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A  REFORMED  SEMI-MONTHLY  MAGAZINE



I N   THIS ISSUE


         Meditation:

           Lying Prophets and Lying Wonders

         Editorials:

           Seminary Graduation

           Synod of 1972-A Summary

         Feature:

           Pentecostalism In The Light Of The Bible

         Graduation Address:

           Continuing Iti The Things Learned




                                         Volume XLVI/Number  18 / July;1972


410                                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



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

                                                                                      Published by the Reformed Free Publishing Association, Inc.
Meditation -                                                                                Second Class Postage Paid at Grand Rapids, Mich.
                                                                                Editor-in-Chief: Prof.  H. C. Hoeksema
   Lying Prophets and Lying Wonders . . . . . . . . . .410                      Department Editors::  Mr. Donald Doezema, Rev. Cornelius Hanko, Prof.
                                                                                Herman  Hanko, Rev. Robert C. Harbach, Rev. John A.  Hays. Rev. Jay
                                                                                Kortering, Rev. George. C. Lubbers, Rev. Marinus Schipper,  Rev.  Gise  J.
Editorials -                                                                    Van  Baren, Rev. Herman  Veldman.  Rev. Bernard  Woudanberg
   Seminary Graduation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .413             Edirorial Officer  Prof. H. C. Hoeksema
                                                                                                   1842 Plymouth Terrace, SE.
   Synod of 1972 - A Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . .414                                        Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506
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Meditation
                          lying Prophets and lying Wonders
                                                                  Rev. M. Schipper

               "Yf there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a
              wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let
              us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not
              hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God
              proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
              your soul. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his
              commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. And that
              prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn
              you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and re-
              deemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy
              God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. "
                                                                                                                Deuteronomy 13: l-5.


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 411



   A word of warning, you say, to an ancient people; difficult at all to observe the differences between them.
but which has no significance for the church of                  The true prophet, according to his true nature and
another, a new dispensation?                                  calling, was that man of God who was so full of the
   Nothing could be farther from the truth!                   Word of God and of divine thoughts, that they
   Not only is the people of God one in all ages, but         bubbled over and poured from his mouth. He was not
the word of warning is echoic as it is addressed to the able to contain within him the Word and revelation of
church of the new era. True, the words are slightly           God. Moreover, the true prophet was ordained and
different, but the meaning and implications are               sent of God to speak his Word. So burdened was he
precisely the same.                                           with the Word of God that he could not rest until he
   Listen to the apostle Paul (II Thess.  2:7-l 2): "For had unburdened himself and delivered God's Word to
the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he            those to whom God had sent him. Authoritatively he
who letteth will let until he be taken out of the way.        could stand before the people and declare: "Thus saith
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the the Lord." Fact is, the Hebrew word which is
Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and          translated "prophet," comes from a root word, which
destroy with the brightness of his coming. Even him,          literally means: "to bubble over." Not only, therefore,
whose coming is after the working of Satan with all was a prophet such a man of God who could predict
power and signs and lying wonders. And with all               what was in the future as God desired that his people
deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;        should know it; but he was mainly one whose calling it
because they received not the love of the truth, that         was to declare all the counsel of God. And along with
they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send        that authority to speak the pure Word of God, the
them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. That prophet was also generally given the power to perform
they all might be damned who believe not the truth,           wonders and signs, to confirm the veracity of the Word
but had pleasure in unrighteousness."                         he was ordained to speak. Men such as Elijah and
   Or, hear the warning which the Lord Jesus gave to          Elisha are worthy examples of this.
his disciples while delineating on the signs that would         It must be observed, moreover, that true prophecy
be precursory to his parousia. "Then if any man shall         as well as the Word of God itself, undergoes historical
say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it        and  organical.  development. Already in the
not. For there shall arise false  christs,  and false         antedeluvian world we learn of the prophet Enoch, the
prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; in so       seventh from Adam, prophesying that the Lord was
much that, if were possible, they shall deceive the very      coming in judgment with thousands of angels; while
elect. Behold, I have told you before." (Matt.                also then we read of the man Noah, who foretold the
24: 23-25).                                                   waters, of the flood, But of all the prophets in the old
  And if you will receive it, pay close attention to the      dispensation, none stands out more than Moses, whose
last prophetic announcement of Scripture, as foretold prophecies appear as being the basis upon which all
by the seer of Patmos (Rev. 13: 13-l 4): "And he doeth        that followed stood. It was he also who spoke of the
great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from          Prophet which was to come, like unto himself, to
heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And deceiveth Whom all would, give ear; namely, the Christ of God. In
them that dwell on the earth by the means of those            the light of Him, all who preceded were merely types
miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the         and shadows, while at the same time all their
beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they prophecies reflected on Him. While all the old
should make an image to the beast, which had the              dispensation looked forward to Him, all the new looks
wound by a sword, and did live."                              back to Him. For in Christ Jesus is all the revelation,
  Awesome, indeed, shall be the power of the                  the Word of God.
Antichrist, who also shall perform wonders and signs,           Now, as we said, alongside of the true prophet, the
that many may be carried away in a great apostasy!            lying prophet with lying wonders appears.
  Clear it should be that what Moses declared to that           Lying prophets, dreamers of dreams!
ancient people is just as pertinent to the present              That these prophets dreamed dreams, was not in
generation as it was to them.                                 itself evil. That did not make these prophets false
  Lying prophets and lying wonders!                           prophets. Although a dream was the lowest form of
  Who and what are they?                                      revelation, God also spoke to the true prophets
  That we may know who and what they are, it is               through this medium. But what made dreams of the
necessary first to consider who and what are true             lying prophets evil was the fact that they were evil
prophets. And what is so striking in Scripture is the fact    dreams. Their contents were false. "Let us go after
that when the true prophets of God appear, most               other Gods, and let us serve them," could not be a
generally you  find the false prophets make their revelation of God, but of the evil one. The purpose of
appearance with them. We will have occasion to show their prophecies was not to lead to the true God, but
you presently how true this is. So that it should not be away from Him


412                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



  Lying wonders!                                             Never should we conclude that these lying prophets
  We are not told here what these wonders or signs with lying: wonders have power of themselves.
were, but they evidently refer to great acts with          Awesome as their power may be, and as powerful as
mighty power. They were signs and wonders that their words may seem, they have no power. of
work. If they failed to work, there would not be much themselves. Even Satan himself, though he inspires
danger in them. They could not serve as a medium to        these lying prophets, and exercises his power in them,
deceive. But, behold, the signs come to pass. They not has no power of himself. Never must we conceive of the
only claim to have power, these false prophets, but        power of darkness dualistically, as a power next to
they also are able to display that power.                  God and  oppos@g Him. Though the devil may
  As we suggested above, the false prophets often foolishly imagine that he is powerful to destroy or to
appear with the true prophets; and display their           frustrate the power and purpose of God, he cannot SO
powerful signs alongside the display of the wonders        much as move without the power of God. Each moment
performed by the true prophets. Think, for example,        God must sustain him or he  camlot continue to be.
of the time when Moses and Aaron appeared before The same is true also concerning these lying prophets.
Pharaoh in Egypt. Moses demanded in the Name of              Rather must we understand that back of Satan and
God that Pharaoh let the people of Israel go from their    back of the lying prophets is God, Who realizes  His
bondage. Pharaoh asked for a miracle or sign that sovereign purpose through them.
Moses spoke in the Name of Jehovah. Aaron was told           That purpose of God is twofold!
`to cast his rod to the ground before Pharaoh, and           In the first place, to prove His people! Not to find
behold, it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh called out from them whether they love and obey Him. God
for his sorcerers and magicians to perform their           does not need to find this out. He knows that. He
enchantments. They also cast their rods to the ground, knows what is in man. He knows the end from the
and they also became serpents. As the Lord had beginning. He is the omniscient One. But He proves His
forewarned, Pharaoh would harden his heart.  And the people, to bring out of them what He has put in them
occasion for this hardening of his heart was the fact of by His grace. His purpose is that they shall serve Him,
the wonder of the magicians. That the power of Moses and that, too, by denying the idol which the lying
and Aaron was  &-eater, was displayed in the fact prophet proposes. According to this purpose they shall
that the rods of the magicians were eaten up by the rod become confirmed in their faith and love toward
of Aaron. And so it was with the plagues, at least the their God.
first two of them, that the magicians were able to           But in the second place, just as sovereign is His
duplicate the wonders performed by Moses and Aaron.        purpose m the lying prophets with lying wonders, to
  Or, think of what we read in Jeremiah 28, where the      lead through their deception those reared in the
false prophet Hananiah denies the true prophecy            organical development of His covenant who are wicked
concerning the bondage of Judah in Babylon. Jeremiah       and perverse, to their destruction. Indeed, it is not
had predicted that seventy years shall pass before         only true that God realizes this purpose through the
Judah would return from captivity. Hananiah,               pure preaching of His Word, which is not only a savor
however, boldly but falsely predicts that Judah shall      of life unto life, but also a savor of death unto death.
return in two years. Jeremiah rebukes Hananiah,            It is just as true that the lying prophet is a divine
saying, "The Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest      instrument to lead to a great apostasy. We realize that
this people to trust in a lie. Therefore thus saith the this truth finds little acceptance in our day and age;
Lord; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the but this does not change the truth one whit. We should
earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou has taught realize that reprobation is just as divinely sovereign as
rebellion against the Lord. So Hananiah the prophet        election. Witness Israel's history as recorded in Holy
died the same year in the seventh month."                  Scripture. Even with many who were delivered from
  And, if these examples are not enough, note also the bondage in Egypt God was not pleased, and their
those which appear in the new dispensation. Alongside carcasses fell upon the sands of the wilderness. Witness
Paul the apostle, appear Hymenaeus and Alexander.          the great apostasies throughout Church History, as well
Beside an Athanasius appears an Arius. Beside an as in our own day. And do not fail to grasp the
Augustine appears a Pelagius. Beside a Luther appears significance of the great apostasy that must yet take
an Erasmus. Beside a Calvin appears a Servetus. Beside a place in the day of Antichrist as predicted in
Gomarus appears an Arminius. Beside those who Revelation 13.
declare the Word of the Living God in our day are those      What then should be our attitude toward these false
who prophesy God is dead. And so it shall be unto the prophets?
time of the end, when the beast and the false prophet        Do not listen to them! To give heed to them is to
shall appear, as is plain from the passage quoted above depart from the way of life. Though it is impossible for
in Revelation 13.                                          the church to put them to death, as the church of the
  And what is God's purpose with them?                     old dispensation was commanded to do, for church


                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER                                                413


 and state are no longer one, yet, from a spiritual point that light we will walk by His grace.
 of view, as far as the true church of Christ is                    By that same grace, we will appropriate through
 concerned, these lying prophets with lying wonders faith our spiritual weapons necessary to fight for, not
 will be ineffective when they are given no audience. against the truth.
 The Apostle John goes so far as to say, "Do not even               In  that battle there can be no doubt as to the
allow them to come into your house."                             outcome!
   Positively, we will cleave unto our God and His way!             Victory through the way of suffering. Final and
 God's Word and Law will be our sufficient light, and in glorious salvation, through the way of the antithesis.



 Editorials
                            Seminary Graduation
                                                   Prof H. C. Hoeksema





                             From left to right: Candidates Ronald Van Overloop, Marvin Kamps, and
                             Wayne Bekkering.

   Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of our 1972 on a ttial basis, in 1968. This is also significant.
 Synod was the examination and  graduation of our                   Preceding the happy event of graduation, there was
 three new candidates for the  ministry,Messrs. Wayne            a rather grueling schedule of oral examinations for the
 Bekkering, Marvin Kamps, and Ronald Van Overloop,               three graduates, a schedule which occupied the first
 It is always a highlight when in our small                      three days of Synod's sessions almost entirely.
 denomination, with its small school, the Lord gives us Immediately after Synod was organized on Wednesday,
 new candidates for the ministry of the gospel. This June 7, each of the graduates was required to preach a
 year, however, was something special because there 45 minute sermon on a text assigned by the
 were three graduates. This is something that has not Theological School Committee. In connection with
 happened for many years in our churches. In fact, this, the student was also required to submit a written
 there are many adults among our membership who outline for perusal by a committee of Synod. A
 cannot remember such an event, so long ago it is that committee of two was appointed to advise Synod on
 this has happened. There is, therefore, abundant reason each sermon. By mid-afternoon of Wednesday this part
 for gratitude to our faithful covenant God for this of the examination was completed, and Synod had
 evidence of His loving kindness and care for our approved the sermons and decided, upon the advice of
 churches and our seminary. I cannot refrain from these committees, to proceed with the rest of the
 adding to this the reminder that these three candidates examinations. Thereupon Synod recessed in order to
 are also the first products of our combined give its four advisory committees opportunity to work
 pre-seminary and seminary program which was begun, and to  prep,are their reports, so that Synod might


414                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


proceed with its other work, once the examinations of our Synod, Reverend C. Hanko, is our oldest
were finished.                                             minister in years of service in the ministry. He
All day Thursday, from 8: 30 in the morning to 5:00        graduated in 1929. He addressed our newest
in the afternoon was devoted to an oral examination in candidates, and his long years of experience were
dogmatics. The three students were examined together, reflected in the remarks which he addressed to them.
with questions being asked by the professor in When the  .delegates and visitors, along with the
dogmatics. At the end of each  segment of the              professors, were given the opportunity to congratulate
examination opportunity was given for any delegate of the newly declared candidates for the ministry, there
Synod to ask further questions on any answer given by were many smiles of joy and many wishes for the
a student which was not entirely clear or satisfactory Lord's blessing, but also few dry eyes.
to that delegate. On Friday morning, June 9, there           The Graduation Exercises were held in the
were further examinations (again conducted by the auditorium of the First Protestant Reformed Church
professors in these branches) in New Testament on the evening of June 13. It was a warm and humid
History, Church History, Church Polity, and Old summer evening. But a large audience  - the largest
Testament History. For the first time this year there audience for seminary graduation in my memory  -
were no oral examinations in Hebrew and Old attested to the interest of our people in this event.
Testament Exegesis or in Greek and New Testament Reverend H. Veldman, President of the Theological
Exegesis. These two examinations, according to a School Committee, was chairman for the evening. The
decision of the 1971 Synod, were written. The program was interspersed with singing from our Psalter
students were assigned passages of Scripture in advance by the audience and musical numbers by the Hope
by the Theological School Committee; and committees Heralds. Candidate R. VanOverloop spoke in behalf of
of Synod were appointed to advise Synod as to the the graduates on the subject, "Continuing In The
quality of these written examinations. `The oral Things Learned." His address appears elsewhere in this
examination of the students was concluded with an issue. It was this reporter's turn this year to speak in
examination in  Practica (practical things) by the behalf of the faculty; and he spoke on the subject,
Reverend C. Hanko. At the conclusion of this long "New Theology And Old." His address will appear in
schedule of oral examinations, Synod in executive          the August issue of our  Standard   Bearer.  At the
session and by ballot approved all three young men conclusion of the program the candidates were given
unanimously and declared them eligible for a call from their well-earned diplomas. They then received
one of our congregations on July 7.                        congratulations from the large audience present.
  Thereupon the candidates and the visitors were             A snapshot of the candidates accompanies this
called back in to Synod, the president of Synod article, courtesy of the Reverend Dale Kuiper.
informed the candidates of Synods decision, addressed        It is our prayer that the Lord will soon give these
them with fitting words of congratulation and three candidates a place in the ministry of our
exhortation, the gathering sang the doxology, and churches, and that He will give them a long and fruitful
prayer of thanksgiving and intercession was offered by ministry.
the Reverend J. Heys, Synod's second clerk. This is          This was indeed a highlight of this year's Synod, and
always a highly emotional moment, and this year was a highlight for our churches.
certainly no exception. It struck me that the president      Thanks be to God!


                  Synod of 1972-A Summary
          [Note: Your editor is writing this report as a substitute. Prof. Hanko had persuaded our
          Stated Clerk, Rev. Dale Kuiper, to report. But Synod did not adjourn until Friday
          afternoon, June 16. Rev. Kuiper had to return immediately to his congregation in Pella,
          Iowa, and wotild  not be able to prepare a report in time for our July issue. Hence, he kindly
          turned over to me his notes. And from these notes, various committee reports, and memory,
          I am writing this report, so that our readers may be informed as early as possible about
          various decisions of Synod. HCH]

  At the pre-synodical prayer service on Tuesday 3, stressing especially our calling to "enlarge the place
evening, June 6, the Rev. G. Van Baren, president of of thy tent . . . lengthen thy cords . .- 1 strengthen thy
the 1971 Synod, ably and forthrightly applied to this stakes," with application to the various items on the
year's Synod and its work the words of Isaiah 54:2 and agenda of this year's synodical meetings. If I were to


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                              415



characterize our 1972 Synod, I would say that the of unity at the meetings themselves; but it is also, I
delegates listened well to this injunction.                think, evidence of a large degree of unity in our
  Our Synod this year was positive, forward-looking, churches when delegates from East and West and from
careful, thorough, diligent, and unanimous in virtually many localities can come together in such harmony.
all major decisions.                                       This is good. And it is certainly reason for gratitude to
  That Synod was busy and also very diligent, I think our God.
no one present will deny. There was a large amount of        M o r e o v e r , this Synod was positive and
work before the delegates. As reported elsewhere, forward-looking. Partly, of course, this was due to the
almost all of the first three days of our meetings were nature of the agenda. There were no items of a
occupied. with the examination of our three seminary negative nature,  nd protests and appeals before this
graduates. This meant that advisory committees had to Synod. All matters `pertained to the positive work and
do their work mostly in the evenings or in the early calling of our churches. And when the delegates clearly
morning hours. It also meant that when Synod saw our calling to go forward  - to enlarge our tent,
reconvened on Monday, June 12, it was `still lengthen our cords, and strengthen our stakes  - they
confronted by almost all of its agenda. And the so acted. This, too, is reason for thankfulness to our
delegates went to work with a will. Our sessions began God.
at 8:30 in the morning, rather than the usual 9 o'clock      All in all, it was, I believe, a good synod.
called for in our Rules. We even began our final day's       So much for general` observations.
sessions at 8  o'cloc&. We also shortened our dinner         Now for some specific decisions. In reporting these,
hour everyday by a half hour. All the delegates            I shall follow the order in which these matters were
remained throughout the sessions. And all participated actually treated by Synod. Only the major decisions
actively. Interspersed among these busy sessions were are summarized here. For the details our readers will
such things as evening committee meetings, graduation have to' consult the printed Acts, copies of which will
programs, and Standard Bearer staff meeting. Once in a again be distributed to all the families in our
while Synod had to relax its rather exhausting pace denomination,
simply to catch up with itself and to allow an advisory    Theological School Matters - Advisory  Committee I
committee time to meet.                                      One of the first major items was that of
  At the same time, Synod was by no means hasty,           pre-seminary instruction at our Theological School.
but careful and thorough. Our president, the Rev. C.       Last year a pre-seminary program was approved, and a
Hanko, cut off no discussion, but allowed a thorough third professor was called; but the pre-sem program
airing of views. Synod was not minded to be a rubber was not put in effect when the calls for a third
stamp for either its standing committees or its advisory professor  wer& declined. This year Synod decided to
committees, as is evident from the fact that no major initiate the pre-sem program beginning in the fall of
advice was simply accepted because it was given. More this year, with or without a third professor. In addition
than once the advice of standing committees (such as to our remaining three seminary students, there are six
the Mission Committee and Theological School young men waiting and eager to get their pre-seminary
Committee) was challenged and thoroughly discussed, training at our school in so far as this is possible.
and sometimes revised or rejected altogether. More than Recognizing this need, and recognizing the fact that
once, too, matters were recommitted to the advisory this is highly necessary, Synod took the above
committees; and then sometimes their advice was decision.
rejected or completely overhauled by the delegates. No       At the same time, Synod decided to call a third
decisions were taken under pressure of haste to finish professor once more, and to stress the urgency of this
the agenda and go home. Synod was certainly mindful call in connection with the advancement of our
of the importance of the matters before it and of the program of theological training. From the nomination
calling to deliberate and decide with earnest carefulness presented, Synod voted to extend this call to the Rev.
on the matters pertaining to God's cause as represented David Engelsma. This year Synod voted  .for Rev.' J.
in our churches.                                           Kortering as first alternate, and Rev. R. C. Harbach as
  Yet there was a large degree of unanimity when second alternate. It is our earnest prayer that the Lord
finally matters were decided. If I am not mistaken, will provide for our Seminary in this need, and in
there was only one vote on which a show of hands was particular that He will guide Rev. Engelsma in reaching
required; that was only on a question of the length of a the right decision in this call which, I know, is very
noon recess. More than once I was surprised when, ,difficult for him to consider. Pastor Engelsma .will, be
after a discussion which seemed to evidence on vacation for a couple of weeks after Synod; and he
considerable difference of opinion, the vote was called was granted permission to take three weeks in the
for, the decision was unanimous or well-nigh so. This consideration of this call after he returns to his flock in
was especially true of all the important decisions. Not Loveland, Colorado. Perhaps we will be able to report
only does this make for pleasant meetings and a feeling his decision in our August issue.


416                                            THE STANDARD BEARER


  Not a minor matter  - either for our school or for smaller ones have not yet reported on completed
my colleague himself  - was  .the item of indefinite drives, a total of about $25,000.00 is now on hand in
tenure .for Prof. H. Hanko. How time flies! For seven cash and pledges. b) Synod authorized the TSC to
years already he and I have co-labor&d. Synod decided proceed with building when 65% of the needed
to appoint Prof. Hanko to indefinite tenure at our amount is on hand in cash and pledges. c) Synod gave
Seminary. About this there was surely no doubt at authorization to borrow the remaining amount needed
Synod. And it is reason for gratitude to God for me (by mortgage, personal  ldans, or sale of bonds), with
personally and certainly for our churches that my the understanding that the loan(s) will be repaid from
able and genial colleague announced at a later session future contributions.
his acceptance.                                            All in all, the decisions of Synod in the area of our
  As might be expected, there was a considerable part Theological School were forward-looking. And there is
of Synod's time expended on matters pertaining to our indeed reason for rejoicing that the Lord our God
proposed new Seminary Building. I wish to stress that continues to provide for our training of future
Synod moved very deliberately on these matters. There ministers of the gospel in our churches, men who will
was lengthy discussion, considerable debate, more than be faithful to the Word of God and our Reformed
one recommittal for new advice, and not a little Confessions and who will be capable of preaching the
revision of the advice in the final decisions of Synod. Word and expounding  the. Scriptures ably to God's
And yet the final decisions were characterized by people.
unity. Briefly, I can report the following:             Mission Matters - Advisory Committee II
   1) Heeding three overtures, Synod decided to            As might be expected, and as is surely necessary and
dispose of the Cambridge Avenue site which had been proper, a large part of Synod's time was spent on
purchased. I was not  pjresent when this decision was various matters brought by our Mission Committee.
taken; but according to Rev. Kuiper's notes, the One cannot but be impressed by the fact that this
reasons were two, namely, the problem of property committee has a tremendous amount of work to do in
devaluation in that neighborhood,and the fact that the the course of a year. With its limited man-power - the
Cambridge site is too small for any possible future committee is confined to  Classis East  - it is almost
building expansion.                                     overwhelmed by the amount and variety of work for
  2) Nevertheless, Synod was not of a mind to delay which it must care. Perhaps it is time that careful plans
the project on this account. Again, after considerable be made for a broadening of this committee or for an
d&ussion and committee work, though Synod was not assignment of part of its work to a committee from the
in a position to choose from among several available W e s t .
pieces of property in various locations, Synod             One of the chief items under consideration was a
authorized the School Committee, in conjunction with proposal forwarded by the Mission Committee in
the Building Committee to be appointed, to purchase a connection with the call extended to the Rev. Bernard
new site, with these limitations: a) The size is to be Woudenberg by our Hope Church, Grand Rapids, to be
not less than two acres; b) The cost is not to exceed our Home Missionary. Briefly, this proposal included
approximately $10,000.                                  many fine aspects in harmony with the policy adopted
  3) Synod also approved the basic building plan in 1965; but it entailed confining the work of the
presented by the Theological School Committee. I missionary-elect to the Grand Rapids area and to work
cannot draw  3 picture for you. But I can report that which was mainly preparatory to the location of
the floor-plan entails approximately 5,000 square feet. mission fields, so that should a field be discovered in
There will be 3 classrooms, a separate library room, the U.S. or Canada, another man would have to be
and an "all-purpose" room (of which one of the chief called to labor in that field. This was somewhat
purposes will be practice preaching!). The total cost of different  - as all concerned recognized  - than that
the complete project will be approximately $100,000. which Synod had in mind in its decisions of 197 1. The
  4) Synod also authorized the TSC to proceed with outcome, after lengthy `and basic discussion, was that
this project as soon as possible. In this connection, Synod, while expressing approval of some aspects of
Synod decided that a sort of "blue ribbon" committee this proposal, nevertheless decided that our home
of building contractors and business men should be missionary must be prepared to labor in any field in
appointed as a Building Committee; They will devote the U.S. or Canada. As of this writing, Rev.
their sole attention to this matter. In this way the Woudenberg must still give his decision in regard to the
school building project  wiU have competent men in call. Synod expressed the hope that he might see his
charge, and the Theological School Committee will be way clear to accept this call in the light of the above
able to devote its attention to its proper work, the decision; and during the course of Synod's meetings
operation of our school as such.                        many prayers were offered that the Lord would guide
  5) As to finances, the following: a) It was reported Rev. Woudenberg in this matter and that He would
that while several larger congregations and many provide for the urgent need of our churches in


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                      417



fulfillina our mission calling.                               their properties, was before Synod. No progress had
  Also  `-the work of  Rev, and Mrs. Lubbers in the been made on this matter by the Mission Committee in
Jamaica Field received considerable attention at the past year. After considerable discussion, the matter
Synod. Rev. Lubbers was home on furlough, and was was once more returned to the Mission Committee for
therefore able to report to Synod in person. This was action. And it is to be hoped that there will be definite
good: foi- it meant we could receive a first-hand report progress on this before long. Especially the matter of
and could receive full information and raise questions the church buildings of the churches there has been
for him to answer. It also gave Rev. Lubbers the hampered by lack of progress in this area.
opportunity to present his questions and problems and           Synod also decided to express to Rev. and Mrs.
furnish his insights in a way that is not possible in a Lubbers "our deep appreciation for their tireless and
mere written report. I will not attempt to summarize strenuous efforts here in Jamaica, assuring them that
the lengthy report which Rev. Lubbers gave. He has            they have our prayers and love when they return to
promised me a couple. of articles for the  Standard this most difficult field wherein God has given them
Bearer  on this subject in the near future. You may           fruit upon their faithful labors."
look forward to them. I do want to emphasize that one           Finally, Synod, in connection with the report of the
is impressed by the many difficulties confronted by           Foreign Mission Committee about distribution of
our missionary and his wife in Jamaica in their rather literature in Indonesia, authorized that committee to
lonely situation, as well as by the hard work and investigate further work there along these same lines.
faithful labor expended, sometimes in the face of little      Although our churches are very limited in this regard,
apparent  progress. But there is evidence of gradual          we may note that at last our FMC has some definite
progress in Jamaica, and there is reason to believe that      work to perform.
some of the long and patient work there will come to Foreign Correspondence  - Advisory Committee III
fruition in the `not too distant future; there are hopeful      This year's Agenda contained a lengthy and detailed
signs of this. Meanwhile, let us remember that Rev. and       report from the Committee for Correspondence with
Mrs. Lubbers are in need of our constant prayers. Their Foreign Churches. This was the main item on which
path in Jamaica is by no means an easy one!                   Committee III advised Synod. On some of these
  In regard to the Jamaica field, I may report the            matters I hope to inform our readers in greater detail
following decisions:                                          in future issues. Briefly, I may report the following:
   1) Synod had before it a proposal to call another             1) Synod declined the invitation to send observers
(younger) man for the Jamaica work to co-labor with           to the Reformed Ecumenical Synod  .of 1972. The
Rev. Lubbers. The motivation of this proposal was             grounds for this decision were much along the lines
various. Partly, it was based on the principle that it is     suggested in my earlier editorials on this subject and
proper for  two  missionaries to be sent out together.        were  .those proposed by the Committee for
Partly, the basis lay in the fact that there is simply too    Correspondence.
much for one man to accomplish alone. Partly, the               2) Synod authorized the Committee to continue its
proposal looked forward to the time when it might not         contact with the Presbyterian Reformed Church of
be possible for Rev. Lubbers (who is not exactly a            Australia by letter and/or tape recordings. It also
young man) to continue in Jamaica, and would thus             authorized the committee to make preliminary plans
provide for continuity in the work. This, however, was for a face-to-face contact in Australia in the summer of
referred to the Mission Committee for further study           1973, subject, however, to final approval by the 1973
and recommendations to next year's synod. It was a            Synod. This is not by any means a matter of final
matter which appeared in Rev. Lubbers' report, and it         arrangements. The latter would depend on many
was a major proposal not previously submitted to the          things. But the simple fact is that IF such a contact is
consistories and classes by way of the Agenda; nor had        to be arranged, preliminary arrangements must be
the Mission Committee expressed itself on the matter.         made long before the 1973 Synod or it simply cannot
It was, therefore, not ripe for a decision at this time.      be accomplished. The final decision, however, will be
                                                              strictly up to Synod of 1973, the Lord willing.
  2) Synod did, however, make provision for                     3) Synod decided to seek official contact with the
assistance for Rev. Lubbers. It authorized the Mission Hapdong Presbyterian Church of Korea, in connection
Committee to send a minister to Jamaica for two               with a promising unofficial contact made by the
three-month periods during the coming year. This,             Committee for Correspondence. An invitation was
therefore, will certainly provide a measure of help and
relief for the time being.                                    extended to the General Assembly of the Hapdong
                                                              Church to send two or three official representatives to
  3) The matter of incorporation of the Jamaica               our churches next year in order to confer about this
churches, a rather involved matter, but nevertheless          contact. I cannot report on this matter in detail at this
necessary for formal recognition of the churches and time; it would require too much space; But our readers
safeguarding of their property and of our investment in may look forward to a later report.


418                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



  4) Synod approved an extensively revised                       4) The calling church for Synod of 1973 is
constitution for this committee, a committee which Hudsonville, Mich.
hereafter will be known as the Committee for, Contact                                 ***
with Other Churches.                                              In conclusion, I have one critical remark to make in
                                                               connection with this year's Synod. There was  no.
Finances  - Advisory Committee IV                              decision of Synod concerning this; but several times
  Always at Synod there is one advisory committee              this was remarked about in the course of Synod's
whose work is to advise Synod on all financial matters,        work. And it is a remark which all concerned should
such as budgets, subsidies, assessments, etc. In               take to heart - and act accordingly. There was far too
connection with this committee's work, I may report            much material that was brought to Synod by way of
the following:                                                 "supplemental reports." Some of it concerned
   1) Our synodical treasury is in excellent condition,        important proposals. Not only does this make Synod's
due chiefly to the fact that our churches and our              work more difficult, but it is also not a healthy
people have admirably met the needs of our various             situation because it means that these matters have not
denominational funds, and partly to the fact that it           been able to be considered previously by consistories
was not necessary to spend all monies which had been           and classes. And this is contrary to sound church
budgeted,                                                      policy, as well as directly contrary to the rules of
  2) Provision was made in connection with our                 Synod regarding the Agenda and proposals of major
Student Aid Fund to give financial assistance to our           importance. This ought to be corrected promptly.
pre-seminary students.                                           But I do not want to end on a negative note. At the
  3) In spite of various increases in budgets, the             conclusion of our 1972 Synod on Friday afternoon,
synodical assessments for the coming fiscal year of            June 16, the delegates had abundant reason to close
1973 will actually be 50~ lower per family than in the         with the doxology, `.`Praise God from Whom All
previous year. That is something even better than              Blessings Flow," and with prayer of thanksgiving and
Phase 2 in this era of inflation!                              intercession to our covenant God.


Graduation Address

                        Continuing In The Things learned
                                            Candidate Ronald Van Ovevloop

  He was in prison for the second, and what would                As a result of these evil and perilous times, Paul tells
turn out to be the last, time. He would leave the prison       Timothy in verse 14, "But continue thou in the things
only to be executed. He had just appeared before the           which thou hast learned and hast been assured of."
judge, and he felt that his life on earth was near the end.    Continue in, stand firm, abide in those things. Never
He was an old minister of the gospel and was in prison         depart from them. By nature you will want to leave
as a result of his beliefs. He seems to know that he will      them, so you will have to fight to stay and abide in
soon die, and therefore writes a letter to a young them.
minister whom he had trained for the ministry and                What are those things? They are the truths of the
whom he loved very much. In this letter he asks this           Scriptures which are given by inspiration. They are the
young servant of Christ to come and visit him in               truths of the Scriptures by which God has revealed
prison. That old minister was the apostle Paul. In his         Himself. In the Scriptures we learn about God, the
last letter to Timothy he tells him to be faithful to the      sovereign Lord Who created and upholds all things for
Word of God and to give himself over exclusively to it.        the glory of His  own. name. We learn that God has
Paul tells Timothy that this Word of God is the heart          chosen for Himself a people in Christ, His Son. From
of his ministry. In the midst of the continual threat of the Scriptures we learn that man rejected and despises
false doctrine and of persecution the servant of God           God. But we also learn that Christ died for us, bearing
finds his strength solely in the Word of God. Paul             the curse which was rightly ours and giving us the
describes those evil days in II Timothy 3: li13. "Yea,         righteousness of God. Therefore we are to walk holily
and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer in the midst of the world, And we learn that Christ is
persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse         coming again to establish His kingdom in the new
and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (vss. 12,           heavens and new earth. In those truths we are to
13)                                                            continue. We are to think on them, follow them, and


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   419



grow more and more in them till Christ comes again,          seminary will graduate in their respective years. Also
   But how do we learn these things? We learn these          there are other factors figuring in this shortage. We
things as children from our parents. They teach us have several ministers who are near or past 60 years of
them as we  grow up in the organism of the church.           age. From these facts we can easily see that a shortage
However, I believe that it could be said that we all are actually exists. But we must remember that this need
taught them by our seminary, either directly or must not cause worry. God has provided for us in the
indirectly. Ministers and seminarians, of course, learn past and will continue to do so in the future.
these truths directly from the seminary. But our                If the churches are to have ministers, these ministers
parents, who teach them to us, are taught them by must come from the congregations themselves. That is
their ministers in the preaching. Thus, the men whom so because the responsibility to preach lies on the
the seminary taught, teach us of these truths of individual, autonomous churches. Therefore the
5cripture. Therefore you can see the importance of the churches must do all they can to provide ministers for
seminary.                                                    themselves. That is the principle of Article 19 of the
   In many  congregatidnal prayers our seminary is Church Order, too. "The churches shall exert
referred to as the heart-beat of our churches. The themselves as far as necessary, that there may be
heart-beat, we all know, is vital to our physical students supported by them to be trained for the
existence. Without our heart-beat we would die. The ministry of the Word." It must be remembered that
same' holds true for our seminary. If it would not exist,    the purpose of this article is `not to help needy
our churches would soon disappear. Why? Why is the students,  but rather to help  t& churches. Too often
seminary so important?                                       matters of this nature are evaluated exclusively on a
   Christ gave the command to preach the gospel to all money basis. This is a mistake. Money is involved, but
nations. The preaching is done only by the minister, there is something much more important which
not by the elders and deacons. Only the minister holds underlies this article of the Church Order. That
the prophetic office. That is why a congregation principle is that the individual churches must do all
without a minister is in an abnormal situation which is they can to provide ministers. But this does not mean
not alleviated by classical appointments. A that the church calls a minister to his position.
congregation without a  minister  does not have the            We must always remember that only God calls a
three-fold manifestation of the three-fold office of man to become a minister. This call of God is
Christ. Because of that command of Christ to preach indispensable. But because God calls men  t6 the
the gospel, ministers are needed. As long as ministers ministry, we must pray, committing to Ijim our needs.
are needed, there will be a need for those who are Pray, asking Him to fill the vacant churches with men.
preparing themselves for the ministry. As long as Christ Only God calls, but God uses means.
has His church in the midst of the world, as long as the       The churches individually must exert themselves to
elect must be gathered by His Spirit and Word, fulfill the mandate of this article of the Church Order.
ministers of the gospel are needed.                          The church is duty bound to recruit from its own
  There is especially an abiding need in the Protestant members, God-fearing and capable youths and prepare
Reformed Churches. We believe and profess that we, them for the ministry. This exertion of the churches
the Protestant Reformed Churches, maintain and takes place through various means. It takes place in the
proclaim the gospel in all its purity. That profession general training and instruction of the covenant youth
implies that we are obligated to be sure that there are in Catechism, in young people's society, at family
men to proclaim that truth.                                  visitation, and in the preaching. The question of
  But there is and always will be a shortage of entering the  rninistly is then placed before qualified
ministers. It can be inserted here that if there is a young men. The whole idea is that young men must
surplus, it is the duty and obligation of the churches to face this question honestly. Therefore it is the calling
make use of that surplus, so that that surplus no longer of the  ,churches to exert themselves toward locating
exists. Even though we know that this shortage exists, such men whom God is pleased to call. Advice and
it is rather difficult for us in the Eastern Classis of our encouragement is then given. This also implies, of
churches to realize and feel that shortage. If we are course, that those not qualified, those `who lack
vacant, we have pulpit supply and catechism teaching. essential qualifications are advised against entering into
Only those,of our churches who have had an extended t h e   m i n i s t r y .
vacancy know what this shortage really is. That this           But this exertion is not only by the churches as a
shortage really exists` can easily be shown. At present whole, but also it is the calling of parents and
we have six vacancies in our churches: four pastorates, individual families. We know that the initiative must
one professorship, and one home missionary. And even come from the individual himself. In this way the
though we have three graduates from our seminary this ministry is different from elders and deacons. Elders
year, that shortage will not be filled for another two and deacons are nominated, but young men alone
years,  if  ihe` Lord wills that the students now in the     make the initial decision to enter the ministry. No one


420                                         THE STANDARD BEARER



may make this decision for him. One must never be          the heartbeat of our churches.
nagged or coerced into the ministry. There is nothing         Then we can understand how it is  this  institution
worse than an unhappy minister. But that does not          which instructs all of us in the truths of the Scriptures.
mean that everyone stands passively by. His parents It teaches us, either directly or indirectly.
give him counsel, guide him, and pray for him.                Therefore, continue in that which you have learned,
  This exertion must also take place in families where     candidates. You and I must continue in that as we take
there is no one preparing for the ministry. Families up our calling. Continue in that which you have
must begin by showing respect for the ministry as a learned, delegates to Synod, as you deliberate matters
position of God-given authority. They must give it due     concerning the welfare of our churches. Continue in
honor, so that the children see that and imitate it.       that which you have learned, beloved of God, as you
Also, they must show concern for the seminary. Pray        walk in the midst of this world.
for it. Talk about it. Talk with and encourage the            Why? Why continue in those things? Because these
seminarians. I can say from experience that that means a truths of the Scriptures are able to make thee wise
lot. Pray for and encourage the professors. They need      unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
encouragement too. We will never know how much             You will not be foolish as the world, ever learning; and
hard work, now much blood, sweat, and tears they put       never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. You
into their labors in the seminary.  Also show your         and I will have the wisdom which will enable us to
concern for the seminary by attending convocation          know how we are to walk in the midst of this world of
exercises. Do not ever think that your presence goes       sin.
unnoticed. Come to graduation. In general, make it so         Therefore, continue in that which you have learned.
that you and your children believe that the seminary is    Continue!



Feature

         Pentecostalism In The light Of The Bible (2)
                                             Rev, Robert D. Decker

  The question you recall is: "Does the Bible teach the Spirit. (cf. Acts  1:14ff) They were simply
that the experience of Pentecost is to be repeated and instructed to wait for the Spirit. That is what they did
sought after by believers today?" Turning first to Acts    and they did it prayerfully.
2 we may conclude that this chapter records an event          Then it happened! Suddenly, when the day of
which is the fulfillment of Jesus' promise to the          Pentecost was fully come they were all filled with the
disciples (the eleven Apostles) given just prior to His    Holy Spirit. The signs were the sound of a mighty,
ascension. In Acts 1:4, 5 Jesus commanded them not rushing wind; cloven tongues like as of fire sat upon
to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise       each of them; and they began to speak in other
of the Father which they had heard of Him. That            tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. When the
promise concerned the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth news spread a great crowd gathered and the people
through Whom Jesus would come to them. Jesus               were utterly amazed to hear them speak in "our
promised this return in the Spirit in the night of His tongues the wonderful works of God" (vss. 5-10). The
betrayal (cf. John 14, 15, 16). This promise Jesus reaction of the multitude was twofold; some doubted
further defines as the "baptism with the Holy Ghost        and wondered what it meant, while others mocked and
and with fire."                                            said they were drunk (vs. 12).
  Noteworthy in this connection is the fact that Jesus        In answer to this the Apostle Peter stands and
commanded them to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit,        preaches that beautiful sermon. which contained
but Jesus did not lay down a list of conditions which      essentially two points. What happened Peter explains is
they had to fulfill in order to be baptized with the the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy. The Day of the
Holy Spirit; He simply told them to wait. It is true Lord has come; the New Dispensational day which
enough they continued with one accord in prayer and marks the fulfillment of the Old Testament types and
supplication, chose one to take the place of the           shadows. It's the Day in which God would call His
betrayer; btit the passage nowhere indicates that they people out of every nation. And, it's the Day of
were consciously, fervently fulfilling the conditions judgment that shall be signified by signs and wonders;
spoken of by Pentecostals as necessary to be filled with blood, fire, and vapour of smoke in both heaven and


                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 421


     earth; the sun shall be turned to darkness and` the and all who hear the apostles of the power and
     moon into blood (compare in this connection Matthew presence of Christ in the early church. Hence all were
     24 and Revelation 6 where these same signs and amazed, some doubted and wondered, others mocked,
     wonders are mentioned as marking the Day of the and about three thousand of them were pricked in
     Lord's return). The great and notable day of the-Lord their hearts by the Sword of the Spirit, which is the
     which shall culminate in the very end of the ages when Word of God.
     Jesus' return has come.                                          The second  p&sage used by Pentecostals is Acts
        Secondly, Jesus of Nazareth, delivered by the 8:5-25. Here we find Philip, the deacon and evangelist,
     determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, preaching the Word in  Samaria accompanied by
     crucified and slain by you; this Jesus God has raised up, miracles and  signs,  casting out of unclean spirits,
     exalted, and given the promise of the Holy Spirit. healings etc. Many believed and were baptized by
     Having received the Spirit, Christ shed forth this which Philip into the name of Jesus Christ. These believers,
     you now see and hear. And all this means that God has however, did not receive the Holy Spirit until the
     made this Jesus both Lord and Christ.                          Apostles John and Peter came from Jerusalem to lay
       That Word preached powerfully pricked them in hands on them and pray for them. The fact that these
     their hearts so that they cried: "Men and brethren, believers first believed and were baptized and then
     what shall we do?" Peter answers; "Repent and be later received the Spirit apparently lends support to
     baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ the Pentecostal position.
     for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of      But does it? Even assuming that the Samaritans
     the Holy Ghost." (vs. 38) The ground of that call to spoke in tongues the passage does not teach what
     repentance is found in verse 39, where we read: "For Pentecostals claim. The Samaritans were a mixed race,
     the promise is unto yoy and to your children, and to partly Jewish and partly Gentile. Because they had
     all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God attempted to frustrate the rebuilding of Jerusalem
     shall call." We learn further that three thousand gladly (Ezra  4:4, 5) the Jews hated them and "had no
     received the Word and were baptized. These continued dealings with them" (John 4:9). It is in this light that
     stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine arid fellowship, in we must understand the receiving of the Spirit by the
     breaking of bread, and in prayers (vss. 41,42).                Samaritans. The Church is now expanding beyond the
       Pentecostals teach that the "gift of the Holy Spirit" limits of the Jewish people, and the Jewish Christians
     refers to the "baptism in the Holy Spirit" which must know that the Samaritan believers are not to be
     follows repentance and conversion and is to be despised, but regarded as equal with them. Hence they,
     attained by fulfilling the proper conditions. This Spirit too, received the Holy Spirit. In the words of Dr.
     baptism is evidenced by speaking in tongues, it is said. Hoekema, the event in Samaria is a "kind of extension
     Acts 2 no where says that the three thousand who of Pentecost." Please note, too, that nowhere in this
     believed or those whom God added daily to the church passage do we read of the Samaritans having tarrying
     spoke in tongues. Peter's sermon indicates, too, that meetings, fervently praying and seeking for the Spirit,
     when one repents he receives the remission of sins and nor do the Apostles command them to do that.
     the gift of the Holy Spirit, but there is no indication          Next there is the account of Cornelius recorded in
     that the gift of the Spirit follows conversion at some Acts 10. Peter, lodging in Joppa in the house of one
     later time, in the way of fulfilling conditions.               Simon a tanner, receives a vision of unclean animals
       Finally, Acts 2 certainly points to the  uniqueness,         with the command "rise Peter, kill and eat." While
     the once for all time character of the event of Peter wonders about the meaning, the Holy Spirit tells
     Pentecost. Prophecy has been fulfilled, -the Day of the him there are three men who want to see him. These
     Lord has come, God begins calling His saints out of all tell Peter that Cornelius has been warned of God to
     nations through Jesus Christ crucified, risen, exalted, "hear words of thee." Peter goes to Caesarea where
     Who poured out the Spirit. In the Spirit Christ has Cornelius explains his vision, Peter preaches the
     come into the Church, filling the hearts of the saints, gospel to him, and the fruit of the preaching is that the
     in order to call such as should be saved.                      Holy Spirit fell on them and they spoke with tongues
       What is the significance of the tongue-speaking here? and magnified God. Then they were baptized.
     Along with the cloven tongues like as of fire and the            Note well, the Spirit fell on them and they spoke
     sound of the mighty, rushing wind, they were a sign.           with tongues not subsequent to (as Pentecostals teach)
     They signified to the one  .hundred and twenty that but prior to their baptism. Why did the Spirit cause
     Jesus had come to be with them through the                     them to speak in tongues? Because Peter had to know
     Comforter, the Spirit of truth as He had promised. "of a truth God is no respecter of persons, but in every
     They were a `sign, too, assuring the church that by the nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness
I    Spirit of the exalted Christ they were empowered to is accepted with him." (vss. 34, 35). And those of the
     preach the gospel to every nation as they had been circumcision, the Jewish Christians, were astonished,
     commissioned. And, they were a sign to the multitude because on the Gentiles, also,. was poured the gift


422                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


of the Holy Spirit (vs. 45). This too, then, was an          exactly what one does in effect when he causes schism
extension of Pentecost, and the tongues once more            in the church); likewise, no one is able to say Jesus is
serve as a sign to the Jewish Christians that the            Lord except in the Spirit (vss. l-3).
Gentiles are also saved in Jesus Christ and receive the        In the verses 4-l 1 the Apostle lists the diversity of
Holy Spirit. This is precisely the explanation Peter         gifts in the church which all come from the same Holy
himself gives to the Jews in Jerusalem (Acts 11: l-l 8).     Spirit. Notice, not all receive all the gifts. To one is
He tells. them all about his encounter with Cornelius,       given this gift, to another is given another gift. Not
his preaching, and the Holy Ghost falling on them as         even in the Apostolic Church where the gift of tongues
evidenced in their tongue speaking. And when the Jews        existed were all believers to seek to have the gift of
hear that they respond: "Then hath God granted also          tongues. All this the Apostle illustrates with the figure
to the Gentiles repentance and life." Peter cites this       of the human body with its many individual members
event once more at the "Jerusalem conference" dealing        each serving in its own place the unity of the body.
with the Gentile question (cf. Acts 15).                     Paul continues by speaking of the offices which God
  The final instance of tongue-speaking in Acts is           has set in the church (vss. 28-31), the last of which is
found in chapter 19: l-7 where Paul meets a band of "diversities of tongues." No more than all are Apostles
twelve disciples. The Apostle asks them; "Have ye            do all have or should all seek to have the gift of
received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" They             tongues. The Pentecostal position that believers should
answer that they had not even heard that there was a         seek and lay claim to the power of God through the
Holy Spirit. Paul questions; "into what  thefi were ye       "Baptism in the Holy Spirit" as they define that
baptized?  " to which they reply, "the baptism of concept, simply cannot stand in this light. The
John." Paul then tells them that John baptized unto          conclusion of chapter 12 is: "Covet earnestly the best
repentance, calling the people to faith in Christ Jesus,     gifts, and yet show I unto you a more excellent way."
Who was coming. When they hear this they are baptized        That more excellent way is the way of the love of God
into the name of Christ, and when Paul lays hands on         set forth in chapter 13. The love of God never fails;
them the Holy Ghost comes upon them and they                 everything else, knowledge, prophecy, tongues, will
"spake with tongues and prophesied."                         vanish; but the love of God abides. Without that virtue
  The point of this passage is plain. These twelve           of the love of God we are only making noise and the
disciples were still living in the age of the shadows, at    gifts of the Spirit profit us nothing.
the door of the New Dispensation, but still in the             Thus the Apostle begins chapter 14 with the
shadows. ,.-They were unaware of the fact that the day admonition: Follow after love, and desire spiritual
of the Lord had come, and had not even heard that gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy." To prophesy
there was a Holy Spirit. This event, too, is an extension is  to speak the Word of God by preaching and by
of the unique wonder of Pentecost, and the tongues and mutual exhortation on the part of the members of the
prophecy serve as a sure sign to these believers that the church - cf. II Peter 1: II 6-21 where the Bible is called
Spirit of the crucified, risen Christ had indeed been "the more sure Word of Prophecy." He that speaks in
poured out.                                                  tongues speaks mysteries that no one understands; he
  It ought to be perfectly obvious that these passages speaks to God (who has no need of edification!) and to
from the Book of Acts do not teach what Pentecostals himself; while he who prophesies builds up the church
claim they do. Positively the unique character of the and that is the more excellent way of the love of God
wonder of Pentecost as the inauguration of the day of (vss. 2-4). So Paul wishes in verse 5 that all should
the Lord is strongly emphasized. God has made Jesus prophesy rather than speak in tongues, because
both Lord and Christ, the Spirit has been poured out,        prophecy is greater unless the tongues be interpreted
and in the power of the Spirit the Church is gathered for the edifying of the church. Even in the realm of
and built out of every nation.                               music (vss. 7, 8) except the laws of harmony, etc., are
  Pentecostals claim their strongest support from observed one does not know what is being piped or
I Corinthians 12, 13, and 14. We suggest that the harped.
reader follow our exposition of these chapters in his          Applying the figure (vss. 9-l 9) Paul says to the
Bible. In Chapter 12, the Word teaches that though the       Corinthians; unless you speak with your tongue words
Corinthians "come behind in no gift" (1: 7); they were       easy to be understood how shall your speech be
ignorant concerning the gifts of the Spirit. In the known? You are speaking into the air! Hence the Word
context of the entire epistle we understand that the is: seek to  excel1 to the edifying of the church. Pray
Corinthians were misusing the gifts of the Spirit for for an interpretation of your tongues, else you will not
each one's own selfish ends. The tragic result of this be edifying. For this reason I thank God I speak with
was schism in the church. It's to this that the inspired tongues more than you all  - yet I rather speak five
Apostle Paul addresses the sharp instruction of these words with my understanding, that by my words I
three chapters. The Corinthians must know that no might teach others, than ten thousand words in an
man speaking in the Spirit calls Jesus &cursed(which  is unknown tongue!


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   423


   Brethren, Paul continues in vss. 2Off., be children in today.
malice and grown men in understanding. Here we get              Now, some conclusions. First from the Acts,
to the heart of the passage. Paul is saying you must be passages (chapters 1,2,8,10,11,19). In none of the four
innocent of malice, that vicious evil which tears the  occurrances, assuming the Samaritans spoke in
church apart; a n d   y o u   m u s t   b e   m a t u r e   i n tongues, were believers fulfilling any conditions,
understanding. This is what the Scriptures teach.' In the    praying for the baptism with the Spirit to be evidenced
law, the Old .Testament  Scriptures, Isaiah 28: 11, 12 to by speaking in tongues. In each of the four instances
bk exact, it is written: with men of other tongues and all  the believers present received the sign of tongues
other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all along with  other signs. It was not just some who
that they will not hear me saith the Lord." (vs. 21) In received the baptism in the Spirit as Pentecostals teach.
Isaiah 28 we learn that the priests were drunk with And in all instances (this is true of Corinth, too) the
wine; they were children in understanding, who were baptism or filling with the Spirit as evidenced by
not weaned from the milk nor drawn from the breasts.         tongues and other signs happened  through the
These had rejected the Word, which was to them as instrumentality  of the Apostles. Peter and John had to
line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little,         go to  Samaria, Philip could not do it. Peter had to
there a little  - that they might go and fall backward preach to Cornelius, Paul to the twelve disciples at
and be broken and snared and taken. Therefore God Ephesus and also at Corinth. There is no record in the
will not teach these children in understanding New Testament of the bestowing of these signs and
knowledge; His judgments are  upon  them who mock gifts on someone by prayer or laying on of hands by
His Word. The doctrine of rest for the weary is not for any one other than an Apostle. This means that when
these grown men in malice, these drunkards of the Apostles passed from the scene the miraculous
qphraim. God will speak to them with stammering lips signs and gifts which served to authenticate their office
and another tongue. They will be taken captive, and the and message passed away with them. "They were part
Word of understanding, rest for the weary, they will of the credentials of the Apostles as the authoritative
not hear. To whom will God speak the refreshing Word agents" of God in founding the church. Their function
of salvation? To the residue of the people, the remnant thus confined them to distinctively the Apostolic
according to election, for whom He lays in Zion the Church, and they necessarily passed away with it."
tbed and precious cornerstone, the sure foundation, (B.B. Warfield, Miracles Yesterday and Today ,p. 21).
Jesus Christ.                                                  In this light I Corinthians 13 : 8 has profound
  Wherefore,  writes the Apostle, in other words,            significance. The text reads: "Charity never faileth, but
because this is the Word of God, tongues are for a sign whether there be prophecies they shall fail; whether
not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.      there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be
(vs. 22ff.) You Corinthians had better be warned that        knowledge, it shall vanish away." The verbs used in
tongues - your babbling in uncertain sounds without          reference to prophecy and knowledge are the same in
interpretation, so that it cannot be understood or serve     the Greek. That verb is in the passive voice and is to be
to edify the church - is a sign of God's judgment and        translated, "to cause to cease." God will put an
hardening of those who reject the Word! If an `end to them in that day of the Lord when we know
tinbeliever comes into your meeting and you are all          as we are known and see face to face in glory.
speaking in tongues, he will say you are mad, crazy; But "tongues shall cease." This verb is in the
but if he hears you prophesy, and sees you building up middle voice and means "simply stop." A.T.
the church, he is convinced, falls on his knees and          Robertson in his Word Pictzues of tlze New Testament
worships, by the Spirit's application of the prophetic translates, "shall make themselves cease" or
Word.                                                        "automatically cease of themselves." The point is this:
  Hence the conclusion. Let everything be done tongues and the other miraculous gifts, healings, etc.,
decently and in good order. If you insist on speaking in suddenly are no more in the church. They are of short
tongues, let it be by turn, only two or three at most, duration. Why? Because they are designed by God to
and let there be interpretation. God is not the author       serve as a  siguz,  a sign not only to authenticate the
of confusion, but of peace. Let your women keep gospel, but a sign to serve also as a means of making
silence in the churches: for it is not permitted them to the content of prophecy and knowledge known. But
speak. Was the problem in Corinth the women? How when they have served their confirming purpose as a
many Pentecostal groups today observe this rule? So, sign, they cease without the least affecting the church's
while I, the Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, possession of the mysteries of the faith.
do not forbid the proper use of tongues, neither do I          This is precisely the Bible's teaching elsewhere. In
command it. Rather prophesy that the church may be           Hebrews 2:3-4 the Scriptures teach that the Word of
edified! This is the more excellent way. Obviously even the Lord. was: "confirmed unto us by them that heard
in the New Testament Church where tongues had  `g Him  - the Apostles, God bearing them witness both
place they were not emphasized, as by Pentecostals with signs and wonders and with divers miracles and


424                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



gifts of the Holy Ghost." And in Mark 16: 19,20 we preached.
learn that after the Lord's ascension the apostles "went       And that is precisely the trouble today. There is in
forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with our day a terrible despising of the pulpit. It is because
them and confirming the Word with signs following." the Church generally fails to expound the Word and
Those signs were taking up serpents, drinking deadly comes with excellency of speech and worldly wisdom
poison, tongues, and healings. Confirmation of the rather than preaching Christ crucified, that a
Word was necessary in this age of transition out of the movement like Pentecostalism can make such an
Old into the New dispensation when the Canon of the impact. The sheep of God are hungry and thirsty and
Scriptures was yet in the process of being completed. are  n,ot being fed with the Bread and Water of life!
When the entire Scripture had been given, the last These weak and sickly sheep are swept along by the
apostle goes to glory, and tongues automatically cease bizarre, spectacular "successes" and enthusiasm of
of themselves. The Word has been given and Pentecostalism. The time has come when "they will
confirmed. Let us take heed, lest we neglect so great not endure sound doctrine; but. . . turn away their ears
salvation! It is not correct to say that the New from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (II
Testament nowhere explicitly teaches that tongues Tim. 4:3,4) The charge of God is: "Preach the Word!"
belonged only to the Apostalic age. I Corinthians 13 : 8       What do you say then to your Pentecostal neighbor?
in the light of the context of the entire New Testament Having shown him from the Scriptures the truth, he
teaches precisely that!                                     will invariably say to you: "But how can you dismiss
   What positively is the Word of God in all of this? this; I've had the experience, it's real." The answer you
Prophesy  ! We have the Word of God, the infallibly must give is: The Bible teaches that tongues have
inspired Bible. It pleases God by means (alid only by ceased, I cannot and you may not base your faith on
this means) of the preaching of that Word to save His your experience. That is pure subjectivism. To claim a
Church (cf. I Cor.  1, Romans 10) and put  to nothing direct line through the Spirit is to deny the sufficiency
the wisdom of this world. Preach, then! Be instant in of the Word of God and necessarily the power of that
and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all Word preached, through which means alone God is
longsuffering, preach to the ends of the earth. pleased to save. This is serious business indeed! The
Whatever the Church doe?, let it preach the Word! And Bible says: "If any man shall add unto these things,
let it do so in faith. The Church, the all to whom the God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in
promise is given, these and their children even as many this book: and if any man shall take away from the
as the Lord our God shall call have been baptized with words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take
the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. That happened at away his part out of the book of `life . . . He which
Pentecost. And the Spirit testifies of everything Jesus testifies these things saith: Surely I come quickly.
said to us. The fruit of that Spirit (Gal. 5) is love, joy, Amen. Come Lord Jesus. (Rev.22: 18-20).
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,            Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
meekness, temperance: against such there is no law! could say under the inspiration .of the Spirit: "I speak
We l@e in the Spirit: let us also walk in the Spirit. Let with tongues more than you all." No one can say that
us keep, on being filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5) so that today! Paul also said under the inspiration of the
we walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, Spirit, "tongues shall cease." They have.
redeeming the time, because the days are evil. The            I say to this Word of God and I hope you say it with
means by which we are enabled to do that is the Word me, "Amen!"



Friendship with God

                                             Creation
                                              Rev. B. Woudenberg
  "In the beginning God created the heaven and the man much prefers to look upon the universe as a sort
earth," Genesis 1: 1.                                       of neutral, self-existent, no-man's-land; one to which
  We have here one of the deepest and most profound he can claim squatter's rights and call his own. In fact,
truths to be found anywhere. By it every being is so addicted is man to this outlook on life that only a
affebted.                                                   crushing and transforming convulsion of his own inner
  To be' sure, there is something within us that would      being will ever free him from it. Man wants desperateli
rather. it were not so. In his natural way of  .thinking to be sovereign, like God, in his own little world and


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                    425



universe.                                                    the Omega, the Almighty one. As it says, "In the
   But the Bible will have none of this. Its opening         beginning  God.  "
verse here stands in direct contradiction, "In the              Further, we should realize that God here is not just
beginning God created the heaven and the earth." The         one person of the Trinity; He is the Triune God.
implications are immense.                                       We tend, perhaps, to be misled by the confession of
   Psalm  100:3 tells us what this means in the first        the Apostolic Creed, "I believe in God the Father,
place, "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he            Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth." The impression
that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his          is so easily left that accordingly there is only one
people, and the sheep of his pasture." In turn, Psalm        person of the Trinity, the Father, who is active in
50:  lo-12 carries it further, "For every beast of the       creation. And that certainly is not so. The Scriptures
forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I      make very plain that creation is the work of the Triune
know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild            God.
beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would         Actually, there is good reason why the Creed speaks
not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness        of the Father as Creator. It is because His personal
thereof." This is God's world. He has designed it, and       characteristics as Father come most distinctly to the
He has brought it into being. He alone really                fore in the work of creation. He does not perform the
understands its proper function and is able to lead it in    work alone, apart from the Spirit and the Son, but
a way that is good. If anyone truly wishes to deal with      because of what He is within the Godhead He stands
this world in a real way, he must simply go to God and       on the foreground in creation. So the Scriptures speak
say, "Teach me, 0 LORD, the way of thy statutes; and         most often of Him as the Creator, too, as in Isaiah
I shall keep it unto the end," Psalm 119:33. It is this      45: 18, "For thus saith the LORD that created the
that Genesis 1: 1 demands finally of every man.              heavens: God himself that formed the earth and made
  "In the beginning" is the first phrase in the Bible,       it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain." Or
and it does much more than merely designate the first        one can listen to the Gospel of the angels in Revelation
moment of time. It does that, and this must be               14:7, "Fear God, and give glory to  him . . . worship
maintained against various attempts that are made to         him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the
suggest some kind of a pre-Adamic world and history.         fountains of waters."
The beginning, the first moment of time is right here in       But certainly the Father is not alone in creation..So
Genesis 1: 1; but the phrase involves more in its depth.     John 1: 1-3 reads, "In the beginning was the Word . . .
  We read of "the beginning" more often in Scripture.        All things were made by him; and without him was not
Most familiar, of course, is John 1: l-3, "In the            any thing made that was made." In Colossians 1: 16 we
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,           read of Christ that, "By him were all things created,
and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning          that are in heaven, and that are in earth, . . . all things
with God. All things were made by him; and without           were created by him, and for him." Hebrews  1:2 in
him was not any thing made that was made." Although          turn speaks of "His Son . . . by whom also he made the
in quite different context, we find a closely related        worlds." Certainly the Son was active in creation, too.
thought when Christ speaks to John in Revelation 1: 8,         Nor is the Spirit without His part in creation.
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,         Already in Genesis  1:2 we read, "And the Spirit of
saith the Lord, which is, and. which was, and which is       God moved upon the face of the waters." One of the
to come, the Almighty." In turn, we find several             great Psalms reflecting on creation is Psalm 104 and,
significant passages in the Old Testament such as where      after making mention of all the great expanse of
Wisdom speaks in Proverbs  8:22, 23 and says, "The           created beings, it says in verse 30, "Thou sendest forth
LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way,               thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face
before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting,      of the earth."
from the beginning, or ever the earth was." And then           Nowhere do we have a nicer summation of the
there is Isaiah 46: 9, 10, "`Remember the former things      Triune activity in creation than in Psalm 33:6. All we
of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God       have to remember is that the "word" here is Christ
and there is none like me, declaring the end from the        according to John 1:  1, 14 while the "breath" is
beginning, and from ancient times the things that are        throughout Scripture a figure of the Spirit. So we read,
not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will     "By the word of the LORD were the heavens made;
do all my pleasure."                                         and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth."
  The thought through all this is that the creation did      Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all three together the
not in the strictest sense come "out of nothing." At         Creator of this world.
the beginning there was something there, or someone,           But what is the act of creation? What did God do
as the source from which alone the creation could            when He created the world?
come forth. There was Wisdom, there was the Word,              Actually Genesis 1 is quite vivid in its description,
there was the Counsel of God, there was the Alpha and        "And God said, Let there be light: and there was


426                                               THE STANDARD BEARER



light. . . . And God said, Let there be a firmament. . . .        puts it this way, "Thou, even thou, art LORD alone;
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass . . . etc." thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all
Genesis 1:3, 6, 11. Accordingly Psalm 33:9 describes              their host, the earth, and all things that are therein,, the
the creative act in this way, "For he spake, atid it was          sea, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them
done; he commanded, and it stood fast." In turn when              all." In fact, the Scriptures never tire of expanding
we go on to Hebrews  11:3 we find the faith of the upon the extensiveness of God's creative power. Psalm
child of God described in this way, "Through faith we             74:16, 17 says, "The day is thine, the night also is
understand that the worlds were framed by the word                thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Thou
of God, so that things which are seen were not made of hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made
things which do appear."                                          summer and winter." And Psalm 89: 11, 12 goes bn,
   There is reason why Hebrews 11 gives creation as               "The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for
the prime example of the content of true faith; it is so          the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded
tremendously difficult to believe that God could                  them. The north and the south, thou has created
actually bring this world with all of its- intricacy of           them."
detail into existence by the mere utterance of His                   The result is that the creation is very literally filled
voice. Neither is there any way in which man can really           with the glory of God. Psalm 19: 1,2 is very true, "The
go back to verify it to be so. All one can do is believe.         heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament
  Not indeed as though man has not had dreams of                  showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech,
this same power for himself. In fact one wonders if the           and night unto night showeth knowledge." Paul puts it
very history of this world could not be analyzed rather           this way in Romans 1: 20, "For the invisible things of
completely in terms of man's search for words of this            him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
kind of power, words that will realize the human                  being understood by the things that are made, even his
dream. Certainly many different efforts of this kind              eternal power and Godhead." And then when we come
have been tried. At times it has been the search for              to Revelation  4:ll we find that this remains the
words of magical incantation, at times for words of               content of the song of the elders in glory, "Thou art
spellbinding influence, or philosophical perception, or           worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory and honor and power;
scientific  applicafion, or anything that man might               for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure
come up with that may give to him power to realize his            they are and were created."
dreams. But in the end, it never really happens. I                  But one thing must be remembered; it takes faith to
Corinthians 1: 19, "For it is written, I will destroy the        see this glory. No, we don't see it all the time, maybe
wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the very seldom. It is that strange fact of spiritual
understanding of the prudent."                                   perception. Whenever we walk about with pride in our
  And yet, as much as man dreams of &for himself, to             hearts and personal ambition guiding our lives our eyes
recognize such power as belonging to another, even if become blind to the glory of God. All we see is a cold
He be God, is more than man can do. To admit that                world lying under a curse which sends chills of fear
God has, and can, and does succeed where man only                deep into our souls. But when, by God's grace, we turn
fails is like bowing one's head and dying; and that man in repentance to lay hold upon the redeeming power of
of himself will never do. It takes grace to believe that         the love of Christ, the whole world before our eyes is
God does possess that creative power which can say,              at the same moment transformed, II Corinthians 5 : 17,
Isaiah 55: 11, "So shall my word be that goeth forth "Old things are passed away; behold, all things are
out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but           become new." With the swell of joy there whelms
it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall forth the song of praise, Psalm 24: 1, 2, 10, "The earth
prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."                         is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and
  What we must understand, moreover, is that God they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon
and His creative act stand behind the existence of the seas, and established it upon the floods . . . The
everything. "In the beginning God created the heaven LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah."
and the earth, " and that is all inclusive. Nehemiah 9: 6



        The call of the gospel is to believe in the Christ of the Scriptures, Who leaves us nothing but the utterly hum&
        iating confession that we are sinners, damnable and corrupt. in ourselves, sinners who must be and only can be
        saved by pure and sovereign grace.


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                     427



From Holy Writ

                  Exposition of Ephesians 5: 15-21 (cont.)
                                                      Rev.  G. Lubbers

  The Ephesian believers are a new creation; they were         power. The matter is one of true conversion, continued
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God             sanctification, an unabated battle against the satanic
had before prepared that we might walk in them, (Eph.          hosts of hell as these energize and inspire natural and
`2: 10). That they were to walk in good works they did         unregenerated men.
not understand as they. should have; neither did they          ?he Proper Spiritual Narrow-Mindedness, Ephesians
understand that they were elected by God in Christ             5:18
from before the foundation of the world to be holy               When I was a young man, I did not have enough
and without blame in God's sight (Eph.  1:4). There            money to buy a dish of ice cream. Hence, I was not
was sad evidence of many sinful relationships and              tempted to buy the wines and hard liquors in the
conditions in this church in Asia Minor; there was lack        stores. Fact is, that the little grocery store where 1 went
of love, of upholding each other in love; there was a          to buy the groceries did not stock these commodities.
definite need of warning these Christians that they            There was no demand for them; and where no demand
must maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of           is, the business man soon no longer stocks an item.
peace, (4: l-3); also there was a lack of speaking the         However, we now live in an affluent society; we have all
truth in love, and of the putting off of the lie due to a      that it takes to live it up a bit and, in the realm of the
deep consciousness of being one another's members,             sociable, to ape the world, pattern our life after the
(4: 25); moreover, there was need of positive walking in       world! We are told not to be conformed to this world,
love toward one another in forgiving each other for but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds,
Christ's sake.                                                 that we may approve what is the good, the perfect, and
  Yes, they were new creatures in Christ!                      acceptable will of God, (Rom. 12: l-3).
  However, they were far from having perfected                    Worldlimindedness was the sin of the Ephesians!
sanctification in the fear of God. The "more and                  And Worldlimindedness leads to world-conformity!
more hate sin and cleave to God" is in desperate need            Writes Paul here in Ephesians 5: 18,  "And be not
of being preached. There was need of Christian                 drunken with wine wherein is excess. " Paul takes the
admonition. Gospel exhortations were the call of the           bull by the horns; he meets the sin head-on by not
hour, lest God be tempted in the church and Paul               mincing any words. This becoming drunken with wine
would not be free from the blood of these saints, Was          must come to a complete halt; it must be utterly
not this Ephesian church the people who are said by            banished from their lives by the crucifixion of the flesh,
Christ to have "lost their first love"? (Rev. 2:4)             the mortifying of their members upon earth, knowing
  Yes, there was a certain light-hearted flirting with         that our life is hid with Christ' in God. This exalted
sin; there was worldlimindedness in this church. They          knowledge alone can pluck our feet out of the devil's
did not strive to live antithetically in the world, to be      clutches. It is clear from the Greek that Paul does not
in the world yet not of the world. They should have            merely warn against possible drunkenness in the
been deeply conscious that they once were darkness,            church; he is warning them against actual drunkenness
but now are light in the Lord, (Eph. 5  :8). Oh, they          with wine. It was an actual sin in which these
should truly have walked as children of light, Their           Ephesians were walking. They were not walking in the
association with the world was so easy; they were              good works which God had prepared for them. They
friends of the world often - a world which says in her         lived by the Spirit, but did not walk in the straight and
heart that there is no God - to the point that they did        narrow course of God's precepts. They were turning to
not rebuke the world for their life of sin and darkness.       the broad way which leadeth to destruction. Now Paul
No, their speech was not seasoned with salt to give            says: stop becoming drunken with wine, wherein is
grace to those who heard them; they did not rebuke             excess.
them. Now they must be roused from their spiritual               Here is holy narrow-mindedness!
stupor of sin; they must rise from the dead, and Christ           The evil of wine and becoming drunk with it is
shall give them light. Such is their only hope and their       exposed. Yes, wine has a good usage. It is a good gift
solemn calling in Christ.                                      of God. Every creature of God is good, and nothing is
  It is a question of how they have learned Christ, to         to be rejected when it is received with thanksgiving.
put off the old man and to put on the new man, which           But the Ephesians could not give thanks at- the end of
is renewed in them by God's sovereign grace and                an evening of excessive  ,living, due to drinking too


428                                                THE STANDARD BEARER


much wine. God was not in their thoughts in their                  broad way which leads to destruction. And many there
excesses. They are more like the prodigal who                      by who go in thereat!
consumed his substance with riotous living. He came to                All such flirting with the world, with sin, and
the end of the road of such living. Jesus made wine at             with the powers of hell must stop!
the feast of  Cana. The Psalmist sings the praises of                 This is healthy narrowmindedness which may well
God's works and includes wine which makes glad the                 be cultivated in our day; parents, teachers, and
heart of man. Wine is also used at the table of the                ministers are to be good examples to the flock, and,
Lord. Nevertheless, it is also stated that wine is a               particularly, to the young people in the church. Be not
mocker, and strong drink is raging: and whosoever is               deceived by flattering speech which deceives. No
deceived thereby is not wise. Wine is ever associated, in          drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Today
the worldly use, with excessive living. For excessive              men would rather speak of an "alcoholic" than of a
living is a life of debauchery, extreme indulgence in              drunkard. It is constantly repeated from radios, the
sensuality, a profligate behavior which is unbecoming world over, that alcoholism is not sin but sickness. The
to those who were elected to be holy and without                   Holy Ghost chose not to use this term. He speaks of
blame before God. In a word, it is a trifling with the             men "becoming drunken with wine, wherein is
grace of election.                                                 excess." The Christian who is guilty of this sin needs
  Psychologically there is a strong resemblance                    not merely some medical attention and some
between being drunk and satiated with wine, and the                psychiatric lies concerning the "sickness" of an
singing which is the effect of the Spirit. In both cases           alcoholic; what he needs is to be placed under the
men are carried away by other powers. In the one case, a           exhortation of the Gospel. He must confess his sin,
man possesses his soul in patience; and in the other, he is repent, be converted and be healed in his conscientie
a victim of sin, stimulating the fleshly lusts; But both           from the guilt of this sin, of his worldlimindedness and
have a song  - the drunkard and the man who is                     world-conformity! He must return like the prodigal
Spirit-filled. Both are in an exalted and stimulated               in the Scriptures and say, "Father, I have sinned against
state of mind. The one is on the door-step of hell when heaven and against thee!"
he has his delusions of seeing serpents; and the other                In so doing he will flee all sin; he will be putting off
sings on the door-`step  of heaven, within the portals of the old man, crucifying the flesh. And, if he is sorry
the eternal city in hope. Psychologically these two                for this one sin, he will see that it was not just a bad
states of mind may have some resemblance; however,                 deed, but that he was in a bad way. No doubt there is a
spiritually they are as distant from each other as the great need for us in our day to warn our children, our
poles.                                                             young people, by word and example. Such is our
                                                                   reasonable service; it is the most logical thing under the
  The term which Paul uses for "excess" in the KJV is              sun. It is the logic of the Spirit of God in Christ. It is
`&vootia.  " Such an one cannot be saved; there is not             not hard to understand; it does not need to be told
hope for him even in the Greek-Roman humanistic                    often to the wise and the simple. But they who flirt
ethics. He cannot ever fit in constructively in society; with sin and trifle with the grace of election come to
he is a "losel," a "hopelost," worthless person. He ruin.
cannot spare, cannot save, he is a  prodigus,   a                     Perhaps the apostle is suggesting here that this is a
scatterling. His life is one grandiose squandering of constant battle which never ends. The price of spiritual
means. (Trench, Synonyms) And, we may continue to liberty is eternal vigilance. He uses the present tense:
quote Trench; "such a one spending on his own lusts keep on stopping  becoming drunk with wine. This
and appetites - laying it out for the gratification of his requires much spiritual sobriety. The days are evil also
own sensual desires, a dissolute, debauched, profligate today. Let us then become wise, sober, knowing our
manner of living: Ziederlich." And the learned Trench times. We must believe that these sins of the world are
continues, "A waster of his goods will be very often a such that the wrath of God  cometh upon them; it is
waster of everything, besides; will lay waste himself, the wrath of God which manifests itself in this
his time, his faculties, his powers - will be himself laid excessive living: riotous living, drunkenness,
waste; he at once loses himself and is lost,"                      debauchery. Sin bears sin! It eats like a cancer,
   Now Paul knows that the Ephesians are fully aware invading all of life.
of the implications of the term which we have in. our                 Flee this worldlimindedness; abhor this
Bible translated "excess." Such excess cannot be a world-conformity!
Christian life; it is not the part of those who are wise,             Stop becoming drunk with wine!
buy out the time; it is the part of those who walk the

           "The excellent, infallible and sole preparation for grace is the eternal election and predestination of God."
                                                                                                     Martin Luther


                                            THE STANDARD  BEARER                                               429



The Day of Shadows

                                          Paradise Lost
                                               Rev. John A. Heys

  Here in America we like to boast of men going from       from God. His glory was all taken away; and he became
rags to riches.                                            poorer than the beasts of the field.
  We like to point to presidents of our country,             Yes, he did! For man lost something the animals
financial successes, or men of other earthly never had, and that was God's covenant fellowship. He
achievements whose beginnings were humble, and who had because of that "mother promise" of Genesis 3: 15
climbed from log cabins and poverty to become rich the beginning of a restoration of that covenant
and famous.                                                fellowship. God had clothed him with the skins of
  Scripture presents to us another picture. Having animals and had given him promise of -better things to
shown us a man in indescribable bliss and riches, Holy come. But that close, intimate, personal fellowship
Writ shows us one who fell from riches to rags, from       with God that he enjoyed in the garden is gone! And
spiritual life to spiritual death, and therefore from there stand cherubim (Please never read it as in the King
boundless joy to deep sorrow, and from fellowship James version, for cherubim already is plural, and
with God to banishment from His face.                      cherubims is no more correct than geeses or  mites)
  In the Word of God little is said about the ideal with a flaming sword to keep man away from that sacred
conditions in which Adam and Eve lived before they place where he had such joy and fellowship with God.
were cast out of the garden. By implication we do This loss, by contrast, makes the other insignificant,
learn much from that into which they were plunged. In even though by nature we see it the other way. We sing
Genesis 3: 17- 19 we read, "And unto Adam God said, correctly from the Psalms, "To live apart from God is
Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, death, Tis good His face to seek; My refuge is the
and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded living God, His praise I long to speak." And Jesus tells
thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the us that this is life eternal, that we know God and Jesus
ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all Christ Whom He has sent. John 17:3.
the days of thy life: Thorns also and thistles shall it      We may, therefore, also be sure that Adam and Eve
bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the lived outside the garden as close to that gate or way
field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till to the tree of life as they could. Cain soon moved away
thou return to the ground; for out of it wast thou with no desire at all to be reminded even of God's
taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou existence. But Adam and Eve as believers with a rich
return."                                                   and precious promise dwelt just outside the garden
  Before this, God had already said to Eve, "`I will with the hope of a full restoration of covenant
greatly multiply thy conception; in sorrow shalt thou fellowship with God. They loved God again, for God
bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy had put enmity in their hearts against Satan and his
husband, and he shall rule over thee."                     whole kingdom. And by faith they took hold of that
  Take these two together, and you can somewhat promise of victory in the Seed of the woman.
visualize what Adam and Eve had before this. The             Yet as far as the material side is concerned, their
climate was ideal, and they did not need coats of skin loss was a permanent loss. Never would they go back
during the day nor the evening. There was no sweat or to such ideal earthly conditions. Nor would their
sorrow, no struggle to get food for their stomachs, no children, or children's children to a thousand
injuries to be experienced by thorns and thistles, in a generations. In fact their children to a thousand
few words no discomfort, but instead pure comfort generations were told that daily by God. It is well to
and joy and peace and gladness. They could truthfully take note of the fact that the original earthly creation
say, THIS is life!"                                        as pictured to us in Genesis l-3 contains three distinct
  And the loss of all this was greater for Adam and areas or precincts. There is the land of Eden, There is
Eve than we could ever know, for we never had any the garden eastward in that broader expanse of the
such ideal conditions anywhere on the face of this land of Eden. And there is the "midst of the garden"
earth since that day,. nor were we robbed of all of it in where were those two special trees, and where Adam
one day. (No, Job did not even `suffer so great a had that close and delightful fellowship with God. And
contrast, though he lost much in one day.) Man sought when God gave Moses the plan for the tabernacle, He
to rob God of His glory; and he ended up robbing designed it again to have three precincts corresponding
himself of all the good and joy and life that he had to these three areas of the original creation. He dwelt


430                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


Himself in the midst of the garden (tabernacle)              as he can.) If it is to my material advantage, I'll pollute
between the cherubim on the mercy seat, in the most          your air and streams. But I will fight you, if you pollute
holy places, or Holy of Holies.                              my air and water." Indeed, paradise is lost, because
   Now the point we wish to make is that which is            man is lost in sin. Not being united in God with the
given us in Exodus 26: 1 and 31 where we read,               desire to glorify Him with all His creation, man is
"Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten            disunited from his neighbour to seek that glory of God
curtains of  :fine- twined linen, and blue, and purple,      for himself; each man for himself, each family for that
and scarlet: with cherubim `of cunning work shalt thou       family, each nation for that nation. And to unite
make them. And thou shalt make a veil of blue, and           presently in the Antichrist will seem for a brief period
purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning        of time to give hope of something better on this earth.
work: with cherubim shall it be made." And thus              But it will not work, for God has placed the curse
generations after Adam and Eve were expelled from            upon this earth. And all men in the world together not
paradise, their children's children still saw cherubim       only cannot lift it, but by their very efforts can only
guarding the way to the presence of God on that veil.        call for a more terrible measure of that curse in hell!
All Israel was reminded in the tabernacle that the way          God is not mocked. But God is not pushed aside
was barred. And though the high priest might go              either. Men may say that He is dead. But that does not
behind the veil once a year without being burned by the      kill Him and remove  Him from the scene, or remove
fury of God's wrath, he had to do so with the symbol         one smallest part of the curse which He has imposed
of the blood of Christ, which he would symbolically          upon man. The woman, likewise, may object  - and
sprinkle on the mercy seat, on the great day of              today strenuously does object  - to the curse God
atonement.                                                   imposed upon her. Because God has multiplied her
   This was continued in the temple; and until the day       conception, she often resorts  -  ' to the pill and to
that Christ took away those cherubim, because He had         abortions. Because of that curse upon her there are
suffered the flame of God's wrath upon the sins of His       cries of a population explosion that threatens to bring
people, Israel had that reminder. And when Jesus cried       starvation to all of us. But you are not going to lift
out in victory, "lt is finished!" God tore that veil with    God's curse by the pill and by the murder of abortion.
the cherubim in twain and showed man that the way            You are only adding new sins for which that more
to a full return to  His' presence was now legally           terrible form of the curse in hell will be meted out by
realized.                                                    a holy and sovereign God!
   For the world, of course, there is never a return to        There is no room in God's law for abusing and
the ideal conditions of paradise, though man invents         mistreating the woman. But there certainly is not in
his air conditioners, furnaces, labor-saving devices,        Scripture any room for a women's liberation
humidifiers, dehumidifiers and air purifiers. God took       movement that liberates itself from the fifth
that whole garden away through the flood. On this            commandment and rebels against that word of God in
earth there is no paradise anymore. There was one for        Genesis 3: 16, ". . . and he (thy husband) shall rule over
a time after the fall of man from which he was barred,       thee." To try to escape this punishment and curse (for
but today there is none at all.                              this is something distinct from the authority that God
  What is more, it will not work. It simply will not         gave Adam over Eve in the state of righteousness by
work! This whole unbiblical movement of the women's          the very fact that He gave her to Adam, and not Adam
liberation movement will not work. Neither will all of to her, made her of his rib and not him of her rib) by
man's labor-saving devices, inventions, and discoveries      rebellion only aggravates the sin and increases the guilt.
of the powers in God's creation keep man from getting        And this is not the way out for the woman. It is the
himself into worse messes than at the moment he              continuation of the way on which she began when she
decries. The younger generation is correct in pointing       wanted to be God's equal, and therefore ate of the
to the mess we have made of things. They are incorrect       forbidden fruit. Now she wants to be man's equal. But
as far as their explanation of it and solution for it is     it will not work, because the almighty God has placed
concerned. But that man makes a mess of God's earth her under man, and under the curse that he shall rule
(and messes up His moon with our junk  - for a               over her in his sinful, fleshly defiance of God.
crashed lunar landing vehicle is nothing but junk) is          For us there is hope in Christ. Paradise is lost, and we
inevitable from the moment man refused to be God's           will never get it back. Nor do we want it back. We
royal priesthood, His steward and servant. We care not       must not face that first paradise with the hope of
how we pollute the air and waters, just so we can get a      returning to it. By faith we must look forward to the
few more so-called labor-saving devices, and fleshly         new Jerusalem of Revelation 21 and 22. There we will
pleasures, and seek to escape the curse without the          have the tree of life again, and there we will dwell with
cross. Since man declared war on God he also declared        God in a tabernacle that has no veil and has no cherubim
war on his fellow men; and he still says today,              to guard the way to the tree of life.
"Everyman for himself!" (And he practices it as much           And all this is true and is possible because we lost


                                                        THE STANDARD BEARER                                                       431


  our sin when the last Adam paid for it with His life. though paradise is lost. And that hope is for that new
  There is therefore now no condemnation for them that                    Jerusalem with the river of life, the tree of life and
  are in Christ Jesus. Dwell not on the loss of paradise God's tabernacle with men, the one that has no veil and
  and its beauty, but quickly flee to the cross of Christ no cherubim to bar the way. The one where there is no
  to rejoice in  the  loss of  sin!  For that also means the curse, but blessing, no sweat of our faces and sorrow,
  loss of the curse and the obtaining of a blessedness far no thistles and thorns,. but instead the joy of tasting
  greater than Adam's and Eve's in that first paradise.                   and seeing that God is good.
       Having lost our sin in Christ there is hope for us,


  Book Review
                 Samuel Willard: Preacher of Orthodoxy In An Era of Change

  SAMUEL WILLARD: PREACHER OF ORTHODOXY maintained by the Puritans was being challenged.
  IN AN ERA OF CHANGE,  by Seymour Van Dyken;                               This book, in discussing the life and views of
  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972; 224 pp., Willard, discusses also this change in the religious and
  $5.95. (Reviewed by Prof. H. Hanko)                                     political climate of New England. The book is
                                                                          interesting and worthwhile for an understanding of this
       Samuel Willard was a Puritan preacher in New period and for an analysis of Puritan thought. It is
  England who lived during the years 1640-1707. He especially worthwhile in showing how deeply
  lived during a time, therefore, when Puritanism was Calvinistic the New England Puritans were in their
  being challenged in New England and when not only theology and how they combatted both the errors of
  new doctrines were being brought into the area, but Armiriianism and Antinomianism. The book has an
  also when the whole concept of church and state as extensive bibliography and a worthwhile index.


                         ANNOUNCEMENT                                                   NOTICE OF CANDIDACY
       Christian fellowship and spiritual growth will be                     The Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches,
  products of the 1972 Protestant Reformed Young having examined Seminarians Wayne Bekkering,
  People's convention, the Lord willing. The central Marvin Kamps, and Ronald Van Overloop, declares
  place for all activities and lodging is the YMCA camp                   them to be Candidates for the Ministry of the Word
  in Estes Park, Colorado. A correction concerning last and Sacraments in the Protestant Reformed Churches.
  month's announcement is that the theme is "Come,                        They are eligible to be called on or after July 7, 1972.
  Lord Jesus" and the book BEHOLD HE COMETH is                                                                      Rev. D. H. Kuiper
  excellent material for preparation. Evenings in the                                                         Stated Clerk of Synod
  mountains are chilly so bring suitable clothing. Sleep-
  ing bags are needed for Monday night lodging in Love-                   The addresses of the Candidates are as follows:
 land. Pray to our Father for a spiritual rewarding con-
 vention in which He receives all honor.                                  Wayne Bekkering                  Marvin Kamps
                                                                          3608 Minnie Ave., S.W.            3336 Barrett, S.W.
                                                                          Wyoming, Mich. 49509             Grandville, Mich. 49418
                       WEDDING ANNIVERSARY                                Phone: (616) 534-6369            Phone: (616) 534-8221
                                                                                       Ronald Van Overloop
       On  June 20, 1972, MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM                                         1210 Eastern Ave., S.E.
  SWART celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.                                     Grand Rapids, Mich. 49507
       We thank our Covenant Father for preserving them
  c        _I    ,*       .  ,.          r,               7, .                         Phone: (616) 245-l 389
~ ror  eacn orner  ana ror us tnese past years.  rt  is our
  prayer that in their remaining days they may experi-
  ence the continued blessings of our Covenant God.                                        .ANNOUNCEMENT
                                   Their children and grandchildren         Classis East will meet in regular session on July 5,
                                                                  Judy    1972 at Holland, Michigan. Matters to be treated must,
                                      Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Kalsbeek be in the hands of the Stated Clerk at least ten days
                           Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Van Overloop               prior to the convening of the session.
                                                  Kevin and Ronda                                         JonHuisken,  Stated Clerk

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


432                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


                                News From  hour Chinches
  At a congregational meeting held in our  Redlands event for our young people, especially for those of the
Protestant Reformed Church on May 15, Rev. D.               Loveland Society which will host the convention. In
Kuiper was chosen to receive the call to serve as           fact, the convention looks to be of considerable
minister there. Rev. Engelsma is again considering the import  ante to the entire Loveland congregation.
call to serve as third professor in the seminary.           According to a newsletter prepared by the Young
   The month of June has brought graduation for People's Society for that congregation, an estimated
many of our young people. It might be appropriate,          250-300 young people will converge on the
therefore, to include a "note to our graduates" which       community on July 24. "We need lodging," the
appeared in a bulletin of Hull Protestant Reformed newsletter continued, "for about 250 young people in
Church in May of 1971. It comes, very likely, from the the homes of the congregation on Monday evening."
pen of Rev. Kortering.                                      According to the calculation of the committee, that
   "Graduation is a highlight in your life. Whether you     "will average out to about 8 or 10 young people in
receive your 8th (or 9th) grade diploma or high school each home." After the suggestion that "bunks in
diploma, it means years of hard work and represents a garages" will suffice, there was that nice little
real achievement.                                           abbreviation, "etc." What that includes is anybody's
       "Graduation is a moment of reflection.  What have guess, I suppose, but if my memory of the 1961
you learned? The diploma doesn't tell you the answer. Loveland convention serves me correctly, barns and
Your academic standing in ydur class doesn't reveal it. back yards are definitely not to be excluded.
Rather your life will indicate whether your education         To reminisce a little further, Loveland's present
has achieved its purpose that, `the man of God may be pastor tented in one of those back yards, at that
perfect,  throughly furnished unto all good works' convention eleven years ago; and, further, on Sunday
II Tim. 3: 17.                                              of the convention week, he occupied Loveland's pulpit
       "Graduation is a time of aspiration. You have mixed - though, at that time, as Seminarian Engelsma.
feelings about the future, either you leave a school for      As you know, Rev. Engelsma spoke at the program
another, or you have completed your formal                  commemorating the 25th anniversary of Hope
education. The future is uncertain for all of us. Yet the Protestant Reformed Christian School. When he was in
faith you have is not in yourself, not in your Grand Rapids, for that occasion, we learn, he was also
neighbors, but in your God. This gives you the stamina asked to deliver a lecture `on "Modernism and
to implement your instruction in all areas of your life Neo-Orthodoxy" for the modern church history class at
that God may be glorified through you. Continue to Covenant Christian High School. A similar visit was
learn that, `They that wait upon the Lord shall renew that of Prof. Hanko to a 9th grade class at Adams
their strength, they shall  mourit up with wings as School, where he spoke about extra-sensory perception
eagles' Isa. 40: 3 1."                                      and about tongue-speaking.
  In addition to our grade school and high school             Last, but hardly least, is a message from our
commencement exercises, there was the June 13th             ever-enthusiastic business manager, Mr. Vander Wal.
graduation ceremonies of three of our seminary                "In the June issue of our STANDARD  BEARER
students  - Candidates Bekkering, Kamps, and Van you included in your column a report concerning the
`Overloop. Rev.  H, Veldman, in his introductory            geographical coverage our paper has been receiving of
remarks at that program, called attention to the fact late. Your news item ended with the hope that we
that we were witn&sing a "mass graduating exercise." might receive a subscriber residing in the State of
It's been a long time, he reminded us, since we've had a    Alaska. Well, thanks to your column, we `got one!'
graduating class of  more than one. But, he added,            "A subscriber to our magazine submitted and paid
significantly, even more important than the quantity is     for a `10 for 2' Introductory Offer for a 6 months'
the fact that we have quality. Both of those factors, it    subscription for The Anchorage Public Library,
would seem, made of those ceremonies `<an event that        Anchorage, Alaska. How about that!? Now it's Maine
should gladden our hearts and motivate us to give           to California, Alaska to Florida. Any reader wish to
thanks to our faithful God who so richly blesses us." submit the name of a prospective reader residing in the
  Notices concerning the Young People's Convention          State of Hawaii?
have appeared, it seems, in all of our churches'              "Thank you, Mr. Editor, and ALOHA!"
bulletins. There's no doubt that  &is is an important                                                         D.D.


