                                he



                                      earer

A   REF'ORMED  S E M I - M O N T H L Y   M A G A Z I N E




IN THIS ISSUE


    Meditation:
      Kept From The Hour Of Temptation

    Editorial:
      ACT - A Contemporary Translation of the Bible

    All Around Us:
      Report on' Synod
                      :'

    Coming Down: A Section of the Wall
      (see:. In His Fear)


                                          Volume XLVI / Number 18 /July 1, 1970


410                                                        THE STANDARD BEARER


                            CONTENTS:                                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER
                                                                                   Semi-monthly, except monthly during June, July and August.
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   Kept From The Hour Of Temptation . . . . . . . . .410 Editor-in-Chief: Prof. H. C. Hoeksema
                                                                             Department Editors::.  Mr. Donald Doezema, Rev. Cornelius Hanko, Prof.
Editorials -                                                                 Herman Hanko, Rev. Robert C. Harbach, Rev. John A. Heys, Rev. Jay
                                                                             Kortering, Rev. George C. Lubbers, Rev. Marinus Schipper, Rev.  Gise  J.
   Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .413     Van  Baren, Rev. Herman Veldman, Rev. Bernard Woudenberg
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Meditation

                           Kept from the Hour of Temptation
                                                                Rev M. Schipper

             "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of
             temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. "
                                                                                                                    Revelation  3:lO

   I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation!                        Church in Philadelphia along with the other six is
   A promise of the Lord to the Church in  Philadel-                         envisioned here as symbolically picturing the church in
phia, one of the seven churches of Asia Minor to whom all ages, while per se all seven were historical churches
the seer of Patmos is ordered by the Lord in a vision to situated geographically in the western area of Asia
write a letter. But a promise, too, to the church of Minor at the time that the Apostle John received the
Christ throughout this present dispensation! For the vision.


                                               TkE STANDARD BEARER                                                 411



   Actually the Lord, Who  ,walks in the midst of the tion. Then, according to Scripture, the tribulation will
seven golden candlesticks and holding the sev{n stars in become so intense that, had not the Lord shortened
His hand, gives three promises to the Church in Phil- the days, the very elect of God would be tempted to
adelphia. The Lord Who holds the key of David and forsake the word of Christ's patience, leave the path of
Who openeth and no man shutteth; and shutteth and obedience, and go lost.
no man openeth, Who is holy and true, will set before           That the Lord says He will keep His church from the
this church an open door. He will bless her faithful hour of temptation, cannot mean that she will not be
preaching so that it bears fruit. So that thoselwho had in it. This is, indeed, the false and `dangerous philos-
always opposed the gospel will be converted and ophy of some who maintain that the Lord will whisk
brought into the church. This is the first promise. The       away the faithful in the so-called rapture before the
Lord also promises to those who overcome to make days of tribulation come. This doctrine is false because
them pillars in the temple of God and to write upon it denies the general teaching of Christ and the Word of
them the name of His God and of the city of His God,          God that "in the world ye shall have tribulation." It is
the new Jerusalem. Then in our text He promises those         dangerous doctrine because it relaxes the Christian to
who have kept the word of His patience that they shall the point where he is not prepared for tribulation. He
be kept from the hour of temptation which shall come will not be putting on the whole armor of God so that
upon all the world.                                           he can stand in the evil day.
  Promise to the Church in Philadelphia!         :              Nay, rather, the church must expect this hour of
  Which, along with the Church in Smyrna, distin- temptation which she shall be required to endure. That
guishes herself in being most faithful, and meriting no the trial and tribulation is spoken of in terms of
rebuke of the Lord. The Lord, Who always observes temptation is due to the fact that the trial will be so
minutely the conduct of His church in the world, and severe and the- tribulation so intense that unless the
Who judges inerrantly the true worth of that church, church is kept by the Lord she would be tempted to
has only commendation for the Church in  Philadel: forsake her faithfulness to the Lord. But here is
phia. This church had little strength, that  is,; she was exactly her consolation that according to the promise
numerically small, and had no great material wealth of the Lord He will not allow her to succumb and to
wherein to boast; and therefore, according to the be overcome, - He will bring her out of it. Consolation
standard of the world, she was not much to admire and there is, too, in the fact that it is "the hour of tempta-
with little physical power to attract those who set their tion"; which can only mean that the period of trial and
hope on an arm of flesh. Nevertheless, by the grace of tribulation, and therefore of temptation will not be
Christ, she is found faithful by the Lord. She had kept long. It endures only for an hour. Like the three
the word of Christ both in doctrine and in walk, even friends of Daniel, therefore, the church must expect to
when there was much temptation to deny it. For this enter the burning, fiery furnace; but also like them, the
church had suffered much at the hands of those whom Lord promises to bring His church out of that furnace.
the Lord calls "the synagogue of Satan"  -  anti-               I will keep thee!
Christian Judaism. She had kept the word of Christ's            None other is He that promises than the Lord Jesus
patience, which is the whole Word of God as it requires Christ, the faithful witness, the first begotten from the
patience to keep it, which can only mean that while dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. He Who
there was much temptation to deny it because of loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own
intense persecution, she nevertheless continued faith- blood! Who testifies that He liveth, and was dead, and,
fully to confess it.                                          behold, He is alive forever more! Who is the Alpha and
  This church shall be kept!                                  Omega, the beginning and the ending, the Lord which
  From the hour of temptation!                                is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty!
  The temptation concerning which the Lord speaks Who is coming with clouds, and every eye shall see
has reference no doubt to the trial and tribulation Him, they also who pierced Him, and because of
which the church may expect shall be imposed upon Whom all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of
her by the world because she is faithfully keeping Him. He it is Who has the keys of hell and of death. He
Christ's word of patience. No doubt, too, this had it is Who is holy and true, and therefore cannot fail to
immediate significance for the Church in Philadelphia. keep His promise.
For this church, as well as for all the faithful in Christ      He it is Who will preserve His church in the hour of
throughout the world, the clouds of tribulation and temptation. Not, as the above translation of the text
persecution were beginning to gather which presently has it, will He keep  fvom the tribulation, and as the
would burst in a torrent of trouble and affliction for Chiliast would have us believe; but as the original text
the saints of God. But, undoubtedly too, this predic- expresses it - He will keep His church out of the hour
tion of the Lord has reference to tribulation and trial of temptation. What comes out of something must first
associated with the coming and establishment of the have been in it. The meaning is that He will attend to
kingdom of Antichrist toward the end of this dispensa- carefully, and thus guard and keep His church in such a


412                                               THE STANDARD BEARER



way that she will be preserved and guided out of the refuses to capitulate to the enemy when under the
tribulation which shall come upon the whole inhabited threat of death he would seek to force you by brute
world for to try all those dwelling upon the earth. Here strength to acquiesce to his will. Patience is that grace
the Lord connects up the trial of His Church in Phil- of God in us that remains standing when all the din
adelphia with the tribulation of His church in all the and the smoke of the battle has dissipated.
world. So that there is a unity of the church also in                 Though God in the Scriptures is said to possess the
suffering. So that also whether that tribulation was a attributes of longsuffering and forbearance, you never
period of persecution at the time, or whether it refers. read of God's patience. But this is a grace He gives to
to tribulation throughout this dispensation and culmi- His people. Unto this patience we  are constantly ex-
nating in the "great tribulation" under Antichrist at horted in His Word. That the text speaks of the word
the end of time, the suffering church of which the of Christ's patience also refers  to  the truth which
Church in Philadelphia was a type, shall be preserved.             Christ drilled into His disciples, namely, that in the
  Assuring promise!                                                world they would be required to suffer and in that
  Given by the faithful Lord!                                      suffering they must endure, and in the way of this
  Given to the faithful church!                                    endurance they shall obtain the crown.
  As a reward for faithfulness!                                       This word of Christ the Church in Philadelphia had
  0, indeed, the Lord observes the walk and conduct obeyed. In the midst of all her tribulation she clung
of His church in the world. In no uncertain terms He fast to it. The very word of Christ stirred up the grace
informs His church: I know thy works!                              of patience which was in them into action. Never did
  Never is it so that Christ's church in the world goes this church bemoan the fact that she was  small and
unnoticed, unobserved by Him. Though the suffering powerless; nor did she throw up her hands in defeat
church in the world may sinfully conclude that the because the oppression of the enemy was too great;
heavens are of copper, and her cries cannot penetrate nor did the faithful criticize the Lord for allowing the
to the ears of Her Advocate; though often it may seem opposers of His truth to inflict on `them reproach and
to her that her Lord is so highly exalted above her that shame, and suffering. They could even glory in tribula-
His omniscient eye cannot behold her sorrowful con- tion, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and
dition,  - He informs her that He hears, and He sees. patience, experience; and experience, hope - the hope
Moreover, He not only hears and sees, but also judges that maketh not ashamed because the love of God is
her every deed. When the church loses her first love, shed abroad in their hearts. (Romans 5:3-5). They
when she follows after the doctrine of Balaam and the knew also that the trying of their faith worketh pa-
Nicolaitanes, when she becomes mystical and not spiri- tience, and were willing to let patielice have her perfect
tual, when she becomes lax in discipline, or when she work, that they might be perfect and entire, wanting
becomes lukewarm, - He observes this too. And He is nothing. (James 1:3, 4). In one word, they lived out of
quick to warn His church of her deficiencies and call              the doctrine of Christ, that they who patiently endure
her to repentance. But the opposite is also true. When shall receive the crown of life that fadeth not away.
the church is faithful, when she fights the good fight of
faith, when her garments become stained with blood in                 The church was concerned with keeping Christ's
the midst of tribulation because she faithfully preaches word! She was not concerned with outward growth,
the Word and lives according to the doctrines of the though, no doubt,  she desired to see the fruit on her
Scriptures, and opposes the vain philosophy of the preaching. She was not concerned with carnal ease,
men of the world,  - then He observes this too. And                though, no doubt, she often sighed in the midst of her
such was the case with the Church in Philadelphia.                 tribulation. But she made it her principle for existence
  Because thou hast kept the word of My patience!                  to keep the word of Christ's patience. She lived con-
  I also will keep thee!                                           sciously out of the grace of patience while constantly
  This is the rule in the kingdom pf heaven!                       she was beset on every side and pressed down with
  The faithful church receives reward for her faithful- sorrow and pain.
ness! She had kept the word of Christ's patience. That                And the Lord says to her, because you have done
is, she had kept the word of Christ which requires this, and have proved yourself to be faithful, I shall
patience. And patience is that grace of God communi- also reward you with preservation and deliverance.
cated by Christ to His church whereby she is enabled                  The reward also of grace!
to stand up under the severest trial and oppression                   Assured victory!
without giving up. It is that grace of endurance which                Incentive to the church of all ages to be faithful!

          Before men one may talk of coming to Jesus as if it were in the power of the sinner to come or to refuse to
       come. But as soon as one places himself before the face of God all this is changed. Then all is attributed to divine
       grace.                                                                        H. Hoeksema, Whosoever WiZZ, p. 120


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   413



Editorials

                                              EDITOR'S NOTES
                                                ProJ: H. C. Hoeksema

Textual Index. There is nothing very glamorous about looking toward seminary, plan your program of  pre-
a textual index; it contains a large number of statistics,    sem work now!
and it represents a great amount of tedious and pains-                                   ***  *
taking- labor. Yet a good index can be a very helpful Publication News. As announced earlier, the next big
item and a big time-saver for anyone doing research, publishing project on the docket of our R.F.P.A. Pub-
especially over a span of 45 volumes of a periodical lications Committee is a reprint of Rev. Herman
such as our  Standard  Bearer  Such an index (1970 Hoeksema's 1 O-volume Exposition of the Heidelberg
                                                              Catechism. Work has been completed on correction of
issue), covering the first forty-five volumes of our
magazine, has been prepared by Mr. T. Eizinga. By a the typographical errors in the first three volumes of
rough estimate, there are close to 4000 entries in this this work, and we will soon be ready to go to press
textual index. The references are from all but one with the first new volume. This first volume of the
book of the Old Testament and all but two books of reprint will contain the first three volumes of the
the New Testament. This not only gives the reader an          original set, namely: In the Midst of Death, God's Way
idea of the range of Scripture passages covered in these Out, and The Death of the Son of God. This volume of
forty-five volumes of The Standard Beaver, but also~an approximately 700 pages will cover Lord's Days 1-16
indication of the value of a textual index for anyone         of the Heidelberg Catechism. Publication is scheduled1
who possesses part or all of these past volumes and now for early fall. We hope to follow this as soon as
who wishes to check up on what has been written on a possible by Volume Two, which will include Volumes
given passage of Scripture. What is more, brother 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the original set; and Volume Three,
Elzinga is offering copies of this type-written index which will include Volumes 8, 9, and 10 of the original
free of charge to those requesting such copies of him.        set, will follow as soon as possible thereafter. When
For those interested, here is his address:                    this is completed, this entire valuable set will again be
          Mr. T. Elzinga,                                     available. Plans are to sell these at as reasonable a price
          567 West 19th St.,                                  as possible. Watch for further announcements and for a
          Holland, Michigan 49423                             pre-publication sale!      ***
                             ***                              Survey Suggestions. At our recent annual Staff Meeting
Graduation. No, there was no seminary graduation this our Survey Committee reported on the results of the
year; but this is written with a view to fi ture seminary mail survey of our readership which was taken this
graduations. For there must have been several young spring. Among the several valuable suggestions made
men throughout our Protestant Reformed denomina- by our readers were two which occured several times.
tion who graduated from high school this year. Con- One was that  The Standard Bearer  should have a
gratulations to you (and to the young women, too!) if Question Box, and the other was that we should have
you were among those graduates! But this is not really an Open Forum. The staff is in favor of both of these
my point. Briefly, my point is to remind our young items. But we also wish to remind our readers that we
men to consider seriously whether the Lord directs already have both of them. The difficulty is that there
                                                              is only one group of persons able to  activate  these
you to prepare for the ministry in our churches. If you departments in our magazine, namely, YOU, THE
find that this is the case, then I urge you to lay some READERS. A Question Box must have questions sent
careful plans as to your future schooling,  - whether
you intend to take all your pre-seminary training in in before there can be answers. Please send them; we
some college and to get a degree, or whether you will do our best to answer! An Open Forum must have
intend to take at least part of your pre-seminary train- contributors; and these, too, are welcome - of course,
                                                              within the rules of journalistic ethics and within the
ing in our own Protestant Reformed seminary. Find limits prescribed in the masthead in the inside front
out what subjects you need in order to qualify for cover of every issue. Hence, it is up to YOU!
admission to the seminary. Consider the possibility of                                   ***
taking part of your pre-sem training in our seminary.           In this issue we welcome back to his old post in the
Consult your pastor, or correspond with the seminary Meditation Department the Rev. M. Schipper, after an
faculty. If you are curious about our seminary, write absence of a few issues due to illness. We are thankful
for a catalogue and/or "talk things over" with some of to the Lord that He has restored our brother to his
our present students. But I urge you: if you are labors in our churches and in our Standard Bearer.


414                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER


          ACT - A Contemporary Translation of the Bible
  Recently a reader of The Standard Bearer sent me a                  testing the translation for readability and interest.
copy of the  Gospel According to John, A Contem-                         A few matters of special interest ought to be
porary Translation,  produced by the Committee on                     brought to the reader's attention. Every translator of
Bible Translation, associated with the New York Bible                 the Bible must concern himself about the text that he
Society. Some of our readers may already know that                    will use as the basis for his translation. Recent papyri
Dr. Edwin Palmer, formerly pastor of Grandville                        discoveries and intensive textual study during the
Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids,                     present century have shed new light on the text of
is now associated with this project. This little booklet              the Greek New Testament. ACT translators utilize
                                                                      this data in determining at each point the most accu-
of the Gospel According to John is the first published                rate Greek text from which to work.
portion of  The Holy Bible: A Contemporary Trans-                        Once the text has been decided, the translator
lation  (ACT). The above-mentioned reader asked for                   faces the demanding task of rendering the ideas ex-
my comments on this sample of the projected transla-                  pressed by an ancient language into a clear and accu-
tion; and because this subject of Bible translations and              rate modern idiom. To attempt a word-by-word
versions is one of rather general interest, these com-                rendition at every point is increasingly recognized  to
ments are being offered in The Standard Bearer rather                 be an inadequate method of translation and based on
than by private correspondence.                                        a mistaken concept of human language. In order to be
  The booklet containing the Gospel according to                       accurate, without being stilted, translation must be
John has a preface which explains this translation                    free sometimes to go sentence by sentence, or clause
project. Though this preface is somewhat long, I will                 by clause, not merely word by word. ACT benefits
                                                                      from the freedom afforded by the translation of
quote it in full before offering any comments either on               larger sense units and so is able to translate the Word
it or on the sample translation, in order that the reader              of God more accurately.
may have some idea of the aims and claims of this new                    The reader will miss the archaic Elizabethan pro-
translation:                                                          nouns used in address to God. This will, no doubt,
         The Gospel of John here offered to the public is              evoke a varied reaction. Yet the decision to dispense
       the first portion of The Holy Bible: A Contemporav             with them in this version could hardly have been
       Translation  (ACT).                                             otherwise. In the original languages of the Bible no
         ACT presents the Bible in today's idiom. Tradi-               distinction is made between pronouns used in address
       tional language may be beautiful, and its familiarity          to God and those used in address to mortals. More-
       may be comfortable to many, but the Word of God                 over, the language of the Bible was for the most part
       should not remain shrouded in archaisms  - however             the language of the common man. It really does the
       beautiful  - which shut it off from living communica-           Bible less than justice not to render it in the language
       tion with those who know only the English of current            of the people. But "thee" and "thou," with their
       conversation and literature.                                    strange-sounding verbs such as "hadst" and "lovedst,"
         ACT is not a revision of any previous translation.            are wholly foreign to the present generation. Those
       Readers will now and then detect similarity of expres-         who all their lifetime have read the Bible in a  time-
       sion between this and other versions they have                  honored translation may experience some difficulty
       known. Such agreements in phraseology have neither              adjusting to a thoroughly contemporary version.
       been sought, nor studiously avoided. The translators            However, those who are  .familiar with the Bible will
       have made it a matter of policy not to strive for the           recognize their responsibility to present it in a form
       new  and<unusual  for its own sake. Their primary               that is readily understandable to all.
       concern has been to produce a translation that is as              The translators have attempted to employ language
       faithful as possible and that, at the same time, speaks         that has a relatively enduring quality. Mere colloqui-
       the language of our day so naturally as to make the             alisms and provincialisms have been rejected. Clarity
       Word of God once more familiar.                                 and propriety have been the watchwords. The goal
         The work of preparing ACT is a cooperative effort             has been a version equally suitable for public worship
       involving hundreds throughout the English-speaking              and private reading, for evangelism, and for study.
       world. Scores of ,Biblical  scholars are serving as trans-         Here and there uncertainty remains as to the
       lators, consultants and critics. The broad spectrum of          correct wording of the original text, or the precise
       Christianity which they represent serves as an effec-           meaning that is to be expressed in English. In such
       tive safeguard against sectarian bias. One conviction,          places, footnotes call the reader's attention to the .
       however, they have in common: they hold their task              difficulties.
       to be a sacred trust to honor the Bible as the inspired            Section headings have been inserted. They are not
       Word of God. English stylists are adding their counsel          a part of the official text of ACT, however, but have
       to the project and often help to shape the idiom to             been added by the publisher for the purposes of this
       give it clarity, vitality and beauty. An advisory board         printing.
       of Christian leaders gives constructive criticism. And             The Committee on Bible Translation, which is
       men, women and children of every station of life are            solely responsible for this translation, is grateful for


                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER                                              415


    the active assistance of the New YorkBible  Society in      ture is concerned  - must English which abounds in
    producing the new translation.                              filth and profanity, in slang and four-letter words, be
      The Gospel of John, to which the preface is               employed? And if this kind of language is not em-
    attached, is a tentative translation embodying the          ployed, will not the Word of God be shut off from
    principles and policies of ACT. Constructive criticism      living communication with those who know only such
    is welcomed and should be directed to the Committee         English? You see, it is not even an easy task to deter-
    on Bible Translation in care of the New York Bible
    Society, 5 East 48th Street, New York, New York,            mine what is the English of "current conversation and
    10017.                                                      literature." Besides that, how long  - in our fast
      Upon request the Committee will  forward a list of        changing world - does such "current conversation and
    those persons who are presently associated with the         literature" remain current, and how fast does the
    translation project.                                        English language change, and how frequently, there-
                            Committee on Bible Translation      fore, must translations of the Bible be replaced? The
                                                                same questions arise when the Committee speaks in
  It is evident from this preface that the Committee            this preface of a translation which "speaks the lan-
on Bible Translation has set itself no little  task.  And in    guage of our day so naturally as to make the Word of
certain respects, in the opinion of this- writer, the God once more familiar." Is it indeed a question of
Committee has set itself an impossible task. But let me language which is involved in the Bible being familiar?
make a few specific comments on various matters Is this the basic problem? And, what kind of language
mentioned in this preface.                                      will that be? And: how long will such language remain
   1) One may agree, in theory, with the statement familiar?
that "the Word of God should not remain shrouded in               2) Then- there are questions as to the translators
archaisms  - however beautiful  - which shut it off engaged in this work. The preface is very vague and
from living communication with those who know only general on this point; but this is a crucial point. It
the English of current conversation and literature." It certainly makes a great difference who is doing the
is an altogether different question, however, whether translating. And yet this preface speaks vaguely of a
in our King James Version the Word of God is  - to              "broad spectrum of Christianity." What is this? What is
any critical extent - shrouded in such archaisms. Per- meant by Christianity, as well as by a broad  spectrum
sonally, I do not believe that this is a serious problem thereof? Is such a "broad spectrum" equivalent to
in the KJV. I do not believe that the real problem is some kind of ecclesiastical and theological jumble?
one of language-communication, either within or out- Besides, what is meant by a "sectarian bias?" Does the
side of the sphere of the covenant. Anyone who is Committee indeed aim at an unbiased translation? But
seriously interested in finding out the Word of God can this is impossible, and everyone knows it is impossible.
do so quite adequately through our King James Ver- And what does the Committee understand by "sectar-
sion. There is much ado today about "communicating" ian?" Besides, what is meant by honoring the Bible "as
in a "relevant" way to the present generation. But it is the inspired Word of God?" I call your attention to the
frequently forgotten that this so-called problem of fact that there are many today who speak of the Bible
communicating is not basically a natural one, i.e., not as the inspired Word of God, but who nevertheless
one of mere language-and intellectual understanding of deny its infallibility. Do the translators all hold to
language, but a spiritual one, i.e., one of a lack of infallibility? And if so, do they all understand the same
spiritual apprehension and receptivity. No amount of thing by infallibility? Do they all hold to verbal in-
"modernizing" of a translation of the Bible will solve spiration? Do some allow for the possibility of error in
that spiritual problem. There is but one power which Scripture, perhaps in so-called peripheral matters? And
can and will do this: the power of sovereign grace. do the views of these translators on inspiration and
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the infallibility govern their attitude toward the translation
Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:               of Scripture? Thus, for example, what is the view of
neither can he know them, because they are spiritually the translators on such a thing as conjectural emenda-
discerned," I Cor. 2: 14. Besides, what is meant - sup- tion,  something which we explained in our earlier
posing that a new translation is necessary for a editorial on the New English Bible? All of these mat-
moment  - by "those who know only the English of ters are crucial.
current conversation and literature?" Who are such                3) Further, there is, to my mind, a very dangerous
people? Whose "English of current conversation," for trend toward extremely free translation expressed in
example, is the standard? Is the English of the univer- this preface. Anyone who is acquainted with the origi-
sity student revolutionaries the standard? Is the nal languages in which Scripture was written will recog-
English of the underground newspapers the standard?- nize, of course, that the business of accurately transfer-
Is the English of the "effete intellectual snobs" the ring what is written in Hebrew or Greek to the English
standard? If the Committee's criterion is appiied  - language is fraught with great difficulty, and that it is
either as far as current conversation or current litera- not at all easy to draw a line between a stilted, but.


416                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



accurate and a free, but loose translation. There are ples, methods, and value. Then there is the question
many nuances of one language which are extremely whether the sample already produced (the Gospel
difficult to express in another language. But when the according to John) has actually measured up to the
Committee states that translation "must be free some- Committee's goal as far as language is concerned. And,
times to go sentence by sentence, or clause by clause, above all, there is the question whether this translation
not merely word by word," and when it goes on to              is faithful to the original. To these questions we shall
state that "ACT benefits from the freedom afforded g&our attention next time.
by the translation of larger sense units and so is able to      Meanwhile, another correspondent has sent me a
translate the Word of God more accurately," this little tract which defends the King James Version on
writer begins to fear and tremble; and he would cer- the basis that the  Textus Receptus is the only valid
tainly want a long, long time to go through such a version of the original. I understand that this tract has
translation with a fine-toothed comb before he would          been rather widely distributed and has in some circles
accept it as a substitute for the well-tested KJV, to say - mistakenly, I think  - met with a good reception. I
the very least.                                               can appreciate a defense of the King James Version
  There are other matters which need our attention in and its continued use; but I cannot go along with what
this connection. There is the entire matter - basic to I understand to be the position of this tract. And I will
all translation work  - of textual criticism, its princi-     try to explain my reasons in a later editorial.


In His Fear

                   Coming Down: A Section of the Wall
                                                 Rev. John A. Heys


  In his epistle to the Ephesians Paul points out that          A similar way of thinking is sometimes found among
by His cross and Spirit Christ has broken down the us when we find it hard to believe that any but certain
middle wall of partition between the Jews and the nations, and people from certain nations, can really be
Gentiles.                                                     Reformed. To find those who love the Reformed faith
  On the one side of the wall - in the same building - and subscribe to it among the black race is not only a
were the fleshly seed of Abraham. On the other side surprise but considered to be quite an exception to the
were the rest of the human race. That means not rule. It just does not seem to be the expected. To some
simply that Ham and Japheth's children were on one it may not even seem right or sincere.
side of the wall, and Shem's were on the other side. It         Yet our churches have been and are witnessing such
means that from the call of Abraham  - with few a section of the wall coming down in our mission field
exceptions - all of Shem's descendants, who were not in Jamaica where we deal exclusively with those of
Abraham's fleshly seed, likewise were on the side of Ham's descendants, and are black as far as the color of
Ham's and Japheth's children. And the point that Paul their skin is concerned, but spiritually have been made
makes here is that no such barrier exists anymore in to be whiter than snow by the grace and Spirit of Him
that building.                                                Who, through His Son, gathers from the beginning to
  Ever since the day of Pentecost also descendants of the end of the world, and out of the whole human
Ham and of Japheth, and of those generations of Shem race, one church to the praise of the glory of His grace.
which are not the fleshly seed of Abraham, are found And we wish in this and the next installment to quote
to be members of the church of Christ. Yet we some- from the report which we gave to our Mission Com-
times think either that God has a more difficult time in mittee upon the labours performed in this mission field
making those of Ham's children members of that body from January 27 through April 22 of this year, to
of Christ, because they have a different temperament show this.
and nature, or that He is more reluctant to do so.              Interest among our people in this field definitely is
Because the white race has played such a large part in growing, and they are entitled to know what is being
the development of the church and of the truth, we done there, what fruit is to be found, and even some-
seem so often to think that the black race scarcely thing of the method used. The report is dated April 29,
belongs there. And without any proof we claim that 1970 and follows with some editing and a few words
the color of these is  part  of the curse that was pro- of amplification and explanation.
nounced not upon Ham but upon the Canaanites.                   "Esteemed Fellow Committee Members,


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   417



   "Since the twelve weeks of my labour in our Jamai-         in the evening. Including the blackboard instruction
can mission field in Jamaica dovetailed with those of sessions, I appeared before the congregations of Rev.
Rev. Lubbers, I can be brief in my analysis of the            Elliott 24 times, before those of Rev. Fram_e_ 16 times,
spiritual condition of the churches and evaluation of and before those of Rev. Ruddock 15 times.
the field by stating that with minor differences I con-          "The blackboard instruction sessions, introduced by
cur with Rev. Lubbers in his points III. and IV. of his       Rev. Lubbers, I have found to be the most beneficial
report.                                                       method of teaching these brethren and sisters the truth
   "As a general characterization of the preaching I was      of the Reformed Faith that we have ever used there.
privileged to perform on the island, let it be stated that    And their testimony underscores this fact. The min-
my first sermon, delivered February 1 at Belmont was isters often asked their congregations after the ses-
on the text of Matthew 5 : 13, "Ye are the salt of the        sions, `Doesn't this help you to see the truth more
earth." (Incidentally I preached the same sermon that         clearly than the preaching does?' And the answer is
afternoon on the lawn of the Baptist church at Friend-        always an emphatic Yes. One elder, presiding in the
ship Hill with Rev. and Mrs. Lubbers and Mr. and Mrs.         absence of the minister said to the congregation,"When
Meulenberg in the audience. Rev. Lubbers preached             Rev. Heys preaches, you see the truth of one text.
that morning at Cave Mt.  ; and in the evening he             When he teaches with the blackboard, you see the
preached his "farewell" sermon at Lucea in the pres-          truth of the whole Bible.' This may be somewhat
ence of Mr. and Mrs. Meulenberg, my wife and I.)              crudely stated, but the meaning will be clear, if I
From that first sermon onward I sought to build up            explain to you somewhat the character of these in-
the brethren and sisters in the truth of what we are and      struction sessions.
have in our Saviour Jesus Christ, choosing also such            "My plans before leaving home, as far as these
texts as John 3 : 16 and Revelation 3 : 20 to point out to    blackboard instruction sessions are concerned, were to
them the distinctive truth of the Reformed Faith.             treat something quite different from what I actually
Then on April 19 I preached a `farewell' sermon in            presented, and in fact from what I had already begun
the morning at Rev. Ruddock's church at Fort William,         to treat. The Lord leads, and we wisely follow the
and in the evening at Rev. Frame's church at Lucea on         directing of His Spirit. In one of the very first sessions
II Peter 3 : 17, emphasizing the words of Peterc"Beware       of school for the ministers at the home, I resorted to
lest ye fall from your own  steadfas$nesst"  (I had           use of the blackboard and drew a `few pictures to
preached a `farewell' sermon for one of Rev. Elliott's        illustrate the point. At once, and almost in unison,
congregations at Cave Mt. the Thursday evening before         they pleaded with me to do this in the congregations.
- and he was not able to attend because he suffered a And so began a series of sessions of illustrating the Five
broken bone in his shoulder and some broken ribs in a         Points of Calvinism on the blackboard with pictures,
fall  - on Philippians  1:6, where Paul expresses his         charts, diagrams and graphs. Before we left for home I
confidence that God would perform till the day of             prepared a notebook for each of the ministers, and for
Christ the good work which He has begun.)                     student Kenneth Brown, in which I traced step by
  "Sermons were preached in all sixteen churches              step, and page after page, the illustrations I used to
except Santa Cruz, where a blackboard instruction             make these truths live before their eyes. Two of the
session was held. Both the distance and the difficulty        ministers had requested this and said that they would
of which Rev. Lubbers spoke in his report prevented a         like to study them and try their hand at it before their
service there. (Incidentally this difficulty has now been     people, if we would let them use our blackboard.
removed.) I preached also (as already pointed out) on           "The method I used contained three distinct ele-
the lawn of the Baptist Church at Friendship Hill for         ments. I always prepared the setting by writing the
the members of the Fort William and Mt. Lebanon               word GOD in capital letters at the top of the black-
congregations, together with a few of the former              board. And after one or two sessions I had at once the
Friendship Hill members. The Fort William church is           answer to my initial question, `Where do we begin,
chiefly the remnant of the Friendship Hill church             when we want to understand the truth?' They know
which formerly was served by Rev. Frame and later by          in these congregations that to end in the truth of God
Rev. Ruddock, until Elder Smith, on whose property            we must begin with God. After these preliminary steps
the church building stands, took the greater share of         I tried to explain the meaning of the terms as simply as
the congregation away. I also preached on the street in       I could, and where I could in their own language.
front of a `shop' (we would call it a store) at               Having done this I began to draw a picture or chart,
Hammersmith, where a member of Rev. Elliott's con-            using both sides of the blackboard, and sometimes
gregation at Islington now resides. I preached two or         different colored chalk to mark off the lie from the
more times in thirteen of these churches, preaching           truth. Then came the third element  - which in part
five times in Cambridge, where I had the unique expe-         had been resorted to during the drawing of the picture,
rience of preaching two Good Friday sermons, one at           diagram or chart  - namely the giving of a series of
10 o'clock in the morning, and the other at 7 o'clock         texts from both the Old and the New Testaments for


418                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


them to look up to see that this is indeed what GOD mend this method of instruction in this field.
says. This they enjoyed tremendously; and I deem it            "These blackboard instruction sessions were held in
extremely important. You would have thrilled to eleven of the churches. I was able to treat all Five
watch them racing through their Bibles in the dim light Points of Calvinism in four of these eleven churches:
of a kerosene lantern to find the place first, and to be In  Lucea and the Reading church at West Lacovia,
the one who could stand and read the verse and pick which are Rev. Frame's churches; Belmont, which is
out the word or phrase that proved the point under. Rev. Elliott's church; and Latium, which is Rev. Rud-
discussion. You would also have enjoyed seeing the' dock's church. This included in most of these a sixth
heads nod in agreement that this is what GOD says/ lesson which served as a summarization of the matter
when the verse was read. The value of this element i2 and showed election to be the heart of the church,
that they worked  themselves  into the truth. They showed that total depravity demanded that this elec-
themselves found what Scripture teaches and what, tion be unconditional, showed that election demanded
they did not know before. That is what Elder Spence that the atonement be limited and sends forth an
meant when he said that in these sessions they saw the irresistible grace, as well as assures us of a perseverance
truth of the whole Bible. They found Scripture teach- of the saints. One or more of these sessions were held
ing them something that they did not know before, in  Mahoe, Santa Cruz, Hope Hill, Cave Mt., Fort
and so often something the v&y opposite of what they William, Mt. Lebanon and Cambridge."
had been taught in days gone by and before we came            In our next installment in this rubric we will con-
to  labour among them. An hour was far too short for tinue the report and show some of the fruit of the
them, and we had repeatedly to tell them that it is not labour.
good to eat two meals at one sitting. We highly recom-


From Holy Writ

              Explanation of Ezekiel 18: 1-32 -(continued)
                                                    Rev. G. Lubbers

THE LORD'S JUST WAYS IN THE HOUSE OF  people, must not be lifted out of this covenantal  con-
ISRAEL  (Ezekiel 18 : 25-3 0)                               text and placed erroneously in the setting of "mankind
  It is one thing to sin against the Lord and transgress in general." The "wicked" here addressed are the sin-
His commandments; it is quite another when the Lord ners in Israel and not sinners in general, whom God has
must hear the contradiction of sinners! Israel is here left to walk in their own ways. These latter perish
represented by the LGrd as contending with the.Lord's "without law." Rom. 2: 12) Rather here are the "god-
ways and judgments with them., In the "proverb" of less" who are sons of Abraham for whom Christ died
the sour grapes is an accusation against the Lord that at His own time when they were yet sinners! (Romans
he is not doing justice and equity in Israel. The  bal- 5:7,8) For do not forget that God shows us in the case
antes of God's justice are not equal. God does not deal of Abraham's justification by faith that He justifies the
with them according to His ordinances in Israel!            "godless." Justifier of the godless is He! All is pure
  For let it not be misunderstood!                          grace of elective love, to the praise of the glory of His
  The Lord is here not speaking to mankind in general' grace!
and of his dealings with those who left to walk in their       Some forty odd years ago the Synod of 1924 of the
own ways. (Acts 14: 16) On the contrary, the Lord, Christian Reformed Church, held at Kalamazoo, Michi-
Jehovah God, is here addressing the house of Israel in gan, struggled to include the reprobate wicked as the
:whose midst He had planted and established His addressees here in the text. The proposition which I
NAME! He is addressing the theocratic nation of Israel here quote was not adopted by the Synod. However it
to whom the oracles of God had been entrusted. These was attempted in two different versions.
have the prophetic Word of the law an.d the prophets          Version No. 1. It reads as follows:
as ,this shines more and more unto the perfect day. All       . . . according to Scripture and the Confessions it is estab-
the!e words speak of the coming of the Christ, the end lished that God is favorably inclined and gives grace to those
of the law for righteousness to every one who believes. whom Scriptures designates as ungodly and unrighteous, which,
When these Scriptures are understood we see that the of course, includes the reprobates.
Christ niust die and thus enter into His glory!               Version No. 2. It reads as follows:
  Rence, this controversy, which God has with His             Synod declares that according to Scripture and the  Confes-


                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER                                                     419


sions,  it is established, not only that God is filled with wrath      Blessed art thou, 0 Israel, who is like unto thee? Thou
against the reprobates because of their sin, but that he is also       art a people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help,
favorably inclined and bestows blessings upon those whom               and who is the sword of thy excellency! And thy
Scripture calls ungodly and unrighteous, which, of course, in-         enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt
cludes the reprobates. (*)                                             tread upon their high places. (Cf. Deut. 33 :29)
   Now the reader must understand that this was not                       Yes, this is the people of sovereign election. Paul
adopted by the Synod, that is to say, it was not sets this all in focus in Romans 9: 1-5. For Israel,
adopted in this blunt and outspoken form. A more through the entire Old Testament dispensation, never
subtle and camouflaged form of it was later given, in ceased to be a royal people, a holy nation, a peculiar
stating that God's love is toward  " His creatures in possession of the Lord. (Exodus  19:6; I Peter  2:9)
general." And this is "evident" from the "general offer Even in the very time when Ezekiel writes to the house
of the Gospel."                                                        of Israel in Babylon the people of God did not cease to
   Perhaps we do the reader a service by casting the be a peculiar nation. They remained intact. The Lord
blunt version in a syllogistic form. It goes as follows: was to them a shield and protection. The nation went
   1. God gives grace to the ungodly and unrighteous.                  down into Babylon and returned after seventy years!
   2. The Reprobate are ungodly and unrighteous.                       And that is the import of their being designated: house
   3. Ergo: God gives grace to the Reprobate wicked. of Israel!
   It is here assumed that in such a passage as here in                  What is the secret of this unique character of the
Ezekiel  18:23  the "wicked" are all the wicked, both house of Israel? This Paul indicates when he says that
reprobate and elect. God shows both of them grace in his kinsmen for whom he has great sorrow continually,
the preaching of the Word.                                             are such that they are Israelites! Israel is the adopted
   However, the text speaks here to wicked ones in the firstborn son of God. They are a theocratic nation who
house of Israel. And the text calls  all  to repentance, are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. Did God
and life is promised to the repentant ones, and to none ever reveal His glory of the Shekinah to any other
else! Here is a general preaching of repentance, based people in a pillar of cloud from heaven? They are a
on reasons taken out of the virtue of God's justice and people to whom pertained the testamental words of
holiness, with a particular promise for those who truly God that in them all the nations should be blessed in
repent and turn unto the Lord.                                         the Seed to come. It was at Sinai that the LORD says
  And these are His equal ways in the house of Israel!                 to his redeemed people: here is my law and ordinances,
They are the command to repentance, serious com- walk in them in thankfulness. Israel may alone gather
mand to repentance, with an equally serious promise in the temple to serve the Lord under the Levitical
of life to those who repent, and death for those who order of Aaron, and all the promises which God will
repent not!                                                            surely fulfil are for Israel. Israel alone can look back to
THE IMPLICATION OF THE CONCEPT: HOUSE OF the fathers, the patriarchs and claim God as their God
ISRAEL. (Ezekiel 18:6, 15, 25, 29, etc.)                               of the burning bush, the I AM THAT I AM! And out
   It is important in this connection to understand well               of this Israel will Emanuel be born, the Christ accord-
the meaning of the name "Israel." This is the name ing to the flesh, yet, God blessed over all, Amen!
which the Lord gives to Jacob at the occasion of His                     But there were many who did not believe and
wrestling with Jacob at the Jabbok river. An angel repent!
came and wrestled with. Jacob all the night. Jacob too,                  These complained that the Lord's ways were not
wrestled with tears and strong crying. Yea, Jacob had equal and used the evil proverb concerning the land of
power over the angel and prevailed: he wept and made Israel!
supplication unto him. The Lord found Jacob in                           Does that not give the lie to the Lord's calling. this
Bethel . . . even the Lord God of hosts; the Lord is his people the house of Israel?
memorial. And, as a name which spells the victory for                    Not at all! The solution to this seemingly  insur:
the penitent sinner, Jacob is called "Israel." He is a mountable difficulty is that there is a twofold Israel.
prince of God, who has conducted himself in a There is the Israel of God, the true Israel after the
princely and courageous manner. He would not let the promise, and the fleshly Israel. Both are in Babylon in
LORD go unless the God of Israel blessed him.                          one nation. However, both are not brought to repent-
  Such is the indication of true repentance and con- ance by the word of the Lord. The elect obtained
version.    One wrestles with the Lord and overcomes mercy and the rest were hardened! (Romans  11:7b)
because the Lord's ways are equal and just!                            But the Israel of God, the true house of Israel is saved
  Now it is very fitting in this connection to call the in the way of repentance. For Christ has gone on high
people by the name house of Israel!                                    that he might give repentance to Israel.
  It reminds them of their origin and high estate. THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
 (*) See The Protestant Reformed Churches In America by Rev. Herman    SAVED (Ezekiel 18:31-32)
    Hoeksema, pages 77-83.                                               Yes, everyone is judged according to his ways. When


420                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



the LORD saves the true Israel they, too, are judged beyond our searching them out! This is higher than
according to their  ways  of  repentance.  And the fleshly    heaven and deeper than hell! God is incomprehensible.
Israel is condemned according to their unrepentance.          But these ways which we cannot search out are just
The latter, too, have been seriously called to repent- ways in our deepest heart and conscience and these
ance in the outward calling. They have heard what the ways afford no difficulty on this score. And they are
Lord said concerning the connection of repentance and true ways. God is faithful and just to forgive the sins of
life, but due to their unbelief it only made their hearts any who confess them, and the blood of Jesus Christ
fat for the slaughter. They did not repent so that the        cleanses from all sin!
LORD healed them. They did not cast their trans-                And every repentant sinner experiences that God
gression, all their trangressions from them in heartfelt has no pleasure in the death of the one dying! He
sorrow for sin!                                               experiences that the repentant lives! But conversely
  A new spirit and heart they did not make to them-           that fleshly Israelite experiences, too, that God has no
selves. They did not turn from their iniquities and turn pleasure simply in his death, but that He has pleasure
unto the Lord. Standing in the midst of the very house in maintaining the just balances: the unrepentant shall
of God they did not know the LORD of the house, nor           die! And God has pleasure in His own holiness in the
did they acknowledge Him to be their LORD! They midst of His people: to the one a savor of life unto life,
perish in their sins. They perish in their own personal       and to the other a savor of death unto death. Thus
sins and not in the sins of their fathers!                    even the Lord triumphs in grace and wrath.
  But the true house of Israel repents and lives.               No more is the proverb heard in heaven or hell: "the
  Yes, this is given them from heaven. Here are the           fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth
ways of God which are past tracing out and they are are set on edge!"


Contending for the Faith

                              The Doctrine of Atonement
                                              FIRST PERIOD - 80-254 A.D.

                                                     Rev. H. Veldman

   Justin Martyr was a Gentile, but born in  Samaria,               And that expression  v&ich  was committed to
near Jacob's well. The date of his birth is uncertain,            writing by Moses, and prophesied by the patriarch
but may be fixed about A.D. 114. His father and                   Jacob, namely, "He shall wash His garments with
grandfather were probably of Roman origin. Before his             wine, and His vesture with the blood of the grape,"
conversion to Christianity he studied in the schools of           signified that He would wash those that believe in
the philosophers, searching `after some knowledge                 Him with His own blood. For the Holy Spirit called
                                                                  those who receive remission of sins through Him, 
which would satisfy the cravings of his soul. At last he                                                               His
                                                                  garments; amongst whom He is always present in
became acquainted with Christianity, being at once                power, but will be manifestly present at His second
impressed with the extraordinary fearlessness which the           coming. That: the Scripture mentions the blood of the
Christians displayed ifi the presence of death, and with          grape has been evidently designed, because Christ
the grandeur, stability, and truth of the teachings of            derives blood not from the seed of man, but from the
the Old Testament. From this time he acted as an                  power of God. For as God, and not man, has  pro-
evangelist, taking every opportunity to proclaim the              duced the blood of the vine, so also (the Scripture)
gospel as the only safe and certain philosophy, the               has predicted that the blood of  Christ would be not
only way to salvation. It is probable that he traveled            of the seed of man, but of the power of God. But this
much. We know that he was some time in Ephesus, and               prophecy, sirs, which I repeated, proves that Christ is
he must have lived for a considerable period in Rome.             not man of men, begotten in the ordinary course of
While in Rome, the philosophers, especially the Cynics,           humanity.
plotted against him, and he sealed his testimony to the         In his dialogue with Trypho, a Jew, Justin Martyr
truth by martyrdom. The writings of this author are refers again and again to the cross of our Lord Jesus
among the most important, it is said, to have come Christ.  In one of these writings to Trypho he offers us,
down to us from the second century.                           a brief and running explanation of Is. 53, that Isaiah
   Martyr offers his explanation of the significance of teaches that sins are forgiven through the blood of
the "blood of the grape" in Gen. 49 : 11, and he writes: Christ. He introduces this explanation as follows:


                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                                             421



       For Isaiah did not send you to a bath, there to              Father's will, as if He were accursed, and do not
    wash away murder and other sins, which not even all            rather bewail yourselves? For although His Father
    the water of the sea were sufficient to purge; but, as         caused Him to suffer these things in behalf of the
    might have been expected, this was that saving bath            human family, yet you did not commit the deed as in
    of the olden time which followed those who re-                 obedience to the will of God.
    pented, and who no longer were purified by the                Justin Martyr then proceeds to correct Trypho when
    blood of goats and of sheep, or by the ashes of an         the latter contends that, if the Father wished the
    heifer, or by the offerings of fine flour, but by faith    Christ to suffer all these things, then the Jews are
    through the blood of Christ, and through His death,        blameless when they caused the prophets of the old
    Who died for this very reason, as Isaiah himself said,
    when he spake thus: "The Lord shall make bare His          dispensation to suffer and when they nailed  Christ to
    holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the       the cross. Indeed, should the Jews repent, then remis-
    nations and the ends of the earth shall see the salva-     sion of sins would also be theirs. We must bear`in mind
    tion of God."                                              that Justin Martyr is writing this to a Jew who does
  Elsewhere in his dialogue with Trypho, Justin                not believe in the Christ of the cross. It is also possible
Martyr refers to the curse which Christ endured- upon          that when this author writes of the death-of Christ as
the cross. Referring to the brazen serpent of Moses in         occurring for all mankind and for the whole human
the wilderness, he writes:                                     family, he may mean this in the sense that Christ
       For tell me, was it not God  Who  commanded  by         suffered and died for all in the sense that he died for
    Moses that no image or likeness of anything which          all classes of men. The Scriptures use the word "all"
    was in heaven above or which was on the earth should       often in this sense. Martyr, however, does not teach
    be made, and yet who caused the brazen serpent to          that Christ took upon Himself the curse that was due
    be made by Moses in the wilderness, and set it up for      to us.
    a sign by which those bitten by serpents were saved?         Irenaeu's does indeed speak of reconciliation through
    Yet is He free from unrighteousness. For by this, as I     satisfaction but it is  not. quite clear just what this
    previously remarked, He proclaimed the mystery, by
    which He declared that He would break the power of         church father meant even by this phrase. Little is
    the serpent which occasioned the transgression of          known of the personal history of Irenaeus. In his early
    Adam, and would bring to them that believe on Him          youth he was acquainted with Polycarp, the illustrious
    Who was foreshadowed by this sign, i.e., Him Who           bishop of Smyrna. It is generally believed that he was
    was to be crucified, salvation from the fangs of the       born somewhere between A.D. 120 and A.D. 140, and
    serpent, which are wicked deeds, idolatries, and other     that he closed his life, as a true shepherd, with
    unrighteous acts. Unless the matter be so understood,      thousands of his flock, in the  massacye, A.D. 202,
    give me a reason why Moses set up the brazen serpent       stimulated by the wolfish emperor Severus.
    for a sign, and bade those that were bitten gaze at it,      Concerning the view of Irenaeus in redemption,
    and the wounded were healed; and this, too, when he        Philip Schaff writes in Volume II of his History of the
    had himself commanded that no likeness of anything         Christian Church, page 587, the following:
    whatsoever should be made.
  Hereupon Martyr continues his discourse upon the                       Irenaeus is the first of all the church fathers to give
curse of the cross. He does not specify sharply whether            a careful analysis of the work of redemption, and his
Christ died for all men or only for His own, although              view is by far the deepest and soundest we find in the
one could conclude from his writings that he views the             first three centuries. Christ, he teaches, as the second
                                                                   Adam, repeated in himself the entire life of man,
death of Christ as having occurred for all mankind,                from childhood to manhood, from birth to death and
head for head. He writes:                                          hades, and as it were summed up that life and
      For the whole human race will be found to be                 brought it under one head, with the double purpose
    under a curse. For it is written in the law of Moses,          of restoring humanity from its fall and carrying it to
    "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things         perfection. Redemption comprises the taking away of
    that are written in the book of the law to do them."           sin by the perfect obedience of Christ;  the destruc-
    And no one has accurately done all, nor will you               tion of death by victory over the devil; and the
    venture to deny this; but some more and some less              communication of a new divine life to man. To
    thati others have observed the ordinances enjoined.            accomplish this work, the Redeemer must unite in
    But if those who are under this law appear to be               himself the divine and human natures; for only as
    under a curse for not having observed all the require-         God could he do what man could not, and only as
    ments, how much more shall all the nations appear to           man could he do in a legitimate way, what man
    be under a curse who  practise idolatry, who seduce            should. By the voluntary disobedience of Adam the
    youths, and commit other crimes? If, then, the                 devil gained a power over man, but in an unfair way,
    Father of all wished His Christ for the whole human            by fraud. By the voluntary obedience of Christ that
    family to take upon J3.m the curses of all, knowing            power was wrested from him  by  lawful means. This
    that, after He had been crucified and was dead, He             took place first in the temptation, in which Christ
    would raise Him up, why do you argue about Him,                renewed or recapitulated the struggle of Adam with
    who submitted- to suffer these things according to the         Satan, but defeated the seducer, and thereby  liber-


422                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER



       ated man from his  thraldom.tBut  then the whole life          bv the  annlication  and observance of the divine com-
       of Christ was a continuous victorious conflict with            mandment ( at His temptation), conquered the devil,
       Satan, and a constant obedience to God. This obedi-            and He has by His resurrection broken the power of
       ence completed itself in the suffering and death on            death Over the race. Thus the race became free from
       the tree of the cross, and thus blotted out the dis-           the power of death and the devil and from condemna-
       obedience which the first Adam had committed on                tion . . . . And thus man became again precious in
       the tree of knowledge. This, however, is only the              God's sight, and intercourse and fellowship between
       negative side. To this is added, as already remarked,          God and man was restored through the forgiveness of
       the communication of a new divine principle of life,           sins . . . . As fellowship with the first Adam brought
       and the perfecting of the idea of humanity first               death to us, so fellowship with the second Adam
       effected by Christ.                                            brings life and perfection. Irenaeus accordingly means
   Reinhold  Seeberg, in his The  History of Doctrines,               that Christ taught us to know God, and that He, by
Book I, page 129, offers  us  his conclusions from the                entering the race and becoming a member of the
writings of Irenaeus:                                                 body of humanity, has, as the new Adam, made the
          By His blood Christ redeemed us from the unright-           latter acceptable to God and freed it from the devil,
       eous dominion of sin (unrighteous dominion of sin,             death, and the dominion of sin.
       which may well be questioned -H.V.), by His blood            Seeberg, therefore, surely confirms the observation
       effectually redeeming us, He gave Himself a ransom         of Philip Schaff, namely, that Irenaeus gives us a care-
       for those who have been led into captivity . . . .         ful analysis of the work of redemption, and his view is
       Through  this fellowship of Christ with the race, it       by far the deepest and soundest that can be found in
       becomes reconciled to God; "for in the first Adam we
       offended, not observing his commandment; in the            the first three centuries. According to Irenaeus, re-
       second Adam we have been reconciled again, having          demption comprises the taking away of sin by the
       become obedient unto death" . . . . Through the fall,      perfect obedience of Christ, the destruction of death
       the race was brought under the dominion, though            by victory over the devil and the communication of a
       unlawful, of the devil. Christ has lawfully as a man,      new divine life to man.



                                Come Ye Apart... .And Rest A While

                                                          Rev. C. Hanko

   Do you read your Bible? Likely you wonder                      speaking to me?
whether I am addressing this question to you. Maybe                 I am assuming that we have not been swept along
you even wonder why this question should be put to                with the tide of modern criticism that denies verbal
any reader of the Standard Bearer. Is it not a presup-            inspiration and the infallible Bible. We believe in the
position that any one who reads this paper also reads             inspired Word of God, as Paul wrote to Timothy: "All
his Bible? Yet now that you are confronted personally             Scripture is given by inspiration of God, . . . ." Pausing
with this question do not brush it aside; still more, do          there a moment, the comment should be made that
not be too ready to answer in the affirmative. Even               Paul speaks of ALL Scripture, as one complete whole
though without exception we all read the Bible in our and including every part to the tittle and the iota. I
family devotions, in the church on Sunday, and in our             also like the idea of "God-breathed" as the word for
society meetings or catechism classes, the question is            "inspired of God" means. And then to go on: "and is
very pertinent to each of us: Do I actually read my               profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
Bible?                                                            instruction in righteousness." (If you underscore pas-
  What this question implies is this: Do I hear God               sages in your Bible, this is a good one to underscore.)
speak to me from His Word, so that I am instructed,               "That the man of God may be perfect, throughly
admonished, comforted, strengthened by that Word of               furnished unto all good works." As I said, we believe
God from day to day? Is it actually for me a lamp                 that, yet when have you (and I include myself) last
before my feet, always directing me in all that I do, in          gone to Scripture to listen to God's instruction in
all that I say, in all that I think, and in all that I desire?    doctrine, reproof, correction, or instruction in right-
Do I seek its guidance, so that I dare not venture out            eousness?
without asking for direction from that Word? Still                  We also believe the word of the apostle Peter in II
more, when I am reading that Word do I experience                 Peter 1: 19, "We have also a more sure word of
the bond of fellowship that unites me to God in Christ,           prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as
even as I do when I read a letter from a member of my             unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day
family or from a dear friend? Is the Bible God's voice            dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." Picture


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  423



yourself with flashlight in hand, the flashlight of Scrip- and main message of the entire epistle. By the time I
ture, searching out all the dark nooks and hidden had finished the series she had committed most of it to
crannies of this present evil world. Let the flashlight memory, and she assured me that her private devotions
shine on all the happenings of our day, wars, rumors of had been of great benefit to her.
wars, riots, demonstrations, revolts against authorities      Fifth, there are times when it is advisable to read
with their accompanying bloodshed, brazen wicked- only a small portion, maybe just a few verses. In that
ness, defiance of all decency, apostasy in the church, case, it is well to pause at the end of each verse and ask
and so much more. Yes, turn the flashlight about and ourselves, what is the main thought of this verse? How
let it shine in your own mind, revealing the darkness is this verse related to those that precede and follow it.
and sins that still lurk there, and then let it shine on There was an elder in one of our western churches, -
your daily walk and conversation in the midst of your this was many years ago when education was at a
family and in the world. Let that light be absorbed by minimum,  - who listened eagerly for the minister to
the new man in Christ, so that the glow remains even read his text on Sunday. Preferably he would like to
after the light has been turned away, that is, experi- know in advance what the sermon was to be about. As
ence that the day-star arises within your heart ever soon as the text was announced, and while the elder was
leading you onward toward the perfect day, as the listening with one ear to the introduction of the ser-
Spirit says through Peter.                                  mon, he was formulating in his own mind the theme
  Turn now to Nehemiah 8:8. There we read of Ezra for that text. He was eager to know whether his theme
with the help of others reading the law to the returned would compare to that of the minister's. And I must
captives from Babylon, who are now in and about ,admit, he was not bad. I wonder how many of our
Jerusalem. Men and women and all those who could listeners on Sunday concentrate their attention on the
understand had come together, "and the ears of all the theme and division of the sermon, in order to learn to
people were attentive unto the book of the law." Verse analyze a text by themselves as well as to follow the
4. "So they read in the book of the law of God trend of the sermon?
distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to            Sixth, a Bible with marginal references is a big help.
understand the reading." Practically every word should It is always a good rule to let Scripture speak for itself
be underscored in that last verse. They read distinctly.    by comparing Scripture with Scripture. It is also good
They gave the sense. They caused them to understand to have a good concordance to look up various refer-
the reading. Now is not that the only way to read the ences where the same word is used. Learning to use a
Scriptures?                                                 concordance adds much pleasure to the study of God's
  No matter how young or how old we are, there are Word.
some important pointers here to teach us to read the          Last, but by no means least, learn to listen. One
Bible.                                                      thing we must do, and this is, that we learn to listen to
  First, we should set aside a definite time, preferably what the Spirit saith to the churches and to us. When
the same time every day. Now we should not raise the we entered the seminary the late Prof. H. Hoeksema
objection that we are too busy. Was it Luther that said immediately stressed that we could never become
that he was so busy that he was compelled to spend preachers unless we learned to listen. He stressed, read
more time than usual reading his Bible? Besides, what your text, read the context, read it again and again,
does it profit a man if he succeeds in gaining the whole even before consulting any commentary. And while
world at the expense of his soul?                           you read  listen.  Let the text speak to you. If it does
  Second, we should be alone in a quiet atmosphere, not speak to you it will never speak to the congrega-
where we can be apart to rest a while in quiet medita- tion on Sunday. I also recall that one student very
tion and prayer with God.                                   seriously made the remark,  "Domine, I listen and
  Third, we should begin with a prayer, not only to listen, but I hear nothing." With a reassuring smile the
put us in a proper attitude of heart and mind, but also professor answered, "That's all right, just keep on
to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Who alone is listening." We must prayerfully ask: "Speak, Lord, for
able to lead us into all truth.                             thy servant heareth."
  Fourth, we should pick out a portion of Scripture
that appeals to us. This may be a Psalm or some other
familiar passage of Scripture, or some passage that you
are studying in church or in society. It does not matter
how familiar that passage may be; sometimes, at least
at the outset, the more familiar it is the better. Some
years ago I was preaching a series of sermons on the
epistle to the Ephesians. One member of the congrega-
tion spent some time every Sunday afternoon to read
the entire epistle, seeking to grasp the central thought


424                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



All Around Us

                            Report of the Synod of 1970
                                                   Prot H. Hanko

   The broadest ecclesiastical assembly off our Churches stand. That so many joined in prayer with the dele-
finished its work late Wednesday afternoon, June 10. gates was heartening indeed.
If measured according to the standards which men ap-           The second impression left on this reporter by
ply to ecclesiastical assemblies, it was, presumably, not Synod was the active participation of all of Synod's
a very important meeting. There were no press re- delegates. There were present at Synod especially elder
porters at the meeting and no articles were to be found delegates who were at Synod for the first time. These
in the daily paper concerning Synod's activities. There men took an active part not only in the deliberations
was no flood of press releases containing statements of and discussions, but they also contributed to the
Synod's .position  concerning the affairs of the nation. Synod by their discussions and helped Synod reach
There were no decisions which touch upon the various decisions on difficult and knotty problems. What was
social, political and economic problems of the day and true of those delegates who were present for the first
which give advice to our nation's leaders concerning time was true of all the delegates. All took an active
the war in Viet Nam, the racial strife in the country,       part in the abundance of work that had to be done.
the problems of poverty, ghetto life, etc. The Synod This made the Synod a rich and pleasant Synod to
met, for the most part, unnoticed.                           attend.
  But this does not mean that the Synod was unim-              The third impression that was left with this reporter
portant. God's standards of measurement are different is the excellent work done by the committees of pre-
from the standards used by men. It was the Word of advice. The committees did their work well and served
God which came to Zechariah many years ago: "Who Synod with good advice. The advantages of this are
hath despised the day of small things?" This Word is plain. When good advice is brought to Synod, Synod's
still applicable today. If the Synod met with God's work is expedited and Synod is saved a great deal of
approval, all is well - regardless of men's opinions.        time. It is usually the case that when these committees
General Impressions                                          do not do good work that Synod is caught in endless
  This report of Synod is not intended to be an official     wrangling and debate over minor issues. For the most
report documenting official decisions and giving an au- part the work of the Committees was good.
thorized survey of all Synod's business. It is for this        Finally, the general impression was strong in this
reason that our readers are strongly urged to obtain a       reporter that Synod labored with dedication and zeal
copy of the printed Acts when they become available          for the cause of God and for the cause of our churches.
later this summer. Rather, this report, unofficial in na-    Synod was a time during which our ministers and el-
ture, is intended to give our people a general idea of ders could meet each other and  enjoy  the fellowship
the business which was conducted and the impressions which such a meeting provides. Unity and love pre-
of the undersigned of the Synod of 1970.                     vailed. Consecration for the cause of God was evident.
  When looking back on the Synod several impressions           For all these reasons, it was a good Synod to attend.
stand out clearly. There was first of all the fact that        There were many specific items of importance to
the  Synodical prayer service, with which this Synod         which Synod gave its attention. We offer our readers a
was begun, was far better attended than the prayer           brief survey of some of the most important.
services usually are. Rev. C. Hanko preached a beauti-       Mission Matters
ful and inspirational sermon on the last three vss. of         A great deal of time was spent on matters of mis-
Ephesians 2. The sermon will be recorded in full in the      sions. And much of the work of Synod dealing with
Acts. Our people are urged to read it. If the size of the missions was specifically concerned with the work in
crowd at the prayer service is indicative of anything, it    Jamaica. In fact, so completely did the work in Ja-
is indicative of the fact that our people are interested     maica dominate Synod's time in matters of missions
in Synod's work and interested in the well-being of that there was some discussion of the neglect of work
the denomination. It is easy to sit back and criticize       in our own country. This discussion was not because
Synod after her meetings are over. It is easier yet to be    Synod believed that the Jamaican work was unimpor-
indifferent to what Synod does. But criticism and in-        tant; quite the contrary. But it is equally true that we
differentism which arise from those who do not pray          have an important calling in this country as well which
for Synod and who do not bring the needs of Synod            we must fulfill. This calling takes on increasing urgency
before the throne of God's grace are difficult to under-     as apostasy increases. Various organizations of our local


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 425



congregations, our Theological School and our Mission        congregations in Jamaica so that the money collected
Committee have established contacts over a wide range        for the repair and erection of buildings can be used.
with people who are concerned about developments             Synod authorized the taking of four collections by our
within local Churches. Perhaps in the coming year it         churches for this building fund once again. Hopefully,
would be possible for one of our ministers to devote         with Rev. Lubbers permanently in the field, this work
time to exploring these contacts and investigating vari-     can be speeded up and the money collected sent and
ous fields.                                                  used to make the present buildings more suitable for
  Specifically, some important decisions which relate        worship.
to the Jamaican Field were taken. The action of'rent-          There is also a fund established to help train young
ing a house for a missionary was approved as well as         men on the island for the ministry. Synod heard re-
the purchase of a car. Definite plans were made for the      ports that there is one man who is presently preparing
length of work for a missionary, for the storage of the      for the ministry. And he needs help to complete his
furniture and establishment of a place of residence          studies.
during furloughs. Synod heard reports from Rev. J.             A couple of other matters pertaining to missions
Heys, Rev. G. C. Lubbers and Elder Meulenberg about includes approval of help which was given to our
the progress of the work.                                    Lynden congregation in connection with work being
  By the time this is read, most of our people will          done in Indonesia and a report approved of by the
know that Rev. Lubbers has accepted the cali to labor        Synod from the Foreign Mission Committee. This lat-
as missionary in this island. This acceptance of Rev.        ter committee was instructed to report to the next
Lubbers is the answer of our God to many prayers             Synod concerning the additional possibilities of broad-
which have been raised to God both in our Churches           ening our foreign mission work. Radio work was also
and among the Churches in Jamaica. For this our              discussed. One station, in Yankton, South Dakota, was
people will be thankful. God has given us this field and     dropped and the Mission Committee was empowered
we have worked there for almost ten years. But always        to seek out new stations where our broadcast would
we. believed that work could be done there most suc-         serve the purpose of acquainting others with our place
cessfully by a missionary who could labor full time          in the church world.
among these people of God. This will now be done. To         Theological School Matters
decide on this call was certainly not easy for Rev.            Reports were received on Synod concerning the
Lubbers. There were many considerations and many             work of the Theological School which showed that
problems, not the least of which is that the work there      another year of study was completed in the School
is very difficult. And certainly it will not be easy for     which was blessed by God. Five of the six students
our Southwest congregation to be without a shepherd.         presently studying in the school have now been li-
But we are very grateful. The Lord has given us this         censed to preach and will, the Lord willing, be serving
field  - thrust it upon us. The Lord calls to these          our Western Churches this summer.
labors. The Lord has led Rev. Lubbers to assume, with          The School Committee presented information
God's help, the responsibility for them. We urge upon        gained from various colleges with respect to recogni-
our people to remember Rev. Lubbers and his dear and         tion of pre-seminary courses taught in our school. That
faithful wife in their prayers to God. Plans are being       is, if some of our students who have taken  pre-
made tentatively for Rev. and Mrs. Lubbers to depart         seminary courses in our school want to go on to earn
about the first of September. Their address will be: c/o     their A. B. degree, there are colleges which, with a
General Delivery, Montego Bay, Jamaica. The impor-           minimum of effort, will recognize the subjects taught
tance of letters cannot be overemphasized. We hope           in the Seminary.
our people will write to our brother and sister often.         Synod approved the payment of  $6,000.00 to First
  Other decisions were also made. The purchase of Church to redecorate the present Seminary facilities.
three sets of commentaries on the Heidelberg Cate-           This was partly in recognition of the many years of use
chism by Rev. H. Hoeksema was authorized for the             without payment of rent which First Church has given
Jamaica ministers. Synod also paid for 100 copies of         the school.
the creeds to be used on the island. A ministers' travel-      The Synod was informed that according to previous
ling fund was established to assist in the payment of        Synodical approval a plot of ground was purchased for
travelling expenses for the three ministers on Jamaica.      a future Seminary Building. This plot of ground is adja-
This money is to be collected from our societies, Sun-       cent to Southeast Church. It is conceivable that our
day Schools and by individual gifts. It is not budgeted      School will be able to have facilities of its own in the
in the Synodical assessments. A report was received          foreseeable future.
concerning the money collected by Hudsonvilie's dea-
cons for the poor in Jamaica. The report showed a            A Few Additional Matters
balance of just over $1 ,OOO.OO in this fund. Work is          A few additional items of general interest are as fol-
also being done to secure the property of the various        lows. Synod took appreciative note of the fact that sev-


426                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER



era1 of our congregations have made considerable ef-                These are troubled times in which we are called to
fort to reduce their subsidy requests or have gone off           live. And there can be no doubt but that the Church is
from subsidy altogether. The result of this is that the          affected by the character of the times. This is true in
Synodical assessments have declined this year  - a               more than one way. On the one hand, there is no
worthwhile trend in these days of inflation.                     doubt that the spirit of ungodliness in the world influ-
  Matters came to Synod concerning the difficulties of ences us all more than we sometimes like to admit. It is
our Oak Lawn congregation - difficulties which had               difficult and requires abundant grace for the Church to
been both in Classis East and Classis West. Synod spent          keep herself unspotted from the world and to preserve
more time and labor on these difficulties than on any            in herself the mind of Christ. On the other hand, the
other matter coming before her. A committee was ap-              evils of the age impress upon us the urgency of our
pointed by the Synod to bring Synod's decisions to               calling to work while it is day ere the night comes in
those directly involved in these difficulties and, if pos-       which no man can labor.
sible, to aid in a reconciliation of the troubles. May the          May God bless the decisions of our last Synod and
prayers of our people arise before God that He may               may our Churches continue faithful in their calling un-
bring a solution to these difficult problems.                    til the end.



                                          B O O K R E V I E W S

THE ROAD AHEAD: A Theology  for the Church in ultimately destructive of Scripture.
Mission,  John H. Piet; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing                 Proceeding then from this viewpoint,- the author de-
Company, 1970; 103 pp., $1.95 (paper).                           fines the true idea of the church in terms of mission.
   That there is room in present day literature coming The strange part of the book is that while in it the
from the ecclesiastical press for a book on the theology author begs us to return to Scripture to learn from it
of missions is almost a truism. Such a book could be concerning the church, he offers almost no Scriptural
important and would be welcome. But one qualifica- proof for his central thesis that the true nature of the
tion for such a book would have to be that it set forth church is that it is a church in mission.
the truths of Scripture on this subject. This book lacks           Yet this view is developed throughout. In discussing
this major characteristic. This is all the more sad since the doctrine of election the author adopts the rather
it was written by the Professor of Bible and Missions in old idea of election that God's choice is not ofindivid-
Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan.               uals but is corporate, i.e., that God elected the nation
   The main point of the book is set forth in the intro- of Israel in distinction from other nations so that Israel
duction and gives a clear indication of the direction the might serve other nations by her example and by her
book will take.                                                  good influence upon these nations. This view of elec-
          The point we shall advance is that the chief con-      tion is also carried through into the New Testament
       cern of the church today is mission -the call to solve    Church.
       the tremendous problems of society, and the cry of          Following this same pattern, the author criticizes
       man for authentic life.                                   severely the distinction which has been made between
  Proceeding from this viewpoint, the author tackles, the visible and the invisible Church. While it .is not
first of all, the problem of the definition of the church altogether clear what the author is saying at this point,
as given by the reformers of the sixteenth century. He he uses his criticism of the above distinction to make a
finds this definition, contained in our creeds, totally further distinction between preaching and teaching. He
inadequate because the problems of today are so com- insists that Scripture teaches that preaching is that
pletely different from the problems which the Reform- work of the church done in the world which has as its
ers faced. He urges us to go behind the Reformers to purpose to persuade men to repent, while no preaching
Scripture itself to find a concept of the church which is done in the church. Here only teaching is performed.
we can use. Apart from the fact that the author is This distinction is to justify the thesis that the real
somewhat inaccurate in his discussion of the history of work of the church is mission. Teaching is, after all,
the church in relation to the state prior to and after relatively unimportant in comparison with preaching.
the Reformation, the author shows the common ten-                  The question of infant baptism vs. adult baptism is
dency of our day to turn away from the historic creeds to be solved, in the author's opinion, not on Scriptural
of the church. This tendency arises from a view that grounds, but on the basis of the answer to the ques-
the Scriptures themselves are subject to interpretations tion, What is the church? Because the church is for the
which vary according to the nature of the times in service of the world, baptism "is a sign and seal for
which the interpreter lives. This is very dangerous and right living"; "a sign for mission." All this is based on


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                          427



some extremely shoddy exegesis of Romans 4-6.               twelve plays on the life, death and resurrection of
   The same is true of the Lord's Supper. It is to          Jesus Christ. These were written for broadcasting over
"focus the attention of the Church upon God and His         BBC in England.
mission. " Hence the question of the presence of Christ        In a rather lengthy introduction to these plays, the
(so important at the time of the Reformation) is irrele- author explains (among other things) her purpose in
vant and extra-Scriptural. The Lord's Supper is partici- writing such a series of dramas. Her argument is that
pation with Christ in His redemptive work in the            after centuries of ecclesiastical and homiletical clichks
world.                                                      about the life and death of Christ the horror and shock
   Cutting himself loose from the firm moorings of the      of how awful and brutal it was no longer staggers us.
confessions of the church, the author has constructed a The crime was immense both because of the complex-
theology for mission which is in no sense Scriptural ity of sin on the part of all those responsible for
and which is really some kind of quasi-theological basis Christ's suffering and crucifixion and because of the
for a social gospel.                     ProJ: H. Hanko shattering truth that God was put to death. (She be-
                                                            lieves in the divinity of Christ, the atonement and the
T H E   B I B L E   A N D   ARCtiEOLOGY,  b y   J.  A .     bodily resurrection.) But she is convinced that the fail-
Thompson; Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,                ure of the story to shock us is a sad loss because it was,
I9 70; 468 pp., $5.95.                                      after all, we ourselves who put Christ to death on a
   The study of archeology can be an important aid to       gibbet. And if we, with our nice words, fail to see this
Biblical studies. It also has serious limitations. If arche- horror of the crucifixion, we fail also to see that we
ology becomes a tool to "prove" the truth of what have committed the crime of  the. ages. And to the
Scripture contains, it is more hindrance than  help.  If extent that we fail to see ourselves as guilty of this sin,
however, it is used to shed necessary light on Scripture, we fail to see the wonder and power of the atonement
it can be very valuable. This book belongs to the latter    of Christ Who died for those who killed Him.
category. The author very carefully does not allow the         In accomplishing this purpose she is successful.
integrity and final authority of the Scriptures to be          Each individual play is introduced with "notes" in
called into question by any archeological research.         which she describes the "characters" in this amazing
  After opening with an evaluation of archeology as         drama. These notes are of unusual interest. On the
performed in Bible lands, the author treats `"Arche-        whole they are remarkably well done. John comes
ology and the Old Testament," "archeology and the through as the "intuitive" disciple who was the first to
Pre-Christian Centuries," and "Archeology-' and the believe the resurrection. Caiaphas is described as an
New Testament." In three or four areas especially is        almost unbelievably foul man. Her characterization of
the book worthwhile. 1) It gives a great deal of help in    Judas is extremely interesting.
the translation and explanation of difficult words and        Nevertheless, the theology of the author is not
passages in Scripture. 2) It gives much information sound. She rejects, for example, the truth of provi-
concerning the background of the history of Scripture.      dence and predestination and presents Jesus as seeking
3) It gives explanations for many customs and prac-         Judas' salvation to the very end. Nor is she always                  .
tices  `in common use during Scriptural times. 4) It honest with the gospel narratives. She admits this and
shows the close relationships which existed between gives two reasons for it. The first is that she does not
the nations surrounding Israel and the nation of the        believe in the infallibility of Scripture. The second is
people of God.                                              that she must play fast and loose with the Scripture
  Of much benefit to the reader are the many pic-           given for the sake of the dramatic production. It is
tures, maps, charts and tables with which the book is this second reason which is disturbing in this connec-
filled. The book is not written for the technical scholar tion. It is probably the very real (though unintentional,
but for the child of God who is interested in increasing    for the author) proof that one ultimately cannot and
his knowledge of God's Word. It is highly recom-            surely may not present the life of Him Who was God
mended to all our readers, but especially to our Chris-     with us in dramatic form.                    ProJ H. Hanko
tian School teachers, Sunday School teachers and min-
isters. And the book is well worth the low price of A Voice From America About America, R. T. Kuiper
$5.95.                                  Pro5 H. Hanko       (Translated by E. R. Post); Heritage Hall Publications;
                                                            Number One; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand
THE MAN BORN TO BE KING, by Dorothy L.                      Rapids, Mich.; 120 pp., $3.50.
Sayers; Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing Co., 1970; 339             This is the first Heritage Hall Publication of Calvin
pp,, $3.95 (paper).                                         College and Seminary Library. What does this mean?
  Dorothy Sayers is a writer of wide ability. Among         Permit me to quote an explanatory note which appears
her achievements are poetry, essays - also on theologi-     in this little book:
cal subjects and mystery stories. In this book she turns           Heritage Hall of the Calvin College and Seminary
her hand to drama. The book contains a play-cycle of            Library includes in its holdings materials which cover


428                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER



       a wide range of interest, but specializes in documents          To one who is interested in the background, history,
       pertaining to the Reformed faith as it comes to ex-          and outlook of the "old settlers," this little book is, I
       pression in the Christian Reformed Church.                   think, more interesting than the above summary might
         The purpose of the projected series - Heritage Hall        seem to indicate.
       Publications  - is to make available to the English             Mr. E. R. Post (principal at Grand Rapids Christian
       reader translations of significant selected writings         in my high school days) has, in my judgment, done a
       which portray the history and activities of that
       Church. It is hoped that they will enable the general        commendable job of translation, though here and there
       reader to obtain a clearer perspective of the Church         the English rendering is a bit stilted, possibly in the
       which maintains Calvin College and Seminary. These           interest of accuracy. Recommended.                         H.C.H.
       publications appear too in the hope that the academic
       world will want to use the Heritage Hall materials for       Exposition of Psalms  (New Reprint Edition), H. C.
       scholarly research on Dutch-Americans in general and         Leupold; Baker Book House, Grand Rapids,  Mich.;
       on the Christian Reformed Church in particular.               1010 pp., $8.95.
  As to this first publication of Heritage Hall, it is not
really a book on,church history; but as an account of                  This is another expository work on the Old Testa-
circumstances in the Holland, Michigan area during the ment by the well-known Lutheran scholar, Dr.
early history of the Christian Reformed Church, it Leupold. It is a rather extensive work, though not
furnishes interesting  - and, to an extent, valuable  - overly extensive in comparison with the vast amount
background information. Let me quote the summary of Scripture involved in the Book of Psalms.
which appears on the dust jacket:                                      In the opinion of this reviewer, a commentary on
                                                                    Psalms is by no means an easy undertaking. One of the
         The Graafschap Christian Reformed Church, begun            big problems facing the expositor is that of doing
       in 1847, was one of the first churches established by        justice to the personal, subjective, poetic -element in
       the Dutch immigrants in western Michigan. By 1879,           the Psalms and at the same time doing justice to the
       when the Reverend Roelof T. Kuiper arrived as its
       new pastor, the church was able to provide him with          deep and rich content. For the Psalms are by no means
       a comfortable parsonage and a reasonably good                shallow, poetic out-gushings of feeling; but they are
       salary. Still, it must have been something of a              rich and warm and deeply spiritual just because they
       sacrifice for Rev. Kuiper to leave Wildervank, the           are the inspired expression of deep and rich truths.
       Netherlands, where he had served for twenty-five             Another not insignificant problem for the expositor is
       years, and take up residence in this distant and un-         that of preserving the unity of thought in the Psalms
       familiar country. He was already fifty-three years old,      while doing justice to the details of meaning in the
       a widower, and the father of seven children. By his          individual verses of each Psalm. It is also the opinion of
       own testimony there were many who asked him why              this reviewer that Dr. Leupold does not completely
       he had chosen to leave, and as many more who                 solve these problems in his commentary. At least, my
       wanted to know what America was really like.
         In A Voice From America About America, first               general impression is that this is not the author's best
       published in 1881, Rev. Kuiper attempts to answer            commentary. One more negative impression made on
       those questions. He describes his trip, the appearance       this reviewer is that of brevity and of a running com-
       of the new country, the occupations available there,         mentary, rather than of a thorough and unified work.
       civic and governmental conditions, and the considera-        And a final negative impression is that the author does
       tions to be kept in mind by others who might wish to         not do complete justice in his exposition to the sharply
       follow him across the Atlantic. Challenges awaited           antithetical note which abounds in the Psalms.
       the immigrant as well as rewards, and Rev. Kuiper               This review, however, must not end on a negative
       tells of both.                                               note. This is a helpful commentary. The approach of
         The country, the people, and the customs he writes         the author toward Scripture is a believing one and a
       about are nearly a century old, and may seem as              very sober one. There is a serious and largely successful
       foreign to us as they must have seemed to those who
       first read this account. But today's reader cannot help      effort to let the Word of God speak, to make plain the
       but be impressed by the faith and the courage ex-            meaning of the text by letting Scripture interpret
       hibited in the lives of this man and his contempo-           Scripture. Pastors, Bible teachers, and other serious
       raries. The brief acquaintance with them that this           students of Holy Scripture can certainly profit from
       book offers may well contribute to a deeper apprecia-        Dr. Leupold's commentary.
       tion of the rich heritage which is ours.                        Recommended for discreet use.                           H.C.H.

               Before the face of God there is no Arminian. Or who ever heard anyone utter an Arminian prayer like this: "I
           thank thee, God, that Thou didst wait until it pleased me to come, and that Thou didst knock until I was good
           enough to open my heart for Thee, and that Thou gavest me grace when I decided to receive it?" Yet why should
           not a man express before the face of God what he loudly and boldly proclaims to man? The simple answer is:
           because before God we cannot lie!
                                                                                       H. Hoeksema, Whosoever Will,  p.120


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                                429


Pages from the Past

                             Believers and Their Seed
                                          The Organic Idea in Scripture
                                          (continuation of Chapter IX)

                                            Rev. Herman Hoeksema

  But if you hold fast to the organic idea, then all the this passage possible. Yet there can be no doubt that
difficulties disappear. Then you have here the one the Savior here has in view His people as it exists in the
people which is nevertheless twofold; one vineyard world and manifests itself outwardly. And how will
which nevertheless brings forth a twofold fruit. From you escape Arminianism, if, when reading these words,
the viewpoint of its good kernel, that vineyard is the you do not hold fast to the organic idea, if you do not
object of God's favor. For the sake of that good kernel constantly apply to God's covenant people the proper
the Lord cultivates that vineyard. He does all that figure of the vine and the branches as it actually mani-
there is to be done to a vineyard. Thus the Lord did       fests itself to you in nature? Are there then living and
with Israel. Therefore He also expected good fruits. good branches in Christ which shall nevertheless be cut
Nor was He disappointed in that expectation by that off presently? Are there then those who were once
good kernel. But at the same time there grew in that ingrafted into Christ by a true faith and who neverthe-
vineyard a great many bad branches, which grew so less shall be rejected because they did not bear fruit in
luxuriantly that it sometimes appeared as though there Christ? You do not get one step farther away from
was nothing good in the entire vineyard. Thus it Arminianism by clinging to the idea that the covenant
was in the time of Isaiah. From that viewpoint is according to its essence nothing else than a promise,
now - not from the viewpoint of that good and elect and that it now depends upon those who are born and
kernel  - but from the viewpoint of that reprobate raised in the covenant historically to appropriate that
element, the vineyard is here addressed. Also that evil promise. After all, that entire presentation is, in the
element in Israel, along with the good kernel, was culti- first place, itself Arminian. But, in the second place,
vated. In the outward sense of the word they had to- along this line you do not explain the fact either that
gether received the same labor. They had the same sign there are branches in Christ, the vine, which are cut off
of the covenant; they were in the same manner de- and cast into the fire. But that is precisely what you
livered from Egypt; they had the same giving of the find in the natural vine. You have branches there
law, the same fathers, the same covenants. They had which are indeed in the vine; which also draw their
the same temple, the same altars, the same offerings. life-sap out of the vine, and which nevertheless bear no
They dwelt in the same land and they enjoyed the fruit. Now thus you find the situation also with God's
same benefits of the land. The same prophets were sent people in the world. It is one organism. But in that one
unto them, and the same word was directed to them. organism you always have the good kernel and the
And all these things caused the same outcome to be rejected shell. In what sense also those covenant chil-
expected: the bringing forth of good fruits of righteous- dren which never bear fruit are nevertheless in the or-
ness.. But that reprobate element in Israel brought ganism of the body of Christ here on earth and
forth the wild grapes of unrighteousness. Therefore the therefore may be called branches in the vine; and what
Lord shall presently destroy and curse His vineyard, influence proceeds from that organism upon the non-
considered now from this viewpoint. But when all this fruit-bearing members; - these are questions for later
has happened, has God then cast away His people? consideration. For the moment, let it be sufficient to
Indeed, you know better. God never casts away His remind you that Scripture indeed makes proper men-
people. The vineyard may be pruned and sometimes tion of such an influence, and that the children of the
apparently wholly destroyed; the remnant according to kingdom who are cast out are not to be placed on the
the election of grace is always preserved. And the Lord one line with the heathen. But fact is that only thus
receives the expected fruit from His own work.             can you understand the Lord's figure of the vine and
  Nor do you find it to be different with the presenta- its twofold branches. There are in the one organism
tion of Holy Writ in the New Testament. You find this branches which bear fruit and branches which bear no
presentation in John 15: 1, 2: "I am the true vine, and    fruit. Thus there are in the one people. of God also
my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that Israelites according to the flesh and Israelites according
beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch to the Spirit and of the promise.
that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring         Scrrpture offers the same presentation in Romans
forth more fruit." Surely, there is a broader-view of 11: 17-21: "And if some of the branches be broken off,


430                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in            net. Thus it is also with God's covenant. And just as
among them, and with them partake& of the root and            there are bad and good fishes that come into the net,
fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the              just as it is unavoidable with that manner of fishing
branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root,       that good and evil fishes are gathered, so it is also
but the root thee. Thou  wilt'say then, The branches          unavoidable that when the Lord lets His covenant run
were broken off, `that I might be graffed in. Well; be-       in the line of successive generations, while not all in
cause of unbelief they were broken off, and thou              those generations head for head, are elect children of
standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if        the covenant, - it is unavoidable that a reprobate ele-
God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he        ment is gathered along with the elect kernel. Presently,
also spare not thee." Also here you have the same             at the shore of eternity, the angels will separate those
presentation. The olive tree is the people of God's cov-      two elements finally and forever. But here on earth
enant, the church. From a natural point of view that          they are found together in the same sphere; and they
olive tree was Israel of the old dispensation as a nation.    have everything, in common, except grace. (to be cont.)
Israel was the historical manifestation of that covenant
people in Old Testament times. From that point of
view the apostle here calls the Israelites even the natu-                           IN MEMORIAM
ral branches of that olive tree. But in that olive tree         On May 12, 1970, it pleased the Lord to call home
not all is genuine and fruit-bearing. There were also in      unto Himself our beloved wife, mother, grandmother,
that tree branches which never bore fruit. Therefore          and great-grandmother,
God cut off those natural branches which were not                          MRS. JAMES DEN BESTEN
spiritual, fruit-bearing branches. The tree indeed re-        at the age of 74 years.
mained. The root was never rooted out. For God cares            "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given
for His church. And out of all nations there are now          me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my
ingrafted in the tree others in the places where other        glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me
and natural branches were cut off. But also thus there        before the foundation of the world." John 17:24
always remain branches in that tree which are never-                  Mr. James Den Besten
theless again cut off. From thence arises the very ap-                Mr. and Mrs. John Den Besten
propriate admonition not to boast, understanding well                 Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Den Besten
that since' God spared not the natural branches, He also              Mr. and Mrs. Andrew VanDen Top
could indeed not spare us.                                            Miss Adrianna Den Besten
  That this is so  finds its reason in this, that it has              Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Kamminga
pleased God to have His covenant upon earth run in                    Mr. and.Mrs: Bill Den Besten
the line of fleshly generations, while there are never-               19 grandchildren        5 great-grandchildren
theless those among the children of believers who were
not elected. Surely, there are also other reasons, but in                RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
this lies the chief cause. If God had seen to it that only      The Consistory and Congregation of the Hope
the. elect were members of the church on earth, this          Protestant Reformed Church expresses its sympathy to
figure of God's people in the world would not have            one of our elders, Mr. Alvin Rau and his family in the
been possible, could not have been used. But now              death of his mother
God, according to His own purpose, takes up into His                           MRS. ROSINA RAU.
covenant according to its outward form all the fleshly          "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him,
children, while nevertheless only a remnant is saved.         to all that call upon Him in truth." (Ps. 145: 18).
From thence arises this duality in that unity.                                                  Rev. J. Kortering, Pres.
  From this same viewpoint also, the kingdom of                                               Dewey Engelsma, Sec'y.
heaven on earth is likened unto a net which is cast into
the sea and which gathers all kinds of fish, according to                RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
our Savior's parable. That net cannot be a figure of the       The Ladies Aid of The First Protestant Reformed
preaching of the Word. That preaching just exactly            Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan, mourns the loss of
does not gather all who come into contact with it; on         a faithful member,
the contrary, the preaching makes separation, and it                                 MRS. B. KETT.
makes more separation according as the Word is more           whom the Lord -took home on `June 1, 1970, and
purely proclaimed. But this is indeed the case with the       hereby express our sympathy to the bereaved family.
historical development of God's covenant in the line of       May our Covenant God comfort with His Word and
successive generations. Such a net was not only cast          Spirit in the assurance that "- all things work together
into the sea, but was drawn through the sea, made a           for good to them that love God." (Romans 8:28).
path through the sea. Naturally, then, everything that                                           Mrs. T. Newhof, Pres.
was in the path of that net was also gathered in the                                            Mrs. C. Pastoor, Sec'y.


                                                     THE STANDARD BEARER                 i                                    431


             ANNIVERSAR Y ANN0 UNCEMENT                                  CALL TO ASPIRANTS TO THE MINISTR Y
     On the 25th of June, our beloved parents,                                  Seminary  and  Pre-seminary Students
              MR. AND MRS. JAMES VER HEY,                             All young men desiring to begin their studies this
  celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.                       ) fall in either the pre-seminary or seminary department
     We are thankful to our Covenant Father for the                of the Theological School of the Protestant Reformed
  blessings bestowed upon them and us these many                   Churches are requested to appear before the Theologi-
  years. As they have in the past, may they in the                 cal School Committee at its meeting which will be held
  remainder of their days experience that - "The Lord is           D.V. on Friday, August 7, 1970 at the Hope Protestant
  good: His mercy is everlasting: and His truth endureth           Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
  to all generations." (Psalm 100: 5.)                                The qualifications requisite to enrolling in the semi-
             Their grateful children:                              nary course are:
             Mr. & Mrs. Dan Schnyders                                 1. You must present a letter from your consistory
             Mr. & Mrs. Henry Miersma                              certifying that you are upright in walk and pure in
             Mr. & Mrs. Everett Hofstee                            doctrine.
             Mr. & Mrs. Art Ver Hey                                   2. You must present a certificate of health, signed .
             Mr. & Mrs. Jake Jabaay                                by a reputable physician.
               23 grandchildren                                       3. You must be a graduate from high school, being
                2 great-grandchildren                              able to show that you have completed a one year
                                                                   course in General History and Church History, and
                                                                   that you have completed the following college courses:
                RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY                             Latin-2 years, Greek-2 years, German-2 years, Dutch-2
     The Mary-Martha Society of the  Redlands                      years, Philosophy-l year, Psychology-l year, and
  Protestant Reformed Church wishes to express its                 Logic-l semester.
  sincere and heartfelt sympathy to one of its members,               The qualifications to. enter the pre-seminary depart-
  Mrs. Estella Van Uffelen in the recent death of her              ment are the same as the above except "3" should
, father,                                                          read, "a graduate from high school."
                     MR. HENRY KRIKKE.                                In event you cannot be present at this meeting,
                                                                   please notify the undersigned secretary of your inten-
     May the God of all grace comfort the sorrowing by             tions, prior to the meeting.
  His Word and Spirit.                                                                        Rev. J. Kortering, Secretary
                                           Rev. C. Hanko, Pres.                               155 1 Wilson Ave. SW.
                              Mrs. Albert Karsemeyer, Sec'y.                                  Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504



                                   News From Our Churches
                                                         June 15,197O

     It seems that the choir of Covenant Christian High,           Engelsma first spoke on "Going on in Confidence" at
   under the direction of Mr. R. Petersen is acquiring             our school in Loveland. This was not, strictly speaking,
   some renown. On May 26 they travelled to Kalamazoo              a  graduation  program, since our school there has, at
   to perform there in a program sponsored by the Kala-            present, only grades 1 through 6 ; but the similarity is
   mazoo Protestant Reformed Church. And on May 19                 evident enough. Then Rev. Engelsma also accepted the
   they went even further  - out of state, no less. The            invitation to speak at Covenant's graduation exercises,
   Ladies Society of South Holland's church sponsored a            a visit made possible, of course, by his attendance at
   program in that church's auditorium. The feature at-            the meeting of Synod in Grand Rapids.
   traction was Covenant's a cappella choir.                                                    *****
                             *c****                                   The pre-synodical prayer service was held on June 2,
     The schools have again been closed for the summer at First Church in Grand Rapids. Rev. C. Hanko
   season, as some of you mothers have' probably already preached the sermon from Ephesians 2. First's bulletin
   had reason to regret. June church bulletins carried             noted that "we expect, D. V., to see also Rev. Elliott
   many announcements of commencement exercises. One               from Jamaica at this service." Southwest offered this
   of our ministers actually spoke at two such programs - added information, that "Rev. `Clinton Elliott will a$
   and at nearly opposite sides of the continent. Rev. D.          rive in Chicago at the O'Hare Airport, D. V., on Mon-


TiiE STANDARD BEARER
       P.O. Box 6064
Grand  Rapids, Michigan 495Of





432                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


day, June 1, at .2: 15 P.M. He will fly by way of the          The School Board has, with the assistance of the
Bahama Islands on the Maiden Flight of Air Jamaica,          church pamphlet committee, distributed pamphlets to
Inc., to Chicago . . . . Rev. and Mrs. Lubbers intend to hundreds of families in the Loveland area, giving
meet him in Chicago and bring him home with them." grounds for their support of a Christian school over
And, we'll have to give credit for the last word in this     against the public schools. The result has been that
matter to our church in Holland. "Rev. C. J. Elliott did     they now receive the support of the Reformed Church
not receive his passport in time for the trip last Mon-      of Fort Collins; and the pastor of the 4th St. Baptist
day and now plans to come later in the month."               Church sends his child to their school. Next fall, 8 of
                          *****                              31 students will be from non-Protestant Reformed
  You were promised some news from the schools this          churches.
                                                               "School" will still be the church basement, bul
summer. Well, it's summer; so here it is. For this issue,    they'll be using more of it. They look forward, though,
we'd like to pass on some information and a photo-
graph from Loveland, Colorado, both of which were            to the day when they will have their own school build-
                                                             ing. They plan to, sometime in the future, build on the
graciously provided by a couple of.members of Love- approximate 2-acre plot of land adjacent to the church
land's School Board. The picture below is of Love-
land's student body (grades 1 through 6) in their class- building.
                                                               Let's conclude with this quote: "We have seen the
room (in the church basement) with Miss B. Hoekstra blessing of the Lord on our endeavors, and proceed in
(teacher and administrator).,                                the confidence that He is our help and strength, and
                                                             that the small beginning that we have seen, He surely
                                                             will prosper."
                                                               News like this, we think, is interesting. Many Stand-
                                                             ard Beaver readers are, likely, unaware of what's hap-
                                                             pening in Loveland; and some might even be unaware
                                                             of the fact that we have a school there. We would like,
                                                             therefore, for the above material, to thank especially
                                                             Mr. Frank Van Baren. And we would also like to en-
                                                             courage others with similar news to make use of that
                                                             address listed in the front of this magazine.

                                                               From the bulletin of Southeast Church we learn that
                                                             Rev. Schipper has declined the call from our church in
                                                             Doon, Iowa. After Rev. C. Hanko declined the call
                                                             from Randolph, Wisconsin, that church made another
                                                             trio consisting of Revs. R. Harbach, G. Van Baren, and
                                                             B. Woudenberg. And then there's an acceptance which,
   In March of 1959, a group of 11 men met to discuss because. of its momentous importance, is, no doubt,
the possibility of establishing a Protestant Reformed already general knowledge; but it gives us great pleas-
Christian school in Loveland. Two years of preparation ure, nonetheless, to report that Rev. G. Lubbers has
led to opening of school in the fall of 196 1, with 5        accepted the call to serve as missionary on the island of
grades under one teacher, Miss Ruth Kuiper. This com- Jamaica.
ing fall, there is an anticipated enrollment of 31 stu-                              *****
dents, an expansion to 8 grades, and, for the first time,      We still have a lot of church news left. Next month's
2 teachers. Miss Beverly Hoekstra will teach the upper news ought to be easy  - it's half. written already. By
4 grades and Miss Barb Zandstra, teacher of grade 3 for that time, though, to call it "news" would be  mis-
the last 2 years at Adams in Grand Rapids, will teach nomering. How about "olds?" Better that than writing
the lower 4 grades.                                          a whole new column.                              D.R.D.


