                                         e

                           tandard

                                              earer


A  REFORMED  SEMI-MONTHLY  MAGAZINE


IN THIS ISSUE



                 The OPC A.& the "Free Offer" (2)


                 The Certitude of Eternal Mansions


                 Beginning: Studies in Isaiah


                 Mission News

                                  _..
                 Divorce and Remarriage (6)


                                                Volume XLIX, Number 15, May 1, 1973.


338                                                        THE STANDARD BEARER


                            CONTENTS                                                                                      THE STANDARD  BEARER

                                                                                      Semi-monthly, except monthly during June. July, and August.
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   Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .338         Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Homer C Hoeksema
   The OPC and the "Free Offer" (2) . . . . . . . . . . .339                     Department Editors:  Rev. Robert D. Decker. Mr. Donald Doezema, Rev.
                                                                                 D a v i d   J .   E n g e l s m a ,   R e v .   C o r n e l i u s   H a n k o ,   P r o f .   H e r m a n   H a n k o ,   R e v .
Meditation  -                                                                     R o b e r t   C .   H a r b a c h .   R e v .   J o h n   A .   Heys,  R e v .   J a y   K o r t e r i n g ,   R e v .   D a l e   H .
                                                                                 K u i p e r ,   R e v .   G e o r g e   C .   L u b b e r s ,     R e v .   Marinus   Schipper.   R e v .   G i s e   J .
   The Certitude of Eternal Mansions . . . . . . . . . . .341                    V a n   Baren,   R e v .   H e r m a n   Veldman.   R e v .   B e r n a r d   W o u d e n b e r g
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Editorials

                                                Editor's Notes
Changes                                                                          RFPA publications might be temporarily unavailable.
   This seems to be the issue for department changes.                            Reformed Dogmatics and Behold He Cometh are at the
Rev. R.C. Harbach has finished his series of Studies in                          bindery; we hope to have them soon. If you have an
Election; in this issue he begins a series of Studies in                         order in for either of these volumes, please be patient.
Isaiah.  Rev. G. Lubbers is back in the department                               As soon as we receive a new supply, we will mail your
From Holy Writ; and he will continue his exposition of                           copy. Our only paperback, Whosoever Will, priced at
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H. Veldman's  Contending for the Faith  will be Publications Committee had expected a rather slow
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Speaking of changes, Rev. Engelsma has also promised                             our current supply is sold out; a new printing of 2,000
one for Taking Heed To The Doctrine; he proposes to                              is being ordered, and copies will soon be available.
present a study of what is called "Hyper-Calvinism," Needless to say, the Publications Committee is always
which should appear in the near future.                                          happy about sell-outs of this kind.
                                                                                 Question Box
Publication News  `\                                                                   Questioners, please have patience. I have several
   By the time you read this, as many as three of our                            questions on hand; but, as you tell from this issue, we


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                          339


currently have an abundance and a wide variety of unlimited space; but in due time we will try to answer
articles to present.  Question  Box cannot have all questions.


                    The OPC and the "Free Offer" (2)
                                                Profi H.C. Hoeksema

   We are now ready, after furnishing in our previous Reformed confessions, especially the Canons): to us it
editorial on this subject the historical background, to is inconceivable that the confessions should be totally
discuss the current Orthodox Presbyterian position on ignored in a discussion of this kind. It is both
the so-called "free offer" as this is embodied and Presbyterian and Reformed to apply the test of the
expounded in the Murray-Stonehouse pamphlet, "The confessions to any doctrinal position.
Free Offer Of The Gospel."                                      The Murray-Stonehouse pamphlet is divided into
   The basic issue, you  will recall, developed (in the three parts. First is a brief, but important,
course of the Clark Case) into one that involved the introduction. In it the authors set forth their position
preaching of the gospel. The complainants against Dr. in brief, a position which is supposed to be a Reformed
Gordon Clark took the position that the preacher must theology of the "free offer." The second, and by far
say that  Gdd sincerely seeks the salvation of the the largest, part of the pamphlet is entitled "Scriptural
reprobate through the preaching of the gospel.               Basis." In this section the authors produce their alleged
   This, we must remember, is the heart and core of Scriptural evidence for the doctrine of the "free
the whole controversy concerning the  "fr'ee offer." offer." The third part is very brief; in it the authors
The issue is not whether the preaching of the gospel is present five conclusions.
promiscuous; every Reformed man believes this. The              We will begin with the statement of position
issue is not correctly stated in the following question: furnished in the Introduction.
may and must the preacher say that God sincerely                In the first two paragraphs we read the following:
seeks the salvation of all men through the preaching of             It  would  appear  that the real point in dispute in
the gospel?  The "free offer" doctrine has often been            connection with the free offer of the gospel is
formulated thus. And in a general way this is a correct          whether it can properly be said that God  desires  the
formulation. But it does not "zero in" on the                    salvation of all men. The Committee elected by the
fundamental issue. After all, among "all men" are also           Twelfth General Assembly in its report to the
God's elect. And there is no debate about the question           Thirteenth General Assembly said, "God not only
                                                                 delights in the penitent but is also moved by the
whether God sincerely seeks the salvation of the elect           riches of his goodness and mercy to desire the
in the preaching of the gospel. But the problem - not            repentance and salvation of the impenitent and
a problem for me or for any truly Reformed man, but              reprobate."  (Minutes,  p. 67). It should have been
for the supporters of the "free offer" doctrine  - is            apparent that the aforesaid Committee, in predicating
that among "all men" there are the reprobate as well as          such "desire" of God, was not dealing with the
the elect. And to state the fundamental issue correctly          decretive will of God; it was dealing with the free
and accurately, in such a way that the specific issue            offer of the gospel to all without distinction and that
stands out clearly, therefore, we must phrase it as              surely respects, not the decretive or secret will of
follows: may and must the preaching of the gospel say            God, but. the revealed will. There is no ground for
that God sincerely seeks the salvation of the reprobate          supposition that the expression was intended to refer
                                                                 to God's decretive will.
through the preaching of the gospel?                                It must be admitted that if the expression were
   The position which Dr. Clark took - and which we              intended to apply to the decretive will of God then
took in 1924 and still take today - is: NO!                      there would be, at least, implicit contradiction. For
   The position of the OPC in "The Free Offer of the             to say that God desires the salvation of the reprobate
Gospel" is: YES!                                                 and also that God wills the damnation of the
   The latter position we propose to examine in the              reprobate and apply the former to the same thing as
light of Scripture and the confessions. In doing this, we        the latter, namely, the decretive will, would be
shalI quote at length from the pamphlet itself, so that          contradiction; it would amount to averring of the
we cannot be accused of misrepresentation or                     same thing, viewed from the same aspect, God wills
niisinterpretation. And although the pamphlet itself             and God does not will.
faiIs to appeal to the confessions-or even to attempt to        This is about as clear a statement of position as one
justify its position in the light of the confessions, we could desire. We may summarize it in the following
expect to conduct our examination in the light of the statements:
confessions (both the Westminster Confession and our            1.  According to the will of His decree, God  wills the


340                                            THE STANDARD BEARER


damnation of the reprobate. According to that same            possibly be contradictory. When you consider the one
will of His decree, God does not will the repentance          will of God from two aspects, or points of view, it
and salvation of the reprobate. To assert that He does        cannot possibly be said that God wills the damnation
would involve one in a plain contradiction.                   of the reprobate  and  that God does not will the
  2. When one speaks of the free offer of the gospel,         damnation of the reprobate. There is no rational being
he is not dealing with the decretive or secret will of        who can possibly convince himself or be convinced of
God, but with the revealed will.                              this.
  3. According to the revealed will of God, He wills              Hence, the authors of this pamphlet involve
the very opposite of what He wills according to His           themselves in something that is in a way worse. It is
decretive will, namely, the salvation of the reprobate.       bad theology! It strikes at the very attributes of God's
  Now the conclusion from the above position is               Being, namely, His unity and His simplicity. For the
obvious. It is this, that there are in God two wills, each    doctrine of two wills in God is a denial of these
willing the very opposite of the other.                       attributes.
  We shall enter into this matter in detail a bit later in        But even so, the authors of "The Free Offer Of The
our discussion: for here we have the most basic issue in      Gospel" do not escape the contradiction; they only
the entire debate about the "free offer." This is indeed      move it back a step by their doctrine of two wills in
a doctrine which involves one's  theology,  one's             God. This is very easily tested. For do not forget that
doctrine of God. Is there contradiction in God? Is            when they write about these two wills in God, they are
there conflict in God? Or even, is there contradiction        nevertheless writing about God, the willing God. You
and conflict between God's Being and God's                    may reduce the expression "the decretive will of God"
revelation? Can it be said - dare it be said - that God       to: "God wills, according to His eternal decree." And
is one kind of God according to His eternal Being and         you may reduce the expression "the revealed will of
His eternal thoughts (His decree), but that He is             G o d " t o : "God wills, according to His own
another kind of God according to His revelation (His          revelation." Put thus, the contradiction is as glaring as
revealed will), that is, according to His Word, the           ever :
Scriptures?                                                       1. God wills the damnation of the reprobate.
  In turn, this is, you will understand, an important             2. God wills the salvation of the reprobate.
question also with respect to a question that is                  And no amount of mental gymnastics can persuade
currently much discussed, namely, revelation and Holy         one to accept both propositions.
Scripture. Are the Scriptures trustworthy? Do they truly         What is the practical result for the preaching? The
and correctly and accurately make God known to us? Or preacher who holds to the doctrine of the "free offer"
are God and His will and His purpose and His attitude         necessarily must let go of proposition No. 1. And he
really not the same as they are revealed to be in God's       does so, too! He will not preach it. Nor, by the way,
Word, the Scriptures? You see, these are important ques- will he preach sovereign election at  alI consistently.
tions. It simply will not do to give formal assent to the     And if he does occasionally mention reprobation, he
authority and infallibility of the Scriptures, but then in    will either give it mere lip-service or he will present the
actual fact to deny the trustworthiness of those same         Arminian doctrine of conditional reprobation. It never
Scriptures. If you do so, you lose revelation and you         fails !
lose all possibility of the knowledge of God. Either             But there is a second, very serious contradiction
God is as He has revealed Himself to be in the                involved in the position of the "free offer." To make
Scriptures, or we cannot and do not know Him at all.          this plain it is necessary to quote two more paragraphs
In fact, either God has revealed His so-called decretive      of the Introduction:
will in the Scriptures (and then it is revealed!), or we                 The question then is: what is implicit in, or lies
cannot even say that  %od has a decretive will, much               back of, the full and free offer of the gospel to all
less say that the contents of that decretive will is the           without distinction? The word "desire" has come to
damnation of+th%9@.%obate.                                         be used in the debate, not because it is  necessarily the
  Now it is perfectly obvious that the authors felt the            most accurate or felicitous word but because it serves
force of the contradiction in which they were involving            to set forth quite sharply a certain implication of the
God in the above quoted paragraphs. In fact, they                   full and free offer, of the gospel to all. This
mention it. They state the problem plainly in the last             implication is that in the free offer there is expressed
sentence. But what do they attempt to do? They                     not simply the bare  preceptive will of God (another
attempt to escape the contradiction by proposing that              will, the  will of God's command,  HCH) but the
                                                                    disposition of lovingkindness on the part of God
there are two wills in God: the will of God's decree and           pointing to the salvation to be gained through
His revealed will.                                                  compliance with the overtures of gospel grace. In
  Do not say that this is not true. Do not say that                 other words, the gospel is not simply an offer or
they are only talking about  two aspects  of  one will             invitation but also implies that God delights that
For two aspects of one and the same will cannot                    those to whom the offer comes would enjoy what is


                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 341


    offered in all its fullness. And the word "desire" has       disposition of lovingkindness."
    been used in order to express the thought epitomized           But do not forget that reprobation is not a mere
    in Ezekiel 33 : 11, which is to the effect that God has      formal decree to damn some. Reprobation means
    pleasure that the wicked turn from his evil way and
    live. It might as well have been said, "It please- Gou       divine hatred!  It means that God from eternity hates
    that the wicked repent and be saved."                        some.
       Again, the expression "God desires," in the                 Hence, here is the second contradiction in God
    formula that crystallizes the crux of the question, is       which is posited by "The Free Offer of the Gospel":
    intended to notify not at all the "seeming" attitud:           1. God from eternity hates the reprobate, and
    of God but a real attitude, a real disposition o,f           reveals Himself as such.
    lovingkindness inherent. in the free offer to & in             2. God is filled with a real disposition of
    other words, a pleasure or delight in God,                   lovingkindness toward the reprobate, and reveals
    contemplating the blessed result to be achieved by
    compliance with the overture proffered and the               Himself as such.
    invitation given.                                              Again, of course, the only "escape" from this
  The above language leaves much to be desired as far contradiction is to keep silence about proposition No.
as clarity is concerned. And there is more to be                 1 or to pervert sovereign reprobation into the
criticized than the single point which we now make. Arminian heresy of conditional reprobation.
The only item we now wish to point out is that here is             But let no one imagine that these are abstract
a second contradiction with respect to God. For here it theological problems. They involve God! They involve
is emphasized that the "free offer to all" bespeaks ac God's revelation and its trustworthiness! They involve
attitude of "lovingkindness" on the part of God. This the truthfulness of the preaching!
is said to be "inherent" in the "free offer to all." And           What must the preacher, as an ambassador of Jesus
it is even emphasized that this is not a  " `seeming' Christ, preach?
attitude" of God, but a "real attitude, a real                     He dare not, in the name of Christ, preach both!



Meditation                             I


                         The Certitude of Eternal Mansions

                                                        Rev. M. Schipper
             `For  we know that if our earthly' house if this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building
             of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. "
                                                                                             II Corinthians 5 : 1.


  Forweknow..  .!                                                shall raise up us also with Jesus. Concerning this there
  Not only does the apostle give expression to the               can be no doubt!
assurance of his own personal faith and hope, but he               We know also that though our outward man perish,
includes here the faith of the entire church of God.             yet our inward man is renewed day by day. And this
Together with the apostle the believing, regenerated             renewing work of grace cannot be halted by the
body of Christ joyfully-+-expresses its hope, which              exigencies of physical death. Consequently, we know
stretches out into the eternal mansions above.                   that when our earthly house is dissolved, we have
  Here is expressed the certitude of eternal, `heavenly          immediately our building of God, eternal in the
mansions!                                                        heavens. For God will not allow that we be found
  We know, 0 yes, we know!                                       naked; but at the very moment we die, at that very
  We know because we have been  begotteiz  again                 moment He will cover us with our heavenly house, not
through the resurrection of our Lord from the dead.              made with hands.
We have within us a new life that cannot be overcome               Indeed, we know!
by death. In principle we are become new creatures.                We know, first of all, that our earthly house of this
And we know that He which raised up the Lord Jesus               tabernacle will be dissolved.


342                                             THE STANDARD BEARER



  Mark well, the apostle does not mean to leave this a          To that outward man belong all the relationships
matter of uncertainty. Nor did he have in mind or which tie him to the present world; the relation to
anticipate the speedy return of the Lord that would             husband or wife, the relation of parent and child, of
prevent the dissolution of the body. When he declared,          employer and employee, of government and society.
"if our earthly houses were dissolved," it was not his          To that outward man belong all the sufferings of this
position that somehow he would escape dissolution.              present time; not only the sufferings in general, but
Rather, he looked upon death as imminent, as an                 also the sufferings for Christ's sake. To that outward
objective reality. He means to say, therefore: we know          man belongs also his relation to the human race that is
that when our earthly house of this tabernacle will be          dead in sin and misery; in which relation he possesses a
dissolved, we will have at that very moment our                 nature that is subject to the lusts of the world and is
building of God. When we go out of the one, we will             exposed to all its temptations. It is that outward man
immediately enter into the other. At the same time it           that moves him to seek the things his inward man
is also true that so long as we remain in the present           hates, and to will what the new man in Christ does not
tabernacle, we cannot enter into the heavenly house.            want to do. It is because of this outward man that the
The earthly house must first be dissolved. And we               inward man often exclaims, "0 wretched man that I
know that it shall be dissolved; for flesh and blood            am, who shall deliver me out of the body of this
cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven.                           death?"
  Mark also that when the apostle speaks of the                   It is this outward man, we know, that shall be
dissolution of the present tabernacle, he does not look         dissolved!
upon this dissolution as a painful experience. Rather,            Hopefully the apostle calls this earthly house a
there is expressed here something that is joyfully              tabernacle! A tabernacle is a tent, a temporary
anticipated.                                                    dwelling place. Here the apostle speaks the language of
  Understand well that the Word of God is not                   a pilgrim, who does not intend to build his foundations
speaking here of death in general, an experience which          deep, who tarries but for a night; who will not speak
comes to every man that is born of woman, of man                the language of the fool, who imagines that his house
that is born dead in trespasses and sins. If this were the      shall stand for aye.
case, then indeed the passing through death would be a            The Christian knows that the dissolution of this
most painful experience. In death all the ties to the           earthly house is absolutely necessary. He is deeply
earthly are cut off. And to him who is outside of               aware that flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom
Christ, death is the gateway to eternal death, where the        of heaven. All that is of the earth, earthy, must be
worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.                    dissolved.
  But the Word of God here is speaking of the death               Indeed, this expectation of the child of God is one
of the children of God; of those who have within them           of joyful anticipation!
a renewed inward man. It refers to the experience of              For when this outward man perishes, he is in
those who in death lose an old man, which always                immediate possession of his eternal home!
made it so difficult for the new man to serve God. For            An house not made with hands!
such death is the complete liberation of the new man,             This is, of course, figurative language. The apostle
the inward man.                                                 had just spoken of the earthly house as a tent; and a
  Consequently the apostle does not have in mind the            tent is made with hands. Negatively, then, this implies
more or less philosophical distinction of the separation        that the heavenly house is not transient. It does not
of soul and body; but the beautiful and scriptural              pass away. It is not a house in which he wishes to dwell
distinction of the separation of the inward man from            only for a night. And positively, this means that the
the outward man. (II Cor. 4:16) And the inward man              heavenly house is eternal. In that house we shall abide
of the Christian cannot be designated merely by the             forever. A house in which we shall rest eternally, and
general term `?3oul," but it must be understood as the          not be rushed by the exigencies of time.
regenerated man in Christ Jesus, that can never die.              And that,eternal house is in the heavens!
That inward man alone remains through the                         We know!
dissolution of temporal death, - all the rest perishes.           And heaven is a place, not merely a condition. It
  To that outward man, that is dissolved, belongs all           belongs to the created universe, and also has a history.
that makes the earthly house thoroughly earthly. It             It is much richer and glorious now than when Abel, the
includes all that God originally  formed out of the dust        first martyr, dwelled there alone. There the heavenly
of the earth and breathed into it the breath of life,           throng has steadily increased in number. There is
whereby man became a living soul. It is earthly because         Christ, the raised, exalted, and glorified Redeemer.
it is taken out of the earth. It belongs to the earth. It is      Literally we read, `fa building out of God" we have!
earthly in character. And it returns to the earth. "Dust          This does not mean simply that God is the Artificer
thou art, and to dust shalt thou return," such is the           and Proprietor of that house; though He is, of course.
judgment of God upon the outward man that perishes.             He designed it before the foundation of the world. He


                                               THE STAND1ARD             BEARER                                    343


made it, and is the owner thereof. But rather the                 Upon solid ground, therefore, the certitude of
emphasis falls on the fact that God dwells there. Not          heavenly mansions rests!
merely as the omnipresent God, but as He reveals                  On the one hand, the resurrection of Christ is a sure
Himself in the highest possible form in the face of pledge of glory for all who are in Him. A glory which
Christ Jesus our Lord. There He intends to live the            does not wait the last day when the resurrection shall
most intimate fellowship of friendship with His people         be completed, but a glory that is to be enjoyed
in Christ. Heaven is our home with God; literally, "out        immediately upon death, when the new man in Christ
of God with us." That is centrally and essentially the         enters into heavenly mansions.
blessedness of heaven.                                            On the other hand, the groaning we experience in
  We can speak, as the Bible does, of that city which is       our present tabernacle is the expression of earnestly
foursquare, with its streets of gold, and its pearly gates.    desiring to be clothed upon when death overtakes us.
We can say that there is no night there, that into it          This groaning is nothing more than the evidence of the
shall enter no thief to steal, that nothing such asmoth        new life, the resurrection life, within us.
or rust shall enter it to destroy. We can say that there          Thus we have as the basis for our certitude not only
is no death there, and it shall be the place of perfect        the objective Word of God concerning the glory which
peace to the inhabitants thereof. For the rest, no             Christ has merited for His people; but we also have the
tongue can describe the place or the house of the many         work of the Spirit within us registering in the
mansions. Except to say this, that we know that in the         conscious groaning of our spirits to be clothed with
very center of it dwells the living and glorious God,          our heavenly house.
without which all the rest loses its significance. He is          How blessed is this certitude!
the light and the life thereof!                                   Blessed it is as an object of our hope!
  When the apostle speaks of the house out of God,               When our earthly and perishable tabernacle shall be
not made with hands; he is not referring to the body of        exchanged for an heavenly house, not made with
the resurrection. The entrance into that body must             hands. When the present, imperfect, sinful and corrupt
wait unto the day of Christ at the end of the world.           nature shall forever be abandoned, and in its place we
Rather he has in mind that whereof also ,Jesus sp&e: a         shall appear in the very presence of God, holy and
house of many mansions, whi&He is now preparing.               perfect. When we shall lose that in which we have
Into that house we enter immediately when our                  experienced suffering and travail, and heavenly joy
earthly tent is dissolved. So we shall never be found          shall be our portion. When that which is transient and
naked. And so shall the disembodied spirits of all the         temporal shall be exchanged for that which is eternal.
redeemed dwell with the Lord. This we know by faith,             Blessed also is this certitude, when we consider it in
which is based on the truth: "I go to prepare a place          the midst of our present circumstances!
for you."                                                        Now we find ourselves so often affected by
  This certain knowledge must of necessity have some           temptations, trials, suffering and grief. So oppressive
basis!                                                         are these circumstances that at times we must exclaim
  A basis implied in the text, but definitely expressed        with the apostle, "Who shall deliver me? 0 wretched
in the context!                                                man that I am."
  First of all, this knowledge and certitude rests on            But in spite of all this, we know!
the fact that God has raised Jesus our Lord from the             And this knowledge fills our hearts with heavenly
dead. Of this the apostle writes in the preceding:             joy!
"Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall            So wonderful is this assurance, that death, which is
raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with           called the last enemy, we can face boldly,
you." (II Cor. 4: 14)                                          triumphantly, and unafraid!
  Secondly, this certitude is to be found in the fact            We are more than conquerors through Him Who
that in the present tabernacle we groan, "earnestly            loved us!
desiring to be clothed unon with our house which is              Thanks be unto Thee, 0 God, for Thy unspeakable
from heaven." (II Cor. 5:2)                                    grace!



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344                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



Question Box



                       Some Pertinent Questions About
                              Our Reformed Position  (4)

                                              Prof H. C Hoeksema

Question                                                    historically the doctrine of double predestination has
   The third in the group of questions asked by a usually been attacked at this point, but that it is also
Canadian reader was as follows: "When we speak of true historically that if you destroy the doctrine of
predestination, must we go as far as to say that the reprobation, you necessarily do away with sovereign
Lord from eternity has  loved  His own  - with that I election. Usually, however, the latter is done by silence
can agree - but also that the Lord hated those who are      a n d   b y   f o r f e i t . There are many Reformed
rejected, from eternity? I know that the Bible says,        denominations today who hardly do lip-service any
`Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.' On. the        longer to the precious truth of election. But usually
other hand, is it not so that the atoning, work of our      you will find that this began with a headlong rush to
Lord and Savior is `sufficient' for all men? See            perform evangelism in an Arminian sense and to
Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 15, Answer 37              pervert the preaching of the gospel into a well-meant
Canons of Dordt, II, 3; and I Tim. 2:6, where we read,      offer of salvation to all men. And to the latter, of
`Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in      course, the doctrine of sovereign reprobation is an
due time.' "                                                insurmountable obstacle. My questioner, therefore, has
Reply                                                       hit upon a very important question.
   This is actually three questions. The first is about       But my questioner himself suggests both the answer
reprobation. The second is about the extent of the          and the method of answer when he writes: "I know
atonement. And the third is about the relation              that the Bible says: `Jacob have I loved, but Esau have
bet  ween the atonement and predestination. It is           I hated.' " The right method is to turn to the
important, by the way, that we consider that last           Scriptures: before those Scriptures, the infallible Word
question, that is, that we see Christ's atonement in        of God, we must bow unconditionally. And those
relation to predestination. For the sake of clarity and     Scriptures furnish the answer in the passage referred to
convenience, I will deal with the first question in this    by my questioner.
issue, in order to treat the second and third questions       Only, let us get the entire passage before us, Romans
in a later article.                                         9:  10-13: "And not only this; but when Rebecca also
   My questioner asks about eternal and sovereign had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For
reprobation. In reply, I might point to several facts. I    the children being not yet born, neither having done
might point out that if you believe in sovereign            any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to
election, this necessarily implies - put it negatively, if election might stand, not of works, but of him that
you wish  - that God sovereignly  did not choose,  or       calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the
passed by  the rest. Even when you phrase this              younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, Esau have
negatively, the fact remains that the latter was as         I hated."
eternal and sovereign as the former. I might point out,       There have been many attempts to get away from
secondly, that this has always been the Reformed            the plain teaching of this passage, which quotes from
position, from Calvin (and Luther, by the way)              both Genesis  25~23 and Malachi  1:2-4. Some would
through Dordrecht and down to the present. And I            weaken the meaning so that it reads, "Jacob have I
might point out, in the third place, that it is only        loved, and Esau have I loved less." I recall personally
recently that any Reformed denomination had the sad         hearing a radio preacher play hocus-pocus until he
courage officially to abandon this position. I refer, of finally said, "Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I
course,  tp the fact that the  Gereformeerde  Kerken  a loved, too." One only has to consult the passage in
couple of years ago officially abandoned the position       Malachi to find out what kind of "love" for Esau that
of Canons I, 6 and 15. Finally, I might point out that      was. For there you find that the hatred of God against


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  345



Esau reveals itself in a manifestation of wrath against       As I suggested, it is at this point that many
the people who were the objects of God's sovereign          opponents of this doctrine (Mark you well, I do not
displeasure. They are called "the people against whom       call my questioner an opponent; he is only asking
the Lord hath indignation forever." No, the text in         honest questions.) - many opponents try to evade the
Romans 9 can only have reference to the love and            plain teaching of the Word of God. They claim that it
hatred of God's sovereign and eternal good pleasure. It     would be arbitrary, cruel, and tyrannical on God's part
means: Jacob have I eternally accepted in love; Esau        if the ultimate ground of the election of one unto life
have I eternally rejected as the object of My sovereign     and the reprobation of.another  unto desolation would
hatred.                                                     be the sovereign good pleasure of God. Predestination
  For notice that this was said to Rebecca, according       must rest, on part of God, in His foreknowledge of the
to the text, "that the purpose of God according to          character and works of man; and, on the part of man, it
election might stand." It had to be evident to Rebecca is based on his foreseen faith or unbelief, his foreseen
that when the children would grow up and when the           works. This was  - and still is  - the Arminian
elder of them would manifest himself as a fornicator,       presentation.
while the younger would manifest himself as a child of        And this Arminian presentation is contrary to both
the promise, this was due not to any natural                the context and the text.
distinction in the two sons, but had to be attributed to      As far as the context is concerned, the further
the determination and realization of God's sovereign        objections which are raised in question-form would
purpose of election. What is God's purpose? It is that      never be raised against a doctrine of  conditional
which He eternally determines from before the               predestination. Why would anyone raise the objection
foundation of the world according to His sovereign          against conditional election and reprobation, "Is there
good pleasure. In this instance, the purposes of God        then unrighteousness with God?" And why would the
concerns the realization of the promise, the bestowal       apostle then reply in detail, quoting the Lord's word to
of the covenant blessing. Now this purpose is realized      Moses and the example of Pharaoh, and concluding;
according to election. God does not purpose to bestow       "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have
the blessing of the promise upon all, not even upon all     mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth?" And why
the natural children of Abraham. But His purpose            would the objection often raised by sinful man come
distinguishes and makes separation even among those         under consideration, "Thou wilt say then unto me,
natural children. Only on  His elect, whom He has           "Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his
sovereignly known and loved from before the                 will?" And why would the apostle have to meet this
foundation of the world, does God purpose to bestow         objection - not by conceding that at least reprobation
the covenant blessing. And the significance of that         is on the basis of foreseen unbelief, or that reprobation
purpose of God according to election with respect to        is not from eternity, but by  rebuking  the brazen
Jacob and Esau is expressed by the quotation from           audacity of the sinner who replies against God? And
Malachi. (And notice, by the way, that here and             why would the apostle point to the example of the
throughout Romans 9 the apostle constantly confirms         potter who has power over the clay, of the same lump
what he teaches by quoting from the Old Testament           to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto
Scriptures!)                                                dishonor? You see, all these are objections which are
3 We will pass by, as wholly without foundation, the        raised only against the doctrine that God sovereignly
argument that this passage speaks of nations rather         and from eternity hates the reprobate.
than of individuals. This is plainly not the case: the        And as far as the text is concerned, this is plainly
whole question in  Remans 9 concerns the fact that          taught when the apostle emphasizes that the Word of
many of the apostle's fellow Israelites were not saved      God came to Rebecca  before  the children were born
and the fact that God's sovereign purpose according to      and  before  they had done either good or evil. If the
election makes distinction between persons of the           twins had grown up, and if then the Word of God had
same natural origin. Nor can there be any dispute           come to her, she might have drawn the conclusion that
about the fact that in Genesis 25 the reference was to      God distinguished between the brothers on the basis of
the two sons in Rebecca's womb.                             their own works, after Esau became manifest as a
   Hence, we conclude that this passage teaches the         fornicator and Jacob became manifest as the true child
doctrine of personal election and reprobation.              of the covenant. But this purpose is revealed to her
  But the passage undeniably teaches, too, that this        before the children were born and before they had in
personal election and reprobation are  sovereign and any way distinguished themselves by their works. And
unconditional.  My questioner writes that he has no         from this it is evident that it was God's intention to
difficulty with saying that "the Lord from eternity has     show Rebecca (and us) that His counsel of election and
loved His own." But he asks whether we must also say        reprobation with regard to Jacob and Esau was
"that the Lord hated those who are rejected from            independent on their works. And notice, please, that
eternity?"                                                  this is as true of Esau as of Jacob. If you accept this


346                                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER



with respect to Jacob (who was not yet born and who                                   neither good nor evil). This is the plain teaching of the
had done neither good nor evil), you must also accept                                 text. And before this Word of God you and I must
it of Esau (who was also not yet born and had done                                    bow.



All Around Us


                Developments in the Gereformeerde Kerken

                                                                              Prof. H. Hanko

  In 2 recent issues of the  RES Newsletter,  three Two Concerned  Groups  in Netherlands, Augments
articles appeared concerning developments in the                                      Conflict," It reads:
Gereformeerde Kerken. The first one is entitled                                                  A decision by two groups of concerned Christians
"Society of Concerned in Reformed Churches in the                                         within the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands to
Netherlands to Become a Modality Group." It reads:                                        merge and assume stronger organizational form has
           The Society of the Concerned ("truth and unity"                                triggered a new conflict in the church there. The two
       and "Scripture and Testimony") plan to become a                                        groups, `Truth and Unity' (Waarheid en Eenheid) and
       modality (confessionally definable grouping) within                                    `Scripture and Witness' (S&rift en Getuigenis) have
       the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. The name                                 not yet decided on the name of the new group, but
       they  propose i s "Confessional Reformed                                           they have determined to become an open force for
       Organization." A number of work groups have                                            orthodoxy in the Reformed Churches.
       a l r e a d y   b e e n   f o r m e d   f o r   "c o n f e s s i o n a l "                Their plans call for separate catechism teaching,
       congregations, catechism, youth work, school and                                   youth work, theological training and the organization
       university. A testimony is expected to appear in the                               of `confession congregations.' The group plans to
       near future.                                                                       hold conferences and issue publications that take
           The periodical, "Waarheid en Eenheid" (Truth and                                   clear positions on the current issues. The goal is to
       Unity) stated that the group reached the conclusion                                    `preserve the identity of the Reformed Churches.'
       after the recent General Synod (Dordt 1971-72) that                                       An `alternative' ministers association, called
       the Reformed Churches have in fact become modality                                     Calvin, has already been organized and has issued a
       churches and therefore decided to erect a clear and                                    call for a meeting on 25 April in Amersfoort. The
       sturdy organization with which to proceed.                                             purpose of the new association is to support those
           The paper states that the testimony will clearly                                   pastors who want to preserve the Reformed character
       state the purpose of the organization, namely to                                       of the church so that the Reformed Churches may
       oppose those who have denied the confession and are                                    conform to their  caIling to be confessing churches in
       nevertheless tolerated in the church.                                              the world.
           The Rev. P. Van Til, one of the strongest                                            The editor of Centraal Weekblad,  Klass Runia,
       opponents of Professor H. M. Kuitert at the recent                                     reacted to the plans for the new organization by
       General Synod, expressed disapproval of the                                            asking, "Are we facing a new rift?" He expressed his
       development of a modality group. He feared that the                                    alarm by pointing out that the realizations of these
       use of the word itself would create an unfavorable                                     plans confront the church with an "especially serious
       climate and that the entire purpose of the Synod's                                     situation."
       work in maintaining the identity of the church would                                      Runia noted that the  :reason given. for the new
       be lost. He wanted the Reformed Churches to retain                                     action is the fact that there already are `modalities' in
       their churchly character and not become a `club of                                     the Reformed Church&, and that this has resulted
       the Reformed persuasion.' "Reformatorisch Dagblad"                                     from the disappointment of the associations of the
       compared the new organization with the confessional                                    concerned that the General Synod (Dordrecht
       fellowship in the Netherlands Reformed Church                                          1971/72) did not apply any  disciplinary.measures  in
       which undertakes its own mission program.                                              November against Dr. Harry M. Kuitert. Runia
           Professor B. Nauta of the Free University observed                                 expressed his doubt, however, whether these plans
       that the Reformed Churches are already in fact a                                       would offer a good solution, and feared that they
       modality church, although not identical in this regard                                 would  produce  a modality church. He further noted
       with the Netherlands Reformed Church.                                                  that the plans are in direct conflict with the church
  The second article is entitled "Decision to Merge                                           order. If the churches do not adhere to these basic


                                                                      THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                                       347


       rules, it will become a chaos, Runia observed.                                        transcript and found that there was no discrepancy.
          "It sounds terrible to speak of a new split in the                                 Runia's concern was that Kuitert contradicted the
       church," Runia concluded, "but  Irbelieve  that if the                                testimony of the New Testament which teaches that
       concerned brothers and sisters continue on this way,                                  the appearance of  Christ  will be from `outside,' not
       it will be almost unavoidable. No local church council                                from `within.' Kuitert, said Runia, has not followed
       can tolerate that in its district alternative services and                            the rules of the game. "Is it really necessary to lure
       catechism teaching will be advocated. This will lead                                  problems into the open and  .disturb the church?"
      to a conflict."                                                                            Prof. G. Th. Rothuizen entered the discussion by
          One of the `concerned,' the Rev. W. van Benthem,                                   putting a few `critical questions' to Runia. In his view
      wrote a reply to Runia which he could not get placed                                   Runia holds to an idea of unity that may have been
      in any paper, so he bought advertising space in                                       valid some 15 years ago but is valid no longer. He
      Trouw. He declared that the theology of Kuitert is                                     p l e a d e d   f o r `alternative forms' of the church,
       deadly dangerous and that most of the students at the                                 admitted that modalities do exist, and that this is no
       Free University where Kuitert teaches allow                                           cause for shame. He claimed that along with a
      themselves to be pumped full and to bow before Baal.                                  plurality in theology and in the forms of the church
      Van  Benthem  said that the pulpits should be barred                                  there should also be a `poly-interpretability of the
      to Kuitert and Wiersinga and that disciplinary                                         Bible.' "We shall have to learn to live with alternative
       measures should be taken against them. In this way                                    forms of the church and theology," he said. He
      he thought a new rift could be avoided.                                                defended what he called a new `pluriform unity.'
          A further reaction came from the Executive                                             In reply Runia singled out what he considered to
      Committee (Moderamen) of the General Synod. It                                        be one of the most far-reaching differences within the
      issued a call for a special day of prayer and                                          Reformed Churches, namely the way in which we
      r e p e n t a n c e   o n   S u n d a y ,   1 5   A p r i l .   I n   i t s           read the Bible. When he compared the views of
      communication to the churches the Executive                                           Herman Wiersinga and Herman Ridderbos on the
      Committee spoke not only of the threatening conflict                                  biblical idea of reconciliation, then he could no
      but also of a `spiritual crisis' in the Reformed                                      longer speak of a pluriform unity.  Roth&en  had
      Churches. It saw a contrast "between our material                                     written that Kuitert and the concerned people could
      prosperity and our spiritual poverty , . . We shall have                              not be brought to one common theological
      to reflect together concerning this before the face of                                denominator. But Runia said that the unity does not
      God."                                                                                 stand or fall with a  theological unity. "Theology is a
     A third article reads:                                                                 science that is surely of great importance to the
          Three professors in theology in the Reformed                                      church, but it is not the binding factor in the church.
      Churches in the Netherlands have engaged in a lively                                  The binding factor is the confession, and that is quite
     discussion in Centraal Weekblad, Harry Kuitert, Klaas                                  different from theology . . . The confession is in
      Runia and G. Th. Rothuizen.                                                           essence the song of praise in which the church sings
          Occasion for the discussion was a TV interview by                                 its faith in God and in what He has done for us in
      Kuitert. In answering a question on the second                                        Jesus Christ . . . . Must we not in last analysis say the
      coming of Christ, he stated that it could very well                                   same thing, at least when it concerns the central,
      happen that all of a sudden we will discover that                                     fundamental aspects of the Christian faith?"
      Jesus is already with us and then the question will be,                            No doubt the editor of our  Standard Bearer  will
      `will the real Jesus stand up?'                                                c o m m e n t   a t   l e n g t h   a b o u t   t h i s   m a t t e r ;   b u t   a   f e w
          Runia objected that the view of Kuitert was in                             remarks are in order.
      disagreement with what the last General Synod had                                  Our readers should understand first of  all, that a
      said concerning the `consequent horizontalizing of
      faith' and in particular where it said that "the                               "modalities church" i s   a   c h u r c h   i n   w h i c h   t h e r e   i s
      completion of the history of salvation lies beyond our                         complete freedom of doctrinal teaching so that every
      present earthly existence and will occur in the day of                         m e m b e r   i s   a l l o w e d   t o   h o l d   t o   h i s   o w n   v i e w s   w i t h
      Christ." Runia found the statement of Kuitert to be                            respect to the truth of Scripture. It is also a church
      entirely out of accord with the declaration of Synod                           which has within it different conceptions of  churc!h
      with which Kuitert himself had expressed agreement.                            polity. However, in a modalities church, various groups
         The next issue of Centraal Weekblad carried an                              o f   l i k e   m i n d   j o i n   t o g e t h e r   w i t h i n   o n e   c h u r c h
      exchange of letters between Kuitert and Runia.                                 federation and hold views concerning the truth and.
      Kuitert could not understand why Runia had as it                               c o n c e r n i n g   c h u r c h   p o l i t y   a t   v a r i a n c e   w i t h   o t h e r
      were "called the church people to arms" against a                              groups. In spite of these differences however, the
      fellow Christian and a colleague and also that Runia                           church continues as one denomination.
      had not spoken with him first, and that he had
      written before he had the text of the interview in                                 The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands have
      hand. Kuitert did not deny any of that which he had                            i n d e e d   b e c o m e   a   m o d a l i t i e s   c h u r c h .   T h i s   i s   e v e n
      been alleged to say.                                                           a d m i t t e d   b y   s o m e   i n   t h e   a r t i c l e s   a b o v e .   A n d   it,  i s
         Runia replied that he had first showed his written                          proved also by the views concerning the second coming
      comments to a number of colleagues before                                      of Christ which were expressed by Dr.  Kuiteti in a
      publishing them and later checked them with the                                recent TV interview in which he flatly denied that
I


348                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



Christ would come at the end of time.                          Kuitert becomes bolder, and Runia, even in his ,
  This is, of course, a confessional question. There are       objections, is mild.
only two real possibilities therefore. One is simply to          And so it is not strange that Runia finally pleads a
ignore the confessions and act as if they have no              view which teaches that "the unity (of the church)
binding force within the church. The other is so to            does not stand or fall with a theological unity." And in
interpret the confessions that any and every view is           this connection he interprets the confessions as "songs
declared confessional regardless of whether it is or not.      of praise."
The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands seem at                 But are the "concerned" correct in seeking
present to be straddling the fence on this matter.             organization within Reformed Churches? This is
  What is interesting however, is the fact that those          another question. There are some, as appears from the
who are determined to preserve the truth of the                articles above, who are not satisfied with this. And
confessions are now organizing within the Reformed             Runia says that this is contrary to the Church Order.
Churches and on the grounds that they may do this                No doubt Runia is correct  - although this sounds
because the Reformed Churches are a modalities                 strange coming from a man who has participated in
church. Hence there is room for their group as well as         grossest violations of the church order himself. But
the supporters of Kuitert.                                     when, e.g., Van Til, speaks of the wrongness in forming
  This is opposed by Runia. This is strange. It is strange     within the church "a club of Reformed persuasion," he
that he should become disturbed by this development.           certainly strikes at the heart of the issue.
It is strange that he should object. He has expressed            The "concerned" are erecting a church within a
that the decisions of the Synod which cleared Kuitert          church. This is never right. And, in the final analysis it
were "evangelical." But now, when certain ones object          does not work. As part of the denomination they are
and desire to press for confessional integrity,Runia is        responsible for all that that denomination does.
disturbed. In a way this ought not to surprise us. This        Remaining within it they vitiate their protest. This has
is always the way it goes with the spirit of toleration.       serious consequences for themselves and their children.
Toleration in matters of the truth is the devil's              The light is going out in the Reformed Churches in the
weapon. And the result always is that there is                 Netherlands. The efforts of the "concerned" to keep
toleration for every view under the face of the heavens        the light flickering cannot be successful. The cold
except  the truth. This is true of Runia too. Even his         winds of heresy will blow out that flickering flame in
criticism of Kuitert's views concerning the coming of due time. And then the light will also be gone for them
Christ are not severe. And surely he does not press for        and their children.
Kuitert's deposition even though Kuitert continues to            The only solution, as it has always been throughout
deny fundamental elements in the truth of Scripture.           the ages, is secession.



Taking Heed To The Doctrine


               The Importance of the Preaching c
                                       of God's Word (3)
                                                 Rev. David Engelsma


  In our day there is a massive assault on the preaching       arguments that are raised to defend these practices by
of the Word and a large scale defection from the Word          saying that they serve to instruct the Church, the
that is preached. There is, first of all, an assault on the    answer of the Heidelberg Catechism is conclusive in
preaching itself. There is a strong, open movement             Question 98: "God will have His people taught, not by
today to do away with the public preaching by an               dumb images, but by the lively preaching of His
ordained preacher. Men are replacing the preaching, at         Word." Along with the replacement of preaching there
least partially, with discussions, with films, and with        is a questioning whether only those who are called of
various kinds of other gimmicks. Over against all              God to the office of the ministry may preach. The


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                              349


answer of Romans 10: 15 is final: "How shall they will." This is the teaching that man by nature still
preach except they be sent?" There is another assault retains the ability to choose Christ and to make a
on preaching today that consists of a noticeable           decision for God's salvation, upon which decision then
weakening of the duty of pastors to preach for the depends his salvation. This is the teaching that God
edification of their congregations. So-called loves all men, that Christ died for all men to  m.ake
evangelistic preaching predominates in the established salvation possible for all men, that God is busy now
churches, preaching that professes to be interested in trying to save all men, and that their salvation depends
soul winning, and men are losing sight of the necessity ultimately upon their free will, their decision for
of preaching for the feeding of God's flock. Men are Christ. No less than Rome's gospel, this is another
losing sight of Jesus' gift to the church of pastors and gospel than the gospel of the apostles. In  Remans
teachers as we read in Ephesians 4, for the perfecting 9: 16, the apostle Paul cries out: "So then it (salvation)
of the saints, for the edifying of the body of Christ, is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth" -
that we may grow up into Christ Who is our Head. it is not of works, but it is not either of man's will. On
There is another tragic development in our time that the contrary, it (salvation) is of God that showeth
consists of surrendering the distressed souls of Jesus' mercy! The fundamental issue of the Reformation, the
sheep and Jesus' lambs to psychiatry, which then difference between the deformed and the Reformed
attempts to cure these souls, not with the blessed Church, was the issue of the freedom or the bondage
gospel of Jesus Christ, but with the monkeyshines of of the will of man. And so it is today.
men. That which Paul in Acts 20 called private               What explains these attacks on the preaching of the
preaching from house to house, which he said he did Word today? They are all aspects of one great attack
not cease to do for three years in Ephesus, is ceasing. on God's Word in these last days. They are the great
  Hand in hand with the attack on preaching goes the apostasy that must come before the appearance of the
undermining of the Word that ought to be preached. man of sin, the anti-Christ, and the end of the world.
There is in our day a frontal attack on the Holy In part, these attacks upon the Word of God are due to
Scriptures themselves. Men openly deny the inspiration the hatred for the Word of God by our ancient foe, the
of the Bible, the infallibility and inerrancy of the devil, and by his human servants within the churches.
Bible. They deny its reliability, and they deny its As is always the case, the most fierce battle that the
clarity to the simple, believing child of God. Plain Church has to fight is the battle against the enemy
passages of Scripture such as Genesis 1,2,3, which are within. In part, though, the defection today from the
understandable to the smallest child in the church, are Word of God is due to our weak faith, our lack of trust
taken out of the hands of the people of God and are in God's Word. We are afraid that the preaching lacks
given over to the interpretations of learned the power to do what has to be done today. We fear
philosophers and theologians. The whole great truth of that the preaching of the gospel will not be able to save.
the clarity of the Bible is at issue. In my judgment, this and keep the young people. We fear that the preaching
is  the  crucial issue  ,for the Church of Jesus Christ of the gospel will not be able to comfort the depressed.
today: Is the Scripture the Word of God? Everything We fear that the preaching of the gospel will  not be
depends on that; the Church stands on that; the adequate for us "modern men." We fear that the
Christian stands on that; the gospel stands on that! Scriptures cannot stand the test of science, that it does
Hardly less dangerous is the attack on the Scriptures not square with the opinions of learned men. We fear
made today by flooding the churches with bad, that men of the 20th century will dislike the rough
unreliable, and even perverted versions of the edges of the gospel, total depravity and predestination
Scriptures. Especially the youth of the covenant, the and the others. So we are giving up on the Word of
Church of tomorrow, are actually led away from the God. And we are dying! And we are restless, lacking
Scriptures by these unreliable versions. Above all, the peace and joy.1 And we are becoming worldly,
attack upon the Word of God today takes the form of disobedient, self seeking, rather than men who seek the
preaching a message that is false doctrine, although it Kingdom of God first! Let us confess our sin of
pretends to be the gospel. Now, Rome has never unbelief and put away our folly! The Word of God in
changed. Rome continues to preach a gospel of the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. It is the
righteousness by works, a gospel that consists of Word that will save our covenant children. It is the
maintaining that a man's righteousness before God is, Word that will endure triumphant when this world .and
at least partially, his own works and efforts. Rome's its wisdom are in rubble.
doctrine is: Salvation is of him that runneth. But much      This is the calling of the Church: Preach the Word!
of Protestantism today has adopted an error that is not Preach it twice on the Lord's Day in the congregation.
a whit better or a bit different than the message of Preach it to the children in catechism. Preach it
Rome. The message of much of Protestantism today is privately from house to house. Let this be the
this: Salvation is of him that willeth. Much of life-blood of the Church in all her labor. Let her do it
Protestantism has adopted the false doctrine of "free in a childlike faith that by the foolish preaching Christ


350                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


will build His Church, and the gates of hell shall not      of the Word of God. The individual believer has the abil-
prevail against it. Then the Holy Spirit will be present ity to discern the truth and to cleave to it. He has the
with us in power. This is the mark of the true Church       ability to detect and to reject the lie. Every believer is a.
of Jesus Christ in every age: the pure preaching of the prophet, priest, and king. The Reformation restored to
gospel of the Scriptures.                                   you and to me our rightful office as a believer.
  The individual church members have a calling. too. Therefore, let the believer see to it that he and his
Individual church members are by no means free from children live under the pure preaching of the Word and
blame in this great departure from the Word of God. In that he maintains it and supports it. The calling that
fact, II Timothy 3 lays much of the blame at their feet.    we have as believers is that which God Himselt  gave us
Paul says there that in the last days they will have        when He spoke from heaven at the occasion of the
itching ears that cannot endure sound doctrine; they        transfiguration of His Son, Jesus Christ: "This is my
heap up to themselves teachers; and they turn from the beloved Son: hear Him." Be sure that you hear IIim!
truth unto fables. There are many who are indifferent       By our hearing Christ in the preaching of the gospel
to doctrine. There are many who clamor against              with a true faith, we are saved, and God is glorified in
preaching that explains the Bible and that is doctrinal.    the Church, even as we pray: Unto God be glory in
There are many today who forsake the truth in order         the Church by Jesus Christ through all ages, world
to satisfy their desire for wild experiences. The individ- without end!
ual believer has a calling with respect to the preaching



The Strength of Youth


                   Divorce and  Rema,rriage  (6)

                                                Rev. J. Kortering

  Our attention is now directed to the New Testament           First, the issue that brought the Pharisees to Jesus in
evidence on the subject of divorce and remarriage. Our the first place was the division between the school of
purpose is to present a concise analysis of the pertinent Rabbi Hillel, who taught that Moses in Deut. 24
texts and the conclusions we draw from them.                allowed the putting away of a wife for every cause,
CHRIST'S TEACHING IN MATT. 19                               that is, for any reason by which a man no longer found
  The passage is Matt.  19:3-g, "The' Pharisees also pleasure in his wife, and the other school under Rabbi
came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is Shammai which insisted that Moses only allowed a
it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every putting away of a wife for moral reasons: he found
cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye          some moral uncleanness in her. Now they wanted
not read, that he which made them at the beginning Jesus' view on this, "Is it lawful for a man to put away
made them male and female, and said, For this cause his wife for every cause?"
shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to       Secondly, Jesus' answer to them indicates that he
his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore does not take the side of either one. Emphatically,
they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore Jesus goes to the very beginning of time and states,
God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. "Wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh.
They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to What, therefore, God hath joined together, let not man
give a writing of divorcement and to put her away? He put asunder.  " This is God's original and abiding
saith unto them, Moses -because of the hardness of purpose for marriage. There should be no putting
your hearts suffered you to put away your wives; but away.
from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you,         Thirdly, when these Jews counter Jesus' argument
Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for by referring to the writing of divorcement granted by
fornication, and shall marry another, committeth Moses, Christ tells them that this was a temporary
adultery; and  whoso marrieth her which is put away interruption, granted because of the hardness of their
doth commit adultery. " ,We would make the following hearts, and once again insists that the principle to
observations.                                               follow is that set forth from the beginning.


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                     351


  Fourthly, Jesus sets forth his own teaching on him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage
divorce and remarriage in verse  9. "And I say unto           in such cases: but God hath called us to peace." We
you, whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for       must consider the following points.
fornication, and shall marry another, committeth                 First, in this section of the chapter, Paul is dealing
adultery; and  whoso marrieth her which is put away with the subject of what to do in cases of mixed
doth commit adultery."                                        marriages (one a believer and another an unbeliever)
  In connection with this text, we should consider which resulted because of the conversion of one of the
that the point of dispute here centers in the exception marriage partners.
clause., "except it be for fornication." Does this clause        Secondly, in verses 12 and 13, he counsels the
modify, "Whosoever shall put away his'wife" or does it marriage partner who is a believer that he or she does
modify also the rest of the clauses? We believe that it is    not have to put away (be separated from) their
exegetically correct that it modifies only the preceding unbelieving partner just because they do not believe.
clause. The text tells us that whosoever shall put away       The reason is in verse  14! "For the unbelieving
his wife and shall marry another committeth adultery, husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving
etc. The only exception is that a man may put away wife is sanctified by the husband; else were your
his wife for adultery and that act itself is not a            children unclean, but now are they holy."
committing of adultery.                                         Thirdly, what if the unbelieving husband or wife
  This agrees with other texts in the New Testament.          decides that he "wants out" of their marriage, what
Consider  Malt. 5  :32, "But I say unto you, that then? Suppose that the unbelieving partner decided
whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause that suddenly his spouse has become a religious fanatic
of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and and he doesn't want anything to do with her anymore,
whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth since she "got religion." What must the believing
adultery." Certainly this text makes clear the teaching husband or wife do in that case? Paul's answer is, "But
of Matt  19:9. A man may put away his wife for the if the unbelieving depart, let them depart. A brother or
cause of fornication; any other reason would cause her a sister is not under bondage in such cases; but God
to commit adultery. And whosoever marries a divorced hath called us to  neace." The reason is, "For what
person commits adultery.                                      knowest thou, 0 wife, whether thou shalt save thy
  We read of this directly in Mark 10: 11, 12, "And he husband? or how knowest thou, 0 man, whether thou
saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, shalt save thy wife?"
and marry another, committeth adultery against her.             Fourthly, we should notice the issue is not
And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be             remarriage, it is divorce. What is meant by "let him
married to another, she committeth adultery." You             depart." Is this another ground for divorce, desertion,
notice in this text there is no exception clause at all.      in addition to adultery? The answer must be no. Paul
This does not contradict Matt. 19:9, but confirms that        teaches here that if such a marriage partner wants to
Matt.  19:9 teaches the same thing, viz. that a person        live separately, the believer must not feel guilt as if he
divorced and remarried commits adultery.                      has done something wrong which contributed to the
  Luke 16: 18 underscores this once again,                    breaking of the marriage. "Let him depart" means that
"Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth                he must acquiesce in this decision of his partner (one
another, committeth adultery; and whosoever                   which he cannot prevent anyway) and not feel that he
marrieth her that is put away from her husband                has done wrong by believing in Christ. Such a marriage
committeth adultery."                                         partner forsakes his wife or her husband in hardness
  Finally, the reaction of the disciples confirms that        against Jesus Christ. For this reason the child of God is
Christ taught something quite different from the not under bondage (under the condemnation of the
popularly accepted teaching of the Pharisees, "His law which finds guilty sinners punishable).
disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so            Finally, if the child of God assumes this attitude, he
with his wife, it is not good to marry." If marriage is       keeps the door open for repentance and reconciliation,
for life and a man can only put away his wife for             "For what knowest thou, 0 wife whether thou shalt
adultery, and even then not be allowed to remarry             save thy husband, or how knowest thou 0 man whether
another, it is not good to marry! To this, Christ answers thou shalt save thy wife? This must be foremost on the
that such must consider themselves eunuchs for the minds of the believers, the salvation of their
kingdom of heaven's sake, verse 12. As difficult as this unbelieving spouses, and anything that might possibly
may be, such is their calling for God's sake. They must contribute toward this is blessed by God. This is
live as a eunuch (one unable to consummate marriage), further confirmed later in the chapter, "The wife is
as obedient citizens of the kingdom of heaven.                bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if
                                                              her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to
PAUL'S TEACHING OF I COR.  7:15                               whom she will only in the Lord," I Cor.  7:39. This
  The text reads, "But if the unbelieving depart, let         principle applies to all of marriage; it is a lifelong union


352                                            THE STANDARD BEARER


which necessitates working out differences.                for this binding is the inner principle of the law which
                                                           is love. Love is for life. A person does not "fall into
THE TEACHING OF ROMANS  7:1-3                              love" or fall out of love at will; one either loves or
  Here we read, "know ye not, brethren (for I speak hates. The inner principle of the law tells us that the
to them that know the law) how that the law hath love in marriage is binding for life and only death can
dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the free one from this law, verse 3. To marry another while
woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to         one's marriage partner is alive is to commit adultery, to
her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be violate the law of love.
dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So          Thirdly, the power whereby husband and wife are
then, if while her husband liveth she be married to an able to abide in this law is, "Wherefore, my brethren,
other man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her ye also are become dead to the law by the body of
husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to
is not an adulteress, though she be married to another him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring
man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead forth fruit unto God," verse 4. In Christ, we are
to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be become dead to the law of outward works as a
married to another, even to him who is raised from the condition to righteousness. No longer is the
dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." In exhortation, "This do and live" in force; rather now
this connection we should observe the following:           we are married to Christ and the principle of the law of
  First, Paul is speaking here of the "law" in both its love is written within our hearts and now we can say
outward and inward aspects. Concerning the outward with Paul, "I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me."
aspect, those included in type and shadow as the civil Now the exhortation is "live and do."
and ceremonial laws in Israel, Paul says that in Christ       With this kind of understanding, we can appreciate
we are dead to this law. This is fulfilled by the perfect what Paul tells us concerning the permanence of
obedience of Christ on the cross; we are not under the marriage. With the love of Christ in our hearts, being
law, but under grace, Romans 6: 14; we are become married to Him, we are bound by this law of love to
dead to this law by the body of Christ, Rom. 7:4.          our marriage partner for life. Only death can terminate
  Secondly, He also has something to say about the this marriage bond. Thus it was from the beginning;
inward principle, viz., love of God and neighbor. From now it is restored in us by a living relationship of faith
this point of view, the law hath dominion over a man with Christ.
as long as he liveth, Rom.  7:l. He makes specific            This has many practical points of application for
mention of this law as it applies to marriage: the young people either aspiring to marriage or just having
woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to entered marriage. We will examine these as a
her husband so long as he liveth," verse 2. The reason conclusion in our next article, D.V.





                           " Studies in Isaiah  (I)

                                               Rev. Robert  C Harbach


Introduction                                               see before you nothing less than a limitless ocean.
  It was Lowth (d. 1787) who said, "Isaiah is certainly When we come to the Scriptures, anywhere, we are
one of the most difficult of all the prophets, though dealing with no little pond. He, then, indeed sets out
perhaps few are sensible of it but they who try to to swim in deep waters beyond his depth who proposes
explain him . . . He that will undertake to fathom the to fathom the depths of, or enter upon the truth of,
depths of this prophecy is in great danger of going out any book in the Bible. Take the epistles of Paul, for
of his own" depth. With this warning in mind, one example. Who, ever, in his preaching or expositions,
would. certainly hesitate before plunging into the does them justice? If one were so afraid of going out
bottomless sea of Isaiah's sixty-six chapters. Yet as you beyond his depth, he would never open his Bible! Does
scan the whole of the sixty-six books of the Bible, you not the Christian aim, "with all saints to comprehend


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                               353


what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and the answer is, "No, for we must not pretend to be
and to know the love of Christ, which passeth wiser than God, who will have his people taught not by
knowledge?" Does he not say in regard to all Scripture,     dumb images, but by the living preaching of His
"0 the depth!" But as we enter upon any studies in word." There never was a time when images were or
the Scriptures, we do so in the spirit of the words of could be tolerated as Bibles to the people. But there
the great Dr. J. A. Alexander (d.  1860),  who would was a time, before the Old Testament revelation had
"avoid the presumption of knowing everything as well been completed, when "there were prophets who were
as the disgrace of knowing nothing."                        instead of Bibles to the church."
   Prophet  is a title which, in its popular sense, has       Isaiah means "Salvation of Jehovah," which in itself
come to mean, "one who makes a prediction of future sets forth for the elect the very goal of history. History
events." A prophet foretells things to come. The New        moves to that goal, to the reconciliation of all things
Testament takes us on a little deeper than that with its (Col.  1:20). All things move through and out of
word  prophetes, which means more than a foreteller, judgment to the redemption of the purchased
but also a forth-teller. So that a prophet not only possession. This points us to the idea of the whole
foretells future events, but proclaims, expounds and book, which is Israel, the peculiar people, God's
"fully reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God covenant people, the Church, its origin, calling,
concerning our redemption" (Heid. Cat., Q. 3 1). He is mission, sins, tribulations, history and destiny. That
not one who invents his own message. Nor is his destiny and salvation is seen, especially in this book, as
message the combined contribution of God and it is in every book in the Bible, in Christ alone, in
himself. A prophet is one through whom God speaks. whom "all the nations of the earth shall be blessed."
He speaks by divine inspiration, or, he speaks that word According to 1: 1, Judah and Jerusalem are, centrally
which is God-breathed: He "speaks out the counsel of and solely, the object of the vision and book of Isaiah.
God with clearness, energy and authority" (Trench), His largest perimeter of vision is universal, embracing
all God-given, for he has no message nor abilities of his the imperial kingdom-of-this-world powers. Then
own. He, himself, body, soul and mind, is a gift of God within this largest circle the smaller one of the
to the church. The Old Testament word for prophet, neighboring heathen nations; within this the yet
nabhi, (pronounced nah-BVEE), as to its etymology, is smaller one, of all Israel; and within this the still
somewhat vague with various meanings. But the smaller one of the kingdom of Judah; within that, the
meaning with the most support is the most Israel within Israel, and within the organism of the true
satisfactory, and has the root idea of,  to boil up and Israel, the Seed of .life, Immanuel, God with us. Isaiah
gush forth.  The idea is that of an ebullition and knew this. He was conscious of the significance of his
pouring forth of truth and knowledge, and that under name, for yesha,  "He shall save," and yeshua, the Old
`the influence of a divine energy, not by the prophet's Testament word for "Jesus," salvation,  are with him
own powers. Both the prophet and his prophecies are favorite words. So much so that he begins (chap. 1, see
the contributions of God. His prophecies embrace not v. 18) with the necessity of salvation, climaxes it all
only the future, but also the past and the present. So (chap. 53) with the Way of salvation, and concludes
Daniel told the king what he  had  dreamed and then (66:23, 24) with the punishment for neglecting so
interpreted the king's dream as to its present as well as great a salvation.
future significance. A prophet, then, is a product of         The name of the prophet also reveals that his point
heaven, not a human product. In fact, it is important of view is theocentric. Isaiah lives for the sake of
to understand that "a prophet is one who has a great Jehovah. Also the meaning is that salvation is not in
intimacy with Heaven." He has, because he is one who the first place for the sake of the sinner, but for the
instructs strangers and sojourners in this world while sake of Jehovah  (43:21). Some have called him "the
on their pilgrim journey to their true and continuing evangelical prophet," or "the prophet of redemp-
city, the Jerusalem Above. Accordingly, Isaiah begins tion," "the prophet of the divine sovereignty,"
with the earthly Jerusalem and ends with heavenly "the Paul, the Calvin of the Old Testament," "the
Jerusalem and the New Heavens and New Earth, and, universal prophet." Latent in Isaiah's name is the
as far as the last half of the book is concemed,(40-66),    divine election. "Salvation is of the Lord." "God hath
with its "Prepare ye the way of the Lord," begins and not appointed us to wrath, but to  clbtain salvation
ends where the New Testament begins and ends. A through our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thess.  5:9).
prophet is one who receives his message immediately According to His decree of election, God ordained a
from heaven (chapter 6), with a commission to preach people, a holy nation, unto glory and eternal life in
it to God's church. Isaiah, his wife and two sons were Christ. The promises of God were :.nade to-this chosen
signs to the people; they were walking Bibles. The people, the remnant according to the election of grace,
Heidelberg Catechism asks (Q.  98), "May not inages who alone rested in the word of promise. They are,
be tolerated in the churches, as Bibles to the laity?" from all eternity, the true Tsrael, the true seed of


354                                         THE STANDARD BEAKER


Abraham, Jews who are Jews inwardly, which means neither new nor accidental. It is planned that way. (Cp.
all who believe, including believing Gentiles. They "Roosevelt's Road to Russia," by  Cracker). Dictators
belong to the spiritual Israel. The sovereign God always and world-powers have operated and continued on the
denounced judgments against the carnal Israel, and principle of "perpetual war for perpetual peace." When
always pronounced blessings on the spiritual Israel. there is no more war, no more, however ridiculous,
"Fear not!" is His efficacious command to the latter excuse for war, look out! Then the state will persecute
(41: lo), never to the former, for they have everything the church. Wars and rumors of wars allow the church
to fear, while the spiritual Israel has everything to hope to continue to exist in the world. The Bible's point of
(Rom. 5:2, 4, 5 ; 8:24). The Lord always made it plain view sees Assyria forging the first, Rome the middle,
to His people that the judgments which had to come and the final Antichrist the last link in the chain of
on Israel as a nation would not destroy the Israel of aggression and suppression perpetrated by the kingdom
God, or the true church, but that He would surely of this world. This is the spirit of antichrist, the
preserve, protect and save His own elect. Isaiah was tendency of which is to restore the Tower of Babel, to
raised up by God to strengthen the faith of the heal the mortally wounded head of the dragon, to so
spiritual Israel, to comfort' the hearts of the "very unite the entire world that heathendom and
small remnant."                                           Christendom (not Christianity!), Gog and Magog
  A further word must be said on Isaiah's view of together with the Antichrist unite as one fierce peril
history. According to him, the kingdom of this world and plague against the true remnant of believers left on
is the heathen state in its Nimrodic form. That means,    the earth. Isaiah and the other major prophets have
the state attempts, by incessant acquisitioning, to universal depth of field.
expand into a one-world dominating power. To                Perhaps the reader of these lines has not only no
accomplish this, it must always burst its seams beyond sympathy with but no interest in the critical problem
its present boundaries, overwhelming surrounding of this book. Such a reader says, "I am more interested
nations, ever accumulating wider territories, not in the house, not with all the insects that go buzzing
merely out of the motives of self-defence or retaliation, around the house!" Well, but some of those buzzing
but for the purpose of ultimate world-conquest. When creatures, if termites, may not only undermine the
world dictators find difficulty unifying their kingdoms house, but eat it out to a thin, hollow shell, so that
and enlarging their dominions, they pick on an enemy, there will soon be no house. The effect of the German
either within or without  .the state, and start a war higher criticism has been, like the ruin of termites, to
against it. The nation is then united in fighting the war, shred the Book of Isaiah into pieces. We should know
which has been made to appear one of self-defence, or something of the operations of these spiritual termites,
survival, or making the world safe for democracy. and how to exterminate them. But that will have to
Recall that our own nation was united to tight the wait for the next time.
Second World War through the force of the Pearl
Harbor attack. This method of uniting a people is                        (To be continued, D. V: )



From Holy Writ

                   Exposition of the Book of Hebrews
                                      (Hebrews 11: 24)

                                                Rev. G. Lubbers

The General Argument and Exhortation                      them inasmuch as the way to receiving the final
                                                          promise, with all that this implies, seems a long way
  It is well to pick up the thread just a bit at this off. The church enters into glory and salvation through
juncture of our series of essays on Hebrews 11. The much tribulation; often this tribulation is deep, intense
writer is concerned about the spiritual attitude of the and repetitive. The end is not in sight, except for the
Hebrews. There is a great temptation which besets eye of faith and hope!


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                355


  In view of this great conflict of faith and hope, the the seed of the serpent attempts mightily to triumph
writer urges the believers to call to mind a definite       over the seed of the woman, the Christ and His church!
former time in their life and Christian experience. That    The will of God will be done, and even the wrath of
was a time when they were first enlightened. No, for man shall praise the  .Lord. In futile wrath and
this time and this affliction they can not take any         anguished fear the king of Egypt takes his hellish
credit and self-glorying. They were enlightened by the      measures against the people of God's own choosing. He
sovereign and mighty grace of God. Also in this             will proceed with guile to keep Israel in Egypt, weak
enlightenment they have nothing which they have not enough to keep her in subjection, and strong enough
received. All boasting is excluded. It was during that to serve him in building his cities, to achieve his civic
time that they had had endurance. Yes, it was a great       improvements and cultural attainments.
fight of affliction; but they had contended like              The wicked king's attempt to destroy Israel and to
warriors who sought the crown of victory. And               prevent the birth of Christ the firstborn son of Israel
remembering all this they must be spurred on in the         are threefold:
present conflict. They must not lag in the fight.             The first attempt is to make Israel serve with rigor in
  Nothing strange happens to them when they thus Egypt and to make them slaves instead of free men.
must wait in patience upon God, for their ultimate Their legal status in Israel was changed. An entire
salvation and deliverance. Had not God thus spoken to       nation was simply subjugated to slavery by the fiat of
Israel in Isaiah 26: 20, 2 1, saying "yet a little while and the king, and by the stroke of the pen; -all the former
he that  cometh shall come." And does not the word          decisions concerning Israel were declared null and
spoken by the Lord through Habakkuk stand, which void! They were simply an outlawed people, without
says "Now my just one shall live by faith, and if any       rights and possessions any more! Legally and actually
man falleth back my soul hath no delight in him."           they were declared slaves and the wheels of
  The writer is convinced that the believers are not of enslavement were set in motion.
those  who fall back into perdition, but that they are        The second attempt, when the former failed to stem
those who are believing to the saving of the soul! And the miraculous growth of Israel, was to command all
now the writer recounts the men of like passion as the the midwives in Israel - it seems that from here on a
Hebrews and us, to show how they believed to the close tabulation was kept of Israel's birth and the
saving of the soul.                                         matter was placed under the direct control of Egypt
                                                            - to kill all the male children when they were born.
THE GREAT ARENA OF CONFLICT WHEN MOSES                      However, the midwives did not heed the command of
IS BORN (Hebrews 11:24, Exodus 1: 7-22)                     the king, and thus the purposes of the king were
  Israel is in Egypt at this time. It is now a long time nullified. And the king feared the more with a despotic
ago that Jacob, the patriarch, left the land of promise     fear. And the king is horrified by the growth of Israel.
with his seventy souls because of the famine in the His is the courage of despair!
land, with the sanction of the Lord. And he was with          The final measure is now taken. All the children, the
Israel in a very singular way; He was causing Israel to male children of Israel, must be cast into the river Nile.
multiply exceedingly in the land of Egypt according to That is the final and grand assault.upon Israel.
His sure promise and mercies. This increase of Israel         Here in this boiling  caldron of Satan's fires Israel
was a cause of fear for the king of Egypt. As we all must endure a great fight of affliction to receive the
know this was not the same Pharaoh as in the time of promised deliverance, which the Lord revealed and
Joseph, nor was this the same kingly dynasty. It was predicted to Abraham. Here faith will be tried. And
another Pharaoh, another line of kings in Egypt. He faith must become manifest to be the substance of
adopted a new policy toward the children of Israel.         things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For
  It was of the Lord to bring His people out of Egypt. without faith it is impossible to please God.
God had foretold Israel's departure from Egypt to
Abraham in a vision as recorded in Genesis 15 : 16 "But     FAITH'S OWN EXACT REASONING
in the fourth generation they shall come hither again:        The reasoning of faith is not of the natural man.
for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full . . ." The Faith is the gift of God and clings to the promised
time of Israel's deliverance was at hand. They would        salvation; it does not fall back into perdition, but
obtain the promise of God. But it must be through           reaches out unto salvation. Such was the faith of the
afflictions. They will need patience, that, after having parents and family of Moses. Here were these sons of
done the will of God, they may obtain the promise.          Levi scattered in Israel; yet, they are firm in faith and
Israel is in the great arena of the conflict and battle of in looking for the redemption of Israel.  Amram and
faith; they are in the very vortex of the storm.            Jochebed, famous parents in Israel they! They had
  The storm rages in Egypt. It is in the mighty &ill of lived through affliction and had named'their daughter
God that Egypt becomes a ghetto, which is a house of Miriam, and in hope they had looked for the light to
bondage. Satan rages against the people of God, and arise in darkness and had named their first son, Aaron.


356                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


But their faith did not fail when their third child, this    river  in' faith. It is the strategy of faith's own
time a son, was born. This time God gave them a child,       ratiocination. They will place the child in the very den
a child of exceptional beauty, and full of promise. He       of the enemy and the Lord will provide. Such was faith
was fair before God. (Acts 7:20)                             which conquered in the conquest.
   Hebrews  11:24 tells us that they saw this "by               Yes, it all seems so natural. God overrules the
faith." Faith has its own reasoning, its own                 motherly instincts of Pharaoh's daughter to fulfill His
ratiocination. In the midst of this impenetrable             design in liberating Moses and in preparing him to be
darkness of Egypt's affliction these parents saw the         the law-giver of Israel. All things will work together for
day dawn in the birth of their son. They saw, as it          good to those who love God, to those who are the
were, the redeemer and deliverer of Israel in this son.      called according to the Divine purpose of election.
Great things are in store for them. The horizons are            What an amazing turn of events. Miriam inquired
lifting! Nay, not in reality yet! For the king's             whether she shall find -- nurse for the little baby
command stands to cast all the sons in the river. The brother. And the Lord makes this daughter of Egypt's
king's command also obtains in regard to their child, king to respond in the affirmative, and thus Moses is
this beautiful son! But here is faith in the midst of        once more in his parental home, free from the threat
"conflict and conquest." And faith is the victory that of being cast into the river. Moses' mother receives a
overcomes the world.                                         reward of faith in the money received from Pharaoh's
   The young child is not declared and handed over to        daughter. Such a reward of faith could only prompt
the king's bench-men. He is hid. He is hid in faith. No,     them to greater heights of faith and expectancy of
he is not hid awaiting the inevitable day when the hope. And in this hope Moses will be instructed in his
king's men will ferret him out of his parents' infant days in the house of his parents concerning the
hiding-place. He is placed in the secret place of the "affection of Christ" which Israel is enduring in Egypt.
Most High and under the shadow of the Almighty. He             The reasoning of a faith which 3ings to the faithful
is given over by faith into the secret and loving promise of God cannot be in error!
providence of the protector of Israel. And at the end
of three months Moses' mother does not perform an FEARLESS OF THE KING'S COMMAND
act of desperation by placing him in a little ark and          It seems that the conjecture ?f some that the "king's
placing him in the river's edge in the buh-ushes. It was command" to cast all the sons of Israel into the river
faith  :hat prompted her to action. She hid him three was not executed on a large scale. Quite likely also this
months in faith, and now in faith she will place this command was set aside through the instrumentality of
child in the very mouth of the lion, in the home of the the king's daughter. Thus the Lord takes  the crafty
murderer of Israel's seed.                                   king in his own craftiness.
  It was not a mere happenstance that the king's               The Hebrew Christians and we do well to note this
daughter came to the river at this time. It was not such     lesson from the Word of God contained in holy
even .from the viewpoint of Moses' parents. They must        Scriptures. It was this Moses upon whom  1ewry set
have observed the king's daughter's schedule and             their affections, whose very life depended not on the
routine and proceeded accordingly in faith! In faith         works of the law, but upon the faith in the promises of
they reasoned that God would take care of their child.       God. If Moses' parents needed patience to do the will
No, they were not acting from the courage of                 of God in order to obtain the promise, surely we do
desperation. Three months they did hide this child in        well to press these foot-prints of these erstwhile saints.
faith; now they will place this child in the ark in the      And he that endureth to the end shall be saved.



Mission News

                              Our Labors In Florida
                                                 Rev. H. Veldman

  In this article we submit to our people a report of in the Bradenton area of Florida. And I am sure that
our labors in Florida. Our people know, of course, that they wish to be informed of our work there.
the Mission Committee of our Protestant Reformed              My wife and I left for Florida the Tuesday morning
Churches sent the undersigned to labor for six Sundays of Feb. 20. We arrived in the Bradenton area on


                                           THE STANDARD BEARER                                                357


Thursdav afternoon of Feb. 22. Our Mission incidentally, was a great help to us, and himself a
Committee decided to send one of our ministers to funeral director, contacted a funeral director in this
Florida at its meeting of Jan. 17. When the Revs. C.      area, and he .gladdened  our hearts by informing us that
Hanko and M. Schipper could not go, the consistory of we could use his funeral home for the purpose of
the undersigned decided to release me for the purpose conducting our services. What an ideal place this
of laboring in sunny Florida. And so we left our proved to be! Of course, there was one thing about this
Michigan home for the land of sunshine and oranges funeral home that might make it impossible for us to
the Tuesday morning of Feb. 20.                           worship there. Should there be a body in this home
  Although the Mission Committee decided to ask upon the Lord's Day, then the visiting hours for the
local consistories to release their minister for mission family might make it impossible for us to hold our
work in Florida, and although my consistory decided services there. And there were two bodies in that
to release me for this work, nevertheless my going to funeral home the last Sunday we were in Florida, April
Florida remained very much in doubt for some time. 1 ! But this funeral director was so accommodating that
The difficulty centered in the obtaining of a meeting he advertised in the Saturday paper that the visiting
place for our services and also in the renting of a hours would be restricted to Sunday afternoon so that
lodging place for the undersigned. Both proved to be we could conduct our service there in the evening.
very scarce items. Our people in Florida were advised,      I must say a word at this time about the coming of
should nothing else be available, to rent a room in the Mr. and Mrs. John (see you in church) Faber to
Holiday Inn or in a bank in that area. Our congregation Bradenton while we were laboring there. They had
of Lynden, for example, conducted its services in a planned this trip before having any idea that our
bank for a number of years. However, to obtain churches would conduct mission work in Florida. They
lodging quarters for us proved to be a greater problem. spent two weeks in the Bradenton area, the Sundays of
When we decided to go to Florida, after struggling with March 18 and 25. How glad we were that they could
this problem, we did not know where we would come! How well we can understand the joy of Rev.
conduct our services or where we would be able to Lubbers when friends from our churches in the States
stay. All we knew was that we would lodge two nights come to visit with them! And this is particularly true
in a motel enroute to Florida and that we would be in because this brother is also a member of the Mission
a Holiday Inn the first two nights in Bradenton. The Committee. Certainly, divinely providential! He was in
Mission Committee had decided to send one of our the position to study this field for himself. And how
ministers to the Bradenton area and we proceeded we enjoyed their company and fellowship! They
from the confidence that the Lord would provide.          contributed so much to our Florida stay and our labors
  And the Lord did provide! The Saturday evening there.
before our scheduled departure we received a                We were also saddened during our labors in this land
telephone call from Bradenton that a room had been of sunshine. The Moermans of our Kalamazoo church
rented in the Bradenton-Sarasota Holiday Inn. And on spent the Sunday of March 4 in our `services. The
Monday morning, the day before our departure from following day, while they were riding their bikes in the
Michigan, one of the members of our Southwest Venice area, Mrs. Moerman was involved in a fatal
church, who had planned to spend the month of accident. She remained in a coma until Saturday
March in this area, called me to inform me that they evening. That evening our Lord took her unto Himself.
could not make the trip to Florida and that my wife We were certainly reminded of the uncertainty of life!
and I could  .take their place in the motel which they      As far as our labors are concerned, we may remark,
had reserved for themselves. We believed that the Lord in the first place, that we contacted two radio stations
had opened the way!                                       in the St. Petersburg area. Our radio committee `had
  The uncertainty of a meeting place for our services asked the undersigned to ascertain whether it would be
made it impossible to advertise our coming in the possible to carry our Reformed Witness Hour over a
Bradenton paper. A room had been reserved in the radio station in that area. As we said, we contacted
Holiday Inn through the Sunday of April 1. However, two such stations and sent the information to our
we would not be able to meet in this room the radio committee. One of these stations, in St.
Sundays of March 11 and 18. Efforts would have to be Petersburg, also carries the Back To God Hour of the
made to obtain a room elsewhere.  .We applied for a Christian Reformed church. Besides this, we
room in a Quality Motel in the city of Bradenton, but distributed considerable Prot. Ref. literature in
this request was denied us. Then `we contacted the Florida. Mr. Henry Vander Wal, the energetic and very
superintendent of public schools in Bradenton, but able business manager of our Standard Bearer, supplied
again we were disappointed. We also applied for a me with this literature. We disposed or distributed all
meeting place in a Girl's Club in the heart of of it.
Bradenton, but again we were disappointed. Finally,         What about our  servi&es in Florida? We preached
Mr. D. Langeland of our Kalamazoo church, who, there six Sundays and also conducted a Prayer Day


358                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



service. Our largest audience was thirty-one  .people,       Protestant Reformed churches. And the undersigned
and this was on a Sunday when we had three couples           may surely declare that he enjoyed this aspect of his
of our Hudsonville  church in attendance. Our smallest       labors in Florida. It was also a thrilling experience to
audience was fourteen people; and this happened              discuss the truth of the Word of God with whoever
twice, the first evening service and once when the Lord      would give us an audience.
sent a very heavy rain upon the Bradenton area. We             It has been said, and honestly, that we should have
must bear in mind that we could advertise only the last      waited with our mission endeavour in Florida until
three Sundays, due to th.e fact that, prior to these last    later in the year, that we went to the Bradenton area
three Sundays, our meeting place was so uncertain.           too late in the season. To this we reply that the Lord
Our audiences were constituted exclusively of certainly gave us an open door. He provided us with a
vacationers or transients. We never had a native             meeting place for our services. And He also provided
Floridian in attendance. These "vacationers" belonged        the undersigned and his wife with a lodging place. It is
either to our churches or to the Christian Reformed          true that we could not advertise our services for the
Church. We also made some contacts of people who             first three Sundays, but it is also true that the last
did not attend our services. These contacts were very        three Sundays were advertised in the Bradenton paper.
stimulating. We were amazed to meet these people,
discuss the truth with them, and discover how                  Was our going to Florida worthwhile? What did we
thoroughly Reformed they were. This was particularly         set as our goal? Why did we work there? I ask this
true of people whom we visited in Fort Meyers Beach          question, we understand, from the viewpoint of our
and in Winter Haven.  Elut these people are isolated.        Mission Committee? To organize a church in Florida?
The people in Fort Meyers Beach are from                     Hardly! We will not attempt to answer the question
Pennsylvania. When I asked them whether they knew            whether a church of our churches will eventually' be
of others in their own ca,mmunity who loved the truth        organized there. But this I can say: the purpose of our
as they did, the answer was that they knew of none.          mission there was to sow the seed, to establish contacts
Somehow they came into contact with our churches             with people who would listen to us, to preach the
and our literature, and they seemed to love the truth        truth as we know it to be according to the Scriptures,
of the Word of God with all their heart and soul. As         so that these people may report of our preaching when
this party at Fort Meyers Beach said to the                  they return to their respective homes and churches. We
undersigned: "I  tha.nk God for the Protestant               had people in our audiences, from the state of New
Reformed Churches." For awhile I thought that I              York, who attended all our services. They received our
might spend the last Sunday of our Florida visit in          preaching very enthusiastically. And we urged them to
Winter Haven, to preach the Word there to a                  carry our proclamation of the Word of God home with
congregation of some sixty souls, including from             them. We assured them that our churches were ready
fifteen to twenty children. The consistory there,            to come to their assistance, that we would heed .every
however, later informed me that they had made                plea to come over to them and help them.
arrangements for the Sunday of April 1; besides, the           Was our going to Florida worthwhile? I surely
emeritated minister who conducted the services there,        believe that it was. Our churches had the opportunity
and who planned to leave Winter Haven after March to proclaim the wonderful truths of the Scriptures
25, did not seem to relish the idea of our conducting which are so precious to us. Our audiences were -not
the services there.                                          large. But we did have an open door. We did have, t.he
  Preaching thirteen times while in Florida, we              opportunity to speak that which we know to be
delivered four sermons based on our Heidelberg completely in harmony with the infallible Scriptures.
Catechism. We preached on the first question of Lord's We may leave the fruit of these labors in the hands of
Day 7: "Are all men, as they perished in Adarn, saved our God. All that the church of God must do is preach
in Christ?" And we emphasized that only they are the Word. That is exclusively the calling of the church
saved who are ingrafted.into  Christ by a true and living    of the living God. The Son of God gathers His church.
faith. Twice we preached on  ,Lord's Day 21, calling         This we may safely leave in His hands. As I told my
attention to the election of the church and also to the      audiences in Bradenton: "What a shame it is to hire
gathering of the church by the Son of God by His             orchestras and bands and soloists, when all that is
Spirit and Word. And we also preached a sermon on necessary is the lively preaching of the Word of God!"
Lord's Day 15, emphasizing the  .unique character of May we as churches be faithful in the Proclamation of
the Sufferer of Calvary. Our preaching was certainly the infallible Scriptures, and take hold  ' of every
well received. We may surely report that they enjoyed        opportunity at our disposal to sow the seed, leaving
the preaching of the Word of God as proclaimed in our        the fruit to Him Who alone gathers His Church.


                                                THESTANDARDBEARER               *                                       359



, Book Review


                                 lectures in Systematic Theology

  Lectures in Systematic Theology,  Robert L. Dabney; Mental and Moral Philosophy and Political Economy.
  Zondervan Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.; 903             Perhaps you wonder what kind of theology came
1 pp., $12.95. I: Reviewed by Prof. H. C. Hoeksema]            from his pen?
    This book was not actually'sent me for review. I saw         Good, solid stuff! No, you will not agree with
  it advertised, and purchased it for my personal library.     everything. But in the main, the theology is that of the
  But because I consider it a worthwhile contribution to       Westminster Confession. There is a considerable
  Reformed theology, and because it is representative of amount of good polemics and apologetics
  old-line Southern Presbyterianism, I am calling it to        intermingled. Here and there a fresh insight! If you
  the attention of those  interest.ed  in theological works    enjoy reading theology, or if you are only on the
  by means of this brief notice. Incidentally, if the          market for another reference work in the dogmatics
  Zondervan Book Review department notices this, I             department of your library, here is a good volume. One
  hereby invite them to send books of this caliber to the      could do far worse than to purchase Dabney's work.
  Standard Bearer for review.
     Robert Lewis Dabney had a varied and rather                             8ESOLUTION  OF SYMPATHY
  strange career. I would guess that the story of
  his life would make interesting reading. He was a              The Ladies Society of the First Protestant Reformed
  pastor for six years. In 1853 he became a professor of of Holland, Michigan, extends its sincere sympathy to
  church history and church polity. In 1859 he became a        one of our members, Mrs; G. Scholten, in the death of
  professor of systematic theology. During the Civil War,      her mother,
  he served as a chaplain, but also served as Chief of                               MRS. P. DREYER.
  Staff to General T.J. (Stonewall) Jackson  - in the            May our covenant God comfort her and grant her
  Confederate Army. Then he returned to systematic             His peace.                                          _
  theology at Union Seminary until 1883. And finally he                                      Mrs. J. Van Kampen, Pres.
  taught at the University of Texas in the Chair of                                              Mrs. T. Elzinga, Sec'y.



                           Principle of Education, No. 4

    In the midst of and in distinction from the evil world     ecclesiastical, so that they may be children of light in.
  that lieth in darkness and is perverse in all its ways       the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Hence,
  because of sin, it is the calling of the people of God to    they insist that all education, that must prepare their
  live by grace from the principle of regeneration             children for such an all-sided Christian walk in the
  according to the will of God in every sphere of life,        world, shall be adapted to this purpose.
  individual, family, social, industrial, political and



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            P.O. Box 6064
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360                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER

                                      News From Our Churches

                REPORT  OF  CLASSIS  EAST                         The remaining business concerned the closing of this
                             April 4, 19 73                    session of Classis East. The questions of Article 41 of
                 Southeast Prot. ReJ: Church                   the Church Order were asked and satisfactorily
   Classis East met in regular session on the 4th of April answered, the concept minutes were read and adopted,
in Southeast Church. Present for the first time were and the chairman thanked the delegates for their
the delegates from the newly organized Faith Prot. cooperation in conducting the business of the day.
Ref. Church in Jenison, Michigan. Each church was Classis adjourned and Rev. C. Hanko closed the session
represented by two delegates. Rev. G. Van  Baren               with prayer.  Classis stood adjourned until June 27
presided over this session of classis.                         when the next session will be held at the First Prot.
   The Stated Clerk and Classical Committee gave their Ref. Church.
respective reports. Reporting also was the consistory of                                         Respectfully submitted,
Hope Church who served as the classical committee to                                                        Jon Huisken
oversee the organization of the Jenison area church.                                                        Stated Clerk
Faith Prot. Ref. Church is now very much a reality.                                                          Classis East
Rev. C. Hanko has been. appointed as her moderator;                                     *****
classical appointments have been regular.                         A couple of news items of current interest will
   The regular committees necessary for each session of probably still fit on this page, along with the Classis
classis were appointed. Elders H. Boer and R. Bos were Report. For the first, I'll quote a paragraph from our
appointed as Finance Committee. Expenses of $24.96 newly organized church in Jenison, MYichigan.
were reported by this committee. Faith Church
requested classical appointments. The committee of                "At the Congregational Meeting held March 29.
Rev. M. Schipper and  Eilders G. VanDenTop and G.              `Faith' was selected as the name for our church. The
Pipe constructed the following schedule for Faith pastoral call was extended to Rev. D. Engelsma and a
Church. The schedule adopted is as follows: April 15 -         budget of $10.00 for the General Fund and $2.00 for
R. C. Harbach; April 22 - M. Schipper; May 6 - H.              the Building Fund was adopted."
Veldman; May 13 - R. Van Overloop; May 20 - G.                   The second comes from a couple of different
Van  Baren; May 27  - M. Schipper; June 10  - C. bulletins. From Hudsonville's: "Rev. Engelsma reports
Hanko; June 17  - G. Van  Baren; June 24  - J.A.               that an open door is given to us in the Philadelphia
Heys; July 1 - R.C. Harbach; July 8 - H. Veldman.              area, with much work, more than can be accomplished
  Faith Church also submitted requests for subsidy for in a few weeks."
1973 and 1974. These requests were forwarded to                  From First's: "Rev. Engelsma; who has been
Synod for approval.                                            laboring in Philadelphia, has reported findings to the
   First Church came to  Classis with an overture Mission Committee, and the committee deems it highly
requesting that Synod continue its work on the necessary that this work be carried on without a break
revision of  The Psalter  and to request that our in continuity. The Mission Committee has requested
churches take two collections per year to cover the our consistory and congregation to release our pastor
expenses of this project. Classis approved this overture for a period of four to six weeks to work there. The
not only but also made two additional suggestions to consistory,  in a special meeting held Wednesday
Synod concerning this matter: 1) That Synod consider evening, granted their request, limiting the time to four
constructing a new psalter incorporating the old weeks. All indications are that the Lord has opened a
favorites of the present edition and 2) That Synod door to us in Philadelphia, and a strong indication that
appoint a separate committee to revise the liturgical another door will be opened in New Jersey where Rev.
material in The Psalter.                                       Engelsma has made other contacts with `concerned'
  Rev. M. Schipper and IRev. H. Veldman were elected people. These are believers who loved the Reformed
to conduct church visitation. Rev. Heys will serve as Faith but who are starving because of the apostasy of
alternate.                                                     their churches."
  One matter was considered by the Classis in closed             And, back to Hudsonville's: "We are grateful to our
session.                                                       God for this opportunity to proclaim the truth most
  Elder G. VanDenTop was appointed to thank the precious to us."
ladies of Southeast for their catering services.                                                                   D.D.


