christ of the cross was prepared
translation suggests. The apostle here does not have `in      by Him. The Word of God in the cross is its idea, its
mind, at least not in the first place, the  me.dium           real meaning. And only as the Word of God is it a
through which the Word of the cross comes to men.             power.
Though it is true that the Word of the cross must-also           But what does the Word of the cross say? What is
be preached, and God is pleased to have it preached.          its contents?
The text most emphatically does not refer to a, word             First of all, it is that Word which speaks to us of the
that mere man speaks about the cross.                         necessity of the cross. The highest necessity, of course,
   But literally it is the Word of the cross!                 is really the necessity of all things; namely, the glory of
   Quite naturally the cross here refers to the cross of God. The mediate necessity is the fact of sin. There is
Christ! Principally there is only one cross, though there no cross or a Word of the cross conceivable unless
is much which the world, and even the Christian calls there is sin. Hence, the fact of sin makes the Word of
cross. One is said to have a cross to bear when, things       the cross necessary.
do not go right, when calamities fall upon one. Yet              Secondly, the Word of the cross is a revelation of
there is only one cross that- is of importance to the atonement and reconciliation. The fact remains that
child of God, and to his faith - and that is the cross of sin and guilt bring with them the necessity of
Christ. All other crosses, unless they are related to His,    atonement. And in the Word of the cross there is the
have no real significance. Moreover, we should-under- revelation of the fact that atonement  has,been made.
stand that the apostle uses a figure of speech here. The God sent His Son into the world to make this
reference is not so much  ,to the literal cross upon atonement. And the Word of the cross is therefore the
which Jesus was  -crucified, but to Christ  ,Himself          good news of salvation, life and grace.
crucified. When Scripture speaks of the `cross,. there-          Thirdly, the Word of the cross speaks also of the
fore, it refers to the historic event, that .experience of effects of that cross in those atoned for. On the-one
Christ in time when He suffered under Pontius Pilate,         hand, it speaks of the operation of the graces of
was crucified, died, and was buried and descended into salvation in those for whom Christ died, which He
hell.                                                         merited for them, and which He also by His Spirit gives
   That cross, in that sense of the word, is a Word of        unto them. And on the other hand, it speaks of the
God!                                                          gratitude expressed by the recipients of these benefits.
                                                              The Word of the cross therefore also speaks of their
   In general all things may be said to be words of God.      walking in all good works to God's glory, but also of
The Word of God is the essence, the meaning of all the effects of that Word in them causing them to do
things He made. "By the word of the Lord were the these works. Such, indeed, is the word of the cross as
heavens made and all the hosts of them by the breath to its contents.
of His mouth." By the word of His power He holds                 That Word is a power of God!            --      ' .I~ '
and upholds all things in heaven and earth. There is a           Never is the Word of the cross a power of impotent
word of God in the lily of the field. There-is a word of man!
God in the cedars of Lebanon. There is a word- of God            Vainly he conceives the- thought that it is in
in the sun, moon, and stars; in the lightning which his power to discern the meaning of it, and to
flashes through. the sky and the thunder which rolls; it speak it. He imagines that the Word in itself is a dead
is in the lamb and the lion, in the babbling brook and letter. It lives, so he thinks, and it has effect only when
the tempestuous sea. It is exactly for this reason .that it is forcibly presented by human power, the power of
the heavens declare the glory of God, and the oratory and persuasion. But this is precisely what the
firmament showeth His handiwork. In all the works of apostle here militates against. He is aware that the
His hands God speaks concerning Himself; though we Divine logic of the cross is hidden from the eyes of
can no longer understand their language because of sin. mere man. The apostle is afraid of his own word; of
It is for this reason, too, that Jesus, the Logos, the man's wisdom. Such a word of- man must of necessity
Word, could speak as He did in parables, because He negate, rather attempt to negate the Word of the cross
could read the Word of God in the creation about Him and oppose it. "Not with the wisdom of words, lest the
and interpret its heavenly speech.                            cross of Christ should be made of none effect." Mere
Such a `Word is also the cross!  _                            natural man, ,standing  at the cross, while gazing upon it
   It is an eternal thought, a word which God eternally may be able to discern a relative difference between


28                                             THE STANDARD BEARER


that central cross and that of the malefactors on either This Sufferer on the cross is none other than Jehova,
side. He may even come to the conclusion that Christ          Salvation, Who must save His people from their sins.
was a good Man Who died for His principles. If he is He is none other than the offended God come down to
very religious, he may even condemn those responsible us in our nature to bear away forever all our offences.
for nailing Christ to the cross. But that there is special      Mystery of mysteries!
significance, he cannot discern. It lies therefore in the       God in the flesh, being forsaken of God!
nature of the case that the Word of the cross is not            This is, indeed, the very heart of the Word of the
ours to speak, not is it our power to save.                   cross!
      Strictly the Word of the cross is God's Word and          But that Word does more than speak-it saves! By
God's power!                                                  the power of that Word the burden of our sin rolls
      The term "power" is the same word from which our away. By its power death loses its sting. And by its
word "dynamic" is derived. It signifies that energy that power righteousness, peace, joy, life, and glory are
is capable of bringing something to pass, of accom- bestowed upon us. As the God of our salvation He
plishing a certain end. As a dynamo has the ability to saves us unto the uttermost.
generate electricity, so this power of our text produces        0, indeed, not to all is the Word of the cross a
something. It is God's power wherewith He works. Just power unto salvation!
as the Word of the cross is a Divine Word, so also as a         Also here, as the Scriptures repeatedly assert, the
power it is God's power whereby He accomplishes natural man discerns not the things of the Spirit and of
something according to His good pleasure.                     the Word of God.
      A power of God unto salvation!                            Verily, the Word of the cross is foolishness to him.
      Speaking powerfully to us of the righteousness and Through such a weak and foolish and base thing as a
justice of God over against our sin and guilt; and cross, he will not be saved. That there is something
informing us how terribly displeased He is with that wrong with him and with the world, he will admit.
depraved state and condition. Making us, as the That something must be done to save the world, he
publican in the temple, to cry out: 0, God be merciful writes about in all the newspapers and periodicals of
to me the sinner. Speaking'to us, too, most powerfully our time. But his hope looks for power and wisdom,
of the God of our salvation, Whose love was so great the philosophy of man to save; rather than the wisdom
that He gave His only begotten Son unto the death of and power of God. The power of science, the power or
the cross, and ordaining that all the vials of His holy       armies, peace treaties, social justice-of these he dreams
wrath should be poured out upon His head,' as as the only remedy for the mess his world is in. But he
obediently He bore that wrath until all the vials of it will not humble himself before God as a sinner. He
were emptied and none remained over us.                       continues to boast of his inherent goodness. The cross
      That powerful Word of the cross He speaks not only is foolishness to him. And it is foolishness because he
in the cross itself, but He lays it also in the heart of the belongs to them that are perishing. And he perishes
apostles and prophets, so that as they received it by because he loves his own folly, despising the wisdom
infallible inspiration they could write it and speak it. and power of God revealed in the cross. And because
And he operates by the power of that Word through the Word of the Cross is God's power of death unto
the apostles in the hearts of men.                            death, God accomplishes His purpose in them that
      Hence when we are brought to stand at the foot of perish through the way of their foolishness.
the cross at Calvary, we must be silent and hear what           But unto us which are saved and are being saved, the
God will say to us. Just as at Calvary God insisted on Word of the cross is wisdom and power of God!
silence when for three hours He caused darkness to              According to verse 24, they are the called, both of
descend upon the earth and every mouth was closed in the Jews and Greeks. To them Christ is the power of
deathly silence, while only He did speak; so standing God and the wisdom of God.
there in the silence of faith we will hear the Word of          To them the Word of the cross is the Word of God
the cross speaking. Speaking of His righteousness and Who saves them. It makes them to be burdened with
wrath over against our sin. No longer will you hear the the knowledge of their sin and guilt. It makes them to
judgment of the rulers and the mockery of the people, be weary and heavy laden. It makes them to flee to
but the thunder and the lightning of His wrath against Jesus, the Rest-giver, where at the foot of His cross
our sin. You will then be able to hear as each drop of they are plunged in the fountain of His blood, and all
precious blood falls to the ground, and you will their guilty stains are washed away. They know they
tremble in the consciousness that it was not Christ's are righteous before God - and in the judgment shall
but our sin that warranted that awful judgment on be justified before all, men, angels, devils.
the hill of the skull. But flee not away in your fright!        And day by day they are being saved. They go from
There is more to hear if you remain silent. You will strength to strength until everyone appears in Zion. In
hear of God as the God of your salvation. Of His the midst of the battle of faith the Word of the cross
eternal,  unchangable, boundless love to His people. sustains them. In the shadows of death it is their rod


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 29



and staff. And in the morning of the resurrection they the assembly of the elect in life that is eternal.
shall hear it once more calling them out of the             Thanks be unto God for that Word!
corruption of the flesh to stand in newness of life in


Edit-ha&

                                         EDITOR'S NOTES

  Elsewhere in this issue the annual reports of the as to publication date and advance orders.
Board of our Reformed Free Publishing -Association                                 ****
appear. Your editor delivered a brief speech at the
rather poorly attended annual meeting, and was asked        Those interested in the work in Jamaica should take
to place this speech in the Standard Bearer. This will special note of Rev. Hey's articles on "Sowing The
appear in a later issue, D.V.                             Seed," beginning in this issue.
                                                                                   ****
                         ****                               Your attention is called to the Book Review
  Work is proceeding as rapidly as possible on "There- department in this issue. Prof. Hanko's review of the
fore Have I Spoken." This is the title of the forth- booklet dealing with Bible-reading is especially signifi-
coming biography of the Rev. Herman Hoeksema cant because it treats a subject which is vital to a
written by Gertrude Hoeksema. By the time the next correct understanding of the so-called "new theology"
issue comes out, we hope to have definite information of today.



                                           What Next?
                                              Pro5 H. C. Hoeksema

  From time to time the Standard Bearer has reported has come to be known as the "voice of the  Veron-
and commented on the situation in the Netherlands, trusten (Alarmed Ones)" in the Dutch churches,
particularly in the Gereformeerde Kerken. This is done though officially it disdains this name and prefers to be
for more than one reason. Partly, the reason is a called "Organ for Reformed Life." This paper reports
general interest in and concern about trends and on and usually furnishes rather sound comment on
developments in the Reformed community at large. almost every move and expression of the large segment
Partly, the reason lies in the fact that the Netherlands of the Gereformeerde Kerken which is devoted to the
is historically the cradle of the Reformed faith for so-called "new theology." The latter is the theological
Calvinists of Dutch ancestry; and specifically, the trend which is probably associated most readily in the
Gereformeerde Kerken are for many of us, - over the minds of our readers with the name of Dr. H. M.
span of a few generations,  - the mother church. Kuitert, professor in the school of theology at the Free
Partly, too, the reason lies in the strong influence University of Amsterdam, and also, by the way, one of
which the  Gereformeerde Kerken  have always exer- the advisors at this year's General Synod of the
cised upon ecclesiastical and theological trends in Gereformeerde Kerken. But Dr. Kuitert is by no means
Reformed churches in this country; whether for good the only liberal, it must be remembered. The dreadful
or for bad, that there has long been, and still is, such fact is that the liberals dominate the scene, both in the
an influence cannot be denied. And, therefore, partly schools (Amsterdam and Kampen) and in the churches,
the reason lies in the fact that in connection with so that 90% in the Dutch churches are in favor of this
developments in "the old country" there are lessons to liberal theology (according to Dr. van Swigchem, the
be learned and warnings to be sounded (and heeded!) Dutch churches' fraternal delegate to the last Christian
for Reformed Christians in this country and in Canada. Reformed Synod).
  One of the most informative (and, in my opinion,          But I  ! am running ahead of my story. One of the
dependable) papers from the Netherlands is Waarheid most outspoken critics of the advocates of the new
en Eenheid (Truth and Unity), a paper which popularly theology is Dr. M. J. Amtzen, who, though not listed


30                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



among the staff of the above-named paper, frequently overthrow the historically Reformed position of the
contributes to its columns. Dr. Arntzen has  .been churches about creation and the fall.
critical from the beginning of this trend; he was             And today?
probably one of the first to criticize it in the              Heaven and hell are openly denied! The completely
Netherlands. Lately, however, it seems to me that he modernistic and humanistic idea of a heaven and hell
has become more outspoken and militant in his in this present time and on this side of the horizon is
criticism,  - and rightly so. However that may be, he brazenly promulgated. Revolution and lawlessness are
recently wrote a brief article in the July 22nd issue of preached,. something that stands foursquare over
"Waarheid en Eeenheid" in which he paints a very dark against the Biblical injunction to be in submission to
picture of the situation in the Netherlands. There are the powers that be, who are ordained of God.
several items in that article on which I would like to        What next?
comment. For the present, however, I will comment             And yet, when one calmly thinks into the situation,
on the main item in the article, the one which led to this is not so amazing. When this writer thinks back to
Dr. Arntzen's title, "Bewildering Language" and to the Dr. Kuitert's first speech to the Christian Reformed
question in the title above this editorial, "What Next?" Ministers conference, less than two years ago,  -and
      Dr. Arntzen in this article reports on an interview recalls the fact that Kuitert in that speech flouted all
with Professors Kuitert and D.C. Mulder (both of the that was ever Reformed, so that there was not the
Free University) which was carried in De  Spiegel, semblance of a sympathetically Reformed note in that
another Dutch paper. He writes as follows (I translate):    speech, `- then it is not so amazing, nor bewildering,
      "To Profs. Kuitert and Mulder the question was put that Kuitert should now express himself~as he does.
whether they  still  (this little word  still  is indeed       Still  -more. When one considers that when these
characteristic) believe in a heaven. The answer was theologians attack the Scriptures, they destroy the
deeply disappointing.                                       very foundations of the truth, attack and deny the
      "After having once more set forth his noteworthy very source of all knowledge of the truth, then it is
view of Scripture, Kuitert teaches: `Now that we are quite understandable that sooner or later they are
increasingly in a position on earth to bring Christianity bound to deny not only the reality of heaven and hell,
into practice, there is less and Iess of the idea that but ALL of the precious truths of revelation.
salvation lies somewhere beyond the horizon. . . .or          The amazing'and bewildering thing about this is the
that damnation, hell (lies beyond the horizon). Both tremendously rapid speed with which all these evil
lie on this side of the horizon.' Kuitert also says that in developments come. Time was when it would take
connection with the hereafter we can think of nothing many years for this evil leaven to work thr.ough. Today
concrete. And if you can think of nothing concrete, is it happens overnight! A sign of the times! We are
it then indeed still reality?"                              rushing, literally rushing, toward the end!
      Dr. Arntzen goes on to write that according to the      Another amazing and bewildering aspect of this!
same interview Kuitert is in favor of the revolution and development is the fact that the churches not only'
violence of today and makes propaganda in favor of stand virtually paralysed over against this trend, but
civil disorder.                                             put their blessing on it. The vast majority agree with it,
      Do you wonder that when I read of this, I said to we are told. There is an almost complete lack of
myself, "What next?"                                        doctrinal discipline. There are but a few minority
      Imagine! One who occupies the chairs of dogmatics voices raised against it. The question will not be
and ethics in the school of Abraham Kuyper, one who downed: "When the Son of Man cometh, will he find
teaches the future ministers and theologians of the faith on the earth? A sign of the times!
Gerefomeerde  Kerken,  one who presumes to ask in             And still another bewildering aspect to me is that on
one of his popularly written booklets (written for the this side of the ocean there seem to be so few, so
common people of the churches) "Understandest Thou pitifully few, who are even sufficiently interested and
What Thou Readest?", one who sits as advisor at the concerned to take warning and to be stirred to
General Synod, one who has signed and presumably reformatory' action. For make no mistake! There are
subscribes to the Three Forms of Unity,  - imagine friends and adherents of Kuitert and his fellows on this
that such an one denies in a public magazine the idea side of the Atlantic too. Recently someone claimed
of a heaven and hell hereafter! Imagine that such an that there were many of them  (50%), for example, in
one puts himself on the side of the revolution and the Christian Reformed denomination. I do not believe
violence of today!                                          this; I believe there are many more. Perhaps they are
      It seems almost like yesterday that questions were not open friends. But they are not open and avowed
raised about the nature and authority of Holy Scrip- enemies. They are "at ease in Zion." And he who is
ture, that questionable and deviating opinions were not an enemy of these church-destroyers is, even
expressed on this score, that spokesmen of the Dutch though passively, their friend and protector.
churches began to talk about evolution and began to           It is later than you think!


                                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER                                                            31
                                                                     .      __

          AZZ Around Us

                                                          Divisions in the RCA
                                                 The  Irish Religious Struggle
                                                          Mc  Intire's Manifesto
                                            Bad News From The Netherlands

                                                                      ProJf H. Hanko


          DIVISIONS  IN THE R  CA                                                      the doctrinal formulary by all ministers licensed and
            It was reported earlier in this column that at the last                    ordained in the RCA.
          General Synod of the Reformed Church of America the                       In the discussion of these points the differences
          .delegates decided to face squarely the differences appeared very sharply. The East insisted that there was
          within the denomination-differences which were perhaps some room for negotiation on some of the
          bought forcibly to the foreground by the defeat of the points. But Eastern delegates flatly refused to consider
          merger proposals that had been studied for many years the first two: withdrawal from COCU and the NCC.
          to unite the RCA with the Presbyterian Church US And a great deal of discussion was aroused by the fifth,
          (Southern). The decision itself called for a committee with the Eastern delegates insisting that the creeds
          to attempt to reconcile the differences between the should not be binding upon the ministers and office-
          "conservative" and "liberal" wings of the Church if bearers, but that freedom of thought and theological
          this were possible; and, if this failed, to consider the expression be permitted. It was here that the deep
          possibility of appointing a committee to study the doctrinal divisions became especially apparent.
          dissolution of the denomination.                                          After lengthy discussion, a delegate from the East
            In  an  issue of the  Presbyterian Journal  an article suggested that perhaps the delegates ought to consider
          appeared written by Russell E. Horton in which the the possibility of the two segments in the Church going
          background of this decision is sketched.                                their separate ways. A lot of discussion followed
     '      The article explains that at a meeting of the General concerning the advisability of this as well as the
          Synod Executive Committee held on April 7-8, 1969 a implementation of such a plan should the General
          motion'was passed which read:                                           Synod decide to do this. It was finally decided that the
                That the GESC request the chairman to name an                     Ad Hoc Committee would simply recommend to the
              Ad Hoc Committee composed of two persons from                       General Synod Executive Committee that they make a
~             each Particular Synod to meet at Chicago-O'Hare for                 study of the possibility of a split in the Church.
              two days to confer together concerning the problems                   The author seems to favor the idea of a split, but he
              which have merged out of the defeat of the Plan of                  is insistent also upon the fact that since the West
              Union, and further that. the members of the Ad Hoc                  successfully defeated the merger plan, they should be
              Committee represent the leadership and reflect the
              thinking of the points of view implicit                             permitted to maintain  the Church while those who
                                                          in the pro and
              con of the Plan of Union.                                           disagree with them should simply step outside the
            This article is a report of the meeting of the Ad Hoc denomination.
          Committee. It is not necessary to describe in detail the                  This was the background to Synod's decisions. It
          meeting. What is of interest is the fact that towards the shows how deeply the differences have cut in the RCA.
          end of the meeting the chairman asked each "side" to That the Church has the courage and honesty to face
          state their case and explain what they wanted from the the fact is commendable.
          other "side" if reconciliation was to be achieved in the
          Church. A Western delegate summed up the differences THE IRISHRELIGIOUSSTRUGGLE
          in five points and stated what he believed the salvation                It is only because the recent rioting in Northern
          of the Reformed Church required. These were:                            Ireland has such profound religious implications that
                 1) No more involvement in COCU. 2) Withdrawal                    we comment on the matter in these columns.
              from the NCC. 3) The right of the West. to control                    It is, at bottom, a religious struggle indeed. The
              the .policies and programs of the RCA for a while.                  Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland, arrayed on one
              4) Western control of the theological education at least            side of the barricades, claim that the issues are political
              in Western Seminary. 5) Sincerity in the signing of                 and economic. They claim that they are an opressed


32                                               THE STANDARD BEARER


minority, denied due representation in political deci- course of the summer and fall. He has insisted that the
sions and discriminated against in housing, jobs, etc.           Churches owe him and his blacks  $500,000,000  (a
      The Protestants, on the other hand, claim that the         figure which has grown to $2 billion) in reparations for
issue is really an attempt on the part of the Roman all the evil the Churches have inflicted on the blacks
Catholics in Northern Ireland, allied with the Catholic          over the years. Some Church groups are considering his
majority in Southern Ireland to take over Northern demands. Others have already paid money.
Ireland and suppress Protestantism. The religious issues           But now McIntire has made his own "Manifesto". In
go back to the Reformation.                                      ,it he claims an equal amount of money from liberal
      Bernadette Devlin, a  22-year old member of the churches for the harm they have done to him and to
British House of Commons and a supporter of the                  the cause of the gospel over the years. Because Forman
Roman Catholic cause, has recently toured this                   first read his "Manifesto" in Riverside Church in New
country to raise money to help her oppressed country             York, it was to that Church that McIntire made his
men. She was accused however, of being a Communist way to present his own private demands. Appearing at
and of wanting to make Ireland a Socialist State. She            a Sunday service, McIntire proceeded down the aisle
was opposed in this country by Dr. Carl McIntire who             shortly before the service was to begin, mounted the
claims credit for her sudden and unexpected return to            pulpit and made preparations to read his document to
Ireland before her purpose was accomplished.                     the assembled people. The minister came to the pulpit
      More recently Dr. Ian Paisley has toured the country and insisted that he not do this. McIntire protested
with Dr. McIntire in an effort to contradict the that, since they had permitted  Forman to read his
propaganda of Miss Devlin. Dr. Paisley is the leader of document, they should also permit McIntire to read
the Protestants in North Ireland and has led many his. But the minister refused. With a parting remark
protest marches. He has, in fact, spent some time in jail that he would never disrupt a service or break the law,
for leading these marches or demonstrations in the past McIntire departed from the sanctuary to read his
and is, in some measure, responsible for the rioting document to a crowd assembled on the steps outside
that has torn the country apart.                                 and to nail the paper above the door of the Church.
      It is not our intention to judge the issues and to take      McIntire has insisted that it was wrong of Forman to
sides in the struggle. But it is our intention to express        write such a Manifesto. He has argued not only that
sorrow at the fact that the cause of Christ has become           the Manifesto is wrong because it is a "blueprint for
associated in Ireland with political struggles, religious        revolution"; not only because Forman disrupts church
rioting and destroyed cities. Paisley claims to be a             meetings; but because For-man has no right to make
conservative Protestant who is intent on maintaining monetary claims on the Churches. Now McIntire does
the principles of the Reformation against the encroach- it himself. It all seems like a bad joke. But McIntire
ing power of Roman Catholicism and false ecumenism.              appears to be in earnest in his demands. At any rate,
No doubt he is; he and his denomination are members this surely is not the way to preach the gospel and
of the ICCC of which the president is Dr. McIntire. But          promote the cause of Jesus Christ. Such action too
all the more shame to him. He has taken recourse to              brings reproach on the Church. Must McIntire adopt
physical power, to the coercion of demonstrations and the methods of the ungodly? Must he use the
parades and protest marches to defend the truth. He instruments of force and coercion to gain the ends of
has, in the words of Scripture, trusted in chariots and the kingdom?
horses when he ought to be trusting in God. He cannot              Why don't the McIntires and the Paisleys mind the
shake off responsibility for the riots which have business of the Church and be busy in preaching the
resulted in murder, arson, hatred and bloodshed. By gospel instead of using the tactics of wicked men to try
doing so he has brought the scorn of the world upon              to help the cause of the gospel? They do the cause of
the Church. He has given occasion for the ungodly to             the gospel irreparable harm with their strange antics.
blaspheme - as anyone who has read the secular Press
will know. He has given conservative Protestantism BAD NEWS FROM THE NETHERLANDS
(whatever the justice of his cause) a bad name by                  At the last Synod of the Christian Reformed
identifying the cause of the gospel with power strug- Church, Dr. Douwe Van Swigchem addressed the
gles. And Dr. McIntire, one who has consistently Synod in his capacity of fraternal delegate from the
supported Ian Paisley, has done the same. This is sad,           Gereformeerde Kerken in the Netherlands. In his
They must assume responsibility for the reproach that speech he spoke quite frankly about the many new
has been heaped on the Church.                                   changes which have come about in the Gereformeerde
                                                                 Kerken and confirmed that these Churches have
MClNTIRES' MANIFESTO                                             drifted far down the liberal road. His speech was
      We reported in this column that James  Forman, a quoted in  The Banner?  We can only give a brief
leader of black militants, has been presenting his "Black        summary of his ramarks.
Manifesto" in various Church assemblies over the                   He spoke first of some "minor changes" in the


                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                                            33


Psalmbook and in the liturgy, and mentioned the fact                     the evidence of Scripture itself, even by the inspired
that there were many experimental services being                         words used, that we have to look upon chapters 2
conducted in the Churhces back home in which new                         and 3, in tfie same way.
liturgical forms were being tried.                                        . . . Nobody in our churches however is obliged to -
   He also spoke of the fact that women officebearers                    think the same way as here expressed. But the vast
were now taking places in the Church.                                    majority in our church is convinced that it would be
   But thirdly he spoke of doctrinal changes, especially                 wrong to insist that the literal exegesis of all the
                                                                         details of Genesis 3 ought to be declared the only
with respect to the decision of 1967 which revoked the                   true faith.
resolutions of Assen in 1926.                                              This is the opinion not only of one or two
   We quote a few excerpts.                                              professors, but of all faculty members both in
       . . . .The Word of God should not be identified                   Amsterdam, and in Kampen.
     with OUY explanations, traditions, doctrines, and even            The speaker then went on to discuss the reasons
     confessions.                                                   why the Netherlands was so far advanced in these
       One's opinions of the meaning of some chapters or            respects over the American Churches. He estimates
    books of the Bible may change, and it is always a               that only about 10% of the members of his Church are
     doubtful and dangerous way when the church de-                 "concerned" while 50% of the Christian Reformed
     clares ooze exegesis obligatory.                               Church do not favor such interpretations. He finds two
       Why then be alarmed when we are aware that we                reasons. One was the war. The other was the fact that
    have to look for the meaning of the first chapters of
     Genesis in another direction than our fathers did?             finally the Church has begun to come of its shell and
                                                            If I
    believe-as I do-that God gave us a marvelous                    confront the world. And in confrontation with the
     picture in Genisis 1 of his almighty deeds in the              world, in an effort to bring the gospel to the world, the
     creation of the world, am I really to believe that He          Church has had to adjust its position to make itself
    intended to instruct us that the sun was created after          relevant.
    the creation of the earth or three days after the                 He urged upon the Christian Reformed Church to
    creation of light itself? No. . .                               hasten to turn the corner that the Gereformeerde
       Many of us are convinced, and are convinced by               Kerken have already turned.


In His Fear

                                         SOWING THE SEED
                                                       Rev. John A. Heys

  It was suggested at Synod in June that the report                    will be an edited and condensed form of what was
which the emissaries of 1968 filed with the Mission                    read of Synod. Herewith then is that report:
Committee, and which was read at the 1969 Synod,                       Esteemed Brethren,
be published so that our people could "get the feel"                      In addition to the preliminary report and evalu-
of the work being accomplished on the Island of                        ation and recommendation report which we already
Jamaica.                                                               gave to you, we herewith give you a final and
  Although this is not strictly a matter for the                       complete report of all of our activities during the
rubric  In His Fear,  we present it here for your                      eight-week period of our labours in Jamaica.
information. And we suggest that the 1969 emis-                           Our labors began on June 26 after a safe journey
saries follow it up with a report of their experiences.                the 25th. Rev. and Mrs. Heys arrived from O'Hare
An uninformed people cannot be an interested                           field in Chicago about five hours before the
people. Besidks, our people, who gave so freely for                    Feenstras arrived from the Los Angeles International
the poor in Jamaica and continue to collect for the                    Airport at  9:44 P.M. The car for which we had
building of and improving of the churches of these                     arranged before we left home was ready for us, and
brethren and sisters in the Lord, have a right to                      we obtained temporary lodging for the night at
know what is being done there, and to know some-                       Sunset Arms Apartment in Montego Bay.
thing of the problems in that field.                                      On Wednesday, the 26th, we travelled to. Lucea
  Our plan is to present this lengthy report in three                  (pronounced Lucy) and made arrangements to stay
or four issues of the Standard Bearer. Even then it                    that night at Tamarind Lodge. We then investigated


34                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



a new motel in Lucea, along the sea coast, where we        the highway and pavement to climb up the Blue
could do our own cookingand washing. We planned            Mountains. The whole distance from Port Maria to
to visit Rev. Elliott on the eastern end of the island     Mahoe was only a matter of some 40 miles, but we
first  for a week or two; and then we would need           arrived around 11 A.M. It was a steep, long and
lodging for a month around or near Lucea. Having           rough climb with the.car. But the view of the valleys
spoken for this place we went to visit Rev. and Mrs.       when once we got up to where we had to park the car
 Frame at First Hill. That night Rev. Heys preached        was spectacular, beauty few tourists ever get to see!
 for the Lucea congregation at their Wednesday even-       We still had to walk at least half a mile up and down
ing Prayer Meeting. His text was chosen to be Isaiah       hills before we descended into a depression where
 40: 1, 2, and the theme of the sermon was, "Com-          the bamboo church stood. It was a hot, close,
 fort, for the Heart of Jerusalem." The sermon was         sticky, stuffy position and was crude and roughly
 well received, and the service was a unique experi-       constructed. We enjoyed the Sunday there however.
 ence for the Feenstras. The audience was very atten-      The morning service was very well received and
 tive and seemed to have little difficulty following       apparently enjoyed by all. We then returned to our
 the  .sermon. Their repeated, "Amen," and "Praise         car over that same trail and ate our sandwiches
 the Lord," gave evidence to this.                         which we had prepared and taken along. Then they
      On Thursday we opened a checking account at          requested us to accompany them to a new "spot"
 Barclays Bank D.C.O. in Lucea, planning as we said        along another trail where they intended to build a
 to stay there for a month. The account was taken          church out in the open, and where they could get a
 out in both our names, so that, if one of us became       breeze. -It would also be more accessible. They are
 ill or incapable of using the account, the other could    now meeting there and have constructed a temp-
 write the checks. We deposited $1,500 of our ex-          orary meeting place. Then we trudged back to the
 pense account in the bank and $1,500 of the Poor          old church building after visiting an 88 year old
 Fund collections from our churches in the States,         widow who was selling them that piece of land for a
 which Hudsonville's diaconate had given along with        song, about $40. At church we played the tape of
 us. Having this account we could receive checks           greetings from the Mission Committee and one from
 from the States for deposit without difficulty; and       the Hope Heralds to teach them Psalter numbers. We
 we did not need to carry large sums of money along        also enjoyed very much, and so did they, our inno-
 with us. We then travelled back to Montego Bay to         vation of a group discussion of Psalm 23. It is our
 investigate lodging there for the last two weeks of       firm conviction that they can be instructed in this
 our stay, figuring that the shipment of clothing          way more readily than by preaching.. You can gauge
 would come in about this time. And it would be            their reception of the truth better and hold  their
 better to be in Montego Bay for customs collection.       attention. The evening service was held a little early
 Then, too, we did not know at that time whether           to give us time to get down the worst part of the
 the clothing would come in at the Montego Bay or          mountain while it was light.
 Kingston harbour. At least we could be contacted            That the truth was received and that they were
 more quickly and readily at Montego Bay than at           thankful for the messages is evident in that through
 Lucea.                                                    Rev. Elliott they pleaded for us to come back again
      On Friday we travelled to Islington (on the eas-     for a  service the next night. We regretted that we
 tern end of the island) to meet Rev. Elliott and to       were not able due to the distance and terrain. Travel
 be there in that area for two Sundays. With some 15       on these mountain roads, which that high up are
 pieces of luggage in the small trunk of our Ford          one-way trails, is treacherous in the dark when one
 Cortina compact, and on the car-top carrier (and          meets another car or truck and has to back down
 this included a large accordion in its case - for we      around curves and along steep ravines and on ex-
 had dropped one off already at Lucea) we travelled        tremely rough roads. As it was a very severe storm
 some 100 miles in semi-tropical heat and humidity.        swept through this section Monday afternoon and
 Rev. Elliott had written us that he had a place for us    would have added to our perils and also prevented
 to lodge at a very reasonable price. We went to look      the people from meeting. But all in all we were
 at it with him. We found it reasonable but inade-         happy that first Sunday evening and felt that we had
 quate for us and went back to Port Maria where we         accomplished something, even though we did not
 found an apartment where we could cook and do             return home and to our evening meal till around 10
 our own washing. We rented it for a week and one          P.M. Monday was spent in the necessary matters of
 day, although our plans were to stay for a week and       shopping for our staple goods in what are called
 four days.                                                supermarkets, and the heavy afternoon and evening
      Sunday was a memorable day for all of us. We left    rains prevented any activity that afternoon or night.
 Port Maria at 8:30 A.M. to pick Rev. Elliott up in          At a meeting with Mrs. Eula Stephen and Rev.
 Isl@gton  and then drove to Buff Bay. Here we left        Elliott ir-Islington, a Rev. Hezekiah Moore of Buff


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                    35


Bay appeared. His people in Buff Bay had seen us               tourists from Miami. We had to settle for ,one place
pass through Sunday on the way to Mahoe. He. had               on Saturday and then before going to church Sun-
done some  - of the written work of the correspon-             day morning to bring everything to another place,
dence course that Rev. Heys conducted, receiving               since we would not be home till after 10 P.M. and
his copies from Rev. Elliott. He was interested in             could' not take all that luggage along over the moun-
having his two churches, the one in Buff Bay and               tains.
the other in Manchioneal affiliated with us. We took             We left Sunday morning at 8: 15 for Reading.
him "home" with us for our noon meal, and then,                There the Sunday School children, even as they did
because he missed his bus, we took him home to                 last year, greeted us with a welcome song as we
Buff Bay and looked at his church. We also prom-               entered the building. Rev. Heys preached on Isaiah
ised to preach for him and his congregation Thurs-             49: 16 and they told Rev. Elliott that they were
day evening, since we got a good impression of him,            "satisfied." They did listen .attentively; and this, no
of his sincerity and interest in being one with us.            doubt is one of Rev. Elliott's better congregations, a
   On Wednesday we looked up the Port Maria                    very promising group with many children in atten-
church and made arrangements for the meeting that              dance of the services. In the afternoon we played
night. We planned with Rev. Elliott on Saturday to             the tape of Mission Committee greetings and the
show pictures of the group taken three years ago               Hope Heralds tape. We also discussed together Psalm
and of some tulip pictures, taken in Holland, Michi-           23 which they and we enjoyed. During the noon
gan to stress the Five Points of Calvinism to them             hour we had gone to Santa Cruz and shown the
again. After the pictures Rev. Heys preached on                Feenstras the church and visited with some of the
Ephesians 2: 10 to a responsive audience, at times             people of the congregation. We also met at the
too enthusiastic so that they interrupted the speak-          morning service a Rev. Drummond who, Rev. Elliott
ing with their `"Amen" and, "Praise the Lord."                 said, lost his congregation through no fault of his
  The service at Buff Bay in Rev. Moore's church               own. The Northhampton congregation is very small
was, we believe, rather typical of those on the island         and the church high up in the mountains. A station
in our churches there. They listened with attention           wagon full of people from Reading went along and
and replied in the affirmative to Rev. Moore's ques-           with them Rev. Drummond. This did help to fill out
tion as to whether they enjoyed the sermon on                  the auditorium. Otherwise there was only a handful.
Ephesians 2 : 10.                                              The sermon that night was the parable of the Lost
  On Friday we conferred with Rev. Elliott in re-              Son. After the sermon Rev. Elliott told the congre-
gard to the poor in his congregations and the repairs         gation that he was giving them over to Rev. Drum-
of the buildings explaining our stand about not               mond and that he would be their minister from now
doing anything at all till the properties were legally         on. That is the way they work, and there is much
secure. That night we showed the Islington congre-            room for instruction also in church government and
gation our pictures in a Baptist church that had              proper procedure. The people accepted this and
electricity. It was open to the public and several            usually are glad to be able to get someone to-serve
Baptist people said that they enjoyed the "mes-               them. In some instances the congregation requests a
sage." They must have meant the explanation of the            minister to come over and be their minister. Thus
Five Points of Calvinism namely, Total Depravity,             this Reading church asked Rev. Frame to come bver
Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresis-           instead of Rev. Elliott. And Santa Cruz asked Rev.
tible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints, in con-          Ruddock to serve them in place of Rev. Elliott, who
nection with the pictures of the tulips.         .            does have too many churches to be able to serve any
  On Saturday we went back to Montego Bay to be               one of them with any regularity and very often. Our
in a strategic place for travelling on Sunday to the          second Sunday in Jamaica for us was as pleasant as
Reading (pronounced  Redding) and Northhampton                the first, and we returned home about  10:30, had
Mt. Having spoken for a place for Monday evening              still to get our evening meal, but were happy as well
we had some difficulty getting one for Saturday and           as tired.
Sunday, the week-end usually seeing an influx of



      When Christ speaks by His Spirit and Word, the resistance of the sinner is melted and transformed into glad
      obedience.


36                                                         THE STANDARD BEARER



Examining  Ecumenicalism

                   "The Holy Spirit and the Catholicity of the Church"
                                                               Rev. G. Van Baren

      The World Council of Churches, meeting at Uppsala, There is the statement that Christ died and rose
Sweden in 1968, had as its general theme, "Behold, I again-though his bodily resurrection is not mentioned.
make all things new." The gathering produced and A person can understand the statement in several ways.
adopted six reports related to that theme. The first of It could satisfy both the modernist who denies bodily
these six reports I consider in this article. The report resurrection and the Reformed person. And what does
treats "The Holy Spirit and the Catholicity of the it mean that Christ died and arose again "for all
Church."                                                                mankind?" Is this meant in the sense of the Heidelberg
      The report gives to me a feeling of revulsion. How Catechism, Lord's Day 1 S? Or does the report mean it
any child of God could go along with such a report, in the arminian sense? Or does it suggest a universal
even for a time, is beyond my understanding. It must salvation of all men? Or does it refer to the idea of
be stated that there are indeed parts in it which seem modernism that Christ serves as a good example to all
very orthodox and Scriptural. But again, other parts who followed after Him? You can take your pick of
reflect the liberalism within the W.C.C. and other these.
churches which is so prevalent today. And this gives                      Again, catholicity is said to be a union "in love and
rise to that sense of revulsion. One senses an attempt service of Christ for the sake of the world. " I suppose I
to mix poison and medicine; light and darkness; the could accept the statement if the world "world" is to
truth and the lie. Not only this, but also the wording be taken in the sense of John 3: 16. Yet the liberal who
of the document is so cleverly phrased that virtually all denies the atonement but emphasizes rather the duty
men could subscribe to the statements-liberal and of the church to find answers to the earthly problems
conservative alike. One of the delegates also pointed of this age-could also accept the statement. And the
this out. He stated, "It is a mixture in such a way that concluding statement no one could deny-because one
everyone reads and understands it in his own way." can not possibly know how that must be interpreted.
(p. 9, Uppsala Report)                                                  Catholicity as described in this paragraph can mean
      But allow me to point out several parts of this anything to any reader-hence, in reality it means
report which show what is suggested above. There is, nothing.
first of all, the  .question:  what did the W.C.C. mean                   And what does the Holy Spirit work in the church?
when it speaks of "catholicity"? In several parts of the Several suggestions are presented concerning His work.
report one finds suggestions of that which it has in Some are:
mind. The following paragraph, however, somewhat                              We give thanks to God the Holy Spirit that at this
summarized its thoughts:                                                    very time he is leading us into a fresh and exhila-
          Since Christ lived, died and rose again for all                   rating understanding of the Body of Christ, to
       mankind, catholicity is the opposite of all kinds of                 the glory of God the Father. He is transforming the
        egoism and particularism.  It is the quality by which               relationships between separated Christian com-
        the Church expresses the fullness, the integrity and                munities, so that we now speak to each other with ,~       _
        the totality of life in Christ. The Church is catholic,             greater mutual trust and with more hope of reconcili-
        and should be catholic, in all her elements and in all              ation than ever before. (p. 11)
        aspects of her life, and especially in her wosship.                   In giving this life the Holy Spirit brings sinful men
        Members of the Church should reflect the integrity                  through repentance and Baptism into the universal
       .and wholeness which is the essential character of the               fellowship of the forgiven; bears witness through the
        Church. One measure of her internal unity is that it is             Church to the truth  .of the Gospel, and makes it
        said of believers that they have but one heart and one              credible to men; builds up the church in each place
        soul (Acts 4:32; Phil. 2: l-l 1). There are then two                through the proclamation of the Word and the
        factors in it: the unifying grace of the Spirit and the             celebration of the Eucharist; stirs the conscience of
        humble efforts of believers, who do not seek their                  the Church by the voice of prophets to keep her in
        own, but are united in faith, in adoration, and in love             the mercy and judgment of God; maintains the
        and service of Christ for the sake of the world.                    Church in communion and continuity with the
        Catholicity is a gift of the Sprit, but it is also a task, a        people of God in all ages and places; equips the
        call and an engagement.                                             Church to accept and niake use of the great variety
      Here one has an example of the sort of statement                      of God's gifts bestowed upon its members for the
which can interpreted by anyone as he would desire.                         entichment of human life; empowers the Church in


                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER                                                            37


    her unity to be a ferment in society, for the renewel      when one turns to Rev. 13, he must admit that here we
    and unity of mankind; sends men into the world             have the beginnings of the manifestation of the two
    equipped to prepare the way for God's rule on earth        beasts.  This is what  Upsala said:
    by proclaiming freedom to the captives and sight to                          In the agonishing arena of contemporary
    the blind; awakens Christians to watch for the Lord's          history-and  very often among the members of the
    coming, when he will judge the living and the dead,            Churches-we see the work of demonic forces that
    and open the gates of his city to all his people               battle against the rights and liberties of man, but we
    (p. 13). The Holy Spirit has not only preserved the            also see the activity of the life-giving Spirit of God.
    Church  in continuity with her past; He is also                We have come to view this world of men as the place
    continuously present in the Church, effecting her              where God is already at work to make all things new,
    inward renewal and re-creation. The Church in                  and where he summons us to work with him.
    heaven is indeed one with the Church on earth, yet                   The ecumenical movement helps to enlarge this
    the Church on earth does not stand outside the                 experience of universality, and its regional councils
    historical process. As the pilgrim people of God she           and its World Council may be regarded zis a transi-
    finds herself at every point of time implicated in the         tional opportunity for eventually actualizing a truly
    varying hopes, problems and fears of men and                   universal, ecumenical, conciliar form of common life
    women, and in the changing patterns of human his-              and witness. The members of the World Council of
    tory. The Church is faced by the twin demands, of              Churches, committed to each other, should work for
    continuity in the one Holy Spirit, and of renewal in           the time when a genuinely universal council may
    response to the call of the Spirit amid the changes of         once .more speak for all Christians, and lead the way
    human history. (p, 16).                                        into the future.
  The above is another instance of clever use of words                   Catholicity is also a constant posession and pursuit
so that everyone can agree. The modernist might h_ave              of the mystery of faith, the sacramental experience
a bit of a problem with the reference to "heaven" and              of that incorporation into Christ and involvement
"the  Lord's  coming when he will judge the living and             with mankind of which the Church is the form and
the dead," otherwise he can find these statements                  the Eucharist the substantial focus. . . The Church's
perfectly compatible with his                                      mission to the world will bring an enrichment from
                                      own belief. And the          the world into the Church. Only in the fulness of
modernist would wholeheartedly subscribe to state-                 redeemed humanity shall we experience the fulness
ments such as: (the Spirit) "sends men into the world              of the Spirit's gifts.
equipped to prepare the way for God's rule on                   The conclusion of the document is very appropriate.
earth. .  ." and "empowers the Church in her unity to Said Uppsala, "With a single voice all members of
be a ferment in society, for the renewal and unity of the Assembly pray `Come, creator Spirit,' knowing that
mankind;" etc. The very vagueness of the above quota- any answer to this prayer should open our eyes to
tions might make them acceptable to a Christian of Re-         God's future, which is already breaking in upon us." I
formed persuasion  - yet the philosophy of modernism consider that an appropriate ending to a very sick
ozzes out of almost every statement. How can any be            document.It concludes not with the Scriptural, "Even
satisfied with this mixture of light and darkness?             so, come Lord Jesus quickly," but with the sorry
  The aim and purpose of the W.C.C. shows itself at imitation, `"Come, creator Spirit." And the concluding
several points in the document. It can not be com- sentence reminds of "God's future, which is already
pletely hid-not even behind the vagueness of the breaking in upon us." The conclusion presents the
language used. The ideas of the following statements spirit of the document: a vagueness which allows the
are clear. The W.C.C. would have a united church over orthodox to concur and the modernist to join hands
the  whole  earth, united finally with all men on the with him. Can a faithful child of God approve of such
earth, to from a tremendous force for "good."  And union of light and darkness?


A  CZorcd of Witnesses

                    David's Return and its Csmplexit.ies
                                                        B. Woudenberg

             So the king returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the
          king, to conduct the king oser Jordan.                                               II Samuel 19:15

  Once David had been aroused to give up his mourning for Absalom and to return to his faithful and


38                                             THE STANDARD BEARER


victorious army, his next move bore a masterful touch. whom David had been saved only through the victory
It might have been expected that he would have of Joab, and he was being given Joab's place as captain
gathered his  army' behind him and returned with a of the king's army.
SPECTACULAR SWEEP INTO Jerusalem. But he                       But at the same time, David's move accomplished its
didn't. Rather he waited in Mahanaim until the people purpose. Immediately it became apparent to all of the
themselves would summon him back. He had no tribe of Judah that, if their captain in rebellion was to
intention or desire to be king over Israel by force. be treated in this fashion, there was not one of them
Unless the people themselves were willing to receive who had anything to fear. Once they had heard this,
him as the rightful king of the land, he would remain they were only too happy to return to David's rule, for
where he was.' And this is exactly what happened. he was their greatest claim to ascendancy among the
Before long the people throughout the land began to tribes of Israel. Enthusiastically they sent the message,
say to each other, "The king saved us out of the hand "Return thou, and all thy servants."
of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of         Now at last all was ready, and a great procession was
the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land of formed to bring the king back to his royal citadel. It
Absalom. And Absalom, whom we anointed over-us is was a great and glorious procession, and it reached its
dead in battle. Now therefore why speak ye not a .word climax when it came to the Jordan river. There the
of bringing the king back?" Soon the cry for David's whole of the tribe of Judah was waiting to carry their
return began to be heard from every part of the land - king back into their own tribal boundaries, and they
except, that is, from the tribe of Judah.                   were determined to make the most of it. There was
      This was David's own tribe, the first to have received nothing to fear, that had become evident. They did not
him as king in his youth; and it hurt him not to hear even have to appear repentant. They could greet their
from them. And yet he also understood. This was the king merely as though he were a, returning conqueror
tribe also that had backed and established Absalom in and as though they had always been his faithful
his rebellion. They were afraid of what would happen subjects. And so they did.
to them if David would return to full strength. But            Neither were the men of Judah the only ones who
David knew also how to handle this.                         had gotten the message and were standing there at the
      In the first place, David sent a message to Zadok and Jordan to be reconciled to their king. There at the very
Abiathar, the priests and most influential men in Judah forefront of the multitudes stood Shimei the son of
saying, "Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why Gera of the tribe of Benjamin. A relative of Saul's, he
are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? was the one who had stood overagainst David when he
seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even was fleeing from Jerusalem in disgrace, cursing, casting
to his house. Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and stones and crying out, "Come out, come out, thou
my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back bloody man, and thou man of Belial; the LORD hath
the king?" David recognized that the presentation of returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul,
his case by these men would be much more effective in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath
than anything directly that he could do.                     delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy
      But David's message also went much further than son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief,
this. He understood the fear of the people of Judah, because thou art a bloody man."
and he knew also how to appease it while at the same           It had been a horrible display which David had met
time accomplishing another purpose too. Although with remarkable restraint. But now, here was the man
David had listened to Joab, he was not at all satisfied just as bold as he had ever been, only this time in
with the fact that he had been the one who very feigned repentance rather than his cursing. With him
purposefully had slain his son. Neither was he about to were no fewer than a thousand Benjaminites to impress
let Joab get by without a proper reprimand. Thus he David with his importance in his tribe and nation.
added in his message to Zadok and Abiathar, "And say Before David was as much as able to step unto the
ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my ferry boat that was to carry him over the river, Shimei
flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not had pushed himself to the fore and thrown himself at
captain of the host before me continually in the room David's feet, crying, "Let not my lord impute iniquity
of Joab." Now, Amasa was a nephew of David, just as unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy
was Joab, but more than that, he was also the one who servant did perversely the day that my lord the king
had served as captain of Absalom's forces in his went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to
rebellion against David.                                     his heart. For thy servant doth know that I have
      Here was a blow that Joab could not have but felt sinned: therefore, behold, I come the first this day of
very deeply. In fact, it may well have been that his all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord
loyalty and devotion to the king was never again what the king."
it had been before. Here was the man who had given             It was a wretched display, almost as much so as his
his all to overthrow the. king in rebellion and from original cursing, bold in manner, shallow in meaning,


                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  39


  and so evidently fawning that it cried out with tiere but dead men before my lord the king: yet
  hypocrisy. Abishai standing there was so utterly aghast didst  th.ou set thy servant among them that did
  he cried out, "Shall not Shimei be put to death for               eat at thine own table. What right therefore  have I
' this, because he cursed the LORD's anointed?" :With yet to cry any more unto the king?"
  raised sword he was ready to bring the  mattei to a                  Suddenly David found himself in a most uncomfort-
  quick and proper conclusiofi.                                     able situation. Already he had rendered judgment on
    But David was determined to proceed in his path of this case. He had given all of the possessions of
  clemency. It even rather angered him that Abishai Mephibosheth to Ziba; and now it was apparent how
  should suggest so soon that he should turn from it, so hasty this judgment had been. There was no reason to
  that he answered, "What have I to do with you, ye question but that what Mephibosheth was now saying
  sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries was true. Justice demanded that what was rightfully
  unto me? shall there any man be put to death this day Mephibosheth's should be returned to him; but  that
  in Israel? for do not I know that I am this day king would require an acknowledgment of his own haste
  over Israel." David was determined to present himself and might be interpreted by some as inconsistent with
  as a king of forgiving kindness to Israel. Turning to his policy of clemency. Impatiently and uncertain,
  Shimei he demonstrated this intent with an oath as he David curtly cut off Mephiboseth with the words,
  said, "Thou shalt not die."                                       "Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have
  As good as was David's intent, however, the time said, Thou and Ziba divide the land."
  had come when he was carrying it much too far. While                 Mephibosheth was shocked. Surely he did not want
  ;etuming good to his enemies, he was neglecting his the king to think that he was there out of material
  duty of honest judgment while hurting and antago- concern. Plaintively he answered, "Yes, let him take
  nizing his friends. This became even more apparent all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in
  when Mephibosheth came hobbling down to the peace unto his own house." But the troubled king had
  waterfront to meet him as he came off the ferry.                  less time and concern for him than he did for the
    The man was a sad sight to look upon. Beside his deceitful Shimei.
  natural disfigurement, the man had neither dressed his               More pleasant to the old king was his next visitor,
  feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes Barzilai, a man of Gilead who had provided him and
  from the time that David had left Jerusalem. Be- his army with vast amounts of food while they were
  friended by David as he had been for the sake of his encamped at Mahanaim. A rich man, he had had a
  father Jonathan, he had wept and mourned because of great deal to lose if Absalom in his rebellion had been
  the misfortune of the king. Thus, no sooner had he successful. But his loyalty to the king had remained
  heard of David's return than he had come with jo.y and unwavering. Here was a man that David could under-
  gratitude to meet him.                                            stand and appreciate. Eagerly he invited him, "Come
    For all of this, David, however, had no eyes. He                thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in
 remembered only the words of Ziba, Mephibosheth's                  Jerusalem."
  servant, who had brought him asses, fruit and wine                   But Barzilai  -was an old man, and meekly he
  when he left Jerusalem, and who said of his master,               answered, "How long have I to live, that I should go up
  "Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, Today with the king unto Jerusalem? I am this day fourscore
  shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my            years old: and can I discern between good and evil?
  father," That had hurt David far more than the open               can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I
  cursing of Shimei. Thus, no sooner did he see hear any more the voice of singing men and singing
  Mephibosheth than he snapped at him the question,                 women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a
  "Wherefore wentest not thou with me,  Mephibo-                    borden unto my lord the king? Thy servant will go a
  sheth?"                                                           little way over the Jordan with the king: and why
    It was an unfair question, for David had asked of no            should the king recompense it me with such a reward?
  one else to go with him away from Jerusalem; but Ziba             Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I
 had aroused him to suspicion.                                      may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave
    Mephibosheth, however, had no hesitancy in his                  of my father and of my mother. But behold thy
  answer. Quickly he replied, "My lord, 0 king, my                  servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the
  servant deceived me: for thy servant said, I will saddle          king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee."
 me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king;               Thus it was that David finally crossed over Jordan
  because thy servant is lame. And he hath slandered thy            and made his way to Jerusalem. With him was
  servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the                    Chimham, the son of Barzilai, to remain in the court of
 king is as an angel of God: do therefore what                      the king, a reward for what his father had done.
 is good in thine eyes. For all of my father's house

                  The natural man is weary, but not of sin. He seeks rest in the very sphere of unrest, namely, sin.


40                                            THE STANDARD BEARER


From  Elolv Writ

                                The Book of Hebrews
                                                  Rev. G. Lubbers


THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT con-                       The Mediator is of both the Old Testament and the
tinued (Hebrews 9 : 15, 16)                                New Testament children, for God is one God who is
      Wherefore a "death must take place. It must have      above all, through all and in all. The many children
become history. A real sacrifice must have been             which are brought to glory through Christ's suffer-
brought. Nothing less can serve but the death of the        ing are from both dispensations. For it is for all "the
Son of God in the flesh. When this death took place         called," and these are called first the Jew and also
we will see later in this chapter. Here we  see this       the Greek. (Galatians 3 :26-29; Romans 1: 16, 17)
death taking place  (thanatou   genomenou)  at the
place of a skull, Golgotha. Christ is the Mediator          THE NECESSITY OF THE DEATH OF THE  TES-
whose blood speaketh better things than Abel. He is         TATOR (Hebrews 9:16, 17)
the Mediator who stands between God the sinner.               Here the writer introduces an example from life.
He is not the fiction of the philosophy which would         It is a very telling illustration and a very fitting
make him a kind of Medium between the eternal               analogy. The text reads here as follows:
and the temporal, the one and the many, but He is             "For where a testament is, there must also of
the one who stands as the minister of the better            necessity be the death of the testator."
covenant in the better temple bringing the sacrifice          A better and more exact translation of the Greek
for our sins. Here we see the New Testament in His          is offered by Westcott in his "Epistle To The He-
blood! !                                                    brews" which reads as follows "For where there is a
      All those who are called according to the purpose     testament (covenant) the death of him that made it
of election will receive the promise of the eternal         must needs be presented." The verb in the Greek
inheritance in His blood.                                   which is translated by the KJV "be the death" is
      We ought to pause just a minute and notice once       "Pheresthai." The point is not that he must die, but,
more that the term promise in the Greek language is         that the evidence that he has died, must be brought
derived from a verb which apprears in the middle           forward!  The death must be brought upon the
voice. The term is "epaggeZomai"  and indicates that        scene, the evidence that the testator has died must
the terms of the announcement set forth in the              be presented. There must be a statement and proof
promise can only find their realization in Him who          that the one who made the testament has deceased.
made the promise. God is faithful who has prom-            ,Such is the case in any human testator. This is
ised. The fulfilment is dependent solely upon the           brought forth as an example and illustration to
Lord. And the truth-of the matter is that the Medi-         prove one central point. The writer is not interested
ator is the LORD in the flesh, Immanuel, God-with-          to -show that this example holds in every detail. God
us! It is really the blood of the Son of God. All           is the Testator in the covenant in which is promised
God's promises are "yea" in Christ, and in Him              the eternal inheritance of heaven's glories. God does
"Amen" to the glory of God the Father. He is the            not die! Still a death takes place! The Son of God is
fulfilment of all the promissory notes of the sacri-        the one set forth in the counsel of peace as the
fices of the Old Testament. And when his "death             person of God who dies in our human nature. He
hath taken plade" all is finished. It is a once for all     partook of the flesh and blood of the children.
transaction, which cannot ever be repeated. This is         (Hebrews 2: 14) And as is a must in every testament
expressed in the tense form of the participle               among men so it is in the matter-of the covenant of
`~enomenou. " It is not a death which can be con-           God. "For a testament is of force after men are
tinually repeated, or which passes`through a process        dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the
of a development, but it is: what he died, he died          testator liveth:' Had Christ not come into this world
once! It is finished! !                                     to give His life a ransom for many, then the promise
      Thus the promise of the Gospel is made sure unto      of the covenant would have been of no power. It
all the heirs - unto all the called. For as many as are     could not possibly have saved us from our sins. It
Christ's are Abraham's seed, and are heirs according        would have been simply a promise which was
to the promise! A Mediator is not one of one,               powerless to effectually bring about salvation. Just
namely, only of the natural children of Abraham.            as the testator in the earthly testament and promise.


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  41


cannot possibly change the terms of the testament          gospel of Jehovah God, and proclamation of His
after he has died, so also God Himself has laid all the    glorious name "The LORD, the LORD God, merci-
salvation sure, made the promise effectually, yea          ful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in
and Amen, in Christ to the glory of God. For the           goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands,
Father is glorified, glorifies Himself in the Son.         forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. . . . "
                                                           (Exodus 34:6,7)
THE DEDICATION OF THE FIRST COVENANT                         Here is the answer!
3 Y BLOOD. (Hebrews 9 : 18-22)                               The Old Covenant stands dedicated not without
  There is no realization of forgiveness without           blood.
shedding of blood. The forgiveness of sin is a tre-          That is a very strong way of stating the positive
mendous matter touching the justice of God. The            fact that the Old Covenant was dedicated histori-
justice of God must be fulfilled, shall one sin be         cally, yet not without blood!
forgiven. Forgiveness is, therefore, something which         The historical occasion is very clear. God tells
is to come to pass. But it does not come to pass (ou       Moses to come up into the mount for forty days to
ginetai)   where there is no shedding of blood. But        receive the lively oracles, and to listen to what God
where forgiveness is a reality, it  became such a          has to tell him concerning the Words of the Cov-
reality historically!                                      enant. With him must come seventy of the elders,
  It is a fact that there would never, never, be any       and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu.They might not come
forgiveness of sins realized objectively nor subjec-       near to the very mount of God. They must worship
tively except where there was a shedding of blood.         afar off! Moses tells all the people the words of the
To say it reverently: God Himself could not bring          book of the Covenant. This "book" comprised what
about forgiveness without the, shedding of blood.          is written in Exodus  2O:l through  23:33! And this
Proof? "For it became him, for whom are all things,        is really the Magna Charta of the kingdom of God,
and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons          the principles of the life of perfection in heaven as
unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation         its must the be the working out of our salvation in
perfect through sufferings." Hebrews 2: 10                 the land of Canaan with fear and trembling. Moses
  This fact of the necessity of blood to be shed was       reads all these words to the people. And the people
indelibly imprinted in the minds of the children of        respond "All the words which the LORD hath said
God when Moses is about ready to ascend the holy           will we do."
mount of God, that mount in Arabia (Galatians                Did the people of Israel think that they could of
4:25) God had spoken his ten words from that               themselves arid from the principle of law keep all
awful mount; all the people had exceedingly feared         these words?Remember that the "key-word" we
and trembled. Fact is, that they beseech Moses that        have is "I am the LORD thy God, who hath de-
the LORD no longer, nor again speak thus to them           livered you from Egypt, from the house of bondage!
from the mount in the midst of the thick darkness          And now walk before me and be thou perfect. The
of the awful presence of the LORD! "For they               ten commandment are commandments which we
could not endure that which was commanded, and if          keep from the principle of a thankfulness of having
so much as a beast touch the mountain it shall be          been redeemed and ingrafted into Christ by a true
stoned, or thrust through with a dart." (Hebrews           faith. God's people are a redeemed people. They had
12:20;Exodus   19:10-13)                                   come out of Egypt under blood. God had said "And
  There was only one answer to this. It is the             when I shall see the blood, I will pass over." (Exodus
answer that God be made propitious to us through           12: 13) Thus it was when Israel passed over out of
the expiation of our sin and guilt through the shed-       Egypt by God's mighty hand. It was the mighty
ding of blood. Wherefore also that first covenant          power of God's grace and truth!
was not dedicated without blood. The term in the             And so here the entire Old Testament typical
Greek for "dedicate" is  "egkekainistai". The term         apparatus, which will be shown Moses in connection
does not refer only to'the point in history at Sinai       with'the temple and its wotihip, must come to stand
when this blood was shed by Moses, but it refers to        out in bold relief. It must be a covenant which is
what was the abiding result .of this dedication up to      dedicated, stands dedicated not without blood! No
the present moment. Perhaps the translation by A.T.        one who enters the temple gates from then on must
Robertson in his "Word Pictures" excels when he            come as does the Pharisee in the parable; he can
translates here "stands dedicated." There is some-         only come as did the Publican: 0, God, may the
thing about the Old Covenant too which says: it is         blood of the mercy-seat be upon me, the sinner!
not of works, it is not of the pure keeping of the         That is the very genius of the Old Covenant itself.
law; it is all of sovereign grace! Thus the Old Cov-       When a petrified priesthood in the days of Jesus not
enant stands dedicated not as a covenant of works,         longer understands the very foundations and ordi-
nor of merit on the part of the heirs, but it is a         nances of the temple and its "blood" that  priest-


42                                             THE STANDARD BEARER


 hood is without excuse!                                        to which record the writer to the Hebrews refers in
        This the writer to the Hebrews here reminds the         Verse 19. There we read "For when Moses had
 readers of. They must not think of Moses as the                spoken every precept to all the people according to
 law-giver apart from the blood of the Mediator who             the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats,,
 brings about forgiveness of sins through shedding of           with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprin-
 blood. And  .with this  shetiding  of blood there is a         kled both the book and all the people, saying, This
      special ceremony which we ought to notice care-           is the blood of the testament which God hath en-
 fully. It is that which is recorded in Exodus 24, and          joined unto you."


Pages from the Past
 :
                               Believers and Their Seed
                                               Rev. Herman Hoeksema

                                                Chapter V (Continued)
                                             The Meaning of the Covenant


      But matters surely do not stand thus. Adam in all his powers and with all that he has to the God of his
Paradise stands in God's. covenant. He also possesses life. And not only is he a creature who is adapted to
life. Moreover, only in the way of obedience will he be        God's covenant life and who  can  live that covenant
able to keep the life which he possesses. But eternal life; but he is also at once placed in that living
life is neither in him nor of him. That is life such as the    fellowship of God's covenant. For he is by God gifted
elect can receive only from Christ, Immanuel, God with true knowledge of God, righteousness, and
with us. As far as Christ stands above Adam, so far holiness. Adam is not neutral, but he stands with his
stands the life which we receive from Christ above the         face toward God and is God's friend. Accordingly, God
life which Adam possessed or ever could possess. And also speaks with him in Paradise and demands of him
what Christ merits for us Adam could never obtain.             that he shall consecrate all things to Him. And  as
      However this may be, Adam stands in God's friend-servant of God Adam is also king, and he
covenant., He was created as covenant friend-servant, receives dominion of the beasts of the earth and over
adapted to God and to fellowship with Him. For God             the fish of the sea and over all earthly things. God
created the first man after His image and likeness. He is      established His covenant with Adam, and in the first
hideed of the earth, earthy: for God formed him out Paradise man stands in that covenant of friendship as
of the dust of the ground. But although by virtue of prophet, priest, and king. God dwells with Adam in
his creation he stands related to the earth, especially to Paradise, and in God's fellowship Adam can and may
the animal world, and is himself earthy, he is neverthe- eat of the tree of life in the midst of the garden.
less at once distinct from that world and is formed as a         Besides, God also immediately reveals His covenant
creature who also stands related to God. For, in the in the first Paradise antithetically, and Adam becomes
first place, God did not only call him forth out of the        of God's party. For the Lord God places in the garden
earth, as He had done with the animals, but He formed the tree of life, but also the tree of the knowledge of
him with His own hand. And, in the second place,               good and evil. Presently the word of the devil comes in
while God thus fashioned him as respects his earthly           connection with that tree, putting itself over against
nature and form, He breathed into  .his nostrils the           the Word of the living God. And Adam stands before
breath of life; and thus Adam became a living soul.            the calling, as the friend of God, to reject all that is not
Through this creative; formative, and life-inbreathing         of God, but against God, before the calling to fight
act of God, Adam becomes the. creature who bears the           against and overcome the Evil One and to maintain
image of God in his very nature. There is in Adam a himself as friend-servant of the living God. And this
creaturely likeness of God. He is adapted to God. In           Adam was able to do: for he was good and created
distinction from every creature round about him, he is         after the image of God. Only by an act of his own will
the creature who can know God and speak with Him,              could he turn  awa-y from the living, to become the
who can love God and live in His communion, who                friend of God's enemy. Spiritually and ethically Adam
consciously and willingly can consecrate himself with          possessed all that was necessary in order to stand and


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  43


to do battle for God's covenant and God's name in the       after God's image, so that he possessed that creaturely
first Paradise.  ~For God had indeed conceived of likeness of God which was necessary to enable him to
something better for His people, and presently Adam live in that covenant relation with his God. From the
falls according to the counsel of His will, and the fall    outset, then, he also possessed true knowledge of God,
of Adam, the devil, and sin immediately serve that          righteousness, and holiness. He was not merely. a
counsel; but that does not change the fact that God         creature who was adapted to God and who might along
had bestowed upon Adam excellent gifts, and that sin a certain way enter into God's covenant; but he had
remains an act of his own will. Servant of the Lord,        received from his God all that was necessary in order
friend of God, of- the party of the living God over         to stand and to live in that covenant. It is not true,
against the devil, - such was Adam's covenant relation therefore, that in that covenant of God Adam had to
to his God in the first Paradise.                           earn anything, no more than that should ever be
  Now to this we must immediately add that this             possible. It is not possible to speak of merit on the part
so-called covenant of works is not the ultimate form of of man in his relation to God, Fact is, also Adam stood
the revelation of the covenant as God had conceived of in Paradise as a creature of God; and as such he
it from before the foundation of the world. We repeat:      possessed nothing which he had not received and
Adam did not possess the highest life of the covenant which did not belong to his God. His body and his
of God, nor could he ever have merited it or obtained       soul, his mind and his will and all his powers, his gifts
it for himself and his descendants. The first man is of and-his talents, - everything belonged to the Lord his
the earth, earthy; only the second man is the Lord God, in order that he should know Him, and love Him,
from heaven. The first Paradise is therefore also only      and serve Him with all his strength. With those gifts
an image of the heavenly, even as also Adam. was a and powers and talents Adam lived and acted in the
figure of Him Who was to come. And the tree of life is midst of God's works in Paradise the First. Round
an image of the tree of life that is in'the midst of the about him there was nothing which was not the Lord's
Paradise of God. Adam was also made a little lower          property. How, then, seeing that he himself, with all
than the angels, and heaven and earth were not united his powers, was the Lord's possession, and seeing that
in his name. He was indeed king, but not over all           everything round about him equally belonged to the
things. He was king of an earthly realm. In all this Lord,  - how, then, would he ever be able to bring
there lay an image of better things. For God had in anything to the Lord or to merit anything with Him?
mind something better for us. The first man, who was No, out of free grace the Lord had created him and
of the earth, earthy, the first Paradise, and all that supplied him with the excellent gifts which he pos-
stood in connection with that beginning of the              sessed; and out of free grace the Lord had created him
revelation of God's covenant must therefore also be exactly thus, that he might be able to dwell with his
removed, in order to make place for those better God in the covenant relation. Out of free grace he was
things. For it was the secret purpose of God to perfect     also actually placed in that covenant relation to his
all things and to establish His covenant forever, not in God. And in that relation he also possessed life, and
the first Adam but in the second, not in the earthly        could eat of the tree of life which was in the midst of
man but in the Lord from heaven, in Immanuel, God           the garden. He could indeed forfeit that life and lose it,
with us. And the realization of this purpose, according but of a meriting of life there was no question. He
to the counsel of God, lay along the deep way of sin        would, indeed, in the way of obedience keep that life
and grace.                                                  which he possessed and would not die. But although he
                         Chapter VI                         was in every respect adapted to live with his God in
          The Historical Realization of the Covenant        everlasting bliss, that he could also become a partaker
  Essentially God's covenant is not a promise, al- of the higher life and the heavenly glory and bliss
though all the promises of God for His covenant which Holy Scripture calls eternal life, of this we read
people in Christ are Yea and Amen. Neither is the absolutely nothing in `God's Word. Not only could
covenant merely a way unto salvation, although God Adam never merit this eternal life, but it is also a life
out of free grace bestows the blessing of eternal life which could never flow to us from him, but which
upon His covenant people, a blessing which is enjoyed could be our portion only from Immanuel. For the
exactly only in the fellowship of that covenant of God. first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the
But essentially God's covenant is the relation of Lord from heaven. And the earthly Adam is indeed a
friendship between God and His people according to figure of Him Who was to come; but the former can
which God is the Friend-Sovereign of His people, and never be compared with the latter in glory. And as
they are the friend-servants of the Lord.                   highly exalted as the Second Adam is in splendor and
  Thus God's covenant is presented always and every- glory, in grace and majesty. and life, so much more
where.                                                      glorious is also the life of God's covenant as we
  Thus Adam stood also as God's covenant  friend- become partakers of it through that Second Adam.
servant in Paradise. Unto that purpose he was created                                    (to be continued)


44                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER


                                               B O O K   R E V I E W

                                                            ProJ: H. Hanko


UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES, by A. De                                        Even the ten words (not commandments) are
                                                                         specifications of this central religious Directive. All
Gruff and C. Seerveld; The Association for the                           the. other ordinances are nothing more than concrete
Advancement of Christian Scholarship; 1969; 92 pp.,                      outworkings,  positivizations  of this Directive within a
$1.65 Canadian funds (paper).                                            particular culture in a particular period of history.
                                                                         None of them can be literally followed or applied
                                                                         today, for we live in a different period of history in a
      The sub-title of this book is "How to Read and not                 different culture. (p. 35)
to Read the Bible." It is part of the Christian                     This sounds suspiciously like some kind of situation
Perspective Series of 1969 and contains lectures given              ethics. The author emphatically insists it is not; but he
by the authors at the study conferences of AACS in                  fails to show why it is not.
the summer of 1968.                                                    The authors claim to believe firmly in the truth of
      The lectures by De Graaff introduce the subject and           the infallibility of Scripture. Yet De Graaff can write
discuss particularly the nature of Holy Scripture. The              onpp.  10,ll:
lectures of Seerveld are a practical application of these
principles. In one lecture Seerveld offers his own                            These "history lessons" in the psalms and all the
translation of Numbers 22-24, the story of Balak and                     other so-called historical accounts in the Bible are
                                                                         not incorporated for their own sake, as so many
Balsam. In another lecture he points out ways in which                   scientifically established, verifiable historical facts,
these chapters (and, by implication, the whole of                        able to satisfy the curiosity of the 20th century
Scripture) are not to be read. Rejected are what                         positivistic historian. Rather, they are recorded to
Seerveld calls the lesson-learning way in which Scrip-                   confront us with the living God of heaven and earth,
ture is reduced to Sunday School. lessons; the liberal                   the God of gods. To ask, therefore, whether or not
way which treats Scripture as a piece of literature to be                these stories actually happened in every detail and in
analyzed with the tools of higher criticism; the                         the order in which they are presented is to ask the
Bible-compendium way in which one attempts to find                       wrong question. The Bible is not a source book for
additions to systematic compendium of biblical truth                     the historian, that is not its purpose. Its purpose is to
in each portion. He then gives a critique of these                       proclaim, to preach, in this instance by telling us the
                                                                         true stories of God's mighty acts.
various erroneous. ways of reading Scripture and
proceeds to tell us how really the Scriptures ought to                 I fail to understand how this qualification to
be read, the "Biblically Reformational way."                        infallible inspiration does not actually destroy Scrip-
      There are some good aspects to this book. There is a          ture's infallibility.
good critique of the fundamentalist approach which                     But there is a more fundamental fault in this book.
seeks only moral lessons in God's Word. There is an It is the fault that was pointed out in a recent review
emphatic rejection of liberal higher criticism, although            by the undersigned in the Standard Bearer of Hendrik
strangely the author does not fault critical methods for Hart's book on the Christian perspective of life. It is
their denial of infallibility. There is a very insistent            the fault which has recently appeared in the Banner in
point made throughout the book that Scripture is the                an article written by Klaas Runia on which the editor
record of the revelation of God's faithfulness to His               commented. This fault is a denial of the objective
people.                                                             revelation of God in Scripture. The authors maintain
      There are some bad aspects to this book. But it is            that Scripture is the revelation of God's faithfulness to
not always easy to pin down the precise views of the                His people. They speak of the Bible as kerygma. But
author.                                                             they insist that Scripture gives us no knowledge of God
      The author writes of a yelativizing  of the command- as He is in Himself. A few quotes will demonstrate this.
ments of God in the following words:                                De Graaff writes:
          The great commandment. relativizes every other                      Just as the Bible does not answer our abstract
        commandment the Scriptures contain. That is a hard               questions about the existence of the idols, so the
        lesson to learn for us moralists. It is much easier to           Scriptures  fail to satisfy our intellectual curiosity
        hide behind a formal system of `absolufe' laws,                  about the nature of God. The Bible authors are not
        because autonomous little rules for every situation              interested in an Unmoved Mover or a Pure Spiritual
        do not have to be worked out. . . .                              Substance, nor do they care to prove God's existence


                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 45


    logically by making Him a part of a syllogism and               tional dogmas. (pp. 74,75).
    comparing Him to other minds. The Scriptures know             We do  ,not deny that Scripture is surely the
    nothing about God's essence or about his iucom-             revelation of God in the face of Jesus Christ as the God
    mu&able and communicable attributes. (p. 9).                Who saves His people from their sins. But this is not
       Summarizing our findings thus far we can say that        yet the point. The question is: Does Scripture give us
    it is not the purpose of the Bible to inform us about
    the nature of God's being or his attributes'. To treat.     any revelation of God as He is in Himself? The answer
    the Scriptures as if it did. contain such general,          to this question  haS got to, be affirmative. This has
    theological statements and propositional truths,            always been the position of the Church. All the creeds
    therefore, would be to distort the very nature and          of the Church are such statements of the truth as it is
    purpose of the Word of God. The Bible wants to              in God and as He reveals it. What these authors want to
    proclaim, not to explain! It is only in his actions that    do with the creeds they never explain. It would appear
    God's being and his attributes are revealed to us.          that they are not very interested in them, that in fact
       God's mighty acts, and the revelation that accom-        they consider the creeds to be serious distortions of
    panies these acts - God's words and works are one -         Scripture.
    they tell us what God is like. That is why the Bible          Their fundamental characterization of Scripture is
    contains so many stories.. . . Through "these               incorrect. The whole point of Scripture is theocentric.
    stories," therefore, we are inescapably confronted by
    the living God, who demands our personal response.          God Himself stands at the beginning and at the end.
                                                                "For of him and through him and te him are all things;
    (PP. 9710).
       What a terrible distortion to reduce this living         to him be glory forever." Rom.  11:36. This is the
    Word of God to. a collection of propositional tr~~ths       central emphasis of Holy Writ. God is pleased to reveal
    and moral lessons and the knowledge of this Word to         Himself in such a way that He tells Who He is. He is
    an intellectual understanding of doctrines. It is like      pleased to make known the infinite riches of His own
    taking away the key of knowledge (Luke 11:52).              divine being. Revelation is the making known of that
    Yet, this is what happens every Sunday in many of           which is hidden in God. This revelation is concentrated
    the most orthodox churches. (p. 18).                        in and is always by means of Christ. And Christ is
       The Bible is not to be read as a collection of           God's plan of redemption  - of the redemption of
    propositional statements about God and man that we          those whom He has chosen from all eternity. But
    can memorize and master. Neither does it contain
    general truths that we could possibly consider apart        redemption is the highest and most perfect revelation
                                                                of God's infinite perfections. All Scripture is exactly to
    from their meaning for our own lives. . . . (p. 21).        tell us the truth as it is in God. When redemption is
  Quoting from some kind of Compendium of Re- accomplished and the elect receive eternal life, then
formed Doctrine, the author writes:                             the knowledge of God as He is in Himself is perfect.
       In this manner 1 l-year-old boys and girls are made      Jesus prays of this in John  17:3 : "And this is life
    to learn all God's attributes, his independence,            eternal, that they might know thee the only true God,
    immutability, infinity, knowledge, wisdom, veracity,
    goodness, love, holiness, righteousness, and his            and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
    sovereign will and power. Confessions of faith made           It is this fundamental theocentric emphasis of
    on the basis of this kind of instruction can be little      Scripture which the authors of this book apparently
    more than an intellectual assent to theological             deny. But this is a grave fault. If they would answer
    statements, in this case those of Louis Berkbof. (`p.       the question: How must the Scriptures be read? they
    22).                                                        would do well to answer that the Scriptures must be
  Seerveld does the same thing. He rejects what he read exactly as the revelation of God as He is in
calls a Scholastic reading of Scripture which has to.do Himself. The emphasis which these men  find in
with propositional revelation and which  finds only Scripture is chiefly an emphasis on man  - man's
objective truths in Scripture.                                  confrontation with the divine kerygma, man's salva-
       The Scholastic reading of Numbers 22-24 found            tion, man's appropriation of the blessedness of the
    evidence for +he Unchangeable Being of God, the             cross. And while surely Scripture teaches that God is
    eternal Election of his people, Old Testament               faithful to His covenant promises made through Christ
    Messianic prophesies, and support for the doctrine of       to His people, to deny that the emphasis is always on
    miracles: Scholastic reading of the Scriptures is           God's glory is to fall into a Humanism after all  - a
    always after truth that can be theoretically fonnu-
    lated and held to be universally valid, consistent          Htimanism  which the authors are at such great pains to
    Bible teaching against all attack.                          condemn.
       The mistake in the method is that it removes the           This increasing emphasis within Reformed circles on
    reader half a step from the convicting comfort and          the fact that Scripture does not reveal to us the truth
    humbling facing God's love and anger brings, removes        of God as He is in Himself is a very dangerous
    the reader half a step away from existential con-           emphasis. It is finally destructive of all theology and
    frontation with the living Word of God and asks him         will result in departures from the truth just as evil as
    to comprehend these realities for codified, proposi-        the liberalism now plaguing the church.


46                                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


                                          Atitiual  `Reports of the  R.lKP.A.

            ANNUALSECRETAR~SREPORT                                                Before the increase in subscription price from $5 to
                                                                              $7 became effective Sept. 1, 1968, 39 gift  subscrip-
      it is with thanksgiving to our faithful God, Who tions were placed on order.
through His Spirit and grace has enabled us to continue                           In hope that God in His good pleasure will quicken
the publication of the Standard Bearer, that we make and strengthen us to be faithful in this kingdom work,
this report. It is our hope and prayer that this labor
may continue in this day of apostasy, in harmony with                                                                      The Board of the R.F.P.A.
the Word of God in I Peter 4: 11, "If any man speak,                                                                        G. PiDe, Secretary
let him speak as of the oracles of God: if any man
minister, let him do it as of the ability which God
giveth, that in all things God may be glorified through
Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for                                               STANDARD BEARER - ANNUAL
ever ahd ever."                                                                                         FINANCIAL REPORT
  Roll call of board members this past year is as
follows:  ,John Buiter, Gerald Bouwkamp, George De                                                      Sept. 1,1968  - Sept. 1,1969
Vries, Dick Kooienga, Gerrit Pipe, Richard Teitsma,
Thomas Reitsma, -Henry Velthouse, and Henry Vander
Wal, business manager.                                                        Bahnce on hand Sept. 1,1968                                                  1,896.40
                                                                              Receipts;
      According to the records,.the board meetings were                              Subscriptions                                       5,961.61
well attended and carried out in good order and in                                   Memberships                                             80.00
harmony. Effort was. put forth to meet increased                                      Gifts                                              5,971.06
expenses, and to increase subscription. Working with                                 Advertising                                           109.00
the Mission Committee, research was made to establish                                Bound Volumes                                         490.00
the identity of those receiving the  Standard Bearers                                      Receipts for the fiscal year                                   12,611.67
which are paid for by -our Mission Committee for                                           Total Receipts                                                 14,508.07
church extension'and mission endeavor.                                        Disbursements;
      In June, 1969 Mr. V. Graeser sent in his resignation                           Wobbema Printing Co.                              11,268.08
for personal reasons after serving with the Board two                                Holland Bookbinding Co.                               451.95
                                                                                      James Dykstra-token gift                             300.00
and one-half years.                                                                  James Dykstra-Social Security tax                       13.26
      Mr. Henry Vander Wal, who willingly took over the                              Henry VanderWaI-mileage (Oct.-June)                     74.70
work as business manager, has donated much of his                                    Stationary                                            150.45
time bringing up to date the statistics, and proper                                  Misc.                                              2 2 2 . 7 5
addressing of our subscription list, and also in making                                   Total disbursements                                             12,481.19
outside contacts. This has been a great asset to the Balance on hand Sept. 1,1969                                                                          2,026.88
board and is deeply appreciated.                                                                                  **9*****
      Our editor and staff this past year have compiled
over two hundred ninety articles declaring the truths                                                                 GIFTS
of  Scrip~re  and  our  Reformed  Confessions,  oPPo8~g                       Prostestant Reformed Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,087.71
false doctrines, liberalism, and corruption.                                     Doon            144.64  Hudsonville 639.34 Randolph                           75.67
      Financially, as in the past, we must still depend                          Edgerton          46.22  HuII             1 4 1 . 1 7   Redlands            134.06
upon charity to meet our obligations. The last request                           First         1,134.62  Kalamazoo          62.15 Southeast                  317.57
for financial aid sent to our consistories brought in a                          Isabel            22.10 Loveland          105.24 Southwest                  146.06
                                                                                 Holland         107.30 Lynden              44.10 South Holland              395.16
generous response.                                                               Hope            554.00  OakIawn            18.31
      Through the efforts of all concerned, 24,360 copies Societies........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...463.68
were sent out in the past year. Distribution is as                               Ladies Aid (First)            100.00      First's Men's Sot.                  25.00
follows: 1275 copies printed each issue; 985 copies                              Western Ladies League            28.55    Hohand  Men's Sot.                  25.00
sent to addresses in 39 states; 76 to those living in                            PrisciIla (First)                40.00    Sr. Mr. and Mrs. (First)            50.00
                                                                                 Men's League                     50.00 Hope Herald's                          77.25
foreign countries;  11  to service men; 88 on special                            Redland's Men's Sot.             25.50 R.F.P.A. (refreshments)                10.13
mailing list, of which 80 are paid for by our mission                            Redland's Men's Sot.             32.25
committee; 115 reserved for bound volumes and Individuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,419.67
mailing margin. This past year we have had 86 new                                                                                     Total Gifts          5,971.06
subscribers and 84 cancellations. Cancellations for
,bound volumes were 9; the present list is 74.                                                                                       G. Bowkamp, Treasurer


                                                          THE STANDARD BEARER                                                           47



          ANNUAL TREASURERS REPORT                                                     ANNIVERSARY ANNOUNCEMENT
                                                                                  The Lord willing, `on October 15, 1969, our dear
                                                  September 26,1969         parents MR. and MRS. PETER DE VRIES
  Annual Treasurer's Report:                                                 will commemorate their 55th Wedding Anniversary.
  Permanent Committee for Publication of                                          Our prayer is that our Heavenly Father may con-
  Protestant Reformed Literature;                                           tinue to bless and sustain them in their declining
                                                                            years.
    $  4,219.41  Balance on deposit in bank Sept. 5,1968                          Mr. and Mrs. John F. De Vries
                                     Income                                       Mr. and Mrs. Peter Zandstra
                     $ 147.41 Interest from money in bank                         and grandchildren
                      1,616.35  From sale of "Dogmatics"
                      5,936.77  From sale of "Behold He Cometh"
                      7,700.53                                                        ANNIVERSARY ANNOUNCEMENT
      7,700.53                                                                    On October 30, the Lord willing, our dear
                                                                            parents,
     11,919.94                                                                     MR. and MRS. ADRIAN VAN MEETEREN,
                                Disbursements                               will commemorate their 40th wedding anniversary.
                                                                            We, their grateful children, thank and praise our
                      6,918.94  Cost of publishing
                                   "Behold He Cometh"                       Covenant God for them and for using them to
                         24.00 Post Office rental                           instruct us to walk in the fear of His Name. Our
                      6,942.94                                              prayer is that they may continue to experience the
                                                                            Lord's blessing on their earthly pilgrimage..  Psalm
     6,942.94                                                               128:5 "The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion, and
   $  4,977.oo       Balance in bank                                        thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of
                                                                            thy life."
                     There are 254 copies of "Dogmatics" in stock                 Their grateful children:
                                  476 copies of "Behold He Cometh"                Mr. and Mrs. Charles Van Meeteren
                                  1,500 copies of "Behold He Cometh"
                                  printed and wiII be bound when needed.          Mr. and Mrs. John Feenstra
                          Tom Newhof                                                              7 grandchildren
                           Treasurer
                                                                                    EASTERN LADIES' LEAGUE MEETING
THE LADIES SOCIETY of the First Protestant Re-                                    The. Fall meeting of the Eastern Ladies' League
formed Church of Holland expresses its sincere sympa-                       will be held, the Lord willing, Thursday, October
thy to one of its members, Mrs. Allen Elzinga and her                       23, 1969, at 8:00 PM at the Southeast Protestant
family  m the passing of their infant son and brother                       Reformed Church. Prof. Herman Hanko will be our
Timothy Scott Elzinga "Precious. in the sight of the                        speaker. Plan to spend an evening of Christian fel-
Lord is the death of His saints".Psahn  116: 15                             lowship.
                                                 The Ladies Society                                           Tillie Sietstra, Vice Sec'y.


                                                                  NOTICE ! ! !
                                         TO ALL WHO LOVE THE REFORMED TRUTH !
                                           Notice is hereby given of the ANNUAL REFOR-
                                        MATION DAY RALLY. On October 24, next week
                                        Friday evening, at 8 P.M., in The First Protestant
                                        Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Professor H. C.
                                        Hoeksema will speak on the timely subject "THE
                                        WORD OF GOD AND THE REFORMATION"
                                        Please circle this date, October 24, on your calendar.
                                        Let us not be too busy to hear the Word of God.
                                           Protestant Reformed Lecture Committee
                                           0 tto Kamminga, Set jl.


48                                               THE STANDARD BEARER


                                  News From Our  Churches
                                      September 15, 1969          South Holland: Sept. 21, 28  - Engelsma; Oct.  -
                                     Loveland, Colorado         Classis East (two Sundays); Nov.  -  Classis East (two
      Report of  Classis West, convened in Randolph,            Sundays); Dec. -  Classis East (two Sundays); Jan.  -
      Wisconsin on September 3, 1969                            Classis East (two Sundays); Feb.  -  Classis East (two
                                                                Sundays); March 1,8 - Woudenberg.
      Classis West of the Protestant Reformed Churches            The Lord willing,  Classis West will meet in South
met in Randolph, Wisconsin on September 3, 1969.                Holland, Illinois in March, 1970.
Rev. Dale H. Kuiper presided over this meeting of                                    Rev. David Engelsma, Stated Clerk
Classis.                                                                             Classis West
      The twelve churches in  Classis West were repre-
sented by eight ministers and thirteen elders.                                          ****
      Classis adopted an overture from Randolph's  con-
sistory regarding the opening devotions at each meet-             Did  you  notice  in the above  Classis Report the
ing of Classis. The overture proposed that the minister         decision taken to adopt a fine idea with which to open
who presides at the beginning of each  Classis (the             each Classical gathering?
president of the previous  Classis) not only read a
passage of Scripture, as is customary, but also give a                                  ****
brief interpretation of an appropriate Scripture pas-
sage. One of Randolph's grounds for this overture.was:            The Sunday Schools are again in full swing. The
"If a portion of Scripture is explained `and applied            superintendent of First's Sunday School addressed a
briefly, a spiritual attitude will be established, the light    newsletter to the parents introducing the teachers, and
of the Word of God will be before our minds, and                asking the cooperation of the parents in helping their
brotherhood will be fostered. This is not to say that           children with their lessons. Hope's first week of
these spiritual elements have been absent in  ' our             Sunday School provided a 15 minute program for
gatherings, but in our opinion they will be enhanced            awarding the scholars of last season for their memory
greatly if the above overture is adopted." In order to          work. Loveland's Sunday School has a new class for 4
provide time for these devotions,  Classis changed the          to 7 year-olds who are being taught by Mrs. Frank Van
time of the beginning of each day's sessions from 9:00          Baren, who will use the Book of Matthew for the
A.M. to 8:30 A.M.                                               lessons.
      A consistory appealed to Classis West a decision of                                    ****
another consistory. Classis considered this appeal, and
gave advice.                                                      Redland's congregation held a three-fold celebration
      Another consistory asked  Classis' advice on the          Sept. 19 when they commemorated, with their pastor
erasure of a member by baptism. Classis decided to ask          and his wife, his 40th anniversary in the ministry, their
the consistory to delay action on the erasure, so that          40th wedding anniversary and their five-year stay in
the  Classis could make a study of one of the grounds           Redlands. A short program was given, which was
for the erasure. Classis appointed a committee which is         followed by a social hour.
to report at the next Classis.
      Classis adopted the following classical appointment                                    * * * *
schedule, which includes 22 Sundays requested as
assistance from Classis East.                                      The Annual R.F.P.A. was held in Southeast Church
      Hull: Sept 21 - Decker; Sept 28  - Kuiper;  Ott 12,       Sept. 26. The speech by Prof. H. C. Hoeksema as well
19, 26 - Classis East; Nov. 16, 23 - Hanko; Nov. 30 -           as the reports from the secretary and the treasurer will
Lanting; Dec. 21, 28, Jan. 4  -  Classis East; Jan. 11  -       be found on the pages of our magazine. The speech
Lanting; Jan. 25, Feb. 1,8 - Vanden Berg; March 1, 8 -          was heard by about thirty men, so if you are not of
Moore.                                                          that number, be sure and read it!
      Pella: Sept. 21, 28 - Lanting; Oct. 12, 19, 26  -
Vanden Berg; Nov. 9, 16,23 - Decker; Nov. 30, Dec. 7,                                        * * * *
14 - Classis East; Dec. 28, Jan. 4, 11 - Kuiper; Jan. 25,
Feb. 1, 8 - Classis East; March 1, 8 - Hanko.                      When the sacrament of Holy Communion is cele-
      Forbes: Sept. - Decker (one Sunday); Oct. 5  -            brated in Lynden's church a nursery is offered in the
Moore; Oct. 19 - Moore; Nov. 2, 9 - Lanting; Nov. 30,           basement for the little children too young to attend
Dec. 7  - Kuiper; Jan. 4  - Decker; Jan. 25, Feb. 1  -          the service.
Moore; March 1,8 - Engelsma.                                    . . .see you in church, J.M.F.


