                                        he
                                  tandard

                                               earer

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



     IN THIS ISSUE


         Editorial:
                "Preaching and Historical-Critical Research"
                                                            --...

         Feature:
                Pentecostalism in the Light of the Bible

         .A11 Around Us:

                "Who In The World"

         Signs of the Times:

                Increasing Worldliness Within The Church



                                                    Volume  XLVI  / Number 17  I June, 1972


          j       .-


386                                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



                                                                                                        THE STANDARD  BEARER
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   The Spirit of Adoption.. . . . . . . . . ; . . . . . . . . .386 Editor-in-Chief: Prof.  H. C. Hoeksema
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Editorials  -                                                                  Herman Hanko, Rev. Robert C. Harbach, Rev. John A. Heys, Rev. Jay
                                                                               Kortering, Rev. George C. Lubbers, Rev. Marinus Schipper, Rev.  Gise  J.
  Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .388        Vdn  Baren, Rev. Herman Veldman, Rev. Bernard Woudenberg
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Meditation
                                    The Spirit of Adoption
                                                                  Rev. M. Schipper

                   "For ye.have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the
               Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our
               spirit, that we are the children of God. "                                                             Romans 8:15, 16
   Not the spirit of bondage!                                                      Oh, indeed, there is another spirit that was manifest,
   But the Spirit of adoption, you have received!                              also on the day of Pentecost, the spirit of bondage
   And concerning the certainty of His reception there                         again to fear. That spirit was operative in the hearts of
can be no doubt, for the apostle produces the evidence those who were busy in the temple with their
as it becomes manifest in us - that Spirit in us cries,                        sacrifices, which could never take away sins, which left
"Abba, Father"; and He bears witness with our spirits the worshippers bound in thB shackles of the law with
that we are the children of God.                                               its ordinances.


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   387



  Not that spirit have you received!                         perished with the act.
  For you have been delivered from the bondage of             -No, rather did that mighty Spirit of the risen and
the law, through the sacrifice of Christ. The law and its    exalted Lord, that Spirit of Pentecost come into your
bondage has no more dominion over you. You stand heart which He first regenerated and renewed. He laid
now in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free.       hold on you whom the Father had adopted, for whom
  But you have received the Spirit of adoption!              the Father had already made out the adoption papers
  The Spirit of freedom of sons!                             and signed them with the pen of blood, the blood of
   Such is the thought which the apostle develops in         His Only Begotten Son. And with that regenerating
our text and its immediate context, which is but a           grace, whereby you were given a new heart, you were
delineation of the main thought in this chapter - the        also given a true, a saving faith, whereby you
victory song of faith!                                       subjectively, with all the other children He adopted,
  You are the living children of God, who have               were enabled consciously to embrace Him as the Spirit
received the Spirit of Life. You have been freed from        of adoption.
the law of sin and death. And though the body must             This is the wonder of Pentecost!
still enter death, the Spirit of Him Who raised up              For then the Spirit was poured out over the church
Christ Jesus from the dead shall also quicken your of Christ and into the hearts of believers; and He
mortal bodies; and with body and soul we shall live          abides in the church and dwells in the believers whom
with Christ. God is for us. Nothing can be against us.       it pleased the Father to adopt. He is the Spirit of
Yea, nothing shall separate us from the love of God.         adoption, that is, the Spirit Who works out the
We shall live!                                               adoption in us. That Spirit you have received only
  As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are          after He first came into your heart.
the sons of God!                                               Children of adoption ye are, and therefore children
  Children of adoption!                                      of God!
  Not natural children of God are ye!                          Heirs of God, and with Christ, His Only Begotten!
   God has but one natural Child i His Only Begotten!        Christ is become our elder brother, and with Him we
Eternally generated of the Father, and His express are given all the rights and privileges of sons!
image! In Whom the Father beholds eternally His                But that is not all. There is much more that is
likeness. In Whom all the fulness of the Father dwells., implied in our .adoption. In natural and legal adoption
Expressing all the infinite perfections of the Godhead.      of children, children come into our homes who were
In Whom the Father eternally finds His delight. No           born of other parents. These children partake of the
more natural children does the Father have than His nature and characteristics of their natural parents, not
Only Begotten Son.                                           of the nature and characteristics of the parents who
  Yet it pleased the Father that He should have other        adopt them. As much as adopting parents may desire
children!                                                    that their adopted children would look like them and
  And these He purposed to obtain through the legal reflect their likeness, they cannot change these
and spiritual process of adoption!                           children. But wonder of wonders! When God adopts us
  Natural children ye were of your natural father, He transforms us into His image, by conforming us to
Adam; and with your first father and through his fall the image of His Son, so that spiritually we begin to
into sin, you became children of darkness, children of reflect the very image of our heavenly Father.
wrath. Chidren ye were, naturally, of your first father,       Marvelous grace!
who was created originally in the image and likeness of        God adopts children who show forth His likeness!
God; but who lost that image through his                       All this is the fruit of the reception of the Spirit of
disobedience, and was converted into the image of the adoption!
prince of darkness. Children, ye were, who were                And that is what that Spirit witnesses in us!
conceived and born in sin, with natures totally                He beareth witness with our spirits! That. is
depraved, incapable of doing any good, and inclined to       especially His work, namely, to witness. He has
all evil. Hopelessly bound you were in the shackles of nothing to say of Himself; but what He heareth the
sin and death.                                               Father and the Son speak, thereof only He speaks. For
  But now you have received the Spirit of adoption!          He searches out the deep things of God. And these
  Not because you have opened your hearts to receive things God, reveals, unto us by His Spirit. (I Cor. 2: 10).
Him! Nor was it so that you received Him because you         No man knoweth the things of God, but by the Spirit
fulfilled certain conditions necessary to make your of God.
salvation possible!                                            And what does the Spirit say?
  God forbid! How could that ever be? How could                Oh, blessed Spirit! Listen to Him speak!
children of darkness and of wrath ever do that? That is        This is what He says. He witnesses that we are
utterly impossible! Fact of the matter is, that when         children, the children of God! Mystically He testifies in
you received Him, your natural, your  Arminian god, us to our spirits. Not, you understand, with  a. false


 388                                           THE STANDARD BEARER
                                                                                                                            I

mysticism. Not with some spiritual mutterings which it comes to acknowledging their adopting Father. For
.no man can understand. Not with some vain gibberish such is evidently the significance of this sacred
which gets hold of you so that you get all excited with       designation, mentioned first in the Hebrew, and then
some emotional vanity you cannot at all explain. in the Greek.
Those who make this claim talk of another spirit than           All together their spirits respond to the witness of
the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of adoption. Nay, rather, the Spirit        within their spirits; with ecstatic
always the language of the Spirit is the testimony of wonderment they all cry out: Father!
the Bible, of which He also is the `infallible Author.           Understand well, also the children of God have:
Never apart from the Scriptures does the Holy Spirit nothing to say of themselves. What they have to say is
speak!
   - . . . .  ..-. .                                          by inspiration of the Spirit within them. Note how the
   But what is His testimony`!                                text emphatically expresses this: whereby we cry
   That God has loved us from before the foundation namely, by the Spirit Who works in us the adoption -
of the world; that He has chosen us in Christ Jesus to        we crv. "Abba. Father!" And the reason for this must
be  His  People;  that He has redeemed us through the be that when these children of adoption respond  to the
blood and sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son; that the work of the Holy Spirit in them, that response also
raised and exalted Son in our nature has received the must be entirely the work of God in them.
Holy Spirit without measure at God's right hand; that
the Son poured out His Spirit into the church on                 Then, it also follows, that the cry, "Abba, Father,`"
Pentecost; that that Spirit abides with us as the true is not merely an acknowledgment that God is our
Comforter Who will also lead us into all the truth; and Father; but at the same time the expression is intended
that it is that Spirit Who testifies with our spirits that    as praise and adoration of Father.
we are now become the children of God and co-heirs               In that light, how meaningful becomes the cry!
with Christ of all things. Moreover, He reveals to us            Wonderful, loving Father!
that when His work shall be finished in us, we  ,shall           How great Thou art, that Thou  couldest have had
appear before God, and we shall see Him as He is. In such infinite inclinations of love and mercy so as to
body and soul we shall be completely transformed into incorporate us into Thy family, and to make us to
His perfect image. Such is the testimony of the Spirit        become ThY sons and daughters!
as He witnesses within our spirits.                              And when we look at ourselves, our Father, how
   And that testimony within us causes our spirits also could it ever be that of such unfit material we should
to witness!                                                   be made to reflect Thy perfect image? All we will ever
   And what may that witness be?                              be able to say in response to Thy eternal love towards
   Abba, loving Father !                                      us is:
   It makes no difference from whence these children             "Father, we love Thee, only because Thou hast first
 come naturally; whether they come from the Jew or loved us!"
the Gentile, they both speak the same language, when             "Abba, loving Father!"




Editorids

                                           Editor's Notes
                                                ProJ H. C. Hoeksema

   By the time this appears in print, we are assured,           We call special attention to two articles in this issue.
Volume 3 of The Triple Knowledge, An Exposition of First of all, we mention Prof. Hanko's critique of Key
the Heidelberg Catechism, will at long last be available `73 and of the book Who In The World? Secondly, we
- at the price of $8.95. This means that the entire call attention to Rev. Decker's, first (of two) article on
reprinted set is now available. For those who have not Pentecostalism. Read these for yourselves, and be
purchased the volumes separately, the complete set can instructed. And when you have finished, pass them on
be purchased for $24.95.. And; by the way, these to a concerned Christian Reformed, friend. Or `better
books would make a. fine graduation gift for someone! still, send that friend a gift subscription under our TEN
If you hurry, you can get them before most graduation for TWO introductory offer.
dates!


                                                                        THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                        389


               "Preaching and Historical-Critical Research"
  In our previous editorial about Prof. Dr. Klaas                                        O.T. and N.T.  finds the primary field of Divine
Runia's inaugural address on the above subject, we saw                                       Revelation in History because it is the field of Divine
that at the outset Dr. Runia adopts a dualistic view of                                      Action. If God is the Maker and Ruler of all Mankind,
Scripture and makes room for what he calls criticism in                                      there is a sense in which his action may be discovered
a good sense by pointing to an alleged "humanness" of                                        anywhere in History. But this is not what Christianity
Holy Scripture, a  la Dr. Berkouwer. We pointed out,                                         means primarily by affirming that God is revealed in
however, that  already at this point he fails to                                             history.. . . Christianity takes the series of historical
distinguish successfully this criticism in an alleged good                                   events recorded and reflected in the Bible from the
                                                                                             call of Abraham to the emergence of the Christian
sense from criticism in an evil sense. He fails to show                                      Church and declares that in those series the ultimate
how anyone can engage in criticism without sitting in                                        reality of  all history is controlled by the supreme
judgment above that which he criticizes. This is a                                           event of all  - the life and death and resurrection of
crucial point, I believe, in Runia's address; and it is one                                  Jesus Christ. This valuation of the series is not
which can be traced through the entire address. At no                                        imposed on it from without, but is an integral part of
point does he show how it is possible to engage in                                           history itself."
historical-critical research and at the same time to                                             This proclamation, however, does not come
maintain the absolute, divine authority of Scripture.                                        directly out of heaven to us, but is transmitted to us
He tries, in a measure, to maintain both; but he fails to                                    through a number of documents which are written by
reconcile the two. And it is our contention that the                                         a great number of authors and date from widely
two are fundamentally incapable of being reconciled.                                         different ages. In other words, it comes to us through
  D r .   R u n i a ,   h o w e v e r ,   i n s i s t s   t h a t   s u c h                  the means of historical documents which as such in
                                                                                             principle stand open for so-called historical-critical
historical-critical research is absolutely necessary for                                     research as this takes place according to the
both theologian and preacher, (I translate):                                                 historical-critical method.
        All this, then, means at once that today no one                                   A few remarks are in order here.
    can escape this historical research, also not the                                     In the first place, it is very plain that Runia here
    preacher. He may not be a professional theologian,                                 i n s i s t s   u p o n   t h e   i n e s c a p a b l e   n e c e s s i t y   o f
    but as soon as he `opens his Bible and bows over his
    text in the preparation of his sermon, especially if it                            historical-critical research. The reader should not be
    is a text from the historical parts of Scripture (but                              confused, by the way, by Runia's interchanging of the
    certainly not exclusively in such portions!), he                                   terms  his  torical  research  and  historical-critical research.
    confronts the question: what is the historical quality                             The former can refer to what is frequently called "the
    (gehalte)  of this text? This question is not simply                               historical method" of exegesis. This is a proper part of
    answered by the fact that he as Reformed preacher                                  the sound, believing exegetical method. It simply
    believes that this text is a text from the Word of God                             means that the exegete takes into account the
    inspired by the Holy Spirit. Of course, this is of great                           historical setting, background, circumstances, etc., of
    importance for his approach to the text. It means,                                 any part of Scripture as these are set forth by Scripture
    among other things, that he comes to this text with                                itself, and in so far as Scripture itself makes plain their
    deep reverence. Still more, in the faith that in this
    text, as in the entire Scripture, he has to do with the                            signiJicance.  This, however, is by no means the same as
    trustworthy Word of God. He also knows that it is his                              historical-critical research. The former is recommended
    task to pass on to' the congregation the  specific                                 by any Reformed teacher of hermeneutics. But the
    message of this specific text as God's Word. But the                               latter is carefully distinguished by almost every sound
    acceptance of inspiration does not solve the historical                            text-book on hermeneutics from the so-called
   problems. It remains the task of the theologian  -                                  grammatical-historical method. And the fundamental
    b o t h   t h e   p r o f e s s i o n a l   t h e o l o g i a n   a n d   t h e    difference lies exactly in the word "critical." Runia
    preacher-theologian  - to ask: what factuality is here                             wants historical  criticism!  But it is deceptively
   imparted, and how is this factuality imparted?                                      inaccurate to speak of this as merely "historical
       It is  .plain  that the posing of  these  historical                            research,"
   questions touches the basis of the entire Christian                                    In the second place, here is an example of a
   message and of the entire Christian faith. The                                      deceptive ambivalence toward the authority of
   Christian faith is after all an `historic' faith, in this                           Scripture which is so often characteristic of those who
   sense, that it is founded upon definite historical facts.
   C. H. Dodd says in his book History and the Gospels:                                claim to have a "high view" of Scripture but who want
   "Christianity rests on the affirmation that a series of                             to make concessions to higher criticism. It is a "Yes
   events happened in which God revealed himself in                                    . . . But" position. Yes, the text is part of the
   action for the salvation of men. . . . Christianity does                            Spirit-inspired Word of God. Yes, this is of great
   not repudiate the revelation of God in nature or                                    importance in one's approach to the text. Yes, it
   spiritual experience. But Christianity as based on the                              implies deep reverence in approaching the text. Yes, it


                                                                                                                                         I
390                                            THE STANDARD BEARER
,

means that one is dealing with the trustworthy Word              But yet there can be no doubt about it that Runia
of God. BUT this acceptance of inspiration does not           wants real ciiticism. For on page 18 he becomes very
solve the historical questions! Even apart from this          specific, and writes: "This does not mean that he (the
miserable two-handedness, it should be noted that             preacher) has it very easy and need not conduct any
there are certain things Runia does  not  say in this         historical research. On the contrary, he has to do with
paragraph. He does NOT say that the Scriptures are            historical documents,  and he has to use the various
infallible and inerrant. He does NOT speak of                 techniques which in the course of years have been
unconditionally bowing before the authority of developed in historical-critical research. All the usable
Scripture, but only of "deep reverence." I claim that         critical techniques: those of textual criticism, literary
no Reformed man should speak this kind of language.           criticism, form-his torical criticism, redaction-his to&al
     In the third place, Runia uses the worn out "red         criticism, and whatever more there may be, stand in
herring" that the Bible "does not come directly out of principle at his disposal. (italics added) Of course, he
heaven to us." Now no one in his right mind has ever          will have to use them within the frame of Biblical
claimed this, especially not among Reformed                   presuppositions. But within that frame, then, he must
theologians. In fact, any Reformed theologian will not        also use them."
only recognize the fact that Scripture came to us               It is plain, therefore, what Runia wants. He wants
through "holy men" and over a period of many genuine criticism.
centuries; but a sound Reformed theologian will even            But once more, he fails utterly to show how this is
emphasize that this enhances the wonder of Scripture. possible under a Reformed view of Scripture. With the
But why, pray tell, do theologians who want to make exception of textual criticism, which is a legitimate
room for a "human element" in Scripture and for a theological science and which Runia has no right to
certain amount of historical criticism keep on talking lump together with the techniques of higher criticism,
about this? It is a belittling of Scripture's  d&e            Runia is trying to mix fire and water! But he never
authorship, nothing less. And, if it does not mean that       shows how they can be mixed. Nor can he show this!
Scripture's divine origin and authority and infallibility If he wants the fire of the Spirit, he must throw the
are called in question, then how in the world can the cold water of rationalistic criticism away; and if he
conclusion be drawn that Scripture is "in principle" insists upon the water of criticism, he must sacrifice
open for historical-critical researcp? This Runia never       the fire of the Spirit in the Scriptures!
explains; and he cannot explain it.                             Nor must Runia, as he tries to do at the conclusion
     At this point in l$s oration, Dr. Runia enters into a of his address, attempt to say that he is in the line of
description and criticism of the method of, the Reformers. While he concedes that the Reformers
historical-critical research. He points out that the did not know of the modern methods, he claims that
method has its philosophical basis in the his position represents a contemporaneous
EnJightenment, according to which the wonder was advancement of what the Reformers did in the 16th
excluded. He shows that the Enlightenment and the century. He even claims that Calvin "certainly was not
historical-critical view have a radically different view of un-critical in his approach to Scripture," - something
reality and of history than does the Christian faith. for which I would like explicit proof!
And while the emphasis in this section - in which he            For my part, I prefer the position stated by Dr.
also criticizes several modern theologians of the critical Robert Preus, who is engaged in a controversy about
school - is not sharply on the faith-unbelief antithesis historical criticism in the Lutheran Church - Missouri
and is not sharply formulated in terms of the authority Synod. This is in a Lutheran context, to be sure. But
and infallibility of Scripture, nevertheless, on the on the doctrine of Scripture Luther and Calvin stood
whole his criticism at this point is rather well made. At together. And here is what Dr. Preus writes in answer
least, for the purposes of this critique, I would not to a Dr. Artliur Repp:
fault it.                                                            Brother Art. assumes that the historical-critical
     What is inexplicable to me is the fact that after all        m e t h o d   c a n   b e   u s e d   w i t h   " L u t h e r a n "
this, Runia does an about-face, and writes: "All this             presuppositions, a Great Myth which I think  must
does not mean at all that he (the `Christian) may not             have its origin on this campus (Concordia Seminary,
investigate this history, which is. proclaimed  in                H.C.H.). `But this is methodologically impossible. To
Scripture, according to the historical method which we            my -knowledge no reputable scholar outside our
previously sketched briefly. But it means that this               circles has ever suggested the  possiblity of such a
method must be employed now in the context of the                 procedure. Why? Because the historical-critical
                                                                  method with the presuppositions peculiar to it is
concept of reality  deriv$d from Scripture  4seK"                 incompatible with Lutheran hermeneutics (as elicited
However, Rutia fails completely to show how this is               from our Confessions). To impose Lutheran
possible. He fails to show how there is room for                  presuppositions (gathered, I presume, from our
historical criticism in a Scripture which is above all            Confessions) upon the historical-critical method
criticism.                                                        would eo ipso destroy the foundation underlying the


                                                          THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 391



         method and the method itself. Let me give an                     abandon it altogether as a  working principle.
         example. Historic Lutheranism in its Confessions                 (Christian News, April 17,1972,  page 6)
         holds to the divine origin of Scripture and of biblical         According to Preus, no reputable and consistent
         doctrine. The historical-critical method holds to the        practitioner of the  historical-critical method today
         human origin of Scripture and of biblical doctrine. It       would or could operate faithfully and consistently
         is simply not possible that two such totally
         contradictory principles as these, each essential to a       with these Lutheran principles as he carries out the
         certain way of approaching Scripture and doing                exegetical  task. I would add: the same is true of
         exegesis, can be used together and consistently by an         Reformed principles of Holy Scripture.
         exegete.  Either he must deny a presupposition                  Dr. Runia cannot have things both ways.
         essential to the entire historical-critical enterprise or       He must choose.,
         he must so radically modify the  sola  Scnptura                 Or is it more correct. to say that he has chosen?
         authority principle of historic Lutheranism as to



' Feature

                  Pentecostalism in the light of the Bible (1)
I
                                                           Rev. Robert D. Decker

       Perhaps no movement has made more of an impact                  Charismatic Renewal. (or Revival), and the modern
     on the church world than Pentecostalism. Certainly no             tongues movement. Both liberal and conservative
     movement has done so in the last ten to twenty years.             churches, schools, mission boards, and publications
     "The growth of the Pentecostal movement in . . . the             have felt the impact of this new movement . . . Thus it
     United States has also been impressive, particularly the          becomes important for every believer to understand
     increment in mission of the Assemblies of God, which             this new manifestation of tongue speaking."' (Robert
     is reported to be building one new church a day in                G. Gromacki,  The Modern Tongues Movement,
     America and to be supporting over seven hundred and              Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co.
     fifty overseas missionaries on a missionary budget of            Philadelphia 1967) We might add that the Reformed
     over seven million dollars, in addition to maintaining            community of churches both in this country and
     the largest number of Bible schools in the world                 abroad has not been unaffected by Pentecostal inroads.
     today." (Frederick Dale Brunner, A Theology Of The                  Tongue speaking (and other miracles and signs) did,
     Holy Spirit,  Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1970 p. 25)                 of course, occur in the New Testament church. We find
     Brunner goes on to say: "In terms of simple numbers              references to this in Mark 16, the book of Acts, and
     international Pentecostal&m reports the largest number            I Corinthians 12-14. It is noteworthy, however, that
     of adherents in the United States (about three million),          from A.D. 100 to 1900 tongue speaking virtually
     Brazil (two million), Indonesia (one million), Chili              disappeared and is not to be found in the mainstream
     (nearly one million), and South Africa (one half                  of the church. It is found among the Montanists in the
     million) usually listed in that order. Numerically, at            second century and in various other minority groups
     the very least, the young Pentecostal movement has               and sects. (There is no space for a study of the history
     plowed a broad furrow into the first two-thirds of the            of the movement. I would urge the reader to consult
     twentieth century and reaped success," p. 25.                    Brunner's  book for an excellent and detailed history of
       In addition to the Pentecostal Churches there is a             Pentecostalism.)
     related movement which has come to be called                        Pentecostals themselves explain this phenomenon
     "Neo-Pentecostalism."  "Less than twenty years ago,              (the virtual disappearance of tongue speaking and
     Brumback (Carl Brumback, a Pentecostal, R.D.)                    other miracles and gifts from the mainstream of the
     confessed: `We.might  as well face the facts; speaking in        church) as due to a lack of faith in or rejection of the
     tongues is not acceptable anywhere except in the                 Holy Spirit. by the church. Brunner quotes David
     Pentecostal movement.' This statement could not be               duPlessis, a leading- Pentecostal, as writing: "The Holy
     made today, because speaking in tongues is ylow being            Spirit continued in control until the close of the first
     accepted as part of normal, personal and church life             century, when He was largely rejected and His position
     among. Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists,           as leader usurped by men. The results are written in
     Presbyterians, and even Catholics. This outburst of              history. The missionary movement halted. The dark
     tongues among the historic denominations has been                ages ensued." (Brunner, p. 27)  Pentecost&  feel that
     called the New Penetration, the New Pentecostalism,              their movement is a new Reformation, "a worthy and


392                                              THE ?TANDARD  BEARER



perhaps even superior successor to the Reformation of         Tongue Speaking According To Scripture;  John L.
the 16th century and to the English Revival of the            Sherrill, They Speak With Other Tongues; And A. G.
18th, and nearly always as a faithful reproduction of Dornfeld, who wrote a pamphlet entitled, "Have You
the apostolic movement of the first century." Received The Holy Spirit?".
(Brunner, p. 27) Pentecostals are convinced that the            The key concept in Pentecostal belief is: "The
way back to the church's experience and power is via          Baptism in, or with, the Holy Spirit." We find this in
Pentecost, i.e., by way of the baptism in or with (not        all four Gospel accounts; Matthew 3: 11, Mark 1: 18,
"by") the Holy Spirit with its accompanying signs and         Luke 3: 16, and John 1:33. In these passages we learn
miracles. The .way back to real, vibrant Christian life       that John the Baptist baptized with water unto
and service is to have the experience of the Apostles at      repentance but prophesied that "One mightier than I,"
Pentecost, to be "filled with the Holy Spirit" (cf. Acts      Christ, was coming after him and would baptize you
2). Without the experience the believer, and                  with the Holy Ghost and with fire. In Acts  1:5 Jesus
consequently the church, will remain impotent,                speaks of the fulfillment of this prophecy: "For John
virtually dead.                                               truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized
   It is out of this conviction  that- Neo-Pentecostals       with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." In verse 8
especially level a very serious charge at the                 of the same chapter the Saviour goes on to explain:
non-Pentecostal churches and believers. They claim to         "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is
hold fast to the "faith of the fathers," the confessions      come upon'you: and ye shall be witnesses of me both
of the church. Only, they claim to have something             in Jerusalem, and in all  Judea, and in  Samaria, and
more, something in addition to the traditional                unto the uttermost part of the earth." For this reason
teachings and practices of the church. And, that              Christ instructs His disciples to  ". . . wait for the
something more is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with         promise of the Father, which . . . ye have heard of
its resultant power and gifts which make the Christian        me," (vs. 4). The disciples upon the ascension of the
and the church effective in service and life, This, they      Lord and in obedience to His command returned to
say, the non-pentecostals lack; and, therefore, the           Jerusalem, and together with the women and Jesus'
churches today are guilty of dead orthodoxy. They are         brethren "continued with one accord and in prayer
lifeless, powerless, ineffective and busy themselves          and supplication," (vs. 14). Two of the Gospel
sweeping around dusty  dogm,as. They are very                 accounts mention this also. Luke  `24:36,ff, teaches
seriously disobedient to the King of the Church,              that the disciples were commanded to "tarry in
Christ.                                                       Jerusalem until  .ye be endued with power from on
  While we cannot go into all of the implications of          high." (This is the origin of the Pentecostal "tarrying
this charge, this much must be said. The Pentecostal          meeting," where seekers of the Spirit baptism pray and
(neo) must understand that his view of the Baptism in         tarry for the baptism in the Spirit as evidenced by
the Holy Spirit radically affects his understanding of        speaking in tongues.) Mark 16: 14-20 informs us that
the truth of the Scriptures: his view of God, first of all    Jesus promised that signs would follow them that
(The Holy Spirit is- God!); of God's Christ, and              believe, casting out devils, speaking in new tongues,
therefore of the doctrine of salvation,- particularly the     drinking deadly things and not being hurt, taking up
Spirit's work of applying the, merits of Christ .in the       serpents, laying hands on the sick so that they recover.
elect  .-- regeneration, calling, faith and conversion,         All this finds its fulfillment in Acts 2: l-4 when on
justification, sanctification, preservation. And his view     Pentecost they were "all filled with the Holy Ghost,
necessarily affects his understanding of the truth of the     and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit
infallible inspiration of the Bible.                          gave them utterance." And, say the Pentecostals, it
  Into all of this we cannot go. What we want to do is        happened repeatedly throughout the book of Acts: to
examine the key passages of Scripture in Acts and I           the Samaritans (Acts 8), Cornelius and his house (Acts
Corinthians especially to see if the Bible teaches that       lo), and those baptized with the baptism of John
the miracle of Pentecost, the Baptism in the Holy             (Acts 19). And most Pentecostals believe there were
Spirit as evidenced by tongue speaking is to be               more such experiences, -as for example Paul's
repeated, experienced, and sought by believers today.         conversion.
It is at this point that Pentecostalism stands or falls.        Pentecostals call this or regard this baptism in the
,. Finally, by way of introduction,- in the making of         Spirit a  crisis experience  of the full reception of the
this speech I am indebted to Brunner and Gromacki             Holy Spirit. They claim this crisis experience is
cited above. Dr. Anthony Hoekema of Calvin Seminary           elsewhere described in the Bible as: to be "filled with
for his book,  What About Tongue Speaking?                    the Spirit," Acts  2:4, Eph. 5: 18; to "receive the
(Eerdmans); the Rev. George Lubbers for an excellent          Spirit," Acts 2:38; to be "sealed by the Spirit," Eph.
exposition of I Corinthians 12-14 found in the                1: 13, "anointed with the Spirit," II Cor. 1:21. It must
Standard Bearer, ~01s. 33 and 34; Pentecostals which          be clearly understood at this point that Pentecostals
I've consulted are Dr. J. A. Schep, Spirit Baptism And        speak not so much of a doctrine of the Holy Spirit or


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                                        393


Spirit baptism, but of the  experience  of that. They then enables him to speak in other languages the
teach that the experience of the apostles and early praises of Jesus. This is the sign that one has been filled
Christians can, does, will, and should occur in the lives or baptized with the Spirit.
of believers today. The point is that the experience of      Thirdly, this experience of Spirit baptism and its
the early church is  normative  for the experience of initial evidence in tongue speaking must be earnestly
Christians now and always.                                 sought by believers. It doesn't just happen, conditions
  Pentecostal belief contains three essential elements must be met. Consciously, fervently, actively the
(admittedly this is but a sketch). First, they teach that seeker has to do these things. Often, too, he needs the
distinct from and following and in addition to the new assistance of others already filled with the Spirit. These
birth (regeneration) and conversion is the baptism in or must pray for him, lay hands on him before the Spirit
with the Holy Spirit. (Note that Pentecostals generally will come. These conditions vary, but generally they
have an Arminian conception of mediate regeneration are: worship, joyous faith, earnest expectation, praise
which is identified with conversion, not a Biblical and thanksgiving, obedience, separation from sin,
conception of immediate regeneration and its fruit in intense desire, baptism, asking of God, etc.
daily conversion.) They teach that all Christians are Consciously the seeker must exercise himself in these
through the new birth and conversion baptized into things, often it becomes for him a long and intense
Christ by the Holy Spirit, but not all Christians are struggle before the Spirit will fill him. But the point is
baptized by Christ into the Spirit. Thus, according to that the believer must fulfill these conditions before
Pentecostal belief, when we are born again and the Spirit will come. Once having fulfilled them and
converted, we receive Christ; but there is  more,  and having been baptized with the Spirit he must continue
that more is the-indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is in these conditions so as to retain the Spirit and receive
the baptism in or with the Spirit. When in addition to the continuing gifts of the Spirit as listed in
being baptized into Christ by the Spirit we are I Corinthians 12. Pentecostals are very insistent on
baptized by Christ with the Spirit, the Holy Spirit this; one must totally yield himself, cleanse his heart of
comes personally into our hearts and lives, bringing to all known sins, pray fervently before the Holy Spirit
us the charismata (literally, "grace things"), the gifts will fill him. It is not difficult to recognize the
and power that we need for personal growth and Arminian and Perfectionist influences at this point. Let
service to God in the Church and in the world.             it be said that the Bible  never  presents faith,
   Secondly, this baptism in or with the Spirit is obedience, regeneration, prayer, etc., as conditions for
evidenced initially by. speaking in other tongues. It is salvation or for receiving the Spirit. These are fruits of
correct and fair to say that Pentecostals, with perhaps the Spirit (cf., e.g., Gal. 5) or gifts of the Spirit of
a very few exceptions, would agree that the speaking in Jesus Christ. Pentecostal theology is to be severely and
tongues is not mere gibberish or unintelligible sounds, uncompromisingly condemned at this point.
but a speaking in real languages, which, however, are        The above, though a sketch, is a description of
unknown and unlearned by the speaker. Certainly that Pentecostal belief. In our next article, D.V., we shall
is the case with the sign of tongues as it occurs in the examine the Biblical evidence in Acts and I Corinthians
Scriptures both in Acts and in I Corinthians 12-14. especially with this question: "Does the Bible teach
When a believer is filled with or baptized in the Holy that the Pentecostal experience of the Apostles and
Spirit, the Spirit so overpowers him that he is in a state New Testament Church is to be repeated and sought
of ecstacy with no control over his faculties. The Spirit after by believers today?"


All Around,  lis
                                  `Who In The World"
                                                  Prof H. Hanko

  The title of this article is the title of a book which Bearer for review.
was published in connection with "Key `73." Written          The, purpose of the book is more explicitly set forth
by Christian Reformed men, it is intended chiefly for in the "Foreword:"
the use of the Christian Reformed denomination in its              The undergirding conviction of these chapters is
participation in this program.                                that every local congregation must be an effective
                                                              center for God's redeeming power in the world, and
  In our last article we discussed the "Key `73"              that the church can best put its enormous potential
program itself; in this present article we intend to          into action by having goals, by knowing who it is and
discuss this book which was sent to the  Standard             exactly where it is going. Written for the lay church


     394                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER



            member,  Who in the World?  is designed as a resource      Because of this kind of use of Scripture, it is
            material for Key `73, the North American movement        essential for anyone reading the book to check on
            of more than 100 denominations and religious groups      every Scriptural quotation to find out for himself what
            that aims to confront every person in the United         the Bible teaches, for the book is quite untrustworthy
            States and Canada with the gospel of Jesus Christ.       in this respect.
               Apart now from the rightness or wrongness of The Structure Of The Church
            participating in such a broadly ecumenical                 In various places throughout the book, the structure
     movement in the cause of evangelism, one would of the Church of Christ is discussed.
     expect that a book intended for use in the Christian              In connection with this discussion, the offices in the
     Reformed Church would have some elements of Church are discussed, and an altogether incorrect view
     ,distinctive  Reformed truths in it to give direction to a of the offices is given.
     Reformed Church in evangelism. One would expect                        When the Spirit created structures, He was
     that in such a book one would find sharp distinctions               responding to needs. He gave gifts as they were
     made which chart a course for the Christian Reformed                needed, and the kind of gifts He gave were
     Church which would set that Church apart from all the               determined by the needs of the church.
     other denominations and religious- groups who are                      The Spirit gave people to do certain types of work
     participating in the movement. One would expect to                 for the church. Since they  ftied these jobs regularly,
     find Scriptural definition given to evangelism and                  we call some of these jobs offices. Note this well:
     principles of the Reformed faith to pervade the book.               offices are only designated and recognized jobs or
        But if such is one's expectation, he is in for bitter            duties. . . . pp. 106,107
     disappointment. There is no essential reason why any              There is no mention made of the Reformed
     denomination, no matter how liberal, could not use teachings concerning the offices in the Church as
     this book in its entirety. Even such a group as the             positions of authority through which Christ is pleased
     Salvation Army (a group participating in Key `73) to rule His Church as the only King and Shepherd of
     could not disagree with anything which is said. One             His sheep. The offices are spoken of as "jobs." It is not
     looks in vain for anything Scriptural, Reformed, or surprising then that` the book advocates radical change
     Calvinistic. It is not a good book.                             in the whole "structure" of the Church to meet
        There are innumerable points that ought to be modern needs. Thus we read on pp. 108, 109:
     criticized, countless errors that dught to be pointed                  One thing is stressed here: structure is given to the
     out, and many details so far removed from the                       church to serve a purpose. For this reason, the
     Scriptures that one can scarcely recognize Scriptural               organization of the church in the New Testament is
                                                                         fluid. . . .
     truths in them. We have chosen to concentrate upon                     We notice a kind of vagueness about the way in
     some of the more important points.                                  which each gift was to be used. There was a job that
        Before we enter into some criticism of the book,                 needed to be done, but we do not get the impression
     there is one comment which ought to be made about                   that the job description was detailed or set out for all
     the book's use of Scripture. Perhaps this comment is                time. . . .
     even fundamental, for one's use of Scripture                           It is not clear as we sometimes think which offices
     determines one's theology, We have in mind the fact                 were meant to be permanent and which were only for
     that, while there are many references to Scripture                  the time being. The church is probably correct in
     found throughout the book, nevertheless, the book                   holding that the tasks of elders, deacons, and pastors
     takes a very loose view of Scripture and quotes the                 are permanent.  But are we absolutely sure that there
     Scriptures in a very misleading and incorrect way. For              is no place for healing, for prophecy, or for discerners
                                                                         of spirits?
     one thing, we have not been able to determine what                     If the structure is given in order to meet the needs
     version of the Bible wasused, and the authors nowhere               of the church  - if this is the New Testament pattern
     tell us. One gets the impression sometimes that the                 - does it not make sense for us to let needs shape the
     translations belong to the authors themselves. But                  structure today? Needs change. . . . Perhaps we ought
.    these translations often do considerable violence to the.           to consider the whole structure of the church in
     Scriptures and teach something all but opposite of                  terms of whether it answers the changing needs of the
     what the Scriptures mean to say. Secondly, the book is              people  - the people of the church and the people we
     filled with partial quotes and texts taken completely               are summoned to reach in the world. If we think
     out of their context, wih the result that Scripture is              more of needs than of keeping the organization
     made to say things which are quite different from what              running smoothly, we will be ready to respond more
     the Word of God teaches. Perhaps one example of this                swiftly to the Spirit's gifts.
     will suffice:                                                      With such a view of the offices in the Church the
               Through the myriad voices that came to .the men       authors take less than a Reformed view of the means
            of Isaiah's time, one voice came to him and said         of grace as well. While the book insists that the
            "Cry." The prophet asked "What shall I cry?" The         preaching is the Church's most important calling (p.
            answer was: "good news." (Isaiah 40:6,9)                 41), nevertheless, the authors mean something. quite


                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                                            395



different by preaching than do the Scriptures. In the           the gospel to be.
fust place, the work of preaching is assigned to the              Before we go into this matter, it is well to note that
Church, but not to the called ministry. For another the lack of definition on this point is a critical one. If
thing, the book says nothing about the official calling         the book is to be an aid in evangelism,  .one would
of ministers of the gospel as ambassadors of Christ. (cf.       expect that a large part of the book would be devoted
pp. 44, 45) And, in connection with this, preaching is          to the subject of the content of the gospel and the truth
considered in terms of the use of modern                        which must be brought to the unconverted. But there
communications and technology, overhead projectors, is almost nothing of this. And, indeed, even the little
cassettes, pictures, etc.                                       that is said, is so vague and general that it can very well
  In like manner, radical changes are suggested in the          be accepted by any church or denomination in the
celebration of communion, changes which alter                   whole country.
comple'tely the Lord's Supper as a sacrament instituted           Yet we must pay attention to some items which fall
by Christ for the strengthening of the faith of His under this general subject. The first of these is the fact
people, and as a sign and seal added to the preaching to        that the book is thoroughly Arminian. A few quotes
confirm the truth of the gospel.                                will demonstrate this.
       Listening to sermons while loOfig  at each other's              God is for the world. He brings Himself to the
    backs is one thing; taking communion without                    world. This is what we confess when we call Jesus
    looking at each other is something else. Can we break           Imnanuel  - God with us! God lets the world know
    tii;lith the tradition of passing the elements of the           who and what He is, and He does for the world what
    sacrament through the pews? We might do this by                 needs to be done. (p. 19)
    serving communion twice every Sunday in small                 In connection with this, the book breathes
    circles. Perhaps this could take place in the church        throughout a spirit of universalism. Perhaps this is only
    fellowship hall (communion in a fellowship hall             hinted at in what is said; it is much more clearly
    sounds right). Let a loaf  of bread be passed around        ,evident from what .is not said. Never is the gospel or its
    the circle, each person breaking off a piece. (There is     contents defined in terms of election and reprobation.
    nothing sacred about the neat cubes of crustless bread
    to which we are accustomed.) Let a cup be passed            Never is the gospel discussed as God's power to save
    around, each person taking a sip. After this comes the      His people. Never is the hardening power of the gospel
    h a r d   p a r t : each person expresses one personal      mentioned. There is scarcely any oblique reference
    concern that he asks the others to share with him  -        even to the antithesis  - especially of the truth over
    n o t   t h e "missionaries on foreign fields," but         against the lie. If not explicitly stated, always the
    something out of his own life. And then (it gets            impression of universalism is left.
    harder) let each person make one personal confession
    - a weakness or a sin that he needs forgiveness for                What the gospel offers is not a self-centered dream
                                                                    for each individual that he will survive death. To be
    from God and his brothers and sisters. Could it work?
    Do we have enough communion now to risk it?                     sure, life after `death is part of it: nothing is worth
                                                                    anything without this. The gospel does point to a life
       Do we limit our spiritual community to "our kind
    of people?" If so, our communion is not of the Spirit           of tearless joy, no more death, no more pain, no moI'e
                                                                    destructiveness. But that is far from the whole of it.
    or of faith, but perhaps of blood or color. Maybe we
    should plan some sort of regular meeting with the               The church's message does not merely satisfy the
    congregation nearest ours, not merely a pulpit                  survival instinct of every man. The church's message
                                                                    is hope for the 
    exchange or listening meeting, but a sharing meeting,                               world, the whole of it.
    in which each group shares what the other group                    "We look forward to new heavens and a new earth,
    looks like to them. . . .                                       the home of justice." (II Peter 3: 13) (The underlining
                                 If we are going to discover        in the quote from  Peter's 
    whether communion can cross the borders of                                                           epistle is that of the
    congregations, we will have to gather together and              authors.) Christianity is also earthly. God became
    share together. (pp. 81, 82)                                    flesh, and in becoming flesh He created the
                                                                    beginnings of a new earth. Good news! The whole
  With almost total disregard for  the Confessions of               earth is going to join the  Hauelujah to God the
the Church and with an attitude of "We know better                  Creator, and men will dwell in brotherhood and
than God how to operate the Church," the book                       peace. (p. 35)
advocates abandoning everything Scriptural and                    It is not difficult to detect in the above quotation
historically Reformed.                                          the universalism, and even post-millennial overtoneS of
The Content Of The Gospel                                       modernism.
  A section of this report must deal with what the                We might also point to `failings in the doctrine of
book has to say about the content of the gospel. This           Scripture: the authors fail to speak of Scripture as the
is not to leave the impression that the book actually           infallible record of God's revelation (p. 18); of an
discusses this subject; it does not. But from various           unacceptable definition of saving faith: "Faith is surely
references in the book, one can gain a certain                  a` belief that certain things are true. But faith is more:
impression of what the authorsconsider the content of itis the life of a man opened up to Jesus Christ. It is a


396                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER
7

matter of the open heart as well as of the convinced say about this. In general it is important that we
mind." (p. 72); of a definition of election in terms of mention that the book is almost exclusively concerned
service - a relatively ancient heresy: "Israel was called about person-to-person relationships, about societies'
to be God's servant to the world, the witness to the problems. It is totally lacking in any discussion of
freedom of God's grace and the goodness of God's man's calling in relationship to God. This is a false and
will. . . . .That is the idea of election that prevails in the dangerous position which leads inevitably to a serious
New Testament. . . ." (p. 111). But what is eminently horizontalism (which is essentially humanism) and a
sad is the discussion of the meaning of Christ's social gospel.
atonement. This passage is so thoroughly modern that                       The Word of God takes hold of souls and turns
it is difficult to imagine people who claim membership                  them about. To take hold of a human soul is to take
in a Reformed Church writing this way.                                  hold of a life, and to take hold of a human life is to
          Since we must suffer with Jesus, we must ask what             take hold of the whole of society. . . .
       Jesus' style of suffering was. His whole life, from                 God's Word must speak, therefore, to the sins and
       birth to death, was styled by suffering. What made               the needs of society.  "Let justice roll on like a river
       Him suffer? The answer is people. The needs, the                 and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Amos
       tragedies, the pains, the suffering, as well as the              5:24. This is God's Word - not a comforting word to
       resistance of people made Him suffer.                            a private soul, but a gauntlet laid down to a people..
          Jesus was involved. He was God's own way of                   All of God's Word zeroes in on the injustices that
       getting at our sin and misery. We were caught as                 afflict the people  - not of Israel, but of your town
       captives of the law of sin and death, and Jesus got              and mine. If a church does not hear this, it has no
       inside our life on earth  - not as a tourist sightseeing,        right to claim that it honors the Word of God and
       but as a citizen of our world. This is what incarnation          allows it to cut like a sharp sword through the sins
       means. Once He was totally involved, He was                      and to the needs of our time. (pp. 43,44)
       vulnerable, open to hurts. And since He was really                  God's purpose is plain: to create a new humanity
       involved when suffering is epidemic, He was hurt.                in Christ, The church is called to be the front-runner
          Jesus did not hurt only when people savagely                  in His program.. . . (p. 113)
       struck Him or when they reviled Him. He hurt  with             It is especially in chapter 3 that this whole matter is
       people. He wept when others suffered. He suffered            discussed. With a reference to the footwashing by Jesus
       because He was involved, deeply and personally, in
       their suffering lives. (pp. 136,137)                         of the  discipies  on the night of Christ's betrayal, the
     Even when, in the next paragraph, the book talks of book speaks of the "sign of the towel" which the
the fact that Christ suffered for people, there is no Church must bear. This is interpreted to mean that the
mention made of a particular atonement and no whole Church must be servants to all men. The mission
mention made that this suffering was bearing the of the Church is chiefly one of allaying social
burden of God's wrath.                                              problems. The deacons must lead the way in caring for
          But Jesus did not only suffer with people; He             needs, especially those of the blacks.
       suffered for them. His was the work of atonement.                   God's compassion for the violent city, born of a
       "On himself he bore our sufferings, our torments he              vision of the city as people, souls, human beings, led
       endured. . . . He was pierced for our transgressions,            Him to hold the city in His arms. . . .
       tortured for our iniquities . . . stricken to the death             What about compassion for our city? Do we have
       for my people's transgression." (Isaiah  53:4,5,8)  He           compassion for the children of the city? p. 152.
       suffered for us as well as with us. This is our last and
       only recourse. What He did for us need never and can           Many similar quotations could be quoted almost at
       never be done again. In this His suffering is finished.      random in this third section of the book.
       "We have been consecrated, through the offering of             This is then the kind of evangelism which the
       the body of Jesus Christ once for all."  (Hebrews            authors of this book have in mind as the Christian
       1O:lO)                                                       Reformed Church participates in Key `73. Can any
Our Calling                                                         blessing of God be expected on anything which departs
     With this subject of the Church's calling the book is, so completely from God's Word? How can anyone who
of course, primarily concerned. We have not the time knows the Scriptures harbor even the passing thought
or space to go into detail on all that the book has to that goodqwill  come of this?



             Following our custom, the Standard Bearer will appear
                    once per month during June, July, and August.


                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER                                                    397



     Question Box

                            As To "Coals of Fire," Rom. 12:20
I                                                   Prof H. C Hoeksema

       From the same Grand Rapids reader whose question           bless thee, and curse him that  curseth thee." In the
     we answered in our last issue I received the following       second place, vengeance implies  injured  love. It
     question: "I also have a text which bothers me per-          presupposes that as God's people we walk in the world
     sonally: Rom. 12: 20. Will you please define the phrase      as His beloved. We walk as friends of God, keeping His
     `Heap coals of fire on his head?' And why is that com-       precepts and glorifying His Name. We walk as children
     mendable?"                                                   of light. In that position and in that walk, all things are
     Reply                                                        ours by right, in Christ. They do not belong to the
       First of all, let us get the text in question in its       ungodly; but they belong to us, the friends of God. We
     context before our minds. To do this we must look at         are heirs of the world. But we are persecuted for
     verses' 19-2 1: "Dearly beloved, avenge not your-            Christ's sake. The ungodly world takes everything
     selves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is          away from us, and it causes us to suffer, leaving us no
     written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the          standing room in the midst of the world. It does this
     Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he       because it hates God, and therefore hates the friends of
     thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap      God. And it manifests this hatred according as and in
     coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but      the measure that the people of God reveal themselves
     overcome evil with good."                                    as friends of God in the midst of the world. And
       I think it is important for the understanding of verse     because we are the friends of God, His covenant
     20, and particularly for the understanding of the            people, the hatred and the persecution of the people of
     expression in question, that we understand clearly the       God by the world cause the love of God to be
     admonition of verse 19. This is true, not because the        provoked to wrath. Thus it is `in history. The saints of
     admonition as such is not clear: for it is very plain,       the old dispensation suffered the reproach of Christ.
     "avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto           And the saints of the new dispensation, even until the
     wrath." But it is true from a practical, spiritual point     time of Antichrist, suffer that same reproach. And
     of view; an admonition of this kind is one of the most       Christ Himself stands in the center of that history. He
     difficult to heed because it is contrary to our every        did no evil, neither was guile found in His mouth. But
     natural inclination, Our very first inclination is to do     Christ and His people all through history are the object
     exactly the opposite of what this passage teaches us.        of the bitter enmity and reproach and opposition and
     Hence, to understand the expression about which my           persecution of the ungodly world.
     questioner asks, it is necessary to understand clearly         And all this calls for vengeance.
     and in its full thrust the admonition not to avenge            What is vengeance? True vengeance is justice. It is
     ourselves, but rather give place unto wrath. And we          not merely the recompensing of evil for evil. This is the
     must also understand the reason given: "for it is            idea of wrath and revenge among men. And then
     written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay saith the           usually that wrath and revenge are not characterized
     Lord." Only then can we understand the admonition            by any justice whatsoever. But vengeance in the true
     given in verse 20, "Therefore if thine enemy hunger,         sense of the word is justice. It is the execution of just
     feed him," etc. This is very plain from the fact that the    wrath.
     admonition .of verse 20 follows the teaching of verse          This vengeance, which is the execution of just
     19 as a conclusion, "Therefore. . .  .." Hence, let us       wrath, consists with respect to the ungodly world in
     briefly look at verse 19 first.                              this, that they be dispossessed of all things, to which
       In considering verse 19, we may ask first of all: what     they laid claim all through the history of the world and
     is the idea of vengeance? And then we may answer that        of which they deprive the people of God to whom
     vengeance is a covenant idea. It presupposes the             these things rightfully belong. And, secondly, this
     relation of friendship, of love, between God and His         vengeance with respect to the ungodly world consists
     people. This is also the reason why the apostle              in this, that they be punished for all their hatred and
     introduces this admonition by the words "Dearly              persecution of the people of God. On the other hand,
     beloved." The reference is not to the apostle's beloved,     with respect to the godly, this vengeance, the
     but to  God's beloved.  And this covenant relation of        execution of justice, implies that they be publicly
     love between God and `His people implies, as the             justified before their enemies; and it implies that they
     Scriptures also literally teach, "I will bless them that     become the possessors of all things. Such, briefly, is


398                                               THE STANDARD BEARER


the idea of this vengeance.                                  "avenge not yourselves." As I suggested in my
  For this vengeance the people of God cry. It is the introductory remarks, we are inclined to avenge
object of their longing. The text certainly does not ourselves, and inclined very much to do so. On the one
mean, and cannot mean, that God's people may not hand,. this is because of our own sinful flesh. It is the
long for that just revenge. Scripture never presents inclination of our sinful nature to do the very opposite
matters, thus. Vengeance is justice, holy justice, the of what this passage teaches. It is our inclination to
bringing to light of the right, for God's sake, and that revile when we are reviled, to do evil when evil is done
through the recompensing of the enemies of God's us. It is our inclination to take matters into our own
people. And for this vengeance God's people long. hands, to take the sword, to strike back when we are
David cries for such vengeance in almost all of his struck. In all this there is neither judgment, nor justice,
psalms. God's people cry day and night for such nor recompense, but only a giving place to the devil. In
vengeance, The parable of the unjust judge teaches us the second place, we are inclined to take matters into
this. And in the book of Revelation, the souls under our own hands and to avenge ourselves because it
the altar, who have suffered for the sake of God's seems to us very often as though God's vengeance
Name, are presented as crying "with a loud voice, tarries and is delayed. We become impatient. But all
saying, How long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost thou such vengeance on our part is wrong because vengeance
not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on is not our right, nor is it within our ability, nor can we
the earth?" And all of history cries out for such exercise vengeance in any way except sinfully. On the
vengeance, the setting straight of all things.               contrary, it is our calling always to do well, a calling
  But the point is that vengeance belongs to God. It is which is concretely pictured in the words of verse 20,
God's affair. Our affair is to do well, also over against    "if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him
the enemies. But God's affair is that He is our covenant     drink."
Friend. We are His beloved. And to take care of our            Positively the apostle admonishes the people of
rights, of our justice, is His concern. We therefore leave God, "but give place unto wrath." This expression has
our enemies to Him for time and for eternity.                been given several interpretations. According to some,
"Beloved, avenge not yourselves, for that belongs to the apostle means that we should give place to our own
God."                                                        wrath. Then the meaning would be that we become
  This leads us to the positive thrust of verse  19: tilled with .wrath because of injustice that is done us.
vengeance is a divine prerogative. God's alone is the But we must give place to this wrath: we must not act
vengeance. This is the reason for the "it is written" in wrath, but wait until our wrath has cooled off. This,
from Deut. 32:35. The apostle reminds the people of however, is not in harmony with the meaning of the
God that the ground for the admonition not to avenge term. To "give place" means "to make room for the
ourselves lies in the declared will of God, according to full working out." Besides, sinful wrath is already itself
which vengeance is strictly His prerogative. Vengeance sin. Others have explained this admonition as meaning
belongs to Him. And not only does it belong to Him' that we must give place to the wrath of our enemies.
but He will take care of it, too. "Vengeance is mine; 1 We must not fight against the wrath of our enemies by
will repay, saith the Lord." This is true, in the first taking vengeance against them, but we must give place
place, because this vengeance concerns God's glory.          to their wrath, in order to let it work itself out upon us
The covenant is His. Hence, God's glory, God's fully. This also is impossible: for then the text would
righteousness, God's holiness, are concerned when mean that we must simply offer ourselves as the
God's people are persecuted in the midst of the world.       objects of the wrath of our enemies.
This is true, in the second place, because God's is the        When the text admonishes us to give place unto
sole right to judge. Vengeance implies judgment. It wrath, the idea is that we must give place unto the
implies the authority to judge and to pronounce wrath of God. God loves us. And He is terribly angry
judgment. It implies the might and the power to              over the injustice and the reproach and the injury done
pronounce such judgment according to strictest justice.      to His people. He who touches His people touches the
And it implies the power to execute that judgment and apple of God's eye, And the point of the text is that
to recompense according to the just desserts of its          we must make room for the wrath of God to wreak
objects.  -Tms all belongs to God. God's alone is the        vengeance upon our enemies. We must not stand in the
authority and the ability to judge. He has never same place of the execution of God's wrath with them.
delegated that to us. All judgment belongs unto God,         This is exactly what we would be doing if we would
never to us. God's alone is the ability to judge recompense evil for evil. If we do that, then we
according to justice. He Himself is the standard of all become the just object of the wrath of God ourselves.
righteousness and'justice. And God's alone is the power Hence, the point of the text is that we must not go and
to execute judgment and to recompense according to
justice, to carry out His own judgment even unto the stand in the way of the full working out of that wrath
                                       _.
very end.                                                    of. God by being ourselves evil and by assuming the
       This is the ground for the negative admonition, prerogative of vengeance which belongs to God only.


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                               399


Then we are trying to do God's work, and then we my questioner asks. Because vengeance belongs to the
become ourselves the objects of that wrath. On the Lord, because the Lord will certainly repay, because,
contrary, we must always do well. We must bless them therefore, we must not avenge ourselves, but rather
that curse us. We must do good to them that hate us. give place unto wrath, therefore, according to verse 20,
We must feed our hungry enemy, and give drink to our we must do good to our enemy. We must not only not
thirsty enemy. We must conduct ourselves so that in take vengeance; but we must do the very opposite: if
the day of judgment no one can say of us that we also thine enemy hunger, feed him; and if he  thirst,~ give
did evil. Hence, we must give place to wrath, and not him to drink. And the apostle adds as a reason that in
stand in the same place of the working out of the so doing "thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head."
wrath of God as that in which our enemies stand. A This verse is also a quotation from the Old Testament,
concrete illustration of this idea of giving place unto Prov. 25: 2 1, 22: "If th-ine enemy be hungry, give him
wrath you have in the history of Korah, Dathan, and bread to eat; and if he be thirsty give him water to
Abiram. God's wrath struck them, so that the earth drink. For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head,
swallowed them up. But before this took place, the and the Lord shall reward thee."
people were exhorted to depart from that spot, lest          As to the meaning of the expression "thou shalt
they also be swallowed up by the wrath of God: they heap coals of fire upon his head," it is evident that we
had to give place to the wrath of God.                    have to do here with a figure of speech. And while the
  Finally, we ought to notice that the text does not precise origin of this figure may not be clear, so that
merely emphasize that the execution of vengeance is commentators differ about this, the meaning of the
an exclusively divine prerogative. But it purposes to figure as such, it seems to me, is very plain. To heap
emphasize that God also will certainly avenge His coals of fire on one's head is a very graphic and
people, and that this is a ground for the exhortation concrete expression for inflicting vehement, burning
not to avenge ourselves. This is emphasized not only in pain, so that one reels and bows his head in order to
the last part of the quotation from Deuteronomy, "I escape it. But the question is: what is the meaning and
will recompense." But it is also emphasized in the first the application of this figure in this particular context?
part of the quotation, "Vengeance belongeth unto What does this have to do, in the first place, with doing
me." Literally the text is: "There is vengeance with good to our enemies? For we must notice that the text
me." That this is the emphasis is very plain from the says explicitly: "for in so doing," that is, in showing
context in Deut.  32:35. There you read very briefly kindness to your enemy, in feeding him when he is
and literally: "To me vengeance, and recompense." hungry, and in giving him to drink when he is thirsty.
But notice the context in the very same verse: "Their This very action, therefore, is a heaping of coals of fire
foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their upon his head, that is, the inflicting of a vehement,
calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come burning pain. The showing of kindness is at the same
upon them make haste. For the Lord shall judge His time the inflicting of a burning pain. And, in the
people, and repent Himself for his servants." You find second place, the question is: how is this to be
the same emphasis in Hebrews 10:30: "For we know harmonized with not taking vengeance?
him'that  hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I          Some have explained this expression to mean that
will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord our enemies will be much more severely punished if we
shall judge his people."                                  leave them in the hands of God, than if we undertake
  Hence, there is a ground here for the admonition. to avenge ourselves. According to them, the text is an
Give place to wrath. Do not stand at the place of the encouragement to heap kindness and benefits on the
ungodly. Principally, turn to and stay with Christ, His head of the evil doer in order to aggravate the
cross, His resurrection. For there the thunderbolts of punishment with which God shall visit him. There are,
God's wrath will not strike. And there you find Him I think, more reasons than one why this cannot be the
Who when He was reviled, reviled not again, but com- correct interpretation. In the first place, this is hardly
mitted Himself to Him that judgeth righteously. Let His in harmony with the idea of heaping burning coals on
mind be in you. For the Lord will recompense. You one's head. For under this interpretation the vengeance
need not avenge yourself. You need not fear that you of God which one brings down upon the enemy can be
will not be avenged. Because the Lord will certainly no other than the fgure vengeance. In the second place,
and quickly and completely take vengeance, will it seems to me that this explanation is exactly contrary
dispossess all His and our enemies, and punish them for to the admonition not to avenge ourselves: for in this
all their wicked oppression, we may safely leave the case we are doing kindness to our enemy exactly out
matter of vengeance to Him. And we may be assured of the motive and desire of vengeance, that is, to bring
that He will surely make His people in Christ Jesus down the divine wrath upon him. And this certainly is
heirs of all things in the new creation forever.          not in harmony with the idea of doing kindness; it
  Now it is in the context of this very serious certainly is not true kindness when one shows this
admonition that we find the expression about which kindness out of the motive of bringing down the wrath


400                                              THE STANDARD BEARER


of God upon someone. In the third place, we must not         one's enemy, and that, too, as a one-sided
overlook the fact that this kindness, in the light of        manifestation of the love of God toward one who
Scripture, must not be mere outward kindness, or             manifests hatred toward us, is like unto the heaping of
beneficence, but must be the manifestation of the love       burning coals on one's head, in the first place, in that it
of Christ. For thus we are enjoined in Matthew 5 and         is a wholesome action, proceeding not from the desire
other passages, "Love your enemies." And in the              of any vengeance, but from love. In the second place, it
fourth place, it seems to me that this is contrary to the    is an action which in its very nature, as being the very
admonition of giving place to wrath: for in this case we     opposite of the action of the enemy and as being the
ourselves by such action exactly stand where the             opposite of what anyone would expect is something
enemy stands, that is, in the place of God's wrath by        that produces burning pain in the consciousness and
our wrong behavior and seeking of vengeance.                 the conscience of that enemy. For in its very nature it
  A second, closely related, explanation is that by          completely puts to shame the hatred and the wrong
heaping undeserved kindness upon an enemy "thou              doing of that enemy. As such it produces pain, just as
wilt thus bring on him the greatest pain, and appease        burning coals laid on the head. It produces the
thy vengeance, while at the same time Jehovah will           wholesome consequence of the burning pain of
reward thy generosity." This explains the text               self-accusation, and thus, either of remorse or
somewhat in the sense of slaying one's enemy with            eventually of repentance. If this action on our part is
kindness. The commentator Delitzsch, in his                  accompanied also by the grace of God, then it will lead
commentary on the passage in Proverbs 25, writes             to repentance on the part of the enemy and of his
concerning this : "Now we say, indeed, that he who           salvation. If, on the other hand, it is not accompanied
rewards evil with good takes the noblest revenge; but if     by the grace of God operating in that enemy, it will
this doing of good proceed from a revengeful aim, and        lead to nothing more than self-accusation and remorse,
is intended sensibly to humble an adversary, then it         and thus to his hardening and damnation. What the
loses all its moral worth, and is changed into selfish,      ultimate effect may be, however, is not our
malicious wickedness. Must the proverb then be               responsibility. Our only responsibility is that we do
understood in this ignoble sense?" We therefore reject       not avenge ourselves, but rather give place to wrath,
this suggestion also as being contrary to the injunction     and that therefore we show kindness to our enemies,
against taking vengeance, as  wel! as contrary to the        and leave all vengeance and recompense to the Lord
injunction of `Scripture to love our enemies.                our God. Only thus are we not conquered by evil, but
   It seems to me that the heaping of kindness upon          conquer evil with good.


Signs of the Times

            "Increasing Worldliness Within the Church"
                                                   Rev. G. Van Baren

  One of the signs of the end of time, says Jesus, is        condemned movie attendance. And that was during the
that "because iniquity shall abound, the love of many        period when movies were relatively "tame." Now,
shall wax cold" (Matt. 24: 12). And the Word declares        during the time that these have rapidly degenerated,
in I Tim. 4:~1, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that     the position of that church has changed. This has been
in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,        tragic for the church. It has become impossible within
giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of            that church to discipline one who obviously seeks the
devils." And we read in II Thess.  2:3, "Let no man          worst of this worldly amusement. Reviews of the worst
deceive you by any means: for that day shall not             sort of movie have appeared in some of the magazines
come, except there come a falling away first. . . ."         and papers closely associated with that church.
  I would suggest that obviously this sign also is seen      Nothing can now be done about it. Worldliness has
today. Many instances could be pointed out. There is         simply overwhelmed many of the members. And all of
an increasing worldliness enveloping the church. One         this has been condoned on the basis of their decision
instance of this has caught my attention repeatedly in       on "common grace" and the basis of the so-called
recent years: movie  .attendance  - and that, too, as it     "cultural mandate" of Genesis 1: 28.
was officially condoned by the Christian Reformed              The report on "Film Arts" presented to the Synod
Synod of 1966. For years, in fact since the beginning        of 1966 is very lengthy. It does present some good
of the movie era, the Christian Reformed Church had          examples of reasoning which makes the bad to appear


                                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                                  401


good. I would quote only `part of the adopted                                           "The proof," it is said, "of the pudding is in the
recommendations on "Film Arts" to show some  .qf eating." One can evaluate the "movie reviews" which
this. With respect to the relationship of the Christian are presented in papers published by  .institutions  of
to the world, the decision states:                                                    this church or by men who are members of it. In the
                1) God created man in His image and                                   light of this, one can soon find out whether indeed
     mandated him "to have dominion over all the earth."                              "good" movies are reviewed and recommended. One
     (Genesis 1:28). This includes the cultural mandate to                            can soon find out whether the membership of this
     develop all the potentials of creation and to dedicate
     them                                                                             denomination is guided in properly evaluating and
               to the glory of God.
          2) Because sin entered the world, even the best                             judging the movie.
     works of man are  defded  with sin, (cf. Heidelberg                                I would direct your attention to  onljr one recent
     Catechism, Question  62), but sin is being restrained                            movie review in the  Reformed Journal  of February,
     by God's common grace.                                                           1972 on the movie,  BiZZy Jack.  I take only this one
          3) By God's particular `grace sinners are,  ir$                             review, not because it is an isolated instance of a "bad"
      principle, renewed and are restored in their three-fold                         movie review, but because it is an example of what I
     office as Christians in order that they  niay                                    have repeatedly read in the Reformed Journal as well
     acknowledge the Kingship of Christ and may serve                                 as in the Calvin College Chimes.
     Him in all their activities (Heidelberg Catechism,                                 The reviewed movie has been shown for a lengthy
 Q u e s t i o n   3 2 )                                                              time in Grand Rapids. The reviewer points out some of
          4) The difference between believers and                                     these things concerning that movie:
     unbelievers cannot always be detected in the products                                    The plot is set in motion when the fifteen-year-old
     of their cultural activities, but it becomes evident in                              daughter of the deputy sheriff (a particularly
     their motivation, direction, and purpose. (Romans                                    d e s p i c a b l e   t o o l   o f   P o s n e r )   r e t u r n s   f r o m
      1:1,2).  . . .                                                                      Haight-Ashbury, where she has contracted hepatitis
   After further statements of a similar nature as the                                    and pregnancy, both from unknown sources. Beaten
above, the decision then treats the question of the                                       up by her father, she  flee? to the reservation. Billy
exercise of Christian liberty and points out that the                                     finds her there and brings her  td the school, where
"Film Arts" is a "cultural medium." Then there                                            she relates to other people for the first time in her
follows an interesting statement on the Christian                                         life. The townspeople soon suspect where she is. They
evaluation of the "Film Arts." The following is set                                       try unsuccessfully to get her back, especially after
forth as guide to the church:                                                             they  find evidence that she is running around with
          1) In keeping with the directives enunciated                                    one of the Freedom School students, a mystical
     above, it is incumbent upon the mature Christian to                                  Indian boy. After a series of confrontations, during
     exercise a responsible personal freedom in the use of                                which the schoolteacher is raped by Bernie while
     the film arts.                                                                       sunning herself after a skinny dip, the Indian boy is
          2) Recognizing that the film arts are largely under                             kidnaped, held for ransom, escapes', and is murdered
     the control and administration of  non-Christian                                     by Bernie and his oafish friend Dinosaur, and the
     agencies, the Christian must exercise a Spirit-guided                                deputy sheriff is shot through the head by Billy Jack,
     and enlightened discrimination in the use of the film                                the deputy's daughter and Billy take refuge in an
     arts.                                                                                abandoned church, where they are soon surrounded
          3) The Christian should reject and condemn the                                  by dozen; of state and local law enforcement officials
     message of those film arts products which sanction                                   with tear gas, bull horns, grenade launchers, and, for
     sin and subvert the Christian interpretation of life.                                all we know, low-yi_eld nuclear weapons. . . ."
     (Ephesians 5:3,11;  12)                                                            The review further states:
         4 )   A   C h r i s t i a n   m a y   w i t n e s s   a   d r a m a t i c           Despite its being flawed  - largely because  the
     presentation of the realities of life which portrays a                               fdmmakers  try to do far too much  - Billy Jack
     redemptive struggle between good and evil when such                                  makes for an entertaining two hours of viewing. . . .
     a portrayal helps him in his struggle to overcome evil                                  There are a number of four-letter words in the
     with good (Romans  12:21) and thus makes a                                           screenplay, but these are scattered discreetly enough
     contribution to a more fully oriented citizenship in                                 so as to give the aura of realism without being
     the Kingdom of God.                                                                  offensive enough to jeopardize the GP rating. . . .
          5) Responsible discrimination should also be                                  The review is concluded thus:
     exercised in the use of the film arts products from                                      By  raising these issues, the  film serves a useful
     broadly Christian sources.
   The decision condones in pious language that which                                     purpose Only if ,it spurs the viewers to a more
                                                                                          profound contemplation of them. One would not, of
in previous years it strongly condemned. Does this                                        course, maintain that a movie ought to present us
pious language now prove that movie attendance is                                         with rigourously argued treatises in ethics. Still, the
good? And does the decision have its desired results:                                     danger of films like  Billy Jack,  with their
that members of the Christian Reformed community                                          intentionally wide - and successful - appeal to a
are now directed to the "good" movies by spiritual                                        youthful audience, is that viewers may go away
experts in the church?                                                                    thinking that they have gotten more than they


402                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER


       actually have. If high school students come away              discreetly enough so as to give the aura of realism           ~
       from  Billy Jack  with the idea that they have seen           without being offensive enough to jeopardize the GP
       answers instead of questions  - serious questions  -          rating.") Do you even wonder what God would say of
       the movie will have served only to advance a sort of          that? Are these "four-letter words" scattered enough          1
       self-indulgent notion of turned-on kids as noble              so that they are not offensive to God? What has
       savages. The trouble with that is that the emphasis           become of true Christianity?
       usually falls on their nobility. Further reflection on          6) After the decision of the Synod of 1966, it is
       the questions Billy Jack raises is required in order to       evident that there can no longer be discipline of
       show that naive acceptance of oversimplified
       moralizing can lead to savagery as well. Some of the          members of that denomination for worldiness in
       kids who applauded the moralizing cheered the                 attending even the worst sort of the films of the world.
       violence as well.                                               7) If this film indeed, as described by the reviewer,
          Perhaps the popularity of Billy Jack is an index of        is the fruit of the so-called "cultural mandate," if it is
       the progress of platitudinous liberalism. Quite clearly,      indeed an evidence of the "good that the wicked do"
       its ideas are ideas whose time has come. That the fnm         as the third point of "common grace" suggests - then
       does not delve very far into them, then, is a criticism       it is high time that faithful children of God arise and
       of it only if its "message" is being taken at face value.     express their holy horror against these anti-Scriptural
  May I point  out several things?                                   claims.
   1) The review does not even once mention the                        This is one instance of rapidiy increasing worldliness
name of God. Why not?                                                which is openly welcomed within the church. Nor
   2)  The review does not compare at all the                        ought we to assume a holier-than-thou attitude in
presentation of the film with the Word of God and its condemning the above. We confront that same
requirements. There is not even the attempt to worldliness. There is the temptation for our own
evaluate the film in any sort of spiritual manner.                   members also to attend the movies of the world - and
  3) Though the decision of the Synod of 1966 I have heard the charge that some have fallen into this
couches its recommendations in very pious language, temptation. And we face the question: what is our
the review (a fruit of that decision) does not even ,attitude toward television programming? Are we
bother about that.                                                   perhaps also guilty of that same sort of worldliness
  4) There is not one whit of evidence of that which we condemn in others? We must remember the
exercising of ` ` a S p ir i t-guided and enlightened Scriptural admonition to keep one's self unspotted
discrimination in the use of the film arts."                         from this world.
   5) The reviewer condones sin provided it is                         In the light of this developing worldiness, within even
"discreetly" done ("There are a number of four-letter the church, how thankful we can be that "the ,Lord.is
words in the screenplay, but these are scattered at hand" (Phil. 4:5).


The Day of Shadows

                            A Shad w of Good Things To Come
                                                            Rev. John A. Heys

  A shadow implies an object between that shadow                     desert the pebbles and rocks will cast very short
and a source of light.                                               shadows  even just before the sun is at its lowest point
  One approaching you from behind, when you have                     on the horizon. But the skyscrapers of man's
the sun at your back, will cast a shadow in front of construction skills that tower up some hundred and
you before that one catches up with you and is more stories, will cast a very long shadow as the sun
revealed to you.                                                     sinks in the west.
  A shadow, therefore, also declares a reality, a real                 Consider that the day of shadows began at the very
object. That which does not exist cannot cast a                      dawn of history. Of course there were natural, physical
shadow. The'tree that is not there casts no shadow on                shadows cast when the sun shone upon the trees and
the ground. But the tree in the field full of foliage the creatures in the land of Eden. But figuratively
produces a large and often enjoyable shade.                          speaking, as we take note of the events that happened
  The shadow may be long, or it may be short,                        in the day of shadows from a spiritual point of view,
depending not only on the size of the object, but also               we find that  there were shadows from the very
upon the angle of the light. In the treeless and grassless           beginning. Paradise itself was a shadow of the paradise


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 403


to come. The tree of life in the garden was a shadow of expect. How could they? They deserved that death
the tree of life which John sees in the new Jerusalem, which cast such an awful shadow in their beautiful
which descends out of heaven from God. And the cross garden. How could they expect the holy God to come
of Christ casts its shadow down the ages from Calvary with words of peace and comfort? They could not, and
to the very feet of Adam and Eve before they were they might not. Yet He came, He Who is Light and in
cast out of the garden. Looking in the direction of the Whom is no darkness; and He cast a shadow of the
source of the light they could see that cross, be it then cross of Christ, and gave them eyes to see that shadow
dimly and without all its detail..                          in the valley of the shadow of death.
  This means, of course, that by faith as Adam and             We said that the cross cast its shadow at the very
Eve looked into the face of God, Who is Light, they feet of Adam and Eve. It did as a very long shadow.
saw the cross of Christ as their only hope of salvation.    And it is that long shadow not only because the cross
Christ was not yet there, and many generations would is such a tremendously great reality, and one of such
rise up and pass away before He would appear in our tremendous significance, but also because of the angle
flesh. But His coming in Bethlehem, and'particularly of the light: for the reality is some four thousand years
His cross on Calvary were evident in their shadows away. The Light of the work of God on that accursed
there in paradise. From that moment on, God's people tree is not directly over head for Adam and Eve. It is
had a Saviour towards which by faith to walk and unto centuries and generations away. But it is there in God's
Whom they could look. Even before they were cast out grace to assure Adam and Eve and the whole church of
into the curse outside the garden and away from the         salvation.
tree of life, Adam and Eve had a way pointed out that         In Genesis 3: 21 we read, "Unto Adam also and to
would bring them to the better tree of life. They had a his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and
shadow which assured them of a reality between them clothed them." In that act the grace of God cast the
and God, the Light, which would bring them and guide        shadow of the coming reality of that cross of Christ. In
them back to covenant fellowship with God in the that deed the grace of God cast into a new light man's
better paradise.                                            situation after his fall from righteousness and into
  It also means that it is the grace of God that Adam death and the curse. God clothed them with the robes
and Eve  - and we with them  - had this shadow for of the righteousness of Christ in a symbolic way by
their comfort. You have no shadow when there is no those skins. Therein by faith they saw the shadow of
object between you and the light. But you have no the coming cross.
shadow either when you have no light. In the dark cave        There are several elements here to consider. God
all is blackness. You can be surrounded by objects and taught Adam and Eve that there was salvation only in
even stumble over them or walk into them. But you the way of the shedding of blood. Coats of skin cannot
have no shadows until a light of some kind is be made without shedding of blood. And Adam and
produced; and then some very grotesque shadows may Eve witnessed the procedure. They must witness it,
suddenly appear to strike terror into you. Adam and because they must seek- God's face themselves by way
Eve had - and we with them - entered into the night of that cross of Christ in this symbolic act of shedding
of sin and death. They at first saw no shadows but the blood of animals. They must take hold of the cross
only felt the cold, clammy hand of death. But God by that shadow every day by faith. You cannot with
came. What a tremendously rich truth that is! God the physical hand take hold of any shadow. In faith
came! The Light appeared; and then it first produced they had a spiritual hand that took hold of the cross
grotesque and terror-producing shadows. Adam and that cast its shadow.
Eve were filled with the most awful fear. Their blood         Further,' the shedding of blood signifies the giving
pressure soared - a thing so unknown to them before. up of life. It means that there must be a life taken for
Their hearts pounded in their breasts as though their them to escape having their lives taken. One must
ribs would crack. God came! They heard His voice suffer the punishment, if they are to escape the
walking in the garden in the cool of the day. Their punishment. By faith they must begin to look for the
hands were icy cold with fear and tension. What would Lamb of God Who will lay down His life for the sheep.
He say? What would He do? The shadows of that death They could only see His shadow, but by faith they
which He had already predicted to them were all must take hold of the reality, believing that this
around them reaching out to take hold of them. Every shadow speaks of such a reality and aware of the fact
little sound was terrifying. They who only knew peace that God sends forth the light to bring that shadow
and tranquility, who knew no tension or nervousness, across all the ages to their very feet.
were suddenly in stark terror! Suddenly they found            And again, it indicates to fallen man that GOD must
themselves in the valley where the shadow of death is clothe us or we are not properly dressed so that we can
cast. They saw death coming at them with all its stand and live before Him. Man's fig-leaf aprons must
horrors.                                                    be discarded. Our works will only cover us with guilt
  But God. came in His grace, and that they did not and leave us with awful tensions and fears. God makes


404                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


our coats, our robes of righteousness in Christ by His money and labor saving(?) devices are the natural
cross. The shadow cast at Adam's feet is a shadow of man's way of fighting the shadows. And that is exactly
grace and of divine wisdom and power. Adam and Eve what he does. He fights the shadow and not the reality
were taught that the only way that they could come that casts the shadow. He attacks thorns and thistles,
and stand before God in prayer was the way of being sickness and disease, weariness and pain, but not SIN
clothed .with the righteousness of Christ. Hence, from and guilt which must and do cast the shadow of the
then on they always built an altar and sacrificed a lamb coming reality, which is not simply physical death but
in connecti.on  with their prayers. They came to God by the pains and woes of the lake of fire!
way of the cross, yea, rather, by way of the shadow of          But listen, as the shadows become sharper and more
that cross - still better, by that cross as they saw it in in focus some generations and centuries later, the
its shadow. We on this side of the cross do the same psalmist writes in Psalm  103:3, "Who forgiveth all
thing when we utter our, "For Jesus' sake. Amen."            thine iniquities; who  healeth all thy diseases.  "  And
  But let us learn a lesson from all this, a lesson that somewhat later in Isaiah 53:5, "But He was wounded
needs to be learned and relearned every day because of for our transgressions, He was bruised for our
our sinful flesh. It comes with such force today iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon
because of the verses that precede these words in Him; and with His stripes we are healed. `y Only in the
Genesis  3:21. God in broad lines sketched out the way of God covering us with the robes of Christ's
curse that would come upon fallen mankind. He spoke righteousness through the shedding of His blood and
`of the pains of childbirth for the woman, and of the` the laying down of His life is there any hope for the
fact that her desire would be to her husband with a healing of any of our diseases and the removal of any
multiplication of her conceptions. He spoke of the part of the curse.
hardships of man's toil among the thorns and thistles           There is a healing of our diseases. There is victory
of an accursed soil, with the sweat of his face mingling over the grave and death. There is a sure removal of all
with the bread he would eat. He spoke of a return to the curse to leave no trace, no scar and no evidence of
the dust in the way of suffering, pain, disease and it. There are good things to come. But it all is in the
miseries. And then we read that the shadow of Christ's way of the cross of Christ, because by it He satisfies
cross was caused to fall at Adam and Eve's feet.             God's justice and removes our guilt, to clothe us with
  Let it be stated with all the force possible, and let it the robes of His righteousness. The psalmist puts it all
be seized by faith and held with a hand that refuses to together so beautifully and in the right order. "Who
let it go: There is no escape from the curse without the forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth thy
cross!                                                       diseases." The latter cannot come without the former.
  The unbeliever, and so often the believer in his And the shadow of the cross of Christ in paradise
moments of spiritual weakness, behaves as though spoke of the former and was therefore a shadow of the
Genesis 3 : 2 1 were not there. The way out of the pains good things to come in the paradise of which that first
of childbirth and the "inconveniences" and "the one was a shadow, and wherein there shall be the tree
dangers of a population explosion" are the pill and of life that cast its shadow in that first paradise. And
abortion. Men see the shadows of the curse which was these, paradise and that tree of life, could be shadows
cast already in paradise, but they do not see the of an undeniable and blessed reality exactly because
shadow of the cross. Science and invention, education that cross is a reality that brings us these good things
and research, new medical and surgical techniques, of salvation.


Contending for the Faith
                The Doctrine of Atonement
                                                    Rev.`-H.  Feldman

  Calling attention to Article VIII of the Second Head will be heartily endorsed by every  Arminian or
of our Canons, we concluded our last article with the Remonstrant. The Arminian does not believe that God
observation that the Arminian, too, was compelled to promises salvation to every hearer of the gospel. He
concede the limited or particular character of the believes that it is God's desire to bestow His promise of
atonement of the cross of Calvary. One may make the salvation upon every hearer, but he does not believe
same observation in connection with the preaching of that the Lord promises salvation to every sinner. The
the promise of the gospel. The statement that "God Lord surely does not promise salvation to a sinner
promises salvation to everyone of you, if you believe," whether he repents or not. The Lord only promises to


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                             405


save a sinner if he repents. The same also applies to the       efficacy and quickening of the most precious death of
cross of Calvary. The Arminian also realizes that all the Son of God. There is indeed power, power, power
sinners are not saved. This means that the blood of the         in that blood! That sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ
cross does not blot out the sins of every sinner. The has paid for all the sins of all the elect throughout all
sins are ,blotted out only of those sinners who accept          the ages. That sacrifice has merited everlasting life and
the offer of salvation which comes to every hearer of           glory. That sacrifice does not depend for its quickening
the gospel. It is true that, according to the                   and saving efficacy upon the will of the sinner. The
Remonstrant, Christ died for all men and every man              blood of Calvary does not redeem and save the sinner
head for head. This means that the death of the Son of          because he believes. The sinner believes because Christ
God is universal only as far as God's intention is              redeemed him upon the cross of Calvary. Our faith is
concerned. But it is not universal as far as its efficacy is    never a condition for our salvation, but it ever remains
concerned. And the reason why it is not universal as            the fruit of Christ's wonderful work upon the cross of
far as its efficacy is concerned, why the blood of the          Golgotha. And this is the teaching of the Word of God,
cross does not actually blot out the sins of all sinners is     as in I Pet. 1: 18-20: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye
simply because the saving efficacy of the sacrifice of          were not. redeemed with corruptible things, as silver
Christ is dependent upon the will of the sinner. This is        and gold, from your vain conversation received by
the position of the Arminian, and it is also the position       tradition from your fathers; But with the precious
of Prof. Harold Dekker of Calvin Seminary. And when             blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
the fathers of Dordt speak of the limited or particular         without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the
character of the sacrifice of Christ, we must clearly           foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last
understand that they are speaking of the divine                 times for you." And may our church continue to cling
intention of the living God. The cross of Calvary is            tenaciously also to this wonderful truth.
particular as far as God's will is concerned. God never           Notice, too, the distinctively particular character of
intended that the cross of Golgotha should extend, as           this eighth article on Head II of our Canons. Permit me
far as its saving efficacy is concerned, to all men. Christ     to quote this article once more, and the undersigned
never intended to die for all men. He came into this            will underscore the pertinent parts:
world to save His people, and His people alone.                        For this was the sovereign counsel, and most
  It is also of importance to call attention to the fact            gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the
that the fathers, in this eighth.article of Head II of our          quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious
Canons, speak of the "quickening and saving efficacy                death of His Son should extend to all the elect, for
of the most precious death of His Son." Of course, also             bestowing upon  them alone the  gift of justifying
the Remonstrant will speak of the quickening and                    faith, thereby to bring  them  infallibly to salvation:
saving efficacy of the death of the Son of God.. But the            that is, it was the  will of God, that Christ by the
                                                                    blood of the cross, whereby He confirmed the new
difference between these fathers and the Remonstrants               covenant, should effectually redeem out of every
is obvious. The Remonstrant, speaking of the                        people, tribe, nation, and language,  all those, and
quickening and saving death of the Son of God, means,               those only,  who were  from eternity chosen  to
of course, that the death of the Son of God quickens                salvation, and  given Him by the Father;  that He
and saves the sinner only when he believes, and is                  should confer upon  them  faith, which together with
dependent upon his faith. The Arminian, we                          all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, He
understand, does not believe that the death of God's                purchased for them by His death; should purge them
Son is quickening and saving in .itself. He believes that           from all sin, both original and actual, whether
Christ died for all men and for every man head for                  committed before or after believing; and having
head, and that he, therefore, also died for those who               faithfully preserved  them  even to the end, should at
                                                                    last bring  them  free from every spot and blemish to
perish. And this means that there is no efficacy and                the enjoyment of glory in His own presence forever.
saving power in that death as such, because, if that              What a beautifully concise and distinctive state-
death were saving in itself, none could possibly ,perish.       ment of faith, statement of the truth, This article
But the fathers certainly do not mean this. When they           certainly warms the heart of everyone who loves the
speak of the efficacy and quickening of the death of            truth of the Word of God. The fathers here speak of
God's Son they surely mean that this death possesses            the sovereign counsel and most gracious will and
this quickening and saving efficacy in itself. This also        purpose of God the Father. And they speak very
explains why the fathers here speak of "the most' intentionally of God's sovereign counsel, and this
precious death of the Son of God. As far as the                 means that this counsel of God is strictly
Arminian is concerned, this can hardly be true.                 unconditional,, never dependent upon the will of any
According to his interpretation of the cross,. the death        sinner. They also speak of God's most gracious will and
of the Son of God is not "most precious." According             purpose, and this means that this election is free,
to him, Christ really accomplished nothing upon the             wholly free, an unconditional gift of the living God. In
cross, But the fathers of Dordt. speak of the saving            this article they also speak of the elect: that the


406                                          THE STANDARD BEARER                                                        ~



efficacy and quickening power of the sacrifice of The cross becomes a quickening and saving power only
Christ should extend to all the elect. Besides this, when the sinner wills to be saved through it. This, of
notice, please, the use of the word "alone" in this         course, is flatly in contradiction with the Word of God.
article, and also the word "only." God willed to In Ps. 138:8 the inspired psalmist declares: "The Lord
extend the benefits of the sacrifice of Christ to the will perfect that which concerneth me; Thy mercy, 0
elect alone, and to redeem, effectually, out of every Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of
people, tribe, etc., all those, and those only, who were Thine own hands." And this is repeated by the apostle
from eternity chosen to salvation, and given Him by Paul in Phil. 1:6: "Being confident of this very thing,
the Father. Indeed, the fathers here give expression to that He which hath begun a good work in you will
the truth in a very concise, distinctive manner, and this perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." And in Phil.
is surely the calling of the Church of God throughout 2: 12-l 3 we read: "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have
the ages. May we, too, ever remain faithful in our alyays obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now
distinctive preaching and teaching of the Word of God!      much more in my absence, work out your own
  It is also well and proper to call attention to the fact salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which
that the fathers in this eighth article speak of the worketh in you both to will and to do of His good
certain perseverance of the saints. Notice, please, that pleasure." And this truth is also emphatically set forth
the fathers in this article do not confine and restrict by the fathers in their eighth article. It is God Who
the work of God in Christ to Christ's sacrifice upon the confers upon His people faith and all the other saving
cross. They include in this article the entire saving gifts of the Holy Spirit which He purchased for them
work of God even unto the end, concluding with the by His death, faithfully preserves them even to the
words: ,"Should  at last bring them free from every spot end, until they at last are brought free from-every spot
and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in His own and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in His own
presence forever." This, indeed, is very striking and presence forever.
instructive.. We must bear .in mind that the fathers,         Mind you, in this eighth article all this is stated in
when speaking here in this eighth article of the connection with the one and perfect sacrifice upon the
perseverance of the saints, are discussing the              cross of Calvary. This means that this entire work of
atonement of Christ upon the cross of Calvary. The salvation, wholly divine, is guaranteed by that one
subject of perseverance is not treated by them until the perfect sacrifice. This is the thrust of  this wonderful
Fifth Head of Doctrine. That this subject of the article. And this is rooted in the redeeming character
perseverance of the saints is mentioned here in of this sacrifice of the Son of God, Upon that cross
connection with the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is Christ redeemed us, purchased us out of all the power
of  ,very great importance. How different is the of sin and of the devil, `paid for all our sins, merited for
conception of the Remonstrant also in this respect. He, us everlasting life and glory. Upon that cross all our
as far as the work of God is concerned, really ends at      salvation became a fact as rooted in the unchangeable
the cross. On the cross God did for us and for all righteousness of the Lord, Because of that sacrifice,
mankind what He could. He so loved the world that He also eternally, there is now no condemnation for them
gave His only begotten Son. And now man's role in the who are. in Christ Jesus. Because of that most precious
work of salvation begins. Upon the cross God realized       death of God's Son, we can now say with the apostle
for all men the possibility of salvation. And now that Paul, as in Rom.  8:32: "He that spared not His own
salvation is offered unto all who hear the preaching of Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not
the gospel. The sinner must accept this offer of with Him also freely give us all things?" Indeed, in the
salvation. He must will to be saved. And the Lord will      cross of Christ we glory. May that, too, ever remain the
save him provided that he desires and wills to be saved.    confession of our churches.


Book Review

                     A B O R T I O N :   T H E   P E R S O N A L   D I L E M M A

ABORTION:  TgE PERSONAL  DILEM,  by,R.  F:                  subject from a Christian point of view are, therefore,
R. Gardner; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1972;  impressive.
288 pp., $5.95. [reviewed by ProJ: H. Hank01                  The book is divided into three main sections. The
  The author of this book is a practicing gynecologist first section deals with "The Abortion Scene Before
as well as an ordained minister of the United Free And After Liberalizing Legislation." Legislation
Church of Scotland, His credentials for discussing this liberalizing abortion was passed in Great Britain in            1


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                          407


19 67, and the author discusses what effect this                      The Annual Young People's Society Convention
legislation has had on the situation in Great Britain.              will be held, the Lord willing, July 24 through July
While this section is particularly of value for those               27 at the YMCA Camp, near Estes Park, Colorado.
living in the British Isles, it does offer some insights            The theme of the Convention is "`BEHOLD HE
into what one may expect when such legislation is                   COMETH!" Speeches concerning this topic will be
passed in our own country. And the prognosis is not                 given by Rev. R Decker, Rev. D. Kuiper, and Rev. R.
good.                                                               Moore. Business meetings, discussion groups, and
  The second section deals with "The Ethical                        athletic activities are being arranged. Those planning
Question: Is Abortion Ever Justified?" It is, of course, to attend should inform the Host Society as soon as
this section which is of particular interest to us. And possible through the local Young People's Society or
the author has some interesting and valuable material individually. The Young People of Loveland
presented. Going out from the viewpoint that the encourage you to attend.
Scriptures are authored by the Holy Spirit and are                                                      The Host Society
normative for life, as the objective standard of God's                             Loveland Protestant Reformed Church
will, the author condemns all situation ethics and the                                        Loveland, Colorado, 80537
role this has played in the abortion controversy. He
also approaches the `problem of abortion from the
viewpoint of whether the fetus is a soul from the
moment of conception. This he answers negatively;                            25TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
and, as a result, condones abortion in some cases on                  On the 23rd of May, 1972, the Lord privileged our
grounds other than saving a mother's life.                     beloved parents, MR. & MRS. ANTHONY DE YOUNG
  The third section deals with "The Medical And to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
Social Question: Is Abortion Justified In This Case?"                 With them, we thank God for His grace toward them
In this section such questions are discussed as whether in the years past, and are thankful for the covenant
abortion is justified in the case of an unwanted child, love and instruction. which they have given to us. We
an illegitimate pregnancy, the possibility of a deformed pray that the blessing of the Lord may continue to be
or retarded child, etc. He also looks at the problem with them inthe future.
from the viewpoint of the effects of abortion upon the                                               Their children :
mother or others who may be involved. In these cases                                             Mr. & Mrs. Joszef Postma              .
too Gardner condones abortion in some circumstances.                                         Mr. & Mrs. Meindert Joostens
  We cannot agree with the author's conclusions in South Holland, Ill.
this book by any means. Perhaps at especially three
points the book falls short: 1) It fails to reckon
sufficiently with sin, which enters into the whole
subject. That is, it fails to reckon with the fact that sin                     WEDDING ANNIVERSAR Y
creates insoluble problems in life, especially outside                On May 27, 1972 our dear parents
the sphere of the Church, and that sin must be
reckoned with in the whole treatment of unwanted                            MR. & MRS. CHARLES E. KRBGEL
                                                               celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
pregancies.  2) It fails to consider the fetus as a person            We thank our covenant God for preserving them for
from the moment of conception and fails to deal with each other and for us these p.ast years. We pray that
the problem of the killing of a person. 3) It fails to they may continue to experience God's blessing in
apply the objective standard of the Word of God their future years together.
throughout, permitting social and economic grounds                                Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Velthouse (Mary)
for abortion in some cases.
  However, the book is a valuable one. Its value is due                                                                  Ellen
to several features. 1) It is written by a doctor who                                                               Charles
comes face to face with this problem in all its                                                                          David
                                                                                                                         Laura
ramifications every day of the week. It is not a book                                                  and one grandchild
written by a theoretician far removed from the
problem. 2) It is crammed full of extremely valuable
information on every aspect of the problem. 3) It cites
many' case histories which help to put the problem in
the glaring light of every day life.
  The book is recommended therefore. It is valuable
reading for anyone who wishes to make a thorough
study of the problem. But its conclusions are not
always correct.                                                I                                                                  1


   TliE STANDARD  BEARER
          P.0. Box 6064                                        I
   Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506


                                    _-.

   408                                             THE STANDARD BEARER.

                                   5Tews F&n Our Churehe~
     Many of the bulletins of our churches include, when       meetings included some of the following topics: "The.
   space allows, quotations from the confessions or from       Trend to Use Modern English in Prayer and Bible
  the works of various church fathers, or, perhaps,  .a        Translation," by Rev. C. Hanko, for the Eastern Ladies
   short poem. I have, on several occasions, used some of      League; "The Authority of Scripture," by Rev. Van
  that for this column. On one such occasion I made the        Baren, for the Mr. and Mrs. League; "True Peace," by
  mistake of referring to the quotations as fillers. One of    Rev. Moore, for the Western Ladies League; "Tongue
  our western ministers suggested to, me that "we use          Speaking," by Rev. Decker, for the League Meeting of
  quotes from the fathers, reformers, other ministers,         Men's Societies.
  which make a particular point in connection with one              On April 28 the Senior Society of First Church
  of the sermons." I have before me a number of not            presented a Talent Program in the Hope School
  very recent Kalamazoo bulletins which illustrate the         gymnasium. Featured in the progran were, among
  truth of that. Let me quote from a few.                      other numbers, vocal solos, saxaphone solos, readings,
     "Temporal things are as the mirage of the desert," in     quartets, a flute duet, a piano solo, a guitar-harmonica
  connection with a sermon entitled, "Not by Bread             solo, and a collection to help defray Young People's
  Only." "`Peace and rest are two names for a flower           Convention expenses.  '
  which buds on earth but is only found full blown in               The students of our Edger-ton school traveled to
  heaven," in connection with a sermon entitled, "Peace,       Doon for a combined chapel exercise at which Rev.
  a Position and a Condition." "Not a particle of              Kortering spoke, and to which the Doon congregation
  boasting can be admitted, because not a particle of          was invited.
  work is admitted into the covenant of Grace," with a              I have, yet, a couple of items of interest which have
  sermon entitled, "Boasting Denied - Faith ,Exalted."         been submitted by our Business Manager. One of them
  "The New Creation in the crown' of all the works of          was accompanied with the suggestion that the
  God," with a sermon, "Raised to a New Life." "Take           information "could be included in your column
  Christ to be the sole Savior of your soul," with a           whenever you are hard-pressed for news." Well,
  sermon, "Grace Overflowing Great Sin."                       "hard-pressed for news" is one thing I haven't been,
     Those were a few of the shorter ones. The point is        lately, thanks to the faithfulness of those sending
  obvious - these bulletins were designed, not to be read      bulletins. This news from Mr. Vander Wal, therefore,
  through, but to. be meditated on. "Fillers" they most        has remained in my little box for something like, I'm
  decidedly do not contain.                                    sorry to say, three months. It's not the kind of news
     The following interesting item comes from the bul- that is hurt by age, though, so here it is:
  letin of our Doon Protestant Reformed Church: "Rev.               "Our  Standard Bearer  is really `getting around'
  Moore was asked by our Reformed Witness Committee            lately. How's this for geographical coverage? During
  to write articles for the Doon Press, to be printed every    the month of January, 1972, seventeen new
  other week for a trial period of six months.?                subscribers have been added to the mailing list. These
     In a similar vein, there's the following, from the new additions, and other recipients recently added, are
  bulletin of our Holland congregation, of which Rev.          comprised of readers residing in the following areas:
  Heys is the pastor:                                          Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Arizona,
     "Beginning June 4, D.V., our Church Publication           South Dakota, California, Colorado, Washington,
  Committee will sponsor a 15 minute radio broadcast           Montana and Florida.
  over WZND-FM, Zeeland (99.2 on the FM dial). The                  "Other recent additions include residents in Canada,
  program will at first be at 4 P.M., and one Sunday a         Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, England,
  month will be set aside for answering questions that         Korea, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and one
  will be requested and sent in. The program will be           of our Protestant Reformed Service-men stationed in
  called The Reformed Heritage Hour and will set forth         Germany.
  the rich heritage of truth of the Reformed Faith. It              "The Business Manager of our magazine is still
  will be the radio voice of our congregation and the          looking forward to sending  The Standard Bearer  to
meditations are designed to set forth in clear and             someone residing in the state of Alaska. Can the
  simple way the truth that now sets our denomination          readers of this column suggest any prospective
  apart from what is commonly preached today as the            subscriber residing in that area? He will be most happy
  gospel."                                                     to send a 3 month's free subscription to any person in
     End-of-the-season league meetings and mass that outlying state."                    -                         D.D.


