     The
STANDARD
     BEARER
-A REFORMED SEMI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE





     If, then, you should point to the Church's
  smallness in the midst of the world and to the
  greatness of the world, all its manpower and
  resources, I would look to Him Who died for
  me and now lives for me in heavenly glory at
  the right hand of God. And  I will proclaim
  that God has justified me, that therefore
  nothing can condemn me or can ever be
  against me, that Christ's work for me shall
  also be finished in me, and that therefore I am
  safe in the midst of the world, yea that all
  things work together for my good.
                           See "The Breastplate
               of Righteousness" - page 482


                                     Volume  LIII, No. 21, September 15, 1977  -
                                                  ISSN 0362-4692


                                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER



                                                                                                            THE STANDARD BEARER
                                                                                       Semi-monthly, except monthly during June, July, and August.
                                                                                         Published by the Reformed Free Publishing Association, Inc.
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                                                                                  Editor-in-Chief:  Prof. Homer C. Hoeksema
                           CONTENTS:                                              Department Editors:  Prof. Robert D. Decker, Rev. David J. Engelsma,
                                                                                   Rev. Cornelius Hanko, Prof. Herman Hanko, Rev. Robert C. Harbach,
Meditation  -                                                                      Rev. John A. Heys, Rev. Jay Kortering, Rev. M. Hoeksema, Rev.
                                                                                   George C. Lubbers, Rev. Meindert Joostens, Rev. Marinus  Schipper,
                                                                                   Rev. Gise J. Van  Baren. Rev. Herman Veldman. Mr. Kenneth G. Vink.
   The Breastplate of Righteousness . . . . . . . . . . .482                       Editorial Office:  Prof. H.C. Hoeksema
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Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .484                                 Grandville.  Michigan 49418
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 MEDITATION


                     The Breastplate of Righteousness
                                                                         Rev. H. Veldrnan

                                          "                 and having on the breastplate o.f righ teousness. "
                                           .     .     .
                                                                                                          Eph.  6:14b
   Put on the breastplate of righteousness. Thus this                               Christian warrior, is therefore the first gift of grace
text must, be understood. We read literally here:                                   that is imparted to us through the Bible, the Word of
"Having put on the breastplate of righteousness." In-'                              truth.
deed, we must put it on, even as a soldier puts on his                                  We must also bear in mind one more thing. These
entire armour.                                                                      different parts of the Christian's  armour are not all
   How tremendously important is this breastplate!                                  different parts of the girdle of truth. We cannot di-
This was the first part of the armour the soldier put                               vide this girdle into parts. What is true is that these
on. And that first part of the armour~ is righteousness.                            parts all refer to the entire Word of God.
`We surely have a divine order here: the truth, righ-                                   This breastplate was the armour which covered the
teousness, gospel of peace, salvation, sword of the                                 body from the neck to the thighs, consisting of two
Spirit. And this order must not be overlooked. This                                 parts, the one covering the back and the other the
righteousness, as the first item of the armour of the                               front. Without this breastplate the warrior was  ex-


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 483



posed to every thrust of the enemy, even to every            manded that the awful holiness of God be revealed in
casual dart. Without it his position was utterly hope-       connection with our sins and trespasses, that God's
less in the midst of the battle.                             infinite wrath and indignation be borne in full con-
  What is this righteousness? The word itself means:         sciousness and in perfect obedience. Only God could
a straight line, to be in a straight line with God. Must     do this. No wonder we read what we read in Is.
this be understood as a spiritual righteousness? This        59:  16! God, in Christ, took upon Himself, not only
refers to our conduct, that all our life and activities      the hatred of the wicked and of all the powers of hell,
are in harmony with the will of God, and this, of            but also the fearful wrath of God upon sin, tasted and
course, according to the righteous Judge of all the          experienced it in all its infinite horror. God satisfied
earth. Or, must this righteousness be understood             His own justice, Himself paid the awful penalty.
legally, judicially, as referring to our justification?        This is the breastplate of righteousness of this text.
This concerns our state, our legal relation to the law.      This breastplate of righteousness is, of course, not
God, then, declares us guiltless, that He sees in us no      another, in distinction from Is.  59:17. This breast-
ground for condemnation, that we are free of all guilt       plate of righteousness is not, we understand, our righ-
and heirs of everlasting life and glory. This, of course,    teousness. Fact is, the breastplate of righteousness of
is of the utmost significance. God is the Judge of all       Is. 59: 17 is the only breastplate of righteousness in
the earth. His verdict can never be appealed. To             existence. There is simply none other. No man can
whom could we carry our appeal? If God justify us,           ever attain unto this righteousness. Indeed, this is the
who can condemn? He will surely enforce this judg-           righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Only, it is the
ment of justification and there is none who can pos-         perfect righteousness of God in Christ as applied to
sibly force Him to change it.                                all my sins and trespasses. God, in Christ Jesus, has
  This breastplate of righteousness surely refers to         rendered me eternally righteous before God, has paid
our justification. In the first place, the view that this    in full for all my sins and trespasses and has made me
righteousness must be interpreted spiritually is surely      an heir of life and glory everlasting. This breastplate is
impossible. How can my conduct ever guarantee my             that wonderful, unspeakable assurance, completely
safety, my ability to stand in this spiritual struggle?      beyond all human understanding, that in spite of
Indeed, we must not ignore here our righteousness in         whatever the devil and my own conscience may say, I
the spiritual sense. But, how will I be able to hold up      am righteous before God, free of all guilt and heir of
before the devil my good works when, in the first            everlasting life and glory.
place, my best works are but filthy rags, and when, in          First, this breastplate of righteousness is the entire
the second place, all the good I do can so easily be         Word of truth. It is not simply a' part of it. One
offset by the far greater amount of evil? Indeed, my         cannot divide this Word into five parts, each part,
good works are important only insofar as they are the        then, applying to each part of the Christian's armour;
fruit of my justification and therefore assure me that       The Word of God is one as God is one. Included in
God has begun His work in me. In the second place,           this breastplate is God's eternal counsel of election
we must bear in mind the order here of the various           and reprobation. How necessary it is that this be in-
parts of the Christian's  armour. This breastplate is        cluded! Fact is, this breastplate refers to the righ-
mentioned first. And it is surely true that the first        teousness of God in Christ. This includes particular
blessed gift we experience through the Word of God           atonement, that Christ died for  OUY sins and tres-
is that of justification. In the third place, we must        passes, inasmuch as a Christ for all is a Saviour of
ever hold before us the meaning of the expression,           none. Hence, the Lamb of God and of Calvary is the
"breastplate of righteousness" in the light of Scrip-        Head of His church, the Head of call His elect. He dies
ture. How pertinent is Is.  59:17: "For He put on            only for His sheep, given Him of the Father. How
righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salva-      basic is the doctrine of election!
tion upon his head; and He put on the garments of              Then, this breastplate includes the doctrind of sin
vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a          and guilt and man's utter and complete hopelessness
cloke." The apostle appears to have this text in mind        and helplessness. God saw and there was no man; He
and to be guided by it in his description of the Chris-      wondered that there was no intercessor. This empha-
tian's armour. In Is. 59: 17 Jehovah speaks as revealed      sizes the scriptural doctrine of sin. Man's fall and sub-
in Christ Jesus, and the prophet here declares that He       sequent depravity are of such an extent that all we
has wrought salvation in the way of righteousness, in        can do is add sin and guilt. All our righteousness is
`the way of the complete and perfect satisfaction of         therefore of God alone in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
the righteousness and justice of the Lord.                     Thirdly, this breastplate includes the scriptural
  How, terrible was this breastplate of righteousness        truth of God's particular and efficacious atonement.
as put on by Jesus Christ, our Lord! Please note what        Christ died atoningly; He blotted out sin; He paid for
we read in Is.  59:16. His was the task which de-            guilt; He merited everlasting life and glory. All this is


484                                           THE STANDARD BEARER


denied by the doctrine of universal atonement. A            in Christ is our only comfort, our only hope, our only
Christ for all is a Saviour of none, inasmuch as He         need, our only longing in the midst of the world.
also died for those who perish. Then there is simply          Nothing else insures, guarantees my protection.
no breastplate of righteousness.                            Shall I face the enemy in my own strength, with my
  To this we must also add the doctrine of irresistible     own good works, my ethical righteousness as a
grace, the certain perseverance of the saints, and eter-    ground for my assurance of victory? But, how hope-
nal glory. This righteousness of God in Christ means        less is then my lot . . .!
that His grace is irresistible, inasmuch as because of        This is my protection: the breastplate of my righ-
His perfect righteousness Christ was raised, exalted,       teousness of God in Christ Jesus. If then, you point
lifted up on high unto the right hand of God. And           me to my sin and guilt, I will claim the righteousness
this also includes our certain and ultimate salvation,      of Christ, claim that all my sins and guilt are paid. If,
because God Who delivered Him for us all will surely        then, you point to all my filth and corruption (and
with Him give us all things. Indeed, the whole Word         there is so much of it), I will say that I love the truth,
of God is this breastplate.                                 that I possess in principle the love of God, and that
  This breastplate we must put on. This means, first        He has merited for me everlasting life and glory. If,
of all, that we must know the scriptures. This applies      then, you should point to the Church's smallness in
to all of us. To this there is no exception. Also our       the midst of the world and to the greatness of the
young people. And, we must know'& the scriptures.           world, all its manpower and resources, I will look to
Secondly, we must appropriate this breastplate of           Him Who died for me and now lives for me in
righteousness by a true and living faith. Indeed, we        heavenly glory at the right hand of God. And I will
are not justified because of our good works, not even       proclaim that God has justified me, that therefore
because of our faith; it is not my spiritual righteous-     nothing can condemn me or can ever be against me,
ness which can ever assure our safety in the midst of       that Christ's work for me shall also be finished in me,
the world. In the cross of Christ we glory and shall        and that therefore I am safe in the midst of the
glory; God's righteousness in Christ is our only hope.      world, yea, that all things work together for my good.
However, our spiritual righteousness is for us the            Indeed, the world would separate me from the love
proof of our legal righteousness. Our spiritual righ-       of God in Christ. And it is indeed true that, as far as I
teousness means that we have been redeemed and              am concerned, that world can easily separate me from
justified, that it has been purchased for us. And it is     that love of God. In fact, of myself I would and can
only when we walk in God's commandments that we             never remain standing in the cause of God and of His
will be able to taste and experience this blessed love      Christ and covenant. This, however, is the first
of God in Christ; in fact, if we walk in ways of sin        weapon in the Christian's arsenal. It has the priority.
and evil we do not even care for this breastplate of        For this we may give thanks unto God. Nothing will
righteousness.                                              ever be able to separate me from the love of God, will
  We now understand our calling. Put on, every day          ever be able to separate God from me, will ever be
anew, this breastplate of righteousness.`Cleave to this     able to change or alter the eternal, unconditional, ir-
righteousness of God in Christ. This means that, in         resistible, and sovereign love of God. My assurance is
principle, we will also walk in the way of its fruit,       not my work, anything in me, but His work for me,
hating sin, and showing that the righteousness of God       now and forevermore.




                                         Editor's Notes

  This issue marks the completion of Volume 53,             mend a couple which I read during my vacation. They
and you will find the annual index in this number.          are  must  reading for ministers and public speakers
Watch the next issue for some interesting changes           and, in  .fact, for all who are interested in correct
being introduced at the beginning of Volume 54.             English and good diction. I refer to Edwin Newman's
                      *  *  *  *  d                         Strictly Speaking and A Civil Tongue.
  Seldom do we discuss, much less recommend,                                        *****
books in our magazine other than those of a religious          This is the last call for those who wish to take
nature. But I cannot pass by the chance to  recom-          advantage of the pre-publication sale of Herman


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                485


Hoeksema's "When I Suwey . . . " The cut-off date on                 are looking for soundly Reformed help and guidance
this sale is October 1. After that date you will have to             in telling Bible stories to their children. How can you
pay the full price. The pre-publication sale is $7.95                help us and yourself, as well as the cause of covenan-
plus  45a postage and handling charge. Send your                     tal education? First of all, by buying this book. The
order and your check for $8.40 to: Reformed Free                     Publications Committee realized from the outset that
Publishing Association, P.O. Box 2006, Grand                         there was probably a very limited market for this
Rapids, Michigan 49501.                                              book, and therefore even hesitated somewhat to pub-
                      *****                                          lish it. But if this venture is to succeed, and if Book
  The RFPA Publications Committee also announces                     One is to be followed by the rest of the series, we
a brand new publishing venture, our first venture into               must have reasonable success in marketing this new'
the educational field. By the time this appears in                   book. Many parents expressed interest already when
print, we expect to have available in an attractive                  the book was in process. Now is the opportunity to
Kivar binding Gertrude Hoeksema's  Suffer Little                     give that interest concrete expression. Order a copy
Children (Book One). What is this? It is primarily a                 of Suffer Little Children, (Book One) at the price of
teacher's manual for Bible instruction in the primary                $8.95 plus  45~ postage and handling. Again, send
grades, and is the first of a projected series. This first           your order to: Reformed Free Publishing Association,
volume contains an extensive introduction on the                     P.O. Box 2006, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501.
principles of Bible instruction in the Christian school,             Secondly, if you know of Christian schools outside
a teacher's guide for Book 1, and 125 lessons on the                 our Protestant Reformed circles who might be in-
first part of the Old Testament, from creation                       terested in this kind of material, please send the in-
through Saul. Who can benefit from this book?                        formation to the above address. We are interested in
Teachers, of course, primarily; but also Sunday                      reaching as many as possible with our publicity
School teachers, catechism teachers, and parents who                 campaign. Please help!

EDITORIALS




                           "Our Song of Hope"--A Critique
                                                              (4)
                                                 Pro5  H.C. Hoeksema


  In this part of our critique we shall consider what                  The only reference to election in "Our Song of
"Our Song of Hope" has to say about certain key                      Hope" is found in Stanza 15, where we read:
doctrines of the Reformed faith. In doing this, we                   Christ elects His church
shall compare the statements of "Our Song" with the                   to proclaim His Word and celebrate the sacraments,
statements of our Three Forms of Unity; and we shall                  to worship His name,
.make this comparison by consulting the index pro-                    and to live as His disciples.
vided in Appendix B of Dr. Heideman's commentary                     He creates His community
on "Our Song."                                                        to be a place of prayer,
  First we turn our attention to the Reformed doc-                    to provide rest for the weary,
trine of pre-destination. We already noted last time                  and to lead people to share in service.
that "Our Song" admittedly presents a different                      In connection with this' stanza Appendix B refers us
doctrine in this regard than our Canons of Dordrecht                 to the pertinent portions of our confessions which
present - and thus, also different from that presented               speak of election.
by the Heidelberg Catechism and the Belgic Con-
fession. We remind you of the statement, quoted last                   In explanation of this stanza, the following com-
time, "As a result, one can feel considerable tension                ments are made, pp. 59,60:
between `Our Song' and the Canons of Dort in the                           The first line of stanza 15 uses the word "elects."
understanding of `election' . . ."                                      This is a word which is used in the Old Testament to


486                                                       THE STANDARD BEARER


  refer to God's relationship to his covenant com-                   what the term  electi&   formerly meant, what it
  munity. During the history of the West, the word                   supposedly came to mean "during the history of the
  "election" has more often been used to indicate                    West," and what its "new significance" in our present
  God's relationship to particular individuals within the            situation should be. But let us by-pass all this, and
  covenant community than it has  .to the covenant                   confine our attention to the doctrine itself. What is
  community itself. This shift has occurred because in               wrong? The following:
  the situation of Christendom, when everyone was
  baptized, there came to be a preoccupation with the                1. The stanza speaks only of an elect community. Do
  problem of the hypocrite and the necessity of dis-                 not be fooled into thinking that "Our Song" has in
  tinguishing within the covenant community between                  mind the election of the holy catholic church and all
  the true believer and the wolf in sheep's clothing. The            of its erect membership. No, this is the rather com-
   church and its preachers felt it to be essential to               mon heresy of `a national election of Israel in the Old
   direct its words of warning to the hypocrites and the             Testament and of a similar community election of the
   enemies of God and to warn the faithful not to                    church in the world in the New Testament age.
   assume that as members of the elect community they
  were automatically saved for all eternity.                         2. The stanza obviously knows only of an election
         In our time when Christendom has broken down,               unto service, not an election unto salvation, not of a
   we now recognize that the church has been elected by              being chosen from before the foundation of the
   God to be in the world as Israel was in the days of the           world both to salvation and the way of salvation,
   Old Testament. The Biblical words which speak to                  both to grace and to glory.
   that situation thereby gain new significance for us.              3. Stanza 15 is totally silent about the Reformed
   We hear again all of those words of the prophets                  doctrine of reprobation, Canons I, A, 6, 15. This is
   which warn Israel that election does not confer
   special safety or privileges. It does lay upon the                extremely. serious. It means that "Our Song of Hope"
   people special responsibilities, for they are elected to          does not teach a doctrine of predestination, but only
   participate in God's great mission of salvation in the            a perverted doctrine of election. And this means, in
   world. Israel was to be the great mediator of God's               turn, that it cannot lay claim to being a  Reformed
       Law- or Torah in the world; her task is  fulftied in          creed.
       Jesus Christ who is the fulfillment of the Old Testa-         4. Stanza 15 speaks of  Christ  as electing. True, the
   ment and the True Mediator from God. Stanza 15,                   explanation offered by Dr. Heideman speaks of God
   lines 24, accepts what the Belgic Confession set forth
       as the three marks of the true church and indicates           as the author of election; but this does not change the
       how these function as the characteristics of the              fact that "Our Song" itself speaks of Christ. Our
       church elected to confess and live the faith of Christ        Canons, on the other hand, speak of God as the
       in the world.                                                 author of election and speak of Christ  .as being
          Because the church iselected to proclaim Christ's          elected: "Election is the unchangeable purpose of
       Word, celebrate the sacraments, worship in the name           God, whereby, before the foundation of the world,
       of the Lord, and live as His disciples, it is not possible    he hath out of mere grace, according to the sovereign
       for us to accept a distinction made by theologians of         good pleasure of his own will, chosen, from the whole
       an earlier day between the "visible" and the "in-             human race, which had fallen through their own
       visible" church. That distinction, which was intended         fault, from their primitive state of rectitude, into sin
       within Christendom to indicate the possibility of             and destruction, a certain number of persons to
       enemies of God in the church on earth, makes it all           redemption  in Christ, whom he  ji-om eternity
       too easy for the church to  think of itself as an other-      appointed the Mediator and Head  of  the elect, and
       worldly institution, somewhat separate from life in           the foundation of Salvation. " (Canons I, A, 7, italics
       this world. An invisible church simply cannot have            added).
       the marks of the church indicated in the Belgic Con-
       fession or in stanza  15; the church must stand for           5. Stanza 15 knows only of a present-time election,
       Christ at the heart of God's world.                           not an election from eternity. Notice that it says,
  Any Reformed believer with only a cursory                          "Christ elects . . .," using the present tense.
acquaintance with the Canons of Dordrecht will                       6. In Appendix B the boast is made, p. 86, that  "
readily recognize that Stanza 15 and the accompany-                  `Our Song of Hope' can be seen as vigorously re-
ing explanation are a far cry from our Reformed con-                 affirming traditional Reformed themes such as,"
fession of predestination. One could fill many a page                among others, "the Sovereignty of God." I ask:
with criticism of the paragraphs we have just quoted.                where would one expect the sovereignty of God to be
A basic criticism, for example, would be the under-                  more vigorously re-affirmed than in connection with
lying presupposition that truth is not permanent and                 the doctrine of election? And I ask: but where is the
that a doctrine like the doctrine of election changes.               sovereignty of God in Stanza 15, the only stanza
Another, closely related,' is the fact that there is                 which so much as mentions election in the entire
absolutely no appeal to Scripture; the appeal is to                  proposed creed? The truths that election is  uncon-


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  487



ditional, that the good pleasure of God is the sole           gravamen) to dislodge from the confession of the
cause of this gracious election, that it is an election of    church the doctrine of election taught by the Canons
"some certain persons" (Canons I, A, lo), that elec-          of Dordrecht.
tion is infallible and can neither be interrupted,            4. That nevertheless the effect will be that the doc-
changed, recalled, or annulled - all truths intimately        trine taught by the Canons will be invalid in the RCA,
bound up with divine sovereignty - these truths do            while the doctrine taught by "Our Song" will be de
not receive so much as a how-do-you-do in "Our Song           facto the creed of the RCA.
of Hope."                                                     5. That still - even though the heart is cut out of the
  More could be said, much more. But let these most           Canons - it is claimed that "Our Song" is intended as
obvious criticisms be sufficient, especially in the light     an  additional  creed, not a replacement of the old
of the fact that it is  admitted  that there is con-          creeds. And, I take it, the RCA will still want to be
siderable tension (i.e., pulling in opposite directions)      known as a  Reformed  denomination even though
between "Our Song" and the Canons of Dordrecht.               they will have abandoned the historic Reformed
  All of this is crucial, and it should be considered to      faith.
be of crucial importance in the consideration of "Our            A question: should "Our Song" be adopted, what
Song of Hope" as a proposed creed of the Reformed             will those in the  RCA- who wish to remain truly
Church in America. Consider:                                  Reformed do? Subscription to this new creed is ob-
1. That the doctrine of sovereign predestination has          viously impossible. What will they do? They must
always been admitted to be one of the most charac-            .prepare to face this serious question.
teristic doctrines of the Reformed faith. In fact, elec-         Another question: what will those who desire to
tion has been called "the heart of the church."               have ecclesiastical fellowship with the RCA do? Will
2. That "Our Song of Hope" admits to presenting an            they be willing to swallow this new, but  un-
altogether different doctrine of election than do the         Reformed, creed and exercise a fellowship based on
Three Forms of Unity and especially the Canons.               the lie? They also must prepare to face this serious
3. That no attempt is made by way of due process (a           question.


                              About Reformed Methodology
                                              (Reply to Rev. Kortering)


   In the September 1 issue there appeared a contri-             In the second place, this means that the con-
bution on this subject from Rev. J. Kortering, and we         fessions are by no means on the same line with
promised a reply in this issue. We now fulfill that           commentaries and Reformed writers. I mention this
promise.                                                      because Rev: Kortering seems to suggest this when he
   In the first place, colleague Kortering seems to           mentions them in one breath, although I cannot be-
overlook the fact that in my earlier writing on this          lieve that colleague Kortering himself thinks this. He
subject, I offered proof for my position, namely, the         and I and every officebearer are bound - voluntarily
Formula of Subscription. He and I and every office-           bound, but nevertheless bound  - by what the con-
bearer in the Protestant Reformed Churches have               fessions teach. We are not bound by what com-
signed our names to this statement: "We . . . do here-        mentaries or Reformed writers teach. I am not bound,
by sincerely and in good conscience before the Lord,          by what Calvin or  Keil or Meyer or Hoeksema or
declare by this, our subscription, that we heartily be-       Ophoff teach. I am indeed bound - by my own sub-
lieve and are persuaded that all the articles and points      scription  - to what the Heidelberg Catechism, the
of doctrine, contained in the Confession and Cate-            Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dordrecht
chism of the Reformed Churches, together with the             teach. Why? Because I-have the deep conviction that
explanation of some points of the aforesaid doctrine,         they have the authority of the Word of God to back
made by the National Synod of Dordrecht, 16 1 S-`19,          them up. Hence, there is but one exception: if I
,.do fully agree with the Word of God. " (italics added)      become convinced that there is conflict between the
Rev. Kortering makes no mention of this, but to me            confessions and Scripture, I have the right and the
this is crucial. Why? Because it means that the truths        duty to file a gravamen and  tiy to convince the
expressed by the confessions ARE the truth of the             churches that the confessions are wrong, meanwhile
Word of God. We have all vowed this.                          keeping silence in my public and private teaching.


488                                                 THE STANDARD BEARER


   In the third place,  thi? means the following with                      bias, or prepossession, as well, of course, as with the
regard to any subject on which our confessions speak,                      bias that I John  2:2 cannot possibly contradict the
extra-confessional matters being excluded. It means                        rest of Scripture. But what if, in the course of my
that in my dogmatical studies, my exegetical studies,                      studies, I ultimately cannot harmonize I John  2:2
synodical study committee work  - whatever it may                          with the doctrine of limited atonement? Then the
be  - I never start out from scratch. I  neverLstart out                   course of gravamen is open to me; but meanwhile I
with zero. On the contrary, I start out with a bias, a                     remain bound by my vow until the matter is resolved,
commitment, a prepossession. To begin with a blank                         my conscience being freed by the very fact of my
slate is impossible anyway from a psychological and                        filing that gravamen.
spiritual point of view, whether we like it or not.                           Finally, I call attention to the fact that H.  Hoek-
Even in his own article Rev. Kortering is not without                      sema takes this position repeatedly in his Reformed
a bias; and it is striking to me that his own appeal is                    Dogmatics. On pp. 3 and 4 he writes: "A dogmatician
not to Scripture, but to Article 7 of the Belgic Con-                      is no `open Bible' student; nor is he an undenomina-
fession.                                                                   tionalist. He does not approach the Bible for the first
   Now let us make a practical application of this, in                     time and as an individual, but as a member: a) of the
order to illustrate all this. Let us say that I am going                   church of the past; and, b) of a particular church in
to exegete and preach on I John 2:2, which teaches                         the present. It follows, then, that in applying himself
that Christ is "the propitiation for our sins: and not                     to this science the dogmatician has respect unto: a)
for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole                          the generally accepted  dogmata  of the church
world." Do I start from scratch and say to myself, "I                      catholic; and, b) the specific  dogmata  of his own
will have an open mind and investigate whether this                        denomination. By these the dogmatician is freely
text teaches particular atonement or universal atone-                      bound. He is bound by them because.of his member-
ment?" For me that is both impossible and dishonest.                       ship in his own particular church. And he is  freely
Why? I have vowed that the teaching of the Canons                          bound because iti the doctrine of that church he finds
fully agrees with Scripture; and those. Canons (II, A,                     the purest expression of his own faith." Cf. also pages
8) teach particular atonement. That, therefore, is the                     6 and 7 and pages 14 and 15.
teaching of Scripture as a whole, including I John                           I must dissent, therefore, when colleague Kortering
2:2. In my exegesis, I approach I John 2:2 with that                       speaks of over-reacting.

TRANSLATED TREASURES



                        Acts of the Synod of Dordrecht
                                                                   (13)

(Connection: In the previous installment we saw that from all              who were favorable to them, they requested a Provin-
quarters pressure was building against the Remonstrants and                cial Synod, something of which they had such a great
for the holding of a National Synod. When the Remonstrants
and their political allies in some of the provi&es saw that the            abhorrence only a little while before. And seeing that
convening of a National Synod was inevitable, they took the                it had been proposed to call foreign Theologians to
measure of raising city militia allegedly to defend the in-                the National Synod, therefore they thought that also
dependence of their provinces, thus threatening civil war - a              to this Provincial Synod, foreign Theologians might
threat. which was met with decisive action by the States-                  be called, if men approved of this. But to this the
General and the Prince of Orange. Finally, in December of                  answer was given that indeed formerly the Holland
16 17 it was decided to convene a National Synod in May of                 Churches had requested a Provincial Synod when
the following year.)                                                       there appeared to be no hope of gaining a National
  This Resolution having been taken, 16 18, the                            Synod and when the differences were confined to the
Remonstrants raged marvelously; and through various                   Holland Churches; but since now the convening of a
other measures and schemes they sought to upset it                    National Synod had been decided upon, and since the
and to make it useless, working through those who                          evil had spread through all the Provinces, so that it
were loyal to their cause. In Holland, through those                       could not be removed by the Synod of one Province,


                                            THE STANDARD BEARER                                               489



therefore it was simply unreasonable to consider a         Holland and West-Friesland, March 23, many and
Provincial Synod at this time for the resolving of         very weighty reasons by which it was very plainly
these differences. Further, it was pointed out that as     proved that these differences could at this time be
in every separate Province particular Synods must'         resolved and laid to rest in no other way than by a
precede the National Synod, so also in Holland, both       National Synod. At the same time they furnished a
South  - and North  - Holland, particular Synods           very basic answer to all the objections of the
would precede. The Remonstrants nevertheless               Remonstrants and all their proposals concern&g a
bravely persisted in this through their leaders, and       General Synod. Shortly thereafter, the Magistrates of
they pressed for such a Synod. They did this either        the City of Enkhuizen confirmed this with many rea-
because they thought that their cause would be less        sons which were put in writing and delivered in the
of a hindrance in the eyes of the Provincial Synod,        Apology of the Cities of Dordrecht, Amsterdam,
seeing that there were many among the Regents and          Enkhuizen, etc., p. 104 and 113; these reasons were
Ministers in Holland loyal to them, or because they        later printed, March 27, in order that everyone might
wanted to prevent the convening of the National            know `how improperly the Remonstrants and their
Synod altogether through such subterfuges. However,        supporters acted when they opposed the convening of
when they saw that their request was so improper           the National Synod so perversely with their new
that they would not easily be able to convince any-        proposals and when they sought to escape the judge-
one of it, they took refuge in a new measure; and          ment of such a National Synod.
they desired that this case should be brought to an
Ecumenical Synod, that is, to a general Synod of all         The States-General, judging that this highly neces-
Churches. The answer was given to them that it was         sary matter, already decided because of very proper
very uncertain. whether and when an Ecumenical             and weighty reasons, ought no longer to be post-
Synod would be able to be called together. Further,        poned for such proposals and subterfuges, decided
the answer was given that the current ills required an     anew that the convening of the National Synod
immediate remedy, and that this National Synod,            should take place immediately, without any post-
which would be authorized by the States-General,           ponement and delay; and they ordered that the place
would be like a General Synod, since delegates from        of meeting would be the City of Dordrecht, and the
most of the Reformed Churches would be present. If         day the first of November next. When certain among
they thought themselves aggrieved by the judgement         the States of Holland and West-Friesland who were
of such a Synod, then it would always be permissible       loyal to the cause of the Remonstrants opposed this
and justified to appeal from this National Synod to        Resolution in the gathering of the States-General,
the Ecumenical Synod, provided they were willing to        complaining that thereby the dignity, the right, and
submit to the judgment of the National Synod mean-         the freedom of their Province was abridged, then the
while. But by all these subterfuges and quibblings         States-General declared in a public act that by this
they accomplished so much, that the letters of con-        authorizing of the National Synod they did not desire
vening were delayed for some time and that the             to abridge or belittle in any wise the dignity, the
appointed day for the convening of the Synod had to        right, and the freedom of any Province; but they
be postponed and changed.                                  declared that it was their upright intention, without
  Meanwhile, Lord Dudley Carleton openly com-              any prejudgment of any Province, and also that of the
plained in the assembly of the States-General that the     Union or confederation itself, to resolve, lawfully, to
honor of the King of Great Britain, his master, had        God's honor, and the peace of the Republic, through
been scandalously and shamelessly ridiculed in the         the ordinary judgment of the National Synod only
dishonorable pamphlet called the  Weegschaal,  which       the ecclesiastical differences which had arisen con-
the Remonstrants even after the edict of the  States-      cerning the doctrine, seeing that these concerned all
General, had translated and reprinted in the French        the Reformed Netherlands Churches.
language. And after a brief and pertinent refutation         Thereafter they wrote to the States of every Prov-
of many objections of the Remonstrants, he made            ince and declared it to be their purpose in the
known to the States what method and manner his             Name of the Lord, to authorize from all the Churches
Royal Majesty of Great Britain was accustomed to           of these Provinces a National Synod on the first of
use in the resolving of differences concerning Religion    November next, in order that by this means the
or doctrine. Since. this agreed with the resolution of     differences which had arisen in those Churches might
the States-General, therefore, the States were more        be lawfully investigated and might in a proper manner
and more confirmed in this holy purpose. Also the          (always maintaining the truth) be resolved. At the
Magistrates of the City of Amsterdam, having pre-          same time they exhorted the States of every Province
viously consulted with the Ministers of that Church        that they should immediately convene in their
and with others called together for this purpose,          Province, according to custom, a Provincial Synod,
presented in writing in the gathering of the States of     from which six Godly, learned, or three other capable


 490                                          THE STANDARD BEARER



 men, making confession of the -Reformed Religion,          the Synod of the. Churches of Gelderland and of
 should be delegated. -These men, according to the          Zutfen was gathered at Arnhem, June 25, then the
 conditions presented by them, of which they sent a         Remonstrants who were delegated from the Classis of
 copy, would investigate those. differences at- the         Bommel did not want to sit with the others unless
 National Synod, and, preserving the truth, remove          certain conditions were promised to them before-
 them. They also sent to the French Churches here in        hand, conditions which the Synod judged to be in
 the Netherlands, who were accustomed to have a             conflict with the Resolution of the States. And
 particular Synod among themselves, seeing that they        because before this time the Remonstrants of the
 are spread through all these Provinces, letters of         Classis of Nijmegen, Bommel, and Tie1 had delivered
 similar content.                                           to the States of Gelderland and to the Honorable
   When these letters were received, the States of each     Court there ten Articles which they said that the
 Province called together the Provincial or particular      other Ministers taught, they were mandated openly to
 Synods of their Churches, in which the objections          name those Preachers who taught these things, in
 which would be brought to the National Synod and           order that they might be hailed before the Synod and
 the- persons  .who were to be sent there with their        that it might be lawfully determined whether this was
 mandate and instructions were appointed and dele-          true. For it was known that the Remonstrants had
 gated by the common vote of the Churches. These            slanderously fabricated these Articles  aga-mst the
 things took place in every Province according to the       Reformed Ministers, in order to make them hated by
 manner which had been followed until this. time in         the Government. But they could mention no one else
 these Reformed Churches, with the exception that in        in the entire Province than the Minister of  Hattern,-
 Holland and the Bishopric of Utrecht, because of the       who had abundantly cleared himself in the  Classis.
 great number -of the  Remonstrants,,`the  ordinary         And when the Synod nevertheless wanted to hail him
 procedure could not be followed in all things. For,        in order to be heard in its presence, then the
because in some Classes of Holland there had been           Remonstrants no longer persisted in this.  Hemicus
 separations, so that the Remonstrants had their own        Arnoldi, Minister at Delft, who was present there in
 separate Classical gatherings and the other Ministers      the name of the South-Holland Churches, also de-
 also had their own Classical gatherings, therefore the     clared that there was no one in South-Holland
 States of that Province had thought good that the          who taught or agreed with the aforesaid Articles. On
 Classes in which there had been no separation should,      -this account, the Synod earnestly rebuked them for
 according to the manner previously followed, dele-         these grievous slanders, and at once declared that the
 gate by majority vote four men who would be sent to        Churches of Gelderland did not accept nor support
 the particular Synod with regular power, and that in       the doctrine comprehended in those Articles as they
 the other Classes, in order to avoid confusion, the        had proposed them, although there were certain
 Remonstrants=should delegate two from their side,          clauses in them which, in themselves and taken in a
 and the other Ministers should similarly delegate two      proper sense, could not be rejected. The Remon-
 men, who would be sent to the particular Synod with        strants at last acknowledged their guilt concerning
 equal power. In the Bishopric of Utrecht the               these unjust slanders, and begged forgiveness. After
 Churches were not yet divided into various Classes.        this, in the same Synod- the state of differences
 On this account, the States of that Province thought       between the Remonstrants and the other Ministers
 it good that all the Remonstrants should gather            was described, and this was later passed on to the
 separately in a Synod, and that the remaining Min-         National Synod. And, seeing that in that Province
 isters, who did not follow the views of the Remon-         there were many Ministers who were suspected of
 strants, of whom -there still remained a goodly            many other errors besides the Five Articles', of the
 number, should gather in another Synod, and that           -Remonstrance, and other Ministers who had been un-
 from each Synod and from each party three men              lawfully inducted into the ministry, and also  `,others
 should be delegated to the National. Synod with the        who led a scandalous-life, therefore some of these
 power to judge. However, the Church of Utrecht,            were hailed before the Synod; and on account of
 seeing that it was divided into parties, of which the      these reasons (but in no wise on account of their
 one followed the views of the Remonstrants, and the-.      views of the Five Remonstrant .Articles,  which were
 other rejected those views, and seeing that, being only    reserved for the National Synod).  ,they were  sus-
 recently delivered from the oppression of the              pende,d  -from their ministry. The/&e  of others was
 Remonstrants, it was-not yet provided with ordinary        committed to certain delegates in the name of the
 Ministers, but at the time was served by Johannes          Synod, to whom the States also added their com-
 Dibetz, Minister of Dordrecht  - therefore it hap-         missioners. These, after they had fully investigated
 pened that he was lawfully delegated by that other         the cases of those men in the Classes, suspended some
 Synod in the name of the Utrecht Churches which            from their ministry; and others were at once deposed
 did not follow the views of the Remonstrants. When         from the ministry.


                                                THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 491


FROM HOLY WRIT                                                                           -

 -



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


THE THREEFOLD QUESTIONS OF GALATIANS                           and the powers of darkness! What a plight of a
3:1-5 - continued                                              helpless and hell-doomed sinner. They ever more
      That Paul is indeed asking a very crucial question       gathered wrath unto the day when all the treasures of
in verse 5 ought to be very evident to all who reflect a       God will be revealed in  His just judgment. (Rom.
bit upon the meaning and implication of this ques-             2:1-5) But then the Gospel was preached on the
tion. It is so important that Paul can write, "Only this       Cross. A righteousness without law was preached,
would I learn from you: received ye the Spirit by              having the testimony of the law and prophets, the
works of the law or by the hearing of faith?" How              entire Old Testament Scriptures. (Rom. 3 : 2 l-25) And
did grace and the experience of the grace of salvation         the Holy Spirit had enlightened their eyes, inclined
and justification have its beginning and starting-point        their hearts to hear the good news; the arm of the
in their Christian experience? Upon this these                 Lord was revealed to them. And they consciously
"bewitched" Galatians ought to reflect and come to             received the Spirit by this hearing of faith!
their senses.                                                    Of this wonderful experience these Galatians are
      There are two sides to this question: the subjective     reminded by Paul. It was the time when they received
side of our experience and the objective side of God's        -Paul as an angel from heaven and they would have
basic manner of operation. Paul calls attention to             plucked their eyes out and given them to Paul. The
both of these. He does so in such a way that the               Gospel had become for them the pearl of great price,
manner of God's supplying the grace of the Spirit is           for which a man will sell all that he has to obtain it.
the final rule and canon in this weighty matter of             And here they were hearing,  2`0 all ye that thirst
salvation. Salvation is of the Lord. The subjective            come to the waters and buy and eat; yea, come buy
experience in -this matter must and will agree with the        wine and milk, without money and without price."
objective manner of God's working of faith and                 These Galatians were the nations that would run unto
miraculous powers in the midst of the saints in                Christ, because of the Lord their God. (Isaiah 55 : l-5)
Galatia.                                                       0, these waters were so sweet! There was nothing in
      Surely the Galatians received the Spirit by the          them of the bitterness of the Mara of sin. Peace with
hearing of faith. True it is, that, in order to hear, they     God through Jesus Christ, the Crucified Lord.
already had the operation of the Spirit in their hearts          Surely, these Galatians had not received all these.
by which they were made alive, and received the                spiritual blessings in heavenly places by "works of
ability to believe. They were born again. If this were         law." This had all been of no avail. It had been for
not true there could be no hearing of faith. Their             them as they were "without law" a perishing with the
hearing would not have been mingled with faith.                work of the law written in their hearts, "their con-
(Heb.  4:2) However, Paul is speaking here of the              science bearing witness,and  their thoughts the mean-
active hearing of faith as this receives the preaching of      while excusing or accusing one another." But from
Christ crucified for our sins, by sinners who are guilt-       law-works they did not receive the waters which flow
ridden, smitten in conscience, which needs to be               from the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Revelation
cleansed from dead works to serve the-living God.              22: 1; Ezekiel 47: 1-12.) Rivers of waters which are for
(Heb.  9:9, 14) Ever these worshippers of their hor-           the healing of the nations they had not received by
rible idols had been in the bondage of sin, trying to.         works of law. Not a drop of the water of life was
appease their terrifying gods with their oblations and         theirs from works of law. These are all cisterns that
sin-offerings. But they had not received any benefits          hold no water, broken vessels are these works.
of pardon and forgiveness of sins in them. They only             Surely this is a crucial question, did you receive
sank deeper in the bottomless mire of more sin and             the plenitude of the blessings of the Spirit, as He
shame! Ever more they were in the bonds of Satan               takes it out of Christ, gives it. to you, by the works of


492                                            THE STANDARD BEARER


law or by the hearing of faith? And there can be but         was all in vain, that. is, that they would not one day
one answer for the believing child of God in Galatia         receive the crown of the reward and be glorified with
and in all ages and times! The answer is loud and            Christ in His appearing. The "if it be yet in vain"
clear: by the hearing of faith al&e!                         suggests that Paul really believes the best while he
  But why by hearing of faith alone?                         fears the worst. He fears that it may be with these
                                                             Galatians as it was with those who were sown in
  God is the "supplier of the Spirit" through the            shallow ground in Jesus' parable of the sower. These
preaching of the Gospel and He makes this Gospel a           received the word anon with joy when they heard the
power, wholly Divine, unto salvation in all who be-          word of the Cross, but they had "no root in them-
lieve, the Jew first and also the Greek. There is a great    selves." Such faith dureth but- a little while, says
"supply" in Christ. A fullness of grace and truth.           Jesus. For when persecution arises because of the
(John 1: 16) Out of this fulness have we all received:       word, straightway he is offended. Now, Paul, does not
grace for grace. It is a fountain in Jacob, pure, fresh      know the hearts of these Galatians. He believes they
and thirst-quenching. But it all depends on the "One         are brethren. He hopes the best for them. Yet, he
who supplies the Spirit." The application of the work        would bring them to their senses by calling attention
of Christ on the Cross to the sinner-elect by faith is       to their unique suffering for the Gospel's sake and for
entirely God's work. That makes this question of Paul        the truth of justification by faith alone so that they
so binding on the conscience an-d so logically cogent        have peace with God.
in  .our reasonable service. Paul speaks of this great
"supply" also in Philippians 1: 19. It is grace abound-        It is ever good that we are recalled of better days
ing, greater than all our sins and guilt.                    of faith in our life so that we may take courage for
                                                             the battle at hand and for what lies before us! Thus,
  God does one thing more. Fact is, He had done              through admonition and warnings and threatenings of
some thing to confirm the manifestation of the               the Gospel Paul will woo these Galatians, so that,
Gospel-preaching in the midst of these Galatians. He         once more, Christ may be formed in them. What a
had shown the "energy" (energoon) in the "powers,"           travail of soul for this faithful man of God!
signs, which had been wrought in the midst of these
churches. These were for the confirmation of the             THE GREAT FAITH-EXPERIENCE OF ABRAHAM
Gospel, that the Lord had taken all our sins and             CITED BY PAUL (Galatians 3 : 6; Genesis 15 : 6)
diseases upon himself. (Matthew  8:17) There had
been healings of diseases, speaking with tongues,              Paul will now begin this great exposition of the Old
interpretations, which revealed the almighty power of        Testament Scriptures as these have direct bearing on
God in Christ in their midst to save. It was not the         the point at issue: receive the Spirit by works of law
preaching of an impotent and helpless idol, but the          or by the hearing of faith. For what is written con-
manifestation of the living God in the working of His        cerning Abraham in Genesis 15:6 is normative for the
saving power.                                                New Testament saint. Abraham is the father of be-
                                                             lievers, both of the Jew and of the Greek. (Romans
  How did God supply the Spirit and work these               4:9-l 3) What Paul cites here concerning Abraham is
great powers in their midst and in their hearts?             applicable to both, the circumcision and the foreskin,
  Once more the cogent question is: out of works of          Jew and Gentile. It is a remarkable thing that Paul
law or by the hearing of faith? Which? Can there be          simply assumes this to be true and that this is under-
any doubt?                                                   stood also by the Galatians.
  For such a great benefit of salvation and by the             When Paul therefore writes "even as" Abraham, he
very power of this faith the Galatians had suffered for      is connecting the spiritual father with his children.
Christ's sake. They had endured reproach, scorn, and         "For as many as be out of faith are the sons of
derision because they had found peace in the blood           Abraham." With one stroke of the pen everything is
of the Cross alone. It is true that we do not read in        set in the proper Scriptural perspective. This is
the Book of Acts concerning this suffering. But Paul         masterful use of the Scriptures which cannot be
had told the congregation that "we must through              broken, but fulfilled in their last jot and tittle.
much affliction enter into the kingdom of God."              Abraham's experience of faith is to be the universal
(Acts 14:22) And Jesus told his disciples in the night       experience of all. Such can not be said of other men
in which he was betrayed, "In the world ye shall have        in the church. Their name is not "father of many
tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome           nations.  " One may think highly of a Thomas a
the world." (John  16:33) That is the determining            Kempis   in  his1 Imitation of Christ,  or of a John
way of God for His saints. We must suffer with Christ        Bunyan in his Pilgrim's Progress, his Holy War, but it
to be glorified with Him. (Romans 8: 17; II Tim. 2: 3,       is not normative in the church, and it should not be
12; I Peter 4: 13; etc.)                                     suggested that such works are normative. Such men
  Now Paul can hardly believe that such suffering            themselves must be measured by the Scriptures and


                                               THE STANDARD BEARER                                                 493


 what these teach concerning the experience of "be-           quences of what God revealed to Abraham under the
 lieving Abraham." Paul does not cite Jeremiah's ex-          stars of heaven when he appeared unto him as related
 perience as reflected in  his Lamentations.  Not             in Genesis 15: l-6. When this is understood the most
 Jeremiah is the father of believers, but only Abraham.       "bewitched" will come to their spiritual senses and,
 And he is the acknowledged "father" by Jew and               once more, see the false teachers for what they really
 Greek. (John  8:33-58; Acts  3:13;  3:25; James  2:21,       are. They are the troublers in Israel. They preach a
 23)                                                          gospel which is not a gospel at all. They are worthy of
   Well may the Galatian readers, and we with them,           the anathema of God, and to be assigned with the
 take special heed to what Paul will be telling us con-       Devil and the false prophets to the bottomless pit of
 cerning the implications, the far-reaching conse-            hell. (Gal. 1:8,9; Rev. 2O:lO)

 SIGNS OF THE TIMES


                                          The Antichrist
                                                   Rev. H. Veldman


   The Signs of the Times which occupy our attention          refer to him. There are many passages in the Word of
 in this rubric are the signs which are connected with        God that refer to him. The Lord speaks of false
 the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in His final             prophets that come in sheep's clothing but who in-
 appearance upon the clouds of heaven and as they are         wardly are ravening wolves. Besides, He warns that
 peculiarly characteristic of our present day and age.        many shall come in His Name, saying that they are
 The church, of course, is vitally interested in these        Christ, and shall deceive many. And in Matt. 24:24
 precursory signs, signs which precede the final coming       we read: "For there. shall arise false Christs, and false
 of our Lord. They and the life of the church are             prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; in-
 inseparably connected. All our life and hope stand or        somuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the
 fall with them. Without them we are doomed. Should           very elect." And it is well known that it is the anti-
 they fail to materialize our situation is utterly hope-      christ who is held before us in the book of Revela-
 less. The final coming of our Lord Jesus Christ means        tion, chapters 13 and 17. In addition to this, we have
 victory and eternal glory for the cause of God in the        a very vivid description of the antichrist, the Man of
 midst of the world. This explains the longing and            Sin, whose chief characteristic is sin, the "Son of
 desire of the church of God for this final coming of         Perdition," in 2 Thess.  2:3-l 0. But the word anti-
 the Lord as expressed in the scriptures. The church          christ itself appears only in the epistles of John - see
 gave expression to this hope throughout the Old Dis-         I John 2:18,22; I John 4:3; 2 John 7.
 pensation. Eve called her firstborn Cain and said: "I          It lies in the nature of the case that the. antichrist
 have gotten a man from the Lord." Gen. 4: 1. And             should reveal himself in the New Dispensation. This
 how vivid is this longing of God's waiting saints, as set    does not mean that he was completely absent in the
 forth in Ps. 130. That the church of today, nominally        Old Testament. Even as Christ did not appear until
 speaking, is not characterized by this passion and           the New Dispensation, but there was a shadow of
 longing for Christ's return is also a sign of the times.     Him in the Old Testament, so there was no antichrist
 The Word of God also calls attention to the Great            until the New Dispensation, but there was a shadow
 Apostasy, the great falling away or defection, and           of him in the days of the shadows. In Rev. 12 we
 that the love of many shall wax cold. But the church         have a picture of the church of God as in the Old
of God continues to cry out: "Watchman, what of               Dispensation. The woman there, of whom we read
 the night? When will it end? When will the morning           that she was with child, represents the church of the
 dawn?" Among these signs of the times, the pre-              Old Dispensation. The dragon who threatens her is,
 cursory signs, the signs which precede and are imme-         we know, the devil. And this certainly means that the
 diately connected with the final coming of the Lord,         church was constantly threatened by the representa-
 is also the sign of the antichrist.                          tive of the dragon, and this representative is surely
   The word antichrist is found in Scripture only in          the type of the antichrist throughout the days of the
 the epistles of John. This, of course, does not mean         Old Dispensation. We need not call attention to this
 that these are the only passages in Holy Writ that           in any detail. Think of Egypt, the wilderness, of


494                                           THE STANDARD BEARER



Han-ran in the days of Esther. And many of our              will be a person. Of course, he will not merely be
readers must be familiar with the name of Antiochus         alone. No dictator has ever been what he is as merely
Epiphanes. That he is the focus of the book of              alone. Alexander the Great, Caesar, Napoleon, etc.,
Daniel, the little horn of Dan. 7, is beyond contradic-     were what they were because of their support by
tion. What a monster of iniquity he was! He was             those who stood with them. Rev. 12 speaks of two
determined, in behalf of Greek culture, to wage a           beasts. In Rev. 13: l-10 we read of the monster that
relentless attack upon the Jewish religion and the          rises up out of the sea. This beast has seven heads and
scriptures, provoking the uprising which resulted in        ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon
the temporarily brilliant period of Maccabean rule.         his heads the name of blasphemy. This beast repre-
We need not calI attention to him at length. He was         sents the antichrist from the aspect of his political
especially a devotee, it is said, of the heather god        power. The deadly wound that was healed was in-
Zeus, of whom it is probable that he thought himself        flicted at the tower of Babel. Now that wound is
an incarnation (hence his own title for himself  -          healed. The various beasts mentioned in verse 2 refer
Theos Epiphanes, "God Manifest"). How he fought             to world powers. Now, at the end of the ages, the
against Jerusalem! He first punished it as a rebellious     governments of the world will be united. The wound
city; later he determined to make it a stronghold of        shall have been healed, and the antichrist will be
his kingdom as an outpost against Egypt, and it was         supreme. Also Gog and Magog, the heathen nations,
to be Hellenized (made Greek). The Jewish religion          will be in subjection to him. And this antichrist, we
was to be blotted out, the Temple was plundered and         read, shall make war with the saints, to overcome
converted into a sanctuary of Zeus Olympios, the            them. Power was given him over all  kindreds and
worship of Dionysis was introduced, the Jews were to        tongues and nations. All that dwell upon the earth
sacrifice to heathen deities and eat sacrificed swine,      shall worship him, whose names are not written in the
while their books were to be destroyed. And these           book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of
measures were enforced by frequent massacres.               the world.  AlI shall worship him, except the saints.
   The coming of the antichrist is characteristic of the    They will be persecuted and killed. These will be the
New Dispensation. This , of course, is understandable.      days `of unprecedented fury and violence for the
Christ came. And His coming, of course, draws forth         people of God. They will be the days of which the
the coming of the antichrist. The word antichrist is a      scriptures declare that they will be shortened for the
compound word, consisting of Christ and another             sake of the elect.
word that may mean either "against" or "instead of."          Rev. 13, however, also speaks of another beast. In
We may combine these two meanings. The antichrist           the verses 1 l- 18 we read of the beast that rises up out
is surely he who opposes the Christ. But .it is also        of the earth. This beast has two horns like a lamb,
evident from the Word of God that he is opposed to          and he spake as a dragon. This beast, too, represents
the Christ in order to take His place. Do we not read       the antichrist. Of course, there are not two anti-
this literally in the Word of God? Does not the Lord        christs. There is only one antichrist. This second beast
speak of false prophets who claim to be the Christ, to      represents him from his religious aspect. The anti-
draw the attention of the people away from Christ           christ will be greatly admired. We read in Rev. 13 :8
and upon themselves, who, therefore, would take the         that all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him.
place of the Christ?                                        His reign will be characterized by great prosperity.
                                                            Peace will reign. Everywhere people will enjoy pros-
  Is he discernible in our present day? We read in I        perity and abundance. The lusts of the flesh and of
John 2: 18: "Little children, it is the last time (or       the eyes will prevail throughout his kingdom. Of
hour): and as  ye- have heard that  ant%hrist shall         course, it will be the kingdom of antichrist. Upon his
come, even-now are there many antichrists; whereby          head will be the name of blasphemy. He will deny the
we know that it is the last time." `This time is the        God of heaven and earth. He will denounce and ridi-
New Dispensation. It is the last hour upon the clock        cule the Christ, the Lamb of God that was slain from
of the unfolding of God's counsel with respect to the       before the foundation of the world. He will, we read,
coming of Christ's kingdom. The clock has struck            sit in the temple as God. He will claim full respon-
Eleven. This occurred at Pentecost; the next time the       sibility for the peace and propserity of his kingdom.
clock strikes, Twelve, will mark the end of the world.      He will be worshiped and acclaimed as the sole source
And throughout this last hour there have been many          of all their abundance. They all will bow down before.
antichrists. Throughout this last hour many false           him, and shout it out: Heil, Saviour! Now we read in
prophets have arisen. And they will culminate Q-r tJ6       Rev. 13 that the second beast serves the first. The
antichrist.                                                 church, the false church, with all its teaching and
  This antichrist is heldvividly before us-in Rev. 13.      philosophy, will prepare the children of men for this
We need not discuss the question whether he will be a       antichristian kingdom. This false church will corrupt.
person or a federation of powers. I believe that he         the Word of God, undermine the foundations of the-

               -

                                                                                                    -


                                                  THE STANDARD BEARER                                                  495


  truth, substitute the lie for the truth, instill into the      mind, however, that this can happen in a com-
  hearts and minds of the children of men the love of            paratively brief period of time. It is not difficult to
  Mammon, the love of the things that are below, the.            envision a time when a leader will emerge out of all
  desire to make this world a better place in which to           our present  .chaos who will lead the peoples of the
  live. A social gospel will replace the gospel of our           earth out of our present problems and difficulties.
  Lord Jesus Christ. The earthly will replace the                Such a man will surely be worshipped.
  heavenly. All things shall have but one purpose: to              Finally, I must call your attention to one more
- lead men away from the God of heaven and earth and             thing. I refer now to the church, the nominal church,
  His Christ, and to set up a kingdom in which the               that which calls itself the church of God and of
  results of sin will be banished but sin itself will prevail    Christ. In the past, churches have been merging. They
  and rule supreme. And whoever oppose this develop-             have been merging, of course, at the cost of the truth.
  ment of the antichristian kingdom will be destroyed;           And this movement will surely accelerate. However,
  there will be no place for them upon the face of the           look at this church today. It is assuming more and
  earth.                                                         more the aspect of the false church. Synodically, they
  Do we recognize this development today? How                    occupy their attention, not with things that concern
  important it is that we recognize it!  For those who           the truth, but with things that are of a social nature.
  are asleep, spiritually, Christ will come as a thief in        The fundamental truths of the Word of God are being
  the night. Of this we read in I Thess. 5. How terrible         denied and undermined. The authority of the Scrip-
  this will be!                                                  tures as the unerring, infallible Word of God is being
    Besides, it is not all difficult to envision- this           questioned and' denied. The synthesis is replacing the
  development. True, many things must yet happen.                antithesis. Fundamental institutions such as marriage
  Indeed, many things have already happened. The                 are becoming increasingly a laughing stock, a
  gospel has been preached to all nations. Earthquakes,          mockery. The carnal enjoyment of the things that are
  terrible earthquakes, have become frighteningly                below supercede the things of the Kingdom of
  common. There is also much famine throughout the               Heaven. The reign of antichrist is being prepared.
  world. And so we could go on. Yet, many things must            What shall we say? Let us be sober and watch unto
  yet happen. The nations must become united.' The               prayer. Let us hold fast that which we have, that no
  peoples of the earth must become one. Let us bear in           man take our crown.

  TAKING HEED TO THE DOCTRINE


                   A Reformed Look at Pentecostalism
                                                  by Rev. David Engelsma                                    -



     In two previous articles (April 1 and May 1 issues            Pent.`s argument for miracles today is simple:
  of the Standard Bearer), we examined the Pentecostal           Scripture teaches that the miraculous was part of the
  doctrine of the baptism with the Holy Spirit and               life and ministry of the Church during the time of the
  began to examine the related Pentecostal doctrine of           apostles; therefore, the gift of performing miracles
  the extraordinary gifts, the "charismata." It was              should be found in the Church today.
  readily acknowledged that Scripture teaches that                 Ignored by Pent. is Scripture's teaching that
  there were extraordinary gifts - the miraculous - in           miracles were "signs of an apostle." The power of
  the time of the apostles, including the gift of speaking       doing miracles was attached to the apostolic office
  in tongues. We will now consider Pentecostalism's              and had as its purpose the authenticating of the
  appeal to Scripture in support of its teaching and             apostles as special servants of Christ and the con-
  practice of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit. The         firming of their doctrine as the gospel of God. This
  answer of the Reformed faith to this appeal will be            does not imply that only the apostles could perform
  given. It will be shown from Scripture itself why              miracles; in fact, other saints also possessed the gift of
  miracles were found in the days of the'apostles, but           the working of miracles. But it does mean that the
  are lacking today.                                             miraculous was apostolic: it derived -from the apos-


  D


  496                                              THE STANDARD BEARER


 tolic office present in the Church at that time, and it       salvation. They must give heed to this Word, and they
 served to attest the apostles and their doctrine.             must not let it slip. "Therefore we ought to give the
 Miracles were the credentials of the apostles.                more earnest heed to the things which we have heard,
        The necessity of miracles during the apostolic age     lest at any time we should let them slip." How do we
 is to be found in the unique labor of the apostles.           come to have the Word of God? It was first spoken
 They laid the foundation of the New Testament                by the Lord Jesus Himself. Then it was confirmed
 Church of Christ. So Paul writes in Ephesians 2:20:          unto us by "them that heard Him." These are the
 the Gentile believers, with the Christians from Israel,      apostles. Concerning these apostles, verse 4 states:
 "are built upon the foundation of the apostles and            "God also bearing them witness, both with signs and
 prophets." The apostles  are the foundation of the           wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the
 Church, even as Christ is "the chief corner stone."          Holy Ghost, according to his own will."
 They are the foundation by virtue of the Word which             The reference is to miracles, described, as in II
 they proclaim and write. Similarly, in I Corinthians         Corinthians 12: 12, as "signs and wonders and . . .
 3: 10, Paul claims to have laid the foundation of the        miracles (the same word as that translated `mighty
 Church at Corinth, whereas others then build upon            deeds' in II Corinthians 12: 12 -DE)." Strikingly, this
 this foundation: "According to the grace of God              passage also speaks of "gifts of the Holy Ghost." The
 which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I           word, "gifts," could better be translated as `distribu-
 have laid the foundation, and another buildeth there-        tions' (of the Holy Ghost). These are the extra-
 on . . ."                                                    ordinary gifts of the Spirit found in the Church at the
       That miracles, including the miracle of tongues,       time of the apostles. Among them were the gift of
 were part of the apostolic office is taught in II Corin-     "kinds of tongues" and the gift of "the interpretation
 thians  12:12: "Truly the signs of an apostle were           of tongues," as I Corinthians 12: 10 shows.
 wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and                Miracles and extraordinary gifts of the Spirit were
 wonders, and mighty deeds." Paul is defending his            God's witness to those who heard Christ, i.e., the
 apostleship in view of the attack on that apostleship        apostles. The purpose of this witness was the apostles'
 at Corinth. He laments, in verse 11, that he was not         confirming of Christ's Word to us, i.e., to attest the
 commended of the Corinthians, even though "in                apostolic doctrine as the very Word of God. Miracles
 nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles." The         and the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit are not for all
 Corinthians should have recognized and honored               times, but were for the apostolic age; they were
 Paul's apostleship, for Christ gave clear proof of it in     attached  .by the Divine will to the office of the
 the miracles that He worked through Paul. Miracles           apostle in order that they might confirm the Word
 are described as signs, wonders, and mighty deeds.           which the apostles brought.
 They are called "signs of an apostle:" Literally, we            That the function of the miraculous was the con-
 read: "the signs of the apostle." Miracles indicate the      firmation of the apostolic gospel is taught in Mark
presence and power of apostleship. ,They belong to            16:20: "And they (the apostles, to whom the risen
 the apostolic office.                                        Christ had given the commission to go into all the
       Hebrews 2:3,4 also connect the extraordinary gifts     world and preach the gospel -DE) went forth, and
of the Spirit with the apostolic office. The first three      preached everywhere, the Lord working with them,
verses of the chapter are a warning against neglecting        and confirming the word with signs following." The
the "so great salvation." One does this by refusing to        signs, or miracles, were the Lord's powerful confirma-
give earnest heed to the Word of God. For we have             tion of the Word preached by the apostles. Acts 14:3
this salvation  through the Word.  "How shall we              ascribes the same significance to the miracles of Paul
escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the        and Barnabas: "Long time therefore abode they
first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was con-            speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony
firmed unto us by them that heard him?" The great sal-        unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and
vation is spoken; we have it by hearing. The passage          wonders to be done by their hands."
establishes the primacy of the preaching of the Word            The apostolic office was not a permanent office in
as the means of salvation. Even in the apostolic age,not      the Church, but a temporary one. The qualifications
miracles, not extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, but the      of an apostle show this. An apostle had to be called
proclamation of the Word was the main thing.                  and commissioned by the risen Lord directly, which
Miracles were secondary; they were strictly sub-              included that he received the gospel from Jesus Him-
servient to the apostolic doctrine.                           self. In addition, he was required to have seen the
       The passage also teaches that miracles belonged to     risen Jesus, so that he could preach a resurrection of
the apostolic office and ministry. The author has said        which he had himself been an eye-witness (cf. I Cor.
that the New Testament saints, the Hebrew Christians          9:l).        ^
in particular, have the Word of God that brings them          - The specific task of the apostle also indicates the


                                             THE STANDARD BEARER                                                           497


temporary nature of the office. This task was the           Intuitively striking to the very heart of the issue  -
laying of the foundation of the Church. One does not        and this is the heart of the issue also today as regards
forever lay the foundation of a building. There comes       Pent., Luther called the faithful to believe, live by,
a time when the foundation is laid. Then those              and stick to the bare Word of God, even though
whose work is foundation-laying are removed; and            heretics were producing a veritable snowstorm of
others, pastors and teachers, whose calling it is to        miracles in order to seduce them from the truth.
build on the foundation, are given to the Church.
  But if the office of apostle disappeared, so also                Calvin gave a more detailed explanation of the
                                                                Reformed position: "In demanding miracles from us,
must the miraculous have disappeared, "the signs of             they act dishonestly; for we have not coined some
an apostle," for the miraculous was part of that office         new gospel, but retain the very one the truth of
and served that ministry.                                       which is confirmed by  all the miracles which Christ
  By the same token, those who insist on miracles               and the apostles ever wrought. But they have a pecu-
today must produce apostles also. Let the Pentecos-             liarity which we have not  - They can confirm their
tals put forward their apostles! It is noteworthy that          faith by constant miracles down to the present day!
the Irvingite movement (a precursor of Pent.  I%                Nay rather, they allege miracles which might produce
                                                                wavering in minds otherwise well disposed; they are
England in the 1800's, named after its leader, Edward           so frivolous and ridiculous, so vain and false. But
Irving) appointed twelve apostles. In so doing, the             were they even exceedingly wonderful, they could
movement was, at least, consistent.                             have no effect against the truth of God, whose name
  Church history witnesses to the truth of Scripture's          ought to be hallowed  always, and everywhere,
teaching that miracles and extraordinary gifts were             whether by miracles, or by the natural course of
temporary. Miracles ceased in the Church about A.D.             events. The deception would perhaps be more
                                                                specious if Scripture did not admonish us of the legit-
100, roughly the time of the death of the last apostle.         imate end and use of miracles. Mark tells us (Mark
For a time after this, only the heretical' and schis-           16:20) that the signs which  followed the preaching of
matic sects claimed the power of doing miracles, e.g.,          the apostles were wrought in confirmation of it; so
the Montanists (a second century sect named after its           Luke also relates that the Lord `gave testimony to the
leader, Montanus). As time passed, the power of                 word of his grace,  and.granted  signs and wonders to
doing miracles began again to be claimed and stressed           be done' by the hands of the apostles (Acts  14:3)"
within the catholic church; but, significantly, this            (Institutes, Prefatory Address to the Ring of France).
went hand in hand with the church's departure from
the truth of the gospel. The Roman Catholic Church,           The wonders of Pent., like the miracles of Rome,
of course, has always claimed the power of per-             are fraudulent. They are part and parcel of the only
forming miracles and has always bewitched her               miracles that Scripture prophesies for the last days:
people with these wonders.                                  the signs and wonders of the false  christs and false
                                                            prophets who would deceive the very elect, if it were
  The purified Church of the Reformation expressly          possible (Matt. 24:24);  the power and signs and lying
disavowed all miracles. The Reformation was con-            wonders of the man of -sin who will deceive those
fronted with miracles on two fronts: Rome and the           who do not receive the love of the truth (II Thess.
anabaptist groups with their mystical "religion of the      2:9-12).
Spirit." Both Rome and the Mystics appealed to their
miracles as proof that they were the true religion and        Beware! Do not be hoodwinked by the  modern-
taunted the Reformation with its lack of miracles.          day miracle-mongers!


                                          Book Review
REASON WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF RELIGION,                       involve another book of the same length; and that is
by Nicholas Wolterstorff; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publish-.         manifestly impossible in a review. 3) The book is so
ing Company, 1976; pp., $2.45 (paper).                      totally foreign to the Christian faith that there is
  This is a somewhat difficult book to review. There        almost nothing in it with which one can agree if he
are several reasons for this. 1) The book is not easy       takes his stand on the  .position  of the historic
to understand. It is philosophically oriented and the       Reformed faith. -One scarcely knows where to begin
language is not always as clear' as it could be. 2) In a    in a review of this sort.
way, to do justice to the book, one ought to offer a          The book is really an attempt to establish a Chris-
rather lengthy critique of what Wolterstorff writes.        tian epistemology - epistemology being that branch
And yet a critique of the entire book would probably        of philosophy which deals with the whole subject of


498                                                    `THE STANDARD BEARER



how we kizow. It is a rejection of the position which              it follows that there is no doctrine in Scripture. And
has been held by those of the Calvinistic and Re-                  this is precisely what the book says. Or, perhaps
formed faith, and it is an attempt to develop an al-               somewhat more accurately, doctrine, if it is there, is
ternative which will be philosophically defensible.                not really important, can change from age to age,
But it offers no real Christian alternative. In fact, as I         may in fact be false. A few quotes will make this
read the book, it offers no alternative at all, but                clear.
comes perilously close to scepticism.                                        To  be a Christian is to be fundamentally com-
  The first half of the book is intent on destroying                   mitted to being a Christ-follower. . . . (p. 67)
all the positions which have been held in the past.                          Anyone who is fundamentally committed to being
Among those destroyed are the position of Augustine                    a Christ-follower will in consequence do and believe
- "Credo ut  intelligam,   " "I believe that I may                     certain things. . . . (p. 68)
know"; the position of Aquinas and his tise bf natural                On what basis a Christian ought to believe one
reason; and the position of Calvin. All these views are            thing (even what the Bible teaches) and not another is
described as being the position of "foundationalism,"              not explained in the book so far as I could detect.
i.e., "the existence of a body of foundatiolial propo-             Wolterstorff does not accept the inerrancy of Scrip-
sitions - that is, propositions which are not only true            ture.
but can be known noninferentially and with certitude
to be true." (p. 42.)                                                        But committing yourself to be a Christ-follower
                                                                       also presupposes that you have some conviction
  It would seem that this position of Wdlterstorff                     about the complex of action and belief that  your
implies a rejection of the key role of Scripture in all                following of Christ  ought  to be realized in. On the
our knowledge. This is indeed true. Wolterstorff does                  matter of what that is, Christians of course disagree
not have very much respect for Scripture (and with                     widely (as they do on the issue of how one ought to
Scripture, faith) in the process of our knowing.                       go about finding out). Yet every Christian, whether
  Perhaps a brief statement of his position is in                      liberal or conservative, has some notion of how his
order. In a footnote (sic) Wolterstorff  states what                   fundamental commitment ought to be realized. And
                                                                       the complex of action and belief that its realization
seems to me his most basic error. Here he dis-                         ought in fact to assume, for any given person, is what
tinguishes between God's speaking and God's reveal-                    I shall call  his authentic  Christian commitment. (p.
ing. He writes:                                         I              68)
          One might be inclined to respond that to speak of           If this last statement does not make all knowledge
       God revealing is to say the same thing in  ditferent        relative and subjective, then I cannot understand the
       words as to speak of God speaking. But this is false.       English language.
       The difference can perhaps best be seen by reflecting
       on human speech. Suppose I say to you "Close the                      This (expressed as briefly as possible) is how in my
       door." No doubt in saying this I reveal various things,         judgment our following of Christ  ought  to be
       in particular, various things about myself.  But  I             actualized. Notice that on this view authentic Chris-
       would regard it as perverse on your part for you to             tian commitment is not to be identified with sub-
       focus on that. For it was only in the course of issuing         scription to  dogmas.  Indeed, it is not to be identified
       a command that I revealed something. And my intent.             with the believing of propositions, dogmatic or other-
       in issuing the command was not to satisfy your curi-            wise.  But notice also that it does  incorporate this in
       osity about me, but to get you to close the door.               several ways. (p. 69)
       Now it is because  faith  has always been paired off                  It may even be that the belief-content of my
       with revekztion in the classical theologies, and because        authentic Christian. commitment contains certain
       I think that God's speaking rather than God's reveal-           falsehoods. Frequently in teaching children one `tells
       ing should be taken as our basic theological concept,           them what is, strictly speaking, false. So also it may
       that I wish to avoid using the concept of faith at this         be that some of what God says to us is, strictly speak-
       point. (p. 112, footnote 34)                                    ing, false, accotimodated to our frailty. Yet, it may be
  This is totally wrong, and deadly. While it may be                   that we are obliged to believe it. (p. 113, footnote
true what Wolterstorff says about human speech, he                     38.)
is completely wrong about God's speech. All God's                    Notice that here Wolterstorff says, in so many
speech is the revelation of Himself in the face of                 words, that God's revelation may be false.
Christ His Son. And eternal life is "to know the only
true God and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent."                      The obvious consequence of all this is that there is
(John 17:3.) Every command in Scripture is a revela-               no real or genuine Christian perspective in scholar-
tion of God. Every command has its justification                   ship. The whole of Chap. 11 is really devoted to this
because God is what He js; and He has told us what                 matter, and it is not always clear exactly what
He is; and we must obey because of this.                           Wolterstorff is saying. But he writes, e.g.,
  If Wolterstorff takes this erroneous position, then                        From these corollaries it is clear that it will  often


                                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                                    499


     be insufficient for a Christian scholar to propose as                                      to the conviction that sometimes we are warranted in
     his reason for holding some theory the fact that he is                                     accepting some theory and sometimes we are war-
     a Christian (i.e., that the theory is entailed by belief-                                  ranted in not accepting some theory. (p. 100)
     content of his authentic commitment). The belief-                                        So that is the end of the matter. The only standard
     content of his authentic commitment will frequently                                   for judging the rightness or wrongness of a matter is
     neither contain nor entail theories on the matter that                                that "man throughout his existence is a responsible
     he as a scholar considers. . . . (p. 76.)                                             agent." How Wolterstorff can even be sure that this is
   What basis  is left for a man to determine what is                                      true, I have no way of knowing. And how this can
true and what is false?                                                                    serve as a basis for determining what is true and what
         It should be added that a person's theory of                                      is false, what is right and what is wrong, is a mystery
     whether theory acceptance and nonacceptance is                                        to me.
     sometimes, at least, warranted is itself influenced by                                   I say again: Wolterstorff's position can only lead to
     his control beliefs. We cannot at this point jump back                                scepticism  and theological suicide.
     onto some foundation. People no more agree on this
     matter than on any other. It is my own conviction                                        Perhaps the thought uppermost in my mind as I
     that man throughout his existence is a responsible                                    read this book was: how interesting and important it
     agent. This I view as a component in my authentic                                     is to develop a genuine Christian epistemology based
     Christian commitment. And it is this which leads me                                   on God's infallible Word.



                                                   Index to Volume  53

                              TEXTUAL INDEX                                                Ephesians 6: 14b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . w 482
                                                                                           Philippians 3:21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MS 170
Joshua1:9................................C.H.  218                                         Colossians  2:6,7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MS 458
Psalm  62:1,2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C.H. 146         Hebrews 13:20,21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MS 314
Isaiah 5:12-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RCH          11    IJohn3:2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..C H       2
Isaiah 5:19-23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RCH 248
Isaiah 5:24-30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RCH 296                                        BOOKS REVIEWED
Isaiah6...................................RC  H 422                                        Arzatomy  of a Hybrid, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 430
Isaiah 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RCH 469      Commentary on Romans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 259
Isaiah 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RCH          Con tinen  tal Pietism & Early American
I&&53:7.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2 6 6             Christianity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   1 4 3
Micah7:18-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..M S 27            Freedom and Grace: Essays by J.R. Lucas . . . . . . . . . HH 478
Matthew 2:15c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HV 122            Foundations  of  Christian Scholarship,
Matthew  7:24-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-IV        50       Essays in the Van TilPerspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HJ2 406
Luke  12:16-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RM 427         Genius  of  Puritanism, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ;. . . .HCH 235
Luke16:25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..C H 74             Gospel Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 334
Romans 6:16-18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MS.  242            I Believe in the Resurrection  of
Romans  11:6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MS         98       JesusChrist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3 5 8
Galatians l:l-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 85          Introduction to Puritan
Galatians l:l-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GL 131             Theology, A Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 310
Galatians  1:6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 188        Israel, A Biblical View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 143
Galatians  1:7-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 189        John Calvin  h Jacopo Sadoleto,
Galatians  1:lO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 224            A Reformation Debate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 406
Galatians 1:15,17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GL 274              Mission Trends No. 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RDD 190
Galatians 1: 18-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 323          Paul: An Outline  of  His Theology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 16 1
Galatians 2:1-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 324          Pioneer Preacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 9 5
Galatians 2:11,14-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 349              Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 209
Galatians 2: 15-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 395          Reason Within the Bounds of  Religion . . . . . . . . . . . HH 497
Galatians 2: 19-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 442          Walker's Comprehensive Bible
Galatians 3:1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :. . GL 443             Concordance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 263
Galatians 3:1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 491
Ephesians  4:11-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MS 386                                   SUBJECT  - TITLE INDEX
Ephesians 6:lO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HV 194                                                 -A-
Ephesians 6:13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HV 338
Ephesians6:14a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..HV 410              ACL and the Athanasian Creed, The . . . . . -. . . . . . . GVB 285


 500                                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER



 A.E.C.L.`s  Constitution, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I .GVB 236                Building Project  - Covenant Protestant
 Abortion, The Awfulness of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 166                    Reformed Church, Wyckoff, New Jersey . . . . . . AdH 429
 Abortion  - Again. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 286           Bultmann, Rudolph Dies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB              67
 Acts of the Synod of Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH                 29    Bureaucratic Intrusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB  167
 Acts of the Synod of Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH                 55    Burying Place for a Princess, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 467
 Acts of the Synod of Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 105
 Acts of the Synod of Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 154                                                       -c-
 Acts of the Synod of Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 200                   C.O.C.U. and Unity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 214
 Acts of the Synod of Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 250                   C.R.C.?, Independance  for Canadian . . . . . . . . . . . . GVB 262
 Acts of the Synod of Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 280                   C.R.C. Synod and Dr. Verhey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB                46
 Acts of the Synod of Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 321                   C.R.C. Synod in Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 473
 Acts of the Synod of Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH  344                  C.R.C. Synod?, What's Up at the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GVB 404
 Acts of the Synod of Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH  380                Canons of Dordrecht: An Historical
 Acts of the Synod of Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 393                      Perspective, The (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MK 276
 Acts of the Synod of Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 440                   Canons of Dordrecht: An Historical
 Acts of the Synod of `Dordrecht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH                         Perspective, The (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MK 299
 AllBy Grace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MS    98    Canons of Dordrecht: An Historical
 Angels Unawares, Entertaining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 135                   Perspective, The (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MK 323
 Annual Report  R.F.P.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WDK 68                Carter and His Religion . . . . . s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB          67
 Antichrist, The . . . . . . . . . . . :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HV 493         Changing of our Vile Body, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MS 170
 Ashamed of Being Dutch? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 309                  Christ, Our High Priest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RDD  207
 Association of Evangelical                                                              Christ: Very God and Very Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RDD 109
    Lutheran Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GVB 2 15           Christian and Civil Government, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE 138
 Athanasian Creed, The ACL and the . . . . . . . . . . . . GVB 285                       Christian Ethics, Led by
 Atonement, Wiersinga and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GVB 2 14                  Specialists. . . in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB  237
 Awfulness of Abortion, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..G VB 166               Christian School, Victory for a. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB              85
                                                                                         Christ's Coming,The Signs of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HV 91
                                                                                         Christ's Gift of the Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MS 386
                                       -B-                                               Church Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
                                                                                         Church Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
 Baptism on the Mission Field (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 78                   Church Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
 Baptism on the Mission Field (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 101                   Civil Government, The Christian and . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE 138
 Baptism on the Mission Field (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 149                   Clasping a Viper to the Bosom (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 52
 Baptism on the Mission Field (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 198                  Clasping a Viper to the Bosom (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 125
 Baptism on the Mission Field (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 222                   Clasping a Viper to the Bosom (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 173
 Baptism on the Mission Field (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 245                   Combined Meeting of Two Synods in
 Baptism on the Mission Field (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 268                      the Netherlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB        67
 Baptism on the Mission Field (8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 317                   Comfort, Our Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CH 290
 Baptism on the Mission Field (9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iHCH  341                  Common Grace, Receding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 262
 Baptism on the Mission Field (10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 365                    Communion of Saints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MJ 38
 Baptism on the Mission Field (11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 389                   "Concerned Presbyterians" No More . . . . . . . . . . . . GVB 116
 Baptism, Reformed Thought on the                                                        Convocation Address, Seminary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH                  5
    Sacrament of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 175          Correspondence Concerning Baptism . . . . . . . . GL, HCH 369
 Baptism, Reformed Thought on the                                                        Correspondence Concerning Baptism . . . . . . . . TF, HCH 414
    Sacrament of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 247          Correspondence Concerning Letter
 Baptism, Reformed Thought on the                                                           toTimothy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H H   8 9
    Sacrament of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 268          Covenant Laughter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 62
 Baptism, Reformed Thought on the                                                        Covenant Protestant Reformed Church,
    Sacrament of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 293             Wyckoff, N.J., Building Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AdH 429
 "Battle for the Bible" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 308           Covenant Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JK 400
 BeStrongintheLord.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HV 194                Creator, Remember Thy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JK 21
 Belgic Confession, Article 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RDD              36
 Belgic Confession, Article 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RDD               69                                         -D-
 Belgic Confession, Article 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RDD 109                 Delightful Prayer, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 182
Belgic Confession, Article 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RDD 129                  Difficulties in the PCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GVB 3 82
 Belgic Confession, Article 21                             ............ RDD 207          Directory, Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
 Belgic Confession, Article 22 : : : : : : :  : : :               . . . .RDD  272        Directory, Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
 Bible ", "Battle for the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 308           Directory, Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
 Black Horse of Revelation, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HV 278                 Distinction, A Mark of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 107
 Books and Parchments, About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH                 77    Do We Need a Protestant Reformed
 Breastplate of Righteousness, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HV 482                   Teacher Training School? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WB          64
 Bring the Books and the Parchments . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH                      5    Dr.Verhey, C.R.C. Synod and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB                46


                                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                              501


Dooyeweerd: 1894-1977, Herman . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 383                       Fundamentalism and Our
Dordrecht, Acts of the Synod of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 29                       Reformed Heritage (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AdH 185
Dordrecht, Acts of the Synod of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 55
Dordrecht, Acts of the Synod of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 105                                                       -G-
Dordrecht, Acts of the Synod of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 154                  GKNandDr.H.M.Kuitert,The..                    . . . . . . . . . . . . ..HC H 196
Dordrecht, Acts of the Synod of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 200                  Gay Receive Their Pay, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 210
Dordrecht, Acts of the Synod of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 250                   GirdleofTruth,The.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HV 410
Dordrecht, Acts of the Synod of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 280                   God, Our Gracious . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RDD        36
Dordrecht, Acts of the Synod of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 321                   God's Justice and Mercy Manifest
Dordrecht, Acts of the Synod of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 344                      in Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RDD 129
Dordrecht, Acts of the Synod of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 380                   God'sSonCalledoutofEgypt.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HV 122
Dordrecht, Acts of the Synod of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 393                   God's Unfailing Mercy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MS 27
Dordrecht, Acts of the Synod of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 440                   God'sWord:ALampandaLight..                     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JS 451
Dordrecht, Acts of the Synod of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 488                   Good Courage, Of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CH 218
Drama a Legitimate Means to Convey                                                     Gospel, "Hyper-Calvinism" and
   the Truth?, Is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .WB 373       the Call of the (21). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE 32.
                                     -E-                                               Gospel, "Hyper-Calvinism" and
                                                                                          theCallofthe(22). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE 81
Earthquakes in divers places . . . , And                                               Gospel, "Hyper-Calvinism" and
   there shall be . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MI-II-I 40        the Call of the (23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE 204
Easter Prayer, An . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MS 314       Grace, All By . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MS 98
Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 26
Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 339                                             -H-
Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 412
Editor's Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 484        Hack-Horse for Sin, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RCH 116
Egypt,God'sSonCahedoutof                   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HV 122    Heritage, Fundamentalism and
Election, A New Exploration of                                                            Our Reformed (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AdH 158
   the Doctrine of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB      84     Heritage, Fundamentalism and
Election, Kuitert on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 115             Our Reformed (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AdH 185
Entertaining Angels Unawares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 135                Herman Dooyeweerd: 1894-1977 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 383
Envy Not the Wicked (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JK 202             Holding Fast the Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RGM 377
Envy Not the Wicked (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JK 255             House Divided?, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JS 304
Exposition of the Epistle to                                                           Human Defection and Divine Protection . . . . . . . . . . JH 325
   the Galatians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 85       "Hyper-Calvinism." See Gospel
Exposition of the Epistle to
   the Galatians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 131                                           -I-
Exposition of the Epistle to                                                           IRS and Tax Exemption for Churches . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 286
   the Galatians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 188      "If At First You don't Succeed. . ." . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB  262
Exposition of the Epistle to                                                           Implicit Trust in God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 453
   the Galatians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 224      In What Direction Are We Going? . . . . . . . . . . TF, HCH 127
Exposition of the Epistle to                                                           Incarnation of Jesus Christ, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RDD              69
   the Galatians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 274      Independence for Canadian C.R.C.? . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 262
Exposition of the Epistle to                                                           Is Drama a Legitimate Means to Convey
   the Galatians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 323         the Truth? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WB 373
Exposition of the Epistle to                                                           Israel's Woe - Judgments a "Future Shock" . . . . . . RCH                       11
   the Galatians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 349
Exposition of the Epistle to                                                                                                -J-
   the Galatians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 395
Exposition of the Epistle to                                                           Justice and Mercy Manifest in
   the Galatians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 442         Christ, God's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RDD  129
Exposition of the Epistle to
   the Galatians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 491                                          -K-
                                                                                       Keys, The Necessary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RGM         13
                                     -F-?                                              Knowledge Shall Be Increased, And . . . . . . . . . . . . MHH 231
Faith in Jesus Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RDD 272         Kuitert,TheGKNandDr.H.M.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 196
Form Without Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MHH 330               Kuitert on Election . i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GVB 115
Fourth General Assembly: Presbyterian
   Church in America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ECC 43                                                -L-
Friend or Foe? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 319        Labor, Sunday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB     84
FullyArmed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..HV 388        Languishing for God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CH       2
Fundamentalism and Our                                                                 Laughter, Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 62
   Reformed Heritage (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AdH 158             Laughing With Confidence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 370


 502                                                                    THE STANDARD BEARER



 Lazarus: One Whom God Helps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CH 74                       More Form and Still No Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MHH 471
 Led by Specialists. . . in
    Christian Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 237                                                    -N-
 Letter from the Seminary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212            NAPARC
 Letter to Timothy                                                                                         . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 215
                           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 34     Name,ANew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 18
 Letter to Timothy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 306            Necessary Keys, The
 Letter to Timothy                                                                                                       . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RGM       13
                           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 354    New Confession For the Presbyterian
 LettertoTimothy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 375                  Church U.S.?
 Letter to Timothy                                                                                                  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 215
                           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 402    New Exploration of the Doctrine,
 LettertoTimothy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 444                  of Election, A
 LettertoTimothy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                                              . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB     84
                                                                           HH 465          New Lutheran Denomination, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB                           68
 Letter to the Members of the                                                              NewName,A
    Congregation at Philadelphia                                                                                . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J H   1 8
                                             . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 59       News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 23
Letter to the Members of the                                                               News From Our Churches
    Congregation at Philadelphia                                                                                                   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 48
                                             . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 112      News From Our Churches
 Letter to the Members of the                                                                                                     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV       72
                                                                                           News From Our Churches
    Congregation at Philadelphia                                                                                                  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 96
                                             . i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 15 1     News From Our Churches
 Letter to the Members of the                                                                                                     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 120
                                                                                           News From Our Churches
    Congregation at Philadelphia                                                                                                  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 144
                                             . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 180      News From Our Churches
 Letter to the Members of the                                                                                                     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 168
                                                                                           News From Our Churches
    Congregation at Philadelphia                                                                                                  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 192
                                             . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 229      News From Our Churches
 Letter to the Members of the                                                                                                     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 216
                                                                                           News From Our Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 240
    Congregation at Philadelphia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 257                  News From Our Churches
 Letter to the Members of the                                                                                                     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 264
                                                                                           News From Our Churches
    Congregation at Philadelphia                                                                                                  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 288
                                            . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 283       News From Our Churches
 Liberated to Serve                                                                                                               . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 336
                           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MS 242    News From Our Churches
 Life Emiehment?                                                                                                                  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 360
                         . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 309      News From Our Churches
 Life-Long Lesson, A                                                                                                              . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 384
                            . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RVO    88     News From Our Churches
Little by Little                                                                                                                  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 408
                     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 233    News From Our Churches
Lord's Supper?, Roman Catholic-Reformed                                                                                           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 43 1
                                                             . . . . . . .GVB 383          News From Our Churches
 Lutheran Churches, Association of                                                                                                . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 456
                                                                                           News From Our Churches
   Evangelical                                                                                                                    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 478
                    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 215     News From Our Churches
Lutheran Denomination, A New                                                                                                      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KGV 504
                                              . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 68
                                                                                                                                   -o-
                                      -M-
Mark of Distinction, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 107              O.R.C. General Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB                      9
 "MarkoftheBeast"?,The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 115                      Our Appeal To Scripture (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JK 424
Marrowmen?, Who Were the (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 439                       Our Appeal To Scripture (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JK 446
Marrowmen?, Who Were the (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 461                        Our Appeal To Scripture (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JK 476
Mercy, God's Unfailing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MS 27              Our Gracious God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RDD 36
Mercy Manifest in Christ, God's                                                            Our Only Comfort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CH 290
   Justice and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RDD  129          "Our Song of Hope" - A Critique (1) . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 390
Methodology, About Reformed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JK 464                       "Our Song of Hope" - A Critique (2) . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 437
Methodology, Reply to About Reformed . . . . . . . . HCH 487                               "Our Song of Hope" - A Critique (3) . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 463
Ministering to the Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 16              "Our Song of Hope" - A Critique (4) . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 485
Ministering to the Saints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GL 57               Our Triple Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CH 362
Ministers, About Retirement of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 79                       Out of the Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 351
Ministers, About Retirement of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 118
Ministry, Christ's Gift of the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MS 386                                                        -P-
Misery, My Present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CH 434            P.C.A., Difficulties in the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GVB 382
Mission Field, Baptism on the (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 78                      Painful Parting, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 420
Mission Field, Baptism on the (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 101                     Pentecostalism, A Reformed Look at . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE 301
Mission Field, Baptism on the (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 149                     Pentecostalism, A Reformed Look at . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE 347
Mission Field, Baptism on the (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 198                   Pentecostalism, A Reformed. Look at . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE 495
Mission Field, Baptism on the (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 222                     Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RM 226
Mission Field, Baptism on the (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 245                     Prayer, A Delightful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 182
Mission Field, Baptism on the (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 268                     Prayer, An Easter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MS 314
Mission Field, Baptism on the (8). . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 317                      Predestination: The Heart of the Gospel . . . . . . . . . . . HH 416
Mission Field, Baptism on the (9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -.HCH  341                   Presbyterian Church in America, Fourth
Mission Field, Baptism on the (10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 365                         General Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ECC 43
MissionField,Baptismonthe(ll).                   . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 389          Presbyterian Church U.S.?, New
More Concern About Television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 262                        Confession for the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 215


                                                                   THE STANDARD BEARER                                                                                           503


Present Misery.. My . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CH 434       Signs of Christ's Coming, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HV 91
Present Truth Betrays Its Real Colors. . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 103                   Silent Sufferer, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HV 266
Presidential Pardon, About That . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 221                   Silent Unto God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CH 146
Pure Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MJ 178     Sin, A Hack-Horsefor_ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RCH 116
Pure Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MJ 259     Southern Presbyterians Reject
                                                                                          Proposed Constitution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 357
                                     -R-                                               Spiritual Coldness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HV 176
                                                                                       Sunday Labor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB                  84
R.E.S. and Sunday Observance, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . GVB 114                    Sunday Observance, The R.E.S. and . . . . . . . . . . . . . GVB 114
R.P.C.E.S. General Synod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB             10     Support for Scripture? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 287
Receding Common Grace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 262                 Synodof1977.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..G VB 414
RedHorse,The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HV 449           Synod of the Reformed Churches in
Reformed Ecumenical Synod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB               66         the Netherlands, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 115
Reformed Look at Pentecostalism, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE 301
Reformed Look at Pentecostahsm, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE 347,
Reformed Look at Pentecostalism, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . DE 495                                                               -T-
Reformed Methodology, About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JK 464                   Tax Exemption for Churches, IRS and . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 286
Reformed Thought on the Sacrament                                                      Teacher Training School?, Do We
   of Baptism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 175          Need a Protestant Reformed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WB                           64
Reformed Thought on the Sacrament                                                      Television, More Concern About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 262
   of Baptism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 247       Ten That Are Righteous, For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 156
Reformed Thought on the Sacrament                                                      They'd Rather Fight Than Pay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 261
   of Baptism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 268      Tidbits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 287
Reformed Thought on the Sacrament                                                      T i m e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M   J   3 3 2
   of Baptism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 293
Religion, Pure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MJ 178
Religion,Pure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MJ 259                                                -u-
Remember Thy Creator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JK 21               Union Church - A First for RCA - CRC . . . . . . . . .GVB                                    84
Reply to "About Reformed Methodology" . . . . . . .HCH 487                             Unity, C.O.C.U. and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 214
Responsibility to Church or School
   versus Responsibility to Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . .RVO 397                                                             -v-
Retirement of Ministers, About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH              79
Retirement of Ministers, About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 118                  Vistory for a Christian School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB                          85
Revelation, The Black Horse of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HV 278
Rich Fool, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RM 427                                                 -w-
Roman Catholic  - Reformed                                                             W.C.C. Meets in Nairobi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB                       45
   Lord's Supper? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 383         Walking in Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MS 458
Rudolph Bultmann Dies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB           67      `What Must I do to be Saved?" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 356
                                                                                       What'sUpattheC.R.C.Synod?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GVB 404
                                     -s-                                               `When I Survey . . ." - Pre-Publication
Sad Spectacle, A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 104            Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..HC H 341
Saints, Communion of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MJ 38             Who Were the Marrowmen? (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 439
Schuller's Branch Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GVB 383             Who Were the Marrowmen? (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HCH 46 1
Scripture, Our Appeal (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JK 424           Wiersinga and Atonement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GVB 214
Scripture, Our Appeal (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JK 446           Wise Builder, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HV                 50
Scripture, Our Appeal (3), . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JK 476            Wise in their Own Conceits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MI-III 133
Seminary Convocation Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH                  5
Seminary Graduation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HCH 413
Seminary Graduation Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HH 416                                                            -Y-
Shadow of Things to Come, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JH 252                   Youtli, Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JK 400


 THE STANDARD BfZARER                                                               ._.a=          SECOND C-LASS  '
        P.O. Box 6064                                                                             POSTAGE PAID AT
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506    .-         -     -    -___-        I
                                                                                               GRAND RAPIDS.  MICH.




                                        -~__                                         .,

 504                                            THE STANDARD BEARER
                                      News From Our Churches
   The installation of Rev. Wayne Bekkering  `as the             Geneva, just north of Holland, Michigan, on the
first pastor of our newest congregation, the Trinity             shores of Lake Michigan. The major speeches under
Protestant Reformed Church in Houston, Texas, took               the general theme of "Seek Ye the Lord" were as
place on Thursday evening, August 18. Rev. George                follows: "In Our Spiritual Activities," by Rev. Mark
Lubbers of Pella, Iowa, conducted the service. This              Hoeksema, "In Our Decisions in Life," by Rev.
must have been a special occasion for Rev. Lubbers,              Richard Moore, and "In Our Daily Walk," by Rev.
as he had spent a number of years working in                     Bernard Woudenberg.
Houston as home missionary.                                        A special congregational meeting was held in Red-
   There is quite a little more news concerning min-             lands on July 25 to consider questions concerning a
isterial calls than has been seen in this column in              new church building there. The consistory was
some time. Rev. Ronald Van  Overloop  declined the               authorized to work through the steering committee
call extended to him by Randolph, Wisconsin, Rev.                to prepare plans for the new building with a view to
Bekkering's former charge. Rev. James Slopsema de-               beginning the construction in 1978. Each family is to
clined the call from our Hudsonville church. From a              contribute at least $10 per month for the new church
trio consisting of Rev. Gise Van Baren, Rev; Meindert            building.
Joostens, and Candidate Kenneth Koole,  Hudsonville
church has extended a call to Rev. Van Baren of First              Another special congregational meeting was held to
Church. Rev. Joostens has received a call from the               consider plans for a new church building - this time
Orthodox Presbyterian Church of Christchurch, New                at Squthwest Church. Approval was given for a Phase
Zealand.                                                         I building program to construct a one story "Fellow-
   The annual Convocation to mark the opening of                 ship Wing" including fellowship room, society rooms,
our Seminary was scheduled for September 7 in                    class rooms, Council room, storage room, mechanical
Southwest Church. Prof. Decker spoke on the topic                room, kitchen, rest rooms, and a narthex. The fellow-
"Buying the Truth."                                              ship room will be used as a temporary Sanctuary with
   Toward the end of August, Rev. J. Kortering of                a temporary chancel at one end. The basic design of
our church in Redlands, California, left for a few               the new building is similar to the new building re-
weeks of work in Birmingham, Alabama. This work is               cently occupied by our Hudsonville congregation. To
being carried out under the direction of the "Western       pay for this new building, the present Southwest
Branch" of our denominational Mission Committee.            Church building will be put up for sale, the budget
Meanwhile, Rev. Harbach was waiting to hear from            raised $4 to $16.50 per family per week, and a cash
the Canadian Consulate relative to his application for           drive held, with the goal of obtaining $250 from each
a Canadian work permit which he must have in order          family' in the congregation to begin the building pro-
to begin a period of labor as home missionary in            gram. This new facility is estimated to cost between
Victoria, British Columbia. Rev. Harbach's work is               $155,000 and $170,000. Three churches now have
under the direction of the "Eastern Branch" of the          building plans for 1978  - Faith, Redlands, and
Mission Committee.                                          Southwest.
   Some additional information concerning the                      As a matter of interest, our Standard Bearer bus-
window drapery installed in our Hope Church,                iness manager likes to keep track of the states,
Walker, Michigan was received from the.Hope Church          provinces, countries, and continents to which the
building committee. These drapes are designed to            publication is sent. He recently received a subscrip-
`reduce the glare which sometimes proved to be rather       tion from the Republic of Nauru. When he inquired
strong - in the minister's face. These drapes were a        at the Post Office as to the rate for Nauru, the Post.
gift from a generous donor in the congregation. The         Office Officials were unable to locate this country.`Of
committee further reported that "sun glasses were           course, our business manager does not give up quick-
available for emergency conditions, but they were           ly. After considerable detective work, he `pinpointed'
never used."                                                the location on the globe. Can you? Answer next
  The annual Protestant Reformed Young People's             month.
Convention was held the week of August 21 at Camp                                                             K.G.V.


