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




IN THIS ISSUE


        Meditation:
              Obedient In His Baptism

        Editorials:
              Was The Lord Mistaken?
              "The Ruminating Hare"

        Which Church?
              (see: The. Strength of Ytiuth) :

        The Chicago Trial And Judicial Process
        Trouble In The High Schools
        (see: All Around Us)

                                                         Volume XL VI/Number  I1 /March 1, 19 70


245                                                       THE STANDARD BEARER



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

Meditation -                                                                      Published by the Reformed Free Publishing Association, Inc.
   Obedient In His Baptism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242                       Second Class Postage Paid at Grand Rapids,  Mich.
                                                                            Editor-in-Chief:  Prof.  H.  C.  Hoeksema

Editorials -                                                                Department   Editors::.  Mr. Donald Doezema, Rev. Cornelius Hanko, Prof.
                                                                            Herman Hanko, Rev. Robert C. Harbach, Rev. John A.  Hey% Rev. Jay
   Was The Lord Mistaken? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245            Kortering, Rev. George C. Lubbers, Rev. Marinus Schipper, Rev.  Gise J.
   "The Ruminating Hare" . . . . . . . . . :. . . . . . . . .247            Van  Baren, Rev. Herman Veldman, Rev. Bernard Woudenberg
                                                                            Editorial   Office:  Prof. H. C. Hoeksema
The Strength of Youth -                                                                        1842 Plymouth Terrace,  SE.
   WhichChurch? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248                        Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506
                                                                            Church News  Editor:       Mr. Donald Doezema
                                                                                                      `1904 Plymouth Terrace, S.E.
A Cloud of Witnesses -                                                                                 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506
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In His Fear -                                                               the editorial office.
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From Holy Writ -                                                                               Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506
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Meditation

                              Obedient In His Baptism
                                                              Rev. M. Schipper

                 "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John
             forbad him saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus
             answering said unto him  Suffer  it to be so now:  for  thus it becometh us to  .fulfil  all
             righteousness. Then he suffered him And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straight?ay
             out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he sawthe Spirit of God
             descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And-lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is
             my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. "                                                           Matthew 3 : 13- 17

   Then!                                                                    and has special reference to John. Then - that is, when
   Important word here, for it points up especially two John was baptizing in the Jordan; when John was in
things. `First, it refers back into the preceding context the full height of his activity; when he was about to


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                              243


reach the highest purpose of his calling, namely, to         He had no sin! Was He not the Holy Child Jesus,
point out the Christ and to open the door for the conceived and born of the Holy Ghost? Was He not
Messiah and discover Him to the people. Then cometh without the sin and guilt of the race because He was
Jesus. But in the second place, the word also has born without the will of man? And did He not later,
reference to Jesus. As we saw in our last Meditation, when confronted by His adversaries exclaim: "Which
already at the age of twelve He was deeply conscious of you accuses me of sin?" And does not all the
of His Messianic calling. How much surer He must be Scripture testify that He knew no sin? that He was
now that He is thirty years of age and ready to begin holy, undefiled, and separated from sinners? Is it not
His public ministry. It means, too, that He fully under- plain that He personally had no need of forgiveness
stood the mission of His forerunner, and that it was and had therefore no consciousness of repentance? But
the proper time for Him to come to John to be why, then, should He seek the sign of forgiveness,
baptized.                                                  evident in the baptism of John?
  Then cometh Jesus unto John with the expressed             Not surprising it is therefore when we note in the
purpose to be baptized of him! Never did the Lord do text that John forbad Him, saying, "I have need to be
anything without design. So also here He came to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?"
baptized because His baptism was essential to His min-       The meaning is, John tried to prevent it. He was not
istry. Shall He establish the house of .God's covenant, easily persuaded. Though the narrative here is limited
shall He realize the kingdom of heaven, He could do as far as the conversation is concerned between John
this only through the way of His own baptism. Shall and Jesus, it is not impossible to conclude that John
He fulfil all righteousness,  the, righteousness of the did all he could to dissuade the Lord from His purpose.
kingdom of heaven, even that kingdom He could not Perhaps even we may conceive of him as unwittingly
enter except through His own blood of which the standing in the room of the Tempter, to distract the
baptism of John was the proper sign. In seeking the Lord from the path of obedience. John simply could
baptism of John therefore,Jesus formally entered upon not understand how that One Who was holy and with-
the way of suffering in perfect obedience unto the out sin should seek the very sign of washing away of
Father.                                                    sins, and need therefore the grace of repentance. That
  But how strange!                                         he was a sinner and in need of the sign of baptism, he
  Do we not meet here another of those apparent was quite ready to admit, but that Jesus must be
parodoxes so often evident in the life of the Saviour? baptized he could not understand. And since he-had
  Observe that John's -baptism was unto remission of instructed the people that he had baptized with water
sins. This presupposes, first of all, sin on the part of unto repentance, and that there was One coming after
him who was to be baptized. Surely the righteous need him Who is mightier than ,John, Whose shoes he was
no repentance, nor remission of sins. Did not the Lord unworthy to bear, and Who would baptize with the
Himself teach this when publicans and sinners drew Holy Ghost and with fire  - therefore Jesus ought
near for to hear Him, and He was criticized by the rather to baptize him In the presence of Jesus, John
murmuring Pharisees and Scribes because He received saw his own sin pronounced. How then could a sinful
sinners and ate with them? When He related to them man baptize his sinless Lord?
the parable of the lost sheep, did He not say in con-        What appears, however, as a paradox, is only appar-
clusion: "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in ent `- not real!
heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over        0, indeed, it was proper and necessary that Jesus be
ninety and nine  just persons, which need no repent- baptized!
ance?" Indeed, the just, the. righteous need no.repent-      Not, mark, you, if He were to be considered merely
ante, for they have no sin. Only sinners need to repent. as an individual! For then, indeed, He was not a proper
And this was the heart of John's message: "0, genera- candidate for baptism. To be sure, He was holy and un-
tion of vipers, who hath warned you  to.flee from the defiled, without sin, and in no need of repentance and
wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for forgiveness at all. But so He should not be reckoned.
repentance!`.' Only those, therefore, who were sinners Nor did He so regard Himself here.
were to be baptized by John.                                 As the Head of His Church He ought to be baptized!
  Not only so, but this presupposes also, in the second      For as such, all the sins of His people rested upon
place, the consciousness. of sin on the part of him who l&l!
sought to be baptized: For this reason the  self-            That is why when He was eight days old, being
righteous Pharisee rejected John's baptism. Only those under the law He had to be circumcized.  And being the
who knew they were sinners came to him. And these end of the law, it was necessary for Him now to be
earnestly desired forgiveness, felt the need of cleansing, baptized.
and saw in John's baptism the sign of sanctification         We must remember here that the Lord could not
and righteousness.                                         enter into His own kingdom except through His own
  But none of this seems to be applicable to Jesus!        blood! That made His baptism, unique, in that it was


244                                               THE STANDARD BEARER



the sign of baptism in His own blood. This was the              The obedience of His Servant was acknowledged!
baptism of which the baptism of John was but a sign.             For the Father left Him not without witness! As He
His real baptism was His descension into death and ascended from the water of baptism, the heavens
rising from death again. Of this He spoke later in a opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending as it
conversation with the two sons of Zebedee, who had were a dove, coming upon Him. And behold a voice
asked that they might sit on His right and left side          out of heaven was saying: "This is My Beloved Son in
when He would come into His kingdom. He asked Whom I am well pleased."
them whether they were able to drink of the cup He               Significantly John also bare witness to this anointing
drank of, referring to His crucifixion and death.            of the Spirit and received a special testimony that this
  Christ's death and resurrection was the essential Jesus was indeed the Son of God. In the Gospel of
element in His ministry. Of this He was deeply  con-          John we read: "And John bare record, saying: I saw
scious now as He began His public ministry. If He the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it
would not die He could not bring about the kingdom            abode upon him. And I knew him  not: but he that
concerning which He would now preach. It was proper,          sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me:
therefore, that He should be baptized of John.               Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and
  Thus it behoved John and Jesus to fulfil all right- ~remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with
eousness!                                                     the Holy Ghost."
  Observe how Jesus does not say: "It is fitting that I         Undoubted sign and testimony it was, too, to the
should fulfil all righteousness", but He states  ex- Saviour, Who had now formally set His feet on the
pressly : "It becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." path of obedience that must ultimately lead Him to
  John must function here as the porter who opens the death of the cross, that, as God's beloved Son in
the door of the sheepcote so that the Shepherd might Whom He was well pleased, He would indeed fulfil all
enter to lead out His sheep unto everlasting salvation. righteousness.
If John should fail now, all his baptisms would be a lie,       Undoubted sign and testimony also unto us, His
for they would never be baptisms unto the remission redeemed people, that in the baptism of Jesus, beauti-
of sin. And Jesus must function here as the Shepherd          ful Saviour, we also have assurance that the house of
Who through His laying down of .His life for the sheep        God's everlasting covenant shall be filled, and fhat we
can only redeem them And the path of obedience that shall dwell in that house because of the righteousness
must lead to the cross and the resurrection must go which God prepares through His Beloved Son, and
through the door of His baptism, which  ,was the imputes unto us by the Spirit of Christ, Who was
symbol of His redeeming death and resurrection.               qualified to be our perfect Saviour.
  Thus, and thus only, would all righteousness be               In deed, through Him all our righteousness is
fulfilled!                                                    fulfilled!
   So, by His death and perfect obedience, God's jus-           In God's dear Son, through Whom He realizes all His
tice over against our sin and guilt could be satisfied.       good pleasure, and will therefore save us without any
Only in this. way could the righteousness of God which works of righteousness which we could not perform, is
He prepared and purposed to impute unto all His own all the righteousness we need - both now, and unto all
be realized.                                                  eternity.
   Not, .you understand, did Jesus imply that allright-         Thanks be unto His Holy Name!
eousness would be fulfilled merely in His baptism; but           Amen!
in that which His baptism signified and pointed to;
namely, Ias the Head of His people. to stand under the
vials of God's holy wrath, which was due to us, and
allow in the way of perfect love all those vials of wrath
to be emptied on His sacred head in our stead. So, and
only so, would all righteousness be fulfilled!
   Then John suffered Him!
   Significantly we are told in Luke's Gospel that be-
fore Jesus was baptized He prayed. Evidently this He
did as He descended with John into the waters of the
Jordan, as a sign of what later as the obedient Servant
He would do when He would descend into the Jordan
of His death. Praying He was for the Spirit of God
without measure which would consecrate, anoint and
qualify Him to fulfil all righteousness in the way of
perfect obedience.
   And the Father heard His prayer!


                                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                                              245


1 Editorials

                                  Was The Lord Mistaken?
                                                         o r
                Did Not He Who Made The Hare Know The Hare?

                                                  Prof. H.C. Hoeksema

   It is well-known to anyone who keeps abreast of uency an article on this subject would be more timely
 theological and ecclesiastical developments in Re-             and relevant if it mentioned problems and dangers near
 formed churches both here and abroad that the doc-             at hand as well as those which are farther removed?
 trine of the inspiration and authority of Scripture is.in      Nevertheless, at this point Dr. Hoekema's article
 tension. Not surprising is it, therefore, that a depart-       leaves a fairly good impression, as, for example, when
 ment such as  The Banner's  "Thy Word Is Truth" he writes as follows:
 should include an article on "The Inspiration of Scrip-               But the point I wish to make just now is that this
 ture" (The Banner, Jan. 30, 1970, pp. 4, 5). Moreover,             denial of the heart of the gospel is rooted in a denial
 one would expect that articles under a heading like                of the inspiration of Scripture. Bultmann views the
 "Thy Word Is Truth" would have the aim of a timely                 Scriptures through the glasses of modern science as
 re-emphasis and defense of various truths of the Word              he understands it  - as permitting nothing that can-
 of God. Disappointed, however, must be the reader                  not be explained in terms of cause and effect  - and
                                                                    therefore he removes from the Bible everything that
 who read with discernment the contribution of Dr.                  is supernatural. Over against Bultmann we must re-
 Anthony A. Hoekema on the above-mentioned subject                  assert our faith in the, inspiration of the Scriptures.
 of "The Inspiration of Scripture,"  - the more so,                 We must reassert our belief that at the heart of God's
 because the writer furnishes by his article a sample of            revelation to man is a stupendous supernatural fact:
 the theological trend of Calvin Seminary, where he is              the miracle of the incarnation. Over against  Bult-
 professor of systematic theology. For while in a cer-              mann's  dehistoricizing of the Bible (holding that
 tain sense his article may be called timely, it can hardly         what Jesus did in history does not really matter), we
 qualify as a re-emphasis and defense of the truth of the           must reassert our belief that what Christ  did in his-
 Word of God with respect to the inspiration of Scrip-              tory (his birth, suffering, death, and resurrection) is
 ture. Instead, I would characterize it as the kind of              essential to our salvation. It is at this point, it seems
 mildly concessive and hedging article which, while it              to me, that we must particularly stress the impor-
                                                                    tance of the inspiration of Scripture today.
 appears in some respects to uphold the Reformed                  But my Reformed antennae began to send signals
 faith, nevertheless the article .-- note, please, that I do    already when I read Dr. Hoekema's opening paragraph,
 not say the "author," but the "article" - so compro-           which does not ring true:
 mises and confuses matters that it in fact plays into the             When we speak of the inspiration of the Bible,`we
 hands of those who are attacking the doctrine of                   mean that the books of the Bible, though written by
 Scripture in Reformed churches today, essentially                  men, were "inspired" by God - that is, that men
 adopts their position, and is, therefore, more mislead-            were so guided in writing them that what they wrote
 ing than helpful, more deceptive than the writings of              conveyed God's message of  sabatian,  and that the
 those who openly flout the doctrine of infallible inspi-           Bible is therefore in fact not only  the word of man
 ration.                                                            but, in a very veal sense, the Word of God to man.
   About two-thirds of the  ,article is devoted to a                The term  inspiration  is derived from II Timothy
 review of the history of the doctrine of inspiration               3: 16, "All scriptur'e  is inspired by God" (RSV).
 from the times of the early fathers to the present, a            Hence, as I read on, I was not too surprised when
 history which is concluded by a brief review and criti-        my radar began to send fast and furious signals at the
 cism of the neo-orthodox position of Barth and Brun-           reading of the following:
 ner and the neo-liberal position of Rudolph Bultmann.                 Over against mechanical conceptions of the inspi-
 With this part of the article there is not much fault to           ration of  Scripture,which  view the Bible writers as if
                                                                    they `were mere tape recorders, we must reassert our
 find, except, perhaps, that conspicuous by its absence             belief in the organic nature of inspiration. That is,
 is any mention of the fact that Reformed theologians               we must recognize the human side of the Bible. The
 (especially in the Netherlands) have essentially adopted           Holy Spirit used the writers of the Bible  a.$ they
 the position of the so-called neo-orthodox and  neo-               were: as children of their time, reflecting the times
 liberal theologians. Surely, for ,a Reformed constit-              in which they lived, writing in the idiom of their own


246                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER


       generation. This means, for example, that when a           mechanical conception. Even Calvin did this, as Dr.
       Bible writer tells us that the hare chews the cud (L&J.    Hoekema informs his readers correctly. But who ever
       11: 6) we are not obliged to accept this as a divinely     held to a strictly mechanical conception, and when did
       inspired scientific fact, but may take this statement      this constitute a threat and a danger "over against"
       as reflecting the state of zoological knowledge at the     which it was necessary to maintain organic inspira-
       time the book was written. Many further implica-           tion? I would truly like to know. In my opinion, the
       tions of the doctrine of organic inspiration remain to
       be explored, and should continue to be explored by         situation has been this, that there have been those who
       our theologians. It is important to remember, how-         tried to shove this accusation of a mechanical concep-
       ever, that the Bible was inspired tom convey what it       tion into the shoes of men who actually maintained
       intends to teach, not what it does not intend to           the absolute infallibility and the verbal inspiration of
       teach.                                                     Holy Scripture. In other words,  so-called mechanical
  Now when I read a sentence like that last one, I am             inspiration has been used as a bogey-man to frighten
almost inclined to say,  `Dat is een waarheid  als  een           people away from the truths of infallibility and inspira-
koe!"  Or to put it in English idiom: that's a truth as           tion. And as with all bogey-men, so also this one is
obvious as a barn! Surely, the Bible was not inspired             purely fictional. Nor is it true, in the second place,
to convey what it does not intend to teach  - what                that the concept of organic inspiration was developed
sense would that make, pray tell? Would God by His                over against mechanical inspiration in the history of
Spirit inspire someone to write what He does not                  doctrine, or that it is necessary today to "reassert" this
intend to teach? But when I read this sentence in the             doctrine over against so-called mechanical concep-
light of the entire paragraph and in the light of the             tions. The latter are not a threat to the church of
opening paragraph of the article, then I become suspi- today. And why sound a false alarm? It is against the
cious that Dr. Hoekema after all makes room for the neo-orthodox and neo-liberal ideas which have been
deviating views of some of the Dutch theologians who              smuggled into' the Reformed community that the
like to make a distinction between the "message" and              church must be called to do battle, not against a
the "packaging" of the Bible, or who like to speak of bogey-man of mechanical inspiration.
the limited historical horizons of the writers of Holy              Consider, in the second place, what is presented as
Scripture. For is not the crucial term in this sentence           organic inspiration. Dr. Hoekema writes:  ". . . we
the term intends? And is not the unexpressed presup- must reassert our belief in the organic nature of inspi-
position of the same sentence this, that the Bible                ration.  That is, we must recognize the human side of
conveys things which it does not intend to teach as the Bible." He equates the reassertion of belief in
well as things which it, intends to teach? And is not             organic inspiration with recognizing the human side of
the thrust of Dr. Hoekema's apparent truism this, that the Bible, As if this is the idea of organic inspiration!
with respect to the latter `we must accept the Bible as That is precisely  not  the meaning of organic inspira-
inspired and infallible, while with respect to the former tion. Nor are matters improved by the next state-
such acceptance is not necessary, since the Bible was ment: "The Holy Spirit used the writers of the Bible
.not inspired to convey such teachings? And is this not `as they were: as children of their time, reflecting the
essentially the same wedge which has always been used             times in which they lived, writing in the idiom of their
to make some kind of distinction between what is the own generation." As this statement stands, it is at best
word of man and what is the Word of God in the Bible,             only a half-truth. But it is certainly not a statement of
what is fallible and what is infallible, what is without the concept of organic inspiration. And in its context
authority and what is authoritative?                              it is an outright contradiction of the truth of organic
  Consider, in the first place, the mention made of `inspiration which leads to a specific contradiction of
so-called "mechanical conceptions of the inspiration of Scripture.
Scripture, which view the Bible writers as if they were             For the reader should notice, in the third place, that
mere tape recorders." And consider, too, the proposi- Dr. Hoekema's application of what he has written
tion  that it is over against such conceptions that "we           indeed involves him in a contradiction of Scripture.
must reassert our belief in the organic nature of inspi-          For he writes next: "This means, for example, that
ration."                                                          when a Bible writer tells us that the hare chews the cud
  This is misleading.                                             (Lev.  11:6), we are not obliged to accept this as a
  For, first of all, these so-called mechanical concep-           divinely inspired scientific fact, but may take this
tions of the.inspiration of Scripture are purely imagin-          statement. as reflecting the state of zoological know-
ary. I would like to know what theologian of any                  ledge at the time the book was written."
standing  - and especially what theologian of any                   In this bit of misapplication of the concept of  or-
standing in the Reformed tradition  - has ever held  to           ,ganic inspiration you have a clear illustration of how
such a mechanical conception of inspiration. I.am well the whole process of degeneration in the doctrine of
aware that some theologians have used terminology                 Scripture and the whole critical process of down-
which, taken in isolation- from its context, suggests a           grading Scripture itself has frequently begun. For is


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                    247


not the question whether  thehare  chews the cud an             In the second place, Dr. Hoekema so,misapplies  the
extremely insignificant question? Is it not true that idea of organic inspiration. that this passage of Levit-
this is a question which no longer affects us of the new     icus 11:6 has now become what a "Bible writer" tells
dispensation, though it may have had some significance us. Now frankly, I cannot understand how Dr.
for Israel of the old dispensation? And is it not appar- Hoekema could allow a statement of this kind to come
ently true that whether or not the hare.chews the cud from his pen. For the context certainly makes it
is of absolutely no importance as far as "the message        abundantly clear that it is not at all a question of what
of salvation" which the Bible "intends to teach" is "a Bible writer" tells us here, but of what the Lord
concerned? Hence, this is a good point, (from the God Himself tells us. The verse to'which Dr. Hoekema
critic's point of view) at which to make a beginning.        refers is nothing less than a direct quotation of the
Besides, he feels himself "scientifically strong" at this words of the Lord. Let me quote the context, begin-
point. For is it not a scientific fact that the hare does ning at Leviticus 11: 1, to make this plain: "And the
not chew the cud? But be careful! Once having suc- Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying to them,
ceeded in undermining Scripture at this apparently Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the
insignificant point, that same critic will aim his critical beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are
blows at more imp.ortant matters, until finally he.has on the earth. Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is
you in a corner with respect to such items as creation,      clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts,
the miracles, and finally the very facts of Christ's that shall ye eat. Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of
incarnation, death, and resurrection!                        them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the
  What is wrong here?                                        hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but
  In the first place, Dr. Hoekema apparently detects a divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. And
"scientific" error in this passage of Leviticus 11:6. But the  Coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth
notice, for one thing, that in both clauses of his state- not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.. And the hare,
ment we are supposedly kept in the realm of "scien- because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof;
tific" knowledge. For he writes (italics mine):              he is unclean unto you." Read in its context, there-
". . . we are not obliged to accept this as a  divinely fore, it is as plain as the sun in the heavens that the
inspired scientific fact, but may take the statement as statement that the hare chews the cud is the statement
reflecting the state of zoological  knowledge (in other of the Lord Himself, and can by no means be ascribed
words:    scientific knowledge, since zoology is a merely to some Bible writer or to the human side of
science, HCH) at the time the book was written. But the Bible.
notice, too, that this is pure fiction. It simply was not       In the third. place, in the light of the preceding, the
true that this was written for zoologists or from a question becomes a very crucial one  - precisely the
specifically zoological point of view. It was written for crucial question at stake in all of Scripture: was  the
plain Israelites; and the plain assumption is also that Lord mistaken when He said that the hare chews the
they knew and understood and were able to apply the cud? Was, perhaps, the Lord's "zoological knowledge"
tests of "chewing the cud" and "dividing the hoof' - defective at the time He revealed this to Moses and
the two tests of clean and unclean animals. Notice, Aaron? Dr. Hoekema, I am sure, would not want to
further, that by eliminating the words "scientific" and answer this question in the affirmative. But then he
"zoological" in Hoekema's statement you do not must not try to evade the question by reformulating
essentially change it. Facts are facts, and knowledge is it. This is the issue; and it is inescapable. And to the
knowledge. And precisely at this point does the issue second question placed at the head of this article, "Did
become clear: are we obliged, in the light of Scripture, Not He Who Made The Hare Know the Hare?" my
to accept it as a fact that the hare chews the cud? Or answer is an unconditional Yes. What is yours? Re-
does that statement of the Bible merely reflect "the member: the doctrine of Scripture is at stake! Or
state of knowledge" (should be: the state of igno- rather: the veracity of,God is at stake!
rance!) at the time it was written.


                         "The Ruminating  ,Hare"
  My editorial entitled, "Was The Lord Mistaken?"            Hare." Now the veracity of Scripture is certainly not
was already partly prepared when the January 15 issue dependent upon any rational or scientific proof. The
of the  Bible-Science Newsletter  arrived in my mail.        Bible is true a priori, whether we can verify its truth or
And lo and behold, it carried an article by the  Lu- not. Nevertheless, it is rather interesting when men
theran  ,Pastor E.P.  Schulze about "The Ruminating discover  enpirically that what the Word of God said


248                                            THE STANDARD BEARER


centuries ago is indeed scientifically  .verifiable fact.    cud-chewers also those aminals which, let their stom-
This appears to be the case with the ruminating, or ach be what it will,. chew their food a second time.
cud-chewing, hare. Because of the interesting informa- And the hare is such an animal."
tion furnished in it, I will quote the last part of this        In a footnote Engelder quotes Jenks and Warne,
article in full.                                             Comprehensive Commentary, as follows:
   Although we know that the sun neither rises nor              "Amebeth. That this is the hare is confirmed by the
sets, we speak of its rising and setting because it cognate languages. That it chews the cud is proved
appears to do so. Perhaps in the instance of the hare's beyond all doubt. See Michaelis and Linnaeus. Al-
ruminating Moses spoke in similar phenomenal though it wants the four stomach peculiar to cleft-hoof
fashion. Yet it seems to me that we may not yet have         cattle, yet it returns the food, once chewed, into its
sounded the depth of  the'question: "Does the hare           mouth by the esophagus, since its stomach has several
actually chew the cud?"                                      little cells, divided by partitions, from which the food,
                    Does the Have Ruminate?                  while it is too hard, is repelled.?'
  F.C. Pasche writes (I am translating his words from           Finally, in this note, he cites Dr. .P.E. Kretzmann:
the German):                                                 "Careful scientists, even distinguished biologists, such
   "`The poet Cowper,  who kept rabbits and observed as one at a leading state university which I attended,
them minutely testifies that one of them ruminated all have admitted that our knowledge of certain mammals
day until evening.' Goldsmith: `The rhinoceros, the in this class would not warrant our declaring the state-
horse, the rabbit, the marmot and- the squirrel all chew ment of Leviticus 11: 6 untrue. While mammals of this
the cud by intervals.' Tristram: `The Hebrew word class do not have the digestive apparatus of those that
does not imply having a ruminant stomach, but simply         chew the cud, there is evidently a process of total or
rechew, or masticate.' J.D. Michaelis: `Although there partial regurgitation, together with a second chewing
may have been no genuine rumination in the strict            of the food, which fully substantiates the statement
sense of the term, yet the acts of the hare munching its found in Scripture. It is not a mere  semblance  of
food  .went popularly by the name of rumination, or          chewing the cud with which we are dealing but an
chewing again."'                                             actual chewing of food previously swallowed."
  Pasche quotes Friedrich Bettex, who in turn cites                                  References
the distinguished authority on ruminants, Prof. Rueti-          F.C. Pasche, 
meyer of Base1 as being quite sure that the hare rumi-                           Erklaevung   etlichev   Stellen in den`
                                                             Buechem  Mosis  (Lehre und Wehre, June-July, 1923,
nates:                                                       page 188)
   "That the hare chews the cud is not new to me.               Theodore Engelder, 
Only I would call attention to the circumstances that                                  Verbal Inspiration (Concordia
                                                             Theological Monthly, July, 1941, pages 490-491)
in today's .anatomical and embryological classification
the practice of rumination is not decisive by itself."          Incidentally, for those who might be interested, the
  In other words, an animal may chew the cud and yet Bible-Science Newsletter  (actually a newspaper-type
not be classified among the Ruminantia.                      publication) can be obtained for $2.00 per year in the
   Engelder has this to say:                                 U.S.A. and $2.25 in Canada. Write to: Bible-Science
   "What does `chewing the cud' mean? It does not Association,  P-0. Box 1016, Caldwell, Idaho 83605.
mean that the animal performing that operation must this does not constitute a blanket recommendation;
have the complex stomach,. which is four-chambered, nevertheless, this paper frequently. contains worthwhile
of the true ruminants. Our zoologists use the term articles. According to its masthead, it is "Dedicated
`true ruminants' to designate the animals that have a To:          Special Creation, Literal Bible Interpretation,
four-chambered stomach, but they classify as rumi- Divine Design and Purpose in`Nature, A Young Earth,
nants also those  .whose stomach is three-parted. And A Universal Noachian Flood, Christ as God and Man -
we claim the privilege, with Moses, of classifying as Our Savior, Christ-Centered Scientific Research."


Th.e Strength of Youth

                                      W h i c h   C h u r c h ? .
                                                 Rev. J. Kovtering

  Essentially there is only one Church, the Church of          This one Church `manifests itself'.in  different ways
Jesus Christ.                                                here on earth. There are national differences, cultural


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  249



and social variations brought on by separate geograph- the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein; if
ical locations, and there are differences in interpreta- she maintains the pure administration of the sacra-
tion of the Word of God and in the emphasis placed ments as instituted by Christ; if church discipline is
upon certain truths of that Word.                         exercised to punishing of sin: in short, if all things are
  Hence we speak correctly of churches.                   managed according to the pure Word of God, all things
  Besides these manifestations of the true Church on contrary thereto rejected, and Jesus Christ acknowl-
earth, one also comes into contact with those who call edged as the only Head of the Church," Article 29. We
themselves church, but are not part of the Church of are told in this and the preceding article that our
Jesus Christ. This applies to those institutions which calling is to evaluate each manifestation of the Church
deny Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, but continue to     of Christ by .the Word of God, to join ourselves with
pay lip service to Him and His Word. Think for ex- those who are faithful to that Word and strive more
ample of the Mormons, also known as the Church of and more to conform their lives to the Scriptures.
the Latter Day Saints, or that church in your com-          This is our solemn obligation  not- only, but doing.
munity which is thoroughly modern as in the Grand this is essential to our spiritual well-being. We consider
Rapids area, Fountain Street Church.                      three aspects.
  Over against these different manifestations of the
true Church and the corrupt church, we face the im- FORPROPERWORSHIPOFGOD
portant question, which church for me? The question         According to the Scriptures, we worship on the
directed to us at the occasion of our making public       Sabbath for the purpose of praising God, "Give unto
confession of faith is, "Do you  acknowlege the doc- the Lord the glory due unto his name, bring an offer-
trine contained in the Old and New Testaments and in ing, and come into his courts, 0 worship the Lord in
the Articles of the Christian faith and taught  here in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth."
this  Christian Church to be the true and complete Ps. 96: 8,9.
doctrine of salvation? This requires an evaluation of       We do this in four specific ways, by our singing,
the teaching of the church. Sometime during our praying, giving, and meditating. Our worship of the
courtship years, the moonbeams illuminate the eyes of Lord is an act of service, whereby we participate in the
a lover who is a member of a different church than our worship service.
own. When the pangs of love grow stronger the ques-         It is important for us to remember that this worship
tion of which church, takes on more urgency. As a on our part is a response to Jehovah's presence. In the
result of our Christian witness, we may become close measure that we are God-conscious in that degree we
friends of a person who is a sincere Christian but of a truly worship Him. Hence we erect special buildings
different church. In our attempt to get to know one for this very purpose, the architecture and the furnish-
another better in Christ, we inevitably face the ques- ings are so designed that they function as the "house
tion, which church? Sometimes our church may dis- of God." We enter into the sanctuary and pray, an
appoint. us; perhaps a certain member offends us important way to make us God-conscious. The organ
deeply or we become convinced that the spiritual cli- plays music to this end. We open with a song of praise
mate is not what it should be, then we look around at to prepare us for the first words from the mouth of the
other churches and the question becomes almost des- minister, a blessing from God Himself. As we continue
perate, which church?                                     in worship we read His Word, sing, pray, give, all of
  In searching for an answer, we must be careful that which prepares us for the message which God Himself
we have a proper standard for measuring a church in speaks through Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit works in
order to determine how closely it approximates  the His ambassador. Sometimes we have the addition of a
Church. It is pathetic to hear some people justify their Sacrament as a sign and seal of God's covenant. Before
membership in churches that have apostatized mea- we leave the courts of the Lord we receive the blessing
surably from the truth. We hear them say, "0, it's such of God's, "grace, mercy and peace be unto you." We
a friendly church;" or, "It's such a relief to belong to a are prepared to serve Him during the remainder of the
church that is active in the community and has a week.
reputation, at least we don't have to hear people say,      Essential to this holy activity of worshipping God in
never heard of  that  church," Some boast of their His house, is God's revelation of Himseff. It is axio-
beautiful edifice, others of their choir or organist, still matic, that in the degree that God reveals Himself in
others smugly assert, "We get out within the hour!" His glory, in like manner we are able, by His Holy
I've even heard one say, "The budget is cheaper over Spirit, to worship Him. Central to this revelation is the
here."                                                    preaching of the Word. You can have elaborate liturgy,
  Most of us realize that the only proper standard for beautiful choir and organ music, but without the lively
evaluating a church is the Word of God itself. To use preaching of the Word it detracts rather than adds to
the language of our Netherlands Confession, "The our worship.
marks by which the true Church is known are these: if       Which church?


   2 5 0                                       THE STANDARD BEARER



      Ho+ majestic is that place where the Word of God is milk of the word that ye  majr grow thereby," I Peter
   preached according to the beauty of God's own Reve-         2:2.
   lation. As childreq of God, we long to see God in His         Which church?
   beauty. As Israel gazed upon the Shekinah and  wor-           Two things have a ,direct bearing in this connection.
   shipped God, so we do likewise as we attend to the God has called us into His covenant friendship and
   Word of God. We desire to know God as the sovereign, within that covenant we desire to grow. God has pro-
   righteous, holy God Who in His great mercy redeems vided us with His nourishment, principally the means
   aild'calls us by Jesus Christ into friendship with Hiti.    of grace, the preaching of the Word and the Sacra-
   If,we are going to be faithful in our worship of God on ments. He has added Christian discipline to keep them
   the Sabbath day and truly worship Him as we are pure. We must seek out a church that eliminates poison
   calledj  we will seek out a church  iti which. we are from the diet, for that cannot nourish, it can only kill.
   convinced the glory of God shines through the preach- Still more, we must seek a church that brings us not
   ing. Human philosophy, worldly wisdom, sentimental only milk, but also meat. We need a diet that will feed
   morality, all becloud the brilliance df Jehovah's pres- and provide spiritual  growth.  Without this we will
   ence. We desire to see God as He has revealed Himself become spiritually anemic. By spiritual growth we will
   in order that we may respond in praise and thanks- be qualified to serve God in His house, our daily lives
   giving.                                                     at home, business, occupations, work,' and play. We
      We then will be qualified, "to be doers of the Word will do all to the glory of God. I Car. 10:3 1.
   and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves,"
   James 1: 22.                                                FOR MUTUAL EDIFICATION
                                                                 In view of the many churches, and especially many
   FOR PROPER NOURISHMENT                                      large churches, that are apostatizing so rapidly in our
      According to Rev. 12: 14, "And to the woman were day, we must realize that we have a responsibility to
   given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into one another to be a means to assist one another in
   the wilderness into her place, where she is nourished striving to maintain a faithful church.
   for a time and times and half a time from the face of         Paul refers to this in I Cor. 12: 18-26, "But now hath
   the serpent." This is a picture of the church of today God set the members every one of them in the body,
   who is preserved from destruction by' God's nourish- as it hath pleased him . . . God hath tempered the body
   ment.                                                       together, having given more abundant honour to that
      When we are brought to a saving knowledge of part which lacked, that there should be no schism in
Christ, we are not self-sufficient. We cannot say, I'm the body, but that the members should have the same
   saved, now I  can get along without Christ or His care one for another."
   church. The very opposite is true, being saved we need        In our critical days, when the church of Christ is
   each other. We must be fed with the Bread of life and attacked from without and within, each one of us has
   must constantly drink the Water of life. We need this the solemn obligation before God to give account of
   not to maintain a static state of life, but to  gvow        our membership in relationship to other members.
   spiritually. We desire more and more strength in order There are small minorities in many churches struggling
   that .we may deny ourselves, resist the devil, and love to remain faithful to the Word of God. Some local
   not the world neither the things that are in the world. manifestations of the Church of Christ are small and
   We desire an increase of strength in order that we may can hardly exist. Some could be more influential if
   enjoy the covenant life with God increasingly and be there were more support, financial and numerical.
   `more faithful in serving Him.
      There are different degrees of spiritual maturity.         Which church?
   Paul reminds us of this in  porn.  12:3, "For I say,          What are you doing in helping  Jo  maintab   the
   through the grace given unto me, to every man that is Church of Jesus Christ. Leaving a church which stands
   among you, not to think of himself more highly than in the forefront of the battle in maintaining the purity
   he"ought to think; but to think soberly, according as of the Word and Sacraments through the exercise  of.
   God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." Christian discipline, is defeatism. As God strengthens
   Children of God who have varying degrees of spiritual us through His Word and draws us nearer unto Himself
   growth require a proper diet. Hence Scripture refers to in humble worship, may we be drawn closer to one
   those who  requii-e the milk of the Word, "I have fed another unto the furtherance of His cause in the world.
   you with milk, and not with meat, for hitherto ye were        Which church?
   not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able," I          While on earth the true church is not a perfect
   Cor.  3:2. Others need meat, "But strong meat  be- church. She is known by her striving unto perfection.
   longeth to them that are of full age, even those who by As covenant youth, God has placed you in a church
   reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern that strives unto that high calling.
   both good and evil," Heb. 5: 14. Peter adds in his            According to Scripture, the answer is obvious.
   epistle, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere  (pure)        May God keep us faithful.


                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER                                             251



A  Clord  of Witnesses

                               Solomon Made  King
                                                    Rev. B. Woudenberg

             So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the
          Cherethites,  and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's
          mule, and brought him to Gihon.
             And Zadok -the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, arzd anointed Solomorz,
          and they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save the king.            I Kings 1:38,39

  The results of David's sins were destined to remain Joab we have well recorded. It all began at the time
with him as long as he lived. He had given himself to         when Joab had taken it upon himself to put an end to
the allure of many wives, and accordingly he was the life of Absalom. There was a certain wisdom and
unable to. control and discipline their many children.        good intent in what he had ddne,  of course. Certainly
Thus it was that until his dying day, hatred and envy         if anyone ever deserved to die it was he. But David had
and strife tore away at the life of his family.               pleaded that his son's life should be spared, and the
  Absalom was now dead. He had dreamed of be- man whose hand had ended it his heart could not
coming king and had done all in his power to execute easily forgive. Quickly David ,had lashed back at Joab
his ambition. The result had been death to himself where it hurt the most. He had taken Joab's position
besides grief to his father and trouble to their nation.      frdm him and given it to Amasa, the man who had
Now he was gone; but, in a family of many royal been captain of Absalom's army. Strong of character
children divided in loyalties by the diversity of their and not so easily daunted, Joab had met this move by
mothers, there was ever another ready to take up              merely slaying Amasa with his own hands and taking
where Absalom had left off. Especially was this so            up his position as always before the army. In this he
because David was becoming so old and infirmed that           had succeeded, but his close friendship with David had
he could not possibly live and reign much longer.             never been restored as before; and through the years
  This time it was Adonijah the son of Haggith. He            his old loyalty to the king had weakened more and
knew, as did everyone, that Solomon had been desig-           more.
nated by David as the proper heir to his throne. But            All might have been saved yet if Solomon had been
the dream of power was not so easily put down. It             the kind of man who was warm and responsive to the
only made him the more determined to work at it               needs of others, an outgoing young man as Adonijah
harder. For some time already he had taken up the             was and as Absalom before him. But he was not. Quiet
practice, which Absalom had found so effective, of and reserved, he kept his counsels to `himself, while
riding about in chariots with horsemen and fifth run-         maintaining a fierce loyalty to his father. For Joab and
ners to accompany him It was a bold thing to do, for          Abiathar it left little hope that with the ascension of
such ostentation was the proper right only of a king.         Solomon to the throne they would be restored to the
His practice of it was, like that of Absalom before him,      positions of importance which they had enjoyed in
an evident claim to the right of succession to the royal      their earlier years; and, for those long accustomed to
throne. David, the king but ever indulgent father,            positions of importance and power, they were not easy
should have recognized the implications of this prac-         to give up to others.
tice and forbidden it immediately. But he didn't. Dis-          Thus it was that when Adonijah approached the two
missing it as a mere youthful fancy, he allowed               of them and invited theti to join in his plot, they cast
Adonijah to continue in his way and so to persist in          aside their past discretion and agreed.
the sinful dream.                                               His plan was very simple and seemed to hold real
  But Adonijah was not the only one who was dissatis-         promise. David was now weak and infirmed, and it
fied with the prospects of Solomon becoming king. In          appeared unlikely to live many more days. Confined to
fact, among those who in recent years had become              his bed and dying, it hardly seemed possible that he
more and more disillusioned with the reign of David           could or would  ,even care to offer any resistance if
were not only Abiathar the priest but even Joab,              Adonijah  ,with- the help of Joab and Abiathar would
David's long time intimate friend. and the captain of his have himself anointed king. Besides they could make
army.                                                         an agreement with all of the other sons of David,
  The history of the falling out between David and            leaving Solomon' alone without any strength. Quickly


252                                        THE STANDARD BEARER


their plan was made and they proceeded to execute it. the king after him?"
Calling as many of the sons and servants of the king as      The approach of Nathan was successful. The double
he could trust behind him, he took sacrifices of oxen statement from the woman whom he most loved and
and cattle to the stone of Zoheleth by Enrogel with the prophet who represented the cause of God to him
the intention of setting forth a great feast and an- at last aroused in the old and dying king the kind of
nouncing himself as the new king of the nation of zeal for the right and good which had so often charac-
Israel.                                                    terized him in his youth. With determination and
   One thing, however, Adonijah and Joab and authority he arose to the situation.
Abiathar had failed to reckon with: that was, God and        First  he, commanded that Bathsheba, who had by
His will.                                                  this time left the room, be called back. To her he said,
   Nathan, the prophet of God, Adonijah recognized as "As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out
one who could not be taken into his plot; but his of all distress. Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD
efforts to keep him ignorant of what he was doing God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall
were to no avail.                                          reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my
   Quickly Nathan made his way to Bathsheba. His stead? even so will I certainly do this day."
problem was to impress upon the dying king the seri-         Gratefully Bathsheba bowed in reverence before the
ousness of the situation; and for this, Bathsheba, still king and answered, "Let my lord king David live for
the favorite wife of David, was the best means. Before ever."
Bathsheba he laid his plan, the only means by which at       Next David gave another order, "Call me Zadok the
this late hour the throne might be saved for Solomon priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of
not only, but by which her life and the life of her son Jehoiada."
might be spared.                                             Quickly the men came and to them David said,
   The result was `that very soon thereafter Bathsheba `+Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause
entered the bed chamber where the king lay sick and Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and
presented herself to him; and, once he had recognized bring him down to Gihon: and let Zadok the priest
her, she spoke as follows, "My lord, thou swarest by and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over
the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, As- Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God
suredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he save king Solomon. Then ye shall come up after him,
shall sit upon my throne. And now, behold, Adonijah that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall
reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it be king in my stead: and I have appqinted him to be
not; and he bath. slain oxen and'fat cattle and sheep in ruler over Israel and over Judah."
abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king,         Spontaneous as it was, it was nevertheless a joyful
and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the occasion in Israel that day. Suddenly there appeared in
host: but Solomon thy  .servant hath he not called. the streets of Jerusalem a  great procession with
And. thou, my lord, 0 king, the eyes of all Israel are Solomon riding in the midst of it upon the back of the
upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit king's mule. Without being told the people knew what
on the throne of my lord the king after him. Otherwise it meant. Quickly and without prompting they left
it shall come to pass, when my lord the.king shall sleep their work to take up their pipes and songs of joy as
with his fathers; that I and my son Solomon shall be they followed the procession on its way to Gihon.
counted offenders."                                          Before the procession went Zadok the priest,
  Here was the kind of `tale which the old king, in Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the
spite of the painful lessons of the past, found'it almost Cherethites, and the Pelethites with Solomon riding in
impossible to believe. And now, too, his old and weary the midst of them. There could be little question but
mind wanted to dismiss it as the wild imaginings of a that what was coming to pass was with the approval
woman's mind, except that while Bathsheba yet spoke both of king David and of God. Then, when at last
Nathan the prophet entered the room. His message was they came to the tabernacle, Zadok the priest entered
much the same, for he said, "My lord, 0 king, hast in and took a horn of oil from the presence of God.
thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall This he brought out and poured upon the head of
sit upon my throne? For he is gone down this day, and Solomon. It was then that the people really burst
hath called all the king's sons, and the captain of the forth. Great was the shout, "God save king Solomon!"
host,. and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat All the.way back to the palace the shouts and sound of
and drink before `him, and say, God save king song and dance filled the city and shook the earth.
Aqonijah. But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the There within the palace Solomon was placed upon the
priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy serv- throne of-Israel, the throne of the great king.
ant Solomon, hath he not called. Is this thing done by       To the bed chamber of king David was brought this
my lord the king, and thou hast not showed it unto message from all of his servants, "God make the name
thy servant, who should, sit on the throne of my lord -of Sqlomon  better than thy name, and make his throne


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                           253


greater than thy throne."                                      one to sit upon my throne this day, mine eyes even
   To them in reply from David came the answer, seeing it."
"Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given             Israel had received its new king.


 Cantending  for  the, Faith

                                   THE DOCTRINE OF SIN
                                        PROTESTANT DOCTRINE OF SIN
                                            THE REFORMED SYMBOLS

                                                   Rev. H.  Veldman

   In our preceding article we  called attention to the inclined to all wickedness. And this is also the teaching
 doctrine of sin as set forth in the Heidelberg Catechism of the Canons of Dordt to which we now call your
 and in the Belgic Confession or Thirty-Seven Articles attention.
' of Faith. In these creeds' the fathers  mairitain  the         Before, we call attention to the doctrine of sin as set
 Scriptural doctrine of sin and oppose the pelagian forth positively by our fathers in these Canons of
 conception  ,of it. According to Art. 15 of the Belgic Dordt, in the positive section, Head III-IV, we would
 Confession Pelagianism teaches that sin proceeds only first call attention, briefly, to what the fathers reject.
 from imitation. The Protestant and Reformed concep- Under each Head of doctrine, the fathers first set forth
 tion maintains that we are by nature corrupt, that we the truth positively, and this is followed by a series of
 commit sin because of what we are by nature. This is articles in which they reject the errors of their oppo-
 also the presentation of the Heidelberg Catechism. nents. Now we do not intend to treat these articles in
 Question 8 of the Heidelberg Catechism asks the ques- detail. This has been done very ably in the past by
 tion whether we then are so corrupt that we are wholly Prof. H. C. Hoeksema and we recommend these articles
 incapable of doing any good and inclined to all wicked- to our readers. Our readers may well read these articles
 ness. Pelagianism teaches that we become sinful and again. In Volume 34, for example, the rejection of
 corrupt because of our sinning. Pelagianism denies orig- errors is treated in connection with Heads III and IV.
 nial guilt and original pollution. We sin through imita- Of these articles, in which the fathers reject the
 tion. It is true that the pelagiin will teach that, as we Arminian conception of sin, Articles  1 through 5 are
 sin, we become weaker in the fight against corruption, pertinent as far as our treatment of the subject of the
 and also that we can form bad habits, but he will doctrine of sin is concerned. We will quote these arti-
 maintain that man remains inherently good, that man cles and then offer a few brief comments.
 is able to choose the good as well as the evil, and that        Article I reads as follows:
 therefore he is also able to accept the offer of salvation            Who teach: that it cannot properly be said, that
 when it comes to him through the preaching of the                 original sin in itself  suffic& to condemn the whole
 gospel. This, we know, is also the teaching of the Three          human race, or to deserve temporal and eternal pun-
-Points of 1924. But the truth as set forth in our                 ishment. For these contradict the Apostle, who de-
 Reformed Symbols is surely ,the opposite of this. We              clares: "Therefore as through one man sin entered
 sin because we are corrupt. An evil tree brings forth             into the world, and, death through sin; and so death
 corrupt fruit. Why? Because the tree is corrupt. The              passed unto all men, for that all sinned," Rom. 5: 12.
 fruit does not affect the tree, but the tree determines           And:    "The judgment came of one `unto con-
 the fruit. Out of the heart proceeds all our evil                 demnation." Rom. 5: 16. `And: "The wages of sin is
 thoughts. Why? Because the heart is corrupt. The nat-             death," Rom.  6:23.
 ural mind (mind you, not Certain particularly evil char-        The Arminians denied the doctrine of original sin. It
 acters, but the natural mind, that is, every natural is evident from this article that the fathers refer partic-
 man) .is enmity against God and is not subject- to the ularly to the doctrine of original guilt. We can and do
 law  df God, which demands of us that we love the             speak of original guilt and original pollution. That the
 Lord our God with all our heart and mind and soul and         fathers refer particularly to original guilt is evident
 strength. Why? Because the natural mind  is  enmity from the fact that these articles emphasize the legal
 against God. This is the teaching of, Holy Writ. And idea of condemnation. When the Arminians declare
 this is also the language of the Heidelberg Catechism that it cannot properly  be. said, that original sin  in
 and of the Belgic Confession. Man  cannot' do that itseZf suffices to condemn the whole human race, they
 which is good; he is incapable of dging  any good and --,resort to deception. To say that original sin in itself is


254                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER



not sufficient to condemn the whole human race this article the fathers reject this Arminian conception,
means, of course, that it would be sufficient to con- and therefore maintain the Scriptural truth also of
demn the human race together with man's corruption original corruption and pollution. And they  .quote
and pollution. But, this is deception. Fact is that Eph. 4:24. To be created after God in true righteous-
something is sufficient to condemn the human race, or ness and holiness certainly implies that we are created
it is not. Either original sin renders mankind condemn- thus in the image of God, and this means that we were
able or it does not. And, mind you, we must under- created that way in Adam, and these virtues certainly
stand that man's spiritual death, his corruption and belong to the will of man.
pollution, is God's punishment upon sin. If mankind,                Article III reads:
therefore, is not under condemnation because of the                      Who teach: That in spiritual death the spiritual
sin of Adam, then mankind may not be born in origi-                    gifts are not separate from the will of man, since the
nal corruption and pollution. To say, therefore, that                will in itself has never been corrupted, but only
original sin renders mankind worthy of death and                      hindered through the darkness of the understanding
under condemnation, together with original corrup-                    and the irregularity of the affections; and that, these
tion, is certainly deceptive. However, let us understand            hindrances having been removed, the will can then
that the doctrine of original sin, guilt and pollution, is            bring into operation its native powers, that is, that
fundamental. It is fundamental from the viewpoint of                  the will of itself is able to will and to choose, or not
the Arminian. His entire conception of the truth stands               to will and not to choose, all manner of good which
or falls with it. It is, of course, the Arminian concep-              may be presented to it. This is an innovation and an
tion that the- work of salvation revolves about the will              error, and tends to elevate the powers of the free
of the sinner. Hence, it is absolutely necessary for him              will, contrary to the declaration of the Prophet:
                                                                      "The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is
that he presents man as of himself being able to will to              exceedingly corrupt," Jer. 17:9; and of the Apostle:
be saved, that man is able to accept the offer of                     "Among whom (sons of disobedience) we also all
salvation when it comes to him in the preaching of the                once lived in the lusts of the flesh, doing the desires
gospel. But then it is also easily understood that he                 `of the flesh and of the mind," Eph. 2:3.
must deny original sin: to teach that man is able to
accept the offer of salvation and to teach that man is              0, yes, the Arminian speaks in this article of man's
born in original guilt and pollution would involve him spiritual death. He does not believe, of course, that the
in an impossibility. But then we also understand the sinner is spiritually dead. But he must use this language
implications of the doctrine of original sin. This means because the Scriptures declare that man .is conceived
that all men are born under Divine condemnation, and and born dead in trespasses and in sins. But he goes on
this must imply that they are born also in spiritual to declare that the will of man has never been cor-
death. And this renders any conception impossible that rupted but only hindered through the darkness of the
would present salvation revolving around the will of understanding and the irregularity of the affections.
the sinner. In this article the fathers reject the e&or of And he adds that, once these hindrances have been
those who deny original sin.                                      removed, then the will will be able to bring into
  Article II reads:                                               operation its native powers, that is, the will will be able
          Who teach: That the spiritual gifts, or the good        of itself to will and to choose, or not to will and not to
       qualities and virtues, such as: goodness, holiness,        choose, all manner of good which may be presented to
       righteousness, could not. belong to the will of man        it. Indeed, all we need do is to teach that sinner,
       when he was first created, and that these, therefore,      reform him, bring all kinds of good influences to bear
       could not have been separated there from in the fall.      upon `him.  .He does not need regeneration, an inner
       For such is contrary to the description of the image       spiritual renewal, but all he needs is a good environ-
       of God, which the Apostle gives in Eph. 4:24, where        ment, to receive good instruction and observe good
       he declares that it consists in righteousness and holi-    examples. This too, is rejected by the fathers. And
       ness, which undoubtedly belong to the will.                they quote two very pertinent passages from the Word
  If it be true what the Arminian maintained, that of God. They call attention to the heart, that it is
these spiritual gifts or good qualities and virtues were deceitful above all things, and this is pertinent because
not originally created as belonging to the will of man, the heart is the center of all our spiritual life. If the
then, of course, it follows that these spiritual gifts heart be corrupt, then all of man is corrupt, also his
could not have been separated from the will of man will. And the quotation of Eph.  2:3 declares that we
when he fell. He could not very well lose what he never all once lived in the lusts of the flesh, doing the desires
had. And, of course, this is also vital, obviously, to the (literally: the wills) of the flesh and of the mind.
Arminian. The Arminian would present the will of man Hence, the fathers must have nothing to do with the
as neutral, as able to choose either the good or the evil. heresy of the Arminians that the will of man has not
And therefore he taught that these spiritual gifts were been inherently  affe,cted by sin and that it is able of
not separated from the will of man when he fell. In itself to will and choose the good as well as the evil.


                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER                                                          255


Again, man's original corruption and pollution is main-               the express testimony of Scripture, "Ye were dead
tained.                                                               through trespasses and sins," Eph.  2:1,5; and:
  Article IV reads:                                                   "Every imagination of the thought of his heart is
           Who teach: That the unregenerate man is not                only evil continually," Gen.  6:s;  8:21.
    really nor utterly dead in sin, nor destitute of all                 Moreover, to hunger and thirst after deliverance
  powers unto spiritual good, but that he can yet                     from misery, and after life, and to offer unto God
    hunger and thirst after righteousness and life, and               the sacrifice of a broken spirit, is peculiar to the
    offer the sacrifice of a contrite and broken spirit,              regenerate and those that are called blessed.
    which is pleasing to God. For these are contrary to               Ps.  51:10,19: Matt. 5:6.



In His Fear

                       A Word To Covenant Youth
                                                       (Concluded)

                                                    Rev, John A. Heys

  Since you are to remember your Creator, Covenant mind where no man can take it from you. Be wary of
Youth, it follows that you are to learn to know Him as the man who lets you get away with it. He, too, is
fully as you possibly can.                                    forgetting that you must remember your Creator. You
  One of the irksome things in your young life as must have something to remember. And it had better
youth is what you perhaps call that "necessary evil" of be the truth of God's Word.
"going to catechism." In our churches we call it that.          Your catechism class is the means of grace for you.
Others call it Bible Class. Sad to say, still others have     Since you were very small you were taken to church;
no such program for training and instructing the              but it did not mean much to you. You sang along
youth. But we call it catechism because of our method when you knew the words. You bowed your head
of instructing. We give you a book with questions and when the congregation prayed. But a lot of words were
answers to commit to memory. Yes, the questions as spoken that simply went over your head. Now and
well as the answers must be committed to memory.              then you caught a familiar name; and a .sentence  here or
The only way to benefit from the answer is to know there had some meaning for you, but for the most part
the question to which it is the answer. Do you remem- it was just too "heavy." -This is as it should be. The
ber the time you or one of your fellow catechumens preaching of the Word is the means of grace for the
asked the question, "Is that the third question?" You adult, and for you when you arrive at that point of
knew the answers but did not know to what question physical and mental development that you can under-
it was the answer. And when the questions were asked          stand it. But meanwhile we do not neglect you, and
out of the order they appear in the book, you were have arranged for you the means, of grace of the
lost and did not know what answer to give. This is not        catechism class. Here the instruction is designed for
good. You do have one advantage, however, in that the your level. And from age to age we bring you a little
question is given to you; you are not asked to give it. more deeply into the truth. For you catechism is as
But you ought to know the question whose answer important as church attendance' on Sunday.  ,Your
you have more fully committed to memory.                      Creator demands  - not your parents and your consis-
  Quite quickly you draw the conclusion that your tory alone, or in the first place - that you make use of
pastor is unmerciful, a crab, a perfectionist, or some this means which He has provided for your instruction.
such obnoxious person when he insists that you learn And remember what we wrote last time, you can get
the answers and not simply have a general idea of what away with it before your parents and the elders, when
the answer has to say. But, believe me, he is seeking you skip for this or that reason, but you cannot get
your good. You are not asked to learn all this for his away from the searching eye of the Creator. And your
sake. I am sure that if this were the case, he would say parents had better not ask to have you excused from
to you, "Give me a night off, and let me stay home. I         this means of grade. Imagine that! Excused from the
know these truths, and it does me no personal good means of grace! That man who excuses you has not the
that you know that answer so thoroughly that you can last word in the matter, and he certainly errs when he
rattle' it off in no time flat." 0, no! He is eager to have does excuse. Remember your Creator Who demands it,
you know this truth and to have it written in your and if you must have an excuse, be sure that you get it


256                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



from Him - if you can.                                       give time to the spiritual matters and learn to know
  Then, besides the Sabbath attendance and careful your Creator so that you can remember Him in these
listening to receive as much from the sermon as you moments of trial. 0, do not have the idea that you will
can, and the catechism class that is conducted for you, outgrow temptations. We never outgrow sin or the
there are other helps which keep that Creator before desire to sin. And that God's children persevere to the
your mind, such as your society for the study of God's end does not mean that they actually overcome any sin
Word and post-confession classes of instruction:If you in their lives. It means that they keep on fighting that
remember your Creator, you will make good use of sin. That is the perseverance of the saints. They do not
these and faithful use of these; and in doing so you will give up the fight, and do not give in to sin. They fight.
be strengthening your position of remembering Him And they have to fight, because that old nature is there
and your calling before Him.                                 with them till the day of their death. But as we walk
  That means, of course, that you prepare thoroughly down the pathway of life, and presently our feet are
and carefully both for the catechism class and the heavy so that we soon amble along instead of walk,
society discussion. So often we "get nothing out of it" and then later on put one foot only an inch or two in
exactly because we did not come prepared to get front of the other  - whereas our gait before was a
anything. And that holds true for the sermon on Sun- good thirty inches at a stride  - the appeal of certain
day as well. You know ahead of time what Lord's Day items wanes. That does not mean that we conquered
of the Heidelberg Catechism is going to be treated; and that sin. It simply is a physical matter and not a
the chapter and text of the evening sermon is also spiritual matter that we cannot do this sin anymore.
before you. But sometimes you do not so much as Our capacity for sin becomes smaller, but with the old
follow the reading of these during the services, and are nature we still sin as fully as we can at the moment.
hardly acquainted with what is going to be treated.          The serpent's fangs may be broktn, but the heart still
Come, come! In the days of your youth there is no hates man. So, we may not be able to commit certain
time for idleness, but the opportunity for action.           sins outwardly, but the heart still beats only with
       You see, Solomon addresses you in the days of your hatred toward God according to the old nature. It is
youth exactly because now you have so much going important then that now while temptations are so
for you. These are the days of your strength. As we          powerful and manifold, you build yourself up in the
already pointed out, the time is coming when you will truth and learn what your Creator demands of you.
find it necessary to take a nap, to slow down, and the          And in conclusion, now are the carefree days of
time when your memory will fail you. Then it is too your life. I mean that in a good sense. Remembering
late to try to learn and to commit to memory the truth your Creator, you will not be careless and indifferent.
of God's Word. You have seen, or will see, your grand- But in the days of your youth you do not have the
father or grandmother, or one of a friend, who tells cares and anxieties that are going to be yours in a short
you the same thing every five minutes, or has hardly while. Now you have no family, no wife, no children
received the answer to- a question, and then asks the to support. You are free to go here and there, ,and have
same question. That seems, or may seem, amusing to not family responsibilities to tie you down. Yes,  the
you now, and you cannot imagine that all this is going day will come when your church attendance will have
to happen to you. But it will come soon enough. And to be cut down to once a Sunday, because of little
if you are to do as the saintly people of God in their children to tend. You do not have that now. You have
last few days on earth have done, that is, sing the no sick child to cuddle, or with which to walk the floor
praises of God on your death beds, now is the time to all night. You put your head on your pillow, and you
learn those songs and the Word of God on which they are asleep, and tomorrow with your tremendous re-
are based.                                                   cuperative powers of youth, you are as fresh as a
       If, and things are going fast today, you live in those daisy. Well, all of that strength of yours must be used
days when the antichrist is here on this earth, and redeeming the time, buying  out of it everything that
closes our churches, takes away our Bibles and relig- you can get, in order to serve your Creator fully.
ious magazines and books, you will have to rely on              And, by the way, now when you have this freedom
what you learn today. You will be able to take with from cares, and I mean particularly from financial
you only what is indelibly written in your mind. And cares, you had better remember your Creator as you
at the moment your mind is clear to receive the truth.       spend it. You better do that when the collection plate
We do not all have the same ability to memorize and to is passed by you on Sunday. You had better do that
learn, it is true. But regardless of what your capacity is, when the causes of mercy and of Christian instruction
now that power  -is the strongest within you. It will are made known to you. That is God's money that you
begin to fade with amazing speed. And once you are have in your hand, pocket, bank account. He gave it to
on that decline, there is nothing you can do about it. you, and the employment whereby you attain to it;
       Now is also the time when temptations are so and He demands that you give it back. You need not
powerful, which makes it all the more urgent that you give it all back in the collection plate. And I do not say


                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER            `                               257



that you should. But you will have to give it back to           You are sometimes called the Now Generation. And
 Him in wise use of it.                                       there is that  imptitience  of youth that causes you to
   You cay2 afford to give more than your parents give,       want everything RIGHT NOW! But  right now  your
who perhaps have a very high school tuition to pay,           calling is to remember your Cretitor.  Right now is your
besides the medical expenses and the general cost of calling to serve Him with all that you are and possess.
feeding and clothing your brothers and sisters. And if Right yzow you are to begin a life that will be filled, till
you fail to remember your Creator, and look the other         your last breath, with deeds of love to Him. And then,
way when the expenses of His cause here below are             when you come to those days in which in all sincerity
presented to you, so that you can buy that new car,           you have to say, "I find no pleasure in them," you can
that fur coat, take that expensive trip, follow that look back on a life that clearly indicates that you are
expensive hobby, and all the rest, be sure, as Solomon        spiritually different, because of cross and Spirit of
says, that He will not forget. "Know thou," Solomon           Christ, and can add, "But I look forward to days that
says, "that for all these things God will bring thee into     shall be full of pleasure at God's right hand and hear
judgment." Ecclesiastes 11: 9. And Malachi chides the         Him say, `Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter
Israelites and tells them that they have stolen from          thou into the joy of thy Lord.' "
God, when they withheld their offerings, or brought             May you have that joy and confidence in that way
polluted and defiled sacrifices. Malachi 3 : 8.               of faithfulness.


From Holy Writ

               Various Difficult, Scripture Passages .(I)
                                                      Rev. G. Lubbers

              "Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done,
           because th.ey repented n.o t . . . For if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been
         `~ done in Tyre and Sidon they woidd have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. . . For if
           the mighty works, which have been done in you  (Capernaum)  would have been done in
           Sodom, it (Sodom) would have remained until this day" Matthew 11: 20-24; Luke 10: 13-l 6

   We are making a little digression from our writing on meaning of it.
 the book of Hebrews. We hope to return to finish our            We believe that we are dealing with such a passage
 essays on that great and profound book of- God's here. We can stare ourselves blind on the question as to
 revel&ion. For the present we. shall attempt our hand how it is possible for Jesus to say that Tyre would have
 at writing on what is called "difficult passages." I am .repented under certain conditions, and that Sodom
 aware of the remarks  .of both of my professors in would have remained until this day, the day  whe'n
 Seminary that there are no .easy.passages in Scriptures.     Christ was on earth, under'certain conditions. What is
 The Bible wills to be studied.                               this requisite for Sodom's still. abiding and Tyre's re-
   Let us be clearly understood.                              pentance in dust and ashes? It is nothing else than that
   When we speak of difficult passages we have in mind        the  mighty works of Christ  had been performed in
 certain passages which are rather difficult of interpreta- them, which were performed in Bethsaida and Caper-
tion, either by themselves, or because a smoke-screen         naum respectively.
 of error has beclouded the clear meaning of the passage         This may baffle our feeble human understanding,
in the mind of the believing saints. Such a passage as        but it was spoken by Christ who knows all things, also
 John 3: 16 has been so often, consistently and errone-       the secrets of the hearts of Sodom and Tyre. Mean-
 ously interpreted in the  -Arminian sense of a "Christ       while, when we listen to this message, let us take the
 for all", that the real meaning has been neglected and       shoes from off our feet!
 darkened beyond the recognition of the simple reading                                 *es***
 of the text and context. However, there are also pas-           The text, as a whole, is very . clear here in
sages, which, unless we receive their total message as Matthew 11: 20-24. We do not have heie a detailed
 meant by the author, we will tiot hear the message, but      exposition of doctrine, although doctrine is not en-
 will lose ourselves in a senseless quibbling about the       tirely absent. Rather we have in this passage a  sum-


258                                         THE STANDARD BEARER



mary statement of what Jesus more broadly was Capernaum, and makes a comparison'between these
stating at this time in his preaching. It tells us the cities and the most godless cities of the nations, Tyre
emphasis which was necessary in Israel in this late hour and Sodom, he is speaking of that Israel which is
of IsraePs historical existence.                           spiritually called "Sodom and Egypt." (Rev. 11: 8)
  This should be underscored.                               In a sense Jesus has here stopped preaching. He is
  It should be clear that the text teaches us what Jesus "upbraiding" these cities. We must not underrate this
was saying in this "season" at the end of the Galilean speaking of Jesus, for he is letting the Word~of proph-
ministry. This ministry had lasted for about a year. ecy do the "upbraiding." He is also here the chief
The great climax of the ministry is related to us in prophet who reveals to us the secret counsel of God.
Chapter 10 of this Gospel according to Matthew. He These words here are not the irate, explosive, small
sent the disciples forth with an urgent and almost crisp frustrations of a human orator, whose audience does
mandate to go and preach to the house of Israel, and not respond well.
not to turn by the way into Samaria or to the Gentiles.      Here is the highest wisdom, lifting up its voice and
They must seek the lost of the house of Israel. All is in crying in the streets. (Prov. 8) Does not Jesus say here
a sense of urgency. The great angel who puts his right in the immediate context that wisdom is justified of
foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the earth, the her works (children). In the final harvest and judgment
judge of the nations speaks. There is urgency before day it will be shown which was the highest wisdom,
the majestic throne of God as the Word has gone forth., and basic principle of it. For the fear of the Lord is the'
The dictum is: "and thou Capernaum which art ex- beginning of wisdom. (Matthew 11: 19b) This is the
alted unto heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell. He. one man who will judge his people righteously and
that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth who will be the judge of the nations!
you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth         Hear him speak! He speaks not lightly, but with
him that sent me : . . And the seventy returned again truth and love sincere!
with joy, saying even the devils are subject unto us         We are transported into the day of judgment in our
through thy name . .  ." Yes, Satan's power is being text. We are told of the degrees of wrath and anguish
broken. Says Jesus "I saw Satan as lightning fall from and tribulation which will then be meted out. No, it
heaven - notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the shall not be well with Tyre and Sidon in that day. The
spirits are subject unto you: but rather rejoice, be- Lord will then rehearse in the consciences of that great
cause your names are written in heaven."                   citadel Tyre what was uttered by the Spirit of Christ
  Such was the "season". of which our passage speaks. by the mouth of the prophets, as they had uttered
For these "greatest works" were added to the preach- their "burdens" upon these cities. Neither will it go
ing, and were not mere exhibitions of wonder, but well with Sodom in that day when God shall open the
were the testimony of the Father that He approved of books of the consciences. Righteous Lot, who vexed
the Son. (Acts  2:22) These were signs and wonders his soul in Sodom, will then be justified, as one who is
which God was performing through him, giving testi- as a fire-brand plucked from the fires of Almighty
mony that to see the Son was to.see the Father in Him.     God. Both cities are a part of the scene .of the divine
And now these mightiest works had been accom- Apocalypse" . . . and I saw the dead, small and great,
plished in all the land! There is a time for everything stand before God; and the books were opened: and
under the sun: a time to sow and a time to reap, a another book was opended, which is the book of life,
time to preach and a time for the day of judgment, and and the dead were judged out of those things which
these two are connected with each other as seed-time were written in the books, according'to their works"
and harvest-time. It is the end of Christ's work in ( R e v .   19:12)             .  '
Galilee of the nations. The people which sat in dark-        Both Sodom and Tyre are standing there in Jesus',
ness have seen a great light, and to them that sat in the mind's eye according to the text.
region of the shadow of death light is sprung up."           But Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum will all
(Matthew 4: 15,16)  The light has shined in the dark- stand there in that day when the books are opened.
ness, but the darkness comprehended it not. But as Then shall the books of the "consciences" be opened.
many as received him to them he gave authority to (Belgic Confession, Art. XXXVII) And all that is written
become the children of God.                                in them shall be manifeste,d.  They, who sinned without
                        *****                              the law and the gospel, shall perish without law, and
  Jesus must have had a certain period, a certain they, who sinned under law, shall be judged by the law
"season" here in the close of his ministry in which and the Gospel-preaching. And they, who have seen
there was a definite difference between the chaff and the great. and mighty works of God in Christ, will be
the wheat. They are here both on- his threshing-floor. judged accordingly.
The chaff will be burned with unquenchable fire and          The word has `gone forth in the Galilean cities, the
the wheat will be gathered into the barns. When Jesus light has shined in darkness, and there was no repent-
directs his "woe" against Chorazin, Bethsaida and ance of these cities as cities. The leaders, the great


                                             -THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                   259



which saw the mighty works in the synagogue and in the preaching of the Gospel were performed in their
the streets, did not repent in sack-cloth and ashes as midst.
did the people of Nineveh in the days of Jonah. From . . . Never since the time of the protevangel had the
a theocratic-Israelitish stand-point these cities are chaff Gospel been preached as it was preached in these cities.
which shall be burned. Capernaum was the city where           They were called unto the repentance unto the
Christ made his home. It is called "his own city" in the forgiveness of sins. Such was the preaching of both
Gospels. The Son of God walked the streets of Caper- Jesus and John, the forerunner of the Lord. And
naum, and He performed His greatest works here.            repentance was to be of such a nature that these cities
  There is a time for everything under the sun.            returned to the law of God in their entire life, justice,
  The time of the manifestation of the mighty works truth and peace. They were to do this in true and
is ended!                                                  heartfelt sorrow for their sins, with a godly sorrow.
  Now, is the time for upbraiding the cities and warn- Nay, they were not to come as the Pharisees  .and
ing them of their imminent doom!                           Scribes, who merely came to flee from the wrath-to
                        *****                              come.
  The ground for the judgment of these Galilean cities        It was to be a repentance which would shew itself in
will be their unrepentance. They were not simply sin- works worthy of repentance.
ners who walked in their own ways, but they were              There was not fruit in these cities.
sinners who walked in their own ways,  notwith-               Chaff they are upon the threshing-floor of God.
standing that the mighty works which accompanied                                    (to be continued)



                           Come Ye Apart... Atid Rest A While

                                                   Rev. C Hanko

  About a decade ago, a poem appeared in the Nether- virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to
lands which was entitled, "The Message."1                  meet the bridegroom. . . .While the bridegroom tarried
  In this poem the author writes about the mandate         t h e y   all  s l u m b e r e d   ( o r   d o z e d )   a n d   s l e p t . "
that comes from God to the faithful minister of the        Matthew 25: 1,s.
Gospel, "Go, tell the church. that a severe storm is          When has the conspiracy against God and His church
approaching."                                              ever been stronger than it is today? And it grows day
  To this the minister responds: "But there have been      by day.
many storms raging for many days and many years."             The very foundations are shaken.
  He is told: "Though that may be ever so true, the           What has happened to the Five Points of Calvinism
Great Storm is about to break loose."                      for which our fathers fought with blood and tears:
  But the minister counters: "Lord, the people have        Sovereign Election; Total Depravity; Limited Atone-
heard that so often that they disregard it entirely."      ment; Efficacious Grace; Preservation of Saints?
  He even adds in bitter complaint: "`This people             And as if that were a small thing, the infallibility of
craves sports and bread, ever more bread and ever more     the Scriptures is flatly denied. The Bible is considered
sports. No matter how much they have been warned,          a collection of myths, traditions, old wives' tales, but
they smile and dance, and remain totally indiffernet to    no longer the verbally inspired and authoritative Word
any warning. There are but a few - mostly women and        of God that is the only power of God,unto salvation!
children - who still show a semblance of concern.             Along with this, the miracles of Scripture are
  And then when the minister has poured out his soul       denied. Whatever does not harmonize with the findings
in bitter complaint, he is told, almost impatiently:       and deductions of the unbelieving scientist must be
"Prophet, arise! Prophet, prophesy! My people must rejected. So there goes the creation account Genesis 1
repent before I come in judgment upon the earth."          and 2; along with the revelation of God concerning our
 This brings to mind two things, almost simul-             first parents, the serpent,  .the tree of knowledge of
taneously.  ~                                              good and evil, the temptation, the fall, and all its
  First, one is reminded of the time of king David,        consequences for us. What happens to the virgin birth,
"And the conspiracy was strong; for the people in-         the cross, the ressurection, the `ascension, Christ's sec-
creased continually after Absalom." II Samuel 15: 12.      ond coming?
  Second, one thinks of the parable of the ten virgins:       The Confessions are shelved; the Bible is cast aside;
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten the church institute is' scorned. The preaching of the


260                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



Word is no longer considered God's marvelous power killing Christ ,(Emphasis added) and the necessity of
unto salvation; it is not even considered relevant for bagging more Jewish converts. The majority of our
such an age as this. Church worship is degraded into a church leadership today no longer believes this doc-
social get-together; the sacraments are corrupted into trine and it is proper to clean it out of the  text-
"love-feasts."                                            books."2
  Everything must go. Even heaven and hell. Yes, even       And then he goes on to say that something will have
God. Man must have his whim, that he may be exalted to be done about the right wing fanatics, who pass
as God.                                                   along their fanaticism sometimes even in the form of
  No wonder that denominational walls crumble be- Christianity.
fore the impact of ecumenicity. Small wonder that the       No, nothing specific was said about those who hold
World Council of Churches with all its modernistic to the infallibility of the Scriptures, the One, Only
tendencies gains in popularity. The harlot of Revela- True God of the Scriptures, and the Christ of the
tion 17 is taking her place on the red horse, dressed in Scriptures. But these are nevertheless rumblings; dis-
purple and scarlet, decked with gold, precious jewels tant rumblings maybe, but rumblings of thunder that
and pearls as gifts from her lovers. Church and world, announce the approaching storm.
religion and politics, philosophy and "faith" go hand        Strange that remarks like that should come from
in hand down the road that dead-ends in hell.             areas where a universal brotherly love is emphasized.
  And the virgins remain complacent; some dozing, (Maybe not so strange). But brotherly love does have
some sound asleep. The bridegroom tarries too long; its limitations, it seems. It has no use for those who
the interest has turned to bread and sports, ever more refuse to be conformists. One is reminded of what
bread, more luxuries, more complacency in the things Jesus once said: "If ye love them which love you,
of this world.                                            what reward have ye? do not  &en the publicans the
  I read an interesting item in the newspaper a short same?" Matthew 5 :46.
time ago.                                                   The time may not be so far off that  "narrow-
  It began: "Catholics and Protestants have been en- minded, bigoted" people, who have no room in their
joying their ecumenical get-together for almost a dec- theology for other views and other gods may find their
ade now."                                                 church doors under padlock, and may have to worship
  It went on to say: "The exciting topic in religious in secret. The bodies of the two witnesses may soon be
circles is the growing togetherness of Christians and lying dead on the streets of the great city, "which
Jews.", . . ."The gates of God are open to all. The spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our
Christian need not go via Judaism, nor the Jew via Lord was crucified." Rev. 11: 7,8.
Christianity, in order to enter in to God."                 It is later than we think.
  But then this: "If we are to realize the high poten-      It need not surprise us when these things happen.
tial of this God-given scene, the Christian community       The Old Testament already spoke of prophets who
needs to do some housecleaning, like a careful  self- prophesy falsehood. Jeremiah 14: 14, and other pas-
examination of all Sunday school materials put out by sages.
the various denominations. Too many of these have           Jesus warns us in Matthew 24, "Take heed that no
old-line, unreconstructed comments about the Jews man deceive you. For many shall come in my name,
                                                          saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many."
                                                          (Vss.  4,5). "And many false prophets shall arise, and
                                                          shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound,
                                                          the love of many shall wax cold." (Vs. 11).
                                                            Paul warns: "For the time will come when they will
                                                          not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts
                                                          shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching
                                                          ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the
                                                          truth, and shall be turned to fables." II Timothy  4:3.
                                                            Many more passages could be added, but this is
                                                          enough.
                                                            The church must be aroused and alerted.
                                                            "Prophet, prophesy.I" That is the mandate. The end
                                                          of all things is at hand. The church must be aroused
                                                          and alert.
                                                            Your redemption draweth nigh!

                                                          1. Andries Dongera, "Herfst in Europa," Geichten.
                                                          2. David Poling, President, Christian Herald Assn.


                                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                                    2 6 1 `



All  Ar0un.d  Us

                The Chicago Trial And Judicial Process
                             Trouble In The High Schools

                                                    PvoJ: H. Hanko

THE CHICAGO TRAIL AND JUDICIAL PROCESS                         are saying in effect: "We couldn't care less what this
  The events preceding and including the trial of the          court decides because the whole system which is trying
so-called "Chicago Seven" have been in the news since          us is, so corrupt that it is incapable of giving us a fair
The Democratic Convention of the summer of 1968. It            trial. Hence we will act as if it is worthy only of our
was then that a large group of students, radicals, hip-        contempt. We will show our desire to destroy it by our
pies and rebels tried to disrupt the Democratic Conven-        conduct."
tion by rioting. Seven of the leaders of that turmoil in         We are not now particularly interested in the valid-
Chicago were imprisoned.and have been on trial for             ity of their line of argumentation, although it seems
several weeks. The charge is conspiring to cross state         clear that these men could stand a few lessons in
lines into Chicago with the intent of inciting violence.       elementary logic. What is disturbing is that the whole
  The defendants have done all they could to make              issue comes down to the fundamental question of
the trial a farce. They have been unmly in the court-          respect for and obedience to God-ordained authority.
room; they have openly defied the judge and the mar-           These men are totally lacking in this. Not only was this
shals; they have shouted obscenities and indignaties           evident in their court-room antics; it was evident in
repeatedly; they have tried by every means to destroy          their conduct during Chicago's Convention.
the judicial process.                                            But even more disturbing is the fact that their antics
  Fully expecting to be found guilty they have done            have, in the opinion of many sound and apparently
all these things deliberately in an attempt to goad the        sane lawyers, raised a very fundamental question of
judge to do things which could force a decision in a           constitutional law. That question is this. Can a man
higher court calling the trial a mistrial. But now it          receive a fair trail by a judicial system which, in his
becomes clear that their purposes in disrupting the            opinion is rigged to deny him his constitutional rights
court room proceedings had a broader goal. By their            in the first place? Or, to put it a little differently, are
rowdy and insulting manner they have deliberately and          not these men condemned by the judicial system
consciously shown their contempt for the whole judi-           which ,is trying them even before they come to trial?
cial system of this country. Their argument, according         The altogether disturbing part of the whole $usiness is
to Newsweek goes something like this. They have every          that there are lawyers'who think that this is true.
right in the world to engage in activity such as they            What would be the conclusion of such a position? In
engaged in at the Chicago Democratic Convention. The           the first place, the conclusion would be that our entire
Constitution of this country under which they live             judicial system has to be overhauled and reorganized
guarantees them freedom of speech. And they have the           along entirely different lines. In the second place, this
right to use this freedom of speech to advocate over-          reorganization of our judicial system would have to be
throw of the established order. If the judicial system of      along such lines as would recognize the right of an
this country is capable of producing a law which con-          element in our society to seek deliberately to over-
demns such conduct as they engaged in, then the                throw the present government and to defy at will any
judicial system also needs to be overthrown. The very          laws which would happen at the moment to meet with
fact that they are being tried under a law condemning          their disapproval. In other words, the reorganization of
the crossings of state lines to incite violence is proof to    the judicial system would  .have to give the right of
them that the judicial system needs destroying. Fur-           freedom to break the law when one chose to do this.
ther, the whole history of events in.Chicago  which gave         Lawyers who are inclined to support the contention
rise to the arrests and the trial is so complex that the       of these rebels do not talk about these conclusions in
present judicial procedures are utterly incapable of           so many words, but recognize- that this is the thrust of
getting at the truth of what actually took place. Hence,       the matter after all. And, if this should happen in this
the whole legal process of this country is rigged to           fair land, every one would be given a carte blanche  to
deny these men their Constitutionally guaranteed               do as he pleased.
`rights. All of this is supposed to be what they are             The Scriptures speak of the fact that lawlessness and
saying by their intolerable conduct at their trial. They       a great increase in it must be considered by the faithful


262                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER



as a sign of the imminence of the return of the Lord.             officials asked the students to return the cigarettes, but
That lawlessness is increasing goes without saying. That          were surprised and startled to receive back a total of
the courts of the land should legally and officially              seven.
condone such lawlessness only brings this sign of                   In an obviously sympathetic article, Newsweek tries
Christ's return in sharper focus.                                 to examine precisely what the main objection of stu-
TROUBLE IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS                                       dents is to existing high schools, The researchers
   We have become accustomed to hearing about cam- wanted to know what was wrong with the schools to
pus rioting and student disorders in higher institutions trigger such repeated and wide-spread violence. The
of learning. The news has regularly brought to our answers to this question took the larger part of the
attention events at various colleges and universities in article. But the disconcerting thing is that one can read
which students went on strikes, took over various the article as many times as one will and there just are
buildings on campuses and imposed demands of their not any real complaints which the students have.
own on faculties and administrations. We have almost Newsweek  doesn't assert this; rather the magazine
come to expect this thing from students who have rather naively makes every effort to support the case
gone beyond high school in pursuit of an education. It            which the students have. But read as you will you can't
came as somewhat of a shock therefore, to learn from find any real gripes.
the February 16 issue of  Newsweek  that the same                   In fact, about all the student complaints amount to
thing is happening in high schools.                               is a rather angry charge that the schools are not "rel-
   In a feature article, Newsweek calls attention to the evant". To quote some of the exact words:
fact that the high schools of this land rate right along                    Some of the more reform-minded students wonder
with colleges in student disorders and are, as a result,              whether, despite the new rules and courses, any of
in deep trouble.                                                      the essentials have really changed  - whether students
   In high schools too there are incidents of racial                  are any more "responsible for their own lives" and
                                                                      whether the school experience is. any more "rele-
strife, arson attempts, free-speech movements, under-                 vant" to the outside world. . . .
ground newspapers, organizations of students dedi-                          . . . American city school systems have not really
cated to the radical change of the schools they attend,               come to grips with the problems of educating a new
strikes, sit-ins, and the inevitable lists of student de-             kind of student. Piecemeal reform and concessions
mands which high school administrators are being                      to the student pressure, most educational experts
forced to meet. And, as is also becoming increasingly                 agree, will not. be sufficient. What is needed is a
common, drugs are an integral part of high school life.               frontal assault on the existing school structure that
On this latter point, Newsweek gives some frightening                 will replace outmoded teaching methods, impersonal
statistics.                                                           or authoritarian teacher-student relations and obso-
         Last month, surveys by both high-school students             lete behavior codes with new forms and ideas more in
       and administrators pointed up just how widespread              tune with the times.
       drug use really  i$ At Greenwich (Conn.) High                This is about as specific as the whole article gets.
       School, the student newspaper took a sample of             And I frankly confess that I still do not know what
       homeroom classes and reported that 46 per cent of          "relevant" means in this context.
       all seniors had smoked marijuana, 10 per cent had            But some apparently do. Various experiments are
       tried LSD and 3 per cent had used heroin. "`We do          once again being tried.  Newsweek  tells of one such
       it," said a Greenwich senior who has already been          experiment in Oregon. An entirely new high school
       accepted at  the- University of Connecticut, "because      was built incorporating all the newest and latest ideas
       it's there, because we like it and because it's one way    of seven young Ph. D. candidates at Harvard. The
       to tell the grown-up world to go to  ----." In             school is operated along these lines. Students are,
       Grosse Pointe Park,  Mich.,  a wealthy suburb of De-       within certain limits, allowed to pick their own sub-
       troit, school'officials surveyed 2,650 students from
       the fifth through twelfth grades and ended up with         jects. -They are encouraged to spend half their day in
       similar findings: about half the seniors had used          studying the traditional subjects in small groups, but
       drugs at least once; frequent users often start in the     doing their studying in their own way. For example,
       eighth and ninth grades, and most students obtain          one such course, in a traditional subject, is described as
       drugs from friends without spending money and              "What's going on? What can be done to change it?
       usually get them in their own or friends' homes.           You pick the time and the area. But think in terms of
Newsweek tells a little story in this connection which,           social problems." The other half of the day students
if not so tragic, would be funny.School officials were            can do as they please. They can study, read, do
interested in educating their student body on drugs research, take different courses among which are
and held a session with junior-high students. To show "bachelor cooking" and "ecological action planning"
these students what marijuana cigarettes looked like,             or, as the magazine says, "wander around the hallways,.
the officials passed out four such cigarettes to the smooch in the school boiler room or trade drugs in a
students to examine. At the end of the session, the nearby park." The students are happy here we are


I                                                          THE STANDARD BEARER                                              263


     told. It is not surprising though. Classes are informal;                                  NOTICE!
     there are few rules, no dress codes and almost no                                CHANGE OF ADDRESS
     discipline; students call teachers by their first names,            The new address of the Stated Clerk, of the Protes-
     paint on classroom windows if they like and have a tant Reformed Churches in America is.;
     committee that interviews future teaching prospects.                                 Rev. D.H. Kuiper
       I had thought that after the disastrous results of the                            13 14 North Main St.
     experiments in modern educational methods of a                                       Pella, Iowa, 50219
     couple of decades ago, the idea of free education had
     been once and for all abandoned. But a new group of
     recent graduates from Grad School has come along                                    ANNOUNCEMENT,
     with their untested and untried ideas, and the country              Classis West  of. the Protestant Reformed Churches
     has to go through the process again.                              will meet on March 4, 1970 at the Protestant Re-
       Yet, at the bottom of it all is the simple fact that formed Church of South Holland, Illinois. Classiswill
     students are not rebelling because they have justified convene at the new time of 8:30 A.M.
     complaints to register with the school authorities.                                          Rev. David Engelsma, Stated
     Rather they are rebelling for rebellion's sake. It's the                                             Clerk ofClassis West
     "in" thing to do. Everyone is doing it; why should not
     we? And besides, it's lots of fun. And mivabile dictu,
     the school administrators cave in before such asinine               The Men's Society and Ladies Society of the South
     student demands, give way. to student radicals and Holland Protestant Reformed Church wishes to express
     jump about in a frenzy of activity trying to give                 their heartfelt sympathy to Mrs. Egbert Holleman and
     students what they want. Sad to say, the hickory family, and Mr. John Holleman in the passing of their
     switch has been permanently retired just at the time husband, father, grandfather and brother,
     when it would do most good.                                                     MR. EGBERT HOLLEMAN
       The trouble is that authority has completely broken
     down in the school systems. This is not surprising. May She and Her bereaved family find comfort that in
     The schools only reflect the situation in the homes of life or death, we are not our own, but belong unto our
     the land. It is not strange then that the effects of all faithful saviour, Jesus Christ.
     this are felt in all the social relations of life.                                                   Rev. R. Decker, Pres.
       What a strange world we live in. How .foolish is the                                           Mr. R. Poortinga, Sec'y.
     wisdom of the world. And it is foolish because it is the                                         Mrs. R. Bruinsma, Sec'y.
     moral and spiritual foolishness of hatred. of God and
     His commands.
                                                                         The Men's Society and Ladies Society of the South
                                                                       Holland Protestant Reformed Church wishes to express
                    B O O K   R E V I E W                              their heartfelt sympathy to Mr. William Terpstra and
                                                                       Mr. & Mrs. John Pfau and family in the passing of their
     THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD, by J.H. Jowett; loved one.
     Baker Book House, 1969; 265 pp., $2.95 (paper).                                  MRS. JENNIE TERPSTRA
        This is one more book in Baker's "Preaching Helps                "Fov we  krzow that  if  OUY earthly house  of  this
     Series". It contains sermons chiefly on Paul's descrip- tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God,
     tion of the  armour of God in Ephesians 6 by the and house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
     popular minister of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church               II Corinthians 5: 1
     in New York.                                                                                         Rev. R. Decker, Pres.
       While on the whole I have no great pleasure in books                                           Mr. R. Poortinga, Sec'y.
     of sermons, these are not the worst I have read.                                                 Mrs. R. Bruinsma, Sec'y.
     Especially when I first began the book, I was struck
     with their expository character. It seemed to me how-
     ever, that towards the end the sermons-became less and
     less expositions of' Scripture and more and more ex-                               - ATTENTION! ! !
     planations of certain ideasof the preacher.                         All past and present Office Bearers are urged to
       While the book is not always theologically sound, it attend the next Office Bearers' Conference to be held,
     gives some fresh ideas and insights into this material of the Lord willing, March  ,31, 1970, at 8 P.M. in the
     Ephesians 6 and might be of some assistance to a Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church. Rev. J.
     minister preaching on this section. But its chief value, Kortering will speak on the topic "In What-Way Can
     such as it is, is devotional. It makes for very nice We Promote Better Cooperation Between Our  Diac-
     devotional reading.                                       H.H.    onates?"


                                                               _'
                                                                     .'

 264                                         THE  STANbARD  BEARER
                                                              .I  I

                                                         .1 . .c
                              &Jews   Fr&~`
                                                           iOur   Churches


                                                 February 15,197o

   "Today we welcome Rev. M.  Schipper to our copy to read and reread. I thank you for sending the
 midst." Sunday, Feb. 1, wrote finis to a whole series of sermon over the air ways."
 similar notices in the- bulletins of Southwest Church.                      - "Alerted by friends a few days in advance, my
 The first announcement in their Feb. 8 bulletin read wife and I listened . . . to the Reformed Witness Hour
 "We are happy that Rev. Lubbers has returned to us ;  .-. We will help spread the word to those with FM
 from Jamaica after his extended stay." And, further, equipment."
 "We take this opportunity to thank Classis for furnish--
 ing us pulpit supply while Rev. Lubbers was in Jamaica,                     - "I am writing- to say how much I enjoy the
 and to the ministers and students who brought us message and hope you will continue on the radio . . . .
 words of edification both in preaching and catechism We need a full gospel to stir the people . . . "
 classes." Rev. Lubbers will likely be quite busy prepar-                    There is an attempt being made by members of First
 ing talks for various groups interested in hearing of his Church of Grand Rapids to get its members interested
 experiences during his last visit to Jamaica. One such in Sunday evening meetings in homes, once a month,
group is the student body of Adams School, scheduled forthe purpose of discussing some topic of a spiritual
 for March 2.                                                              nature. The committee organizes the meetings - picks
    Speaking of speeches, there was a public lecture held the topic for discussion, prepares a question sheet to
 on February 6 at Calvin Christian High School, Grand-                     stimulate discussion, calls a Host and Leader to give
 ville, Michigan. Rev. H. Veldman spoke on the topic, them the names of couples to make up their group.
 "God's Love, Not Common But Particular." Quoting The Host then calls each couple to invite them to his
 abundantly from Scripture and the Confessions, Rev. home for an evening of Christian fellowship. Each
 Veldman showed clearly that love is strictly divine, group remains the same for three meetings, except that
 wholly particular, and gloriously efficacious. As Rev. the job of Host and Leader rotates within the group.
 Kortering stated in his closing remarks, the audience For the fourth month, the committee would arrange
 was reminded that the truth is profoundly simple. new groups. The first meetings were held on Feb. 8.
 Simple, because the Word of God is clear. Profound, The topic `for discussion - the Sunday School pamph-
 because we stand amazed at its depth. The next public let "The Mark of the Beast."
 lecture to be held in the Grand Rapids area is planned                      Excerpt of  a. letter of thanks from the Mission
 for April 9, with' Rev. G. Van Baren speaking on "The Committee to the Loveland congregation: ". . . Your
 Coming of the  RisenLord."                                                contribution for this cause will do so much to.ease the
    Rev. Kortering, minister at Hope Church of Grand burden of the Jamaican ministers who receive so little
 Rapids, has received the call from Randolph.             *  : for their labors that often their expenses must be taken
    From the bulletin of our church in Holland,  Michi- ,out of their family livelihood. `Blessed is he that con-
 gan, we learn that the Ladies Society held their meet- sidereth the poor'."
 ing at the home of Mrs. N. Yonker. It seems that this is
 done annually at the time of Mrs. Yonker's birthday -
 this being her 93vd.                                                                  From Southeast's "Quiet thoughts":
    Elsewhere, we `find that Mrs. Gerrit Vos celebrated
 her 75th.birthday on February 15, "She is very lonely,                      "The. true reflection of a person comes from the
 suffers much pain, and is able to come to church only                       heart, not a mirror."
 on communion Sundays." There's nothing wron@$th
 belated birthday cards, to cheer her in her  diff@ult
                                                    -,::. :.-1:. -.
 way.                                                  :..  :  ,*..                     And from Oak Lawn's "Quotes":
                                                                    ..`
   We should pass along. a few excerpts of letters re<ci                     "The measure of a man is not the number of
 ceived in response to the radio broadcast  Southeast:g                      people who serve him, but the number of people
 Church is supporting in New Jersey.                                `,I>.,`..y. he serves."
    - "I heard the most wonderful sermon . . . I am 85 -3                         :
 yrs. of age' and brought up by Christian parents and
 joined the church in 1895. I have heard many ministers
 in the pulpit and over the radio, but never a sermon
 like I heard this morning . . . I would like to have a                                                                      D.R.D.


