                                         he
                                   tmdard



     In This Issue


         Meditation:
            Joy Amidst Sorrow

         Editorials:
            The Doctrinal Tensions "Down Under"
            The "Verontrusten" and the' Synod of Sneek
                                   -.

         Practical Preaching
            (see: The Strength of Youth)                                        _  `,'
                                                                     .

      `:.' Training Our Youth in Covenant Distinctiveness
1           (see: In *His Fear)

                                               Volume XL VII / Number 8 / January 15,1971


170                                                           THE STANDARD BEARER
                            CONTENTS:                                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER                           1
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Meditation

                                           Joy Amidst Sorrow
                                                                   Rev. M. Shipper

                    "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now  for  a season,  if  need be, ye are in heaviness
                 through manifold temptations: that the trial  of  your faith, being much more precious than
                gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and
                glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. "                                                                   I Peter 1:6,7.

       Wherein ye greatly rejoice!                                               inheritance unto which, or better still, into which you
       The reference is, of course, to the inheritance of also are preserved through faith by the power of God.
which the apostle had been speaking in the preceding The glorious inheritance which is ready to be revealed
context. The incorruptible, undefiled, and unfadable in the last time.
inheritance which is reserved in heaven for you. The                                In respect to that inheritance ye greatly rejoice!


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  171


    And, mind you, this you do while you are still in the desires that he seek the things below. Thus, the term
  midst of the world and are, if need be, subjected to temptation always includes in it an evil element.
  manifold temptations. Thus there can be and should be       In various ways the children of God are being
  joy amidst sorrow!                                        tempted. They must cope with the enticements of the
    Wonderfully strange is the word of God here!            world when the children of darkness offer them the
    In the midst of sorrow, yet leaping for joy! Is it glories of the present time. Before their feet are laid
  possible that these two can exist at the same time and riches, gold and silver. Name and fame, glory and
  in the same persons? Can anyone laugh, and at the honour are proffered them if only they will deny their
  same time weep? Can one be in heaviness and rejoice, principles and play ball with the world. Then, toa,.if
  in sighing and yet sing? Evidently the answer to these the pilgrims refuse to choose their belly for their god,
questions is affirmative.                                   the world will ridicule and despise them. And because
    Though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heavi- the pilgrim by grace is meek, he does not like to be
  ness, that is, have been put to grief, through manifold despised and ridiculed. This often makes him hesitate
  temptations.                                              to remain faithful. And if the world does not succeed
     The apostle has in mind the Christian, the elect in drawing them from the path of duty, and the
  stranger, who has become stranger because of his elec- pilgrim does not mind the ridiculing, she will attack
  tion, who, therefore has been chosen to be a stranger the elect strangers. She will threaten to kill the chil-
  in the world. Who is also a stranger and a pilgrim be- dren of God with drawn sword, or burning stake.
  cause of the fact that he has been begotten again by        Indeed, manifold are the temptations that encom-
  the resurrection, that is, by the power of the resurrec- pass the children of God. This has been their lot
  tion of Jesus Christ from the dead. He walks, there- throughout the ages. Thus it was in the day when the
  fore, in the midst of the world with the principle of apostle penned our text. So it will be unto the end of
  new life in his heart. It is the principle of new life that the world. It is the rule without exceptions. To be
  is also new to him. It is not of this world, but the sure, the child of God may escape for a time if he hides
  world to come. It is precisely because of this that he his light. But when he reveals himself as a stranger and
  no longer is in harmony with the world about him. The pilgrim, he must expect manifold temptations.
  new life in him causes him to look for the things           In the midst of these sorrows, ye are to rejoice!
  above. Therefore also the world does not know him.          Do not misunderstand the Word of God here! There
  He is not of her party, and has no fellowship with her. are those who explain the words "wherein ye greatly
    Now often this child of God finds himself  encorn- rejoice" as futuristic. They tell us that they refer to the
  passed by manifold, temptations. Just because he is the last part of Verse 5 especially to the words "in the last
  child of God does not make him immune to the suffer- time." And these words refer to the second coming of
  ings of this` present time. Often, in the providence of Christ at the end of the world. Consequently the
  God he receives a full share of this suffering from the rejoicing will be then. So that there is a contrast in the
  hand of God. Pain and misery, he, too, suffers in his text - on the one hand, we are in sorrow now because
  body. Sorrow and grief are often his portion here of manifold temptations, but in the day of Christ we
  below. How often waters of a full cup are poured out will rejoice. But this is not what the apostle is saying!
  by the Lord for His people! Besides, there is also the      We may grant that the term "wherein" refers to the
  suffering that is brought on, inflicted upon him by the day of Christ, when we shall behold our inheritance
  world simply because he is a child of God. The world and rejoice with joy unspeakable. But the apostle
  will not tolerate the elect strangers in her midst. If would not have us rejoice only then, but right now,
  only they would sing and dance as the world, the while we are in the midst of sorrow and grief. The
  world would leave them alone. But this they cannot meaning is, that the object of the Christian's hope is so
  do. They are not of the world. They have been called glorious that even the expectation of it causes him to
  out of darkness into the life of God's covenant. They leap for joy while he is in the midst of troubles and
belong to the party of the living God. Hence, they are sorrows. Our hope enables us to laugh through our
  often hated and despised. As they hated Him Who died tears, to sing while we weep. Here, indeed, we find
  for them and rose again from the dead, so they are again one of those strange but wonderful paradoxes in
  given to bear in their bodies and souls a measure of the the life and experience of the child of God. Though he
  sufferings of Christ. Consequently they are often dies every day, yet he lives and shall never die. Though
  engulfed in manifold temptations, in afflictions and he is full of trouble and sorrow, yet he walks as it were
  sorrows, in ridicule and scorn.                           in heaven. Though he is persecuted and killed all the
    Temptations these trials and sufferings become from     day long, yet he has the victory. Though he is poor,
  the point of view of the evil world. The world has in yet he possesses all things. Though he is sinful and
  mind to cause the pilgrim to err from the path of subject to temptation, yet he is holy. So it is also in
  truth, to denounce Christ, to despise and reject heaven the text: while we are encompassed with many
  and the inheritance reserved there for him. The world     sorrows, yet we should leap for joy. While we are


172                                            THE STANDARD BEARER



tempted to forget about our inheritance and find our becomes all the more apparent. But that faith is given
pleasure in the things below, yet we rejoice with great to and worked in those children of God who by nature
joy in the object of our hope. But this is not all!           are impure, unholy, faithless, worldly. That good,
  If you ask what it is that makes the child of God precious, pure faith, like precious gold ore, when it is
rejoice in sorrow, the answer is twofold: He rejoices revealed in the child of God as he is by nature appears
also because his heaviness is but for a short time - "for with many impurities. As gold ore is smelted in the
a season." His suffering is not eternal, nor even for a hottest fire to separate it from all impurities, so the
long time. The apostle assures us of the brevity of child of God is placed in the crucible of afflictions and
suffering. Considering that, we also have material for temptations to burn off all fleshly impurities, thus to
rejoicing.                                                    allow the pure golden faith to shine as the precious gift
   Moreover, the apostle also suggests that the suffering of God that it is. When it shall have been completely
and sorrow need not be severe and constant. He says delivered of all that is of man, it will be fully apparent
"if need be." This means that the sorrow and pain that it was a wonderful gift of God's grace. It must
occurs only when we need it. We must understand well become clearly apparent that God not only prese'rves
that not the world, the enemy ultimately determines us into the inheritance by His power through faith, but
who shall suffer, when they shall suffer, and how much that He also preserves the faith He has implanted in us
they shall suffer. Rather, our God is at the controls. He through the purging fire of temptations.
governs our life: also when He thinks it necessary for          Thus we can understand also the latter part of the
us to be encompassed by manifold temptations He has text which expresses the divine and glorious purpose of
a good reason. He purposes also to make this turn out it all.
to our profit - our salvation.                                  That the tried faith may be found unto praise and
       Our present trials and suffering are therefore honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ!
divinely intended to be the trial of our faith.                 Not the glory of the believer, as some would have it!
       And lest you should misunderstand the translation        But the glory of Christ!
of our text, we must point out that it is not the inten-        His glory is the ultima of tried faith! The trial is of
tion of the apostle here to compare merely the trial of Him. The tested faith is of Him also. Hence, the honour
our faith with the trial of gold. He does not mean to and praise is also His. Honour is that which is ascribed
emphasize that the trial of our faith is more precious to the Workman for His work. Praise is the hour which
than the trial of gold. Rather, he says, that faith having the self-conscious creature ascribes to the Lord because
been tried is much more precious than gold that has of His glory.
been tried. In other words, the comparison is not be-           In the appearing of Jesus Christ!
tween the trial of faith and the trial of gold; but he          Now for a time He is hidden from us as He resides at
says, tested faith is more precious than tested gold. the right hand of God, clothed with glory and honour.
Th?Z reason being that gold, even tested gold, perishes; Presently He, as the sun piercing the clouds of the sky,
but faith does not.                                           shall reveal Himself in all the majesty of His glory.
       0, indeed, there is nothing more precious than the       Then, 0 yes, then, we shall praise Him unto Whom
faith of the child of God! That faith when it is given to all honour and glory is due!
us out of mere grace as a seed in regeneration is pure,         Forever!
holy, good, precious. As it grows under the rain and            Amen!
sunshine of God's Word, its beauty and preciousness


Eclitsrials
                                      Editor's Notes

                                                   ProJ:  H.C Hoeksema


  We hope that the serious typographical error in the           The R.F.P.A. Publications Committee apologizes for
editorial of the January 1 issue was recognized as an         the late appearance of  The Triple Knowledge, Vol.  I
error. The average salary of the ministers in England to Circumstances entirely beyond our control caused this.
whom we referred was $2500, of course, not $25000. We know that some wanted to have this volume before
This should have been clear from the context, which           Christmas. We are very sorry that this became
referred to their limited means.                             impossible.


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                173


                  The Doctrinal Tensions "Down Under"
    When we speak in the title of this article of doctrinal tion in Australia known as the Presbyterian Reformed
  tensions "down under," we refer to the Reformed Church of Australia. This is a group of churches which
 Churches of New Zealand, to the Reformed Churches separated from the Presbyterian Church of Australia in
  of Australia, which are also partly involved, and to the connection with the latter's refusal to condemn a
  Reformed Theological College at Geelong, Australia, certain Professor L. G.  Geering  for his heresy. Our
  which is also partly involved. These three, though all readers may recall that this was reported some time
 related and though all involved in the doctrinal diffi- ago in All Around Us.
  culties about which the Reformed and Presbyterian             The Reformed Churches of New Zealand bear partly
  Fellowship of Australasia is concerned, are nevertheless a Reformed and partly a Presbyterian character, due to
  distinct and separate organizations. Since we shall be the peculiar circumstances of their origin. In 195 1
 referring to one or another of these organizations in several groups of young immigrants arrived in New
  the course of our discussion of these doctrinal ten- Zealand. Their first attempt was not to form a new
  sions, it is necessary to get a little background infor- denomination and to transplant, as it were, the
 mation first.                                                Gereformeerde Kerken to New Zealand; but they
    In the first place, the Reformed Theological College attempted to find a suitable church home in the Pres-
  at Geelong, Australia is not a denominational seminary, byterian Church of New Zealand. This, I believe, was
  but an independent school, established and governed commendable: denominations should not be multi-
  by an association with a board of governors - roughly plied unnecessarily. However, they failed to find such a
  similar in status to Westminster Theological Seminary suitable church home in the Presbyterian denomina-
 in Philadelphia, which is also independent, but which tion; it soon became evident that the latter tolerated
  serves chiefly the Orthodox Presbyterian Churches. liberals. Only when this attempt failed, however, did
 This Theological College is at present officially sup- they form a new denomination. And in an attempt to
 ported by the Reformed Churches of New Zealand and attract those in the Presbyterian Church who wished to
  the Reformed Churches of Australia. And from the remain faithful to the true Presbyterian position, this
 Geelong, Theological College these two denominations new denomination included in its confessional basis
receive candidates for the ministry. It is at this Theo- the Presbyterian creeds, namely, the Westminster Con-
 logical College that Prof. Dr. Klaas Runia, about whose fession of Faith and the Westminster Catechisms. But
  doctrinal views the difficulties "down under" center, let me quote the story, briefly, from the  Reformed
  teaches. It is important to remember that this school is    Guardian, Vol. I, No. 3:
 independent, not under direct denominational control,          "It was April, 1953 when the Reformed Church in
  but supported by both of the denominations Auckland was established; and since we have been
  mentioned.                                                  writing in the Reformed Guardian about the churches
    The Reformed Churches of Australia (and remember at the Crossroads and that the churches are facing such
  that Australia, although usually considered the close Crossroads in 1970, it is good to remind ourselves, and
 neighbor of New Zealand, is some 1500 miles away) look back at the crossroads that we faced seventeen
  are a Reformed denomination formed chiefly of Re- years ago.
  formed people who immigrated into Australia from the          "It was in 195 1 when several groups of young immi-
 Netherlands after World War II and who had their grants arrived in New Zealand. Contacts were made
  background for the most part in the Gereformeerde and meetings were held, some of which were of a social
  Kerken of the Netherlands. These churches have the character, and some to meet the spiritual needs. Some
  Reformed confessions, the Three Forms of Unity, as of us had been unable to find a spiritual home in the
  their doctrinal basis. They are sister churches of the churches of the land. Others never troubled to look.
  Reformed Churches of New Zealand. Generally                   "WHAT MUST WE DO?
  speaking, they might be said to be similar to the Chris-      "This was the question that was foremost in our
 tian Reformed denomination in our country, having minds.
  also been helped during their formative years by the          "It was in August, 195 1 when a group of immigrants
 latter denomination. To this denomination Prof. Runia from Reformed background produced their first publi-
  belongs. We may also mention that this denomination cation. It was a simple circular informing the Dutch
i is distinct from the Reformed Churches of New immigrants about the need of establishing a fellowship
  Zealand in that it has only our Reformed confessions to be of spiritual help and guidance to one another.
for a doctrinal basis, while the churches in New                "We made many  f&ends in that time. We found
  Zealand also acknowledge the Presbyterian creeds, the many open homes, and of course there were many who
 Westminster Confession and Catechisms. We may also did not understand us at all. But there was a desire on
mention in passing that there is now also a denomina- our part not to be isolated from the people of the land


174                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


of our adoption.                                            this opinion has had its convinced defenders every-
  "The 4th of April, 1953 became a crossroads for where in the English world as well. And we know that
several of our Reformed people. The choice was before it has its advocates in New Zealand.
them, to either stay in or join the Presbyterian Church,      "If we might be accused that we do not believe the
or to establish the Reformed Churches of New Holy Spirit is leading the Church, we like to state that
Zealand.                                                    that is exactly part of our faith, but only in the follow-
  "On that day the protocol was signed in Auckland ing interpretation: He is leading the church `in Truth
by the majority of the people present. This was not a by means of the Scriptures as the only and infallible
step to popularity, but a step taken in obedience to the guide.
Word of God. By taking this step we lost many friends         "That's why we refuse to believe that the Holy
in return for the blessing of God."                         Spirit could lead the church back to the errors, already
  In the same article from which the above quotation known in the days when the Westminster Confession
was taken, some extracts from the "protocol" are was composed. Because, by the guidance of the same
quoted. This protocol was evidently a kind of act of Holy Spirit, they were distinguished and rejected by
agreement drawn up when the Reformed Church in the composers of the said Confession."
Auckland, New Zealand was constituted. Because these          And thus it came about that the Reformed Churches
extracts furnish an insight into the origins of the Re- of New Zealand were organized as a comparatively
formed Churches of New Zealand, we will also quote small denomination which bears partly a  Refollned
them:                                                       and partly a Presbyterian character. For the most part,
  "We have failed to find, however, a clear mainte- these churches consist of Dutch immigrants and their
nance of Evangelical Truth of the Reformed Confes- descendants. Their ministers, especially at first, were
sions. Particularly the Protestant Church to which we mostly from the Netherlands or from the Orthodox
feel attracted as a result of historical union, viz. the Presbyterian Church of this country. Later they
Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, has disappointed obtained ministers also from among the graduates of
us deeply in this respect. In this church, originally of the Reformed Theological College at Geelong. Their
Calvinistic origin, we have found such a freedom of form of church government is also Reformed and Pres-
teaching that much is lost of her original character.       byterian. They use the name "session" for what we call
  "We are aware of the fact that many Presbyterian the "consistory" and the name "presbytery" for what
ministers are talented and hard working men, and that we call the "classis." Their broadest gathering, how-
several of them are fully persuaded of the infallible ever, is called a "synod." As was mentioned earlier,
truth, and divine authority of Holy Scripture, as given their confessions are not only the Heidelberg Cate-
by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life, chism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of
and cordially accept the subordinate standards of their Dordrecht, but also the Westminster Confession of
church. We are convinced that in this respect the year Faith and the Catechisms, which are of English Pres-
1901 has been a decisive year in the history of this byterian origin. It is important to keep this fact in
church, and that the Declaratory Act of that year has mind, partly because the Westminster Confession has a
opened the doors of the Presbyterian Church to vari- very strong and detailed chapter on the doctrine of
ous `winds of doctrine' . . . . We are of the opinion that Holy Scripture, and partly because the adherence of
these doctrines, set forth in the Reformed symbols are, the New Zealand churches to the Westminster Confes-
a.o!., undeniably characteristic of the Reformed sion plays a role in one of the points of controversy
faith. . . . When we cannot trust the Words of the with Prof. Runia, namely, the "sabbath question."
Bible, what in the world can we trust then? When we           It is fair to say, in the light of the above picture,
go on ways of such theological freedom (as in the Pres- that the Reformed Churches of New Zealand appear to
byterian Church of NZ) the standards of the church have had a sound beginning, characterized by a genuine
may be subordinated to the Scriptures, but then the concern to remain true to the Reformed faith.
Scriptures are subordinated to the various theological        And now, after less than 20 years, some of the
ideas of our more or less learned men.                      brethren in New Zealand see their Reformed heritage
  "We realize that many people will not understand us being threatened. They see it threatened especially by
and that we might be accused of having brought with some of the public teachings of Prof. Runia. And they
us to NZ many church-prejudices; that we fail to are especially concerned about this threat because of
appreciate the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the his- the fact that their future ministers are trained in part
tory of the Church, and that we are opposed to the by Prof. Runia, so that they see a real danger that their
reunion of the divided Protestant denominations.            churches will be corrupted if Prof. Runia is allowed to
  "In reply to the first misunderstanding we state that maintain these erroneous positions unhampered. Some
the Church must be faithful to the Holy Scriptures and - not all - of the brethren who are concerned about
her own confessions. This is not only the way of our this threat have formed the Reformed and Presbyterian
thinking. From the days of the Westminster Synod on, Fellowship of Australasia. Especially when the  col-


                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER                                                      175


umns of  Trowel  and Sword  (of which Prof. Runia is                            `prophetic revelation'; Paul's alleged Rabbin-
editor) were closed to their criticisms of Dr. Runia's                          ical methods of quotation and interpreta-
positions, they felt the need of sounding an alarm in                           tion; `Even if we should discover that the
the churches and of having an organization and a publi-                         Bible is not  inerrant in every detail, we
cation to enable them to sound such an alarm.                                   would still be faced with the message of Him
   We expect to examine the doctrinal issues in detail                          Who made superhuman claims and Whose
in future articles. For the present, we will mention                            character, words and deeds attest the truth
these issues as they are briefly stated in a resolution of                      of those claims', Calvin Theological Journal
the Fellowship at the time of its organization:                                 Vol. 4, No. 2, article, "Authority of
   "Whereas there is indisputable evidence that Rev.                            Scripture")
Prof. K. Runia, Th. D., Professor of Systematic                         "4),  m-aises
                                                                                L       false teachers for their admittedly
Theology, and Vice Principal of the Reformed Theo-                              correct views without making a sufficientl;
logical College, Geelong, Australia,                                            clear warning and clear condemnation of
      "1) objects to certain statements in the  Confes-                         their false teaching (i.e. Karl Barth),
               sions of the Reformed Churches of Australia "THIS FELLOWSHIP DECLARES that it believes it is
               (New Zealand? HCH), without presenting inconsistent with the demands of  Holy Scripture to
               gravamina, (i.e. doctrine of reprobation, and tolerate this uncertain sound in a leader of the Church
               the Sabbath)                                        of Jesus Christ, and a Professor of a Theological Col-
           "2) questions traditional interpretations of Scrip- lege to which has been committed the training of
               ture, without providing clear and satisfac- youth for the ministry."
               tory Scriptural alternatives, (i.e. the histori-      The Fellowship has already written much about
               cal interpretation of Genesis chapters l-3)         these matters. And as might be expected, they have
           "3) propounds unnecessary and dangerous theses aroused both opposition and support. We believe that
               without qualification (i.e. Genesis l-l 1 as the Fellowship stands on solid ground.


              The "Verontrusten" and the Synod of Sneek

   Recently we reported to you the decisions of the stand of the Verontrusten as follows:
Synod of Sneek-Lunteren of the Gereformeerde                          1) It takes cognizance with great sorrow and deep
Kerken concerning doctrinal matters. In connection disappointment of the decisions of Synod because it
therewith, we stressed the critical nature of the situa- appears from these decisions that the Synod was not
tion in the Netherlands at this time; and we expressed prepared or in a position to stem the tide of liberal
the wish that there would be those who would have tendencies of the new theology. It sees the decisions of
the courage and the strength to take a clear-cut stand Synod as an emasculating of the authority of God's
and to exercise the right and duty of reformation.                 Word, a surrendering of the binding-power of the con-
   Thus far, however, there is little indication of the fessions, and an official tolerating of freedom of
latter.                                                            doctrine.
   According to reports received from correspondents                 2) It sees the decisions of Synod as preparing the
in the Netherlands, a few have reacted to the recent way for a speedy reunion with the Hervormde Kerk,
decision of the Synod of Sneek by separating and inclusive of its liberalism.
calling themselves Evangelische Gereformeerden                       3) It refuses all responsibility for these decisions as
(Evangelical Reformed). This, however, does not con- well as for the consequences thereof with respect to
stitute the mainstream of reaction on the part of those the unity of the churches.
who are called the "Vevovztmsten"  (concerned).                      4) While it expresses sympathy and support to those
   From Mr. H. Langeveld, of Hilversum, The Nether- who feel at this point that they must break with the
lands, who is Treasurer of  "de  Veveniging van  Vevon- Gereformeerde Kerken, it declares that in spite of the
trusten  `Schrift en Getuigenis' "  (Society of the Con- seriousness of their objections against these decisions,
cerned "Word and Testimony"), I received a report of the time has not come that they must separate from
a meeting of the Verontrusten at Rotterdam on the the Gereformeerde Kerken for God's sake. Instead
12th of November at which about 1100 people were they deem it to be their calling to continue the battle
present. At this meeting a Declaration was presented in behalf of the faith within the churches.
and adopted concerning the stand of the Verontrusten                 5) It advises those who study theology and prepare
with respect to the recent synodical decisions.`Without            for the ministry not to study at Amsterdam or
quoting the entire document, we may summarize the Kampen, but at those schools where theology is


176                                             THESTANDARD BEARER



studied in obedience to God's Word and the Reformed afraid of another split in the Netherlands - when will
creeds. (Presumably this refers to the seminary of the the time ever come? We sometimes get the impression
Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken and the seminary that the Verontrusten are seeking an arrangement
of the Vrijgemaakten.)                                        similar to that in the Hervormde Kerk, according to
  6) It advises consistories to oppose the decisions of which the conservatives form a permanent  minority-
Synod and to refuse to make funds available to institu- group  within  the denomination. This, we believe, is
tions which support and advance the new theology.             both wrong and hopeless.
  This is, in our opinion, a disappointing stand.                In the third place, it seems to us that the advice
  In the first place, it is inconsistent. While it recog- concerning preparation for the ministry and  concem-
nizes the seriousness of the synodical decisions, while ing financial support of Kampen and Amsterdam by
it will accept no responsibility for said decisions, and consistories is rebellious. We would guess that no
while it urges young men not to get their theological ecclesiastical gathering will have either the will or the
training at the ecclesiastically designated seminaries, it power to stop this rebellion (if they are all as tolerant
nevertheless declares that the time for a break has not and spineless as the Synod of Sneek). But this does not
arrived. In other words, while it recognizes that princi- change the fact that this advice is an attempt to go
pally a break has come, it refuses to break.                  one's indpendent way  within  the denominational
  In the second place, a decision like this makes us union. This is ecclesiastical rebellion.
doubt whether a break will ever come and whether the            Hence, while we have great respect for the stand of
Verontrusten will ever acknowledge that it is time to the Verontrusten over against the decisions of Synod,
break. If that time is not now, then  - with all due we are nevertheless greatly disappointed at their failure
respect for the seriousness of eccleasiastical  separation, to follow up their principles by appropriate reforma-
and with all respect for the fact that they are deathly tory action.


All Around Us

                          Science and Human Life
                                                     ProJ:  H. Han ko

SCIENCE AND HUMAN LIFE                                        however, when the parts of the ameba were taken from
  A great deal of work is being done by scientists in identical strains. If different strains were used, the tests
the area of the manipulation and control of human were usually unsuccessful.
life. Some recent articles in Newsweek magazine tell of          Now all of this is still a far cry from creating life. To
the nature of this work and the justification for it.         pull apart three different amebas and put the parts
       One such article describes recent work being done in back together into a fourth is not yet making a new
attaining to a long-sought goal: the creation of life. ameba from its chemical compounds. But what is so
Many of the chemical compounds which are a part of frightening about an experiment such as this is that the
cell structure have been isolated. And from time to scientists involved in the experiment immediately be-
time scientists have made the claim that they have gin to speak of its application and possible use. For
been successful in synthesizing these compounds and one thing, they suggest that there might be ways to use
creating some form of life. Usually these claims are this technique in the fighting of disease by creating
mere empty boastings and one hears nothing more new types of microorganisms which would be able to
about them after a short period of time. Now again attack the bacteria and viruses which bring human sick-
some scientists are making the same claim. They claim ness. This is not so bad, although one wonders if, in
to have created "test-tube life at a higher level," in their experiments, they might not form a micro-
what is supposed to be "the first artificial synthesis of organism which, rather than destroying a  disease-
a living and reproducing cell."                               bringing virus or bacteria, would bring a new disease
  The work was done by isolating the three basic parts for which there would be no cure and which would
of the ameba cell. The ameba is a small single-celled bring a plague upon the human race which would do
creature which reproduces by dividing into two when awesome damage.
it reaches a certain size. The three basic parts of the          But for another thing these scientists immediately
ameba were taken from three different amebas and put begin to speculate about the possibilities of making
together into a new one which lived and, after a period new egg cells that could produce better babies for ani-
of time, divided. This experiment was only successful mals and man. One scientist in the project boasted: "If


                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 177


we wished to do so, within twenty years we could that man  ought  to do what he  can  do. "If man can
possibly be making new mammals."                              breed better races by genetic engineering or by making
   Somewhat along the same lines,  Newsweek  reported babies in test tubes, why shouldn't he do it? The idea
on work being done in creating "test-tube embryos." that  there are certain things which you don't do is far
strikingly, the article was written under the title:          from my mentality. Basically, it is up to man to shape
"Playing God."                                                his own life." This is the general consensus among
       At Cambridge University in England this year, a        those who study the moral implications of the prob-
    medical-research team successfully removed, fertilized    lem. Another says: "We are on a unique threshold
    and cultured human ova to produce nearly two dozen        where, for the first time in history, man has a chance
    "test-tube" embryos. And in time, some biologists be-
    lieve, researchers will be able to produce a mature       to do something about his own nature. . . . The central
    baby entirely outside the wbmb. . . .                     questions are what do we mean by `human nature' and
       Through these and other experiments in biological      what do we want to make of man? Religion has always
    and medical technology, modern science is rapidly         operated on the premise that man is not his own
    learning - much faster than society at large yet real-    maker. But we have also learned from the debate over
    izes  - to play God with human nature. Advance-           abortion that human beings have the right to stipulate
    ments in genetic engineering, in particular, offer the    what is human in light of social consequences."
    prospect of controlling human reproduction for gen-         It is interesting to note in the above quote that the
    erations to come. . . .                                   recent liberalization of abortion laws is used for justifi-
  To produce these so-called "test-tube babies" cation of genetic engineering. The argument, quite
means, of course, that scientists will also be able to        obviously, is that if man has the right to terminate the
control the development of such a baby and alter its life of an unborn baby, he has also the right to deter-
nature in fundamental ways. Scientists speak of acting mine the nature of that baby if it lies within his power
as "God's co-creators in the evolution of new forms of to do so.
human life." And the goal is the creation of some kind          Another aspect of this problem is the whole ques-
of  super-man far superior in physical and mental abili- tion of the mental manipulation of people.  .Scientists
ties from anything present on our planet today.               have recently developed equipment by which they are
  Interestingly enough  Newsweek  enters into the able to control the behavior of animals. Through the use
moral and spiritual questions which this sort of thing of electric impulses sent into various parts of the brain
inevitably bring up. Some theologians are not at all by means of implanted electrodes scientists have altered
happy at the prospect of producing babies in ways the behavior of animals and changed their personalities
other than the God-ordained ways; but the majority rather drastically. Depending upon what part of the
seem not to be too fazed by it all. There is one funda- brain is given doses of electric .impulses, the actions,
mental argument which is adduced in favor of this, an desires and even "thought processes" of monkeys and
argument which has several ramifications. The argu- other animals have been substantially altered.
ment is essentially an evolutionistic one. Although not         The purpose of such experimentation is, of course,
stated in so many words, it is assumed that since evolu- to apply it all to man. Many have objected to such
tionary development means that higher forms of life experimentation and point out that this will lead to
are constantly being produced by the evolutionary pro- the horrors of  `:1984" with its programmed people.
cess, man has the obligation to continue in this en- Scientists scoff at such fears and justify their experi-
deavor. He has reached a point in his upward climb on mentation by speaking of the vast benefits to be gained
the evolutionary ladder when he can control these pro- through such work for various diseases. The thought is
cesses inherent in the world and manipulate the pro- that this type of "treatment" may assist epileptics and
cesses himself. In bygone eras evolutionary develop- victims of Parkinson's disease. But even scientists speak
ment was by blind-fate. Through what were basically glowingly of the work that can be done through the
chance changes in the genetic structure of animals, use of such techniques in controlling undesirable be-
higher forms of life which were able to adapt more havior in people judged to be mentally ill. Anxiety,
successfully to a hostile environment, the climb from fear, violent behavior, anti-social behavior - all these
some primordial ooze was upward. But now there is n6 and many more undesirable traits in humans can be
longer any need to leave evolution to chance. Man can controlled and corrected by such techniques.
control the process and steer it in the direction he            The important questions are, of course: Who is go-
wants it to go. He need not wait any longer for mere ing to decide what is undesirable behavior? There have
chance to bring about change; he can bring about the been many instances in the past where the holy and
change himself. And so, by a modern technology he sanctified walk of the child of God has been judged by
can aid in the production of yet higher forms of life the powers that be as undesirable behavior which con-
and push man by his own work to the highest rungs of stitutes a threat to society and which makes it neces-
the evolutionary ladder.                                      sary for these people to be eliminated from society. It
  Thus scientists (and many theologians concur) claim is not at all far-fetched to ponder the real possibility


178                                              THE STANDARD BEARER



that the world may once again think that the Christian behavior by electric impulses and alters human nature
who walks antithetically in the world and maintains by genetic engineering. We shall have to live in such a
the truth of Scripture is undesirable in his life and world in the not too distant future. Nor need we doubt
ought to have his behavior changed by these tech- that, from a certain point of view, man will be success-
niques to which he would be forcibly subjected.               ful in these areas to perform what he desires.
  That these questions involve moral considerations              But one thing is certain. Though man refuses to
goes without saying. And certainly, the very fact that reckon with the fact that God curses the creation and
the chief justification for all this is to be found in the that the curse is in the very fiber of the world and in
theory of evolution shows the moral bankruptcy of it the very center of the life of man, this curse is a reality
all. We have often argued in these columns that evolu- from which man can never escape. God's Word of
tionism is not merely a scientific theory which deals hatred and anger, of judgment and vengeance is in the
with questions of an understanding of the creation, but creation. And it works in all men too. What terrible
that it is a theory which involves a whole "world-and- consequences this will have as man pursues his experi-
life view." Evolutionism is also an ethical system. And ments is impossible to say. Sometimes there are warn-
when one sees what kind of ethics evolutionism im- ings of the consequences of man's evil experimenting,
plies, cold shudders run up and down one's spine. It as, for example, in the thalidomide tragedy of a few
goes without argument that all these experiments are years ago. But wicked men do not see these things as
indeed justifiable on the basis of evolutionism. Evolu- warnings. In fact every warning of God simply serves as
tionism ultimately means free sex, abortion on de- a goad to man's evil nature to pursue his path of sin
mand, physical and mental manipulation of the human with greater devotion. He sees what he terms a set-back
species and countless more awful consequences which as added incentive to continue his way.
our sorry world is just beginning to realize.                    It. will be a strange and awful world in which the
  But the opposite is also true. If evolutionism is false, Church shall have to live in the years ahead. There is
then all this experimentation is evil and from hell. If always the very real danger that even the Church will
evolutionism is a theory which openly denies all that be deceived by it all. Jesus warns against this very thing
Scripture teaches and all the truth of God, then the when he discusses with His disciples the signs of His
ethics which follows from such a system is hellish and return in Matthew 24. The deception will be in part
devilish as well. Because all these wild and fearful ex- because the world has a way of making her defeats
periments are justified on the basis of evolution, they look like triumphs, her hellish tamperings with things
are to be condemned along with evolution.                     sacred like marvelous scientific progress, her hollow
  This is not, of course, going to prevent man from accomplishments like salvation in this world. And for
pursuing his way of sin. We need not have any doubts those who will be faithful there is nothing but danger
about the fact that man will pursue his course in the ahead - fearful danger which makes the soul shudder.
years to come and continue his evil work. It is to be But the faithful servant of God must shake off his fears
expected that man will indeed reach a point where he and deliver his soul from anxiety by quiet and earnest
produces babies by test-tubes and manipulates human trust in Him Who is Lord over all.


Studies in Election

                                                 Its Origin
                                    Its Well-Spring
                                                 Rev. Robert  C.  Harbach


ELECTION: 1. Its Origin (concluded)                           faith (Canons I, 9). What possible good is there to ffore-
  In the previous article we noted that the origin of see, in the spiritually dead and totally depraved sinner?
election is the sovereign will of God. This is important, In their natural enmity against God, and in their
since it will keep us from the error of seeking any root unregeneracy, all men are children in whom is no faith,
of election in man. Having only in this way the proper children of wrath and condemned already. They do
perspective of the truth, we will see that election is not not believe (John  5:38), they cannot believe  (5:44),
to be conceived of as made on the basis of foreseen shall not believe (AC. 13:41). "All men-have not faith"


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  179



(2 Thess. 3: 2), but the men who do have it, possess it (11:6), "not of works, lest any man should boast. For
not of themselves, nor by any good quality or disposi- we are His workmanship (we are not self-made men),
tion in them; it is the gift of God (Eph. 2:9). It is not a created in Christ Jesus  fov good works, which God
virtue which originates in or even operates by the hath before ordained that we should walk in them"
power of man, but by the operation of God (Eph.  2:9,10). Again, He "saved us, and called us with
(Cal. 2: 12). But then, to go a little aside, God does not a holy calling, not according to our works, but accord-
first of all see the reprobate. Nor does He first of all ing to His own purpose and grace, which was given us
foresee man as a sinner. His plan did not begin with in Christ Jesus before times eternal." (II Tim. 1: 9)
sin. It began with glory. He first saw many sons brought      Nor were we chosen on account of foreseen holi-
to glory. Then He planned the means that would be ness. God Chose us in Christ "that we should be (not
operative in bringing them there, namely, sin, grace because we were) holy and without blame before Him
and redemption, including the adoption, to wit, the in love." (Eph. 1:4) We were chosen to faith, to obedi-
redemption of our bodies in the liberty of the glory of ence, to holiness and to every saving good. For "God
the sons of God. But Arminian thinking, as all forms of hath from the beginning chosen you  to  salvation,
humanism, views man primarily as a sinner, with faith through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
within ,the power of the sinner. The Arminian at least truth." (II Thes. 2: 13) Faith, holiness and the other
thinks, if he does not say it, that as many as believe are gifts of salvation, including eternal life, are the fruits
ordained to eternal life. But the Lord says, "As and effects of election, not a moving or contributing
many as were ordained to eternal life believed." cause of it.
(Acts 13:48) The Arminian teaches that if you are not         It was not the foresight of any good qualities in men
Christ's sheep, it is because you believe not. But Jesus which moved God to choose them. They never have
said of the reprobate wicked, because He knew them any good in them except that which God ordains for
and their hearts, "Ye believe not because ye are not of them, promises and bestows upon them. Therefore
My sheep." (John 10: 26) The Arminian says that some God never has, nor could possibly have, foresight of
men are not of God because they do not hear God's anything not in His decree. God cannot foresee with-
Word. But Christ affirms, "Ye therefore hear them not, out foreordaining. Where there is no foreordination,
because ye are not of God."  (8:47) The Arminian there is nothing to foresee. For His foresight is
wants to say that God blinds men's eyes and hardens founded upon the exercise of His sovereign will. This
their hearts because they believe not. But the apostle foresight, or prescience, as some theologians have
taught that "they believed not," if fact, "they could called it, bare knowledge of things beforehand, has
not believe, because that Esaias said, `He hath blinded been confused with, or wrongly identified with the
their eyes and hardened their heart, that they should not biblical term "foreknowledge." But the biblical fore-
see.' " (12:36-40) The Arminian thinks that all who knowledge is not mere foresight, nor an aspect of pure
come, the Father gives to Christ. But the Lord taught, omniscience. Where the Scripture states, "whom He
"All that the Father giveth'to Me shall come to Me." did foreknow, He also did predestinate," (Rom. 8: 28f)
(6:37) The Arminian says, Believe on His name and you the meaning is not that predestination is on the basis
shall be born of God. But the apostle wrote, "them that of foreknowledge in the sense of omniscience. That is
believe (presently) . . . were (already) born . . . of Arminianistic thinking and centers the foreknowledge
God." (1:  12,13)  The Arminian says that you must on something originating with man. But the termfoue-
hear the Word and believe it in order to obtain eternal knowledge  as used in Scripture is a knowledge of
life. But it is written, "he that heareth My Word and approbation, a knowledge of love, and knowledge of
believeth Him that sent Me, hath (not shall have) ever- one's own. Whom He did foreknow, means whom He
lasting life, and  cometh not into judgment, but  hath loved as His own - He predestinated them. So with "I
passed out of death into life." (5: 24) It is therefore the never knew you," the meaning can only be, I never
one with spiritual life who hears the Word and believes loved you. Or, "the Lord knoweth them that are His"
it. The trouble with the Arminian is that he. will not has the meaning, the Lord loves His own. When we
have  the. plain, bare Word of God, despite his loud read that Christ was "delivered by the determinate
boasts that he will. He will have the exact opposite to counsel and foreknowledge of God." (Acts 2:23), we
that found in the infallible Word!                          notice that the decree of God is first, preceding His
  Nor are we chosen on account of foreseen good knowledge of love. His decree is embracive of His love.
works. Men are chosen in eternity "being not yet born, His decree is centered in and walled in with His love.
neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose Christ was delivered to death by the decree of God,
of God according to election might stand; not of but love so ordered it.
works, but of Him that calleth."  (Ram. 9: 11) The            The end God has in mind in His decree of predesti-
moving cause of our election is not our willing what is nation, in election and in reprobation, is.His glory. As
good, nor our running and holding out, but the mercy to the elect, "know that the Lord hath set apart him
of God. Then "if by grace, it is no more of works" that is godly for himself." (Ps.  4:3). As to the  repro-


180                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


bate, "the Lord hath made all things for His own end, (Prov.  8:23; 30, Heb.) He was ordained the Father of
yea, even the wicked for the day of evil." (Prov. 16:4, Eternity and the Mighty God (Isa.  9:6), one chosen
marg.)                                                     out of the people (Ps. 89: 19) laid in Zion, i.e., predes-
2. Its  Well-Spting                                        tinated in Zion, elect, precious, chosen of God, a chief
  The eternal purpose of God has a definite relation to cornerstone and a stone of stumbling (I Peter 2:4,6,8).
Christ. He is the Fountain of Life. In the eternal coun- Since we have been chosen in Christ before the founda-
sel of God, that which is first there is the decree of His tion of the world, a valid implication is that Christ was
covenant. To realize the purpose of His covenant, God chosen before we were, then we in Him. He was the
ordained His Son to be the Christ, the visible represen- principal object in the decree of God, there appointed
tation of the invisible God. Christ was ordained to be especially to be the Firstborn among many brethren,
and became the Head, the Alpha and Omega of the the Firstborn of every creature, and such a Firstborn as
covenant. Although not always consistent with it, that in the way of being the Firstbegotten from the
Charles  Haddon  Spurgeon, in his unadulterated, dead. As the Firstborn, He came out of the womb of
unabridged and unedited works, reveals a remarkable election, opening the way for His many brethren to
understanding of this truth. He said, "Search for the come forth.
celestial foundation, from which the divine streams of       The triune Jehovah is the first and the last of all
grace flow to us, and you will find Jesus Christ the things. In His being He is self-existent, perfect in him-
well-spring in covenant love. If your eyes shall ever see self, the fountain of life, His own eternity, His own
the covenant roll, if you shall ever be permitted in a blessedness and glory, which He has inherently, and
future state to see the whole plan of redemption as it apart from any adulation of His intelligent creatures.
was mapped out in the chambers of eternity, you shall For nothing is or can be added to or subtracted from
see the blood-red line of atoneing sacrifice running His glory. The entire universe as compared to Him is
across the margin of every page, and you shall see that less than nothing and vanity. Before the creation of all
from the beginning to the end one object was always in worlds, when He dwelled in nothing but eternity,
view - the glory of the Son of God. (John 11:4).          where was His activity? The eternal three persons of
  "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in the trinity lived in mutual covenant love and friend-
whom My Soul delighteth." (Isa. 42: 1) Here is the ship, rejoicing in their common glory. It pleased the
initial election, the well-spring of election. Christ is the Lord to take up into this blessed inter-theistic cove-
first of the elect. He stands at the head of the register nant society the fellowship of creatures made in His
in the book of election. The Son thus became the own image. To realize this, He, in His eternal counsel,
Fountain of election, just as He is the Fountain of life foreordained and foreappointed the second person of
(John 5:26). He was preordained to be the Lamb slain the trinity, the eternal Son of God, to come down into
before the foundation of the world, and foreappointed creature being, as true God and true man. In the in-
to be the one Mediator between God and-men, the carnation, the tabernacle of God was historically with
Man, Christ Jesus. He did not thrust himself into this men. In the incarnate Word, man was raised to the
office, but was called of God, as was Aaron (Heb. 5:4), highest union and fellowship with God. For the eternal
and sealed to the office by the Father (John 6:27). He Word, himself God, became flesh and tabernacled
was set up, or ordained from everlasting, from the among us, to realize God's purpose to the end.
beginning, before the earth was. It was then that He                         (To be continued)
was beside the triune God, a co-equal, yes, a Father.


Feature

                       The Concern of the Reformation
                            for Christian Education (4)
                                              Rev. David Engelsma

  The other of the two main purposes for establishing reading of the Bible, the preparation of ministers, and
Christian schools was, as Luther put it, the welfare of the general training of children to live and work
the "temporal estate." Christian schools did not only properly in the Church. They also had to serve the
have importance for the "spiritual realm" of the. purpose of enabling the children to live and work as


                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER                                                         181



responsible Christians in the various spheres of                     We know . . . how essential and beneficial it is  -
temporal, earthly life. Both of Luther's major works               and pleasing to God-that a prince, lord, councilman,
on education, "To the Councilmen of Germany" and                   or other person in a position of authority be educated
"A sermon on Keeping Children in School," are                      and qualified to perform the functions of his office  as
divided into these two parts: The Purpose of the Chris-            a Christian should.  (my emphasis  - DE. "To the
tian school for the spiritual realm and the purpose of             Councilmen of Germany")
the Christian school for the temporal, earthly realm.          Therefore, the schools that do this qualifying must be
         To this point we have been speaking about the         Christian.
    necessity and value of languages and Christian schools       Perhaps, we are not much affected by the call to
    for the spiritual realm and the salvation of souls. NOW    provide schools for the preparing of our children to
    let us consider also the body. Let us suppose that         take up a position in government. Even then, the Chris-
    there were no soul, no heaven or  hell, and that we        tian school does provide training that bears on our
    were to consider solely the temporal government            children's relation to the State: It trains them to be
    from the standpoint of its worldly functions. Does it      good, faithful, obedient citizens of the State, according
    not need good schools and educated persons even            to God's requirement in Romans 13. In our day, when
    more than the spiritual realm? ("To the Councilmen         the non-Christian schools are the seedbed of revolution
    of Germany")
  This second function of the Christian school con-            against the State, this is no incidental matter.
sisted, first of all, of the preparation of young men for        But Luther by no means saw this second, main pur-
a position in government. The State needs many men,            pose of Christian education in terms only of prepara-
rulers, judges, lawyers, scholars and the like. These tion for a position in government. The "temporal"
men ought to be well educated. Luther stressed this purpose of the Christian schools was nothing less than
aspect of the work of the Christian school: "this one          the preparation of the children of the Church to live
consideration alone would be sufficient to justify the         and work, as Christians, .in every sphere of earthly life.
establishment everywhere of the very best schools for This is the important implication of Luther's stress on
both boys and girls, namely, that in order to maintain the need for schools to train men to work in civil
its temporal estate outwardly the world must have government. Implied is the conviction that God's
good and capable men and women, men able to rule               calling for believers is not exclusively that they
well. . . ." ("To the Councilmen of Germany"). To worship on the Sabbath and cultivate their spiritual
plead for Christian schools on this ground seems life throughout the week in prayer and Bible-study.
strange to us, who scarcely entertain the thought of a This was Anabaptism. The Reformation proclaimed
Christian in government. It is true that Luther's stress that God called His people to serve Him in this world;
on the necessity of schools to provide good men and in the ordinances of marriage, labor and government;
women for the State reflects the peculiar, close rela- in the use and enjoyment of all the aspects of the
tion between civil government and the Lutheran creation. Christian schools, now, must instruct the chil-
branch of the Reformation-Church. Nevertheless, we             dren with a view to this calling. This is their "tem-
do not do well to skip lightly over this suggested             poral" purpose. They must explain the world, its his-
                                                               tory, its ordinances, and its many aspects (e.g., music).
importance of the Christian school. In asserting this
function of the Christian school, Luther was opposing They must develop the abilities of the children, the
                                                               ability to read, the ability to understand, the ability to
the downgrading of civil government by the  pre- analyze, the ability to reason, the ability to write
Reformation Church in the interests of papal suprem-           (prose, poetry, music), and others.
acy. Luther was proclaiming anew the truth about the             The purpose of Christian education, therefore, is
State set forth in Romans 13, that is is ordained of very broad. It is not limited to teaching children to
God and that it has a good work to do as "servant of           read, so that they can read Scripture. It is not limited
God."                                                          to equipping some boys to serve in the State. The
         Worldly government is a glorious ordinance and        schools will help men on the farm and men and women
    splendid gift of God, who has instituted and estab-        in the homes.
    lished it and will have it maintained as something men
    cannot do without. ("A Sermon on Keeping Children                (The Christian school will make) men able to rule
    in School")                                                    well over land and people, (and) women able to
  Because the State is a good institution of God and               manage the household and train children and servants
because it has a valuable, temporal work to do, the                aright. ("To the Councilmen of Germany")
child of God may, and even ought to, work in civil               The schools will produce "a pious jurist and true
government. The Calvinistic branch of the Reforma- scholar" ("A Sermon on Keeping Children in
tion agreed with this view of the State, as Article 36 of School."). They are important for training men for
the Belgic Confession shows. Basic to Luther's desire          writing, which "is a divine office and work" (Ibid.). In
that children be trained to work in civil government           addition, "how many educated men are needed in the
was the intention that they work there as Christians.          fields of medicine and the other liberal arts. Of these


     182                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER



     two one could write a huge book and preach for half a                       take their own place in the stream of human events.
     year" (Ibid.).  In each case. The fundamental concern                       In addition, they could gain from history the knowl-
     of the Reformation was that covenant children work                          edge and understanding of what to seek and what to
     and play in the world as Christians, and therefore the                      avoid in this outward life, and be able to advise and
     Reformation required  Christian  instruction in the                         direct others accordingly. ("To the Councilmen of
     schools. In a fascinating and profound passage, Luther                      Germany")
     explains concretely how Christian education in the                     Luther dared to propose a third reason for the Chris-
     schools can help children live in the world as Chris- tian school, in addition to the "spiritual" benefit and
     tians:                                                               the "temporal" benefit. This was the "pure pleasure"
               But if children were instructed and trained in             of studying.
            schools, or wherever learned and well-trained school-                   I shall say nothing here about the pure pleasure a
            masters and school mistresses were available to teach                man gets from having studied, even though he never
            the languages, the other arts, and history, they would               holds an office of any kind, how at home by himself
            then hear of the doing and sayings of the entire                     he can read all kinds of things talk and associate
            world, and how things went with various cities, king-                with educated people, and travel and do business in
            doms, princes, men, and women. Thus, they could in                   foreign lands; for there are perhaps very few people
            a short time set before themselves as in a mirror the                who are moved by this pleasure. ("A Sermon on
            character, life, counsels, and purposes  -  successfuly              Keeping Children in School")
            and unsuccessful  - of the whole world from the               The child of God need not be apologetic about this
            beginning; on the basis of which they could then              pleasure.
            draw the proper inferences and in the fear of God                                     (To be continued)


     Contending for the Faith
                           The  Doctriine of Atonement
                                                     THIRD PERIOD - 730-l 517 A.D.
                                                                       ANSELM

I                                                              Rev. H.  Veldrnan

       Calling attention to the history of doctrine, particu-                    tion conception an ascendancy over all others. The
     larly of the doctrine of the atonement during the third                     new element of Anselm did not consist in this, that
     period, 730-l 5 17 A.D., we mentioned Anselm of                             he viewed Christ's death as an offering for our sins.
     Canterbury, and quoted from.Philip Schaff in his His-                       But, while men in the past had said mainly that the
     tory of the Christian Church as this historian gives a                      incarnation and satisfaction were not absolutely
     brief review of the life of this esteemed Schoolman.                        necessary but only appropriate  (conveniens), Anselm
        Rev. H. Hoeksema writes concerning Anselm the fol-                       sought a ground to demonstrate the contrary. He
     lowing in his notes on the history of doctrine:                             found this ground in this, that aut poena aut satisfac-
                                                                                 tion  (either punishment or satisfaction) must always
               Anselm is often called the father of scholasticism.               follow upon sin and that, if God would forgive man-
            He was probably easily the greatest of the  School-                  kind and save it, none other than a God-man could
            men, and not unjustly compared to Augustine. How-                    bring that satisfaction to God and return to Him His
            ever, in harmony with the spirit of scholasticism, his               honour. Because Christ, however, was  Godman, His
            chief aim was to provide a rational basis and offer a                completely voluntary death was of such great value,
            reasonable interpretation of the doctrine of the                     that He not only delivered from punishment, but, in
            church. Anselm like all scholastics, labored with                    addition, He also merited; and those merits He left
            material compiled by the past.                                       for mankind, in whose stead He had returned the
       Dr. H. Bavinck, in his "Gereformeerde Dogmatic,"                          honour of God, while He Himself did not need those
     has the following in connection with Anselm's doctrine                      merits. No one adopted this view of Anselm un-
     of the atonement of Christ, Vol. III, 324 F.F. (we                          changed. The absolute necessity of Christ's incarna-
     translate freely):                                                          tion and satisfaction was generally denied. Duns
               The views, which we find with the church fathers                  Scotus stood completely on the other side, denied the
            in connection with the suffering of Christ, return in                infinity of guilt and the infinity of Christ's merits,
            scholasticism. But Anselm's writing, "Cur Deus                       denied that Christ's sacrifice was sufficient in itself,
            home" (Why God man, or the necessity why God                         taught that it was reckoned sufficient by God, and
            became man, H.V.) nevertheless gave to the  satisfac-                reduced the incarnation and satisfaction to pure  arbi-


                                                     THESTANDARD BEARER                                                                 183



    trariness, to  dominium  absolutus   in God; but also              observation. But Bavinck also remarks that the doc-
    Thomas considered it not wholly necessary and called               trine of Anselm, as far as its essential parts are con-
    it appropriate. Besides, a single person, namely                   cerned, nevertheless received an abiding significance in
    Abelard, laid onesidedly the emphasis upon this, that              later theology. Let us now attend to some excerpts
    Christ's incarnation and suffering were not a manifes-             from Anselm's book, "Cur Deus Homo," which title
    tation of God's righteousness, but only of His grace               means: Why it was necessary for God to become man.
    and love; that Christ from the beginning to the end of
    His life had taught us by His word and example and                   In his book, "Cur Deus Homo," Anselm immedi-
    thereby aroused within a love which delivers us from               ately states the question on which his book rests, as
    sin and makes us to be children of God, and that in                follows:
    this must be sought the redemptive and reconciling                       And this question, both  Sideis   are accustomed to
    power of Christ's person and work.                          . .        bring up against us, ridiculing  Chistian simplicity as
      Various elements in the presentation of Anselm                       absurd; and many believers ponder it in their hearts;
    were later rejected by all, such as the entire  private-               for what cause or necessity, in sooth, God became
   judicial (privaatrechtelijk) character which he                         man, and by His own death, as we believe and affirm
    ascribed to the satisfaction, the conception of sin as                 restored life to the world; when He might have done
    offence  and of the satisfaction of restoration of                     this, by means of some other being, angelic or human,
    honour (eerherstel), the  onesided emphasis which he                   or merely by His will. Not only the learned, but also
   laid upon Christ's death with the disregard for His                     many unlearned persons interest themselves in this
   life, the contrast which he makes between punish-                       inquiry and seek for its solution. Therefore, since
    ment and satisfaction, the mechanical connection                       many desire to consider this subject, and, though it
    which he adopts between satisfaction and merit, be-                    seem very difficult in the investigation, it is yet plain
   tween Christ's merits and the reason why it benefits                    to all in the solution, and attractive for the value and
    mankind. But this does not remove the fact that the                    beauty of the reasoning; although what ought to be
    doctrine of Anselm, in its essential parts, as satisfac-               sufficient has been said by the holy fathers and their
    tion for the guilt of sin of the righteousness of God,                 successors, yet I will take pains to disclose to
   in order to realize for us righteousness and life, never-               inquirers what God has seen fit to lay open to me.
    theless received in later theology an abiding signifi-               The question was asked Anselm whether deliverance
    cance. The redemption, as brought about by Christ,                 could not be effected by any other being than God,
    was interpreted most plainly by Anselm as a deliver-               whether God could not have made a man, without sin
    ance, not in the first place from the results of sin,              and without being a descendant of any man, just as He
    from death and from the power of Satan, but before                 had made Adam, and saved mankind through this man.
    all things from sin itself and its guilt; the redemption           To this Anselm answers as follows:
    of Christ consisted primarily in the reconciling of                      Do you not perceive that, if any other being should
    God and man. Yet this view came rightly into its own                   rescue man from eternal death, man would rightly be
   in the scholastic and Romish theology much less than                    adjudged as the servant of that being? Now if this be
   in the Protestant. Thomas limits the satisfaction not,                  so, he would in no wise be restored to that dignity
    as does Anselm, primarily to death, but broadens it                    which would have been his had he never sinned. For
    out to the entire suffering and the entire obedience of                he, who was to be through eternity only the servant
    Christ, he also brings out better than Anselm that the                 of God and an equal with the holy angels, would now
   transfer of Christ's merits to His own is because                       be the servant of a being who was not God, and
    Christ is the Head of the church, but he nevertheless                  whom the angels did not serve.
    does not lead his conception of the suffering of Christ              The reasoning here of Anselm is clear. I am, of
   to a central point, conceives of it successively as
    merit, satisfaction, sacrifice, redemption, reconcilia-            course, obligated to my deliverer, to serve him. If God
   tion. . . . Reconciliation does not stand here as yet               be not my deliverer but a mere man by my saviour,
    upon the foreground, that Christ arouses us into                   then I am obligated to him and I must be his servant.
   imitation,  moves  us unto love by His love and grace               This, of course, would imply that the sinner would not
   and, in faith, delivers us from sin; the objective and              be restored to his original dignity, the dignity which
    subjective atonement, even as forgiveness and renew-               was his in the state of original righteousness when
   ing are not separated from each other sufficiently.                 Adam served his Creator.
   Many Romish theologians later adopt this, but others,                 In his "History of the Christian Church," Philip
   however, place the entire work of Christ under the                  Schaff furnishes us with a few guidelines to lead us in
    concept of redemption or satisfaction, or also treat it            our quotations from Anselm's "Cur Deus Homo." First
   in the scheme of the three offices.                                 of all, Schaff (see Vo. V, 604 f.f.) writes that Anselm'
  In the above quotation from the Dogmatics of Dr.                     argued that the whole world cannot be redeemed by an
H. Bavinck, this writer observes that a thought  which                 arbitrary decree of God, nor through man or angel.
does not receive sufficient emphasis in the writings of Man is under the domination of the devil, deserves
Anselm is that Christ's merits are transferred to His                  punishment, and is justly punished; but the devil tor-
own because Christ is the Head of His Church. Also                     ments him without right, for he does not do it by the
Rev. H. Hoeksema, as we shall see later, makes this                    authority of God, but from malice. In his "Cur Deus


184                                                     THE STANDARD BEARER



Homo," 187 f-f., Anselm writes as follows:                              him unjustly. For man merited punishment, and there
         Moreover, I do not see the force of that argument,             was no more suitable way for  him to be punished
       which we are wont to make use of, that God, in order             than by that being to whom he had given his consent
       to save men, was bound, as it were, to try a contest             to sin. But the infliction of punishment was nothing
       with the devil in justice, before He did in strength, so         meritorious in the devil; on the other hand, he was
       that, when the devil should put to death that being in           even more unrighteous in this, because he was not led
       whom there was nothing worthy of death, and who                  to it by a love of justice, but urged on by a malicious
       was God (our Lord Jesus Christ, H.V.), he should                 impulse.
       justly lose his power over sinners; and that, if it were        In this quotation, Anselm declares that the devil tor-
       not so, God would have used undue force against the          ments the sinner without right. We must bear in mind
       devil, since the devil had a rightful ownership of man,      that the fathers, prior to Anselm, had declared that
       for the  devil had not seized man with violence, but         Christ, in dying for His own, paid the ransom price to
       man had freely surrendered to him. It is true that this      the devil. Anselm certainly refutes this. Of course, we
       might well enough be said, if the devil or man be-           must bear in mind that, according to the Scriptures,
       longed to any other being than God, or were in the           the devil held the power of death, the authority of
       power of any but God. . . . Or, should God, the judge
       of all, snatch man, thus held, out of the power of him       death (Heb. 2:  14-15), but this authority was vested,
       who holds him so unrighteously, either for the pur-          not in the devil himself, but solely in the unchangeable
       pose of punishing him in some other way than by              justice and righteousness of the Lord. He who serves
       means of the devil, or of sparing him, what injustice        sin is a servant of sin, must obey sin, not because the
       would there be in this? For, though man deserved to          devil has any authority over him, but as rooted in the
       be tormented by the devil, yet the devil tormented           adorable justice and righteousness of the Lord.

From  Holy  m-it
                               Exposition of Hebrews
                                                            Rev. G. Lubbers

NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF  YOUR- He would have the  (sunago) Synagogue, the O.T.
SELVES (Hebrews 10: 25)                                             church to which was  added  (epi)   the believers out of
  Really this is still the same subject as we treated in the Gentiles, so that the writer would be referring to
our former essay. It deals with the only possible the New Testament Church, composed of both be-
manner in which we can consider one another. It also lievers out of Jews and Greeks. This is as Paul writes in
deals with the only sphere where this is possibly per- Rom.  1: 16 "First the Jew and also the Greek." Now
formed, namely, the highly spiritual task of consid- we agree with the interpretation that this is such a
ering one another! The writer casts this into a  parti- Church, but we fail to see how this can be distilled
cipial clause. Fact is, that he employs two different from the preposition which means "added." Some-
participles in the present tense. These participles really times this preposition emphasizes  place upon.  In any
show the circumstances in which this "considering one case it is a horrible sin against God's Christ to forsake
another unto provoking unto love and good works" the assembling of the saints. This is the manifestation
takes place. It shows time and place, to wit, the God- of a deep attitude of hatred and rebellion against the
appointed time and place. The place is in the congrega- living God in Christ!
tion. The time is: assembling together, seeking one                   When Jesus stands in the temple in the last day of
another's fellowship in the risen Lord.                             His public ministry, he mentions this deep rebellion of
  To see the enormity of the sin. of forsaking the as- the false prophets and unbelievers against His work of
sembling of "yourselves" we ought to notice carefully gathering the church throughout the entire time from
the nature of this "assembling." The term in the Greek Abel to His very day. "0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou
is very expressive. It is from a verb which means a lead that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are
(ago) to which are appended two prepositions, called sent unto thee, how often would I  have gathered
compound prepositions. These prepositions are "with" fepiszmagagein)  thy children together, even as a hen
(sun) and "upon"  (epi).  The resultant meaning is gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would
"To lead together upon a given place." This refers to the not" (Matthews 23: 37) Here Jerusalem, which is
ingathering of the Church by the Son of God, and to spiritual Sodom and Egypt, is upbraided and con-
the congregating of this church on the Sabbath Day. demned for refusing to be gatherers of the flock of
Calvin stresses the meaning of this term a bit too far.             God under Christ. They killed the prophets, and


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   185



stoned them which were sent to them. Official Jeru- heaven each Sunday; he gathers those together whom
salem, with "Its petrified priesthood, would not have he has raised from the dead and has made to sit to-
Christ gather together the church. We learn here that gether with Christ in heavenly places. Here we draw
the "gathering together" of the saints in Christ's Name is nigh with true hearts, sanctified lips into the very
far more than a mere meeting. It is where Christ presence of God. No, we do not merely come to hear
gathers with the saints, by His Word and Spirit. Here       the preacher pray and preach. We begin in this life the
he is with his godhead, grace, power and Spirit in their eternal Sabbath.
midst.                                                        The writer to the Hebrews is not speaking here of a
  In a sense this is part of the great gathering together mere "neglecting of the means of grace." That is bad
of all the saints unto Himself around the great white enough, and is a very grievous evil under the sun. How-
Throne in the blood of the Lamb. They are being ever, this is far worse. It is a  forsaking  of the assem-
gathered to mount Zion, the city of the living God in bling of the saints, a turning of their backs to this
faith and hope. (Hebrews 12: 22-24) On the very door- assembling, leaving the people of God where Christ
step of heaven they are gathered each Sunday in the gathers them, forever! Such is the truth of the matter
services, on the Lord's Day. This is suggested in the as appears from the term used as well as from the
text "and that so much the more as ye see the day           entire context!
approaching." Keeping the Sabbath is a very spiritual         As for the term used it ought to be crystal clear that
activity of those who have ,a purified conscience and the term even in English is different from mere neglect.
who cling in hope to the promise of the eternal To forsake one's wife is quite different from neglect-
Sabbath.                                                    ing to help her. Besides, the current usage of the term
  Small wonder that the prophets sang of this gather- "forsake" in Scripture is very strong and refers to an
ing of the elect out of every tongue and tribe and nation abandoning of the church, leaving the small church in
already in the Old Testament. They looked for the the world, and caring not that the saints are exposed to
fulfilment of the promise to Abraham "In thee shall all the perils of the spiritual conflict with Satan and all his
nations be blessed." Thus the Scriptures before demonical hosts!
preached the gospel to Abraham. (Gen. 12:3; Gal. 3:8)         The term is used to express negatively the faithful-
This salvation in its universality is heralded by the ness of our covenant God to us.  Writes the writer of
prophet Zachariah "Sing and rejoice, 0 daughter of this Epistle "So that we may boldly say, The LORD. is
Zion; for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of my helper" Why? "Because He hath said, `I will never
thee, saith the LORD. And many nations shall be             leave thee, nor forsake thee.' " (Hebrews 13 :5,6). God
joined unto the LORD in that day, and shall be my           would be leaving us in the lurch if He did not hasten to
people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou     our help. Once God did forsake his church in the depths
shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto         of hellish agony. And that was at Calvary. Here in Christ
thee."                                                      the church cried out "My God, my God, why hast thou
  So great is this gathering of the saints, and their forsaken me?" And the answer is: that by paying the
gathering together of themselves, that this work finds      debt of sin, and meriting eternal life for us, we should
its consummation in the final resurrection of the saints    never more be forsaken. This demonstrates the force of
from the dead. Paul connects this final gathering of the    the term "to forsake" in Scripture.
church in glory with the Parousia, when the church            Now if the church will "consider one another unto
shall ever be with the Lord. Writes he "Now we be-          love" then should there be a tendency to weak knees
seech you, brethren, by the coming  (pavousia) of  our and trembling hand.s, to forsake, then the exhortation
Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto       is "stop constantly any  forsaking" of the church. For
him (episunagogees).  . . . " Here the final gathering to- that is tantamount to counting the blood of Jesus a
gether will be in that great day the eternal Sabbath.       common thing! (compare Joshua 24: 20).
This is what Jesus teaches us concerning the end of the       Against this back-ground we begin to see the
ages, and final gathering of the church in the great        enormity of the sin of leaving the assembling of the
Sabbath-rest of God, when the tabernacle of God shall       saints where the Word is purely preached, the sacra-
be with man, when he says "And he shall send his            ments are administered and discipline is exercised  -
angels with the great sound of the trumpet, and they        even upon those who refuse to walk in love and good
shall  gather together  his elect from the four winds,      works, as becometh saints. For this forsaking of the
from one- end of heaven to the other." (II Thess. 2: 1; assembling of the saints had become the "manner" of
Matt.24:3 1) It is interesting to notice that the Patri-    some. Thank God, not the manner of all! The term
archs do not simply die, they are  "`gathered to  their     translated "manner" is also translated "custom." This
people"(Gen.  25:8, 17; 35:29; 49:29, 33 etc.)              manner of some is more than an occasional lapse in
  From the foregoing we gain the Scriptural per- faithfulness. It is a manner of life; the die is cast and
spective of the importance of faithfully being where        they have crossed the Rubicon. They have come to the
Christ gathers His people to him on the doorstep of point of no-return. They may be people of different


186                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER



temperament, but they have this in common, that they                    the more eagerly watchful Satan is, either to tear us
do not love the saints in Christ. They are selective of                 by any means from the church, or stealthily to seduce
their own church. They walk in their own chosen                         us from it. And such would be the happy effect, were
ways.                                                                   no one to please himself too much, and were all of us
  Calvin writes of such in his remarks on this phrase as                to preserve this one object, mutually to provoke one
follows :                                                               another to love, and to allow no emulation among
         We may at the same time gather  from this passage a            ourselves, but that of doing good  works.  For doubt-
       general doctrine: It is an evil which prevails every-            less the contempt of the brethren, moroseness, envy,
       where among mankind, that everyone sets himself                  immoderate estimate of ourselves, and other sinful
       above others, and that especially that those who seem            impulses, clearly show that our love is very cold, or
       in anything to excel cannot well endure their inferiors          does not at all exist.
       on an equality with themselves. And then there is so           This citation from Calvin is found on pages 240, 241
       much morosity almost in all, that individuals would          of "Calvin's Commentary on Hebrews." When I read
       gladly make churches for themselves if they could;           this I wept with sorrow and confessed the sins of our
       for they find it so difficult to accommodate them-           people, of many in our churches. Yes, I saw the picture
       selves to the ways and habits of others. The rich envy       here of my own sinful flesh. And I thought of the
       one another; and hardly one in a hundred can be              many spots in our lives before the face of God.
       found among the rich, who allows the poor the name             We do well to ponder these words of Calvin.
       and rank of brethren. Unless similarity of habits or           It seems that he wrote them looking at us, and say-
       some allurements or advantages draw us together, it is       ing "Every one who is an enemy of my enemy is not
       very difficult to maintain a continual concord among
       ourselves. Extremely needed, therefore, by us all is the     therefore my friend." Real friendship is a friendship
       admonition to be stimulated to love and not to envy,         which is cultivated where the unity and the love of the
       and not to separate from those whom God has joined           brethren is in evidence, where Christ gathers his church
       to us, but to embrace with brotherly kindness all            on the door-step of heaven, each Sunday morning and
       those who are united to us in faith. And, surely, it         evening!
       behoves us the more earnestly to cultivate unity, as


The Strength of Youth

                                      Practical Preaching
                                                        Rev. Robert D. Decker

  In our last article we examined preaching in the light must hear His voice through that means, preaching is
of several passages from the Bible. We paid special at- indispensable to salvation. Very simply put, no one can
tention to Romans 10: 13-l 5, II Corinthians 5: 18-20, be saved apart from hearing Christ through the preach-
and John 10: 26-28. We also cited several passages from ing of the Word. This latter is especially evident from
the Confessions: Lord's Days 25, question 65; 35, the passage in Romans 10.
question  98; and 31 of the Heidelberg Catechism;                     All of this has some terribly serious implications for
Article 29 of the Belgic Confession, and Article 3 of both preachers and hearers of the Word. The preacher
Head I of the Canons of Dordrecht. Our conclusions bears the grave responsibility of speaking Christ's
were that the Bible teaches two things about preach- Word. He may not speak his own word when he
ing: 1) Christ Himself speaks through preaching. That preaches. That means the contents `of His preaching
is, Christ functions through the office of the ministry must be nothing else than the Holy Scriptures, for
of the Word of God. When a preacher has been duly there is the infallibly inspired Word of God in Jesus
called and ordained in office by the Church of Jesus he Christ. This doesn't mean that all a preacher must do is
stands before the congregation as the representative, quote the Bible. That is not preaching! But this does
the ambassador of Jesus Christ. When that preacher mean that the task of the preacher is to expound the
faithfully preaches the Word of God he is bringing to Scriptures! He must explain the Bible in his sermons
the congregation the official Word of Jesus Christ, and and apply what Christ says in the Scriptures to the
the miracle of the sheep hearing the voice of Jesus the need of his congregation. That is preaching and that is
Good Shepherd takes place. 2) The second truth un- practical preaching. And only that kind of preaching
mistakably taught in the Bible is that because Christ saves them that hear!
speaks through the preaching, and because the sheep                  The Apostle Paul sums this very beautifully in his


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  187



Second Letter to Timothy, chapter two, verse fifteen:        trouble is they are only the opinions of a man and they
"Study to shew thyshelf approved unto God, a work-           are NOT the living and abiding Word, which by the
man that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing         gospel is preached unto you, (I Peter  1:23-l  5)! No
the Word of truth." That text speaks volumes to God's        wonder the youth are disturbed. No wonder church
preachers! Preachers must not be concerned about             membership is declining! Protestant Reformed young
what the congregation thinks of them. They are not to        people, pray fervently that God will spare our churches
be worried about whether or not the congregation ap-         from that! Pray for your pastors that God will. give
proves of them. They must be concerned only with them courage, faithfulness, love for the people of God,
what God thinks. Paul tells Timothy that he must do          and above all the desire to be approved of God as
his utmost, he must strive diligently to reveal himself      workmen who don't need to be ashamed because they
approved to God! He must exert every effort to be a rightly divide the word of truth! Therein lies the bless-
workman who does not need to be ashamed before               ing of God upon our churches and upon you the youth
God. And the only way Timothy or any preacher is             of the church! The fi-uit of that preaching will be that
going to be approved of God is by "rightly dividing the      the church flourishes and grows in the grace and
word of truth!" His task is to cut straight the Word of knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church will
truth! According to the context of this verse this           be strong and steadfast, the people of God will not fall
means Timothy must avoid waging empty, vain, useless         from their steadfast position, and the glory will be to
word battles which only subvert the hearers, and he          God. (cf. II Peter 3: 17, 18) That preaching will be the
must have nothing to do with profane empty chatter.          power to bring the youth of God's church to the con-
Rather his task is to interpret the Word of truth aright.    sciousness of their faith so that they confess it before
William Hendriksen captures the idea rather well in his      Him and His Church. Under the power of that preach-
New Testament Commentary  on this passage, pp. 262,          ing the church will be alive and full of the love of God.
263: "The man who handles the word of the truth Its members will be consecrated as strangers in the
properly does not change, pervert, mutilate, or distort      world to the cause of Jesus Christ, the living witnesses
it, neither does he use it with a wrong purpose in mind.     God intends them to be. That is the sure fruit, because
On the contrary, he prayerfully interprets Scripture         through that preaching Jesus will powerfLllly call His
with Scripture. He courageously, yet lovingly, applies       weary and heavy-laden sheep to Himself, and they will
its glorious meaning to concrete conditions and cir-         come to Him and receive rest. Or to put it in terms of
cumstances, doing this for the glory of God, the con-        Romans 10, thru that preaching the children of God
version of sinners, and the edification of believers."       will hear Christ, believe- in Him, and call upon His
  Preaching therefore does not mean that the minister name and be saved!
just presents beautiful, logical summations of some            There is a final implication that deserves our atten-
doctrines. But it means the preacher applies those           tion. Because Christ speaks through the preaching, the
doctrines of the Word to the concrete need of the            preaching has authority. When your pastor faithfully
church. He lets the Word shine on the path and life of expounds the infallible Scriptures he is not saying
the child of God. For example when he expounds the things which you may take or leave at your own discre-
amazing doctrine of the love of God for us as revealed       tion or whim. He is confronting you with the living
at the cross of Jesus Christ he never fails to tell the      Christ Who demands your whole being and life! And
congregation that the practical implication is that we you have no choice but to listen and obey. We may not
as the beloved of God must love one another with take the attitude that what the preacher says is his idea
God's love!                                                  or his opinion. It is the Word of Christ. Let us not
  That is practical preaching - faithful exposition of neglect the Word of Christ! Let us not stay away from
the Word of God in the light of the Word of God as it        the preaching. Let us avail ourselves of it at both ser-
applies to all of life. There is no substitute for that!     vices and at the weekday services and in the catechism
Drama, films, group discussions, chalk-talks, psalm room. Let us not sleep in the presence of Christ. When
singing cannot take the place of the preaching. It is Christ is speaking let us not be tuning Him out by
exactly the lack of good, practical preaching that is thinking of our things. When we come into the church
causing all the trouble in the church world today.           of God for worship let us remember that our feet are
Young people are disillusioned with the Church. It has standing on holy ground! And let us NEVER leave the
no meaning or significance for them. The church is church that faithfully preaches the living Word of Jesus
lifeless, out of touch, full of formalism that leaves the    Christ. That is THE ONLY IMPORTANT thing in life.
youth cold. WHY? The answer is: THE CHURCH HAS With the desire to sit at the feet of Jesus and to walk in
LONG AGO STOPPED PREACHING! Yes, there are His steps as His disciples we will make very sure that
still "sermons" delivered. Often they are delivered very     our boyfriends and girlfriends desire the same. With
capably. It is said they are very practical, too, because that desire we will forsake all for the sake of Christ. It
they speak out on the issues of the day: ghettos, pov- is THAT crucial.
erty, war, race relations, politics, and the rest! The         To sum the matter . . . practical preaching is


 188                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



  preaching that interprets the Word of God and applies your pastors. Demand that they bring you the Word of
  it to the lives of God's people. Demand nothing less of Christ. And never forget to pray for them!


 In His Fear

    Training Our Youth In Covenant Distinctiveness (2)*;
                                                   Rev. John A. Heys

                I I. Our Distinctive Training                 Hebrews 11. At the same time, of course, we will be
    Now, surely, our training of these covenant young showing them the evil walk of the unbelievers, as they
  people requires of us that we set an example of that are recorded in Holy Writ, which are also by those very
  covenant distinctiveness in our own lives. The chain- Scriptures condemned.
  smoking coach is not going to get across to his athletes      As soon as possible we should teach them the details
  that smoking is going to hurt them by giving them in that different walk as it is presented in Scripture. I
  shortness of breath and by robbing them of stamina. am thinking of such texts as Isaiah 43: 2 1 and I
  And when father or mother goes along a little bit in Peter 2: 9 where God says to our children, "This people
  the ways of the world, father and mother point out the have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my
  way their teenagers will go. Let the father copy just a praise," and "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
  little of the hippy haircut, and see once whether the priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
  sons are going to go in the opposite direction. Let the should show forth the praises of Him Who called you
  mothers compromise and make a slightly mini skirt; out of darkness into His marvellous light." In both
  and see once whether the daughters will shop around instances that distinctive walk is  labelled  as showing
  to find one longer than mother's. It is simply a tragic forth God's praises. And that means walking so that
  fact that in the sins wherein the parents walk, the chil- His virtues shine forth in our lives. Showing jiovth  His
  dren vun; the evils which the parents practice, the chil- praises is more than simply speaking those praises with
  dren preach  and practice; the wicked ways which the the lips.
  parents follow, the children get behind and push!             It means, therefore, that they are taught that they
    And by all means what is so dangerous is the prac- are a different people, a covenant people that God has
  tice of parents defending their children in their accept- been pleased to set aside for His praise and has called
  ance of the ways of the world. That is all that they out of the rest of the world for that purpose. And it
- need for a green light to a greater participation in the means that, as soon as they can understand it, we ex-
  ways of the world. Being part of this world according plain to them that new life which they have within
  to the flesh, they need little encouragement to live them and do not fully understand. This is not some-
  contrary to the new life of their rebirth. Besides, in thing that they must find by themselves. This is some-
  this we give Satan a tremendous advantage when he thing that we are obliged to teach them, and they do
  tempts them. Rather than defend them in their need help in understanding what has taken place within
  copying of the world we ought to heed the words of them by this new birth.
Paul in I Corinthians 11: 1, "Be ye followers of me,            Then, also, we must teach them that God demands
  even as I also am of Christ." We ought so to walk that this different walk. Never must we leave the impression
  we can say that to our children. And we ought to set upon them that they must walk differently from the
  such an example before them. What a beautiful proces- way they are walking or purpose to walk because, "I
  sion that is: Christ, Paul, you and your children all said so!" We are often inclined to give that answer to
  walking in one line, in one direction, with one pur- their question, "Why?" But that must  never be the
  pose!                                                       answer. And there is such an abundance of texts to
    And now, walking in that distinctiveness of God's which their attention may and must be called. Paul
  covenant, we will train our children from early infancy writes in Romans 12: 1, "I beseech you therefore,
  to know that there is a different walk of life for the brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
  child of God. This we will do first of all by means of bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
  the stories in Holy Writ wherein the different walk of which is your reasonable service. And be not con-
  the believer is set forth. As little children we will tell formed to this world; but be ye transformed by the
  them of the upright walk of the saints as it comes to renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
  manifestation in these Bible stories. Thus, for example, good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." And
  as it is found in the so-called "Heroes of Faith" in        again II Corinthians 6: 17, "Wherefore come out from


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                               189



among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and       any practical reason, but, again by its own admission
touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." to accentuate some different part of the female body,
We could add Ephesians  5:7,8, "Be not ye therefore       after the accentuation of another part has worn off -
partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness,      and now they are bold - in its sex appeal, which really
but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of is lust power. We can point out to our children the
light." The truth of all these texts should be taught teaching of Jesus - especially to our daughters on this
them as they become teenagers and are able to receive point  - that to lust after a woman is to commit
the meaning of them.                                      adultery, and that the Catechism correctly says that
  And by all means apply discipline to them to train      also forbidden is anything that "entices men thereto."
them. Telling them what example they are to follow is     In that light we surely have a generation of adulterous
important, in fact it is indispensable. But without disci- women and young women in the world today. This
pline you do not train them. Eli spoke to his sons and must not be the case in the church. And as far as our
told them that their works were not that which is de- young men are concerned the same holds true of
manded by our covenant God. But they were not             fashioning their outward appearance after the world.
trained, because they were never disciplined. And this Again by its own admission the world by its hippy
discipline will vary according to the ages. Solomon       appearance speaks and means to speak out its rebellion
counsels us to use the rod, if we love our children. But against all authority; and that by adopting the world's
there comes a time when we should use another rod         symbol of its utter contempt for the fifth command-
than the one of wood. The teenager can have privileges ment they, our children, express their agreement with
taken from him. But he still needs more than simply       this great wickedness. We can show both the young
being told that it is wrong, more than simply having men and young women that the music of this world
the Word of God quoted to him. As long as he is not has the carnal motive of sinfully exciting the flesh and
yet fully trained, he needs discipline. And the church, has no interest at all in showing forth God's praises.
in fact, will apply discipline to adults who fashion Time fails to go into more detail on this, but these are
themselves after the world.                               the general guide lines of that training.
  And let us face it, the confrontation begins when         And what a wonderful privilege then is ours to be
the child reaches the age of being a teenager. Before used in the training of our children. God is pleased,
that time we have our children under control for an mind you, to use us as His brush wherewith He paints
outward life of distinctiveness, if we as parents live in His covenant picture, the chisel wherewith He carves
that life of spiritual strangers here below. We buy the and forms this people for Himself to show forth His
clothes for our children and select them. We supply praises, the pen wherewith He writes His own song of
them with their toys and methods of entertainment praise, the keys of His mighty organ that opens the
(and let us hope rule the TV set with rigid sanctified pipes of His children (and ours) to let the glorious
control!). We still have control where they will go, and music of His glory roll forth into the world.
usually take them along. But when they become teen-         Yes, there are disappointments, and the work is
agers they begin to find a little work and have a little exhausting, and in some instances heartbreaking.
money to buy their own clothes, their own transistor Caring for the material, physical needs of our children
radio, and maybe even TV. They get a driver's license is comparatively easy and simple. Training them in
and either take the car or are taken by their compan- covenant distinctiveness is extremely difficult. The
ions. And where they go, we often do not know.            youth will often manifest themselves as tremendously
  And yet this is the very age in which there is so headstrong, will shock you with the records which
much that can be done and should be done to interest they buy, and with the young men or young women
them in that different walk of life of the new man. whom they date, as well as the clothing they insist
After all we do not seek robots. We are not training upon wearing. They will at times reveal themselves as
our children to some outward conformity to a set of utterly devoid of any spiritual sensitivity and concern.
rules. What we seek to train are conscious, willing indi- Truly it is difficult work and far more exhausting than
viduals who delight in showing forth God's praises and caring for their physical, material needs. But it still
in walking as children of light. And it is in the period remains a blessed privilege that God gives us. And it is
when they are teenagers that we can best teach them a blessed thrill then to behold that people which He
the spiritual, ethical implications of the actions of the chisels through us, to see that covenant picture which
world. We can show them that the love of God is not He painted through us, hear songs of praise which He
in it, and that Scripture says that the carnal mind is wrote through us and the glorious music of His grace
not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, from the mouths of our children.
Romans  8:7, and that the love of God is not in the
things of the world, I John 2: 15,16. We can show them                  I I I. Our Assurance of Success
that the world by its own admission does not shorten        But the question may well be asked, "What assur-
the women's skirts for comfort (in the cold winter?) or ance have we that we will have success in training our


190                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



children to walk that way?" Let me at once assure you lent because they differ from the things of the flesh)
that it does not depend upon us. We must be faithful.          and may be sincere and without offense till the day of
God uses means, and does not paint, or carve or write          Christ. We can and we must pray for our children that
without a pen. He is exactly pleased to do all of the          God will make that love abound in them. For only
training through men. He does not train without men.           then will they consciously and willingly walk as chil-
We may not, therefore, brush off our concern with the           dren of light.
statement that God will take care of them. He cer-                And when we in prayer and in faithfulness seek to
tainly will. But He will do that through men.                  train them, God will give a blessing. He does not
  Nevertheless it must be emphasized that it does not          promise to do that in every one of our children. Some
depend upon us. We can never persuade our children to           of them He may not bring around to a turning from
believe. We can never make them walk in covenant               the world till much later in their lives and after many
distinctiveness or keep one single commandment of years of earnest prayer on the part of the parents and
God. We simply cannot put love of God into their               the church. But He will bless our efforts and keep for
hearts or faith into their souls. This all must be given       Himself seven thousand who do not bow the knee to
by God, and He must use and apply our instruction Baal and the harlot of Babylon. We may be sure be-
and discipline to our children. Our efforts are so very         cause His promises are yea and amen in Christ. He Sent
feeble and imperfect. We always see our mistakes after His Son to make it possible for our children to have
it is too late. And when we arrive at that period when          this new life. He gave His Son the Spirit to implant this
we begin to see the harvest in our children, we find           new life in them. And He will train them through those
only room to praise and thank God for having been              in whom the Spirit of His Son dwells. And finally He
pleased to apply with His infinite power that which we         will in the day of Christ have this people fully formed
did in our sinful, human weakness.                             to live a life in the new Jerusalem that only shows
  There is an item that we should yet add to that               forth His praise. It will be a people completely cut off
training, not as that which we should apply to our from the covenant breakers and wholly dedicated in
children but to ourselves as we train them. And that is         body and soul to the life that glorifies God. God  is
found in Philippians 1: 9. We must, as Paul, pray that         faithful to His covenant promises.
God  will cause the love which He has implanted in              * Speech delivered at the Mr. and Mrs. Societies' League
them to abound yet more and more into their knowl-                Meeting October 23, 1970 in the Hope Protestant Reformed
edge and judgment that these children may approve of              Church
the differing things (that is the original: things excel-


Question Box

                   About R$Cognition in the State of Glory

                                                   ProJ: H.  C  Hoeksenxa

Question                                                       of God. There are many questions which we may ask
Dear Brother:                                                  concerning that future estate and the details of our life
  Very frequently one hears from our pulpits state-            in heaven. In general, I would make two remarks:
ments concerning our abode in glory and our relation-           l/ We must remember that the essence of our blessed-
ship and recognition concerning the saints and/or Bibli-       ness and glory in the new creation will consist in our
cal characters.                                                perfect covenant fellowship with the God of our salva-
  The question is this:, To what degree and in what            tion through Christ Jesus our Lord.  2/ We must not
capacity will they be recognized? Will it be their role,       think in earthly and flesh-and-blood terms of the final
station, or spiritual influence or contribution which          glory. Heaven will be altogether different. It is also
they had or made during their earthly pilgrimage? I            remarkable, in this connection, how Scripture de-
sometimes get that impression. If so, why is this just scribes the blessedness of heaven for us in terms of
limited to Bible characters?                                   what it will  not  be. The inheritance is incorruptible,
  Thank-you.                          Fraternally yours,       and undefiled, and fadeth never away, I Peter 1:4.
                                             N.                   As to the particular question at hand, I would
Reply                                                          answer: Yes, we will know and recognize the saints in
  Questions of this kind are always interesting because        glory individually. In the first place, it is inconceivable
they involve our future glorious estate as the children        to me that there should be communion of saints, but


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                191



that the saints would not know one another's identity. would assume that we shall know the saints according
Not only shall we retain our personal identity in glory, to their status in glory; and this status in glory shall be
but we shall also know one another perfectly as saints according to their works as God's children on earth. If,
in Christ Jesus. It would be very strange, indeed, if this as the Lord says, the apostles shall sit on thrones judg-
were not the case. Here on earth we do not exercise ing the twelve tribes of Israel, shall we not also recog-
communion of saints incognito; why should we do so nize them in their exalted position in the glory of the
in heaven? Only we must remember that our knowl- everlasting state?
edge as saints shall be perfect. And this surely implies,      Finally, I certainly would not limit this to Bible
among other things, the fact that our recognition of characters and can find no ground for doing so. Why,
the saints in glory will not be a matter of merely satis- for example, should we not be able to recognize saints
fying our curiosity. In the second place, I believe that like Augustine or Martin Luther or John Calvin in
there is Scriptural ground for such an idea. In Mat- heaven? And why should we not know and recognize
thew 8: 10, 11 we read: "When Jesus heard it, he in glory the saints among whom we lived and with
marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say whom we had fellowship while on the earth?
unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in          Once more, however, I would caution that we must
Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from not think earthly of all these things. Flesh and blood
the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham,          shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. And all that
and Isaac, and Jacob, in- the kingdom of heaven." (cf.       belongs strictly to that sphere of "flesh and blood"
Lu. 13: 28, 29) This would seem to imply, for example, shall be eliminated in the relationships of our life in
that we shall recognize Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; at glory.
least, it is inconceivable to me that we should sit down
with them, and thus have communion with them, and                                 NOTICE
not recognize them. In Luke 13 the Lord even says
that the unbelieving and impenitent shall see Abraham          Classis West of the Protestant Reformed Churches
and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the king- will meet in  Doon, Iowa on March 3, 1971, at  8:30
dom of God, and they themselves thrust out.                  AM. Material for the Agenda should be sent to the
  In what capacity shall we recognize them? In the Stated Clerk 30 days before Classis convenes. Delegates
first place, in their capacity as saints, that is, as those in need of lodging are to inform the clerk of  Doon's
in whom Christ is perfectly revealed. In the second consistorv.                 Rev. David Engelsma, Stated Clerk
place, even as there shall be degrees in glory, so I                                                   Classis West


                       IMPORTANT NOTICE!!!
                     YOU, YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS,

          - ALL - ARE INVITED TO ATTEND AN INSTRUCTIVE LECTURE ON THE SUBJECT -
 "STRANGERS IN  A STRANGE LAND"
                        THE SPEAKER-  REV. JOHN A. HEYS.
              THE PLACE-  THE ZEELAND CHRISTIAN SCHOOL,
                      LOCATED AT 334 WEST CENTRAL AVE., ZEELAND, MICHIGAN;
                           THE DATE  - THURSDAY EVENING,
                                    JAN. 24 - AT 8:00 P.M.

                            MARK THIS DATE ON YOUR 1971 CALENDAR NOW!

                          THE LECTURE COMMITTEE OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMED CHURCHES.


THE STANDARD BEARER
       P.O. Box 6064
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506



192                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


                                News From Our Churches

                                                December 3 1, 1970

  An exchange of pulpits by Rev. Van Baren and Rev.          "Congratulations to Elizabeth Engelsma, Lori Korter-
Decker made it possible for the congregations of Grand ing, David Rau, and Susan Besselsen!"
Rapids' First Chu&h and South Holland to fellowship                                      *****
with a "son of the church" on December 27.                     We should also pass on the following interesting
                        *****                                news concerning Covenant High School. It was taken
  Rev. and Mrs. Lubbers arrived home on Dec. 21 and          from the high school newsletter, which most of you
planned to spend "the holiday weeks at home with             outside the Grand Rapids area do not see. The infor-
their family." Rev. Lubbers was, of course, the center       mation was entitled "Tight Shoes!" Note was made of
of much interest. Before he had been home for 48             the fact that the "present facilities, though very func-
hours he had already, on request, spoken at the chapel       tional and carefully planned, were only designed for a
exercises of Adams, Hope, and Covenant High School.          limited enrollment. During our first year of operation
He also conducted the morning service at First Church        with an initial enrollment of 60 students, the ratio of
on Dec. 27. In discussing his many and various labors        pupils to space was very favorable. Last year the
in Jamaica, he noted that he had, during the past few        `shoe' began to pinch when the enrollment climbed to
months, often remarked to his wife that "things must be      106. This year with 124 students in attendance, the
going all right because it's all uphill." But, as he men-    `shoe' is bulging at the seams and the discomfort be-
tioned to the students at Adams, this is not to be           comes a daily reality. Study halls and library must be
wondered at, for he's, at present, laboring in the time      used as classrooms. Storage space is at a premium and
of sowing, not in the time of harvest. He therefore goes when students work on special projects or committees,
forward in the confidence that he "can do all things         the hall or the office must be used as a meeting place.
through Christ which strengthenest me." And in his           Therefore, the need for Phase II of our building pro-
sermon at First Church he stated that his desire is the      gram is upon us. We expect an increased enrollment for
same as that expressed by the apostle Paul in  Ephe-         the next two years, and at that time the situation will
sians 6: 19. In encouraging "prayer and supplication," be critical. . . . The building committee has been meet-
Paul added "and for me, that utterance may be given          ing with the architect, and preliminary plans and
unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make            sketches are in the final stage of completion. . . . May
known the mystery of the gospel."                            we go forward in faith, confident that the Lord who
                        *****                                has prospered our way in the past will continue to
  At the commencement of the catechism season, an            bless us in the future."
informational note was given to the parents of  cate-                                    *****
chumens in First Church of Grand Rapids. One item in           There seems to be, according to the last bulletin
the letter read, "The pastor intends to use certain          received from our church in Lynden, Washington, con-
visual teaching aids which he hopes will impress upon        tinued appreciation for the "Studies in Biblical Doc-
the catechumens more deeply the truths of the les-           trine." A grateful recipient in Bulawayo, Rhodesia, no
son." He uses, among other things, a flannel board, and      less, writes, "We are very interested in your Bible
transparencies with an overhead projector. The season        Studies. Would it be possible to be put on your regular
is far enough advanced by now so that it can be said         mailing list, please. We should also be grateful for some
with certainty that these have proven to be useful tools.    back copies, which we could pass on to Africans
In fact, one of the 8th grade students asked the under-      searching for the truth. Here, as in other parts of the
signed, "Why don't you teach Bible like Rev. Van             world, `many are carried about with every wind of
Baren teaches catechism. That makes it a lot easier."        doctrine.' "
                        *****                                                            * * * * *
  We've picked up the following little gem from the            This quote, yet, from the "Quiet Thought" section
"Highlights" of Hope School. "We are happy to an-            of Southeast's Bulletin: "Christians are mirrors to re-
nounce that three of our students successfully memo-         flect the glory of Christ; and a mirror does not call
rized the book of James during the summer memoriza-          attention to itself unless there are flaws in it."
tion contest. One student entrusted the first four of
the five chapters to memory." Can you imagine that?                                                                D.D.


