STAIVDARD
     BEARER
/-A REFORMED SEMI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE                                          1





      Wonder of divine grace !
      While the world passes  away'with the lusts there-
   of, blessed is. the church upon whom Christ
   bestows the gift of the ministry!

      That church is prepared for everlasting glory!

      Blessed, too,' is Christ, Who so graciously
   bestows the gift!

      Above all, blessed be God, Who makes us once
   more to be restored to His glorious and perfect
   image !

      Let the church say so !
      Amen!

         See  "Christ's Gift of the  JMinistry"  - page  386



                                      Volume  LIII, No. 17, June 1, 1977    /
                                                 ISSN 0362-4692


386                                                         THE STANDARDBEARER



                                                                                                           THE STANDARD BEARER
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MEDITATION


                                 Christ's Gift of the Ministry
                                                                 Rev. M. Schipper

               `<And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors
               and teachers; For the perfecting of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the
              faith, and of-the knowledge of the Son of `God, unto the perfect man, unto the measure of
               the stature of the fulness of Christ. "                                                                      Ephesians 4: 11-13.

  When Christ ascended up on high, He gave gifts                                 church. The church, so it would appear, must be
unto men. So the apostle had written in the preceding                            understood as that institution which comes to mani-
context. Striking is the fact that among these gifts the                         festation in the world in her offices, administrations,
apostle mentions first the ministry of the Word  -                               and discipline. It is the church of Christ which is
that ministry as it is invested in the office of the                             ordained by Him to preach His Word, administer the
ministry as the apostle describes it in the words of                             sacraments, distribute to the poor, and exercise the
our text.                                                                        keys of the kingdom of heaven.
  The gift of the ministry is given by Christ to the                                 When the apostle writes in the context therefore


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  387


that Christ gives gifts unto men, it must not be under-         What remains of the gifts of the ministry today is
stood that He dispenses these gifts promiscuously and         the office of pastors and teachers. These are not two
indiscriminately; but, as His Spirit is poured out upon       distinct offices, but must be understood as one,
the church, so are the gifts of the Spirit of Christ          namely, pastors who are likewise teachers. Pastors
directed to the church in distinction from the world,         they are who lead the church into the green pastures
and particularly to that church as institute and repre-       of the Word of God and feed the flock of Christ.
sentative of Christ in the world.                             Teachers they are who indoctrinate and establish the
  Though it pleases Christ to call men to the office          church in the knowledge of the truth of Scripture.
of the ministry through which office Christ will                In the pastor and teacher you have therefore a
declare His Word, the gift of the ministry is not given       minister of Christ, a servant of Christ through whom
to the individual, to particular persons, but to the          He pleases to speak His Word to the church. He is a
instituted church. Hence when the minister retires,           minister, i.e., a servant of the Word of Christ. He is
passes away, or is transferred to another local church,       Verbi Divini Minister, i.e., minister of the Word of
the office of the ministry and the gift of the ministry       God. He is also the servant of the church. Not is he a
does not leave the church. The gift and the office of         lord over God's heritage, but a servant who is trained,
the ministry reside in the local, instituted church. It is    prepared, and ready to serve the church. In this con-
the church, therefore, which exercises the gift and           nection he stands in the service of the church whose
which ministers the Word, be it through the divinely          calling it is to exercise the gift of the ministry in her
appointed office in the church. Or, to state it still         preaching the good news of salvation.
more correctly, Christ pleases to preach His Word of
the gospel through His church unto whom He has                  It is the  bounden  duty of the church to see to it
given the gift of the ministry.                               that this gift is not wasted, misused. The church must
  To the gift of the ministry ,belongs also the office        see to it that the minister (pastor and teacher) realize
and work of the ministry. And this office the apostle         his sole calling to preach and to teach only the Word
distinguishes twofold. In the first place, he speaks of       of God. The minister must never be allowed to come
apostles, prophets, and evangelists. And in the second        with a social gospel, or his own philosophy. Nor must
place, of pastors and teachers. Clearly there is a            he ever be allowed to become so busy with  extra-
marked distinction between them, while at the same            official work that he has no time to prepare for his
time there is a close relation, so that the latter is         official calling. The church, too, that understands her
dependent on the former.                                      responsibility with regard to the gift of the ministry,
  As to the office of apostles, prophets, and evangel-        will therefore not be involved in all manner of social
ists, it should be remarked that it was peculiar to the       and community activities, but in exercising the gift
early New Testament Church, was therefore of a                according to the purpose for which Christ gave it.
temporary nature, and was basic in character. In                For the perfecting of the saints!
other words, there are no more apostles, prophets,              Such is in part the intention of the gift of the
and evangelists today in the sense in which the               ministry! Christ did not intend with the gift of the
apostle speaks of them in the text. The office of             ministry that the church should endeavor to make
apostle ceased with the death of the last of the twelve       this world a better place to live in. He had no in-
apostles. The same is true of the offices of prophets         tention that the church should be busy in the com-
and evangelists. There were those who were not                munity administering social justice, delving into
apostles, yet held the peculiar office of prophecy in         politics, serving as a corrective of social ills. Nor was
the early church. There were also others called               it His intention when He gave the gift of the ministry
evangelists, distinct from the apostles and prophets,         that the church would be out saving souls for Christ,
who ministered the Word - men, e.g., such as Luke,            as the modern activity of the church appears to be.
Timothy, Philip, and Stephen, who co-labored with             Rather, Christ gave the gift of the ministry to the
the apostles and prophets in the preaching of the             church in order that the church, the saints of God,
gospel. That the office of apostles is mentioned first        might be thoroughly, completely outfitted. The word
indicates its basic character. Unto the apostles was          "perfecting" means, literally, to outfit completely.
committed the Word of Christ, not only to be spoken           The saints must be completely qualified to live and
by them as the oracles of- Christ, but also infallibly        walk as saints. And this means that they walk in
written by them. On the testimony of Christ through           sanctification. But there is more.
the apostles, Christ would lay the foundation of His
church against which the gates of hell should not               For the work of the ministry!
prevail From the apostles would sound forth the                 This does-not refer to the ministry of the Word, as
Word of the gospel as it was echoed and reechoed in           a superficial reading of the text might suggest.
the offices of prophets and evangelists, and later in         Rather, the apostle has in mind the ministering to one
the office of pastors and teachers.                           another. The saints must learn from the ministry of


I 388                                                 THE STAN DA RD BEARER
   the Word to care for one another, to share with one              refers to it, transformed into `the image of Christ.
   another of the good graces of Christ, to care for the            When the church, therefore, stands in the light of the
   poor and indigent. So no one will look upon his gifts            constant, pure ministry of the Word, the image of
   as his own, but use them for the benefit of others.              Christ becomes reflected in her. Ail the lines of His
   But there is still more.                                         perfect Being are etched in her countenance.
        For the building up of the body of Christ!                    Through the ministry of the Word the church goes
        The gift of `the ministry is given to the church that       on to perfection, or, as the apostle expresses it: "unto
   she may be  edifie'd, built up in the grace anh                  the perfect man," i.e., holy as Christ is, righteous as
   knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.                              He is. Here is brought to light the wonder of grace,
                                                                    and the power of the Word of God. Let us not fail to
        To sum it all up, the intention of Christ in the gift       see it! Wicked and perverse, vile and corrupt as we by
   of the ministry is the preparation, the formation, and           nature are, Christ, by the power of His Word trans-
   complete outfitting of a- people that is ready for the           forms us into children of light, holy and without
   coming of Christ. Thus, when He shall appear, they               spot. He brings us to the highest potential for man -
   may be like Him, for they shall see Him as He is.                to the perfect man - all that God in His eternal pur-
        The last part of the text makes this clear. It shows        pose intended man to become,
   how the intention of Christ in His gift of the ministry            And when this shall be realized, we also likewise
   is attained.                                                     shall have attained to "the unity of the faith and the
        Till we all arrive!                                         knowledge of the Son of God." Undoubtedly here
        That is, till the entire church attains unto the goal       "the faith" must be viewed objectively, referring not
   Christ has set as described in the foregoing. And make           to the activity of faith in the heart of the believer,
   no mistake about it, the intention of Christ is certain          but to the contents of faith. With other words, when
   `of attainment. It cannot fail! It lies in the very nature       the church through the ministry has arrived, has
   and power of the gift of the ministry to bring the               reached the goal set by Christ, there will be no more
   body of Christ to its fullest, most complete mani-               any differences in doctrine. The church will have
   festation.                                                       arrived at the fulness of the truth of the Word of
                                                                    God. The church will be one in faith. This is sup-
        Till we all arrive!                                         ported by the rest of the text: "and the knowledge of
        Unto the unity of the faith and the knowledge of            the Son of God." Notice that the apostle does not
   the Son of God!                                                  say: Christ, or Jesus, but the Son of God. God is
        Unto the perfect man!                                       pleased to reveal Himself in His Son. So we shall
                                                                    come to know God. As the apostle says in another
        Unto  the- measure of the stature of the fulness of        place, we shall know even as we are known.
   Christ !                                                           Wonder of divine grace!
        Space does not allow us to explain in detail the
   significance of all the apostle says here which is de-             While the world passes away with the lusts thereof,
   scriptive of the goal to which the gift of the ministry         blessed is the church upon whom Christ bestows the
   attains. But all this is intended to describe what the          gift of the ministry!
   church will be like when the intention of Christ in the            That church is prepared for everlasting glory!
   gift of the ministry shall be fully realized.                      Blessed, too, is Christ, Who so graciously bestows
        To be noticed, too, is the fact that the apostle, as it    the gift!
   were in an ascending scale, climbs up to "the measure              Above all, blessed be God, Who makes us once
   of the stature of the fulness of Christ." By the latter         more to be restored to His glorious and perfect
   the apostle means, no doubt, that, through the                  im?ge !
   ministry of the Word Christ is pleased to com-
   municate Himself to the church in such wise that the               Let the church say so!
   church becomes Christ-like. Or, as the Scripture often             Amen!
   t                                                                                                                     1


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                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                             389


EDITORIALS
Prof. H. C. Hoeksema




                                    As to That 1956 Decision
                        (Baptism. on the Mission Field--l 1)

  As we promised during our series of articles on the      Proof: all the benedictions in the Old and New
subject of Baptism On The Mission Field, and as we         Testaments are laid upon the organized church of
stated in the previous issue in reply to Rev. Lubbers,     Christ.)" With these additions, the motion to approve
we now turn to the matter of the decision by the           the labors of our missionary in Loveland was passed,
Synod of 1956 concerning administration of the             Article 94.
sacraments on the mission field.                              Now personally I am not fond of the formulation
  It is important to understand the historical situa-.     of this decision, for the simple reason that it is
tion, first of all. Our missionary was laboring in         lacking, in clarity and precision. I believe that when
Loveland, Colorado. The circumstances were, how-           Synods make decisions on substantive matters, such
ever, not merely that there was an unorganized group       decisions should be carefully formulated and should
of Reformed families in Loveland and that our              be both clear and complete, so that future genera-
missionary was seeking to organize them into a             tions can know precisely what is meant. For this
Protestant Reformed Church. On the contrary, the           reason, when matters of this kind arise, it is much
interested families were already an organized congre-      better to refer them to Advisory Committees for
gation, called the "Reformed Hope Church of Love-          careful formulation. I remember well that this matter
land, Colorado." Eventually, this Reformed Hope            was before Synod of 1956. I remember, too, that the
Church sought and received admittance into our             late Rev. H. Hoeksema raised this matter on the floor
denomination as a consistory  and congregation, and        of Synod and formulated part, if not all, of the
then the Reformed Hope Church became the Protes-           amendments. If my memory serves me well, the late
tant Reformed Church of Loveland.                          Rev. G. Vos also played a considerable part in the
  While this church was the Reformed Hope Church,          matter. Both of these men were great ones for coming
our missionary (at that time under the supervision of      up with motions on the floor of Synod. And they
First Church of Grand Rapids, which was the calling        were usually right, too; and they gave the churches
church) also administered the sacraments (both bap-        good guidance. But just because their motions were
tism and the Lord's Supper). This was reported in the      rather extemporaneous, they did not always receive
annual report of the Mission Committee (cf. letter         the most careful and precise and clear formulation.
from the Consistory of the Reformed Hope Church,           You can even see something of that in the Acts of
Acts of Synod, 1956, p, 79) and also reported on the       1956. An amendment was made during the morning
floor of Synod by Rev. Lubbers. When a motion was          session: Then there was evidently some discussion,'
made "that we approve of Rev. Lubbers' labors in           and some grounds were added by another amend-
Loveland as reported by the Mission Committee,"            ment. Then a further amendment was made. Then,
(Article  SS), the following amendments were made          when Synod was almost ready for the main motion as
from the floor of Synod (and I here combine Articles       amended, yet another amendment was presented in
86, 91, and 93): "with the exception of his adminis-       Article ,93.
tration of the Sacraments; (Grounds: 1. That the             However, I cannot agree with the Study Report on
administration of the Sacraments is contrary to the        this matter. What does the Study Report say? Three
second duty mentioned in the Form for Ordination.          things: 1. It quotes the 1956 decision without
2. It is contrary to his being under the supervision of    furnishing any background. 2. It makes the flat,
the Consistory of the First Church of Grand Rapids,        ungrounded statement that "This Form was mis-
.Michigan, Article 7 of the Mission Committee.) and        understood by the Synod of 1956, which decided
with the exception of pronouncing the blessing,            that `administration of the Sacraments is contrary to
(Ground: The official blessing and benediction is only     the second duty mentioned in the Form of Ordina-
and exclusively laid on an organized congregation,         tion' (Art. 91)." 3. It makes the ungrounded recom-
and under the supervision of a local Consistory.           mendation that "Synod declare that the Synod of


     390                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


     1956 erred in Art. 9 1, Ground 1 when it said, `That        harmony with the rest of the decision  - concerning
     the administration of the Sacraments is contrary to         consistorial supervision and pronouncing the blessing.
     the second duty mentioned in the Form for Ordina-           The point is that a Protestant Reformed minister
     tion.' "                                                    under a Protestant Reformed consistory baptizes
       Why can I not agree? Here are my reasons:                 members into the visible, catholic body of Christ as
        1. The Study Committee went beyond its mandate.          manifest in a Protestant Reformed congregation
                                                                 (either established or at the point of organization). If
     They were instructed to "take into account" the
     previous decisions of Synod. They were                      we do not adhere to this, we simply get a kind of
                                                not instruct-
     ed to pass judgment on those previous decisions, and        open baptism. Logically, the next step, then, is also
                                                                 open communion, rather than close communion. And
     certainly not to make recommendations for Synod to
     declare them right or wrong. That decision was made         logically, if we can have these things on the mission
     in the concrete case referred to; it was and is settled     field, we may have them at home, also. Unless, of
     and binding under the Church Order for the concrete         course, there are two kinds of sacraments - mission
     case referred to; and, in fact, there was never any         field sacraments and home church sacraments.
                                                                   It has been suggested to me by an interested reader
     attempt to reverse it by way of protest or appeal.          that our 
     And now, twenty years later, we are going to declare                     Standard Bearer  furnish a critique of "Our
                                                                 Song Of Hope," the new confession which was
     it in error? And that, too, without any grounds?            provisionally adopted for a period of four years by
       2. The Study Report gives no evidence of having           the General Synod of the Reformed Church in
     studied the 1956 decision; nor does it furnish any          America in 1974 and which is scheduled for final
     evidence whatsoever that Synod of 1956 misunder-            consideration by the General Synod in 1978. Because
     stood the Form. It is true, of course, that the 1956        of our general interest and concern with respect to
     decision does not agree with what the Study Report          affairs in the Reformed community, because this is
     says about the Form. But that is an altogether              the first effort in this country toward introduction of
     different matter. I was a delegate to Synod in 1956:        a new confession in the immediate Reformed family
     and I can assure you that I did not misunderstand the       to which we belong, and also because this is an
     Form when I voted in favor of the decision in               important item for consideration with respect to the
     question. I understood it very clearly; but my              attempt at inter-church relationships between the
     understanding of the Form (duty #2 of the mission-          Christian Reformed Church and the Reformed
     ary) was not then and is not today that of the Study        Church in America, we are heeding this suggestion.
     Report.                                                     We hope to devote a few articles to this critique.
       3. The decision of 1956 simply meant that the               Through the courtesy of the same reader who
     missionary's engaging in baptism (and administration        made the suggestion mentioned above, I received a
     of the Supper) in other than a Protestant Reformed          copy of "Our Song Of Hope." The RCA has not only
     Church, i.e., the Reformed Hope Church, and under           published the provisional confession itself; but under
     the supervision of other than a Protestant Reformed         the auspices of the RCA a booklet has been published
     consistory, i.e., the Reformed Hope Church  consis-         which explains or intends to explain this new creed.
     tory, was incorrect. And if now you remember that           This is a  go-page paperback (published by Wm. B.
     the Reformed Hope Church did not become the                 Eerdmans Publishing Co., in case anyone wants to
     Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland until 1958,          obtain it for the price of  $2.95), and it contains a
     two years later, this simply underscores the rightness      commentary and appendices by Dr. Eugene P. Heide-
     of Synod's decision. What did Synod mean? That              man. The intent is that this shall be a new standard
     there could never be any baptism, under any circum-         (fourth form) alongside the present Three Forms of
     stances, on the mission field? One almost gets the          Unity. Its status will be much like that of the
     impression that the Study Committee thus under-             Confession of `67 in the UPUSA. In other words, the
     stands the 1956 statement. But this, of course, would       other confessions will become museum pieces. More
     be nonsense: for the Form plainly speaks of baptism         about this later. In 1978 the General Synod will
     and the Lordls  Supper. And I hardly think Synod of         adopt or reject this new confession in toto. And my
     1956 would adopt nonsense. No, it  ;is plain that           correspondent informs me that thereafter a vote of
     Synod of 1956 understood that second duty in the            the classes should follow, since a change in the Book
     Form just as I have explained it in my previous             of Church Order will be required.
     articles. It means this: "Secondly, thou,art  holden, if      So that our readers will know what is being
     it pleases God to make thy work fruitful unto the           discussed in future articles of this series, we are
     gathering of a (Protestant Reformed) church, to             publishing the entire document in this issue. We
     administer the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. . .  ."           suggest that you save this for future reference.
     Without going into detail, let me point out that thus       Meanwhile, read this document through. Any discern-
     understood, this part of the 1956 decision is in            ing Reformed reader who has some speaking  ac-


L


                                                           THE STANDARD BEARER                                                            391



   quaintance  with our Three Forms of Unity (the                              Why is this called a Song? The prologue and the
   Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and                          prayer are designed to be sung, and in the booklet
   the Canons of Dordrecht) will detect at once,not  only                    referred to they are set to music. The rest of this
   that there is an altogether different tone in "Our                        creed is designed to be recited by the congregation.
- Song Of Hope," but also that at several crucial points
   it speaks sharply different language than our present                       Here follows "Our Song Of Hope" in full:
   confessions speak.


                                     "Our Song of Hope"--A Critique
                                                                      (1)

   We sing to our Lord a new song;                                                        blessing His new creation in Christ.
   We sing in our world a sure Hope:                                                  In this age, His Holy Spirit is with us,
      Our God loves His world,                                                            calling nations to follow God's path,
         He called it into being,                                                         uniting people through Christ in love.
         He renews it through Jesus Christ,                                  IV. OUR HOPE IN GOD'S WORDS
         He governs it by His Spirit.                                           6. The Spirit speaks through the Scriptures.
      God is the world's true Hope.                                                   He has inspired Hebrew and Greek words,
     I. OUR HOPE IN THE COMING OF THE LORD                                                setting God's truth in human language,
       1. We are a people of hope                                                         placing God's teaching in ancient cultures,
                  waiting for the' return of our  Lord.
              He has come to us                                                           proclaiming the Gospel in the history of the
                                                                                          world.
                  through the ancient people of Israel,                               He speaks truly what the nations must know,
                  as the true Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth,                              translating God's word into modern languages,
                  as the Holy Spirit at work in our world.                                impressing it on men's hearts and into their
              He speaks to us now through His inspired Scriptures.                        cultures.
                  He is with us day by day.                                     7.    The Spirit speaks through the Church,
     II. OUR SONG IN A HOPELESS WORLD                                                     measuring her words by the Canonical Scriptures.
       2.. We know Christ to be our only hope.                                        He has spoken in the ancient creeds,
              We have enmeshed our world in a realm of sin,                               and in the confessions of the Reformation.
                  rebelled against God,                                               He calls the world to bear witness to Christ
                  accepted man's oppression of man,                                       in faithfulness to the Scriptures,
                  and even crucified His Son.                                             in harmony with the words of the Fathers,
              God's world has been trapped by our fall,                                   and in unity with all Christ's people.
                  governments entangled by human pride,                         8. `God's Spirit speaks in the world
                  and nature polluted by mankind's greed.                                 according to God's ultimate word in Christ.
    HI. JESUS CHRIST OUR ONLY HOPE                                                    In every time-and place,
       3. Our only hope is Jesus Christ.                                                  in ancient cities and distant lands,
              After we refused to live in the image of God,                               in technology and business,
              He was born of the virgin Mary,                                             in art and education,
                  sharing our genes and our instincts,                                God has not left Himself without. a witness.
                  entering our culture, speaking our language,                        His word has entered where we have failed to go.
                  fulfilling the law of our God.           :                     9. In each year and in every place
              Being united to His humanity,                                               we expect. the coming of Christ's Spirit.
                  we know ourselves when we rest in Him.                              As we listen to the world's concerns,
       4. Jesus Christ is the hope of God's world.                                        hear the cry of the oppressed,
              In His death,    --                                                         and learn of new discoveries,
                  the justice of God is established;                                  He will give us knowledge,
                  forgiveness of sin is proclaimed.                                       teach us to respond with maturity,
              On the day of His resurrection,                                             and give us courage to act with integrity.
                  the tomb was empty; His disciples saw Him;
                  death was defeated; new life had come.
                  God's purpose for His world was sealed.                    V. OUR HOPE IN DAILY LIFE
        5.    Our ascended Lord gives hope for two ages.                         10. As citizens we acknowledge the Spirit's work in
              In the age to come, He is the judge,                                    human government
                  rejecting unrighteousness,                                            . for the welfare of the people,
                  isolating His enemies to hell,                                          for justice among the poor,


392                                                       THE STANDARD BEARER



                for mercy towards the prisoner,                                   that Jesus is personal Savior and Lord.
                against man's oppression of man.                             He sends it out in ministry
           We must obey God rather than men,                                      to preach good news to the poor,
                waiting upon His Spirit,                                          righteousness to the nations,
                filed with the patience of Christ.                                and peace among mankind.
       11. We pray for the fruits of the Spirit of Christ              , 17. The Spirit builds one church,
                who works for peace on earth,                                     united  in one Lord and one hope,
                commands us to love our enemies,                                  with one ministry around one table.
                and calls for patience among the nations.                    He calls all believers in Jesus
           We give thanks for His work among governments,                         to respond in worship together,
                seeking to resolve disputes by means other than                   to accept all the gifts from the Spirit,
                war,                                                              to learn from each other's traditions,
                placing human kindness above national pride,                      to make unity visible on earth.
                replacing the curse of war with international            18. Christ places baptism in the world
                self-control.                                                as a seal of His covenant people,
       12. We hear the Spirit's call to love one another                          placing them in His ministry,
           opposing discrimination of race or sex,                                assuring them of the forgiveness of sins.
           inviting us to accept one another,                                God knows those who are baptized in His name,
           and to share at every level                                            guiding His church gently to lead us,
                in work and play,                                                 calling us back when we go astray,
                in church and state,                                              promising life amid trials and death.
                in marriage and family,                                  19. Christ places His Table in this world.
           and so fulfill the love of Christ.                                He takes up our bread. and wine
       13. As male and female we look to the Spirit.                              to represent Es sacrifice,
           He makes us the stewards of life                                       to bind  Kis ministry to our daily work,
                to plan its beginning,                                            to unite us in His righteousness.
                to love in its living,                                       Here Christ is present in His world
                and to care in its dying.                                         proclaiming His salvation until He comes,
           He makes us the stewards of marriage                                   a symbol of hope for a troubled age.
                with its lifelong commitment to love;                VII. OUR,HOPE IN THE AGE TO- COME
                yet He knows our frailty of heart.                       20. God saves the world through Jesus.
       14. God's Spirit leads us into Truth -                                     Those who call on His name will have life.
           the Truth of Christ's salvation,                                  His hand reaches out beyond those who say "Lord"
           into increasing knowledge of all existence.                            to the infants who live in the atmosphere of
                He rejoices in human awareness of God's creation                  faith,
                and gives freedom to those on the frontiers of                    even to the farthest stars and planets - all His
                research.                                                         creation.
           We are overwhelmed by the growth in our knowledge.                The boundaries of His love are not known,
                While our truths come in broken fragments,                        His Spirit works at the ends of the world
                we expect the Spirit to unite these in Christ.                    before the church has there spoken a word.
VI. OUR HOPE IN THE CHURCH                                              21. God will renew the world through Jesus.
       15. Christ elects His church                                          He will put all unrighteousness out,
                to proclaim His Word and celebrate the sacra-                     purify the works of men's hands,
                ments,                                                            and perfect their fellowship in Himself.
                to worship His name,                                         He will wipe away every tear;
                and to live as His disciples.                                     death shall be no more.
           He creates His community                                          There will be a new heaven and a new earth,
                to be a place of prayer,                                          and His creation will be fiUed with His glory.
                to provide rest for the weary,                       OUR PRAYER:
                and to lead people to share in serv&e.               Come, Lord Jesus:
       16. The Spirit sends His church                                   We are open to your Spirit.
           to call sinners to repentance,                               We await your full presence.
           to proclaim the good news                                                                                 `A
                                                                         Our world finds rest in you alone.



           Know the standard  a:nd follow it.
                                             Read the STANDARD BEARER!


                                                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                             393


  TRANSLATED TREASURES
                                                                                                                                                    ..- _,




                              Acts of the' Synod of Dordrecht
 (In the previous installment we learned about another con-                                         were to be permitted, men might present from the
 ference, urged by  WiIlem Lodewijk, Count of Nassau and                                            same pulpit and for one and the same gathering views
 Governor of Friesland, between  three representatives of the                                       which differed so greatly from one another that the
 Remonstrants, led by Johannes Uitenbogaard, and  three                                             peace  !of the churches would be more and more
 representatives of the Reformed, led by Festus Hommius. The                                        disturbed, even as experience had taught to this
 Remonstrants sought toleration for their views  - no strings
attached. The Reformed sought a  limited toleration pending                                         point. Nevertheless, the Remonstrants continued to
 the convening of a National Synod. The conference was held at                                      press in every way for this toleration and to recom-
 Delft, but it was fruitless.  When the Remonstrants reported to                                    mend it publicly and secretly by writings and
 the States, however,  they continued to press not  only for                                        sermons, using especially this reason, that they said
 toleration but for  the removal of  the Deputies of the Churches                                   that the articles which were in question were of such
 from any position of  real power in the churches. The                                              little importance that they did not concern the
 Remonstrants wanted free rein. In  this installment the story of                                   fundamentals of salvation and that in the case of
 their efforts to obtain toleration is continued.)                                                  such kinds of articles of doctrine people ought to be
     In order now to gain this toleration more easily                                               tolerant. And so they finally brought it about, July
 through public authority (the toleration for which                                                 25, 16 14, that this resolution of tolerance, contrary
 they pressed so much as the means through which                                                    to the wishes and strivings of some of the foremost
 t h e y   m e r e l y   h o p e d   t o   b e   a b l e   t o   i n t r o d u c e   t h e i r      and strongest Cities of Holland and West-Friesland,
 d o c t r i n e   i n   t h e   c h u r c h e s ) ,   t h e y   m a d e   u s e   o f   t h i s    was printed, clothed with some expressions of Scrip-
 strategy.  A certain writing in which the true state of                                            ture and of the old fathers, among whom they had
 the differences was not correctly presented was sent                                               also introduced Faustus Regins, who had been the
 in England by the Advocate Hugo Grotius to the                                                     head of the Semi-Pelagians.
 Ambassador of the States-General, along with the                                                     When  Jacobus Trigland, Minister at Amsterdam,
  draft of a letter requesting him that he would petition                                           had replied to this in a public writing, then  Uiten-
 the King of Great Britain, James I, that, seeing that                                              bogaarcl had also taken in hand a lengthy defense of
 this matter could be laid to rest in no other way than                                             this resolution, in which he scandalously slandered
 through tolerance, it would please his Royal Majesty                                               and attacked both the doctrine of the Reformed
 to write according to the draft of the enclosed letter                                             Churches and the foremost lights thereof, Calvin,
 to the States-General. This end was secretly and in a                                              Beza, Zanchius, and others. Over against this writing,
 private way obtained; and such a letter was sent to the                                            Trigland  prepared a careful reply, for the defense
  States-General, May 6. The Remonstrants rejoiced                                                  both of the honor and the doctrine of the teachers of
 greatly about this, and,.hoping that they would now                                                the Reformed Churches. And when they saw that this
 be able to attain their purpose, they worked through                                               document, to which they had given the name of a
 the Advocate to the end that a certain formula of                                                  resolution of the situation, did not have such an
 toleration (namely, the same as is in the 4th and 5th                                              authority, they attempted another strategy, in order
 Articles, chapter 11, of the Church Order of Utrecht)                                              that they might be able to obtain what they wanted.
 should be established by the public authority of the                                               And to that end, September and October, 1605,
  States and imposed upon the Churches. Although the                                                everywhere in Holland they invited the Ministers,
 feelings of many in the gathering of the States were                                               both secretly and in their gatherings, to subscribe to a
 inclined in this direction, nevertheless the most                                                  certain other formula of toleration, put in deceitful
 understanding among them were valiantly opposed to                                                 language, by some who secretly adhered to their
 this, considering it to be improper to force upon the                                              party and their views, but who were not held to be
 Churches a toleration in matters of faith which had                                                Remonstrants.
 never been properly investigated in a lawful ecclesias-                                              However, when even so they could not get their
 tical gathering, and which brought with it a manifest                                              way, they judged that those who could not be talked
  change in doctrine. Further, they considered also that                                            over would have to be coerced by the authority of
 the peace of the churches could not be obtained in                                                 the Regents, and that at last they would have to
 this way, seeing that it was to be feared that if this                                             break through this matter and bring an end to it.  TO


394                                           THE STANDARD  BEARER


this end, they achieved it that in the name of the            Meanwhile, Uitenbogaard brought it about that
States, this resolution of mutual tolerance, published      through the authority of certain Leaders, his Fellow-
in the preceding year, was sent to every Classis; and it    Ministers were ordered to obey these resolutions.
was simply ordered that the Ministers should sub-           When his Fellow-Minister Henricus Roseus  said that
scribe to it without contradiction. And in order that       he could not promise this with a good conscience, he
they might more easily get into the service of the          was suspended from the office of Minister by their
Churches those who were of their party, and might           authority and at Uitenbogaard's corrupt instigation.
exclude all the others, they brought it about that still    Therefore the members of the Church of the Hague
another resolution was added. By this it was allowed        who loved the purity of the Reformed doctrine
that in the calling of Ministers and Elders they would      continued  `the practice of Religion in a separate
use the order which was devised in the year 159 1, but      Church, first in the village of Rijswijk, and later, after
which was not approved. According to this rule, four        they obtained Ministers by loan from other Churches,
would be elected who were delegated by the                  in the Hague. Later on, at these services the chief men
government, and four others who were delegated by           from the States, from the Counsellors of both the
the consistory. These resolutions having been sent to       Courts of Justice and other Colleges, and the Prince
the Classes, many of them sent their Deputies to the        of Orange himself and Count  Willem Lodewijk of
States, in order to declare openly and by written           Nassau, forsaking the gathering of the Remonstrants,
document the objections, or gravamina, which they           were present, in order to testify of their agreement in
had against this, and to ask that the introduction of       the sound doctrine and their inclination toward the
these resolutions be withdrawn. But when they               same. The Remonstrants very hatefully called this
arrived at the Hague for that purpose, they learned         separation schism, and they sought in every manner
from the Delegates of some of the chief cities that         to  : prevent it or to avenge it. Meanwhile they
those resolutions, although they had been forwarded,        continued to work to get these Resolutions enacted
nevertheless had not yet been established by full and       wherever they knew that the Magistrates were favor-
formal approbation of all the States, and therefore         able to them. When because of this many pious
could not yet have the force of a law. They therefore       people were punished in the goods and with imprison-
found it advisable to refrain from their intended           ments and exile, they appealed to the highest Court
request until the resolutions should be further en-         of Justice and sought help against this violence. And
forced. This last resolution again gave occasion in         now the honorable Lord Counsellors of the High
many places for new disputes and disturbances,              Council sought to come to the help of the op-
especially in the Churches of Haarlem. For when             pressed; but the Remonstrants saw to it, through the
certain of the Magistrates wanted to have the Min-          Advocate, that the High Council was forbidden to
isters called according to this new order, and the          help, and that the hands of the High Court of Justice
Church did not approve that, it happened that they          were tied.
refused to have ecclesiastical fellowship with the            But when many leading Cities of Holland, among
Congregation where the Ministers were called in the         them especially the mightiest city of Amsterdam,
aforesaid manner; and they refused to acknowledge           took position against the enforcement of these
them as lawful Ministers. Through the same decisions        Resolutions, March 18, 16 16, then it happened, April
it also happened that some Classes in Holland, which        24, that Hugo Grotius and certain others were sent to
for the sake of peace had until now maintained unity        Amsterdam to persuade the Magistrates of that city
with the Remonstrants in the government of the              through their eloquence to accept those Resolutions.
Churches, now became divided, due to the fact that          When he had tried to do this with a wide-ranging
many Ministers could not consent to these decisions,        speech, the Magistrates answered that they could in
while the Remonstrants nevertheless desired that the        no wise approve it that men should bypass the lawful
.Churches should be governed according'to their rule        Synodical gatherings and should take ecclesiastical
and law. Hence, in order to force this upon their           matters under advisement in the gathering of the
fellow Ministers with authority, they introduced into       States, should make decisions in those matters, and
the Classical gatherings certain Politicians who were       should put those decisions into effect. Further, they
either alienated from the Reformed Religion or were         answered that it was their intention to stand for the
loyal to their party; and thus they sought to exercise      true Christian Religion, the exercise of which had
dominance in the Churches. For the right-minded             flourished in these lands for fifty years; and they
Ministers, being tired and weary of these disputes          judged that the very least change of this religion
which arose daily on account of these things with the       would be damaging to the Republic unless it was first
Remonstrants, deemed it better to come together             properly investigated by a lawful Synod. The Magis-
without them and separately, and to take care of            trates answered, further, that on this account they
their churches in peace, rather than to be plagued by       could not consent to various proposals and various
their continual disputes.                                   actions which had taken place since the year 1616,


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                               395



nor could they consent to this last proposition. And         ecclesiastical unity with the Remonstrants; nor did
they did not desire that under the name of the city of       they desire that the Churches which followed those
Amsterdam (seeing that it was not one of' the least          views should be hindered in the practice of Religion,
members of the gathering of the States) any decisions        either under pretense of schism or because they had
should be made, much less be put into effect, nor            scruples of conscience against hearing the sermons of
anything should be decided against those who confess         the Remonstrants. They declared, further, that they
the Reformed Religion, unless the differences and            approved all these things until, by the authority of
changes in the Religion and in ecclesiastical matters,       the States, a lawful Synod would be authorized,
under the authority of the Lords of the States, would        where the differences and innovations might be
be previously investigated and treated in lawful             properly    investigated    and treated. Thus the
Synods. Yea, they also did not desire that the               labor and the attempts of the Remonstrants and of
Preachers who were loyal to the views of the                 those favorable to them were in vain, especially since
Reformed Religion, defended by the' Contra-                  this advice of the Magistrates of Amsterdam was
remonstrants, should meanwhile be either suspended           openly approved by the Magistrates of the Cities of
from their ministry because they would declare that          Dordrecht, Enkhuizen, Edam, and Purmerend.
they could not with a good conscience maintain

FROM HOLY WRIT


             Exposition of the Book of Galatians
                                                 By Rev. G. Lubbers


PAUL'S VINDICATION OF THE TRUTH OF THE                       Gospel that we are justified without works of law
GOSPEL - Continued (Gal. 2: 15-18)                           which we perform does not make Christ a minister of
  Paul now asks a very telling and arresting question.       sin. God forbid! (Gal. 2: 17) Out of the works of the
He asks "Is Christ of sin a minister?" It would seem         law shall no flesh, Jew or Greek, be justified before
that seeking to be justified by faith in Christ would        God and have right to inherit eternal life!
need to lead to that conclusion. If there were                 Are. then the circumcised Jews "found sinners"
absolutely no need to keep the law in order to be            themselves who seek to be justified in Christ? Indeed,
justified, then the law could be set aside and men           they are. But the question is in what sense are they
`could live lawless lives. To that terrible position, it     found such "sinners." The term "sinners" here is the
seems, the free grace in Christ must lead. Christ,           same as that which we have in verse 15, where Paul
instead of making men keepers of the law, makes men          says, "We who are by nature Jews and not sinners out
transgressors of the law by this teaching of the truth       of the Gentiles." There the term sinner (harrnartoloi)
of the Gospel. And so Paul asks the question, whether        referred to those who were outside of the common-
those who seek to be justified in Christ are not in the      wealth: of Israel, strangers from the covenants of
ministry of sin, rather than in the ministry of grace!       promise, having no hope and without God in the
   To this question Paul gives the very strong "God          world. (Eph.  2:12) They were those who did not
forbid!"  (mee genoito)  It is a horrible thought,           share in the task of bringing forth the Christ as the
unworthy of God! Such a conclusion is shocking to            Israelites of whom was the adoption, and the glory,
the utmost to the soul of Paul and to the heart of all       and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the
the justified in Christ. It is just as shocking as to say    worship, and the promises, looking back to the
that the greatness of justifying and sanctifying grace       fathers and forward to the coming of Christ from
of Christ leads to a life of sin and debauchery: let us      their loins, the Christ Who is God blessed forever,
sin that grace may abound. (Rom. 6:2) Paul is equally        Amen. (Rom.  9:4,5) Such sinners, as the Gentiles
shocked by the terrible conclusion that if our               were, Paul and Peter were not. Now in the  phrase
unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God,           "found sinners" we can go in two different construc-
God is unrighteous when He taketh vengeance. Then,           tions of thought. This might mean that when Paul
too, Paul exclaims with the strong: God forbid (Rom.         and Peter sought salvation in Christ, they learned
3:6) God will indeed judge the world in righteousness        profoundly: that they were dead in trespasses and
according to his holy law. Thus also the truth of the        sins in themselves, children of wrath even as the


396                                              THE STANDARD BEARER


rest. (Eph. 2: l-3) Then Paul learned that he was the        THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL IN PAUL'S LIFE
chief of sinners, and Peter weeps bitterly over his          (Galatians 2: 19-21)
denial of the Christ and is converted. (I Tim. 1: 15            Here'we are given an insight into the deep spiritual
f.f., Luke  22:62) Seeking to be justified in Christ         psychology of a great and profound apostle and
they found that they were sinners. However, this             preacher. We see. that he is first a christian and then a
hardly seems to be the correct interpretation. If a          workman in God's church, as the wise master-builder.
word is used in a given sense in the immediate con-          A ,stream cannot rise higher than its source. In Paul
text we should not give a different meaning to it than       this water is very high. It is as high as it is in the
the meaning of the term in the context. There "sinner"       fountain-source, Christ. Paul is a new creature in
meant a man who transgressed the law of Israel, living       Christ. A great change has taken place in this
outside of it. He did not keep the law of the precepts       erstwhile persecutor of the church. Christ has been
of clean and unclean, meats, drinks, days and months         reireaied  in him as the Son of God. (Gal. 1: 15, 16)
and years. He was not under the Levitical laws and or-       Whether Paul spoke these words to Peter as part of
dinances at all. Such sinners the Gentiles were! Now, if
seeking to be justified in Christ we are "found sinners,"    rebuking to his face before all (Gal. 2: 14) is perhaps a
it means that we no longer are under the Levitical laws      question to which no definite answer can be given. It
and ordinances any more. Yes, we are "found sinners"         is both affirmed and denied by expositors of ortho-
like the Gentiles. Really, we are now in a third class.      dox stature. We leave it an open question of no great
We are not  under  law, nor are  we outside  of law          consequence. What is important is that we try to
(without law), but we are the justified ones in Christ,      understand the argument here set forth. Here is a
which makes us such because the Levitical laws have          greater than Luther, who says, "I cannot do other-
been abrogated. However, in the sense that we no             wise than preach the Gospel of Christ, so help me
longer keep the O.T. Levitical laws and ordinances,          God!"
we are just as little under these laws as were the             Paul opens here the secret of his strength and
Gentiles, with this understanding that we are now in a       devotion to the Gospel. And the implied argument is
new relationship to sin and grace in Christ. Old things      that this is normative for any preacher of the Gospel,
are passed away and all things are new! Even when we         yes, for any confessor of the truth of the Gospel. Paul
are "found sinners" we are not in the service of a           is not a lone exception to the rule of being a new
"minister of sin," but we are in the service of              creature in Christ. (Eph. 2:9,10; 4:20-24) Hence, this
righteousness! Is Christ then a "minister of sin"? God       is a mighty spiritual-psychological appeal to the new
forbid! (II Cor. 5 : 16,16)                                  man in Christ, of Peter and all who are in Antioch.
   On the contrary, Paul holds that not he who               Paul will pursue this appeal in Gal. 3 : l-5. This is ever
continues to preach Christ crucified is a sinner before      the appeal in Scripture in all the exhortations,
the throne of God's just verdict, but he who would           pleadings, and precepts of the Gospel. The appeal is
return to a teaching and conduct contrary to the             always to what we are in Christ, and that, too, by the
truth of justification by faith, is a transgressor.  Says    "mercies of God"! (Rom. 12: 1,2) Yea, such is ever
Paul, if it should prove a fact (Paul uses a first class     the case where the "law" is held before us, as
conditional sentence, determined reality) that he            renewed Christians, in all of the Scriptures, whereas
was again breaking down the doctrine and teaching of         Christ is the end of the law for all who believe. And
free-grace, then he would be established before God          so we have here more than a mere autobiographical
as a transgressor. He had broken down the teaching of        statement from Paul concerning his inner life in
justification by works. He will not rebuild it. Should       Christ, but we have here still an integral part of his
he do so, then God would constitute him a trangres-          powerful polemic for the truth of the Gospel, as this
sor of the work of Christ, the Son of God, a denier of       is a reality in his own life, and in the lives of all the
the Christ, crucifying the Son of God afresh. And            redeemed and regenerated children of God, who are
Peter and all those in Antioch had better take this to       born out of the Father.
heart. (Heb. 10:26-3  1)                                       We are dealing here with some striking and
  What masterful apology for the Gospel: This is a           meaningful sentences of Paul. He says very emphati-
good case-study in showing that not only the exact           cally, "For I through law am dead to the law, that I
words of God must be heeded, but also the deeper             might live unto God." (Verse 19) There is an
and profounder implications must be taken to heart.          emphasis in this sentence which is scarcely repro-
The great polemic of the Gospel stands as the rock of        duced in the English of the KJV of the Bible.
Gibraltar. The foundation is laid here by Paul as the        Literally translated the sentence reads, "For I
master-builder; let every man take heed how he builds        through law unto law I have died, in order that unto
thereupon. Let it be precious stone, gold and silver,        God I might live." What should be noticed is that
and not mere wood, hay, and straw which do not               here is a double emphasis by Paul on what has
befit the temple of God. (I Cor. 3 : 1 O-l 3)                happened to him by grace. First of all in the Greek he


                                                                                                                          1
                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  397


says twice "I" with the verb "have died." That is            "die off." It expresses completeness. The tense here
emphatic. Besides he places this "I" in the emphatic         indicates, too, that it is not a gradual process but that
position in the sentence. This indicates, in our             this took place at one time! It is a once and for all
judgment, that Paul says to his audience in defense of       dying. One cannot return to the state which was ours
the Gospel power, that no matter what happened to            before `this death had occurred. This dying refers to
others, this has happened to him. He  has, come to           the legal status of Paul now by virtue of the judge of
stand before God in a new relationship to the law.           heaven and earth, by which Paul is no longer a slave,
The "law" has not died. It is eternal as God is God.         but he is a son of God with legal rights to serve God
But Paul's former relationship to the law is like one        in His family, His temple, His church, as a true son of
who died. Just as the law of the husband only had            Abraham, a free-born son of God!
force for the wife as long as he lived, but is no longer
of force when he has died, so also the law of                  The purpose of this dying unto law is grand in its
commandments in ordinances has no more power                 design. This design is both negative and positive.
over Paul and over all the redeemed saints. (Rom.              It is negative in that Paul no longer lives "under
7:6) Paul will now serve in newness of the spirit and        law." He is crucified with Christ. He says emphatical-
not in the oldness of the letter. I died to law! It is no    ly, "with Christ I am crucified." He will develop this
longer the motivation of my life, keeping me in              theme more in depth in Chapter 3. For the time being
bondage, but the motivation is now that I am "under          he merely states the fact without the deeper interpre-
grace," the law of liberty. (Rom. 6:8-14)                    tation of it and without the dogmatical and exegetical
  Paul has died unto the law-principle (Rom. 10:4,5)         basic implications of it. The term means in the Greek
that the man who "doeth the same shall live,thereby"         that this crucifixion "with" Christ was simultaneous
through law. When he died to law the righteous               with Christ's crucifixion at Calvary! As really as
demand of perfect obedience was not forgotten,               Christ `was nailed to the Cross, so really all of Paul's
overlooked, negated, but was so maintained by God,           transgressions were nailed to the tree. The Lord
that rather than one sin to go unpunished, he has            caused all our iniquities to come upon Him. That is
punished the same in his only begotten Son. The law          the pivotal fact upon which it all hinges. There at
received its due, when I died unto law. It is quite          Calvary Paul died through law into the demands of
evident that his is :a radical death, once and for all.      the law: that the one that doeth the same shall live
This is evident from the verb itself. The verbemeans to      thereby.

GUEST ARTICLE



     Responsibility to Church  -or School Versus
                            Responsibility to Family
                                                Rev. R. Van Overlobp


(The following is the substance of a speech given at         the committee had in mind those men who very
an officebearer's conference on April 5, 1977.)              seriously bear the responsibilities of their families,
  The choice of this topic by the committee shows            but also seek to fulfill their responsibilities towards
that the dual responsibility of the member of the            our churches and our schools.
consistory or of the school board member, puts the             It is best then that we consider what one's re-
family man in a difficult position. It is to be assumed      sponsibilities are towards the family and towards the
that the committee is not referring to those who will        church. Finally, let us consider what the proper rela-
take on responsibilities in the church or school be-         tionship might be between these two.
cause they want to escape the family. Nor do they              When we speak of the family, we really refer to
refer to those who use the family as an excuse not to        one's responsibilities towards his wife. The reason
be an officebearer or school board member. Rather            why the emphasis should fall on our responsibility to


     398                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


     our wife, rather than to our children, is that God says    patible unless he is open and honest and truthful with
     that a man must leave father and mother and cleave         his wife. It is through communication that the
     to his wife. This speaks not only to one just married      marriage relationship is established, grows, and is
     who must concentrate his attention on his wife rather      maintained. The husband (and also the wife, of
     than his parents, but also to the family man who           course) therefore must tell his wife everything. He
     must remember that the basic relationship in the           should not be selective in that which  he'tells her.
     home is not the relationship between parents and           Only the deepest recesses of one's heart in which he
     children, but that relationship which exists between       speaks personally and secretly with his God is to be
     the husband and the wife. Simply put, this means           kept to himself. What kind of relationship exists
     that the way one can be the best father to his chil-       when the husband and wife tell each other only a part
     dren is to be a very good husband to their mother.         of their everyday life? Such a relationship would be a
        The question which must be faced then to de-            very poor example of the perfect union between God
     termine one's responsibility to the home is: what is       and His people.
     involved in being a husband? The Song of Solomon             Because he is the head of the home, the husband
     2:  16a and 6:3a says that the husband possesses his       and father also has responsibility to his children. That
     wife. The wife becomes a part of him and he is in-         he has this responsibility is well known to many of us
     complete without her. He needs her to be complete          and is shown to us very clearly in Scripture. It is the
     and can never do without her as long as it .is God's       father who is admonished to provoke not his children
     will to keep them alive. Because the husband pos-          to wrath, but to bring them up in the nurture and
     sesses his wife he must therefore care for her by          admonition of the Lord, Ephesians  6:4. Dwelling
     nourishing and cherishing her. But these verses in the     within God's covenant and loving Him with our all,
     Song of Solomon also say that the husband is not his       we must educate our children in the testimonies of
     own, but belongs to his wife. He leaves father and         God, so that they will keep God's covenant and
     mother and is joined to his wife by God. Nothing           testimony, Psalm- 132. As the head of the home he
     may be allowed to interfere in this relationship. And      has promised that he will instruct his children to the
     the husband is not his own because he gives himself        utmost of his power. This requires all of his strength
     to his wife in love. As the husband's love for his wife    as he must diligently teach in the house, on the way,
     must be a reflection of God's love for the Church, so      going to bed and rising up.
     he must love her so much that he gives his all to her        In conclusion, to be married, let alone having
     and for her. That the husband is not his own but           children, is a full-time job with very great and grave
     belongs to his wife is so much a fact that it can be       responsibilities. For the fulfillment of these responsi-
     said that "the husband hath not power of his own           bilities he must answer to God.
     body, but the wife." (I Cor. 7:4)                            The responsibilties of an officebearer or of a school
        The intimacy of this relationship between husband       board member are also very great.
     and wife is also shown in I Corinthians 11: 12, "For as      First of all, let us remember that an officebearer
     the woman is -of the man, even so is the man also by       (and the same is true of a member of the school
     the woman; but all things of God." This text teaches       board) is called of God and is placed in his position
     that the man does not live apart from his wife, as if      by the Holy Spirit (Acts  20:28). He does not take
     he were independent of her. Rather the husband must        this upon himself, but God takes him out of the
     live his life by, or literally through, the wife. Wher-    home and takes his time, his talents, and his energy
     ever he is or whatever he is doing the husband must        and uses them for the cause of His kingdom, in the
     live through his wife. Not to do so is to be indepen-      church and in the school. The question arises, "May
     dent of her, and such independence is rebellion            we then say `No' to God?"
     against the ordinance of marriage. A very practical          The responsibility of an officebearer is taught us in
     example of the application of this truth to the work       Hebrews 13 : 17: "Obey them that have the rule over
     of an officebearer is that he may not forget that he is    you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your
     married as he counsels a woman of the congregation.        souls, as they that must give account, that they may
     (Parenthetically, every husband, no matter how long        do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is
     he may be married, should know how he lives his life       unprofitable for you." The responsibility of an
     through his wife, just as he must know how he lives        officebearer is to watch over the souls of God's
     his life to the glory of God.)                             people. This watching is the constant vigilance of a
       The intimacy of this marriage relationship shows         shepherd who can give an alarm at the nearness of
     the need for the importance of communication be-           danger. He bears this responsibility at all times.
     tween husband and wife. They must maintain com-            Knowing that he must answer to God, for the
     munication as it is described in Ephesians  4:25-32.       watchfulness and care of God's people weighs heavily
     This is obviously true because one cannot be  com-         upon him.


L


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 399


  The child of God learns to love the cause of God in           First, there is the problem of not being able to talk
the church and in the school. Acts 20:28 teaches us          to one's wife about everything. It is obvious and
that the responsibility of officebearers is the flock of     needs no proof that as an officebearer and school
God which He purchased with His own precious                 board member there are many things about which he
blood. No love can compare with that of Calvary.             may not go home and tell his wife. He may not do
Being mindful of that love gives great incentive to          this no matter how much they may bother him. It has
devote oneself eagerly and carefully to the care of the      been said that this makes the husband independent
flock. It follows that unless one is faithful in carrying    from his wife in  this aspect of their life. That one
out these responsibilities, he becomes guilty of             may not tell his wife everything does not make one
profaning the precious blood of the Son of God.              independent. It can make one independent, but it
Therefore it must be a work of love. An officebearer         may not be allowed to do so. Extra effort must be
must be careful to say that he does not have time for        made and will have to be put forth not to allow this
that for which God gave the blood of His  only-              to interfere. Also in this regard, the husband and wife
begotten Son. Officebearers must express that love to        can talk without going into the details. A wife can
the extent that they are ready to give their life for the    meet the needs of her husband without knowing
sheep of God. David was ready to give his life when          every little detail of his life. A good wife knows him
he fought a lion and a bear for a single lamb. We may        and his needs without knowing every detail. And she
never grow weary of our love for the church of God,          can meet his needs then, too. She can encourage him.
but must give ourselves wholly to it.                        She can direct him to pray and commit his anxieties
  Very great, very important, and very serious are           to God. She can talk with him about the faithful and
the responsibilities one has as a husband and father         good care of God over His people in the past. She can
and as an officebearer or school board member.               tell when he is feeling sorry for himself and must be
  It is the humble opinion of the undersigned that           encouraged to go on diligently. She can comfort him.
when these two responsibilities are compared with               Secondly, it is obvious that  becZiZ?time,- effort;-
each other, one's responsibility as husband and father       and energy are expended for the church and school,
is more important. That the family is more important         extra effort must be put forth to be with the family,
than one's responsibility towards church or school is        especially the wife. This time set apart for his family
implied in I Cor. 7:32 and 33: "But I would have you         should be flexible, but must be of high priority. It is
without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for         never the quantity of time one spends with the family
the things that belong to the Lord, how he may               that is, important, but the quality of it. Whenever
please the Lord: but he that is married careth for the       there is a consideration of the time spent for the
things that are of the world, how he may please his          church' in comparison to the time spent for the
wife." A married man's ability to work in the church         family, one must also take into account all of the rest
is curtailed.  John Calvin in his commentary on this         of his time and how he spends that. It is unfair to pit
passage speaks of the fact that marriage brings many         the time spent for these two responsibilities  over-
distractions along with it: "Paul had good reason for        against each other without taking into consideration
reiterating the recommendation of celibacy for he            the time we spend for so many other things.
says that the responsibilties of marriage are far from
light.= One married must provide food and many                  In conclusion, I am firmly convinced that God
other necessities for the support and sustenance of his      gives grace to qualify those whom he has called to
family. The married man must reckon with the fact            work in His kingdom. This means that He not only
that he is married. He may not withdraw from the             gives grace to fulfill the responsibilities towards the
duties his family imposes upon him.                          church or school, but that He also gives grace to that
                                                             man as a husband and a father. Also this means that
  That one's responsibility towards his wife and             our merciful Father gives more grace to the wife
children is more important than that responsibility          while her husband is faithfully dispensing an office of
towards the church and school is also implied in I           Christ, because of the increased duties which might
Tim. 3:4, 5, 12. These verses speak of the .fact that        be hers. Also this means that He gives grace to the
one must rule well over his own household to be              children of those families. This grace does not just fall
qualified as an officebearer. It is obvious then that he     from heaven. It comes from God to us through hard
must maintain that good rule over his household              work and diligent effort by the husband and father,
while he is in the office. To maintain that good rule        as he seriously strives to fill his God-given responsi-
one must be home sometime.
  There are some practical problems which one faces          bilities.
when he bears this dual-responsibility of being a            (Even as there is opportunity given for a question and'
proper husband and father and of being a faithful            answer period after a speech at an officebearer's'
officebearer or school board member. Let us face             conference, feel free to contact the writer if you have
some of them.                                                any question.)


400                                             THE STANDARD BEARER


THESTRENGTHOFYOUTH



                                      Covenant  Youth
                                                   Rev. J Kortering


  How easy it is for us to envy the wicked!                  The friendship that results from this love is
  But our estimate of the wicked depends upon our            expressed in most intimate conversation. We see this
standard of comparison.                                      in our,own lives as young people. When you are with
   Follow the standard of our flesh; the wicked carry        your friends, you jabber all the time. Put a stranger in
the balance.                                                 your midst and the atmosphere changes. You make
                                                             polite talk, try to get acquainted, and if you  find
  Use the scale of faith, and the balance swings in          some common interest, you begin to speak more
our favor.                                                   openly and, as this develops, the conversation flows
  What blessings we have! They reach from the pit of         freely. The degree of friendship is seen in the ease of
hell, deliverance, to the splendor of heaven itself. In      conversation. Think how this must be true in God! In
comparison with the ungodly, we have direction, we           Him is perfect love, hence perfect friendship. The
know from whence we have come and whither we are             conversation that results from it is beautiful. In
going. And that's a lot more than most young people          Reformed doctrine we call this the counsel of God,
can say today. We have a purpose in life, strength to        the decrees of God. Within that counsel, God
accomplish it, and hope for the future. If we consider       expresses to Himself His perfect will for Himself and
these things, we will never envy the wicked.                 all things. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit speak
                                                             from the heart to One Another. What the Father says
THE COVENANT OF GOD                                          stands, for He is the Father and His speech is music in
                                                             the ears of the Son and Spirit. What the Father says
  The line that separates us from the wicked is the          deals with the glory of the One God: the glory of
covenant. It is God's mark of distinction. Within the        God in His own perfect covenant life, the glory of
covenant, one has God as His Friend; outside the
covenant, God is a terrible enemy. The covenant              God in the way of election and reprobation, the glory
makes all the difference.                                    of God in the way of sin and grace, the glory of God
                                                             in the way of time and eternity.
  Just what is the covenant?
  To begin, let's go back into the quiet of eternity.          The contemplation and expression of all this is the
There is no heaven; there is no earth. There is only         covenant in God.
God!
  Strange to speak that way, isn't it?  Only  God?           WE ARE IN THIS COVENANT
Where God is, there is everything. In fact, there is the       You may ask, why should this truth make it so
covenant. T.he covenant is as eternal as God is. The         that I won't envy the wicked?
reason for this is that God is a vocenant God. He is           The answer must be both negative and positive.
never lonely. As Triune God He is a friend unto
Himself. That friendship means love. Friendship                The positive side is this: the covenant of God
without love is no friendship. Love is the moving            includes His people. All we have said about God's
power to become and remain friends. This is true in          covenant in Himself affects us in that God is pleased
the highest sense in God Himself. He loves Himself           to include us as His children in that very same
and that powerful bond of love draws the three               covenant. The negative side is this: such a covenant
Persons of the trinity together, the Father loves the        friendship is exclusive, it does not include the wicked
Son in the Spirit, and the Son returns that love to the      and ungodly. The opposite is true, the wicked are the
Father in the Spirit. There is in God the perfect cycle      objects of His wrath and hatred. Rather than speak to
of friendship. God is love, I John  4:8. That love is        them His words of love, He thunders at them words
perfect. There is no unfaithfulness in His love, no          of judgment and condemnation.
adulteration, no distraction, only perfect and com-            Let's consider this in greater detail a moment.
plete devotion.                                                God loves us, as covenant young people, and speaks


                                              THE STANDARD BEARER                                               401


His secrets and words of promise to us. We are, as          "Father forgive them, for they know not what they
Abraham, the friends of God, James  2:23. That              do."
friendship goes back in eternity when God spoke the
counsel of His will in election. Already then, God has         Our place in the covenant is real, for Jesus said,
                                                            "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant
us on His divine mind. The beauty `of election is that
God spoke our names in His counsel; we were in His          knoweth not what his Lord doeth, but I have called
heart; already then He loved us in Jesus Christ His         you friends for all things that I have heard of my
Son. Ephesians 1:3-6 expresses it so warmly, "Blessed       Father I have made known unto you," John 15: 15.
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who             Isn't' this precious? Within  the covenant, God loves
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly    us, speaks to us, saves us, and promises us an eternal
places in Christ. According as He hath chosen us in         inheritance.
him before the foundation of the world that we                 Envy the wicked? How can we? They are the
should be holy and without blame before him in              objects-of wrath.
love? having predestinated us unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the       THE COVENANT SPHERE
good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of      Not only are we members of God's covenant. That
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the          in itself is rich and beautiful; but there is more. God
beloved."                                                   nurtures  this covenant by means of a covenant
  That's what it means to be in the covenant.               sphere. Let me illustrate. When a baby is conceived in
  This same love comes to expression within the             a mother, that baby is a person who undergoes
moments of time. Again God has us in His mind and           certain stages of fetal development. The development
talks to us as His friends. Look at the Garden of           of that baby takes place in a wonderful sphere, the
Eden. Adam and Eve walked with God and God                  womb. In that womb the baby is to a great measure
sought them in the cool of the day. God so created          protected from the hostile world of germs, disease,
them that they could not only understand His speech         injury, etc. The fluids, life support system, nourish-
to them, but also return it. Added to this, they could      ment of the mother are all in wonderful supply. It is
understand what God was saying to them in the               the sphere for growth.
creation and return that to Him in praise and                 Similarly, God provides a covenant sphere for us.
adoration.                                                  This is marvelously provided by the parents in the
  More amazing is the fact that even sin did not            home, school, and in the midst of the church. Not
destroy this covenant between God and His people.           only are we born as physical babies, we are born as
After Adam and Eve sinned, God continued to talk to         spiritual babes. We need a protected environment; we
them, and that too, not in wrath but in love. Only          need to be kept from the hostile world of lies and
now the covenant love is not based on creation, for         sins. We must be taught to discern truth and lie. We
that was forfeited by their sin. The basis now is the       must learn to love God and our neighbor in the midst
promise of the coming of Christ, Genesis 3 : 15.            of a wicked world. The years of youth and adoles-
                                                            cence is such a growing-up time. Soon  we become
  In Christ, the covenant friendship of God and His         adult and then we are called by God to begin our own
people is sealed in perfect righteousness. Christ was       covenant sphere through marriage and children.
promised in order that He might take away the
barrier of sin for His people and establish the perfect       Within this covenant sphere, home, church, and
                                                            school, we -have not only the friendship of God, we
covenant of grace between God and them.                     also have the friendship of the people of God: godly
  Hence the Bible is full of the joy of the coming of       parents, godly teachers, godly office bearers, godly
christ.                                                     children and young people. Together we share the
  And in Christ the Bible is full of God's love and         love of God and the true love of one another. We love
conversation with His people. Just listen to a few:.        God's Word and His instructions. We are called to
"With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even                 help one another and lead one another through this
apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the               world of sin and death.
similitude of the Lord shall he behold; wherefore             This too is precious.
then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant           Treasure this as covenant young people.
Moses?" Add to this, "The secret of the Lord is with          There is a friend that sticketh closer than a
them that fear him and he will shew them His
covenant,"                                                  brother. Think of David and Jonathan. You won't
              Psalm 25: 14. Finally, "I create the fruit
of the lips; peace, peace to him that is far off, and to    find such a friend in the unbelieving world; you will
him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him."     find him in your parents, your brothers and sisters at
                                                            home, your fellow members of the church and your
  AlI this because Jesus prayed from the cross,             Christian school friends.

                                     .


 402                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


   The reason for this is that they too possess the love    grave. A home is full of love and friendship when it is
of God, and that love of God attracts us to one             truly a covenant home.
another. Together we listen to Christ speak these
beautiful words, "Greater love hath no man than this,          We have such a home with God.
that a man lay down His life for his friends. Ye are           It is still coming. It is Father's house of many
my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you, John          mansions to which Christ has gone to prepare-a place
                                                                         _.-_                   _-
15:13, 14.                                                  for us.
   Look at the world of ungodly; see them in their             Heaven is our home.
pleasure and sin. What kind of homes do they have?             The friendship of God and His people will be
Do they really love one another? They are selfish and       perfect then, for we will see Christ face to face.
vile. No wonder, for God's judgment is upon them.              The ungodly go to a place of weeping and gnashing
   Don't envy them, count your-blessings.
              _~ _----                                      of teeth.
A COVENANT HOME                                                Envy not the wicked!
   One more consideration: members of the covenant             In heaven we will have all distraction of sin and
need a place to live. Friendship and love is best           death taken away and we will be able to return God's
expressed in the home. There, husbands love their           friendship to Him in perfect love.
wives and wives love their husbands; parents and               How we long for that! God is worthy of such praise
children love one another. This is the most intimate        forever.
expression of love and friendship on this side of the         ,Thank  God for His covenant.

MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE

                                          June 1,1977

Dear Timothy,
  While we were discussing some practical aspects of          So it is rather important that we have a clear
the minister's life, we were concentrating more             understanding of what godliness really is.
specifically on what Paul has to say to Timothy in
vss. 7  & 8 in the fourth chapter of his first epistle:       The basic meaning of the word is interesting and
"But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and              important. In the Greek language in which Paul wrote
exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily          to Timothy this word comes from two other words,
exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable      one of which means "well," and the other of which
unto all things, having promise of the life that now is,    means "revere" or "reverence." To be godly is to
and of that which is to come."                              revere well. That's rather emphatic. "Revere" is a
                                                            strong word in its own right; but to it is added "well"
  We talked already about what Timothy must not             which makes it all the stronger.
do. He must not busy himself with profane and old
wives' fables. He must not put very much emphasis in          There is only One Whom we must revere, and that
his life on bodily exercise, for that is not very           is God. By the way, this is one reason why the title
profitable. In this letter we ought to talk a bit about     "Reverend" is by far not my favorite title by which
the positive part of the verse. Timothy must engage in      to designate ministers. It would be good if we could
exercise all right; but this exercise must have -as its     get away from that practice and use "pastor" instead.
goal, godliness.                                            But this is a parenthesis, and we ought not to be
  The Christian virtue of godliness is rather often         distracted by this question.
mentioned in Scripture, and it is, by no means, a             God is the only One Who is the object of reverence
virtue which must be limited to ministers of the            because He is so much higher than we are. We cannot
gospel. It is a virtue which ought to be found in all       reverence someone who is essentially our equal. Or, if
God's people, and for it they ought to strive.              we do reverence a man  - our equal, then we are
Nevertheless, it is extremely important that those          guilty of idolatry, or, as we sometimes call it,
whom God has called to be ambassadors of the Word           hero-worship. God is the object of reverence because
possess this godliness, for they are examples in the        He is infinitely exalted, the God of all glory, high and
midst of the flock, and their conduct has a profound        lifted up above all the works of His hands. In fact, the
effect upon God's people.                                   more we are able to understand how very great God


                                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                                403


is, the deeper will be our reverence, too. Reverence is       his entire life in such a way that the reverence he felt
an acknowledgement of God's greatness.                        for the king would shine through in everything he
   In this sense of the word, reverence comes very            did. Reverence means, therefore, not only fear and
close to fear. We know that fear is not terror. In            awe and respect, but also a whole way of living in
Scripture the two are by no means the same. Even in           which it was evident that his king's honor was upheld.
this respect, though, I sometimes could almost wish           He would live from the principle that he could do
that people who claim to be religious and who claim to        nothing contrary to his king's wishes because in so
worship God could-h?& just a bit more terror in their         doing he would hurt his king who had done so much
hearts. It would maybe help. The tendency in our day          for him.
to drag God down from His high and lofty throne,                 When we are godly, then we live all our life out of
and to put Him on some pedestal constructed  .by              that principle. We dare do nothing contrary to the
men's hands; the tendency to speak carelessly and             will of God, for in so doing we hurt Him Who has
profanely about God and to God; the tendency to               done all this for us.
make Him Who is infinitely holy, common and                      This is why this word is sometimes translated
profane; all this is surely very evil. It is, in fact, the    "piety." The reference is not to some sanctimonious
opposite of fear and of reverence. People would not           piety which a hypocrite has. It is a deep piety that
dare to address the president of the United States the        flows from the heart. It is a piety that does not have
way they address God. In fact, it seems as if they            to be talked about or explained or adorned with
address their friends with more respect than that with        many high-sounding words. It is not a piety which has
which they address God.                                       to be defended and blared from the housetops. It is a
  But fear and reverence are born from the, work of
                           __..~ - -     _-_                  piety which is so deeply imbedded in a man's soul
grace. That is, they are-not only acknowledgment of           that it is there - in the look on his face, the words he
the supreme and exalted majesty of God as such; but           speaks, the character of his life, his walk in all life's
they are an acknowledgment of God's supreme glory             relationships. He is fearless of evil because he fears
in the work of grace and salvation  - and even that           God. He has steel in his soul and compassion and love
from a very personal point of view.                           in his- heart. He is utterly devoted to the defense of
  I know figures are always inadequate. But suppos-           the glory of -God.
ing for example that an utterly wretched bum who                 Paul says that we must exercise ourselves with
was the offscouring of society attempted to assassi-          godliness as our goal. Exercise belongs to the world of
nate the king of a very glorious realm; and supposing         sports. In Paul's day, exercise was particularly re-
further that this man was caught and haled before the         quired for those who engaged in various public games,
king to stand trial; there would no doubt be, under           and especially for those who wanted a place in the
those circumstances, abject terror in his soul. This          Olympic games. What does one do when he engages in
terror would arise from an awareness of the awesome           exercise to run, say, the 1000 meter race? In the first
splendour of the king's court not only, but also from         place, he puts aside many, many things which he
the consciousness of his own horrible deed and the            would like to do in order that he may devote all his
fear of just punishment. But if the king would say not        attention without distraction to preparation for the
only that he completely pardoned this wretch, but             race. He devotes himself single-mindedly to-doing all
that he made this wretch a high prince in the realm           he can ,to make himself ready. In the second place, he
with authority to rule over many cities, and he told          goes on a specially prepared diet in order that he may
this wretch that he had done this because the king's          eat the best of foods to give all the strength and
own son  had.,chosen to suffer the penalty for the            stamina to his body that can come by way of
crime in the place of the wretch,-then this poor bum          nutrition. In the third place, he engages in a regular
would be filled with fear. It would be almost too             schedule of exercises which are specially devised to
good to be true. And when he was persuaded that it            develop to the full those particular muscles which he
was true and he received the robes fitting his office,        will need to run swiftly. In the fourth place, he
then he would indeed fear that king. But that fear            engages in much practice. He will perhaps run as much
would arise out of a heart bursting with love and             as forty or fifty miles a day, not only to develop his
would be for all the king's wonderful goodness.               wind; not only to develop his muscles; not only to
  That kind of fear, Timothy, is true reverence.              study his style so that he will run with greatest
  The term godliness, however, means more. And it             efficiency; but also with the purpose of making
means more because that reverence is a kind of                running so totally natural that he can do it without
                                                              thinking.
dominating principle in a man's life if he is truly
godly. The wretch in the illustration would never for           All these things apply in a spiritual sense to
a moment forget what the king  had. done for him.             spiritual exercises.
The wretch would, from that moment on, conduct                  The  ,very fact that Paul speaks here of exercise


     `404                                          THE STANDARD BEARER


     suggests the idea that to be godly takes a great deal of    ache and cry out for relief. This is the sin which
     practice. One does not become a godly man over-             remains in us. But through constant use they become
     night. Godliness is emphatically rooted in the work of      strong.
     grace. But God does not give grace in the same way that
     a doctor gives us a shot of penicillin. In dependence         How important godliness is in a minister of the
     upon God and upon the power of His grace we are             Word. It is important in all God's people, indeed. But
     called to exercise ourselves. This takes time, effort,      especially so in ministers. It is a strange thing, but I
     single-mindedness, constant attention, even practice.       have observed it again and again. The example of
     And only in this way do we become godly ministers           poor parents, of ungodly teachers, of profane minis-
     of the gospel.                                              ters is an example which all concerned are ready and
                                                                 eager to follow. And the sins in children, pupils, and
       There are genuinely godly people in the Church of         parishioners are easily blamed on the sinful example
     Jesus Christ. There are genuinely godly ministers in        of those who should be different in their life. A good
     the pulpits. When we meet them it does not take very        example is not so easily followed. While many (if not
     long to know that they are godly. It `is there. It is       most) in a congregation will easily and happily slide
     evident. It is unmistakable. It is a wonderful experi-      into the same .pattems set by their pastor, there will
     ence. And the godliness of these people is so natural,      be only the few who follow his godly example. But
     so unself-conscious that those who are godly are            this makes this matter of godliness more urgent than
     themselves the least aware of it. They would almost         ever. The spiritual effectiveness of a godly minister is
     certainly be astounded if you mentioned it to them.         beyond our measurements. While the spiritual effec-
     It has become a genuine "way of life."                      tiveness of an ungodly minister is nil.
       The exercise of godliness comes, of course, in              An ungodly man in the pulpit is an anomaly, an
     many different individual exercises. But chief among        insult to God and His cause, an agent of untold harm
     them are Bible study and prayer. No man can be              in the Church of Christ. A hypocritically pious
     godly without these. But even these require disci-          minister in the pulpit is a repelling force to all who
     pline, practice, concentration, continuous effort.          desire to live godly lives. A godly man is a blessing to
     These are not easy to do when first we start these          himself and God's people.
     exercises. The spiritual "muscles" required are often
     flabby and atrophied. And the use of such muscles is                              Fraternally in Christ,
     not a very enjoyable experience. The muscles begin to                             H. Hanko

     ALL AROUND US



                       What's up at the C.R.C. Synod?
                                                      Rev. G. Van Buren

       This month the Synod of the Christian Reformed            confessed once  - and the new relationship would
     Church meets. Many reocurring problems will be con-         then be recognized as legitimate. The sad conse-
     sidered. It will be a matter of interest what is done       quences have been seen in the C.R.C. where divorce
     with each. Judging from past decisions, it might be         and remarriage becomes increasingly common. Now
     safe to surmise that the Synod will "waffle," if one        we await the decision of the Synod which may well
     may use that term oft repeated in the last presidential     adopt a more liberalized position still.
     campaign. What will the Synod face this year?                 A committee appointed by the Synod of 1975 to
       There is a "Marriage Guidelines" report which             study the "hermeneutical principles involved in a
     presents ten "guidelines for pastors and consistories"      proper understanding of relevant Scripture passages"
     and eight "guidelines for the church." It appears to        and their application of these principles as concerns
     be a further attempt to liberalize the stand of that        women in ecclesiastical office, asks permission to be
     church on the question of divorce and remarriage.           continued a year in order to report to the Synod of
     Back in 1956 the Synod already began to do this             1978.
     when it took the position that the remarriage of the          One committee report concerns the "ethical deci-
     guilty party was not an act of  continuing  adultery,       sions about war." This is to provide the church with
     but rather a  single act  of adultery which need be         guidelines to determine one's proper attitude in pos-


L


                                                      THE  STAtiDARD   BEARER                                                        405


sible wars. the country may face. Reports of this                          Now whatever difficulties surround the quest for
nature mark the growing trend of the C.R.C. (as well                   the historical Jesus, he was at least a rabbi convinced
as other denominations) to become "involved?' in the                   that: the kingdom of God was breaking in or would
social issues of the day.                                              soon break in. The command, then, is to be under-
                                                                       stood not as a moral rule but as an invitation or per-
  Another report is concerned with the lodge oath                      mission to share in the freedom Jesus gives to live
and church membership. There is growing pressure                       marriage as God intended and intends.
withi? areas of the C.R.C. to admit lodge members                     In  a: second installment in July-August, Verhey
into the church as members. The Synod thus far (and                 concluded :
the committee advocates continuance of this) main-
tains that lodge membership and church membership                          With this perspective on scripture and its use in
are incompatible  - particularly in light of the oath                  moral reflection, it is possible, I think, to discern the
required of lodge members.                                             voicp of God amid the variety of voices. God does not
                                                                       give `us specific legal requirements.
  There is a call to Synod to assemble a "task force                       Bh divorce  is sometimes necessary "between `tie
on world hunger." Another committee, appointed to                      tim$' for the protection and honoring of  marriage
"help the churches make better use of women's                          itself . . . .
gifts," reports that "unfinished business" in this re-
gard makes it advisable for Synod to appoint another                  De Jong continues by quoting from Verhey's doc-
committee to respond to the "problems" of this                     toral thesis, presented in May, 1975. In that thesis,
"unfinished business" over a period of the next three              Verhey  j repeatedly attacks the historic truth of sola
years.                                                             S'criptura.  Verhey would rather emphasize the  im-
                                                                   portan& of man's own experience of what the Bible
  Perhaps of greatest concern this year to conserva-               teaches s on moral issues. De Jong rightly concludes
tives in the C.R.C. will be the question of what Synod             that V&hey is in conflict with Scripture, the Confes-
does with many protests and appeals concerning the                 sions, and even the earlier decisions of the C.R.C.:
"Verhey Case.". The Rev. Peter De Jong reports on                          1: The more closely and extensively onk studies
this, in a very capable way, in the April 1977 issue of                this material, the more evident it becomes that tie are
the Outlook. He and his consistory were involved in                    dealing with a view which is in sharp conflict with the
the appeal to the last C.R.C. Synod against their                      teackng  of the Bible itself. Although Dr. Verhey may
Classis Grand Rapids East. The Synod rather neatly                     decl+re his belief in an inspired Bible, he "interprets"
(though I would agree, illegally) declared that since                  it  in, a way that contradicts its claims concerning it-
Rev. A. Verhey was already installed in office, the                    self/That Bible, claiming that it conveys to us "all
Synod could not treat this protest against the classis.                things that pertain to life and godliness," insists that
It recommended Dutton consistory rather to proceed                     no "prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation.
against Verhey by way of the formula of subscrip-                      For no prophecy ever came by  the will of man; but
tion. Now there are many protests or, appeals at the                   men: spake from God, being moved by the Holy
Synod concerning the whole affair. One would hesi-                     Spirit. . . ."
tate to say that the decisions of Synod 1977 will                         2: The position which  Dr.. Verhey has been ad-
inark a turning point in the history of the  C.R.C.                    vocating cannot possibly be brought  inte harmony
That turning point was evident already years ago  -                    with that which we confess in the creeds of our
and today is seen the consequences.                                    churches. One cannot deny what the Scriptures say in
                                                                       Genesis 3 and I Corinthians  11:3, in Matthew  28:2,
  Verhey, you recall, in his classical examination                     and  iivhat Jesus said about divorce, and at the same
denied the Biblical events as recorded in Genesis                      tim.e; consistently confess that we "receive all" of the
3:1-5 and Matthew  28:2. Now De Jong  points out                       Scriptures  as "canonical, for the regulation . . . of our
further error of similar nature evident in public writ-                faith; believing without any doubt all things con-
ings of Verhey. Cpncerhing Matt. 5 and 19, in which                    tain&d in them" (Article V, Belgic Confession). . . .
Jesus speaks of divorce, Verhey wrote in the  ,Re-                        3.' The view we find here advocated conflicts with
formed Journal of May-June 1976:                                       the decisions of our Synods regarding the Bible. It
                                                                       conflicts with the decision of 1961 that "the faith of
          It would be interesting  historically to know pre-           the church is to be formed by the self-testimony of
    cisely what position Jesus took. It is difficult, if not           Scril$.ure  concerning its own infallibility." It does
    impossible, to identify the "very words" of Jesus be-              exactly what the Synod of 1972 warned must not be
    hind the record of them in Paul and the gospels.                   done: It uses a "method of  biblical.interpretation
          What we have, then, are not the  "veiy  words" of            which excludes or calls into question . . . the  event-
    Jesus about divorce, but rather the accounts of them               character of biblical history, thus compromising the
    by Paul, Mark, Luke, and Matthew.                                  full authority of Scripture as the Word of God."
          The content of the original words of Jesus was             De Jobg concludes:
    very likely an absolute prohibition of divorce-. . . .                More could be said about the (doctoral) thesis (of


406                                                    THE STANDARD  VEARER


       Verhey). Reading it clears up some otherwise puz-              absent (p. 215)". While one may in argument try to
       zling things in Dr. Verhey's examination, his repeated        show another the consequences of his own faulty
       remark, "That is the worng question," and his re-              position, may a Christian pretend to hold positions he
       peated reference to the resurrection as a kind of              considers invalid? Was not that procedure the
       "canon" to decide what has to be maintained, for               "hypocrisy" the Lord often exposed as particularly
       examples. Equally striking is the first of his own con-       obnoxious in the scribes and Pharisees?
       clusions which deals with what is called "rhetorical
       and audience related uses of scripture." By these he          No doubt the C.R.C. has a problem. A big prob-
       means using arguments you yourself do not believe           lem. What will the Synod do with it this year? Are
       valid but which you believe may carry weight with           there enough men, and sufficient spiritual courage, to
       your hearers. He  finds Rauschenbusch using them            face the issue or not? And if not, what will the "con-
       while Carl Henry (the evangelical) does not. Per-           servative" do in the C.R.C.? In all good conscience,
       sonally, he expresses approval of their use, reminding      he could surely not remain with a denomination
       "moralists and Christian communities of the pos-           which will not root out such evil from its midst. To
       sibility and need to make audience-relative arguments      remain would be tantamount to submission to and
       at certain times and in certain contexts where autho-       approval of the decisions of synod and an expression
       rization for the use of scripture may be different or       of oneness with Verhey.

                                                 Book  Reviews
Foundations of Christian Scholarship, Essays in the                cal basis for Christian scholarship. The second section
Van Til Perspective, Edited by Gary North; Ross                    has to do with the application of these principles to
House Books, 1976; 355 pp., hard cover. (Reviewed                  various academic disciplines: Psychology, History,
by H. Hanko)                                                       Economics, Education, Political Science, Sociology,
  This book is a Chalcedon Study; i.e., it is spon-                Mathematics. The third section deals with "Founda-
sored by Chalcedon, Inc., a group of conservative                  tions for Christian Reconstruction" and has chapters
Christian scholars of which Rousas Rushdoony is the                on Apologetics, Philosophy, and Theology. While this
President.                                                         section was in this reviewer's opinion, the most in-
  The justification for this book is found on the                  teresting, the chapter on Theology by  John Frame
blurb of the outside cover. The authors believe that              was the best because it gave an excellent and helpful
Christian scholarship has suffered from a kind of                 insight into the thinking of Cornelius Van Til.
"intellectual schizophrenia . . . Secular textbooks are              There is much in Van Til with which I agree; there
baptized (sprinkled, usually) with a morning prayer                are  .some aspects of his apologetics with which I
or daily required chapel. Sometimes students do not               sharply disagree. Although this is not the place to go
even get this. The students and their parents' find               into these questions, the whole book emphasizes the
themselves paying high tuitions for educational con-              importance of genuine Christian scholarship in Chris-
tent  which is not noticeably different from that                 tian education. As was Van Til's thinking, so also this
provided by tax-supported public universities. People             book is highly philosophical, and therefore, not easy
are in effect, paying for very expensive morning                  reading. It is however a book that ought to be read by
prayers."                                                         those who are interested in this question of genuine
  The authors plead for a Christian "reconstruction               Christian education. (Reviewed by H. Hanko)
in every branch of the college curriculum." "The                  John Calvin  & Jacopo Sadoleto, A Reformation
essays in this volume represent a  ,beginning.  Too                Debate; Baker Book House, 1976; 136 pp., $2.95
many academic disciplines are absent from its pages,              (paper). (Reviewed by H. Hanko)
but at least a preliminary start has been made. The
writers are committed to the interpretive principle of               In 1539, while Calvin was in Strassburg after his
biblical a prior&m: the Bible judges both the frame-              banishment from Geneva, Cardinal Sadoleto from the
work and the content of each academic discipline."                Romish Church sent a letter to the Council and citi-
As the subtitle of the book suggests, the authors are             zens of Geneva which was intended to lure the people
heavily indebted to Cornelius Van Til, long time                  of Geneva back again to the Romish Church. This
professor of apologetics in Westminster Theological               letter was given to Calvin to answer. He answered it in
Seminary, for their basic viewpoint; and the book is              his own powerful way and with such persuasive argu-
an effort to put the epistemology of Van Til into                 ments that God used this answer to preserve Geneva
practice in Christian higher education.                           from the clutches of Rome.
  The first section of the book deals with basic                     The significance of these two letters is chiefly,
epistemological questions, and gives the epistemologi-            however, that they bring into sharp relief the central


                                                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                  407


issues of the Reformation: the authority of the  e                             appendix which includes the portions of The In-
Church of Rome vs. the authority of the Scriptures,                            stitutes which deal with the subject of justification by
and justification by faith and works  vs..justification                         faith and the decrees of the Council of Trent which
by faith alone.                                                                deal with the same subject.
     I reread these two letters once again and enjoyed                             Although these letters are also included in Calvin's
them perhaps more than the first time, now many                                "Tracts and Treatises," if any of our readers do not
years ago. They have been published by Baker in a                              have this three volume work, they are urged to pur-
small book with a forward by Lester De Koster, a                               chase this small volume and read these crucial docu-
rather lengthy and interesting introduction and an                             ments of the Reformation.
                                                    R.F.P.A.  PiJBlltjATlONS
       Behold, He Cometh!                                          $9.95       Mysteries of the Kingdom                                     $5.95
          by Herman Hoeksema                                                       by Herman Hanko
              (An exposition of the book of                                              (An exposition of the parables
              Revelation)                                                                of Christ)
       Believers and their Seed                                    $2.95       Peaceable Fruit                                              $5.95
          by Herman Hoeksema                                                       by Gertrude Hoeksema
              (An exposition of the truth of                                             (Instruction concerning the nurture
              God's covenant of grace)                                                   oi covenant youth)
       God's Covenant Faithfulness                                $5.95         Reformed Dogmatics                                          $9.95
          edited by Gertrude Hoeksema                                              by Herman Hoeksema
              (Commemorative volume, 50th                                                (A systematic study of theology)
              anniversary of Protestant                                        Therefore *Have I Spoken                                     $5.95
              Reformed Churches)                                                   by Gertrude Hoeksema
       In the Beginning God                          (paper) $1 .OO                      (4 biography of Herman Hoeksema)
          by Homer C. Hoeksema                                                 Triple Knowledge                         (3 vol.)           $24.95
              (An exposition of the truth                                          by Herman Hoeksema
              of creation)                                                               (An exposition of the Heidelberg
       Marriage: The Mystery of Christ                                                   &techism)
1                    and the Church                               $3.50        "Whosoever Will"                             (paper) $1.95
          by David Engelsma                                                        by Herman Hoeksema                                                  -L

                             REMINDER                                                                  ANNOUNCEMENT
     Don't forget to take advantage of the pre-publication sale of When I
Survey.. . , announced in the May 1 issue. Our Business Manager re-                The Faculty of the Theological School of the Protestant Reformed
ports that orders have only begun  to trickle  in. Don't be a procras-         Churches'announces that the following seminarians have been licensed
tinator! Look up that order-envelope, and send it in immediately!              to speak. in the churches under faculty supervision: Messrs. Ronald
                                                                               Cammenga, Carl Haak, Ronald Hanko, Steven  Houck,  and David
                  WEDDING ANNIVERSARY                                          Zandstra.
     On June 27, 1977, our beloved parents, MR. AND MRS. TED                                                                - H. C. Hoeksema, Rector
ENGELSMA will celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary.
     We, their grateful children and grandchildren are thankful to our                                        MEMORIAM
faithful covenant God for the many years of love and Christian                    It pleased the Lord in His infinite wisdom and goodness to take unto
instruction they have given us. We pray that God may continue to bless         Himself our beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather,
them in the years which lie ahead of them.                                     and great-great-grandfather
                                 Mr. and Mrs. Ron Selvius                                                JACOB A. SCHUT
                                 Mr. arid Mrs. Ron Engelsma                       As wife and children we keenly feel the loss, yet we are sincerely
                                 Mr. and Mrs. Charles Engelsma                 thankful for all that the Lord has given to us through him these many
                                 Mr. and  Mr-& At De Young                     years.
                                 Mr. and Mrs. Phil Kraima
                                   and 14 grandchildren.                          "God is our Refuge and Strength, a very present Help in trouble.
                                                                               Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though
                  WEDDING ANNIVERSARY                                          the mountains be carried into the sea." Psalm  46:1,2.
                                                                                                                 Mrs. Anne  Schut
     On June 19, 1977, our parents, MR.  & MRS. CLARENCE PRINCE,                                                 Mr. and Mrs. Gerrit Lubbers
will celebrate their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary.                                                           Mr. and Mrs. Henry John Holstege
     We, their children, are grateful to God for their covenant instruction                                      Mr. and Mrs. Harold Van  Overloop
throughout the past years. We pray that He will continue to bless and                                            Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Van  Overloop
keep them in His care in the years to come.                                                                      Mr. and Mrs. Donald Van  Overloop
                                           Mr.  & Mrs. Chester  Haveman                                          28 grandchildren
                                           Janna and Michael                                                     58 great-grandchildren
                                            Douglas Prince                                                        4 great-great-grandchildren

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





                                                         __ ~(     _~_~_        _-...     .~-     -     ~---     --"`


     i.

      408                                          THE STANDARD BEARER
                                     News From Our  Churches
            Rev. David Engelsma, pastor of our church in                      this change for the summer months should be made
      South Holland, Illinois, declined the call extended to                  permanent. At present, Hull schedules their second
      him by our new congregation in Houston, Texas.                          service at 1:30 P.M. Beginning on Sunday, April 10,
            Rev. and Mrs. Robert Harbach planned to move to                   the consistory of Loveland asked the congregation to
      the Grand Rapids area by' the 1st of- May. Rev.                         stand for the prayer, the congregational singing, the
      Harbach spent the last couple of years in Houston,                      doxology, and the benediction following the sermon.
      where the Lord graciously brought a positive fruit                      In past years, the Loveland congregation has been
      upon his labors as Home Missionary with the forma-                      accustomed to standing for prayers and sitting during
      tion of a congregation. Rev. Harbach's new address                      the singing of most songs. In Randolph, the  con-
      will be: 2879 Taft Apt. D, Wyoming, Michigan                            sistory has decided to add to the reading of the law
      49509. Rev. Harbach will stay in Grand Rapids until                     the New Testament summary of the law found in
      he can be sent to a new area to take up his labors                      Matthew 22:3740.
      anew.                                                                     .This time of year many social and fund-raising
            At a special congregational meeting on April 13,                  activities are scheduled in our churches across the
      the congregation of our Hope Church in Walker,                          land. There have been breakfasts, lunches, dinners,
      Michigan decided to assume payment for the salary of                    coffees, baked goods sales, car washes, auctions, and
      our home missionary beginning in April for the rest                     more. The various ladies' societies and young people's
      of 1977. If some procedural questions can be worked                     societies seem to be most active in these activities.
      out, this may become a continuing part of Hope's                        The following from the Southeast bulletin in Grand
      regular budget.                                                         Rapids will give an indication of how hectic the
            Faith Church in Jenison, Michigan, also held a                    scheduling of these events can be. "The date for the
      special congregational meeting, this one on May 9. A                    Casserole Supper, sponsored by the Young People's
     proposal to build a sanctuary for the congregation                       Societies of First Church at First Church, has been
     was approved.                                                            changed to Thursday, May 26th, instead of Wednes-
            Yet another special congregational meeting was                    day, May 11 th. There is evidently a conflict in dates,
     held this spring - this one in South Holland. In South                   for the Young People of Southeast plan a pot-luck
     Holland the proposals of the Council to purchase a                       supper on the same night. Hopefully this conflict will
     new mimeograph machine and a high speed tape                        be straightened out." The first schedule change was
     cassette copy machine were approved,- One would                          also made to avoid a conflict with another dinner,
     assume that the mimeograph will be used to produce                         Another dinner was scheduled in the basement of
     such things as the church bulletin and perhaps some                      our South Holland Church on April 28. The
     church extension materials. The tape copy machine                        minimum donation to attend was set at $25.00 per
     will be used to make cassette recordings of sermons                      couple.  This would seem to substantiate rumors
     and lectures for shut-ins within the congregation and                    about the high cost of living in the Chicago area. The
     to fill tape orders which have come in as a result of                    real reason for this amount and for the dinner was to
     various radio broadcasting activities South Holland                      raise money for our South Holland Christian School.
     has undertaken.                                                            This is the time of year when many of our number
            The Consistories in our churches in Hull, Iowa,                   plan a summer vacation trip. You would do well to
     Loveland, Colorado, and Randolph, Wisconsin have                    include in your plans a stop in one of the cities across
     recently made changes in their worship ,services. As a                   the land where one of our congregations is located.
     result of questions that were asked on `family visita-                   You will be blessed by worshipping with fellow saints
     tion, the Hull consistory has decided to change the                      - and they will be pleased to make your acquain-
     time of the second Sunday service to 7 P.M. starting                tance. I am sure that Prospect Park, N.J., and
     the first of July and continuing through the ,month of              Houston, TX. and Redlands, CA., and Linden, WA.,
     `August. These two months will constitute a trial                   and Edmonton, Alberta, and all the churches in be-
     period for evening worship, on the basis of which the               tween would welcome summer visitors.
     consistory and congregation can later decide whether                                                                    K.G.V.


L


