                              THE
                             STANDARD
A Reformed                   BEARER
Semi-Monthly
Magazine




                                      The Lord chastens 
                                      The Lord chastens  His~~children
                                                                                  His,-children  in or-
                                                                                                          in or-
                                                                                   . . .
                                                                                   . . .
                              ._._ .der
                                   .der to~teach
                                            to~teach them the riches of His grace.
                                                          them the riches of His grace.
                              and mercy:. This is truly 
                              and mercy:. This is truly ,wonderful.,
                                                                                            ,wonderful., He
                                                                                                             He
                                   teaches 
                                   teaches `us.
                                                  ` "
                                                  us.  lessons 
                                                     " lessons ii through chastise-
                                                                            through chastise-
                              ..' ment that we could 
                              ' ment that we could n.ot learn 
                                                                     n.ot learn in
                                                                                                in's
                                                                                                       '  life of
                                                                                                       s life of
                              ease
                              ease'and
                                           '     luxury in which 
                                           and                                         ,we
                                                 luxury in which ,we never. expe-
                                                                                               never. expe-
                               :: rienced
                                                 any trouble. Chastening can pro-
                                   rienced any trouble. Chastening can pro-
                                   duce in the child of God.@
                                   duce in the child of God.@ profound con-
                                                                                             profound con-
                                `sciousness
                                `sciousness',of
                                                         ',of God'
                                                            God s love. 
                                                                   '                          and
                                                                     s love.                     `
                                                                                              and  faithful-
                                                                                                 `              '
                                                                                                      faithful-'
                                                                     ii   <.<.
                              n
                              n ee ss ss ..                                       _I'
                                                                                  _I .'.

                                                See "
                                                See  Our Father
                                                    "           '
                                                     Our Father s Chastisement
                                                                '                                " 
                                                                   s Chastisement -
                                                                                                 " - page 
                                                                                                         page 250
                                                                                                              250





V o l . 6 8 ,   N o . 1 1
March 1,1992


                                                                                                                                  T;hE
CONTENTS:                                                                                  March I, 1992                Sii!iDi43~
Meditation - Prof. Robert D. Decker                                                                                     BMER
      Severing His Earthly Ties .............................................................. 243
Editorial - Pro f David J. Engelsma
      Church Unity, Reformed Synods, and Independency (3) ............ 245                                             lSSN 0362-4692
Letters ....................................................................................................    247    Semi-monthly, except monthly during June, July, and August.
A Word Fitly Spoken - Rev. Dale H. Kuiper                                                                              Published by the Reformed Free Publishing Association, Inc.,
                                                                                                                       4849 lvanrest Ave., Grandville, MI 49416. Second Class
      Example .......................................................................................... 248           Postage Paid at Grandville, Michigan.
When Thou Sittest In Thine House - Mrs. MaryBeth Lubbers                                                               Postmaster: Send address changes to the Standard Bearer,
      The Reformed Family: Friends ..................................................... 249                           P.O. Box 603, Grandville, MI 49466-0603.
In His Fear - Rev. Arie denHartog                                                                                      EDITORIAL COMMIlTEE
      Our Father's Chastisement (II) ...................................................... 250                        Editor: Prof. David J. Engelsma
                                                                                                                       Secretary: Prof. Robert D. Decker
Decency and Order - Rev. Ronald L. Cammenga                                                                            Managing Editor: Mr. Don Doezema
      Jurisdiction of Assemblies ............................................................ 253                      DEPARTMENT EDITORS
Church and State - Mr. James Lanting                                                                                   Rev. Ronald Cammenga, Prof. Robert Deckor,  Rev. Arie
      School Graduation Prayer Case:                                                                                   denHartog, Rev. Russell Dykstra, Rev. Carl Hwak, Mr. Fred
                                                                                                                       Hanko, Prof. Herman Hanko, Rev. John Hays, Rev. Marvin
      Supreme Court Poised to Issue Landmark Decision ................... 256                                          Kamps,  Rev. Steven Key, Rev. Kenneth Koole,  Rev. Jason
Search the Scriptures - Rev. Car/J. Haak                                                                               Kortering, Rev. Dale Kuiper, Mr. James Laming,  Rev. George
                                                                                                                       Lubbers, Mrs.MaryBettiLubbers,  Rev. JamesSlopsema.  Rev.
      Malachi, Lesson 7                                                                                                Charles Terpstra, Rev. Ronald VanOverloop, Mr. Benjamin
      Will a Man Rob God? (Malachi 3:7-12) .......................................... 258                              Wigger, Rev. Bernard Woudsnberg.
Book Reviews ........................................................................................           260    EDITORIAL OFFICE             CHURCH NEWS EDITOR
                                                                                                                       The Standard Bearer          Mr. Ben Wigger
News From Our Churches - Mr. Benjamin Wigger ................................ 263                                      4949 lvanrest                6597 40th Ave.
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       Rev. denJ3artog  writes in this issue, near the beginning of his second
installment of "Our Father's Chastisement," that "sometimes God's children                                             EDITORIAL POLICY
                                                                                                                       Every editor Is solely responsible for the contents of his own
need to be chastened on account of their continuing sinfulness." Everyone who                                          articles. Contributionsof generalintarestfromourreadersand
understands the weakness of his own flesh knows that he will never in this life                                        questions for The Reader Asks department are welcome.
                                                                                                                       Contributions will be limited to approximately 300 words and
reach a point where correction becomes unnecessary. Whenever we are                                                    mustbeneatlywrittenortypewritten, and mustbesigned. Copy
afflicted, therefore, we should always "consider whether the Lord is dealing                                           deadlines are the first and fifteenth of the month. All
                                                                                                                       communications relative to the contents should be sent to the
with us because of our sin." Rev. denHartog's  point, however, is not that, if we                                      editorial office.
find our'selves uriable to associate a particular affliction with a particular sin in                                  REPRINT POLICY
our lives, then we may conclude that the affliction is not in fact chastisement.                                       Permission is herebygrantedforthe reprinting of articles in our
                                                                                                                       magazine byotherpubllcatlons, provided: a) thatsuch reprinted
True, the word "chastisement" does have the connotation of correction for                                              articles are reproduced In full; b) that proper acknowledgment
wrongdoing. But, and this is the thrust of Rev. denHartog's  article, hardly is                                        is made: c) that a copy of the periodical in which such reprint
                                                                                                                       appears is sent to our editorial office.
that the o+purpose of chastening. Apart now from any specific sin on our part,
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tially what we before learned in theory. By chastisement we are, as one writer                                         elsewhere. Unless a definite request for discontinuance Is
put it, melted in His furnace, that we might be stamped with His image. And                                            received, it is assumed that the subscriber wishes the
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that's how the Lord uses all affliction- to instruct, to chastise. Never therefore                                     haveachangeofaddress,pleasenotifytheBusinessOfficeas
may an affliction be despised as if it were not heaven-sent, and did not require                                       early as possible in order to avoid the inconvenience of
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a response of faith.                                                                                                   ADVERTISING POLICY
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tranquility interrupted on occasion by an affliction of some sort, sent to help our                                    of any kind. Announcements of church and school events,
                                                                                                                       anniversaries, obituaries, and sympathy resolutions will be
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ease, in consideration of our weaknesses, but would always have us exposed                                             Office and should be accompanied by the $3.ODfee.  Deadline
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to calamities of various kinds." And he adds, "Were it not for the comfortable                                         date.
consideration that they are a blessedpeople whom God exercises with the cross,                                         BOUND VOLUMES
our condition would be truly miserable."                                                                               The Business Office will accept standing orders for bound
       And then, to learn what are those other reasons for chastening, and what                                        copiesofthecurrentvolums. Suchordersarefilledassoonas
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should be our response, read, in this issue, "Our Father's Chastisement."D.D. 16mm microfilm, 35mm microfilm and 105mm microfiche, and
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                                                                                                                       International.
242 IStandard  Bearer / March 1,1992


                                                   .Severing His
 Meditation                                         Earthly Ties
Prof. Robert Decker


         `I... Woman, behold thy son! . . . Be-    - empty place! When you were               tirely her flesh and blood. According
hold thy mother . . . . fl                         married the minister said, "Fromnow        to His human nature, Jesus was her
                              John 19:25-27        on you go down life's pathway to-          son and not Joseph's. Not only so,
                                                   gether." But now, because of death,        Jesus hadbesides beenaperfect child.
         Without a doubt the most diffi-           you go down life's pathway alone!               From Jesus' viewpoint, He lived
cult aspect of death is the severing of            You never feel mother's warm em-           thelifeofasoninhighestperfectionof
our earthly ties. When facing death                brace again. You cannot seek your          human love. Simply because He was
God's people often confess, "I'm not               father's wise counsel. You never hear      the Son of God and therefore per-
afraid to die; I'm ready to meet my                the cheerful voice of your son or          fectly holy, Jesus was able to taste the
Lord. But I like to remain for my wife             daughter!                                  love of motherhood and enter into the
or husband's sake or for my children's                  That is the hardest part of death!    love of a son perfectly.
sake." We know as the apostle Paul                 Were it not for the hope of the gospel          Now Jesus is on the cross. And
did that to depart and be with the                 and the comforting mercies of God's        from the cross He severs the tie with
Lord is far better, but those earthly              grace we. simply could not endure          His mother and commits her to the
relationships are so strong. EvenPaul              that loss!                                 care of John!
was in a strait betwixt two when he                     Also this aspect of death - the            To death belongs the suffering
thought of these things. He wanted to              severing of earthly ties-Jesus bore.       of the severing of earthly ties. Hus-
be with the Lord, but he wanted to be              Jesus tasted death, our death, all of      bands, wives, brothers, sisters, par-
with the Christians at Philippi too!               our death, all of its heartbreaking        ents, children, friends, andloved ones
         How true to our experience.               sorrows. Because He did, we have           -all these ties are broken forever by
When our loved ones are dying, we                  life and we have hope. Yes, we sor-        death. While all these relationships
who remain behind are comforted by                 row, but with a view to glory!             have significance, they are fleshly ties.
the gospel. We even pray with the                       The text tells us that four women     And flesh and blood cannot inherit
dying that God will take them soon                 (among them Mary, Jesus' mother)           the kingdom of God. In heaven they
out of the suffering into His glory.               and John stood near to the cross.          neither marry nor are given in mar-
And we are relieved when they are                  When Jesus saw His mother and the          riage. These earthly relationships end
taken. We testify of our comfort and               disciple whom He loved standing by,        forever in death.
of God's goodness.                                 He said to His mother, "Woman, be-              Thus it is with Jesus at this mo-
         But then! After the last viewing          hold thy son." To John Jesus said,         ment. The time for separation is at
of the remains of our loved one, after             "Behold thy mother." From that             hand. His relationship with His
thefuneralservice, andaftertheburial               moment on John took Mary to his            mother must be severed. And it must
. . . then the finality of death hits us.          own home.        Thus did Jesus sever      be severed in order to be restored to
It's all over! My husband, my wife,                the tie between Himself and His be-        the higher, heavenly relationship of
my child, my parent, my friend is                  loved mother!                              the communion of the saints in glory.
gone. The tie is forever broken!                        Profound suffering this was for            Even so, this does not take away
         Your whole life is changed!               Jesus! .                                   from the heart-rending and profound
Thereis  that terrible-always present                   While the tie of mother and son       suffering involved for both Mary and
                                                   may not be the most intimate, it is        Jesus.
                                                   surely one of the strongest earthly             Think of Mary, His  -mother!
                                                   relationships. A man's wife may di-        What a terrible grief must have
                                                   vorce him, but seldom does a.mother        flooded her soul. Her son, the one she
                                                   lose her love for her son.                 loved so dearly, is hanging on a cross,
Prof. Decker is professor ofPractical The-              That is especially true of the re-    bleeding, dying as the lowest and
ology iiz the Protestant Reformed Semi-            lationbetween Jesus  andMary.  From        meanest of criminals. She does not
nary.                                              Mary's viewpoint, this child was en-       understand why. To Mary the cross

                                                                                                        March 1,1992 1 Standard Bearer I 243


meant that her beloved Son, Jesus, is        sufferingoftheseveringofHisearthly           earthly ties with His mother so that
rejected and utterly defeated.               ties willingly. This toobelongs to the       He could remove the sting of this
         Jesusseeshersufferingandgrief.      atoning suffering of our Savior, the         aspect of death.
Jesus knows and is touched with the          suffering that ends all the suffering of          When we leave our lovejd ones
feeling of her infirmity. He is touched      God's children.                              in death, even that is not without
with the feeling of her agony at this             Note, Jesus addresses her as            hope. Death in this respect too is not
apparently senseless and cruel death         "woman." He does this not out of             the end. It's only the way to that
of her beloved son.                          disrespect or a lack of love for His         higher relationship of the commun-
         But, what is more, her suffering    mother. Yet, this Word is a firm             ion of the saints in the glory of the
is His suffering!                            denial that her motherhood may in-           Father's house of many mansions.
         More than it could possibly be      terfere with His suffering for the sins           You have lost your wife? Your
hers!                                        of God's people. The earthly ties            husband? A father? Mother? Your
         Profound suffering this is for      must serve the heavenly.                     son or daughter? You are lonely and
Jesus! Simply because He could taste              Woman, I am busy doing my               you weep in the night? At times you
the agonies of the suffering of death to     Father's will. For that reason I must        can hardly bear the pain?
the full as the perfect man. And to an       now sacrifice my earthly ties, even               Jesus knows that! The footsteps
eternal depth as the Person of the Son       that tie between us as mother and son.       of Jesus are in the valley of our deep-
of God in our flesh.                         Behold thy son! It is fully determined       est sorrows!
                                             of my Father that our relationship as             Those footsteps lead to glory!
                                             mother and son must end. Look at             Fellowship with the Father and fel-
              Jesus Himself                  John as thy son.                             lowship with all God's saints!
         felt the numbing pain                    At the same time, this Word                  In your sorrows pray to your
         of losing a loved one.              speaks of Jesus' tender care for His         merciful High Priest. Jesus will bring
                                             mother.                                      those prayers to God!
                                                  His deathleaves a terrible gap in            And God will wipe away all
                                             her life. Jesus is not insensitive to her
         Jesus suffers the wrath of God                                                   tears from your eyes. 0
willingly. Consider what He might            suffering and grief. To comfort her in                                         Amen
have done. He might have come                her deep sorrow Jesus transfers His
down from that cross. His is all the         earthly sonship to the disciple whom
power. Jesus' human heart was filled         He loved. He of all the disciples could
with pain at the sight of His mother's       best care for Mary.
grief. He Himself felt the numbing
pain of losing a loved one.
         What a scene that would have                    Jesus severed                             Teach Me to.Obey
been! Even if Jesus came down just                      His earthly ties                  What though the task Thou hast for
for a moment, just for a brief embrace.                 with His mother                     me,
Then He could return to the cross.                                                        Tedious, and long, and hard may be,
                                                 so that He could remove
That surely would have stopped the                                                        Speak to my soul that I may see,
                                                           the sting
mouths of His enemies.                                                                         And teach me to obey.
         But no! Jesus could not leave           of this aspect of death.
that cross, not even for a moment. For                                                    Thy will, 0 God, not mine, not mine!
then He would not have been about                                                         Nothing have I that is not Thine,
His Father's business.                            The Word of the cross in all of         So unto me the work assign,
         What Jesus does is speak!           this? Marvelous comfort!                          And teach me to obey.
"Woman, behold thy son." And to                   For Mary. For you!
John, "Behold thy mother."                        For Mary? Mary too must sacri-          Lead me, no matter when or where;
         This represents the willing sur-    fice the earthly tie. Her beloved son        Show me the burden that I must bear;
render of his earthly sonship. Yes, He       dies and is gone. But Jesus dies and is      Only my selfish heart prepare -
cared for His mother. And He com-            gone exactly to arise from the dead as            And,teach  me to obey.
mits her to the care of His beloved          her Savior. Her Lord and her God!
disciple. But, this Word from the                 For you? Jesus sacrificed all. He       Keep me, 0 Lord, from self and sin;
cross reveals that also this aspect of       enteredinto every phase of your death,       Help me to obey Thy will.
death, the severing of Jesus' earthly        tasting death as He alone could taste        Pure I would be without, within.
ties, is an act of His will. No one takes    it. Jesus did that in order to satisfy            Oh, teach me to obey.
His life from Him. Jesus lays down           God's justice and atone for your sins.
His life for His sheep and bears the              Jesus, this means, severed His                               Standard Bearer
                                                                                                                    July 1,1933

244 /Standard Bearer I March 1,1992


                                                               Church Unity,
                                                  Reformed Synods,,
                                                  and Independency
Editorial                                                                                 (3)

  Afviend  lent me the March, April, and       synod has no authority over the local             egate any authority to lord it over
  May 1991 issues ofthe Outlook, which         churches. Although DeKoster at-                   anybody, nor even to join in lording
  contain articles called "Synod-ocracy:       tempts a description of the strange               it over the congregation itself. Del-
  Cause and Cure." The writer`s com-           word, "synod-ocracy," that links it               egates do not come trailing clouds of
  plaint is that thesynodofhis church (the                                                       authority to be manipulated by bu-
  Christian Reformed Church) hadopened         with Roman Catholic hierarchy,                    reaucrats for their own ends ("SCC-
  the doors oflocal church office to women.    "synod-ocracy" for him is not that                2"; the language is pejorative, but the
  His solution is virtually a modijiedform     synod abuses its authority or that                reference is to the local churches'
  of independency, unless I read him           synod usurps authority that does not              authoritative delegation of men to
  wrongly.... Have you read thearticles in     belong to it, but that synod has, and             the major assemblies  - DJE).
  the Outlook? I would value a response        exercises, any authority at all. The sin          They(thelocalchurches-DJE)have
  to "Synod-ocracy: Cause and Cure,"           of "synod-ocracy" is simply that                  no authority in and of themselves to
  unless you agree with the articles, of       synod is synod.                                   delegate to classes and synods
  course.                                        The Word gives no authority to syn-             ("see-3").
                                                 ods ("SCC-2").
Shall There Be Synod?                            Authorityin thechurch, themarksof          Or Church Order?
     This was the request of a corre-            the true church, the offices of the                This denial of all synodical au-
spondent in Liverpool, England in a              church, the keys of the kingdom are        thority over the local churches brings
letter that was published in the Febru-          all lodged in the local congregation.      DeKoster into conflict with the Re-
ary  1, 1992  issue of the  Standard             None belongs to classes, synods nor        formed church order  of  Dordt, which
Bearer.  The request refers to three             all trappings of bureaucracy built up      church order in revised form is also
articles in the religious periodical,            by them. Let us be so clear about it,
                                                 that synodocracy will wilt on the          the church order of his own denomi-
Outlook, entitled, "Synod-ocracy:                vine it has intruded among us              nation. DeKoster's  resolution of this
Cause and Cure," by Dr. Lester                   ("SCCGq.                                   conflict is radical. First, he denies any
DeKoster. In these articles, Dr.                 Synods do not have, and can never          and all authority to the church order.
DeKoster offers advice to Christian              attain, authority on their own; nor             Of necessity a Church Order is de-
Reformed congregations that oppose               can the churches loan it to them                scriptive, not prescriptive. That is
the decision of the CRC synod of 1990            ("SCC--x).                                      because it has no authority, cannot
approving the ordination of women                   ThislastreflectsontheReformed                command obedience with, "Thus
to the offices of minister and elder.          explanation of the authority of synod             saith the Lord!" . ..church orders do
The advice treats the church political         as derived from the local churches                not  enjoy  divinely endowed author-
                                                                                                 ity. They  describe,  not  prescribe
aspect of the difficulty of these ag-          themselves who delegate ministers                 ("see-1").
grieved congregations: How can they            and elders with authority to  classis        That article of the church order which
live in the denomination?                      and synod, so that the authority of          is of  crucial importance for the de-
     As our English correspondent              synod is the authority of the local          nominational union, Article 31 (Ar-
recognizes, the issue in the  Outlook          churches themselves thus assembled.          ticles 29 and 30 in the revised church
articles is whether synodical union            DeKoster denies this categorically.          order of the CRC), DeKoster charges
has a rightful place in the life of Re-          You cannot (he says, speaking to the       with the capital crime of challenging
formed churches.                                local church - DJE) delegate di-            the sole authority of Scripture:
     It is the fundamental claim of the          vinelyassignedauthoritytoanyother
                                                body; it is not yours to pass around             Note, then, how the Church Order
three articles in Outlook (hereafter,            (uscc-ln).                                      (in Art. 31 of the church order of
"SCC-1,2, or 3") that the Reformed               A congregation cannot give a del-               Dordt  - DJE) not only sets itself on

                                                                                                     March 1,1992 / Standard Bearer I245


  a par with the Bible, but wishes to be      over each other either" ("SCC-2").          churches, it would be lording it over
  viewedinplaceof theFormsof  Unify.          All of this is to say that decisions of     the churches. The ministers and el-
  This... is a boulder for synodical au-      Reformed synods are "settled and            ders at synod would then be lording
  tocracy ("SE-2*).                           binding" upon absolutely no one and         it over the other ministers and elders
He holds up Article 31 to ridicule:           upon absolutely nothing.
  All the Church Order allows is that                                                     ("SCC-2").
  churches, mind you, come crawling                                                            His error, of course, is that he
  to synods, mind you, begging to be                                                      confuses "lording over" with "exer-
  heard.... You come; you kneel; and                  Article 31 states,                  cisinglegitimate authority." Also, he
  perhaps his excellency will grant you                                                   fails to see that the attempt by al local
  an audience ("SCC-2").                                     in clear,                    church to dominate other local
      Thus does Dr. DeKoster, all on              unmistakable language,                  churches is not at all the same as the
his own, by mere declaration, set aside         that the decisions of synod               mutual exercise of their authority by
the long, honorable, well-argued Re-                 shall be considered                  all the churches in assembly through
formed tradition, shared by the Pres-                settled and binding                  ministers and elders duly appointed.
byterian churches, that the Reformed                                                           Dr. DeKoster had done well to
church order is based on Holy Scrip-                  by the appellant...                 leave Article 84 of the Dordt church
ture, so that its authority at bottom,                                                    order out of his polemic against the
like that of the confessions, is the very                                                 Reformed synod. Indeed, he might
authority of the King of the church,               To his credit, Dr. DeKoster has        well have hoped that no one would
Jesus Christ.                                 in the past shown himself a staunch
                                              opponent of the "new herm,eneutic"          think of this article. For this article
                                                                                          demolishes his case. The article has
Settled and Binding                           as a way of interpreting the Bible. It
                                              is not to his credit that he now permits    alwaysbeenofvitalimportance-tothe
      But so clear and strong is the                                                      Reformed churches. In the original
                                              himself the use of a "new herme-
language of Article 31 of the Dordt           neutic" in order to explain away the        draft of the church order, the fathers
church order against DeKoster's  de-                                                      put this article first. It was Article 1.
                                              clear rule for denominational life
nial of synodical authority that he                                                       Abominating the hierarchy of the
                                              found in Article 31 of the church or-
thinks it necessary to combat the ar-                                                     Roman Catholic Church from which
                                              der. Treating as it does of the right of
ticlein yettwo other ways. Article 31,                                                    they had just been delivered, the Re-
                                              appeal by a member against a "minor
after all, states that the decisions of                                                   formed churches in The Netherlands
                                              assembly" (consistory), Article 31
synod "shall be  considered settled and       states, in clear, unmistakable lan-         were determined to avoid all hierar-
binding,  unless (they) be proved to                                                      chy in their own life. No fiercer en-
conflict with the Word of God or with         guage, that the decisions of synod          emies of hierarchy existed than these
                                              shall be considered settled and bind-
the articles of the church order . . . . U                                                churches. But it was these very
                                              ingby the appellant, by the consistory,
      In the first assault upon this ar-                                                  churches with their antipathytoward
                                              and by every congregation and mem-
ticle (which has no authority in any                                                      all hierarchy that included in their
                                              ber in the denomination.
case, since the entire church order                                                       church order the articles that required
lacks authority), DeKoster offers the                                                     synods (Art. 29); gave synods "juris-
novel explanation that "settled and           Article 31, Meet Article 84                 diction" (Latin: "auctoritas, N that is,
binding" does not refer to the local               The second additional assault          `authority') over the consistories (Art.
churches and their members, but to            upon Article 31, after declaring it (as     36); and stated that the decisions of
the following synods who might oth-           ljart of the church order as a whole) to    synod on matters of appeal against
erwise waste time discussing matters          be without any authority whatever,          consistories "shall be considered
already decided.                              consists of pitting Article 84 of the       settled and binding" (Art. 31).
  "Settled and binding" . . . once was        same church order against it. (This
  useful, not for laying edicts upon the      has become Article 95 in the revised
  churches but for obliging synods to         church order of the CRC.) Article 84               Reformed churches
  discipline themselves.... Synods            is the grand anti-hierarchical article
  meeting in such circumstances had           of the church order of Dordt: "No              have always understood
  absolutely no time for repetitious          church shall in any way lord it over           that synodical authority
  talk. And thus a decision became            other churches, no minister over other      is not inherently hierarchi<cal.
  "settled and binding, "not upon the         ministers, no elder or deacon over
  churches but upon following syn-
  ods.                                        other elders or deacons." This, says.
But even as regards the subsequent            DeKoster, means that synods possess              The explanation is that the Re-
synods, decisions of a previous synod         no authority over the local churches        formed churches have always under-
are settled and binding "only as pre-         and that synodical decisions are not        stood that synodical authority is not
cedent, for synods have no authority          settled and binding for the churches.       inherently hierarchical. Synod is not
                                              If a synod has authority over the local     " synod-ocracy."

246 /Standard Bearer I March 1,1992


     There is no need to introduce            "is virtually a modified form of inde-     urges that local churches in the CRC
Article 31 to Article 84. They have           pendency." It is, in fact, actual, com-    refuse to recognize any synodical
known each other well, and been good          plete, and developed independency.         decision as settled andbinding ("you
friends, now for almost 500 years.            DeKoster is even willing to embrace        decide to take it or leave it"); refuse to
                                              the name: ti Congregationalism is,         send delegates to classis and synod;
Kill The Patient!                             historically, Calvinism steering shy       refuse to pay the synodical quota;
     Dr. DeKoster diagnoses the               of synodocracy" ("SCC-3").                 refuse to receive the classical church
cause of "synod-ocracy," and pre-                                                        visitors; and receive ministers with-
scribes the cure. The cause of "synod-                                                   out any denominational regulation or
ocracy" is the existence itself of synod           Congregational&n is,                  examination ("SCC-3"). This is re-
according to the Reformed church               principally and historically,             volt against the church order that is
order. The cure for "synod-ocracy,"                Calvinism committing                  still binding upon all congregations
accordingly, is the annihilation of                                                      and members in the CRC. The result
synod. The conservatives in the CRC                         suicide.                     is anarchy.
havebrought to physicianDeKoster  a                                                           Not one voice, to my knowl-
sick patient, their synod. By thevirus                                                   edge, has been raisedin the conserva-
of common grace, it has lost its immu-             This is bad enough. For, as I         tive CRC press, including Outlook,
nity to the disease of worldliness and        have shown in earlier articles, inde-      against this manifesto for indepen-
is presently ravaged with feminism.           pendency abandons that which is es-        dency.
The cause of the problem, says the            sential to Reformed Christianity.               Synod does not have many
doctor, is that the patient exists at all.    Congregationalismis, principally and       friends today. The denomination has
The cure? "Kill the poor fellow!"             historically, Calvinism committing         fallen out of favor.
Henceforth, no broader, or major,             suicide. Independency sins against              The fact remains that the Re-
assemblies. Only independent con-             the unity of the church.                   formed denomination of churches,
gregations.                                        But for Dr. DeKoster and the          united in the truth set forth in the
                                              conservatives for whom and to whom         "Three Forms of Unity" and cooper-
Independency                                  he speaks, the advice in  "Synod-          ating in accordance with the church
                                              ocracy: Cause and Cure" is even
     Thus DeKoster dissolves the                                                         order of Dordt, is a wonderful thing.
                                              worse. Recommending that those
denominationalbond. OurLiverpool                                                         It is not man-made. It is the creation
                                              aggrieved by the synod of 1990 re-
correspondent shows shrewd insight                                                       of the Spirit of Christ.
                                              main in the denomination, DeKoster
when he says that DeKoster's  advice                                                           And rare.  0
                                                                                                                           - DJE





Letters


                                              January 15, 1992  Standard Bearer
Interest in the T.B.S.                                                                   partsoftheworldfortheuncorrulpted
                                              about the T.B.S. ("Writings Worth          word of God.
                                              Noting"). Since yourarticleappeared,                                   Jack R  Swets
     In behalf of the Trinitarian Bible       we have hadmuchinterest expressed            Secretary, Trinitarian Bible Society
Society, I would like to express our          for literature and also received dona-                                      (U.S.A.)
sincere thanks for your article in the        tions. The needs are very great in all                           Grand Rapids, MI

                                                                                               March 1,1992 1 Standard Bearer I 247


  A Word Fitly Spoken
  Rev. Dale Kuiper                             Example
        The word "example" does not occur in the Old Testament, which is not surprising when we consider that the
  Old Testament contains many persons and events that are examples for them that should come later. In the Mew
  Testament there are five Greek words translated "example," or "ensample." These five words have their own
  nuances, but also show a high degree of similarity and agreement. One refers to a mark that a strike or a blow makes,
  that is to be observed as a dissuasive warning or an example to be imitated; another means a sign either for imitation
  or warning; another means a written copy of the alphabet as an aid in learning, as an example before our eyes. An
  example can be defined as a person or thing that is ordained by God to serve as a pattern that is to be imitated or
  avoided. Scripture uses other terms, such as "disciples," flfollowers," and "imitators," to get across the same idea.
  Only the very foolish and headstrong would ignore the examples God gives us in His Word.
        Hear the Scriptures.  Ministers  are to be examples unto other believers in word, in conversation, in spirit, in faith,
  in purity (I Tim. 4:12). Elders are examples to the flock, and not cruel overlords (I Pet. 5:3). Job is our example of
  suffering affliction (James 5:lO). Paul is to be followed in his heavenly conversation (citizenship), as well as others
  who walk as he walks (Phil. 3:17). He is also an example to us of one who does his own work and eats his own bread
  (II Thess. 3:9). FaithfuZ  churches are commended by the apostle and are set forth as worthy examples for other
  congregations in the areas of charity, brotherly love, suffering affliction, and faithfulness in evangelism. As we read
  the OldTestament  we are to understandthe priesfhood and the fabernacleservice as examples of better, heavenly things,
  for Moses made all things according to the pattern (type, example) shown him by God in the holy mount (Heb. 8:5).
        Because of our sinful natures and the presence of a twofold seed in the church, Scripture also speaks powerful
  warnings, gives negative examples, things never to be emulated. The entire history of Israel in the wilderness is
  replete with examples for us upon whom the end of the world is come. We are not to lust after evil things, comtit
  idolatry or fornication, tempt Christ, or murmur. We are exhorted to heed these examples, or we fall even as we are
  thinking we are strong (I Cor. lO:l-12). Many in Israel could not enter the land because of unbelief; we are to labor
  to enter into the rest that remaineth to the people of God, lest we fall after the same example of unbelief (Heb. 491).
  The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with brimstone, as well as Lot's wife, are warning examples to us, but
  especially to those who should after live ungodly (II Pet. 2:6; Jude 7).
        The greatest example for the believer is God's own Son in our flesh, our elder Brother, Jesus Christ. It is true
  He is much more than an example, for by His Spirit He is also the power by which we are enabled to follow Him.
  But first of all, He is the splendid example for every aspect of our calling. Using the word that means a copy of the
  alphabet as an aid to learning, Peter writes, "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow
  his footsteps" (IPet.221). The AlphaandOmega teachesusthe ABC'sof discipleship. Especially is this trueinrespect
  to suffering patiently and committing ourselves to God the righteous Judge. The night before He died, Christ gave
  to us the example of footwashing, "that ye. should do as I have done unto you" (John 13:14,15). The context makes
  plain that as Jesus labored to make us clean every whit, we are to be busyin washing one another's feet, i.e., in humble
  assistance of the brother and sister in overcoming sin and living a holy life as becometh saints. The pattern for life
  that Christ has left us is one of self-forgetfulness, self-denial, and willingness to suffer even to the extent of losing
  one's life; in other words that we are careful to place our feet precisely in the footsteps He has left upon the pages
  of Holy Writ.
        The current word for "example" is "role model," a word much in the news these days. People in the world of
  sports, music, movies, and television think of themselves, and are thought of by multitudes of others, as role models
  for children and young people. Where this pernicious idea came from I can only guess; it has to be the measure of
  the blindness and poverty of unbelief. One after another these idols fall as Dagon, as their lives of drug use, sexual
  promiscuity, gambling, and greed are exposed in the media. And there are many more out there ready to topple!
  Are their posters hanging in the bedrooms of our children? There is something wrong if our children's examples
  are not found around the dining room table, in the elder's bench, in the church's pew, and in the Word of God
  preached, studied, and believed?
        Disciples of Christ, take good heed. 0

  Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Immanuel  Protestant Reformed Church in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada.

246 /Standard Bearer / March 1,1992


 When Thou Sittest                          The Reformed
in Thine House                              Family: Friends
Mrs. MaryBeth Lubbers


      Even though you are not a wife        traitors, Proverbs 27 warns:                  I was angry with my foe:
or mother, a husband or father; even          Faithful are the wounds of a friend;        I told it not, my wrath did grow
though your parents may be old or             but the kiss of an enemy is deceitful.      A Poison Tree.
have already died; even though you               It is also in David's regret over           Friends communicate, are sym-
may not have a brother or a sister,         the loss of his dear friend Ahithophel      pathetic with one another, are unself-
there is a relationship in the Reformed     that the Scripture gives good guid-         ish, holding true the adage, "It is
family which can be yours. It is that       ance for choosing a friend. In Psalm        better to give than to receive." Andif
of friend. Ho-w precious is a friend.       55, David laments the loss of three         you have a friend worth loving, love
How blessed for you if you have a           pleasuresthathiscompanionshipwith           him not only, but teIl him so, because
close friend. Birth gives us our rela-      Ahithophel had provided:                    why should kind words never be said
tives, but we are allowed to choose              1. We ate together.                    of a friend - until he is dead? C. S.
our friends. Nor does having a close             2. We talked together.                 Lewis wrote:
friend contradict the enjoyment of the           3. We went to church together.           Friendship is unnecessary,
communion of all saints.                         Still today this triad forms solid       l&e philosophy, like art...
      Friendship is an ancient rela-        foundation for true friendship. Who           It has no survival value;
tionship. It is even older than God's       can enjoy the intimacy of eating with         rather it is one of those things
friendship with Moses in the desert         unbelievers or strangers? Who can             that gives value to survival.
wanderings (Ex. 33:11), or with Abra-       benefit from "sweet counsel" with                A longtime friend is like an old
ham on the plains of Mamre (II Chron.                                                   shoe-youcanleaveit sittingaround
                                            the enemies of Christ? Who can be
20:7; Is. 41:8), or with Adam in Para- .                                                foralongtime,butwhenyouslipit  on
                                            unitedwithadespiseroftheReformed
dise (Gen. 293). It goes back to eter-      faith?                                      once again, it is just as comfortable as
nity, to timelessness. It is embracedin                                                 ever it was.
the triune God, who enjoys perfect,                                                          A friend does not say "Be warm"
transcendent friendship within the                                                      and give you no coat; "Be quenched"
                                                            One of the
Trinity.                                                                                and give you no water; "Be fed" <and
                                                       precious privileges
      David is one prominent Old Tes-                                                   give you no food. But rather, along
tament example of a man who expe-                         of friendship                 with the coat which he drapes over
rienced the intimate bond of friend-                    is  conversah'on.               your shivering shoulders, the cold
ship. His friendship with Jonathan is                                                   glass of waterwithwhichhe refreshes
extolled for all time in his Song of the                                                your parched soul, and the tasty meal
Bow (II Samuel 1). Conversely, David                  One of the precious privileges    he serves to satisfy your gnawing
also endured betrayal by the closest        of friendship is conversation. Friends      hunger, he enfolds you in the warmth
of friends, his counselor, Ahithophel.      "talk of many things: Of shoes - and        of his arms. And all with no thought
Ahithophel is the Old Testament pic-        ships - and sealing-wax - of cab-           of remuneration. A friendnever says,
ture of Judas Iscariot, who lives for-      bages - and kings"(Lewis  Carroll).         as is so common in the world of busi-
ever in ignominy for betraying the          Nor are friends always in agreement.        ness, "Now you owe me one."
Savior. And, speaking against all           Discussion even becomes rather                   Even, and especially, in ourfam-
                                            heated. Friends chide one another           ilyrelationships, the cord whichbinds
                                            over wrongdoing. But out of that hot        us is that we are first of all friends.
                                            discussion and that gentle chiding          There can be no cohabitation without
                                            greater  understanclirig  and stronger      tried and tested friendship. And it is
                                            links of love are forged. William           oneness at the communion table which
Mrs. Lubbers is a wve and mother in the     Blake wrote:                                unites true friends. The friend I cher-
Protestant Reformed Church of South           I was angry with my friend:               ish here is the friend I want to meet in
Holland, Illinois.                            I told my wrath, my wrath did end.        heaven. This is the pain endured of

                                                                                              March 1,1992 I Standard Bearer I 249


friends who go astray or forsake the       And Paul pens his gratitude to him in       against hastily cemented friendships
commandments of God - we will              II Timothy 1:16:                            based on a common devious pur-
not share eternity with them. And            The Lord give mercy unto the house        pose.
this friendship is a mutual trust, com-      of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed           The Lord Jesus also had friends
passion, and support based once again        me, and was not ashamed of my             during his earthly ministry. TJne Son
on giving, not getting.                      chain....                                 of God deemed this human relation-
                                                 Surely the friendship of              ship a worthy one. The disciple John,
                                           Onesiphorus reiterates Proverbs             "who leaned upon his breast," was
     The friend I cherish here             17~17: A friend loveth at all times.        one of Jesus' closest friends. For al-
                                                 Paul also pointedly warns
  is the friend I want to meet                                                         though Jesus had twelve disciples,
                                           against being unequally yoked with
                in heaven.                                                             and He loved them all - save lone -
                                           unbelievers. And what concord,h&h           indisputably John was the disciple
                                           Christ with Belial (II Cor. 6:15)? Be-      whom Jesus loved (John 13:23).
                                           cause our friends are such an influ:                 Often when Jesus was lonely, in
      A friendship of souls knit to-       ence upon us, it is imperative that we      need of comfort and companionship,
gether is a friendship which will en-      choose our friends carefully. Choos-        He headed for Bethany  to the home of
dure through adversity and prosper-        ing our friends involves two criteria:      Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Scrip-
ity, through disgrace as well as honor.    common foundation and common                ture indicates that in this home, Jesus'
And it is simply not true as the cynic     goals. Upon what is our friendship          home away from Home, He experi-
Mark Twain observed, When you              built? Where is it headed?                  enced the earthly companionship of
ascend the hill of prosperity, may you            Here, too, Scripture is explicit     friends.
not meet a friend."                        in telling us of the specious friendship         Christ is our Savior, we are His
      In the New Testament, the            which sprang up between Herod and           redeemed. Christ is our Master, we
Apostle Paul not only pays tribute to      Pilate. Two political opponents who         are His servants. Christ is our elder
his own friends, but also lays down        spentalifetime hatingeachothercame          brother, we are His siblings. And
regulations for the formation of           together for a short period in history      Christ is also our friend.
friendships.                               in their common foundation - ha-                 What a friend! After telling us
      Many times in Paul's ministry        tred of Christ, and their common goal       the supreme sacrifice that a manmust
he was confined to prison, he was          - exterminating the Son of God.             make for his friends-that he willlay
beaten, he was stoned, he wasinperil,      "And that same day, Pilate and Herod        down his life for them- Jesus tells us
and he was often maligned; but his         were made friends together: for be-         in words sweetly confidential: hence-
friend Onesiphorus didnotjudge Paul        fore they were at enmity between            forth, I call you friends (John 15:15).
according to popularity polls.             themselves" (Luke23:12).  Eveninthe
Onesiphorus remained loyal to Paul.        church, one must guard himself                                                    Q



                                           Our Father's
In His Fear
Rev. Arie denHattog                        Chastisement (II)

      What a difference there is in the    moment, peacefully, without any             than our ways. They are mysterious.
way the Lord deals with various of         struggle and with little suffering. Then    Sometimes He leads His children into
Hischildren! Someseemtogothrough           there are others of God's children          the depths of the sea without shoawing
much of their life without any trouble.    who have one trouble after another.         the reason. The reason is hidden in
And when they come to the end of           They experience sorrow upon  sor-8;         His secret counsel, not to be revlealed
their life they are taken to glory in a    row. Some of God's children must            until the last day. But this is ,abso-
                                           suffer long years of sickness and agony     lutely sure: the ways of the Lord in
                                           before they are finally taken to glory.     dealing with His children are always
Rev. denHartogis pastor ofHope  Protes-    Why such a great difference? ,.             perfectly wise and good.
taut Reformed Church in Redlands, Cali-         That question cannot always be              Scripture however makes plain
fornia.                                    answered. Gods ways are higher              various purposes of the Father in chas;

250 /Standard Bearer I March 1,1992


teningHis  children. Sometimes God's        to listen to the warnings of God's          unto Himself. By chastisement He
children need to be chastened on ac-        Word concerning such things as ex-          saved us and turned us again into the
count of their continuing sinfulness.       cessive drinking or yielding to the         way of righteousness and life.
Contrary to what is taught today in         temptation of adultery. As a result               Though some of the Lord's chas-
many churches, the child of God re-         they bring awful shame and misery           tisement is on account of specific sin
mains weak and sinful all the days of       upon themselves and their families.         in the life of the child of God, this is by
his life. He is made perfect only when      Young women forsake their God-or-           no means the only reason for chasten-
the vile body of sin is destroyed in the    dained calling in the home for the          ing. It is a grave mistake to accuse of
grave and he receives a new body            glamor of worldly careers. They will        some great sin every child of God
fashioned after the glorious image of       sometimes be severely chastened of          who is being chastened of the Lord,
Jesus Christ.. Though the Lord re-          the Lord and suffer the bitter conse-       and to judge him in our minds. This
peatedly admonishes His children by         quences of children who in later life       is what the supposed friends of Job
His Word, that Word is not always           forsake the-lord and live wicked and        tried to do when Job was grievously
obeyed, even by those who are the           ungodly lives.                              chastened of the Lord. But one of the
children of God. We are by nature                When we are chastened of the           amazing things of the book of Job is
hard-hearted and slow to believe and        Lord we ought always to consider            that it begins with the testimony COII-
obey the Word of God. Our sinful            whether the Lord is dealing with us         cerning  Job that he was "perfect and
nature rebels against the command-          because of our sin. This is not some-       upright, and one that feared God, and
ments of God. To correct children           thing which the child of God is ex-         eschewedevil" lJobl:l).  The"friends"
who continue to disobey the Word of         empt frombecause he has been made           of Job were entirely wrong in accus-
God it sometimes becomes necessary          righteous in the cross of Christ. The       ing Job of some great evil and only
for the Lord to chasten them.               Bible gives numerous examples of the        added to his grief and sorrow by their
     This is a fearful thing. Some-         Lord chastening His people because          high-sounding accusations. Some of
times the Lord has to give us over to       of their sins. Israel in the wilderness,    the greatest saints of the Lord have
our sins and let us suffer its bitter       though they were the special people         suffered the most severe chastening
consequences. Peter was given over          of God, had to be chastened again and       of the Lord. God's purposes in such
to the sin of pride and self-confidence     again because of their sin of murmur-       chastisementarelargelypositive. His
when he denied his beloved Lord at          ing and complaining and rebelling           purpose maybe to perfect His virtues
the very time He was being tried to be      against the Lord. How often we com-         in His saints for the glory of His own
crucified. He was given over to the         plain against the Lord in a similar         name. Think of how gloriously the
devil to be sifted as wheat. What an        manner. The Lord chastens His chil-         faith of Job shines in the midst of his
awful experience that was for the           dren to cause them to repent of their       great affliction. He is an outstanding
great apostle of the Lord! After he         sins and to plead with Him for His          example of patience and trust in God.
had fallen into sin he went out and         forgiving mercy.                            The Lord Himself worked those gllo-
wept bitterly. David, because of the                                                    rious virtues in Job by means of chas-
sin of pride and carnal trust in the                                                    tisement.
strength of his army, was moved to            Some of the greatest saints                     SometimestheLordchastensIIis
commit the great sin of numbering              of the Lord have suffered                children in order to keep them from.
Israel. This had most dreadful conse-                                                   evil. That is strikingly illustrated in
quences for all Israel.                       the most severe chastening                the life of the apostle Paul. Paul tells
     Young people are sometimes                         of the Lord.                    us in II Corinthians 12 of an amazing
given over by the Lord to the conse--                                                   experience that happened in his life.
quences of their sins when they refuse                                                  He was translated in the spirit into
to obey the Word of God and to listen            ViThen the Lord chastens us on         heaven where he saw wonderful vi-
to its many warnings concerning the         account of our sin we must not harden       sions, more glorious than any other
serious consequences of sin and             our hearts and continue in sin nor          man had seen. Then Paul says that, in
worldliness. Theychoosetheirfriends         turn from the Lord in anger. But            order that he might not be exalted
from the world and follow the life-         rather we must by the grace of Godin        above measure and become proud of
style of the world. They hurt them-         our hearts humble ourselves under           himself, God gave him "a thorn in the
selves so grievously that they are          the chastening hand of the Lord and         flesh, the messenger of Satantobuffet
scarred for life. They end up with          repent of our sin. Furthermore, we          him." That thorn in the flesh was
ungodly life partners and deprive           must be thankful that the Lord did          given to Paul to prevent pride from
themselves of the great joy and bless-      not leave usin our sin tobe destroyed       arising in his heart and to keep him
ing of Christian marriage for the rest      by the devil, but in the greatness. of      humble. It reminded him daily of his
of their life on earth. All.of this may     His mercy has by chastisement taught        own great weakness and of the need
be the chastening of the Lord. Even         us the great seriousness of our sin and     of the grace of God in his life. When
older men might be so foolish as not        turned us away from the sin and back        God gives some of His saints very

                                                                                               March 1,1992 / Standard Bearer I 251


 high privileges in His church and                 The Lord sometimes chastens                The Bible exhorts us not to de-
 kingdom, such as those He gives to          His servants in order to make them         spise the chastening of the Lord. We
 ministers and office bearers, He some-      better ministers of His to comfort and     are not to have a careless disregard
times must chasten them in order to          encourage other saints in the midst of     for it. We must rather consider care-
keep them from spoiling their life by        their trouble and sorrow. How much         fully and humbly how the Lord is
the sin of pride and self-exaltation.        more sympathetic we can be towards         dealing with us. We must not mur-
      The Lord often chastens His chil-      our fellow saints when we ourselves        mur and complain against the Lord
 dren to teach them their great weak-        have gone through trials of affliction     and begin to criticize and judge the
ness and complete dependence on the          similar to what they are goingthrough.     way of the Lord that it is evil. Through
Lord. How hard it was for Israel to          This draws us closer to each other in
depend on the Lord as He led them            the bond of love.
through the wilderness to the prom-               The Lord often chastens us to                We are not to receive
ised land. Therefore the Lord had to         make us more heavenly-minded. We
chasten them over and over, to try                                                        the chastisement of the Lord
                                             are by nature earthly-minded. We
their faith and cause them to cry out        seek the things of this world. Our life              merely passively
UntoHimforhelp.  Wearejustasslow             is often totally consumed with earthly                 or stoically...
to trust in the Lord. Our sinful nature      pursuits and pleasures. How easily
is such that we desperately want to          this steals our hearts from God and
rely on ourselves and glory in our           from heavenly pursuits. Through            faith we must submit ourselves un-
own strength and wisdom. So the              chastisement we learn again that we        der the chastening hand of the Lord,
Lord has to teach us again and again         are only pilgrims and strangers in the     believing and knowing that it is for
our need of His grace and strength in        world, just passing through. The Lord      our good and salvation and for His
all our life. We can learn this often        removes from us earthly treasures          glory. It is a great sin to become bitter
only through chastisement by our             andkeepsusfromindulginginearthly           against the Lord because of how He
heavenly Father.                             pleasures because our hearts must be       chastens us in His great love. We
                                             set upon the glorious heavenlyinher-       avoid this when we meditate on the
                                             itance that He has prepared for us.        great purpose of His love as it is
      Through chastisement                        The Lord chastens His children        revealed in the gospel. We are not to
           we learn again                    in order that they might be partakers      receive the chastisement of the Lord
                                                                                        merely passively or stoically without
   that we are only pilgrims                 of the fellowship of the sufferings of
                                             the Lord Jesus Christ. This is perhaps     faith in God. But rather we are to
   and strangers in the world,               the most beautiful of all the purposes     endure the, Lords chastisement in
      just passing through.                  of the Lord in chastisement. Our           patience and faith. Then we will be
                                             Lord suffered and died for us. His         exercised by the chastisement of the
                                             suffering was an atoning suffering.        Lord and it will make us strong to
      The Lord chastens His children         No one ever suffered like He did, nor      serve the Lord. When we endure
in order to teach them the riches of         could any one ever suffer like He did.     chastisement it will bring forth the
His grace and mercy. `This is truly          Through His suffering He paid the          peaceable fruit of righteousness.
wonderful. He teaches us lessons             full penalty of our sin and accom-               To have peace with God! What
through chastisement that we could           plished allrighteousness for us. None      can be more wonderful and blessed!
not learn in a life of ease and luxury in    of our suffering is atoning suffering.     Those who are at peace with God
which we never experienced any               ye must never imagine such a thing         enjoy His favor and loving-kindness.
trouble. Chastening can produce in           lest we rob the cross of its glory. In     To walkin  righteousness is the great-
the child of God a profound con-             our own suffering we learn more            est good. The child of God through
sciousness of God'slove andfaithful-         deeply to appreciate the great suffer-     suffering learns obedience. Even the
ness. As a pastor I have heard some          ing of the Lord on our behalf and          Lord Jesus, according to Hebrews 5,
of the most beautiful testimonies of         learn to love Him more. Especially         learnedobediencebythethings which
the grace and mercy of God from the          when we suffer directly for the testi-     He suffered. How much more need-
mouths of saints who were severely           mony of the Lord and because of our        ful this is for us.
chastened of the Lord. Such chastise-        faith in Him we are drawn closer to             By chastisement the Lord will
ment actually brought these saints           Him. In this way we as Christians          make us partakers of His own holi-
closer to the Lord and caused them to        partake in the sufferings of the Lord.     ness. Only when we have been made
experience more than ever the good-          rhis is a wonderful privilege. It is an    holy can we dwell with the Lord. The
ness and mercy of God, even when             honor that we should be counted            Lord has not promised that our lives
they could not fully understand the          worthy to suffer for the name of the       on earth will always be full of joy and
way of the Lord. Truly "whom the             Lord. The Christian rejoices when he       happiness. His great interest is not
Lord loveth He chasteneth."                  understand this.                           merely to make us happy, as some

252 /Standard Bearer I March 1,1992


preachers today foolishly preach. He         must not faint when the Lord chas-            Lord's loving purpose and blessed
is more interested in making us holy.        tens us. The Lord's chastisement must         end in chastening us. Our focus must
Holiness is more important than hap-         not make us depressed and utterly             not be on this world but ultimately on
piness. True and lasting joy can come         discouraged. It must not destroy in          the glory and blessing for which the
only in the way of holiness. God             us the joy and hope of the Christian          Lord is preparing us. The sorrow of
makes us holy in order that He might         life. The chastisement of the Lord            our necessary chastisement will last
prepare us for our place in heaven.          must not make us forsake the Chris-           only for a moment. The Lord calls us
Rejoice therefore when you are chas-         tian life or even become listless and         to endure unto the end. When finally
tened of the Lord.                           careless in it. As we are chastened of        He brings us to glory He will give us
     Present chastisement always             the Lord we must continue faithfully          to understand how His way of chas-
seems grievous. It is hard to bear.          and zealously to live the Christian life      tisement was good and served the
The Lord knows that, and He is full of       and to testify of the glory of the name       purpose of our eternal glory. U
mercy to help us and give us the             of our God. By faith understand the
strength we need to endure it. We




                                              Jurisdiction of
Decency and Order                            Assemblies
Rev. Ronald Cammenga


     In these assemblies ecclesiastical matters only shall be transacted and.that in an ecclesiastical manner. In major assemblies
  only such matters shall be dealt with as could not befinished in minor assemblies, or such as pertain to the churches ofthe major
  assembly in common.
                                                                                                          Church Order, Article 30

Introduction                                 acted in an "ecclesiastical manner."          is limited to the one congregation
     Article 30. concerns the proper            Reference is made to "major"               over which that consistory has been
jurisdiction of ecclesiastical assem-        and "minor" assemblies. Other terms           placed. Within the church federation,
blies. The article specifies that the        have been used: "higher" and                  however, the authority of a classis is
jurisdictionofallecclesiasticalassem-        "lower"; "broader" and "narrower."            over all of the churches of the classis;
blies is limited to ecclesiastical mat-      "Broader" and "narrower" may be               the scope of the authority of synod is
ters. In regard to the major assem-          the best terms, although no matter            over all of the churches of the de-
blies, the article specifies that their      which terms are used they may be              nomination. In this sense the broader
jurisdiction is limited to those mat-        exploited by those who are advocates          assemblies are certainly "major" as-
terswhichcouldnotbefinishedinthe             of hierarchy.                                 semblies. The authority exercised by
minor assemblies or which pertain to               "Major" means "more" and                the major assemblies derives from
the churches in common.                      "minor" means"less." Theideaisnot             the willing consent of the minor as-
     Article 30 also prescribes that         that major assemblies have greater            semblies, and ultimately from the
the business of the assemblies be trans-     intrinsic  authority than the consistory.     consistories that have willingly joined
                                             The consistory has the only intrinsic         the federation.
                                             authority. Besides, the consistoryhas
                                             authority to do what no classis or            Ecclesiastical Matters Only
                                             synod can do: preach the Word, ad-                    The emphasis of Article 30 is
                                             minister the sacraments, and exercise         that the jurisdiction of ecclesiastical
                                             Christian discipline. The distinction         assemblies is confined to ecclesiasti-
                                             between "major" and "minor" refers            calmatters: "Intheseassemblieseccle-
Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protes-       to the relationship between assem-            siastical matters onZy shall be trans-
tant Reformed Church of Loveland,            blies in the church federation. The           acted...." The boundaries are clearly
Colorado.                                    scope of the authority of a consistory        set.

                                                                                                   March 1,1992 I Standard Bearer / 253


         This means that only those mat-       in The Netherlands resisted every                   That a matter could not be fin-
ters which concern the life and calling        attempt to persuade the church to be           ished may refer to the fact that it
of the church and her membership               involved in non-ecclesiastical mat-            could not be finished to the satisfac-
are to be the concern of the ecclesias-        ters. The Synod of Emden, 1571, did            tion of the parties involved, in which
tical bodies. Strictly speaking, the           not acquiesce to the request of Prince         case the aggrieved party comes to the
assemblies are limited to those things         William I that the churches support            major assembly by way of appeal.
that pertain to the preaching of the           himbyrecruitingsoldiersforhis army,            (The matter of appeal to a major as-
gospel, the administration of the sac-         by collecting money for the support            sembly will be treated in Article :31.)
raments, and the exercise of Christian         of the army, and by assisting in the           Gr the matter could not be finished
discipline.                                    relaying of army bulletins. It was the         because of serious division in the
         The assemblies are not to busy        ,decision  of this Synod that, "The            minor assembly (let us say, the
themselves in matters which are out-           minister(s) and the elders shall make          consistory) that makes it impossi.ble
side of the sphere of the church: mat-         sure that they deal with ecclesiastical        for it to "finish" a matter satisfacto-
ters political, social, civil, educational,    .matters  only in the consistories, classes    rily, in which case the help of the
industrial, personal. Any assembly             and the synods. But if there are some          major assembly may be sought.
that does, intrudes itself into an area        matters which are partly ecclesiasti-
outside of its proper jurisdiction. For        cal and partly political, such as in case
any assembly to do this is to abandon          of marriage, if any difficulties arise,                 Article 30 keeps
its God-givencallingandinviteGod's             they shall seek the judgment and au-
wrath. For, in the end, it is God who                                                               the major assemblies
                                               thority of the government."
limits the jurisdiction of the church.                                                               from being flooded
                                               Jurisdiction of Major Assemblies                          with matters
                                                     All the assemblies are limited in              that could have and
         . . . only those matters              their work to ecclesiastical matters.            properly should have been
             which concern                     But, in distinction from the consistory,                 dealt with by
           the life and calling                two additional restrictions are placed
                                               on the jurisdiction of the major as-                the minor assemblies.
               of the church                   semblies, i.e., classis and synod: "In
          and her membership                   major assemblies only such matters
          are to be the concern                shall be dealt with as could not be                 There is sound, practical wis-
                                                                                              dom in the requirement of Article 30.
  of  the ecclesiastical bodies.               finished in minor assemblies, or such
                                               as pertain to the churches of the major        It forces the minor assemblies, par-
                                               assembly in common."                           ticularly the consistories, to do their
                                                     Jurisdiction of major assemblies         proper work, and not shirktheir God-
                                                                                              given responsibilities by passing the
         The sphere of the churchis solely     is limited, first, to those matters which      matter on to the broader assemblies.
things spiritual. Only in as far as there      could not be finished in the minor             Italsoforcesindividualstoworkwith
is a spiritual aspect is the church to be      assembly. Whenever a matter comes              the minor assembly, especially the
involved in a matter. Ear example, it          to the major assembly from the minor           consistory, and not too quickly to
is not the business of the `church to          assembly or from someone who has               appeal to the major assembly in order
settle financial disputes between              been working with the minor assem-             to bypass the consistory. It protects
brothers. In this case, Jesus' word in         .bly: the. question before the major           the minor assembly from unlawful
Luke 12:14  applies: "Man, who made            assembly is: "Is this matter finished          intrusion and interference by the
me a judge or a divider over you?"             in the minor assembly? Could this              major assembly. And it keeps the
But if the sin of fraud or stealing            matter have been finished in the mi-           major assemblies from beingflooded
enters in, then it becomes an ecclesi-         nor assembly? Was everything pos-              with matters that could have and
astical matter.                                sible done so that the matter could be         properly should have been dealt with
         Every assembly must concern           finished in the minor assembly?"               by the minor assemblies.
itself with the issue of the legality of ,a         This is the second question that               In the second place, jurisdiction
matter that has been brought before            must be faced with respect to legality.        of major assemblies concerns matters
it: "Is this matter legally before the         If this requirement of Article 30 has          that pertain to the churches of the
assembly? Is this a matter that the            not been met, the matter must be               major assembly in common. This is
assembly ought to be involvedin?" In           declared to be not legally before the          the third question raised with regard
deciding upon legality, the first ques-        major assembly. It is ruled out of             to legality: "Does the matter concern
tion to be answered must be: "Is this          order and there is no treatment by the         the churches in common?" If it does,
matterproperlyanecclesiasticalmat-             major assembly of the substance of             it belongs at the major assembly.
ter?"                                          the issue. The matter is referred back              Matters which pertain to the
         Early on the Reformed churches        to the minor assembly.
254 IStandard  Bearer / March 1,1992


  work of the classis may be brought          or practice or recommendation of                 All matters are to be treated de-
  directly to the classis. Two examples       some new policy, procedure, or prac-        centlyandingoodorder,ICorinthians
  may be these: matters which deal            tice.                                       1440.  This means that all matters
' with the annual church visitation, or                GRAVAMEN - A gravamen is           must be treated according to the pro-
  matters which deal with the revision        aformalobjectiondirectedtothemajor          visions of the Church Order,  and ac-
  of the "Classical Rules of Order."          assembly against a teachin~g of the         cording to the adopted "Rules of Or-
       Matters which pertain to the           confessions of the church, including a      der of Classis and Synod."
  work of the synod may be brought            request for revision.                           Theecclesiasticalmannermeans
  directly to-the synod: matters con-                  REPORT-A report is informa-        that the discussionof everyissuemust
  cerning missions, the theological           tion supplied to an assembly of work        be brotherly and considerate. (Cf.
  school, sister-church relations, revi-      mandated by the assembly and ac-            Article 35 where among the duties of
  sion of the Church Order.                   complished in the name of the assem-        the president of the assemblies is this,
       Even though matters dealing            bly. This would include reports of          that he fi . ..silence the captious and
  with the churches of the major assem-       various committees, reports of func-        those who are vehement in speak-
  bly in common may be brought di-            tionaries (Stated Clerk, for example),      ing.") Speakers are to exercise due
  rectly to these assemblies, it is proper    standing committees, special commit-        respect for the assembly and the chair,
  that these matters come before the          tees, or study.committees.                  and their remarks are to be concerned
  major assembly via the minor assem-                                                     with the issue before the assembly
  bly. This makes it possible for the         The Ecclesiastical Manner                   and not to be directed to persons.
  major assembly to be served by the                   Article 30 also prescribes that         The ecclesiastical manner also
 judgment, investigation, and insights        the work of the assemblies is to be         implies that decisions are to be taken        .'
  of the minor assembly.                      carried out "in an ecclesiastical man-      solely on the basis of the Word of IGod
                                              ner." This presupposes that there is a      and the confessions. It is NOT the
  Classification of Materials                 proper ecclesiastical manner. The           ecclesiastical manner when decisions
       It may be helpful to classify the      business of the assemblies is to be         are made on the basis of expediency,
  main types of materials that come           conducted in this manner. The as-           popular opinion, or personal prefer-
  before the assemblies. Sometimes            semblies must be concerned not only         ence. But decisions must be made on
  there is confusion over the terms that      with what they are doing, but with          the basis of the objective standard of
  are used to describe these materials.       how they are doing it.                      God's Word.
       PROTEST - A protest is a re-                    This "ecclesiastical manner" is         The proper ecclesiastical man-
  quest `to an assembly for revision or       not spelled out in the article. Never-      ner includes also that every matter
  reversal of a decision made by that         theless, it is clearly implied.             brought before the assemblies is given
  same assembly with which the prot-                                                      thorough, careful discussion and
  estant is aggrieved.                                                                    treatment. If a matter is so serious
       APPEAL - An appeal is a re-                                                        that the assembly ought to treat it, it
  quest to a major assembly (classis or                If a matter is so serious          must not be treated superficia.lly  and
  synod) for judgment against the deci-                                                   hastily. Every effort must be made to
  sion of a minor assembly with which                     that the assembly               convince all parties of the rightness of
  the appellant (an individual, a                         ought to treat it,              the decision taken. Although not al-
  consistory, or even a classis) is ag-                 it must not be treated            ways possible, it is desirable that
  grieved.                             i         superficially and hastily.               unanimous decisions are reached, or
       OVERTURE - An overture is a                                                        at least that everything is done in an
  proposal sent to an assembly for                                                        attempt to secure a unanimous deci-
  change of existing policy, procedure,                                                   sion.  Q



                                                       Be not afraid of those trials which God may see fit to send upon thee.
                                              It is with the wind and storm of tribulation that God separates the true wheat
    Trials must and will befall;              from the chaff. Always remember, therefore, that God comes to thee in thy
      But with humble faith to see sorrows, as really as in thy joys. He lays low, and He builds up. Thou wilt
   Love inscribed upon them all, find thyself far from perfection, if thou dost not find God in everything.
      This is happiness to me.                                                                               Standard Bearer,
                                                                                                               March 15,1933


                                                                                                March 1,1992 I Standard Bearer I 255


                                       School Graduation
                                             Prayer Case:                                                                    '
                                            Supreme Court
                                             Poised to Issue
Church and State                             Landmark Decision
Mr. James Lanting



     The wall of separation between church and state is a metaphor based on bad history, a metaphor which has proved useless as
a  guide to judging. It should be frankly and explicitly abandoned.
                                                                                         - Chief Justice William Rehnquist


     The U.S. Supreme Court is ex-           Providence, Rhode Island, after they      What is the constitutional issue at
pected to announc&s  decisionshortly         scheduled a local clergyman to offer      stake?
in the public school graduation prayer       an approved prayer and benediction
case of Lee v. Weisman. This pending         at his daughter's eighth grade gradu-           The First Amendment's non-es-
case  gained nationwide attention af-        ation ceremony. Weisman alleged he        tablishment clause forbids govern-
ter the Court recently intimated that        and his family were "opposed to and       ment to engage in any activity "re-
it may use the Weisman decision to           offended by the inclusidn of prayer in    spectinganestablishmentofrelig'on."
forge significant changes in church-         public school graduation ceremo-          The Weismans contend that a prayer
state law. Constitutional scholars,          nies."                                    to God at a public school eighth grade
religious leaders, and other court-                                                    graduation is precisely the kind of
watchers are eagerly awaiting the                                                      governmental religious activity pro-
outcome of this case, which many             vhat was the outcome at the trial         hibited by the non-establishment
expect to be alandmarkreligious free-        court level?                              clause, constituting an insidious
dom decision.                                                                          breach of the historic "Gall of separa-
                                                  Even though the challenged           tion between church and state." The
                                             graduation prayer was "non-sectar-        school district and the Bush adminis-
What. are the central facts in the           ian" and purposely bereft of anymen-      tration argue that such an innocuous
Weisman  case?                               tion of Je_sus Christ, it nonetheless     prayer offered by a clergyman at a
                                             made reference to the Deity or God.       public school ceremony is not gov-
     Daniel Weisman brought suit             Consequently, the federal trial judge     ernment establishment of religion, but
against local public school officials in     ruled the prayer to be unconstitu-        merely a permissible accommodation
                                             tional. The federal appeals court         of our nation's diverse religiousviews.
                                             agreed and the school district, with
                                             the full support and sponsorship of
                                             theBush  administration, appealed the     But since the supreme court out-
                                             adverse ruling to the U.S. Supreme        lawed organized classroom prayers
                                             Court where a decision is expected        already in 1962, how can the school
Mr. Lanting, a member of South Holland       shortly.                                  suggest that graduation prayers
Protestant Reformed Church, is a prac-                                                 would pass constitutional muster?
ticing attorney.

256 /Standard Bearer I March 1,1992


     The Bush administration and the          Lemon test was judged to pertit paid        nately led to an attitude of "relentless
schoolhavearguedintheirbriefsthat             chaplains to offer prayer at state leg-     extirpation of all contact between
graduation prayers are different. from        islature sessions and allow federal         government and religion." Justice
admittedly illegal organized prayers          funds to flow to religious "non-sec-        Kennedywroterecentlyinanopinion
in classrooms (where "subtle coer-            tarian" private colleges.                   approving a Christmas creche on dis-
cion may be present"). In contrast to                                                     play in a county courthouse: "Gov-
theclassroomsetting"whereinculca-                                                         ernment policies of accommodation,
tionis the name of the game," a gradu-        Will the court use the Weisman case         acknowledgment and support for re-
ationis a celebratory, voluntary, non-        tojettisonthetraditionalLemont&t?           ligion are an accepted part of our
educational civic ceremony where                                                          heritage. The Establishment Clause
prayers merely lend solemnity  to the                 Perhaps: Chief Justice Rehnquist    permits government some la+&&.  in
occasion and acknowledge  our,                (see quote above), Justice Kennedy,         recognizing and accommodating the
country's diverse religious heritage.         and Justice Scalia have recently com-       central role religion plays in our soci-
                                              plained that the Lemon test has only        ety. Anything less would border on
                                              led the Court into a confusing morass       latent hostility toward religion." On
Is everyone really that concerned             of contradictory and erroneous deci-        the other hand, the "strict
about generic prayers at graduation           sions in this area. Th6 Court appears       separationists"  (J. Stevens and J.
ceremonies?                                   to be poised to chart a new course in       Blackman) insist that the Lemon test
                                              church-state law and abandon the            should be retained, that the govern-
     No.     The rather mundane               notion of "strict separation" between       ment should remain totally secular,
Weisman case gained sudden notori-            government and religion.                    and that we must maintain a high and
ety when the Bush administration                                                          impregnable "wall of separation" be-
intervened at the Supreme Court level                                                     tween church and state.
and filed a brief requesting the Court        Whatstandardwillreplacethethree-
to abandon the Lemon test, the stan-          part Lemon analysis?
dard traditionally used to determine                                                      Why is the Weisman case so impor-
whether challenged government ac-                     It is anyone's guess, although      tant and what will be practical ef-
tivity runs afoul the non-establish-          numerous constitutionalscholars sus-        fects of the Lemon test's demise?
ment clause.                                  pect Justice Kennedy's "coercion" test
                                              may carry the day. This proposed                  Its importance lies in that the
                                              standard holds that the non-estab-          case is a showdown between the con-
What is the Lemon test?                       lishment clause forbids any govern:         servative accommodation&s on the
                                              mental act (1) tending to establish a       Court and the separation&s. Many
     In the 1971 case of `Lemon v,            national church, or (2) which compels       predict that the adoption of the new
Kurtzman,  the Supreme Court enun-            a citizen to participate in conduct that    "coercion" test will pave the way for
ciated a three-part test or standard          violates his religious conscience. Oth-     "Choice," the Bush administration's
for determining whether a govern-             ers, however, suspect the Lemon test        agenda for federal and state tuition
ment practice violates the First              will be essentially retained but se-        vouchers, grants, or tax credits to
Amendment. Under the  Lemon  analy-           verely pruned and trimmed to allow          private and parochial school parents.
sis, a government law or practice             "accommodation" of religious.activ-         T h i s   i s   b e c a u s e   t h e   accom-'
which touches upon religion, ifit is to       ity.                                        modationists will argue that govern-
be permissible under the non-estab-                                                       ment aid to parents of children who
lishment clause                                                                           attend private or sectarian schools is
     (1) must have a secular purpose;         Will the Weisman decision disclose          merely a pQmissible  accommodation
     (2) must neither advance nor in-         deep philosophical differences              of our nation's religious pluralism
hibit religion; and                           among the court justices in this area       and entails no coercion or establish-
     (3) must not foster an excessive         of religious freedom?                       ment of a national religion. 0
entanglement between government
and religion.                                         Undoubtedly. In recent First
     The federal courts have applied          Amendment decisions, the Court has
this trilogy of tests to countless church-    been bitterly divided on this issue.
state cases in the past decades, strik-       Two divergent views have emerged.
ing down, for example, such prac-             The "accommodationists" (J.
tices as Christmas creche displays on         Rehnquist, J. Kennedy, and J. Scalia)
public property and tuition tax cred-         are eager to adopt the proposed "co-
its to parents of children in nonLpub-        ercion" test and abandon the Lemon
lit schools. On the other hand, the           test, which they claim has unfortu-

                                                                                                 March 1,1992 / Standard Bearer / 257


                                                                                Malachi

                                                                                Lesson 7
                                                       Will a Man Rob
 Search the
 Scriptures
 Rev. Carl Haak                                                        (Malachi 3:7-l 2)

        We have seen repeatedly in our      the restored exiles from Babylon had        law, that they could see nothing in
study of Malachi how the prophet's          settled (fallen) into the same sin. Evi-    themselves for which they should
day and our own are so much alike.          dently the Lord had chastened them          repent, and rather saw themselves
The sins present among God's people         with "a curse" (vs. 9), "the devourer"      justified in the way they dealt with
then are similar to those of today,         and that which"destroys the fruit of        theirpossessions. More: to Jehovah's
especially the mere outward obser-          the ground" (vs. 11). A famine, pes-        reproof, "ye have robbed me" (vs. S),
vance of religion and the cold formal       tilence, or plague of some sort had         they have the audacity to say
worship of the true God. We have            beensent(seeJoell:4).  Yetthepeople,        "wherein?"-thatis, theyrefused(as
alsoobservedhowMalachidealswith             in the hardness of their heart, had not     do we so often) to own up to their sin
these sins, namely by always holding        seen this as the Word of God's re-          of coveting and of hoarding for our-
them up to the light (brightness) of        buke, but had hoarded for themselves        selves the things of this life.
God in order to show how heinous            whatever they had left.                     4.    The sinfulreasoningof the people
and treacherous it is when a people               The heinousness of this sin and       is brought out in verse 10. The Lord
sin against the goodness andmercy of        the underlying rebellion, distrust, and     says, "Bring..." and then "I will open
the Lord, depart fromHis ordinances,        covetousness are exposed by the             you the windows of heaven." `Offer,
andrenderHimthe  serviceof acarnal          "messenger" of God.                         out of trust in Me to supply your
heart.                                      1.    It was a hereditary sin (vs. 7).      future need, but offer first! In con-
        We have another penetrating,        History seems to have taught them           trast, they reasoned this way: Let
applicable, and urgent lesson before        nothing, although their history was         God first give us plenty (open the
us in these verses. It deals with the       full of examples of the Lord's faithful     windows) and then we will bring
"worship of giving" (see II Cor. 8,9).      and gracious care and His heavychas-        Him the tithes and offerings. It was
It is the call to supply the needs of       tisexhents  upon their father's covet-      the "you first" mentality. "Thou, 0
God's church and kingdom, as well           ousness and greed. (See Daniel 9:3ff;       God, must prove us, see if we will not
as to show benevolence to the poor.         Psalm 78; Acts 7; Ezekiel 9:54.)            indeed offer willingly when Thou dost
        The evil exposed in these verses    2.    It was to rob God (vs. 8). The        give us plenty to offer," rather than
is the failure to bring the tithes and      questionisbitingandarresting:  "Will        "proving" God, trusting Him to sup-
offerings to God's house (vs. 8). These     a man rob God???" The principle of the      ply future needs and rendering to
"ordinances" (vs. 7) were clearly           eighth commandment is at work. It           Him out of our present circumstances
marked out in the Old Testament             reveals that in stealing, and in failing    (see Luke 21:2).
Scriptures. It was also a common sin        to serve the Lord with the posses-                Valuable truths concerning our
of the covenant people, one which           sions intrusted to us, we are insolent      giving to God's church and to the
their fathers had committed and for         and incredibly defiant. (See Heidel-        poor, as well as our entire life of
which they had been furnished. How          berg Catechism, L.D. 42.)                   stewardship, are taught us.
                                            3.    The people were hardened in it,       1.    God must be served first. The
                                            and their stinginess revealed their         causes and needs of His kingdom
                                            spiritual barrenness. To the call "Re-      come first. (See I Kings 17~13;  Mat-
                                            turn unto me!" (vs.  7), they respond       thew 6:33.)
Rev. Hank is pastor of the Protestant       "wherein shall we return?" That is,         2.    Stewardship. To rob is to take
Reformed Church of Lynden, Washing-         they were so ignorant of themselves         for oneself what belongs to another.
ton.                                        and of the spiritual demands of God's       We are taught by implication that all

258 /Standard Bearer / March 1,1992


things belong to God and that He is to                Father`s good pleasure to give you the                       b )   Whatisthesinofcov-
be served, not with some, but with all                kingdom.                                    etousness? Why is it idolatry? In
we have. (See Psalm 24:l; 50:12.)                   Questions for Study:                          what area's of our life does it rear its
3.       The way of giving is the way of               1. Let us begin with setting forth         ugly head?
blessing. Greed, stinginess, covet-                 clearly in our minds and hearts the                    3) Failure to learn from sins
ousness result in spiritual barrenness.             relationship of the Christian to earthly      of their fathers (vs. 7).
We are not made poor by liberal giv-                things.                                                        a) Show that this sin
ing to God's church and kingdom.                             a. What is a steward?                was repeated in Israel's history.
Much rather, we shall experience                                1) Lookup                         (Psalm 78; Daniel 9; Ezekiel 9.)
blessedness. (Verse 10; see also II                                 Matthew 25:14-30                               b) Why is the history of
Corinthians 9:8.)                                                   Psalm 50:7-23                 God's gracious care for His people in
          God calls them to return (vs. 7).                     2) Explain briefly the prin-      past years so important for trust and
See Jeremiah 31:18 for the relation-                ciples of stewardship.                        contentment today?
ship between God's grace and our                             b. Are material things sinful? Is       3. The principles of giving.
turning from sin. One of the evi-                   it more pious to be poor? See I Timo-               a. Read II Corinthians 9 and list
dences of true spiritual repentance is              thy 4:1-5; Romans 14:14,20.                   the important truths mentioned c'on-
seen in bringing in the tithes and                           c. What is ourfundamental call-      cerning the worship of giving.
offerings. Where grace has touched                  ing toward earthly things? I                        b. Show from our passage in
the heart, the hand is opened as well.              Corinthians 10:23-33;  Colossians 3:23;       Malachi the following principles of
(See Luke 19:8; II Corinthians 8:8.)                Romans 14:6-9.                                giving, briefly explaining and mak-
         The promise of God is twofold.                2. The evil exposedby the prophet:         ing application to our lives today
A. "I will return unto you" (vs. 7) -               Failure tobringinthe tithes andoffer-                  1) God must be first
that is, in the way of a sincere stew-              ings.                                                  2) Stewardship
ardship we are given to enjoy the                            a. Consult a Bible Dictionary or              3) The blessedness of giv-
lovingkindness of God. B. God will                  Encyclopedia on "Tithes."                     i%
richly supply our earthly needs, often                          1) Look up the following            4. Repentance.
beyond our imaginations (vs. lob).                  and state what they teach as to tith-               a. Examine the following pas-
         In such a lesson as this we hear           ing.                                          sages in connection with verse 7.
Him speak, "Beware of covetousness,                                 Leviticus 27:30-32                     1) Jeremiah  18:ll
for a man's life consisteth not in the                              Numbers 8:21-32                        2) Jeremiah  31:18
abundance of the things he                                          Deuteronomy 12:18                      3) Lamentations 5:21
possesseth . . . . U but in being "rich to-                         Deuteronomy 14:18,29                   4) Zechariah  1:3
ward God" (Luke 12:15-21).  How our                             2) What thenwere  the three                5) Canons of Dordrecht III,
carnal nature reveals itself when it                steps in the process of tithing?              IV, Art. 16.
comes to what we say is "mine" and                           b. Offerings. See Lesson 3 for             b. Answer now the followhg
are called to render unto the Lord.                 the references to offerings. (Does            questions:
May our study produce a "return," a                 Malachi have in mind any particular                    1) What should have been
seeking of God's glory first and awise              offering neglected, or simply a gen-          theresponseto thecalltoreturn? (See
use of the earthly goods of our Master              eral neglect of all things?)                  Jeremiah 3:22.)
which have been entrusted to our                             c. The sin of not bringing in the             2) What are the graces pro-
stewardship. (See Matthew 25:14-                    tithe and offering.                           duced by God in a heart that turns
30.)                                                            1) Robbing the Lord. (Word        from disobedience? (Example: Hu-
                                                    means "defraud, hide, cover.")                mility, etc.)
Memory Work:                                                        a) Explain the force of                3) Why is our use of the
                   Malachi 3:lO                     this.                                         material gifts of God a true indication
         Bring ye all the tithes into the store-                    b) In what ways do we         of the attitude and state of our heart
      house, that there may be meat in mine         rob God? (See Lord's Day 42 of the            towards God?
      house, and prove me now herewith, saith       Heidelberg Catechism.)                                 4) What therefore does the
      the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you                 2) Covetousness.                  answer that the people gave indicate?
      thewindowsofheaven,andpouryohout                              a) Look up the follow-
      a blessing, that there shall not be room                                                      5. Thepromiseof God (vss. 11,12).
                                                    ing passages on covetousness.
      enough to receive it.                                                                             a. Will one ever become poor
                                                                        Luke 12:15-21             for the reason of faithful, cheerful,
                   Luke 12:31,32                                        Ephesians5:5 (Colos-      and liberal giving unto the causes of
         But rather seek ye the kingdom  of         sians 3:5)                                    God and His kingdom? (See Prov-
      God; and all these things shall be  added                         II Timothy 4:lO           erbs 3:9, 10; 11:24,  25; 19:17;  Psalm
      unto you.                                                         I Timothy 6:6-10          31:19; 41:1-3.)
         Fear not, littleJock;  for it is your                          I Corinthians 12:32             b. Do we wait until we have

                                                                                                        March 1,1992 / Standard Bearer / 259


enough of something before we give              d. What are the errors of the                   6. Can you write from memory
for the needs of God's church? (See         ti health, wealth, and success gospel"            Malachi 3:lO and Luke 12:31,32?
Luke 21:1-4.)                               so prevalent today? (See James 4:2,3;             Recommended Reading:
    c. What is the relationship be-         Proverbs  30:7-9;  Hebrews  13:5, 6;                   Tithing, by A.W. Pink. (Pam-
tween our giving and God's bless-           Philippians 411.)                                  phlet of 31 pages, available f;rom:
ings, or God's provision for our fu-            e. How do we teach these things                           Gospel Mission
ture needs? (See I Rings 17:8-16; II        to our children? How do we instill                                 Box M
Rings 7:2,19,20.)                           them in ourselves?                                   Choteau, Montana 59422.  0

Book Reviews

                                                                                              book will be of great assistance.
Preaching With Freshness,  by Bruce         of worthwhile matters that he finds                     Romans 8 is one of those totally
Mawhinney. Eugene, Oregon: Har-             insufficient time to prepare good ser-            crucial chapters in Holy Scripture,
vest House Publishers, 1991; 258pp.,        mons!                                             which has occupied such a large role
$12.99 (paper). [Reviewed by Prof.               But this is not a book just for              in the life of the church of God's
Robert D. Decker.]                          preachers. Lay people ought to read               people since the time of the Reforma-
                                            it as well. In fact I would urge our              tion. It has in it all the essentials of the
     This bookis  a novel approach to       readers to get the book, set aside two            great truths of salvation by grace alone,
Homiletics (the art and science of          to four hours, and read it from cover             and it is brimful of comfort for the
preaching, RDD). It is this because         to cover. Not only will you enjoy the             tried and afflicted child of God. Per-
the bookis  cast in the form of a novel,    story, but you will learn something               haps few chapters in all Scripture
a story. While Mawhinney deals with         about preaching. The book will en-                have more often been read at sick
the discipline of homiletics and while      able you to put yourself in "the                  beds and to and by saints in great
he sets forth many sound, biblical          preacher's shoes." It will help you to            suffering of body and soul. When I
principles of homiletics, the book is       understand what it's like to be a                 was yet a child, my parents insisted
entirely free of technical, theological     preacher in God's church.                         that I, my brother, and my sister,
terms. The author presents his theol-            O r d a i n e d   i n   1 9 7 6 ,   D r .    commit the entire chapter to memory.
ogy of preaching in the form of a           Mawhinney is pastor of New Hope                   It has been a chapter to carry with me
fictional account of a young preacher       Presbyterian Church in Monroeville,               all my life.
who.. . you read the story. You will        Pennsylvania. He received the Mas-                      This little book will indeed give
enjoy it.                                   ter of Divinity degree from Pittsburgh            the reader a sense of the great power
     The principles and methodol-           Theological Seminary and the Doctor               of Romans 8. It is a doctrinally strong
ogy of preaching set forth by Jay           of Ministry degree from Westminster               and biblically sound book so that one
Adams in his book,  Preaching With          Theological Seminary in Escondido,                has meat to eat; but it is also written in
Purpose, are woven skillfully into the      California.  n                                    such a way that it catches the "spirit"
narrative.                                                                                    and power of the chapter.
     Any preacher, especially the           io Condemnation in ChristJesus:  As                     There is only one warning. It is
preacher who finds himself"`bogged          Unfolded in the Eighth chapter of the             very much written in the Puritan tra-
down" or whose preaching is being           Epistle to the Romans, by Octavius                dition, particularly that of the 18th
criticized as being dull or boring, will    Winslow;Banner of Truth Trust, 1991;              century Marrow Men, and has, .there-
do well to purchase the book, read it,      396pp., $8.95 (paper). [Reviewed by               fore, some of the weaknesses of these
and implement Mawhinney's sugges-           Prof. Herman Hanko.]                              men. Particularly one will sometimes
tions. In addition to sound, biblical                                                         take issue with its incipient doctrine
principles of homiletics, thebookcon-            This excellent commentary writ-              `of "preparationism" and want to dis-
tains many practical suggestions            ten by a 19th century divine, was first           card its view of conversion. Being
which, if taken seriously and imple-        published in 1853 and is now repub-               aware of this, however, will prevent
mented, are bound to improve one's          lished by Banner of Truth. `It is in              one from falling into its snares. n
preaching. The reminder of chapter          many respects a gem which will be a
three,  viz.,  that preaching is the        valuable addition to anyone's library.            New Testament Criticism  13 Inter-
preacher's chief task, his "one busi-       Ifyouarelookingfordevotionalread-                 pretation, ed. by David Alan Black &
ness," isinitself worth the price of the    ing, this book will please you. If you            David S. Dockery;  Zondervan Pub-
book. A preacher ought never allow          are looking for help in understanding             lishing House, 1991; 619 pp., $17.95
hirnselftodowhatothersinthechurch           this beautiful and important chapter              (paper). [Reviewed by Prof. Herman
can do. He maybe so busy with a host        of Paul's epistle to the Romans, this             Hanko.]

260 /Standard Bearer / March 1,1992


         It appears as if the entire church    of its own theoretical foundations and          Catholicity and Secession, A Study
world has gone mad over higher criti-          develops a hermeneutical theory ad-             of Ecumenicity in the Christian Re-'
cism. And this book would seem to              equate to the nature of the text which          formedChurch,byHenryZwaanstra;!
be the proof of it. One of the blurbs on       it is interpreting, it will remain re-          Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1991;
the back cover speaks of the fact that         stricted- as it deserves to be- to the          128pp., $14.95 (paper). [Reviewedby
"the editors have assembled a tal-             guild and the academy, where the                Prof. H. Hanko.]
ented team of conservative-evangeli-           question of truth can endlessly be
cal scholars" for the writing of this          deferred" (p. 271).                                      Any church which is faithful to
book; and so it is. But every one                    The other quote is in a chapter           her Lord and King struggles with the
without exception is a higher critic           onNewTestamentInterpretationand                 question with which this book deals.
and, as the title indicates, is given to       Preaching.                                      On the one hand, the church is re-
higher criticism of Scripture. The list              This generation'of preachers has          quired to be faithful to the Scriptures
of authors reads like a "Who's Who"              access to a range and depth of bibli-         and her confessional heritage and is
in American evangelical&m, andhigh               cal scholarship unparalleled in the           called to live in separation from other
praises for the book are sung on the             history of Christendom. The sci-              churchesifunionwiththemwillcom-
back cover by leading evangelicals               ences of hermeneutics, exegesis, and          promise this all-important calling. On
from leading evangelical seminaries              textual and other critical studies are
                                                 finely developed, Yet preaching is in         the other hand, the church is calledby
around the world.                                crisis. We do well to recall, of course,      Christ to seek the unity of the church,
         In three separate sections the          that every age, even the nineteenth-          and to do so also by bringing the
authorsdiscusswhatismeantbycriti-                century "golden age of preaching,"            church into organic and institutional
cal studies of Scripture, what are the           has had its crisis. But the contempo-         unity as the church comes to manifes-
basicmethodsinNewTestamentcriti-                 rary crisis is, to put it bluntly, differ-    tation in this world.
cism, and some special issues that               ent: It is the seen.+g inability to                    Dr. Henry Zwaanstra, professor
arise in New Testament interpreta-               preach biblically despite (or because         of church history and historical theol-
tion.                                            ofl?])  a full century of the most in-        ogyinCalvinSeminary,strugglesT~~
         The authors are very bold. One          tense biblical scholarship ever
                                                 known. In the words of David                  this question as he reviews the his-
of them does not hesitate to say that            Buttriclc  "Preachers drift out of semi-      tory of his own denomination over
the historical accuracy of Scripture             naries trained in historical-critical         the years. He tells of the birth of the
must be decided on rational and em-              method,practicedinhomileticaltech-            denominationinthesecessionsof1834
piricalgrounds (p. 81), and that, while          niques,  yet at a loss to preach `bibli-      in The Netherlands and 1857 in our
we may admit the possibility of the              c a l l y . `"                                owncountry, andpoints outthat  these
supernatural, thistoomustbehistori-                  The author thenmakes this state-          secessions made a deep impression
tally investigated and the reliability         ment: "Depending on one's point of              on the consciousness of the church,
of witnesses examined (pp. 87-90).             view, the current crisis amounts ei-            which led the church to emphasize
Another argues forcibly for multiple           ther to a failure to make use of what is        for many years separation at the cost
meanings in the text, a view which             now available, a failure to be honest           of church unity. The role that the
carries us back to medieval Roman              about known critical problems, or the           question of membership in  oath-
Catholic interpretation which closed           demoralizing effect  of  criticalapproaches     boundsocietiesplayedinthisstruggle,
Scripture to the people of God (pp.            to Scripture (emphasis mine, HH)."              the ecclesiology that was at stake (es-
270,271). Another boldly states that           The author is convinced that his first          pecially as it involved Arts. XXVII -
the authors of Scripture did not agree         option is the correct one. How can he           XXIX of the Belgic Confession) in
in doctrine (p. 475), and yet another is       be so blind? It simply is a fact that           making decisions concerning church
not ashamed to insist that the gospels         critical approaches to Scripture have           union, the contacts official and other-
are not historically reliable (p. 508).        a demoralizing effect not only on               wise between the CRC and such orga-
         There are two striking passages       preaching, but on all Bible study. And          nizations as the FCCC, the NAE, the
in this large book. One destroys all           until evangelicals are' willing to see          WCC, the RES, the WPA (WorldPres-
higher critical theories. It is not by an      this, the situation is not only hopeless,       byterian Alliance), NAPARC,  - all
author of the book, but by another.            but bound to get worse.                         these are amply treated and discussed
The ,author  of this chapter in which               Anyone who is interested in                in the book
the quotation appears only mildly              Hermeneutics in general and in higher                    As it turns out, two events in the
agrees. The author of the quote is             criticism in particular ought to read           historyoftheCRCprovedtobemajor
David Steinmitz, and it is devastating         the book. It will give him a clear              turning points. The first took place in
for all higher criticism. That the au-         summary of all the current methods              1944.
thor of the chapter is oblivious to the        used in higher criticism, but will also                  The committee in the CRC which
implications of Steinmitz' quote is            show him the futility and wrong of              was responsible for contact with other
amazing. It reads: "Until the histori-         critical approaches to God's holy               churches submitted a report to the
cal-critical method becomes critical           Word.  n                                        Synod of 1944 in which it empha-

                                                                                                        March 1,1992 I Standard Bearer I261


sized, on the one hand, that all Chris-
tian churches were sister churches,              Books for Young Readers, Reviewed
while on the other hand it stated that,
because the CRC was the purest                   The Escape, by A. VanDerJagt;  Inheritance Publications, 1988; 182pp., $9.95US,
church, only one system of doctrine,             $10.95. (Reviewed by J. Kalsbeek, Jr.)
that of the CRC, was acceptable. Dr.
Zwaanstra's  analysis of this position                ,The Escape is a book about three Huguenot young people who fled from
is:                                              the persecution of those who called themselves Roman Catholics. The stlory is
       . . . the CRC's ecumenical calling was    based upon historical facts which took place in France during the`late seven-
  narrowly  reduced to reproving and             teenth century.
       correcting other churches....                  The main characters are John, his sister, Manette, and  aboy named Camille
          The committee failed to under-         (no last names are given). They are teenagers who were raised in French
       stand that there can be different and     Protestant or Huguenot families.
       equally valid perceptions of biblical
       truth. It did not anticipate that              At the time this story takes place, Louis XIV, the SunKing, rulesPrance  and
       through ecumenical dialogue God           is determined to stamp out Protestantism. As a result many Huguenots were
       might lead his church into a fuller       sentenced to be galley slaves. (One of these  was John and Manette's father.)
       understanding of the truth than is        Anotherresultofthispersecutionwas thatmanyof  theHuguenotsfledfortheir
       represented in any one of the great       lives to neighboring countries. such as Switzerland, Germany, Holland, En-
       church traditions, including the Re-      gland, and even across the ocean to the English colonies of North America.
       formed (p. 114).                               Soon after John and Manette's father is sent away to be a slave on a galley
          The second major turning point         ship, their mother dies. Since they are now orphans they are separated by their
came in 1987 when the CRC adopted                Roman Catholic relatives.
a "charter" which significantlybroad-                 Manette is sent to Paris where she is ill treated, and John is assigned to live
ened the basis for contact. Of this              With his uncle and aunt. Both of them, though young, refuse to be converted
charter Zwaanstra says:                          back to Roman Catholicism. They are. determined to continue in the faith of
          The new Ecumenical Charter has         their father and mother. Consequently they experience the cruel hand of
  broken some new ground that may                persecution.
       enable the church to fulfill its ecu-
       menical task more confidently and              John is about to be sent by another uncle, Uncle Francis, a Roman Catholic
       effectively. Perhaps most notewor-        priest, to a monastery because he refuses to give up his Protestant beliefs. He
       thy is the recognition that churches      escapes and goes to Paris to find his sister. On the way, he makes friends with
       -including the CRC -have differ-          Camille. Together they find Manette and the three of them continue their
       ent perceptions of biblical truth that    dangerous journey to Holland.
       can be shared with one another, and            It is a story of courage in the face of many grave dangers. It is a story of
       that they can trust God to lead his       great faith in the God they love. It is a story of hardships, afflictions, hunger,
       churchinto a fuller understanding of      and pain. It is a story that is easy to read.
       that truth. This insight may relieve           Although it is written about a time long ago, it is worthy of your time and
       the CRC of its historic sense of supe-
       riority in understanding and purity       effort. At the very risk of their lives, John, Manette, and Camille refused to give
       and may make it teachable in the          in and take the easy way. They were given a' very simple way to avoid
       ecumenical arena. The charter's en-       persecution. All they had to do was to renounce their Protestant beliefs and
       dorsement of dialogue as a legiti-        deClare  that they would become Roman Catholic. This they refused to do. That
       mate means to engage in ecumenical        kind of courage is still needed today. It takes just as much courage today to say
       conversation may also provide a ba-       "no" to the world, to the devil, to our friends who tempt us to walk in a sinful
       sis and framework for a feasible ap-      way. Peer pressure is so prevalent today. It makes cowards even of those who
       proach and working method for             think they are strong.
       implementing its ecumenicalcalling.            Young people, teenagers, I encourage you to read this book. It is about
          It is apparently this position         courage - something you all admire and desire and need. Do not be afraid to
which has led'the  CRC to retain its             do what is right and pleasing to God even if it turns those you consider to be
membership in the REC in spite of the            your friends against you. n
apostasy of the GKN, and this charter
will undoubtedly serve to pave the               Judy's Own PetKitten, by An Rook. Neerlandia, Alberta, Canada: Inheritance
way for eventual membership in the
WCC.                                             Publications, 1991; 26 pp., paper $4.95Can.,  $4.5OUS. [Reviewed by the Editor.]
          The book is a significant contri-          , Little Judy'spetkittenhaddied. Whentheriverfloodedherparents' farm,
bution to current ecumenical think-              Judy saw a kitten stranded on strawbales in the water. Judy would rescue the
ing in the CRC. n                                kitten herself. ti . ..butohthewaterwasmuchdeeper.  Shestumbledandfellface
                                                 down into the muddy water. It was so terribly cold. She gasped for air . . . . n
                                                      A. story for children aged 4-8 that can be read in one sitting. Q

262 /Standard Bearer 1 March 1,1992


News From Our Churches
Mr. Benjamin Wigger

Mission Activities                            the set in pieces, and with the,pur-         services. These men will not usher
        When Rev. B. Gritters and his         chase of the chalice, the set was finally    everyone to their seats, but will serve
father, Elder E. Gritters, went to Ja-        complete. The Consistory went on to          as greeters and ushers for visitors to
maica to conduct a seminar for the            thank the catechism students for their       their services.
leaders of the JamaicanP.R.  Churches,        support in the past years, since their
they also, as is customary, brought           collections had been used for the pur-       Evangelism News
benevolence gifts with them. For this         chase of this set. On the Monday                  Rev. C. Haakwas unable to go to
reason the Consistory of the Hope             following that communion inDecem-            Boise, ID for two Sundays in January
PRC in Redlands, CA decided to con-           ber, the students had an opportunity,        topreachfortheSovereignRedeemer
duct a clothing drive for that purpose        at catechism, to see the set that their      Fellowship onbehalf of our churches.
in their congregation. On Saturday,           collections had bought.                      The Evangelism Committee of the
January25, members of the congrega-                In appreciation for their               South Holland, IL PRC, the church
tion were encouraged to bring any             congregation's efforts involving the         working with the group in Boise, was
appropriate light-weight clothing for         1991 Young People's Convention, the          ableto  secure the services of Rev. A.
either children or adults. Donations          Young People's Society of the Byron          denHartog to assist there for the
of shoes, eye glasses, and purses, etc.       Center PRC served cake andice  cream         .month of February. He planned to be
were also accepted.                           after an evening service inDecember.         there from February 8-17.
        On January29th,  Rev. R. Dykstra      Besides the cake andice cream, abrief
and Elder Henry Bleyenbergleft to do          slide presentation dealing with last         School Activities
investigative work in Ghana, Africa.          year's convention was also shown. In              The supporters of the Loveland
Plans originally called for Rev. M.           this small way the Society wished to         Christian School, in Loveland, CO
DeVries  to accompany Elder                   thank the congregation for their             were invited to father-son, mother-
Bleyenberg, but due to the serious            prayers, help, and support.                  daughter basketball games on Janu-
medical condition of his father, Rev.              Presently the congregationof the        ary 31. The boys' and girls' teams
DeVries  was unable to go.                    Hope PRC in Redlands, CA is work-            from the school played these parents.
        These men will be in Ghana over       ing to expand both their library and.        No word on how those games turned
three Sundays, meeting face to face           their book store. An encouragement           out. Any guesses?
with contacts that our churches have          to expand their library came in the
had there for several years. They will        form of a gift of a complete set of          Denominational Highlights
be doing some preaching and teach-            bound volumes of the  Standard                    Many of you are no doubt aware
ing, while investigating also the pos-        Bearer.  To accommodate these and            that two of our churches' emeritus
sibility of making Ghana a denomina-          other books, more shelves are being          ministers have not been well recently.
tional mission field.                         added to the library.                        Rev. George Lubbers fell and broke
                                                   Hope's Evangelism Committee             hishipinmid-January. Consequently,
Congregational Highlights                     has also decided to expand its book          he underwent surgery for a hip re-
        When the congregation of the          sales and place some of the books            placement. After surgery he was able
Byron Center, MI PRC celebrated the           available on display at the church.          to be moved to the nursing section of
sacrament of the Lord's Supper back           Once this project gets underway,             Raybrook  Manor in Grand Rapids,
in December, they did so with a corn-'        Redlands hopes to be able to pur-            MI. Histherapyisprogressingnicely.
pletely new communion set. Byron              chase books from many good Chris-                 And Rev. C. Hanko has been
Center's Consistory had been buying           tian publishers and make them avail-         suffering from a bad case of bronchi-
                                              able at cost. Hope is doing all this to      tis. He was able to attend services in
                                              promote the reading of good Chris-           Venice, FL for the first time in three
                                              tian books both in and outside of their      weeks on February2, and he hoped to
                                              congregation..                               be able to preach again the next Sun-
                                                   The Consistory of Hope in               day. May we all be reminded of the
Mr. Wigger is a member  of  the Protestant    Redlands decided to appoint some of          words of Isaiah 26:4: "Trust ye in the
Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michi-        their young single men to serve as           Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah
gan.                                          ushers for visitors to their worship         is everlasting strength."

                                                                                                 March 1,1992 I Standard Bearer / 263


Siii!DMD
   BWER                                                                                                                  SECOND CLASS
                                                                                                                         Postage Paid at
                                                                                                                         Grandville, Michigan
   P. 0. Box 603
   Grandville,  MI 49468-0603


Ministerial Calls                                       land, the council of the Hudsonville,            A call was to be extended to one
        Since Rev. R. VanOverloop  de-                  MI PRC, the calling church for a mis-      of these men after a congregational
clined the call to serve as missionary                  sionary to Larne, formed a new trio        meeting on February 23. p
pastor to the Covenant Reformed                         consisting of the Revs. B. Gritters, M.
Fellowship of Larne, Northern Ire-                      Kamps, and J. Kortering.

  RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY                                  RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY                       WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
        The Men's Society of the                             The Ladies' Aid Society of First            On February 21, 1992, our par-
Edger-ton Protestant Reformed Church                    Church (Grand Rapids) mourns the           ents and grandparents,
expresses its Christian sympathy to                     loss of one of her faithful members:                 MR. and MRS. ALBERT
our pastor, Rev. Michael DeVries and                              MRS. JEAN PASTOOR,                             VANDENTOP,
family, in the loss of his father,                      who was taken to her heavenly home         celebrated their 45th wedding anni-
          VERNON DEVRIES.                               on February 1; 1992.                       versary. We rejoice with them, and
        "Blessed be God, even the Fa-                        May we and her family be com-         we are thankful to our covenant God
ther of our Lord Jesus Christ, the                      forted by the words of the psalmist,       for the many years they have shared,
Father of mercies, and the God of all                   "Yea, though I walk through thevalley      and for the love and godly instruction
comfort" (II Corinthians 1:3).                          of the shadow of death, I will fear no     we have received from them. It is our
                   Harley Buys, Secretary               evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and    prayer and hqpe that the Lord will
                                                        thy staff they comfort me" (Psalm          continueto keep and bless them in the
                                                        23:4).                                     years that He may give them.
                                                                     Mrs. P. Decker, President           "The counsel ofthe Lord standeth
                                                                   Mrs. G.E. Bylsma, Secretary     for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all
    WEDDING ANNIVERSARY                                                                            generations" (Psalm 33:ll).
        On March 17,1992,  our parents                                                             d John and Jean Wynia
and grandparents,                                         RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY                   $+ Gerald and Bertha VanDenTop
        MR. and MRS. GARRET                                  The Consistory and congrega-          % Robert and Geraldine Blankespoor
              FLIKKEMA,                                 tion of the Pella Protestant Reformed      % Duane and Sandi Alsum
will celebrate their 40th wedding anni-                 Church extend heartfelt and sincere        8 Wesley and Hester DeGroot
versary. We give thanks to God for                      Christian sympathy to their members        9 Ron and D.eb Hoksbergen
them, and for blessing us through                       Conrad and Anna DeVries and Loren          * Sharon VanDenTop
their love `and covenantal instruction.                 and Beulah DeZwarte and their fami-             33 grandchildren
Children are a blessing from the Lord,                  lies in the death of their son and                   1 great grandchild
but so also are God-fearing parents,                    Beulah's brother respectively,                                               Coon, Iowa
the ones God has given to us. May                           . MR. VERNON DEVRIES.
God continue to bless them and be-                           May the God of all comfort, who         RESOLUTION OF SYMPATHY
stow His love in their hearts and for                   comforteth us in all our tribulation,           The Board of the Reformed Free
each other. "For this God is our God                    comfort them in their sorrow.              Publishing Association expresses its
for ever and ever: he will be our guide                    Rev. Wayne Bekkering, president         sympathy to its' president, Mr.
even unto death" (Psalm 48:14).                                       Jim VanDonselaar,  clerk     Cornelius Pastoor and family, in the
% Rev. Richard and Marcia Flikkema                                                                 passing of his mother,
     Tammy, Tricia, Heidi (and Kyle,                               TEACHER NEEDED                     . MRS. JEAN PASTOOR.
who is now with his heavenly Father in                       The South Holland Protestant          It is our prayerthat they find comfort in
CmY)                                                    Reformed School will be needing an         the assurance of faith that "all things
$ George and Denise DeJong                              additional upper grades teacher. Send      work together for good to them that
        Matthew                                         application and resume to the school       love God, to them who are the called
8 Bill and Pat DeJong                                   at 16511 South Park Ave., South Hol-       according to his purpose" (Romans
        Brenda, Paul, Beth, and Joanna                  land, IL60473totheattentionof Lamm         8:28).
* Jim                                                   Lubbers, Principal, or call (708) 333-                      Al Rau, ViceiPresident
                    Peace Protestant Reformed Church    91 97 for more information.                                Cal Kalsbeek, Secretary

264 /Standard Bearer / March 1,1992


