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



     IN THIS lSSUE

          Meditation:
             Asleep In The Storm
~

          Editorials:
             Right . i .
             . . . But Dead Wrong!

          Critique:
             "The. Gospels In Current Study" (2)

             `Pure And Undefiled Religion
                 (see: From Holy Writ)

             A Defense Of `Calvinism As The Gospel
               (see: Taking Heed To The Doctrine)

                                                    Volume XLIX / Number 1 / October 1,1972


2                                                                 T HE  STANDARD   BEARER


                                CONTENTS:                                                                      THE STANDARD BEAREli
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Meditation  -                                                                              Second Class Postage Paid at Grand Raprds, Mich.
     Asleep In The Storm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 iditor-in-Chief:   Prof; Homer C. Hoeksema
                                                                                      Department Editors:  Rev. Robert D. Decker, Mr. Donald Doezema, Rev.
                                                                                      David J. Engelsma, Rev. Cornelius Hanko, Prof. Herman Hanko, Rev.
Editorials -                                                                          Robert C. Harbach, Rev. John A. Heys, Rev. Jay Kortering,  Rey. Dale H.
                                                                                      Kuiper, Rev. George C. Lubbers, Rev. Marinus Schipper, Rev. Gise J.
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          But Dead Wrong!                                                       .6 Editorial  dffice:  Prof. H. C. Hoeksema
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Critique -
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Meditqtion

                                                     Asleep  In  The  Stor.ri
                                                                        Rev. M. Schipper

                "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in
                safety.  "                                                                                                            Psalm 4:8.

     "There be many that say, Who will shew us any wrinkled .faces and thin lips in the homes of the aged
good?"                                                                                and infirm. That question cries to you from the
     Such was the question the psalmist took from the hospital bed, from thousands of mortuaries, from
mouths of his contemporaries.                                                         penal institutions, and from the frowzy street of the
     And when the psalmist penned that question it was ghetto area. It is expressed above the din and noise of
as much up-to-date as if `it were asked yesterday!                                    riotous, modern youth. You hear it even from the
     This is precisely the question you hear today from mouths of many in the church.
many lips. You hear it from the lips of those who are                                     From every sphere of life the disparaging, hopeless
in government. You hear it from those who are in the                                  cry goes up: Who will shew us any good?
business of education. Those in industry and in the                                       Oh, indeed, they may ask the question using slightly
sphere of labor have been asking this question for a different words. But if you are abreast of the times,
long time already. You hear it from those with you have heard, yea, you may yourself have asked the


                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER                                              3

                                            .

  questions: What next? What is it all coming to? Who `lightning., Awesome as it, is in the middle of the day,
  will show us a way out? Who will shew us any good?        how much more so when it comes in the middle of
    In what was once called "the land of the free, and the night. We remember when we were youngsters how
  the home of the brave," all the powers of darkness frightening these storms were, how, if we were
  seem to have broken loose. Even the powers that be awakened by them, we would pull down the shades to
  seem not to be able to contain the violence, and to blot out the flashes of lightning, and place our pillows
  bring to rest the tumultuous upheavals of our time. No firmly over our ears to deaden the noise of the
  matter where you lOOk; or where you go, everywhere, thunder. And if we were so weary of the busyness of
  and in every department of life there appears to be I the day and succeeded to sleep on in the storm, often
  only riot and revolution, war and discontent. Not only we were awakened by our parents and called down
  in our own country, but round the world, such is the stairs. Why? We never did really find out, unless it was
  description of the times in which we live.                that they, too, were afraid and needed our company.
    In the midst of all this, what will be, what should be We remember that most of the time we were so weary
  the attitude of the Christian, of the child of God?       that we would fall asleep  in. their laps, and after the
    Shall he go along with the rioters and be a party to storm was over, we were carried back again to our
  their upheavals? He knows that this he may never do. beds.
  Shall he throw up his hands in utter despair? Though        And when we grow older we often experience
  he may be inclined to do this according to his flesh, he storms of a much more serious nature which descend
  can never be hopeless. Shall he look for someone to upon our anxious souls. The devil and his angels
  rise out of the tumultuous mass to calm the peoples pestering us with their unholy accusations, purposely
  and restore for a season peace and quiet? Oh, if he is endeavoring to disturb our sleep. The poverty stricken
  thoroughly acquainted with the Word of God, he will lie awake, wondering where his next slice of bread
  knows that such an one will arise who for a short time will come from. The wealthy will fret that thieves will
  will be able to quell the noise, and bring peace to the come in the blackness of the night to break in to steal.
  nations. But he knows, too, that as far as himself and The day-laborer will lie awake pondering the
  his fellow Christians are concerned, this Antichrist can bread-question, and trying to determine whether or
  bring peace which is only temporal and earthly and not he should join with others in an unholy,
  that, too, only to the peoples of the world; but he materialistic alliance to resolve his problems. Then
  knows, too, that he and the children of God shall there are the storms of sickness, pestilence, war, and
experience reproach, suffering, and even death  - a death. And not by any means the least, the storms that
  darkness far worse than that already in the world.        rock his soul because of the knowledge of his sins, or
    Nay, rather, the child of God has but one prayer: because the cause of,God's kingdom and of the church
  "Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us." seriously affect him.
1 And he will have but one confession to make: "Thou          All these and many more are the storms of life that
i hast put gladness in my heart." And he will assume but    often make it most difficult for him to say: "I will
, one attitude: With calmness he will say: "I will both both lay me down in peace and sleep."
~ lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Jehovah,         These storms of life are not merely a figment of our
  only makest me to dwell in safety."                       imagination - they are very real!
    Asleep in the storm!                                      Such was also the experience of the poet.
    Difficult for one to do, you say?                         David was oppressed and besieged by mighty foes.
    Indeed it is!                                           Of this he speaks in the context when he says: "0 ye
    Sometimes it is even difficult to fall asleep when the sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into
  night is still. When the care-worn soul seeks in restful shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after
  slumber to find the refreshment it needs after ,a day of leasing? Selah." And be sure when he said this he did
  toil and struggle, fraught with many fears, belabored not refer to men in general, but to men of honor and
  with many cares, then the weariness may be so great power - the mighty of the land, who were seeking to
  and the cares so many that in the mysterious depths of hurt him and to destroy `him.
  subconsciousness, the soul may twist and turn, robbing      There is reason to believe that the circumstances
  him of the peace and rest he desires. Hundreds of affecting the psalmist were occasioned by the uprising
  flitting spirits, carrying a message of trouble and of Israel during the revolt led by Absalom, his son.
  anxiety to the weary soul, may rob it of .the rest it You know the history.
  longs for, but cannot find, when the night is still.        Absalom had killed Ammon, and had to flee to a
    How much more is it difficult to find peace and rest Syrian city. After three years Joab, David's general in
  in sleep when there is storm!                             the army, had interceded for him, and persuaded David
    Take, for instance, the electrical storms which God to allow him to return. Absalom, however, on
 in His providence sends.  up.on the earth with, their returning, instead of meekiy.repenting of his sin, and
  ear-piercing claps of thunder and fearful streaks of retiring to some obscure portion of Judah, began to


4                                               THE STANDARD BEARER


steal the hearts of the people, and conspired against           eternal, unchangeable God, the God of the everlasting
king David, his father. He gathered to himself a great          covenant. In that name He does not appear or
following, including such leaders of the people as              approach unto strangers, but only unto His chosen
Ahithophel, David's advisor, and had himself people. With that people Jehovah God has established
proclaimed king: Consequently David was advised to              a permanent relation of friendship and love in Christ
flee, taking with him several of his valiant men. The           Jesus.
situation was so bad that it was evidently these valiant          Moreover, Jehovah is also the Almighty, the God of
companions of David who asked the question: "Who the storm. Yea, in His hands are all the deep places of
will show us any good?" They were so completely the earth. By His power all creatures, including the
upset that all looked hopeless. And in this frame of devils, subsist. They have no power of their own. They
mind they must have reminded David that, though he receive all their power and their ability to use it only
was king, to all intents and purposes he was now only           from Him.
a vagabond. They must have pointed out to him that                And this Almighty God, Jehovah, is the All-Wise
the majority was on the side of the rebel, and that the God. There is no foolishness with Him. He knows the
end could be only destruction. It must have appeared end from the beginning. He ordains the end from the
to them that there was no way to escape and to erase beginning. And He determines in what manner and by
the shame which appeared to be on David and his                 what means the end from the beginning shall be
handful of friends. Who will bring to us the former             reached. He knows how to accomplish His own glory,
glory, and restore thee to the throne? Who will help us aS well as the glory of His people by the very best
to prove Absalom is in the wrong, and that the right is possible means. He knows of no opposition. He
on your side? Such undoubtedly were the questions experiences no contrary winds. He is never frustrated
that arose in their souls and which they placed before in His plans. All things coordinate and cooperate to do
their king.                                                     His will.
     David could have answered: "Yes, `my faithful ones,           Jehovah alone makes him to dwell securely!
we have certainly known better days, and hard times                Not mixed is the poet's assurance of safety! Not
have fallen upon us; yet, though the horizon is dark, partly is his prospect of deliverance in Jehovah and
you had better keep your chin up, for there is a silver partly in the world or an arm of flesh.
lining in every cloud." Or, he could have wept on their            His eyes are fixed on Jehovah, his God, alone!
shoulders, lamenting the trying circumstances that had             Many there are who will say: Who will show us any
befallen them. But he resorts to neither of these good? while all the time their eyes are fixed on horses
attitudes.                                                      and chariots, and looking to many objects for safety
     Rather, his is the serene consciousness of perfect and security.
safety!                                                            But the man of God says: Jehovah alone makes me
     Not, you understand, because his was a carefree to dwell safely. He is the sole object of my trust. In the
spirit who knew nothing or would know nothing of the light of His countenance there. is gladness for the lonely
troubles and afflictions of this present time. Nor was heart.
his one of these superficial natures that appears never            What a blessed experience!
to be affected by troubles, who, like dumb dogs lay                Asleep in the storm!
themselves down to sleep, never troubled with the                  Peace the poet had with all things, because, first of
question whether the dawn will find them alive and              all, the poet was at peace with Jehovah, his God! A
well.                                                           peace which surpasses all understanding!
     But he speaks the language of faith, of quiet                 Never could he lie down in peace and sleep were his
confidence, and calm assurance!                                 confidence divided. Through the cross of Christ
     Oh, indeed, his afflictions, his burdens were there all    Jehovah has established a peace relation with the
right; but somehow he had gotten rid of them. He                children of God. God's justice hasbeen  satisfied for all
feels, yea, knows that he is perfectly safe. He is assured      their sins. They have a righteousness of God which of
all things are well with him. So he will lay him down in        grace has freely been imputed unto them. And by faith
peace and sleep.                                                they appropriate that righteousness, and know that
     But how does this man of God possess such .a               they are right with God. In the Lamb of atonement
tranquil spirit? How may anyone of us possess such a they have confidence that all things are for them, never
calm assurance when the storms of our life descend              against them.
upon us?                                                           So they may unhesitatingly lay themselves down in
     The answer is to be found in the fact that the Lord        peace and sleep!
his God makes him to dwell securely!                               Even in the storm!
     And the Lord is Jehovah, the I AM THAT I AM, the


                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                              5



Editoria  Is

                                                     Right  .  m  .
                                                    Prof H. C Hoeksema

  To whom could these words refer but to Dr. James           Reformed preaching  without hearing any  gospel
Daane? It has become, it seems, a bad habit with him         whatsoever! On a Florida vacation I heard the "gospel"
to be right. . . but dead wrong.                             that today is the day of opportunity to do all kinds of
  This time he pontificates in the Banner (Sept. 1,          good works - but no sin, no cross, no atonement, no
1972) about the faults of the Christian Reformed             grace, and surely no covenant and no election! So I can
pulpit and the reasons thereof.                              readily believe that Daane's assessment of Christian
  And one hardly knows which of the two proverbs             Reformed preaching, based on a rather large sampling,
about answering a fool should be applied in his case -       is true.
whether to answer, or not to answer him according to            And when the doctor says that this is "a cause for
his folly. Possibly it should be the latter: for it seems    concern," he is also right. In fact, he should have
utterly hopeless to turn him from his foolishness.           changed that "concern" to "great alarm."
  Yet for the sake of the  truth,  and for the sake of          Dr. Daane is also correct on a third item in his
those who will receive instruction, and also so that         article. He writes as follows:
Daane himself may be left without excuse, I will try to                  For twelve years I have also moved in and out of
set the record straight.                                         the evangelical church world, on occasion sat in its
  From the viewpoint of a man who for twelve years               pews and more frequently stood in its pulpits. In this
has shuttled between Christian Reformed pulpit and                church world I have never felt altogether at home
pew (Dr. Daane is professor at Fuller Theological                 theologically.  `Yet the difference between the
Seminary, but also holds ministerial status in the                theological atmosphere of these churches and that of
Christian Reformed Church), he writes about "Things I             our churches seems, to me at least, a diminishing
                                                                  difference. This diminishing difference, I believe,
Didn't Hear." Writes he:                                          s t e m s   f r o m   a   g r o w i n g   C h r i s t i a n   R e f o r m e d
       I did not hear a sermon on the Covenant, nor on           pulpit-silence on Covenant, Grace, Election. Since
    Grace, and only one on Election - and that was more          these three truths distinguish the Reformed from the
    lecture than sermon (and there is a difference!). Yet         Evangelical Faith, the Reformed pulpit that mutes
    these truths, Covenant, Grace, and Election, bespeak         these truths becomes indistinguishable from the
    the distinctively Reformed understanding of the              evangelical pulpit. I suspect that it is this state of
    biblical faith, truths that should be always implicit        affairs that enables many Christian Reformed people
    and often explicit in the Reformed pulpit.                   to leave. the CRC and join an evangelical church in
  On this Dr. Daane is right, I think.                            good conscience.
  He is certainly right on  the'second statement. The           On this Dr. Daane is also correct, though rather
truths of the Covenant, of Grace, and of Election (and mild. He might have pointed to the fact that this
Reprobation!) bespeak the distinctively Reformed fundamental flaw in Christian Reformed preaching is
understanding of the Biblical faith. And these are           the root of many, many other ills. But let that be; the
truths that should always be implicit and frequently         main thrust of his comparison is, I believe, right.
explicit in the Reformed pulpit.                               Dr. Daane is even right on a fourth item, when he
  Presumably he is also correct in reporting on what         writes:
he did not hear. kt least, I have no reason to doubt the                What my ear did not hear in the pew, has been
accuracy of his report. Moreover, I can readily believe          almost invisible in our religious journalism. With some
that Daane's sampling of Christian Reformed preaching            exceptions, the religious press of the Christian
is an indication of what is characteristic of  most               Reformed community has shown scant interest in
Christian Reformed preaching. It would be strange                these  distinctivl:  ingredients of the Reformed Faith.
indeed if Daane would have heard only the bad                   I can testify to the truth of this statement. For I
Christian Reformed preaching as, over a period of read the Banner, the Outlook, the Reformed Journal,
twelve years, he sat in CRC pews from coast to coast. I      Calvinist Con tact; and one looks almost in vain for any
can, in fact, go Daane one better  - or should I say         writings on the Covenant, Grace, or Election in these
"worse?" Personally, I  ,do not sample Christian             magazines, let alone any sound writings.
Reformed preaching very often. But I have done so               So. Dr. Daane is quite right.
twice in the past few years. Both times I was bitterly         He is even right on one element in his diagnosis of
disappointed. But in the course of those two samples I       the reasons for this evil. He writes, "I fault not so
learned that it is possible to sit under Christian           much the man in the pulpit as the theologian who


6                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER



stands behind the pulpit and largely shapes and                   On all these matters Dr. Daane is right. Up to this
determines what the pulpit does and does not preach." point his article is one of the most significant
That is correct, too! It is especially correct with contributions to the Banner that has appeared in a long
respect to the theologians who occupy the seats of time. The readers of the Banner, both pew-sitters and
learning in the seminaries. They are the men who preachers,  - and especially theologians!  - may well
largely shape and determine what the pulpit does and pay attention to what Dr. Daane writes. He has 20/20
does not preach.                                               vision on these matters!


                                        .  .  .    But  Dead  Wrong!
     But for the rest, Dr. Daane is dead wrong!                    grace and common grace, internal and external
     He is wrong, in the first place, because he surely            covenant, and in terms of legal instrument and
ought to begin with a confession of his own failure.               instrument of life.
For either he himself did not preach these truths in
these twelve years of shuttling, or he did not listen to And Daane then goes on to claim that the Covenant
his own preaching. In either case he is wrong - dead "came out of the controversy so encumbered by
wrong! In the former case, I would quote him the abstractions and qualifications that the pulpit said less
proverb, "Physician, heal thyself!" In the latter case, I and less about it."
would remind him that a preacher must preach to                  And on this Daane is wrong, dead wrong.
himself and must heed his own preaching: otherwise he            First of all, of the four men named there were only
cannot even be a good preacher. But part of the two that had anything directly to do with covenant
explanation of the fact that Daane did not hear these          theology in the Christian Reformed Church, namely,
truths preached must lie in one of these two factors:          Hoeksema and Heyns.  Dr.. Schilder was twice
for Daane himself tells us that he preached as well as boycotted and shunned by the CRC; and besides,
sat in the pew.                                                when, after World War II his views of the covenant
     The same is true with respect to Christian Reformed became known in this country, it was discovered that
journalism. Daane is right in his serious criticism on they were largely the views of Heyns. A. Kuyper's
this score. But he is dead wrong when he sets himself covenant view never found much acceptance in the
up as judge. He should have come with the confession, CRC. Hoeksema, although from his student days he
"I am the chief of sinners." For he is one of the editors      opposed Heyns, never fully developed his covenant
of the                                                         view until after the Christian Reformed Church cast
           ljeformed  Journal, a magazine which surely is
not famous for its sound theologizing on the very him out. It was the covenant view of Prof. Heyns that
truths which Daane rightly claims should have a large won the day in the Christian Reformed Church - the
Reformed emphasis. And when very occasionally very purely soteriological view which Daane later in his
Daane himself attempted some theologizing on these article says is so essential for the preaching of the
                                                               covenant! Heyns, the theologian, and Heyns, the
very subjects, it was surely always of such a kind as to
theologize the truths of the Covenant and Grace and professor of homiletics, probably influenced more
                                                               preachers in the Christian Reformed Church in
Election  - especially the latter  - right out of the yesteryear than any other man! Daane could hardly be
pulpit, and, in fact, out of anyone's thinking.                more wrong on his facts of history!
     But Daane is dead wrong, too, in his diagnosis of the       But worse than this, Daane is dead wrong on the
reasons for this grave illness in Christian Reformed subject of theological controversy and on the matter of
preaching.                                                     the truth being
     In the first place, Daane makes the diagnosis that                                   "put  .through the grid of the
these  ' three characteristically Reformed and closely theologians." The simple fact of history is that it has
                                                               always been through this process that the truth has
related truths of the Covenant, Grace, and Election
were "put through the grid of the theologians" in the been refined and developed and brought to clarity of
course of theological controversies. And the result, confession in the consciousness of the church. It is not
according to Daane, was that they were "theologized            controversy that has silenced the precious truths of
out of the pulpit and out of the vital religious.interest God's Word in the preaching of the church. It never
of the membership of our churches." He applies this, has been thus. But when, in the process of theological
first of all, to the Covenant:                                 controversy, a church  - any church  - forsakes the
           The Covenant was long a matter of theological       truth and embraces the lie, then it is inevitable that the
      controversy - the names of W. Heyns, H. Hoeksema,        truth will more and more be muted in the pulpit! And
      A. Kuyper, and K. Schilder come to ,mind. The            this is what has happened in the pulpits of the CRC.
      Covenant was dissected, atomized, anatomized, and        And it is traceable directly to theological error that has
      analyzed in terms of elect and ,reprobate, particular    been taught by `Christian Reformed theologians at


                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                                .-. 7



Calvin College and Seminary! If Daane had written              heretical? Does he not know that in pulpit and journal
this, he might have done his church a service.                 and radio broadcast the well-meant offer, fhet  puntje
  Daane applies this same theory to the truth of God's         van het eerste punt!), was often preached?
grace. And there, if anything, he is even more wrong.            And more wrong he could not be than in his analysis
Writes he:                                                     of the reasons why the De Wolf group left us and
        This was followed by a controversy about Grace -       returned to the Christian Reformed Church! Such
    the names of H. Hoeksema, K. Schilder, C. Van Til,         unadulterated hogwash I have rarely read! Imagine!
    H. J. Kuiper, and L. Berkhof come to mind. For the         The awareness eventually surfaced in the pulpit that
    first time in the history of the church, common grace      even particular grace as they defined it, cannot be
    was officially and creedally posited alongside             preached! Does not Daane remember that De Wolf was
    particular grace as orthodox doctrine. Out of this
    controversy came the Protestant Reformed Churches,         disciplined for preaching a general, conditional promise
    and a CRC commitment to a view of grace its pulpits        and conditional salvation? Does not Daane know that
    rarely, if ever, preach.                                   this is the very doctrine of Heyns? Does not Daane
        In the PRC the awareness eventually surfaced in        know that this is essentially the teaching of the
    the pulpit that even particular grace as they defined      Christian Reformed First Point?- Does he not know
    it, cannot be preached. At this point the PRC divided.     that long before they returned to the CRC, we
    After the CRC posited a divine grace for all men,          predicted that they would do so, because of a doctrine
    decades followed in which a divine love for all men        of particular grace that could not be preached, but
    was regarded as heretical. Given such confusion, the       because of a doctrine of grace which was principally
    pulpit said less and less about Grace. Explicit sermons    Arminian that De Wolf was disciplined and his group
    on Grace were theologized out of the pulpit.               left the PRC.
It is hard to imagine, even from an intellectual point           Nor was it due to confusion that "the pulpit said
of view, how Daane could be more wrong more often              less and less about Grace." Grace was indeed
than in these two brief paragraphs.                            theologized out of the CRC pulpits, but by the  false
  First of all, he is wrong on his history again. K.           iheology  of the Three Points! For it stands to reason
Schilder and C. Van Til had nothing to do with the             that according as salvation becomes a matter of man
common grace controversy in the Christian Reformed             and his free will, and according as grace and salvation
Church, i.e., until long after "common grace was               are made dependent upon man, so grace is not and
officially and creedally posited alongside particular          cannot be preached. For under such theology, grace is
grace as orthodox doctrine." Again, K. Schilder was            no more grace!
boycotted in 1939, mainly because the C,RC leadership            Nor is it true that decades followed 1924 in which a
was afraid he might lend some support to the views of          divine love for all men was regarded as heretical. Daane
the PRC. And though I was only a high schooler, I can          could not be more wrong. On the contrary, the
still hear him in his peculiar Dutch accent growl his          development of doctrine and of the pulpit was such
complete disgust at the refusal of the Christian               that finally it  became completely impossible in the
Reformed leaders at the Pantlind Conference even to            concrete case of Prof. Harold Dekker to declare
discuss the issues. And of course, against Dr. Van Til,        heretical the teaching that God loves all men and that
Daane also has long held objections;  .perhaps that            Christ died for all men. Indeed, there were those who
explains his mention here. But surely, Van Til had no          publicly vowed that Dekker's doctrine had to be
effect as such upon the controversy of 1924. And why           declared anti-confessional. I recall that one even
did not Daane think in this connection of C. Bouma             openly declared that if this were not done, he would
and E. van Halsema - yes, and also of Heyns, whose             be compelled to go up and'down the country speaking
"s0teri010gica1" covenant view is so closely similar to        against it. But when it came to a show-down, all the
the well-meant offer of the First Point of 1924?               opposition dissipated like the morning mist. And all
  Wrong Daane is, secondly, about the preaching of             the infamous Synod of 1967 was able to agree on was
common grace. It was preached and taught so much -             a non-doctrinal and non-ecclesiastical statement that
if not explicitly, then implicitly - that the antithesis,      Dekker's statements were "ambiguous and abstract!"
which is inseparable from sovereign, particular grace,           Traceable merely to theologizing? No. To
was virtually preached right out of the pulpit and out         theological controversy? Not at all.
of the vital religious interest of the membership of the         But traceable directly to the First Point of 1924.
CRC.                                                           Since that black day in the history of the Christian
   Dead wrong Daane is, thirdly, with respect to the Reformed Church, truth is fallen in the street, and
general grace theory of the First Point. Does he not equity cannot enter.
know this? Does he not know that H. J. Kuiper began              Dead wrong Daane is, too, in his diagnosis of the
to preach the Three Points already in  1925? Does he           silencing of Election. He .writes:
not know that H. J. Kuiper spoke of a divine love for                 And much the same is true about Election. How
all men, all sinners  - and was never regarded as                  many CRC pulpits preach Election these days? How


8                                                     THE STANDARD BEARER


      many preach reprobation? After Election went                consistently to speak of the sovereign distinction of
      through the grid of the controversies over Covenant         election and reprobation. Ultimately, you see, it is
      and Grace, the pulpit reacted to it with increasing         impossible for a church to run on two theological
      silence. After the theologians had wrought their work       tracks. As you try to follow them, they become more
      on Election, the pulpit did not know what to do with        and more divergent; and a choice has to be made.
      what it was left with.. Hence the current state of
      affairs in which a man can be removed from his pulpit       Faced by such a choice in its pulpits, the CRC chose
      for denying what in his pulpit he never mentions.           the Arminian track.
      This surely points to something profoundly wrong.             Herein lies the reason why the CRC is less and less
                                                                  distinguishable from so-called evangelical churches.
     I confess that I do not know to what Daane refers in Herein lies the reason why the CRC can cooperate with
the last part of this paragraph.                                  and support such movements as Campus Crusade and
     But for the rest,  Daane is dead wrong again in his          the Billy Graham campaigns and Key `73. They have
analysis. For the reason for pulpit-silence on this               indeed abandoned their distinctiveness. They
doctrine is not the mere fact that it passed through the          abandoned it in their theology; and inevitably they
grid of the controversies over Covenant and Grace. The            abandoned it, and continue more and more to abandon
reason is that once the  universal&m  of grace was                it, in their pulpits. And I make bold to say that no one
established in 1924 as official church doctrine, it               can stem the tide, and no one will be able to stem the
became utterly inconsistent to speak of particularism,            tide  - UNLESS he goes back to the root issues of
that is, of election and reprobation. The reason lies in          1924 and undoes the horrible sins perpetrated against
the fact that once it became established, a la Heyns,             the Reformed faith  .at that time. It is spiritually and
that the promise is for  al&  it became impossible                ethically impossible!


                                         A-mazing  Hocus~Pocus!
     Perhaps the main thrust of Daane's article is in the             through the grid of a theology that i-ejects the
last column. There, so to speak, the cat comes out of                 Covenant as "purely soteriological" and defines it in
the bag. After all, he is disturbed - as so often before              terms of damnation as well as salvation, what the
- by Hoeksema's-theology. And he wants somehow to                     theologians bequeath to the man of the pulpit is
blame that hated theology of Hoeksema for the ills of                 something he does not know how to preach.
Christian Reformed preaching.                                         Inheriting a bramble of confusion which he cannot
                                                                      preach and usually dares not challenge, the man of
     One can only shake his head in amazement at such                 the pulpit simply retreats into silence.
strange meanderings of Daane's thinking.                                 Heyns was not without his errors, but one of them
     I will quote Daane in full at this point, so that the            was not his insistence that the Covenant is purely
reader may judge for himself that I do Daane no                       soteriological. If indeed the Covenant is not purely
injustice. His faulty reasoning is so transparent that                soteriological in nature and purpose, it cannot be
anyone can see through it. He writes:                                 preached. For preaching is a positive and unqualified
         The kind of theologizing I refer to is illustrated in        proclamation of salvation. When it is less than this,
      Herman Hoeksema's book Believers and Their Seed,                what is heard in the pulpit is not preaching.
      recently translated into  English (1971). Since               Now I will pass by the fact that Daane furnishes a
      Hoeksema was not deposed for his theology of the
      Covenant (there is no official Reformed doctrine of         very poor description of preaching here.
      the Covenant), it provides a good illustration of the         I will also pass by the fact that at best Daane.gives
      kiird of theologizing that occurred within the              only a partial description of Hoeksema's criticism of
      Reformed community and drove the Covenant out of            Heyns. I will only remind him that Hoeksema's main
      the pulpit.                                                 criticism of Heyns was that he introduced Arminianism
         Hoeksema took issue with W. Heyns, a professor at        into the covenant, though it is certainly true that
      Calvin Seminary, because "for him [Heyns] the               Hoeksema criticized  many  theologians for a
      salvation of the Covenant-members is the one and            soteriological view of the covenant and was himself
      only thing in God's Covenant. The Covenant is really        thoroughly theological and theocentric in his covenant
      a promise of salvation." Heyns, said Hoeksema,
      "views God's Covenant purely soteriologically," that        theology.
      is, Heyns failed to define the Covenant in terms of           But let us follow Daane's reasonings, based upon his
      damnation as well as salvation.                             own premise.
        Here lies the clue to the kind of theologizing that         Let us do that,  fast of all, from the viewpoint of
      muted the sound of Covenant, Grace,,and Election in         Hoeksema's theologizing, as follows:
      our pulpits. When the doctrine of the Covenant is put       Proposition 1: A purely soteriological view of the


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 9


covenant is essential to preaching of the covenant.        define the covenant in terms of damnation as well as
Proposition  2: Hoeksema, an outsider, criticized          salvation.
Heyns, a teacher of theology and of homiletics at Proposition 3: Prof. Heyns bequeathed his view to the
Calvin, for the latter's soteriological view of the        man of the pulpit in his writings and in his class-room
covenant.                                                  instruction at Calvin College and Seminary for many
Proposition  3: Hoeksema's covenant view and his           years. He was in a position to influence many future
criticism of Heyns never found any appreciable             Christian Reformed preachers. He was even a teacher
acceptance among the Christian Reformed clergy.            who is reported to have brooked no opposition in his
Proposition 4: Yet the truth of the covenant is largely    classes.
muted in Christian Reformed pulpits today.                 Proposition 4: For the most part Prof. Heyns's views
Proposition  5: It is Hoeksema's kind of theologizing      were accepted uncritically. Herman Hoeksema was one
that must be blamed for the fact that the sound of of the few who disagreed with Heyns; but Herman
Covenant, Grace, and Election is muted in Christian        Hoeksema did not fully develop his own covenant
Reformed pulpits.                                          theology until he was outside of the Christian
   D aane himself, being a rational being, cannot          Reformed Church.
believe this!                                              Proposition  5: The sound of the Covenant is largely
   He is playing hocus pocus!                              muted in Christian Reformed pulpits today.
   And now let us do the same thing from the point of Proposition 6: Daane's conclusion: This is the .fault not
view of Heyns's theologizing, as follows:                  of Heyns, but of Hoeksema's theologizing.
Proposition 1: A purely soteriological view of the           My conclusion: This can only be largely the fault of
covenant is essential to preaching of the covenant.        the man who largely influenced Christian Reformed
Proposition  2: Prof. Heyns taught such a purely           preaching, namely, Heyns.
soteriological view of the Covenant. He refused to           Let the reader judge.



                                       Things  I  Did  Hear

  There is almost a note of nostalgia in Daane's           men who are less capable pulpiteers.
concluding wish that the rich and sweet sounds of            But they all speak the same language. Without
Covenant, Grace, and Election may again be heard in        exception, in all their preaching I have heard the sweet
Christian Reformed pulpits.                                and rich sounds of Covenant, Grace, and Election  -
  Well, when was the last time that these sounds were      always implicit, but very frequently explicit. And let
heard unspoiled by the sour notes of Arminianism and       me make one thing crystal clear: these were not
universal&m?                                               lectures, but sermons, preaching of the Word of God
  It has been a long time ago!                             according to the Scriptures!
  But let me conclude with a testimony. It is directed       Not very often have I sat in the pews of other
not only to Dr. Daane. But it is directed to all who       denominations. But I have done so a few times. I have
miss the rich and sweet sounds of Covenant, Grace,         sat in Christian Reformed pews, in Presbyterian pews,
and Election. And it is directed to all our people who     in Methodist pews. In my youth I visited other
are privileged to enjoy them, that they may be             churches more frequently; they were churches ranging
thankful for what they have.                               from Orthodox Presbyterian to the most rabid,
  I have shuttled between pulpit and pew for thirteen Arminianistic, dispensationalist camp meetings'at Old
years. Admittedly, I still enjoy the pulpit more than Orchard Beach to modernistic Congregational. and
the pew; but rather often I also occupy the pew.           Baptist churches. I also listen occasionally to the
  During those thirteen years I have heard a good preaching of others via radio. Moreover, I hear from
many Protestant Reformed preachers. I have listened members of our churches who sit in other pews while
to veterans of the pulpit, to young ministers, to          on vacation.
candidates, to students. I have listened to men who          And let me assure you: there is a difference! And it
had all their training under H. Hoeksema and G. M. is an easily discernible difference!
Qphoff. I have listened to men who had their training       In these days one has to look long and far in order
under H. .Hanko and myself. These men are not all the to find preaching characterized by the sweet and rich
same. There are among them men of great talent, but sounds of Covenant, Grace, and Election such as is
also men of more limited `ability. There are among heard in our Protestant Reformed pulpits.
them men of polished and interesting style, but also         That is my testimony - based on experience.


10                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER,



      I make this testimony without boasting in men.                 And to such as are truly longing to hear the sweet
      I make it with humility and with thankfulness to and rich sounds of Covenant, Grace, and Election, I
God.                                                              say: Come home!
      But I make it without hesitation and without fear of
contradiction.


Critique

                          `"The  Gospels  In  Current  Study"  (2)
                                                           ProJ: H. Hanko
              [Editor's Note. In the previous issue Pro5 Hanko began this critique. The final statement of
              the first installment was: "We must never forget that the battle is between faith and
              unbelieJ:  " The opening statement of the present installment is a reference to this.1

      But just because Kistemaker fails to deal with this, the views held in their day, views which. were often
he concedes to the critics certain very precious truths. erroneous. He speaks of the apostle John as being
      For one thing, Kistemaker is very emphatically of influenced by the Qumran settlement and writes:
the position that the gospel writers were dependent "How is it possible that of the four Gospels that of
upon each other and perhaps even dependent upon John reveals close affinity in language and thought to
other documents which no longer exist. Now it is not the literature of the Dead Sea settlement?" (p. 123.)
our intention to enter into the rather complicated Or again,
problem of dependence in this review; and Kistemakcr                         Third, we need to consider the life-setting of the
himself does not offer a definite solution. But we do                      early Christian community and of the writer of the
want to point out that the whole so-called "synoptic                       Gospel. Everett F. Harrison makes this observation:
problem" which deals with the question of dependence                       "Any writer, however objective,  finds it difficult, if
is a problem which arises out of higher criticism. There                   not impossible, to avoid reflecting his own situation
has never been the slightest iota of proof for other                  to some extent. He cannot write in a vacuum." (pp.
documents which no longer exist but which were used                        83, 84.)
by the gospel writers. And, it simply is a fact that the             We do not mean to deny, and to our knowledge, no
parallel passages in the gospels are easily explained child of God has ever denied, that God used men in
both with respect to their similarities and differences their own times and circumstances to write the  i
within the context of inspiration. We need not, as Scriptures. What we object to is the fact that remarks
Kistemaker does, end a discussion on this point with a such as the one above are made outside the context of
series of unanswered questions:                                   and without any reference to, divine inspiration. The
          Though the redaction critic has devoted his             result is certainly that any reader naturally conclude!
       attention to the theology of Matthew and has said           that the writers reflected also their erroneous
       little about the gospel tradition which the evangelist      conceptions of things. The suggestion is at least
       received, sooner or later he must face the question         implied that God did not preserve the men whom He
       concerning the origin of this tradition. Should he say      used to write the Scriptures from any conceivable kind
       that the evangelist used the Gospel of Mark as a            of error. And the result is the position which men like
       spurce,  he would have to explain how Matthew               Kuitert take who deny huge sections of Scripture in
       adopted Mark's text but not his theology. And if the        the 
       .three~ Synoptic evangelists have received a common                  name of such a "Sitz-im-leben" theory.
       tradition, which brought about interdependence                Of course, the gospel writers knew each other. Of
       among the evangelists, would they have been able to         course, they talked together about the events and
       present three separate theologies?  Ln short, the           teachings of Christ. Of  .course, the whole Church
       question arises: what, if any, is the relationship          talked about these things. No one in his right mind
       between the theology of Matthew, of Mark, and of            would ever deny this. And we do not need pages of
       Luke? (p. 103.)                                             proof to assure us that this is so. But when the gospel
      In the second place, Kistemaker makes a concession           writers were moved by the Holy Spirit, they were so
to the whole dangerous "Sitz-im-leben" idea. This                  directed that they wrote what  ,God wanted them to
theory teaches that the gospel writers (and all the men            write in every detail. This does not preclude' the
whom God used to write the Scriptures) were                        account of eyewitnesses and does not shut the door to
influenced also in their writings of the Scriptures by             a certain oral tradition, But it does answer all the


                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER                                                       11


questions which arise in such a way that the gospel               which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word
narratives are God's Word, not man's in any respect.              of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which
   In the third place, Kistemaker makes a big point of            effectually worketh also in you that believe."
oral tradition. He asks the question (p. 86): "The point        Kistemaker has underscored the words "received"
is whether the book of Acts and the various Epistles and "heard" and finds in them proof for the use of
furnish any evidence that the  tmdition of Jesus' oral tradition. I do not see this.
teaching was available to the early Christians. The                  II Thess. 2:5: "Remember ye not, that, when I
question, in other words, is whether the early church             was yet with you, I told you these things?"
was in possession of the words of Jesus before the                   II Thess. 3: i0: "For even when we were with you,
written Gospels began to circulate."                              this we commanded you, that if any would not work,
                                                                  neither should he eat."
   I do not understand why this is such a big question.         Proof for the use of oral tradition here? I can't find
The answer, quite obviously, is, of course. Who in the it.
world ever denied this? It would be silly to deny that          One is a bit puzzled by all this. Why belabor a point
this was precisely the case.                                  so obvious and muster proof which is not really proof?
   But Kistemaker goes to great lengths to prove that           But the reason soon becomes apparent. Once again,
this was surely the case. He has a whole line of there is no mention made in all this of inspiration. And
argumentation which you may find on pp. 86-93. I the result is that Kistemaker evidently takes the
suppose if one wants to go to great pains to prove the position that the writings of the apostles both in the
obvious, this is all right. But it does seem just a bit epistles and in the gospel narratives were theological
unnecessary.                                                  developments, of oral tradition. This is apparently why
   But, soon the real reason behind this long train of he stresses so strongly that the gospel narratives are
argument comes out. Already as one reads the proof, theological treatises: "The modern trend of looking at
one becomes somewhat suspicious. For, although the the evangelist as a theologian has much in its favor."
point being proved is perfectly plain and the proof an (p. 58). (There are also other places where this is
extensive belaboring of the obvious, nevertheless, the discussed.)
proof is, in the final analysis, thoroughly inadequate. It      But this position is clearly set forth.
is, admittedly, a bit ironic. A point which does not                 Teaching for Paul and the church at Thessalonica
need proving is extensively proved with proof which               was a matter of receiving and delivering; it was the
does no proving at all. One begins to wonder.                     transmission of a tradition. . . . (p. 89).
   Part of the proof is Luke's "Prologue." This is found             We wish to draw the conclusion that the whole
in Luke 1: l-4. Kistemaker argues, among other things,            body of Jesus' teaching was available to the apostles
that, because this passage gives evidence of other                and, through them, to the early Christians before the
gospel narratives, there is proof that Luke used these            canonical Gqspels  were written. The apostles'
narratives as a source of tradition. The implication is           teaching (Acts 2:42) consisted of a pattern which
that Luke added his narrative to many others; and,                comprised the facts about the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts
that, from the viewpoint of their accuracy, Luke's                28:31). That is, the apostles proclaimed the good
stood on a par with the others. There is no question              news by teaching the people the life, words, and
                                                                  doctrine of Jesus. They developed this teaching, they
that Luke used sources in the writing of his gospel. But          gave it form and shape, `they standardized it. One of
his claim is precisely different. He insists that he is           the reasons why the apostles remained such a long
adding to the narratives which have already been                  time in Jerusalem after the outpouring of the Holy
written just because his will stand in a class by itself          Spirit on Pentecost was to formulate the so-called
and be an authoritative account  - and that, in                   apostles' teaching. Cp. 93).
distinction from the others. He claims "perfect                 There you have it. Without any mention made of
understanding" (vs. 3), something which the others did divine inspiration, the assertion is made that the gospel
not have. He writes his gospel so that TheophiIus may narratives and the apostolic writings were the
"know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast development of oral tradition.
been instructed." (vs. 4). Now Luke could make these            There are many passages of Scripture with which
claims and set his gospel apart only because he was this can be' disproved. But one  .especially  striking
conscious that he was infallibly led by the Spirit. Why passage. is Galatians 1. Paul's apostleship was under
does not Kistemaker enter into these emphatic attack in the Galatian Churches. Paul, therefore,
assertions of the text?                                       spends a great deal of time proving that he is -an apostle
   Kistemaker also quotes a number of passages from I along with the other eleven. And in order to prove this,
& II Thessalonians to prove his point that the apostles he offers, in chapters 1 and 2, a sort of autobiography
used an oral tradition. But these passages do no such of his conversion and of the events in his life folIowing
thing. A few of them are:                                     upon his conversion. In this section he is intent on
       2: 13: "For. this cause also thank we God without      proving one point in defense of his apostleship. That
    ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God        point is that the gospel which he received, he did not


12                                                   TiiE STANDARD BEARER


receive from men, but from God. He writes this in so have sufficient historical evidence of this fact. God's
many words in 1: 11, 12: "But I certify you, brethren, Word asserts it. We bow before that. We believe that
that the gospel which was preached of me is not after Christ `rose from the dead. But the "proofs" of the
man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I             resurrection are not what convince us. God's Word
taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." And,          asserts that this is so. We listen to God.
again, in  1:15, 16: "But when it pleased God, who                 To do anything else. is fraught with danger. If the
separated me from my mother's womb, and called me                Scriptures are mere historical documents which must
by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might              be critically examined and which must be treated in
preach him among the heathen; immediately I                      ways similar to the "Dialogues" of Plato, then I for
conferred not with flesh and blood." What could be               one cast my vote with the higher critics. Without fail,
clearer? And his autobiography is intended precisely to they have the best of the argument. And anyone who
prove this point. This is even true of his mention of his        treats Scripture in this way is bound, sooner or later,
fifteen day stay with Peter in Jerusalem. (vs. 18).              to come to the same conclusion.
Kistemaker exactly twists this around: "At that time               But if Scripture is received as the infallible record
he  stayed with Peter for a fortnight, and we may given by the inspiration of the Spirit and containing
presume they did not spend all the time talking about the revelation of God in Christ, then the only calling of
the weather." (p. 93).                                           the child of God is to bow before that holy Word of
      Paul insists, in unequivocal language, that the gospel God.
which he preached he received by means of the                       This does not mean that he cannot give answer to all
revelation of Jesus Christ; he did not receive it in any         the vain and empty philosophies and wildly speculative
sense from men.                                                  theories of the higher critics. Indeed, he has a solemn
      Finally, in the last chapter, Kistemaker deals with .obligation  to do precisely this. But he does so, not on
three questions. He describes them himself in these the grounds of the critics themselves, but on the
words:                                                           grounds of the Word of God alone.
          We begin with the topic of the Son of Man debate         And then the issue is between faith and unbelief,
       and listen to the answers given to  thy questions         light and darkness, the truth and the lie. Unbelief
       raised. Next, we attend the "trial" of Jesus and learn    cannot and will not accept Scripture as God's Word.
       from the evidence presented whether Jesus of              The work of faith is necessary for this. And faith is the
       Nazareth is the Son of God. And last, we examine the      gift of God.
       Easter events which describe the resurrection of            We do not mean to imply by all this that Kistemaker
       Jesus. (p. 132).                                          denies the inspiration of Scripture. I do not know what
      Now it is true that in dealing with and answering all his views are on this matter. I am sure he would accept
these questions, Kistemaker finally comes to the the doctrine of inspiration; but whether his views
conclusion that Christ did indeed call Himself "The extend to verbal inspiration, I do not know. He writes,
Son of Man"; that he surely was "The Son of God"; for example, on p. 32: "The sacredness of the words of
and that His physical resurrection is an historical fact. Jesus is not inherent in the words as such, but in the
      What bothers us is that the questions are dealt with message conveyed." But when he fails to deal with all
on the grounds of textual and higher criticism.                  the problems of the higher critics in his book from the
Kistemaker examines the evidence. He finds the viewpoint of an infallible Bible, he goes astray and
evidence satisfactory. The trouble is that. dozens of concedes such fundamental points to the critics that he
others, scholars as great as Kistemaker, have also will, if he is not careful, presently lose the whole of the
examined the evidence. They have found it                        Scriptures. History has proved this; especially has
inconclusive at best and unsatisfactory in many cases. recent history in the--Netherlands'shown this to be the
Whom are we to believe? Is it merely a question of case.
examining the evidence, such as it may be? Do we                   Does the book then have no value?
decide the issue on the grounds of who has the best                Indeed, it does.
arguments? who debates with clearest and most precise              It is a valuable and clear description of recent trends
logic? who is honest with the evidence?                          in the field of gospel studies. Anyone interested in
      There is one part of the evidence which no one (not more recent developments can find much in this book
even Kistemaker) brings into court. And that evidence that is of worth.
is the fact that the Scriptures are God's Word. It is true         Kistemaker does make, at times, some very pointed
that Jesus called Himself "The Son of God." But this is criticism of the higher critics. Particularly striking is his
true, not because a careful examination of the criticism of the new hermeneutics that it makes man,
documents forces one into that conclusion; but instead of God, the center of its studies. (p. 76) In
because it is the infallible Word of God which says that fact, this point could very well have received much
this is true. God says so. We believe that Jesus is the more extensive development in the book than it has.
Son of God. But we receive this truth, not because we              But we are sorry and dismayed that the book does


                                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                                    13



not proceed from the principle of inspiration. This is its weakness. One must, therefore, read it .with caution.


From Holy Writ

                     Pure and Undefiled Religion
                                         An Exposition df the Epistle of James
                                                 Rev. Robert D. Decker

  The theme or central thought of this Letter is to be the teaching of Jesus, especially His Sermon on the
found in verses 26 and 27 of Chapter 1. Here the "holy Mount recorded in Matt. 5-7. These similarities we will
man of God, James, as moved by the Holy Spirit" note in more detail as we encounter them in our
(II Peter 1: 21) draws a basic distinction. He writes: "If verse-by-verse exposition.
any man among you seem to be religious . .  .";                    The Letter is eminently practical. This is not to say,
literally, if any man among you thinks or imagines               as one New Testament scholar put it: "There is a
himself to be religious; "and bridleth not his tongue,           paucity of doctrine" in James. It is true we do not find
but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.        the logical and detailed development of the great
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father            themes of predestination, the Covenant of Grace,
is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their justification, sanctification, etc. which we. find in the
affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the               other Epistles, notably  Paul's There is, however,
world." What James is saying in these verses is that the         plenty of doctrine, or at least doctrinal presupposition
most fundamental distinction is not first of all between         pervading these chapters. John Calvin is careful to say
"hearing and doing the Word," 1:22 ff., nor between              in his introductory remarks to his commentary on
"saying and doing," 2:  14-26; but between "thinking James: "It seems that he is more sparing in proclaiming
and being," that is: what we imagine ourselves to be as          the grace of Christ than it behooves an Apostle to be
over against what we actually ought to be. James' : . . " Then Calvin goes on to explain that James has his
point is that life, all of life, is religious. And one's life    own unique place in the Canon of the Scriptures.
is either false religion or it's true religion. In his heart     James is concerned with the practical working out of
man either loves the one true God, and his neighbor as           the doctrines of God in the everyday life of the child
himself; or he hates God and the neighbor. His life              of God. This means that we shall have to take care in
gives expression to his heart commitment. There are              our exposition not to tear James loose from the
three characteristics of true religion, "pure and                context of the entire New Testament.
undefiled," in these verses. One who is truly religious            Closely related to the second characteristic of the
bridles his tongue. It's that little member, the tongue,         book, is the fact that James is `authoritative in tone.
by which one expresses the boasting of his heart of Almost every other verse contains an imperative. Often
pride  (3:5). Controlling the tongue is the key to the           these are put in the sharpest of terms. Yet, at the same
humility of obedience to the perfect Law of Liberty              time, these cutting, almost shocking admonitions are
(1: 25). The second characteristic of true religion is "to       spoken out of the tenderness of the love of God. In the
visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction." This       very next breath James will say: "My brethren." The
is the highest expression of obedience to the second             fact is,  .however, that James "pulls no punches," he
table of the law, "love thy neighbor as thyself." The            strikes hard a.nd right to the point.
third characteristic of pure and undefiled religion is:            Bearing these thoughts in mind we turn to verse
"and to keep himself unspotted from the world." This             one: "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus
is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind,            Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad,
soul, and strength, having no other gods before Him.             greeting." It strikes one that James offers no further
  The entire Epistle is built upon that foundation and           identification of himself. No doubt this is because he
is a development of that theme: "pure and undefiled              was rather prominent in the New Testament Church,
religion." Chapter 2 has to do with the "visiting of the         so that the mere mention of his name sufficed to
fatherless and widows," chapter 3 with bridling the              introduce him to his readers. The Bible mentions four
tongue, and chapters 4 and 5 with keeping ourselves              different men by this name. There are the two
unspotted from the world.                                        apostles: James the Son of Zebedee (Matt.  4:21),
  Noting some of the outstanding characteristics of James the son of Alphaeus (Matt.  10:3). Neither of
the Epistle in general we  find a marked similarity to           these is likely to be the author simply because there is


14                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



no claim anywhere in this letter on the part of its              or capture. Hence, the word is better translated
author to being an apostle. Neither of these is very             "bond-servant," or "slave." James was a slave of God
prominent in the  New. Testament. And, finally, the              in a very special sense as a writer of Holy Scripture.
fact that James of the son of Zebedee was beheaded by            This is undoubtedly what he is saying to the twelve
Herod no later than A.D. 44 precludes the possibility            tribes scattered abroad. He is reminding them that
of his being the author. Scripture speaks of James the           what he writes is not his own word but the very Word
father of Judas the Apostle (not Iscariot) in Luke               of God, God breathed! As a slave of God He means to
6: 16, but this is all we ever read of him.                      emphasize exactly this, that his will is totally subject
      This evidence points to James the half-brother of to the will of God Who is using him to reveal His good
Jesus cited in Matt. 13: 55. This brother of the Lord is         and perfect will to the church. The truth of infallible
certainly well-known in the early church. We find him            inspiration does not depend on a few isolated texts or
waiting for the outpouring of the Spirit (Acts 1: 14), a         passages in the Bible but runs as a current throughout
leader in Jerusalem (Acts  12), presiding at the                 the Scriptures. Think in this connection of the "thus
Jerusalem conference (Acts  15), mentioned by the                saith the Lord's" or "the word of the Lord came unto
Apostle Paul as among the "pillars of the church" (Gal.          me saying . . ." of the Old Testament.
2:9). There is a similarity of the language of the Epistle         In a broader sense all God's children are His slaves
and that of James in, his speech recorded in Acts 15.            through the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a Word here we
The address, "greeting" (1: 1 - Acts 15:23) found in             ought not miss. A slave in Bible times was completely
both is used by no other New Testament writer; the               at the mercy of his Master. He had no property, no
term "visit" (1:27,.- Acts 15: 14) is the same in both; rights or privileges of any kind, not even his children
both passages reveal a similar use of the term indicating were considered his. He was utterly bound to his
the turning of sinners to God (5: 19, 20 - Acts 15: 19);         Master. So it is with the redeemed in Christ. They are
and the use of the name of the Lord is similar in both           in total subjection to God. They confess with the
(2: 7  - Acts 15: 17). While all this may not be                 Heidelberg Catechism, "I am not my own, but belong
conclusive, it certainly leads us to believe that James,         in life and in death to my faithful Saviour." Everything
the half-brother of the Savior, is the human instrument          they have and everything they are belongs to the Lord.
used by the Spirit to write this part of the Scriptures.         They own nothing: homes, automobiles, jobs, farms,
      What is of much greater significance is his identity as    husbands, wives, children, money - it's all the Lord's!
,a "servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." This           Their wills must be subject to the Lord's will. And
does not mean that James is a servant of God and also            with everything they have and are they are obligated to
a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather the idea is love the Lord their God. This is what pure and
that James is a servant of God in and through the Lord           undefiled religion is all about!
Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, the Mediator.              And there is the freedom of the child of God. The
"Through Him I have been made a servant of God," is ungodly consumed by the lusts of sin, rejoicing in
what James is saying. He is Jesus, Jehovah salvation. iniquity, are in most horrible bondage. They are driven
The Son of God to Whose image we have been by their lord and master sin into the pit of hell under
conformed by sovereign, gracious, eternal election.,He           the righteous judgment of God (cf. Romans 1). God is
iis Jesus Who reveals in all His Word and work Jehovah           not mocked. The wages of sin is death, and those
-as the God of our salvation. He is the Christ, God's wages are paid. But the children of God are free: free
anointed, our Prophet, Priest, and King. And having to love the Lord, to enjoy the peace of forgiveness, the
paid the price for our sins, having satisfied the justice joy of salvation, and the hope of everlasting life. They
of God He is raised from the dead, set down at the are really free, these slaves of God-; as paradoxical as
right hand of God, crowned with glory and honor, that may sound.                                     /I'
given all authority on heaven and earth, the Lord of
lords.                                                             That is, too, the comfort of the child of God. His
                                                                 Master is His heavenly Father, the Almighty
      This is really a confession of James, a personal Creator-Sustainer of the whole universe. And his
testimony to the church. That's remarkable, too: for heavenly Father clothes the grass of the field, adorns
we know from the gospel records (John 7:6ff) that at the lilies with a glory greater than Solomon's, and
first James did not believe in Christ. Only later was he feeds the little sparrows. He will surely care for His
brought to conversion, perhaps by the personal slaves who are of more value than many sparrows
appearance of the risen Christ to him (I Cor.  15:7). (Matt. 6).
Now, he confesses to be a servant of God through the
Lord Jesus Christ.                                                 Our comments on the "twelve tribes scattered
                                                                 abroad" and the greeting will have to  ,wait until the
      The word "servant" in the King James has a passive next issue.
force. It comes from a root verb which means to bind


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 15



Taking Heed To The Doctrine

               A  Defense  Of  Calvinism  As  The  Gospel
                                                Rev. David Engelsma        r  -

  The term, "Calvinism," is not the name by which we         theology, true religion, and that means doctrine. This
Calvinists prefer to have our faith called; nor do we is how we will be viewing Calvinism, here. We limit
ourselves prefer to call ourselves "Calvinists." This was    ourselves to a consideration of Calvinism as the gospel.
also true of most of the Calvinists of the past. Calvin        It is our conviction that Calvinism is the gospel. Its
was the name of a man, a great servant of God, John          outstanding doctrines are simply the truths that make
Calvin. He was one of the Reformers by whom the              up the gospel. Departure from Calvinism, therefore, is
Holy Spirit reformed the Church in the 16th century.         apostasy from the gospel of God's grace in Christ. Our
He ranks with Martin Luther as one of the two                defense, then, will proceed as follows. First, we will
outstanding Reformers. To call ourselves "Calvinists,"       show that Calvinism is the gospel. This is necessary
and our faith "Calvinism," leaves the impression that        because of its detractors, who criticize it as a
we follow a man and that these beliefs are the               perversion of the gospel. Secondly, we will defend it as
invention of a man. In fact, these terms originally were     the gospel. In doing this, we carry out the calling that
terms of derision used by our enemies, as were also the      every believer has from God. Paul wrote that he was
names "Christian" and "Protestant." Therefore, from          "set for the defense of the gospel" (Philippians 1: 17).
the very beginning, Calvinists called themselves             I Peter 3: 15 calls every believer to give an answer, an
"Reformed" or "Presbyterian." Thus, they deliberately        "apology," or defense, to everyone who asks him a
distinguished themselves from the other great branch         reason for the hope that is in him.
of the Protestant Reformation, the Lutheran Church,
which did call itself by the name of a man.                    Calvinism, as  .the name `indicates, is a certain
                                                             teaching associated with John Calvin; it refers to
  Nevertheless, "Calvinism" and "Calvinist" are useful       doctrines that he propounded. John Calvin was a
terms, today. They are widely known, even though             Frenchman, born in 1509 and died at 55 in 1564. He
that be, in part, through the disparaging efforts of the     livedduring theReformation, a contemporary of Luther.
enemies of Calvinism. The name "Calvinist" applies           He was converted from Roman Catholicism early in his
also to persons and churches who are not Reformed            life and labored on behalf of the Reformation all the
and Presbyterian, but who embrace the tenets of              rest of his life. He lived and worked in Geneva,
Calvinism, which they call "the doctrines of grace."         Switzerland as a Reformed pastor and theologian. His
"Calvinism" has come to stand for certain doctrines, a       labor was prodigious. He preached almost daily; did an
certain system of truth. We have no objection to calling     immense pastoral work; carried on a massive
these doctrines "Calvinism" as long as two things are        correspondence-; and wrote commentaries, tracts, and
clearly understood. First, it must be understood that        other theological works. He is remembered, especially,
not the man John Calvin, but Holy Scripture is the           for his great work on Christian theology, Institutes of
source of them. Secondly, it must be understood that         the Christian Religion,  and for his commentaries on
we who embrace these truths are not disciples of a           almost every book of the Bible. All of his Protestant
man, Calvin, but are concerned exclusively to follow         contemporaries recognized his outstanding gifts,
God's eternal Son in our flesh, Jesus Christ, exactly by     especially, in theology and exposition of Scripture.
confessing these doctrines.                                  They referred to him simply as "The Theologian."
  There are many ways of looking at and applying Calvin's influence in all the world, already during his
Calvinism. Men have viewed it politically. Others have lifetime and ever afterwards, was tremendous. Luther,
viewed it economically. We could examine it as a total       of course,  stands alone, as the founder of the
world-and-life-view of a man. Calvinism is more, much Protestant Reformation. Calvin, benefiting from
more, than a set of doctrines and, certainly, much Luther, outstripped even Luther in influencing the
more than five points of doctrine. It is a Church of Christ in  all the world. Even from this
world-and-life-view, even as humanism or Marxism,            historical viewpoint, Calvinism is something of a
with which a man takes a stand in every area of human misnomer. On the doctrines of Calvinism, there was no
life. Calvinism involves one with the Church, the            difference between Luther and Calvin. They were in
instituted Church, and is not only the personal beliefs agreement in their teaching of the doctrines of
of the individual; it is, through and through,               predestination, the depravity of the fallen man, and
ecclesiastical. At its heart, however, Calvinism is justification by faith alone. Almost without exception,


16                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


all of the Reformers embraced what we now call But even here, a word, of caution is in order. The five
` `Calvinism." But Calvin did develop these truths points of Calvinism, as five particular doctrines that
systematically and fully, and, therefore, they came to distinguish Calvinism, originated after Calvin's death.
be called by his name.                                      They were formulated by a Synod of Reformed
      In history, Calvinism is the name for the faith of the Churches in 1618-l 619, the Synod of Dordt, in
Reformed and Presbyterian branch of the Protestant response to an attack on these five doctrines by a
Reformation. These Churches were called "Reformed" group within the Reformed Churches that were known
in Germany, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. as the Remonstrants, or Arminians. The Synod set
In England and Scotland, they were called forth, confessed, explained and defended these five
"Presbyterian." This faith was early expressed in truths in the Canons of the Synod of Dordt. But these
written confessions, or creeds. Among the confessions five points of doctrine had been Calvin's own teachings
of the Reformed Churches are the Heidelberg and the faith of the Reformed Churches. What is more,
Catechism, the Belgic Confession of Faith, and the they are the teachings of the. Bible and essential
Canons of Dordt. The great Presbyterian creeds are the elements of the gospel.
Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster           Total depravity is one of the five points of
Catechisms. All of these confessions are in essential Calvinism. This doctrine teaches that man, every man,
agreement.                                                  is by nature sinful and evil, only and completely sinful.
      The Reformed and Presbyterian Churches insisted There is in man, apart from God's grace in Christ, no
that the teaching embodied in these creeds, that which good and no ability for good. By "good" is meant that
now is called Calvinism, was the revelation of God in which is in harmony with the righteousness of God and
Holy Scripture. Calvinism bases itself on Scripture. It that which pleases Him. From conception and birth,
holds fully the Protestant principle of  sola  scriptura, every man is guilty before God and worthy of
Scripture alone. The doctrine of Scripture is the very everlasting damnation. This is man's plight because of
foundation of Calvinism. It is, therefore, a mistake to the fall of the entire human race in Adam. Romans
define Calvinism apart from its belief concerning 5: 12-21 teaches this. Verse 12 states: "Wherefore, as
Scripture. The Bible is the only authority in and over the by one man sin entered into the world, and death by
Church. It is this because it is the inspired Word of God, sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have
as II Timothy 3: 16 declares. As such, it is reliable, sinned." Not only is every man guilty from conception
questioned, or subjected to criticism, but it must be and birth, but he is also corrupt, or depraved. This
received, believed, and obeyed. This is vital for depravity is total. One aspect of this misery of man is
Calvinism because Calvinism teaches many things the bondage, or slavery, of man's will. The will  of
about which man complains, "These are hard sayings, every man, apart from the grace of the Spirit of Christ,
who can hear them?" For Calvinism, the question is is enslaved to the Devil and to  sin.  It is  willingly
not: "Will men in the 20th century like these things?" enslaved, but enslaved. It is unable to will, desire, or
But the question is: "Does the Word of God say so?" choose God, Christ, salvation, or the good. It is not
Calvinism is concerned to proclaim the Scriptures. The free to choose good. It is not Calvinism, that God
preaching of Scripture, both within the Church and forces men to sin or that men sin unwillingly, but that
outside the Church, is the central interest of Calvinism. the natural man's spiritual condition is such that he
It is totally wrong to conceive of Calvinism as a cannot think, will, or do anything good. On this
theoretical, abstruse science carried on by heady doctrine, Luther and Calvin were in perfect agreement.
intellectuals in the study. With the entire Reformation, Luther, in fact, wrote a book called  The Bondage  of
it wanted, and wants today, to preach the gospel, the Will. In it, he wrote that the fundamental issue of
which is the power of God unto salvation to every one the Reformation was this issue, whether the will of the
who believes.                                               natural man was bound or free.
      Calvinism, then, can rightly be viewed as certain                        (to be con timed)
basic doctrines, the so-called five points of Calvinism.


Friendship With God

                      A  Garden  Of  Friendship  And  Peace
                                              Rev. B. Woudenberg

      After God had created the world and the creatures Genesis  1:25, we read next, vss. 26, 27, "And God
that dwell within it and "saw that it was good," said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness:


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   17


and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, forth another element concerning the image of God. In
and over the fowl of the, air, and over the cattle, and Ephesians 4:24 we read, "And that ye put on the new
over all the earth and over every creeping thing that man, which after God is created in righteousness and
creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his true holiness." And in Colossians 3: 10, "And have put
own image, in the image of God created he him; male on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after
and female created he him." Man was made to be an the image of him that created him." In these texts
image-bearer of God.                                           knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness are
  This whole matter of the image of God in man is designated as constituent parts of the image of God in
important for any' real understanding of human life. man. These are moral virtues, the kind which have
This is the design according to which man was made their source and only beginning in the Triune
and the function which he was designed to fulfill. In fellowship of God's own covenant life. Within the
doing this man's life has meaning and harmony with divine Godhead Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwell
the rest of creation; in not doing so he is a misfit and together in a fellowship of personal life out of which
an irritation in the structure of the whole. The matter proceed all righteousness, holiness, and knowledge, not
warrants serious consideration.                                only, but love, mercy, justice and all of the moral
  The words `likeness' and `image' indicate clearly that virtues which shine forth in glory from the presence of
man was made to be a reflection of God to provide a Almighty God. And it is the function of man as His
revelation of His greatness and glory. In a sense, of imagebearer to reflect them to His glory.
course, all of creation is a revelation of the greatness of      All of this came out quite wonderfully in the life
God; but the creation of man was something special. which man was made to live in Paradise.
Only of him could it be said, Genesis  2:7, "And the              "And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in
LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and Eden; and there he put the man whom he had
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God
became a living soul." Only to man was given a to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and
spiritual nature breathed in by a special impartation of good for food. . . . And a river went out of Eden to
the Holy Spirit.                                               water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and
  In a sense what this might be taken to mean is that became into four heads.-. . . And the LORD God took
man was made with a rational, moral nature. Certainly the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress
even the materialistic evolutionist cannot escape the it and to keep it," Genesis 2: 8-l 6.
fact that man is uniquely different from all of the              Concerning the geographic shape of the world
other creatures which inhabit this earth. He alone is before the flood, we know very little. Certainly the
able to think with his mind and to order his life face of this globe must have been so greatly affected
according to moral choice. And yet this alone cannot by the abating waters of the flood that we can hardly
constitute the image of God in man. Over and over even identify the primordial beds of those four great
again the sad history of this world has demonstrated rivers which flowed from their sources in Paradise. But
how often man with all of his thinking and choosing what the account does tell us is that this garden which
has only ended up a pathetic caricature, a destroyer of God made for man was literally as well as figuratively
repulsive ability, a reflection of the horror which is the heart of creation from which the life of the whole
Satan rather than of the beauty which is God. Moral world did flow. It was like a garden for earth's king, in
rationality may constitute a framework of potentiality; which he could dwell, and from which he could rule
but it is not the image of God as such.                        the ends of the world. From the garden the four great
  If we go further into the Scriptures, however, we do rivers brought life-giving water.s to the four comers of
find more specifics about the nature of God's image in the earth. In it in turn were represented every kind of
man.                                                           ,tree (: 9) and every kind of animal (: 19). Within the
  In II Corinthians 3: 18 we have a beautiful statement limits of his own immediate environment man stood in
by Paul, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a direct contact with the whole expanse -of God's great
glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same and glorious creation.
image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the          In this man had his first and original occupation. We
Lord." Without trying to expound the text read, Genesis 2: 15, "And the LORD God took the
completely, there are a few things we may note. 1) To man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it
be in the image of God one must be reflecting like a and to keep it." To be sure it was not the kind of
glass or mirror the glory which comes forth from God. dressing and keeping of a garden as we might imagine
2) In order to do this one must be beholding and open in our day: Our world staggers under the burden of its
to the revelation of glory which comes from God. 3) It curse in which all kinds of warring factions rage against
is a function which is possible only by the working of each other and man can only strive to survive in the
the Spirit of God.                                             midst of them. But that world was different. In it was'
  Two other texts mentioning ,the image of God bring to be found a perfect natural balance testifying on


18                                              THE STANDARD BEARER



every side of harmony and peace. And yet the creation male and female, in pairs together. God Himself
needed a head, it needed a leader and a king to keep it existed in His tri-unity of persons with the resultant
and direct it as a chorus of glory to the praise of its communion together. But Adam was alone.
Maker. Man was the interpreter of the creation and its         Certainly it was with purpose that God created man
spokesman through whom the praise of the whole in this way. He would impress upon man the
world was brought to the Creator.                           importance and sanctity of marriage by first allowing
      We have a small glimpse into this work of Adam in him to taste life without it. Then God made for him
Genesis 2: 19, "And out of the ground the LORD God the woman.
formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the
air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he                 "And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall
would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every upon Adam, and he slept: .and he took one of his ribs,
living creature, that was the name thereof."                and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib
                                                            which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a
      This was the wonder of Adam in his original state of woman and brought her unto the man. And Adam
perfection. He possessed the grace of perfect said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my
perception. He could look upon each of the creatures flesh: who shall be called, Woman, because she was
with his eyes, he could listen to it with his ears, he taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his
could touch it with his hands, and with his mind he father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife:
could perceive the word of God in it, that is to say, he and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked,
was able to see and understand what was the place and the man and his wife, and were not ashamed," Genesis
function of that individual creature in the  d.esign and 2:21-25.
plan of God's glorious creation. It thrilled him and
filled his heart with joyful wonderment to watch as            Clearly the thing that impressed Adam most of all
one after one all of these amazing expressions of God's was the unique oneness between him and his wife.
                                                            They were of one bone and one flesh. As did none of
creative power were made to pass before him that he the other creatures, they belonged together.
might see it all. Each complemented the other so that
in the end they formed together one united whole, a            And the Scriptures also at this point take their
cosmos, a universe which was in fact `very good.'           opportunity to observe this as the institution of
      And this was not all. Not only could Adam perceive, marriage in a way which emphasizes it to be a
he was also able to express the wonder which he saw relationship stronger and more enduring than any other
before him. He was God's imagebearer which means relationship among men, even than the relation&p
that he was created with the ability to reflect or between parents and child. In fact, Jesus later takes up
express the glory of God wherever he met it. For each this same thing as an occasion for His conclusion,
of the animals he was able to find within his own mind Matthew 19: 6, "What therefore God hath joined
a word that ferreted out and expressed the essential together, let not man put asunder."
purpose of God in that particular creature. They were          Moreover, this was the way in which it was realized
words which could serve as names which would give in practice also, at least as long as sin did not interfere.
glory to God in each of His creatures. From Adam's We are told, "And they were both naked, the man and
lips they poured forth one upon the other without his wife, and were not ashamed." The thought has
effort or hesitation rising strain upon strain in an aria none of the erotic overtones which-we in our Freudian
of joyful praise to the glory of God the Creator.           age are apt to place in this text. It simply recognizes
      This was the place and function of man; for this the fact that the need for covering the body reflects
God had made him; for this God had brought forth all the inner need which man has to hide within his own
the animals to pass before him; God would `see what soul. It reflects the shame which prevents man from
he would call them' that through man' lips, His own being truly open and honest with his fellow. But Adam
glory which He had possessed within Himself from and his wife had none of this. Their thoughts were
eternity might go forth in a chorus of rich praise and pure and good, thoughts received from reading God's
adoration, `0 Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy Word written throughout the creation. There was no
name in all the earth.'                                     fear lest something thought should not be said because
                                                            of the harm or offense it might inflict. Every thought
      And yet, in spite of the beauty and perfection of it could freely and fully be expressed; indeed, it was their
all, something was not right. Adam could feel it. He joy to share their inmost lives completely together.
could see the wonder of God's Word in creation and The marriage of Adam and Eve was a covenant of
rejoice for it; he could lift up his voice in a song of fellowship and friendship reflecting the communion `of
praise before his Maker; but there was no one of his God within His own triune being. It was the joy of
own kind and on his own level with whom he could perfect communion made complete.
share it. The animals passed two by two before him,


                                             THE S,TANDARD  BEARER                                                      19



Contending  for the Faith

     The  Doctrine  Of  Atonement  (Reformation   Period)
                                                   H. Veldman

  We now continue our discussion of the first error of out of my hand." And in Isaiah 53: 10 we read: "Yet it
the Arminians as stated by the fathers of Dordt in Art. pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put Him to
I of their rejection of errors in connection with the grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for
Arminian presentation of the atonement of Christ. The sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and
Arminians set forth the heresy of the universal the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand."
atonement of the death of Christ. We concluded our             Finally, also according to the fathers of Dordt, the
previous article by calling attention to the fact that the Arminians contradict the article of the confession
fathers of Dordt declare that the Arminian  .position        (Article 27 of our Belgic Confession), wherein the
despises the merits of Christ's death and also that the Reformed confess that there wiJ.l always be a church of
Arminians, in their conception of the cross of Calvary,      Christ. In this article we read: "We believe and profess,
are wiser than God.                                          one catholic or universal Church, which is an holy
  In addition to the above, the fathers also declare congregation, of true Christian believers, all expecting
that the death of Christ has significance and meaning their salvation in Jesus Christ, being washed by His
only if He shed His blood for definite persons, who are blood, sanctified and sealed by the Holy Ghost. This
also actually delivered  and saved. The Arminians Church hath been from the `beginning of the world,
contended that the death of Christ would lose nothing and will be to the end thereof; which is evident from
of its significance even if no one actually would be this, that Christ is an eternal King, which, without
saved. This, according to the fathers of Dordt, is subjects, cannot be." Notice, please, that this article
nonsense. Of course! Only then would the death of connects this church with the blood of Christ. We read
Christ have significance and meaning if He shed His that this church has been `washed by His blood. The
blood for definite persons. We have already called Arminians contradict this article. They envision no
attention to the fact that Christ, dying for all men,        church at all. They declare that the death of Christ
head for head, would actually be dying for nobody. would have significance and  mea*g even if none
Only viewed as a dying for definite persons can  the would actually be saved. They present the efficacy of
death of Christ be viewed as an atoning death. Only the blood of Calvary as dependent upon the will of a
when viewed as dying for definite persons can this sinner. They, therefore, really envision the possibility
death be understood as the actual blotting out of sins of no church at all. They surely contradict Article 27
and guilt. And only when the death of Christ is of our Belgic Confession.
atoning, blotting out all the sins and guilt of the elect      Article II of the Rejection of Errors of Head II of
throughout all the ages, is this suffering of our Lord the Canons reads as follows:
Jesus Christ significant. Only then does it have                   "Who teach: That it was not the purpose of the
meaning. Only then does it actually accomplish                   death of Christ that He should confirm the new
anything. Christ did not merely merit the possibility of        covenant of grace through His blood, .but only that
salvation for men, but He actually accomplished their           He should acquire for the Father the mere right to
redemption and salvation.                                       establish with man such a covenant as He might
  The fathers of Dordt, however, also hurl another              please, whether of grace or of works. For this is
charge against the Arminians. They also contradict the          repugnant to Scripture which teaches that Christ has
Scriptures, which teach that Christ laid down His life          become the Surety and Mediator of a better, that is,
for the sheep and that He knew them, that He would              the new covenant, and that a testament is of force
surely see His seed, and that the good pleasure of              where death has occurred. Heb. 7:22; 9: P&17."
Jehovah shall prosper in His hand. We read in John 10:
11, 15, 26-28: "I am the good shepherd: the good               The fathers of Dordt taught that Christ died as the
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep . . . As the Father Head of the covenant and of the covenant people. This
knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay             presents the sufferings and death of Christ as very
down my life for  the sheep. . . . But ye believe not, particular. This, of course, establishes the truth that
because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My Christ died only for the elect, for -those given Him of
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they the Father. Then it was the purpose of the death of
follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they Christ that He should confirm the new covenant of
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck ?hem grace through His blood. Then the Lamb of God and


20                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


of Calvary suffers and dies upon the cross of Golgotha for whom He was suffering and dying, did not know
exactly as representing only His sheep, and then it is who would be saved through His blood? Did the Christ
surely true that He by His obedience actually merits all of God die ignorantly upon the cross of Calvary? Did
the blessings of the covenant for them, only for them, He not know whether some would be saved, or
but also surely for them. And from this it also follows whether many would be redeemed, or, perhaps,
that all these blessings of salvation will also surely be whether nobody would actually be saved through His
bestowed upon them. This is the Reformed position. suffering and death?
      The Arminians, however, wanted nothing of this.         What happened, then, upon the cross of Calvary?
Their conception of what happened upon the cross was The Arminian, we have already observed, knows very
directly opposed to this. According to them, the death well that all men are not saved. But he must say
of the Son of God merely made salvation again something about the cross. What is his solution? He
possible for men, and for all men. Of course, as we         wants a gospel, we understand, that is palatable to the
know, this is not true. Their conception of the death sinner. He would proclaim a gospel that the sinner
of Christ does not make salvation possible for men, but likes. This is also true in our present day and age, as,
it makes salvation impossible for men. According to for example, in the case of Billy Graham. He wants to
them, this Son of Man did not merit the possibility of tell the sinner, all sinners, that salvation is possible for
salvation for anyone, inasmuch as He did not die in the them, that the way is opened to all, and that he can do
atoning sense of the word. We mean, of course, as far something toward his own salvation. So, what does he
as their conception is concerned. And there is no (the Arminian) teach? He teaches that Christ by  His
church that can possibly ultimately survive that suffering and death made saivation possible for man.
preaches a universal love of God and atonement of the Christ, by His suffering and death, made it possible for
cross. But, according to the view of the Arminian, the the living God to enter once more into negotiations
death of the Son of God only made salvation again with t,he sinner. Now the Father could again enter into
possible for all men. Now the Father could again enter a reconciled relationship with men in whatever way He
into a reconciled relationship with men in whatever willed, whether of grace or of works. This is the heresy
way He willed, whether of grace or of works. He could of Arminianism. This is the heresy that was exposed
enter with men into a relationship based upon works. and condemned by the fathers of Dordt. And this is
He could once more confront man with the demand of also the heresy that is once more condoned by the
His law, as in the Old Dispensation, and say to the Christian Reformed Church today, inasmuch as that
sinner : "Do this, and thou shalt live." Or, He could church has refused to oust from its seminary a
also choose another way. He could also choose the way professor who openly teaches the heresy that Christ
of grace, or of faith. He, then, could confront the died for all men, head for head.
sinner. with the so-called message of the gospel, say to
the sinner: "I know you can never fulfill My law, merit       The fathers of Dordt also respond to this position of
your way into My fellowship and salvation: hence, all I the Arminians with an appeal to the infallible
ask of you is that you acknowledge your sin and Scriptures. The fathers, in this second article, refer to
iniquity, believe in the Christ of the cross, and open two passages from the Book of Hebrews. In Hebrews
your heart to the operation of My Spirit and grace." 7:22 we read: "By so much -(the words "so much"
This is the Arminian position, at the time of the Synod refer to the oath whereof we read in the preceding
of Dordt and also in our present day and age.               verse, verse 21) was Jesus made a Surety of a better
                                                            convenant." And in Hebrews 9: 15, 17 we read: "And
      Now we do well to bear in mind that the issue at for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament,
stake here is the purpose of the death of Christ. In this that by means of death, for the redemption of the
second article of the Rejection of Errors, the fathers transgressions that were under the first testament, they
speak of this purpose of the death of Christ. This is       which are called might receive the promise of eternal
important. In a certain sense, the Arminian would also inheritance. . . . For a testament is of force after men
maintain that Christ died only for some. He knew very are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the
well that all men are not saved, and that the saving testator liveth." Christ has become the Surety and
efficacy of the cross applied only to those who were Mediator of a better covenant. And we do well to
saved. But the issue is this: what is the purpose of the remember that that covenant is a testament. And the
death of Christ? What did God intend when He sent contents of that new testament, or will, is the sworn
His own Son into our flesh and blood? For whom did promise of the Lord, the promise of the eternal
the Man of Sorrows die? What was His intention as He inheritance for those who are called, for the heirs of
hung upon the accursed tree? Did God love all men the promise who are the elect. This is the content of
-and did that Lamb of God shed His blood in order that this testament or will. However, before the terms of a
all men, head for head, should be saved? Did Christ die testament or will can go into effect, the testator must
for everybody? Or, is it possible that He did not know die. A testament is of force only after men are. dead..


                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER                                              21



Now Christ, the Surety and Mediator of this new only for the heirs! And the blessings of salvation are
testament, dies upon the cross of Calvary. Now the surely. true and certain for all those who have been
provisions of that testament are of force, and given Him by the Father. How wrong is the position of
executed. Oh, it is not true that Christ died merely to the Arminians! How true and Scriptural is the stand of
obtain the possibility of salvation for all men. He died the Reformed!



The Day of Shadows
                            The Apostasy Begins
                                                   Rev. John A. Heys

  In his second epistle to the Thessalonians Paul told but they will be standing over against an innumerable
the church at Thessalonica that Christ would not horde of Baa1 worshippers. Few there will be who will
return with glory and victory for the church until there be found faithful in that day. The apostates may still
fast came a falling away that would reveal the man of call themselves church and brand the ,believers as the
sin, the son of perdition, whom we have learned to false church. But in actuality it is they who have come
know as the Anti-Christ. However, in the Greek Paul to stand apart from what is right and true.
speaks in II Thessalonians 2:3 of the falling away. He         All this began in paradise when man began to stand
has in mind the fact that all the fallings away that have apart from God. But God in His mercy brought both
been in the world shall reach their climax, and, to use a of these apostates back into the fold and filled their
current expression, "This is it!" The rest were only hearts with enmity against Satan and his whole
forerunners and steps to this great apostasy.               kingdom. It broke forth again and out into the open,
  Yes, we said, "This great apostasy"; and we did so however, in the first son that was born to them; and
because that is the word that Paul uses in this verse.      this is presented in such simple language that, if we do
What we find in our Ring James Version translated as not read it carefully and thoughtfully, we will miss it.
"falling away" in the writing of Paul is "apostasy." God says in Genesis 4: 16, "And Cain went away from
And by apostasy we usually think only of departure the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of
from the truth, embracing doctrinal heresy, and false Nod, on the east of Eden."
teachings. This, however, is only part of the picture.         Here, plainly, is an act of apostasy, and one -from
  The word apostasy means a "standing apart," or a which there was no return. Adam and Eve, having been
"standing away from." It can and often does mean driven out of paradise, lived as close to the way leading
standing apart from a certain doctrine of Scripture. into it as they could. There stood those cherubim with
But in the broader sense it means separation also from that flaming sword. They, Adam and Eve, knew that
the walk of life of the church, from her worship, from they could not pass safely between the cherubim to
her walk of sanctification and of love to God. the joys of the garden. But they believed God's
Ultimately this standing apart and away from those promise and hoped to see the cherubim and the
who hold the truth leads to standing in physical flaming sword removed, so that they could live in
opposition to them in the form of persecution and covenant fellowship with God again by His tree of life.
attacks of ridicule and violence. It may be a standing That spot was precious to them because of the rebirth
apart from a certain denomination to stand with which they received. And to them paradise, that
another. It may be a stand completely apart from the garden with this tree, was still the symbol of  God%
church world to stand in the world of confessed presence. And they stayed there before His face.
unbelievers.                                                   When the Israelites were in Canaan and had the
  Such apostasy has been going on throughout the temple with the Holy of  Holies where God dwelt
history of this world. But Paul speaks of a time when symbolically between the cherubim that sat upon the
the gap has become as wide as it possibly can become, ark of the covenant in that holy precinct, Canaan was
when the doctrines of Scripture are discarded in their the place of God's presence, and the temple
entirety, and when the number of defectors has grown particularly was the symbol of His face to them. That
so numerically that the church literally stands alone as is why in II Rings 13: 23 God declares that He will not
a little flock.  .Elijah will be there with his seven drive Israel from His presence.by casting them into the
thousand who have not bowed the knee before Baal, Babylonian captivity and away from Jerusalem and the


 2    2                                       THE STANDARD BEARER

                            /.

 temple. That is also why in II Kings 24:20 He is said to face of God. We, as Cain, go away from the Christ,
 have cast them out from His presence when Zedekiah when we go out from the presence or face of God. And
 rebelled against the king of Babylon.                     we, even as Cain, begin to build a city in our place where
      So it was for Adam and Eve, and for the whole we intend to stand apart from God and His Christ.
 world before the flood. That garden still symbolized        Cain's city was not a city as we now know one to
 God's presence. It still was the place where man had be. At this early stage men were not able to build
 lived before ,God's very face. And that is why Adam houses, pave roads, and set up a governing body to
and Eve stayed right there, as close to the way into the make the rules and regulations. There were not even
 garden as they could.                                     enough men to make what could actually be called a
      But Cain went forth from the presence of the Lord. city. But he settled in an area with his tents. He
 He went to stand apart from those who wanted to be established a place to which he would return, a place
 before the face of God. For in his heart he had been where he had left his wife and children when he went
 standing apart from God from birth, even though he hunting for food. But the point not to be overlooked is
 went through the motions of worshipping Him. Now that he established himself in a place apart from the
 he separates, never to bring another sacrifice to God. presence of God. He had no intention of going back.
 All this he throws behind him; in fact, he gladly goes He felt no loneliness, no missing of what could be had
 away from that presence of God, not wanting to be there outside of the garden of Eden. He went away to
 reminded of Him any more. He would do his thing stay.
 without having to see those cherubim there with that        And this is the beginning of the kingdom of the
 flaming sword.                                            Antichrist from a political point of view. Moving away
      He went forth from the presence of God. We do not    from Christ, it is only a matter of time. before he will
 read that God drove him away. It is not stated that he    come up against Christ. Moving away from the church,
 fled in fear for his life. And although he was no         as it was represented in his father's-family, it is only a
 believer, he had God's word for it that no man would      matter of time before he in his descendants begins to
 kill him. There was yet no man to try to do that.         seek Enoch to kill him, because he spoke of God and
 Surely Adam would not do so. And Seth was not yet witnessed as one of those who desire to continue to
 born. He walked away, He willfully took a stand apart stand for the truth and in the hope of a return to
 from the believers who wanted to be there before God's fellowship.
 God's face. He did not even want to be reminded of
 God.                                                         He went away.
      His children and their spiritual wellbeing is no       What a sad thing to have to say. He left the church,
 concern of Cain. He wants no instruction for them         and did so with no regrets. But regrets  - not true
 from the mouth of their grandfather about the God sorrow for sin  - he now has in a place that is away
 Who rebuked him for his evil sacrifice, and for the from God's presence. Cain began to walk to hell! Let
 murder of his brother. He is through, completely all who to any degree want to go away from the
 through with God. A God Who will not accept his presence of God  - and that means to go away from
 works, a God Who will not allow him to do what seems His worship on the Sabbath, as well as severing all
 right in his own sight is not for Cain. He wants no part connection with His church  - understand that the
 in having his children taught to fear that God!           falling away, the apostasy, the standing apart from
      What a man, this Cain! But be careful lest you walk God ends in a place that indeed is apart from His love
 with him. Many a parent for a higher paying job will and grace and the blessings of His fellowship.
 move away from the church that holds to the truth           The child of God with David says, "One thing have I
 .and take his children to stand apart from that truth desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may
 and to stand with `those who have left it behind. Nod dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
 looks like a pretty nice place to live'for many church to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in
 members. Or else it may be a case of being rebuked by His temple"(Psalm  27:4). Cainsaid, "One thingJdetest,
 the church for a walk of sin, or for a propagation of and it will I avoid as completely as I can, that I should
 the lie. Perhaps discipline is begun. And so a stand is be anywhere near God." Well, he has his wish today.
 taken apart from the admonition  of-Christ. One. asks But he is not building a city there and naming it after
 for one's membership papers, intending to separate and his son. He is not prospering there; and neither will we,
 stand apart from the truth and from the servants of if we go away from God and from His Christ.
 God who seek that one's wellbeing. Cain has his              Rather let us seek to stand where we are with God.
 disciples today because Satan has his victories.          Let us make our stand at the cross of Christ. For there
      And what men fail so often to see when they take is the hope of the removal of the cherubim and the
 such a stand apart from the truth, apart from the flaming sword of God's holy wrath against sin. There
 church and the ofticebearerS.who stand-for the truth is we will be in God's presence. There is the face of God;
 that they begin to stand apart from Christ, Who is THE and it is His face lit up with a loving smile of


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                   23



forgiveness, of intent to bless us with those beauties of and have mercy upon us.
His house.                                                       Genesis 4:  16 speaks of the beginning of apostasy
  And if we sometimes through weakness fall into sin          after the gospel promise was given. If there should be a
and take a stand apart from the truth and apart from          beginning of such apostasy in your life, if you find
the narrow way, let us go to that cross and find pardon       yourself inclined to take a stand apart from.and against
and assurance of living and enquiring in God's temple         the truth and the way of righteousness, by all means
in the everlasting glory of His coming kingdom. Let us        do not dwell there and build a city for your children.
not build our city in sin and name it after- our sons, and    Forsake your wicked way and unrighteous thoughts,
keep them in those fields of sin. But let us seek Him         and seek the face of God. He promises you that if you
where (not while) He may be found, and call upon              seek, you will find; if you knock it will be opened to
Him where (not while) He is near. And He is to be             you; if you call upon Him and ask for forgiveness, you
found and is near in that cross of Christ. Then we have       will receive it.
the reassuring word that He will abundantly pardon


Book  Reviews
                                      The Book of  Llsaiah'
THE BOOK OF ISAIAH, Vol. 3, by Edward J. Young;               concerning Dr. Young's commentary on chapters forty
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids,             to sixty-six of the prophecy of Isaiah. Anyone wishing
Michigan; 579 pages, $9.95. (Reviewed by Prof. H; C.          to study this prophecy will do well to obtain this
Hoeksema)                                                     entire three-volume commentary by Dr. Young.
  This third volume of the late Dr. Young's                      These are the first three volumes to be published in
commentary on the prophecy of Isaiah covers chapters          "The New International Commentary on the Old
forty to sixty-six. This work was completed shortly           Testament" which the Eerdmans Company proposes to
before Dr. Young's death, and is posthumously                 publish. The late Dr. Young was originally the editor
published. One can only be thankful that the Lord             for this series. The new editor is Dr. R. K. Harrison. It
gave Dr. Young sufficient days to complete this               is to be hoped that all the commentaries in this Old
commentary and to leave it as a heritage to all those         Testament series will be of a quality equal to that of
who love the Scriptures.                                      this commentary on Isaiah. If this should be the case,
  What better thing can be said of a commentary than          this series of commentaries will become a standard
that it is scholarly, careful, and faithful to the            work for conservative, Bible-believing studies of the
Scriptures? This is what I say without hesitation             Old Testament Scriptures.

                              Extremism, Left and Right
EXTREMISM, LEFT AND RIGHT, by Elmer West material on this question, but, although the authors
Jr., Editor; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1972;            attempt to put the matter in some kind of Christian
1.52 pp., $2.95 (paper). [Reviewed by Pro.6 H. Hank01         perspective, they fail, perhaps chiefly because they, as
  This book contains a series of papers delivered by          well as- almost all extremists, confuse politics and
eight different seminary professors on the subject of religion and hence operate on the assumption that
extremism, both left and right. It is interesting and         democracy is especially Scriptural.
important reading for those who want a wealth of'

        Pray: A Study  .of Distinctive Christian Praying
PRAY: A STUDY OF  DISTmCTIVE  CHRISTIAN  spiritual art of prayer. Although not by any means
PRAYING, by Charles  Whiston;  Wm.  B. Eerdmans               always Scripturally sound, the book makes for some
Publishing Co., 1972; 154  pp., $2.95 (paper).                fine devotional reading, and can be helpful in aiding
[Reviewed by Pro.f H. Hank01                                  the child of God to heed the admonition of Scripture:
  The author, concerned that people in the Church             Pray without ceasing. Recommended if read in such a
have never been instructed in prayer, has prepared a          way that its contents are judged in the light of God's
book in which he discusses the theology and the Word.


THE STANDARD BEARER
         P.O. Box 6064
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506                               __-
                                   L-                 -
                                News From 0 ur
24                                            THE STANDARD BEARER

      The convocation program, marking the beginning of        Further along in that same bulletin, we read the
a new year of instruction in our seminary, was held on following: "Today we have the privilege of
September' 6, in Southwest Church. Prof. Hanko, the worshipping in our newly remodeled auditorium. Many
speaker for the evening, began by noting some of the hours of work have been donated by members of the
many evidences of God's favor, as far as our seminary church for this improvement and in painting the
is concerned. Among such evidences was the fact that church and parsonage . . . . It is good for us to be
God has given a constituency which supports the reminded that the building does not make the church,
seminary, as is plain, Prof. Hanko remarked, from the rather it is an earthly means to sustain the true
wonderful crowd present at the program. ("You can't spiritual life of the people of God. It must be the
imagine how gratifying that is, to professors and prayer and intent of each one of us that our worship of
s tu dents  .") Indeed, the professor continued, the God may be enhanced through the atmosphere of
tokens of His favor are so numerous that "we cannot reverance  a n d   d e v o t i o n   c r e a t e d   b y   t h e s e
help but believe that God's blessing will rest on us improvements. Let us strive together to ascend unto
during this year."                                           the hill of the Lord in holy fear that we may have ears
      Rev. Van Baren, the chairman for the evening, was to hear and hearts to understand what God has to say
no doubt speaking for that constituency when he unto us. Then we will not only be hearers, but also
stated, in his introductory remarks, that our prayers doers of the Word and God will receive all the glory."
will be with the seminary. We understand, he said, to a
certain degree the work involved for the professors;            The monthly Sunday evening discussion groups have
and he took advantage of the opportunity to express begun again in First Church. Some of last year's
our appreciation to them for their intense labor during interesting topics included, "Singing as Part of our
the past years.                                              Worship," `<The Unbreakable Bond of Marriage"
      After Professor Hanko's speech, Rev. Van  Baren        (based on the Sunday School pamphlet of that title),
presented each of the six new students. In doing so, he "Neo-Pentecostalism," and "Discipline in the Christian
noted that Ron Hanko, son of the professor, marked Home and School" (Based on the two Standard Bearer
the 3rd generation of ministers from that family in our articles written by Mr. Tom De Vries). The September
churches. He announced, also, that, as of that date, the topic was, "Our Calling to Witness." For each such
building fund (cash and pledges) for the seminary topic, the committee prepared a set of questions or a
building was only $263 short of the 65% total                detailed outline to aid in the preparation for, and the
required, by the decision of Synod, before                   conduct of, the discussions. "We would desire to see
construction could begin. Rev. Van  Baren also               more of. our people participate," the bulletin
informed the audience that Rev.  Koi-tering had announcement read, "for spiritual fellowship and to
declined the call to serve as third professor in the         enlarge our acquaintances among fellow members of
seminary. In harmony with the decision of Synod, the the church."
call was then extended to Rev. R. Harbach.                        Late news concerning calls: Rev. R. Harbach has
      Bulletins were a little slow in coming for this writing declined the call to our seminary. Candidate R. van
of the news column. We have one from Isabel, though,         Overloop  .has accepted the call to Hope Church, Grand
and it includes a couple of items which are, we think, Rapids, which implies, of course, that he has declined
of more than simply local interest. "This week at 8:00 the call to our congregation in Forbes, North Dakota.
A.M. over KOLY radio the pastor will speak on the Both Classis East and Classis West, therefore, will have
program `Foundations of Faith.' The theme for the examinations of `candidates on their agenda  -
broadcast is the five points of Calvinism." In that same something which has not happened for several years.
bulletin Rev. Miersma included a welcome for several            From among the many well-chosen quotations from
out-of-state visitors  - one couple from Loveland, .Loveland's "Thoughts for Contemplation" comes this
Colorado, and another from-Lynden, Washington. We verse by Toplady:
understand, also, that on that particular Sunday, the           "My name from the palms of His hands
entire congregation-had supper together in the church.          Eternity will not erase.
From- Hull's bulletin we learn that the Reformed               Impressed on His heart it remains,
Witness Committee of the three churches in that area            In marks of indelible grace.
have published another pamphlet. This one is entitled           Yes, I to the end shall endure,
"A Defense of Calvinism as the Gospel," written by              As sure as the earnest is giv'n.;
Rev.  D.  Engelsma. The announcement concluded,                 More happy, but not more secure,
"Enjoy them for your personal reading and distribute            The glorified spirits in heav'n."
them to anyone interested."                                                                                        D.D.


