BEACON m LIGHTS

Presbyterianism

Submitting t o the Chastening

of A Father

FOR PROTESTANT REFORMED YOUTH

I

VOLUME XXXlll MARCH 1970 NUMBER 1

Published monthly. elcept J u n c and ti u E 11 s i by the Federatian of Protestant Reforn~cd Yourlg People's Sxieties.

EXECUTIVE BOARD: Kc!! Kt,<,!- - P;-ritsiel~t: Ko!i LL:.nkri - Vici Prriidry:t: Sue Ti-i.p-tn - Sci.rc:jr?.: I ) ~ u . ! r De Jo::- - A=zistxrit Sccrc:.iry: D:II > l liilipt I

T - r z i u r t r : LI;;da \-andcr \-cr~rtc.ri T.ihrn1. :an: Ji:?: .-zhippcr - Tr311:h Ctittt.diti~tor.

BEACON LIGHTS S T A F F : i t I I Editor it,. ( 'hi t£: J: 11, K:il.brrl:. Jo.1 Hiii:kcr!. T I T ~ I I L)rVricl. A--CII~I:III Edirois: To:x \ ' anO~er loap - Finatlr<- ~ T R I I aqcr, I ls irn D i J o n ~ . Kathy Ko-+It.. Rrtty Knipcr. Ruth Maring. JIary Ophiiff.

I f any o i thr ~~iatet-ial of Be.icos L ~ a r r r s is re printed by another periodical, w e will appreciate TGur pi\.ina the sonrcc.

The articles of Bf~cos L I G ~ T S do riot necescnril? indicate the riev:poIn: of the Editorial Staff. E\.er? author is solel:i responsible fur the corlterit. i t f hi. o w n article.

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Rcr. I t ~ - ~ l x r ~ Hz:bazi~. -Agatl>:* l .~~l ) l~ers . DO:ITI.+ \.:I!: 1.firle11, Jc:%t;~ie Iiritter3, RZ-.~.. G. 1.11bI>t.r>. I<",.. 11. l i : , ! ~ ~ i , < , R X C ~ C I ~ , I I ~ , ~ ~ c . ~ ~ , 1-i ~ ~ ~ I ~ ~ I c ~ ~

'I'ol~ :!11,i HL-I !Ii:t I I c I I H ~ ~ ~ o z .

All materiol for publication should be addressed to JIM VAN OVERLOOP

950 Corol, Jenison, Mich. 49428 News Editor: MRS. EDWARD KARSEMEYER

4602 Quebec, Wyoming, Mich. 49509 1 Grand Ropids subscribers please forward

subscription dues to KATHY KOOLE 1 554 Kenowa Ave., Grand Rapids, Mich. 49504 Subscribers outside of ~ r o n d Ropids please 1

forward subscription dues to RUTH MARING

4129 Jenison St., Grandville, Mich. 49418

Forms 3579 should be returned to BEACON LIGHTS Box 7383. Grand Ropids, Mich. 49510

Second Class Postage paid at Grand .Rapids. Michigan Subscription price $3.00

ED - ~ - I ; . L 1 Thc Stote of the U n ~ o n Tcn Steps Forward For thc Brort - Jor nu .I n

--. - rc - .URES

The Christian ond Gornbling - Morel(, ByI;i~,o . - Picsbytcrioni$rn ' . ! r= . 5-rher Kajnp; . . . . 5

i:U-" E - 0 5

The Shepherd'- Bay - R. R,h. C H iboclt

CONT- tfUilO'vS T h ~ n Backwurds Becomes Everythjng - P-1% : l i Hci k iro 11 AwarGnsss - J m r n 0 . r r l o o p 12

CRIT>QUE 1 .: The M~ssourx Lutheran Contl~ct - Agn-ho L d ' > i . r 8

FTO'.' :HE PAS-OR S STUDY Sdbmittjng to .he Choiten~ng of u Father - R j J G Lubb~r

CU"EN7 E E U T C AND COh:','ENTS 19 Blrnd to o Lass - Rocrrl Lubber

THE STATE OF THE UNION: TEN STEPS FORWARD FOR THE BEAST

JON HUISKEN

\Vhile the Coirgrn.c?ss clieeretl, President Siron made it hln\\-n that Iris legacy to t h ~ United S1:ites i~ncl the worltl would be a structl~rc for a lifetime and our children's lifetime of world peace. This, said the Presitlrnt, has been his primary gwal and \\-ill continrlc- to he the prinr;~ry goal of his administr;~tion. Sucl~ was the President's announcement in his state of the union address on January 30. This primary ob- jrctivc conpled with nine other sul~ordinatc objectives will constitute ten Krcnt s~eps fonvard to utopia. The energy crisis, in- fl:~tion, IVntcrgnte ;Ire only minor obstacles in the way of sure progress. The nation's economy, citizen health, jobs, etc., etc., will all be acco~nplishe~l without do111,~ because of the great strength of t11e American prwple. Thc?re may br hindrances here and there but we are moving steadily toward an inelitablc utopia. \Ve, as Americans, will live in sect~rity and prospcrity.

Sow, yo11 might say that tllat's good news. \Ve like secrlrity and we like prosperity, don't we? \Vho in his right mind wonld call for calamity and amiction and povert).. Brit, is that the ql~estion of the Christian, whether we will or desire to have srcurit)- and prosperity? Is world peace, is si*cr~rity, is prosperity, is ntopia t l ~ c constant prayer of the Christian? Can we agree with the President and say. "Yes, \Ir. President ~ O I I are rig&. America is grcut, America will persever(. because the American people, by their own ingenuih and strength \\-ill miact the crises head on and will once again persevere. And, we s~lpport you ~vl~olcheartedly in your clfor(s toward vstablishing a structure of \r.orld peace."

\\'e h o w better, don't we than to answer this way. World pence, physical security, and nraterial prosperity havr never been objectives of the Christian because the Bible tells him differently. He hlows and lx4ieves that there slrall be wars and nlmors of wars. He knows the running of the horses in Revelation 6. But, it will appear for :I time that Xir. Nixon is right -we are

heading for a seeming utopia. 'I'llc. reiml of tlrc bcast, tlre antichrist, is sure to corncs. .hd. llle n'sc of tlrr beast to full power will brinz with it :I peace to the world. For a time it uiI1 appear that swords will be turned into plowshares :lnd the much-longed-for nniversal brotherhood of nran uill be accomplished. \\%at President Sison has promised in reality, however, is ten steps fonvard for the beast.

Toll understand, however, that I anr not saying that it \\ill be .America wlro will give birth to the beast nor dare I say who it \vill be \vIlo will give birth to t l ~ c nnti- christ, wvllicll nationality be will be. \Vr do not Inow: wc can only speculate. But, one thing is sure: history is moving toward the reign of thv antichrist and it ol~ght to be clear to us that we are dealing pres- ently not only with tlre talk, the dream, of ~vorld peace but uitli its imminent rea1iz:rtion. The foundations are being laid for its accomplishment.

It makes one a bit uneasy, a bit fearful, does it not, when we begin to see more and more clearly the signs of the rctum of Jesus Christ. The Christian, conkdry to any millenium theory, will not be removcd from this earth but will be required to live through the history of the realization of antichrist. And, that scares us a bit. \ r e do not like to face affliction and persecu- tion; our earthly naturtss yearn for security and prosperity. But, pilgrims and strangers we are and as such we must live, not in fear but by grace uith confidence that "all things work together for the good of them u41o love God." God, you see, in his infinite u-isdom has given us Revelation chapters 4 and 5 before he gave us the rest of tlre book of Revelation. The vision of John in Rev- elation 4-5 is the vision of the victorious Lamb of God. The church, led by its head Jesus Christ, is given the blessed assurance of sure victory. Tlre antichrist will come. Each year presidents \rill prophesy pence and prosperity. Each year we move closer to the reign of the antichrist. But the

BEACON LIGHTS (?ne

Christian ;IS I,ilgrin~ :incl stranger wit11 his pil~rim's vie\\. of history will 1k.e in l~is liFc not in secl~~sion, not \r-ith his heat1 i r ~ the sand, but he \\,ill live life with tllc. knowl- edge of thc ilsstlmnce of victor).. IIe kno\+~ and underst;lntls \\--hat is going on; l~is tel- rolom is spiritually gt~itlecl and by f:~itli lle w i l l press on as Paul exhorts us to do in Philippians 3: 14, "to\vartl the mark of the high calling of God in Cl~rist Jesub."

\\'hilt a tlilferent purpose in lifr, tl~t-11, a r~d \vh;~t :I different view of history, thcn, and what a different \.it.w of things coc- temporary, tllen, has the Christian. I.Ie does 11ot set his hol)cs upon ~~top ia , upon mnte- rial prosperity and physical security. HP kno\n that these things have no intrinsic value; he I;no\\-s that all the things of the \vorld are subject to moths, and rust i~ncl rot. His hopc, rather, is the same as the "cloud of witnesses" in Hebrews 11, his hope k for ;I city whose builder ant1 maker is Cad, and his assurancc is that everything, including President Nixor1 and congressional colleagues with their grandiose ~itopian scl~en~es. are in God's hands. .ill things \\dl indeed \vork to\vartl the deli\.ctr;~nce of C d s people.

As one vicws history, then, and :IS olir listens to pronouncements such ;IS President Nixon's state of the union address, one must keep his historical perspective. 'The Chris- tian must not despair imd wring his hnnds. God afl realize his counsel. Rev. 14. IIoek- sema in his commentary on Revrl;~tion 4 and 5 in Behold He Coti~etA gives us th .~t perspective. It bears repetition ;ultl em- phasis:

Jlen have repeatedly vxerteJ thc:n~selves to work out their own salvation arld the slvatior~ of the \vorltl. Systems of thought, \r.orld-systems of philosophy, have brcn built up I>y 1luma11 r~linds one after another, to show the true way to peace and righteousness and to estab- lish an imitation of the kingdom of bliss. But they have all met with utter failure and disastc~r. i io human wisdom II;IS been able to c:dl back thc paradise lost. 'I'he might of the worltl, kings ant1 rulers, have throlighont history attempted .to realij.3 the \i.orld-kingdom, embracing d l thc enrth. If only they co~~lcl :~tt:dn their entl, if only such a univcrsi~l king- don1 could be realizetl, they woultl surely bring peace to thc worltl. Nebucl~adnez- zar, Alexander the Great. Caesar, Cl~arle- magne, Napoleon, \\:illiam of Ifohen- zollem, and Hitler are their names. But

they havt* failed. 'I'hcir glory is faded. Their powr:r is b rokc~~. Their n:me is tr:ullgled under foot. Totlay wc iIrc told that the glorious dan.n of a new day ij faintly sern at the horizon of histon. Democrilcy will pcrfornl what autocracy failed to hring. Crotvns must he re- ~novecl. Thrones must tumble in the dnst. \\re must h;ivc. thc rule of the people. Besides, all the nations of the world n111st combine in this great move- rnent for universal pe:lce and righteous- ness. A Iengr~e of n;~tions is what we need and \\,hat has already been estab- lished. In this nuy righteousness shall come to dwell on earth, and peace shall reign unclist~~rbedly. But already it may safely be predicted that also this ideal shall never 1w realized. Nevcr shall it bring the n~ncll longctl for kingdom of peace. .Also in our Jay rllell of social senrice assure us that society must under- go a radical transformntion. It must itself I)e regencratcd. It n111st have new laws, nr\v institt~tions, new cuslon~s. nc\v relationships behveen capital and labor, shorter \\lorking days :tnd better living conditions for the working man. the i~bolishmr.nt of liquor and other evils of society. I f thus we I;~bor, so they say, for the rvgeneration of society, wr shall bring in the kingdom of Cod. 2\11 these human efforts, put forth by mere humsn strength and ingenuity, present the his- torical rralimtion of the challcnge of the :~ngel: "\\rho is worthy to open the book imd to loose the seals thereof?" And the ultimate failure of all these attempts constitutes the historical realization of the statement: "And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to ,?pen the book, neither to look thereon. Histov must reveal the failure of ;111 attempts to bring the Ling- dom of God without the Lamb, and that simply bccause of the great fundamental truth entirely ignored by the men of the \vorld that at the basis of all trouble and confusion and \\.ar and destruction lies the guilt of sin and the corruption of the nature of man.

\\'hen John heard the response to the cl~~rsticln that no one was worthy to open thcs l~ook, he \vept bitterly. He wept, that is, tint3 he saw the "Lamh as if it \\-ere slain" and then realized that thtt I.:tnlb w;~s worthy. 'l'he Lamb of Cod, Jt~stls Christ Ilns ramc.tl the right to oprn the book. He 11;1d i~scended to the right h i d of Cod and was given "all pox%-er in hcavm and carth." IIc. it is that no\\- rules and IIe it is that will control and direct all things for the good of His people. Clory to the Lamb who now lives and reigns forever.

BEACON LIGHTS

FEATURES

THE CHRISTIAN AND GAMBLING MARCIA BYLSMA*

.\ vtrry beautif111 motto is inscribetl on 2111 thc pelxlicts cirrulilted in the U.S., "In Cot1 \wfe tn~st." 1311t nowadays very few ~>coplc believe thoscs words. The events in totlay's worlcl sho\r. the very opposite of tn~s t in Cod. Onc esi~mple of this is the incrc~ase of gambling and the lcgali7~tion of it in many stittcs. State governments 1t'g;llizr ga~nl>l i~~g so that it can be tined anti thus incre~tst. tlicir re\.crluc. In this article I hope to sl~ow the sin and godless- new of gambling- that it relies on "luck" nntl "chance" and thus makes a mockery of Coci and tntstinfi in Him.

The drfinitioll of gc~rnbling is "to risk money, or anything of va111e ~ I I th(! out- con~t- of s o n ~ e t l ~ i ~ ~ g involving clia~~ce." Chiincc is ". . . t l ~ r absence of any known reason why any cvent should t11n1 out one

or mother." Luck is defined as "the sccmirlgly c l ~ a ~ c r I~appening of events which itffrct one."

'I'11c.s~ ver). drfi~~itions by themaelves w o ~ ~ l d be e n o ~ ~ g h to co~~demn any gambling. Can there be such :I thing as "chance" or "lt~ck"? IIoxw- can therc be an "absence of any knotin reason," or "a seemingly chance happening of events"? Isn't God the reason for \w.l~:tt happens to IIS? Don't we confess t l ~ i r t ill1 is under klis control? It is true that wr don't always know why an cvent turns out the way it does, but we belicve that ":111 things work together for good to t1rt.m that love Cod . . ." (Horn. 828). To take part in any type of gambling which rc.lies on "ch:inccv is sinful.

I3r1t there is morc that can be s:ticl. 1 am not going to discuss tile morr obvious enmhlinfi of the wvicked world, such as, the stock market, the gambling casino (where poker, dice, roulette, etc. are played), and gambling at sporting events. IIowever, t l~clr are sonir fonr~s of gi~rnbling which art* brcoming so common that we some- times wvill participate in these events with-

".\farcia is a nlcn~her of Firsf Prot. Ref. Chtrrch.

out thinking twice about it. \\%o has11.t been tempted by the numcroll\ sweepst:tk(.\ offered I)y cereal companic~s or ~~atiortal n1.ifiu7inc.\? Or what store :tt one time or another tloesn't offer some kind of l o t t ~ . ~ or door prize to promote business? And how\. easily we can get involved in gamb- ling in our owvn home\ when we speak of betting \writ11 each other on this or that, or even pl.lying grunes with \nl;tll amounts nl money.

All these actiwities artb not the innocent pastimes \ve may think they are. How easy it is for 11s to ignore sin. \\'e must care- h~l ly g11:1rtl our steps lest we become so ~ised to thc.se kinds of activities tli,~t thcy

1Iany l,usinessmen will frequently use raffles or lotteries to attempt to promote business. The sponsor of such an event \rill oRer a prize to the holder of a certain numbcr. A person can 11s11n1ly obtain a nu~nbcr by making a small purchase. This b p r of lotten is very appealing and attr:tc- tive to man. But we as Christinns must avoid it. It is obvious that the sponsor of such a lottery profits very greatly. The custon~ers' purchases easily offset the cost of ihc prize. This type of business tactic is \vrorlg. Consider the worcls of Paul in Romans I.':& ". . . he that giveth, let him clo it wit11 simplicit?. . . . ." The sponsor is not giving with simplicih, he is giving in order that he may receive more in rt:h~m. So often the phrase "something for notll- ing" is t~sc.tl as an argt~ment against gamh- ling. l'ltc fact that someone gives somr- f l ~ n g for ~iothing is not wrong. If'e are toltl in Acts 10:35. "It is more 1)lesscd to give t??nn reccive." A11 that \vc hilve is a free gift from Goci. But to givr a little in order to get Inor(. in return is what is wrong.

\\re 11:;lvr a calling as children of Got1 "to livc according to the will of Cod in a11 good works" (lieidelberg Catechism - Lord's Day 3.3). The catechism defines good works as "those that proceed from a true faith, are performed according to the law of God. and to His glory; and not such as are foundetl

BEACON LIGHTS Thrm

on our imaginations, or tht. instit~~tions of men."

The lottcries and raffles can I)y no stretch of the irnacination be cl;rssifird ;u gootl works. The lotteries refrr to "luck* and "Fate." \fan tn~sts in "luck" to ob- tain possessioll\. But we as chilclrc-n of God must seek our needs through faith ant1 prayer, "give 11s this day our tliiily l~rend." In Romans 1 4 3 3 we read, "\vh;rtsoc.\~rr is not of faith i \ sin."

A rreat temptation in this \\orld is to set-k after material goods. It seems that e v c ~ ~ v h e r e \ve turn we are pressuretl to ob- tain more possessio~~s. There is tllc. constant struggle to keep r ~ p with the Jonrses. Thiq is one reason why these lotteries ant1 swerp- stakes have been so popular. They promise a "get rich quick" opportunity. The success of these vario~~s events depends on the peed, selfishness, and ca-etousness of man. He covets the goods of his nt.ighl,or, there- by breaking the tenth commnntlmCnt, and attempts to obtain more for himsrlf through the lotten.

But as pilgrinls and stranger\ (111 this earth, we must not set our heart\ on the things of this world which pass away, but rather "to lay up for yourselves trc!:~surc. in heaven." Our gonl is not to seck material goods and riches. \Vhy seek to be iikr those who are rich in this world, when we will be so rich in the world to come? "IIath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingrlom which He hath promised to those that love Him?" (James 25)

There are some raffles and sweepstakes for which one does not have to make a purchase. In certain raffles all one has to tlo is \\,rite his name and address on a can1 and tleposit it in a box, hoping t l~a t llis card \\rill be chclsen :md he'll win a prize. \\'hat about the sweepstakes sponsored by various magazines and n~ail order houses? Usually you can enter the contest \vithout making a purchase, but by simply reh~nling certain numbered coupons or sornethir:g similar to th;it. IIe who p:~rticipntes in raffles or s\veepstakes of this sort says that he didn't gamble because he didn't spend any money. \Vhat about these? Can these be called gambling? I would answer, "Yes!" Even though no money or anything of value is involved, the element of "chance" is stll

prcsacnt. Itrhoever tleposits a ticket in the bo\ I N sc.r~ds in that co~~porl does so with the idtu that he has ;I "ch;~nce" to win. In tllc. I leidelherg Catechism - Lord's Day 10 we read, ". . . and all things come, not by ch:~nce, but by His Fatherly hand." HOW can one who denies that anything comes by chance, take part in these raffles? Ho\v c;un onc deposit that ticket i111d still pray to Corl, "give us this day our daily bread." \\'hen we pray this we ask God "to provide us with all things necessary for the body, that \vr may thereby ncknow,ledge thee to 1)t- the only fountain of all good, and that ncsither our care nor indusiry, nor c\.er~ the. ~dfts, ran profit 11s without thy blessing: and tllerefore that we may withdraw our trust from all creatures, and place it alone in thrr" (Lord's Day 50).

C;lmbling of any kind, whether it bc in thc casinos, the grocery store, or through the mail, is sinful. It does not WCORI~ZC

God, pivr thanks to Him, or glorify His Name.

\Ve must pray to God that He will d v r us ~tbrlndant grace to keep ourselves un- spotted from this sin and to seek Him alonv :IS thc "only fountain of all good."

Men's Creation? Swirlii~g hetueen led cocered bunks,

A small creek mukes its rcmj to the sea. Sniall nniinak' pauvrinis dot tts sandy spits.

Frojis jrtrrip into sl~ollow pools, and C l t i ~ ~ r r ~ r ~ i ~ k skitter across on logs.

Co(l:v handitmrk is surely seen hcre. Corr?r/ rnan I~uce created frogs,

Or frees, ur

EULW animals? No, i l ~ e beutrty of creution is Godi ubm, Jfrctrit for nun to enjor~ and mawel at, Not dcstroy.

GIVEN \'An' EENESAAII"

"Ctren attends Cocennnt Chr. and i s a menrher of First Chrrrch.

BEACON LIGHTS

PRESBYTERIANISM MRS. ESTHER KAMPS*

There it is again, a nlufflrtl sound of tln~ms. T l ~ e sound is lost ant1 re-emerges through thc, 111isW half light. 'I'lie Catholic ~cntry stirs 1111easily. What i.; that eerie keening drifting closcr on thr wind? That shrill, blootlstirring \v:~il that eor~ples now with the chant of dr~lms? Can you hear them? Yo\\. in the grey dawn the Romish hockles rise in terror. 'Tis for sure the b :~~pipes ;~r~t l the swrlling thrt~m of march- ~ I I C fert nntl the cursed cadences of the Psdm-singing regiments of the Black \\'atch. 'I'hose Scotch rebels-to-l1o111r h a w cornr to t11t- ;lid of thvir I r i ~ h I~rc~thers once a ~ a i n .

\ Iy imagination s~~mmoned up that sound ;IS I coughed my way through h;~lf a dozen dr~sty tomes to prepare for an article on the histor\- of the Presbyterian church. From this reading I leanled once ag:~in that the church of Christ fights the s:+rnr oltl enemirs gcnrration after genc3r;ition. Secondly, the problem of church and state has always loomed large in the Presbyterian church. Finally, u~~biased histories wl~ich lay clear the doctrin;~l issues are almost nonexistent. Furthemore I learned as 1 set pen to paper that I can no longer be unemotional and - objrctivc. myself, for my anger rises anew as I approach the climax of it all in the events preceding the split of 1936 and the formation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Ch~~rcli. t l ~ r n called the Presbytcsrian Chr~rch of America.

Conseqt~ently, this 'article will attempt a sort of taste of the church's doctrinal posi- tion, splicing in a fcw liistorici~l highlights ri~uch as a book reviewer might try to wllet your apprtitc and appreciation for the spirit of that age. Finally, the concluding parn- gr:lpllb \xi11 occasion some obse~vations and warning about apostacising c1111rches espe- cially as shown in the external events and the tmderlying spirit which prevailed in t11c early twentieth century.

Presbyterianism, then, is a f o m ~ of church government. It is that form of government in most ripformed churches. It is based on t l ~ r oldest I~iblicnl directives concerning

eldrrs, deacons. congregational rule, and the wl~ole ecclt~siintical system. All Jloformetl churcl~es, to my knowledge, are presbytc- rian; but, s;id to say, very few Preslyterian chr~rcl~es can :my longer claim to be Re- fomlr.(l. The\. \vould c;ill it "mt~llowinc": wc \vould say they have Inrgely negated their founding principlrs; namrly tlrr sov- ereignty of Cod, the Holy Trinity, thr total depravity of man, r~nconditiorlal rlcc- tion, the eternal decrees, and the vicarious atonen~ent set forth so plainly in Scripture and distillt~l so I~c:autifully and logically in that I~lood-11011ght Ii'estrninster Coafrssion of 1378, the catc.chism I learned as a child evc.rn a you learned the Heidelberg.

\\'(A h o \ v i~~teIlectn;~lly but c a ~ ~ ~ r o t see that spirit which moved armies, stirred the blood of our forefathers, and resor~ncled in d ~ e assemblies of the presbyters. So that underlying spirit must sometimes be ex- perienced in thc imagination, in the soul. For none has recorded the fervent prayers of two or three huddled round a campfire, in some nliscrablc hut, or on the knees in s dark prison cell under the persea~ting sword of monarch or renegade. Church history is red with the martyrs* blood. It is sad, ~loriorls, pitiable, inspiring, clisil- losioning. ironic, revolting! It illustrates the mighty hand of the Lord of Hosts - calling sometimes with trumpet sound to battle, whispering often, softlq' to His saints in humiliation and defeat. But always that voice comforts and that hand guides, sustains, and builds the g lon of His Church.

The mawscent contribution of the Church of Scotland, out of which Ab~~crican Presbytcrianism sprang, was the defense of the principle that "The Lord Christ is the only Head and King of the church." Estah- lishing this principle required thc shaking off riot only of popish dominion but also all state control whatsoever. This right that the church govern in its own sphere not sub- ordinate to civil magistrates was bought with centuries of blood and bitter strife. Out of this persecution came a staunch

'Mrs. Komps is a member of our Hope church whose spirit flamed gloriously for

Churcl~ it1 Walker. three centuries or more.

BEACON LIGHTS Fi0.s

\lonarclls of thr 1500's considrrctl tllem- sc-lves the richtful mlrrs over both chr~rrh and state. 'i'he li\ts of ni:lrtyrs is too long, the intrigues ;and corrntrr-intrip~es, clrclnra- tion, imprison~nents, edles, far too complrs to spin out here. Statrd hrieflv, I~o\vcvcr, that spark of resistance to tyriulnical in- \.asion into sacred rights in Scotlnntl let1 to the Long Parliament which calletl the \Vestminster .Assembly of Divines in 1578. Thr !)rorlai~nc-tl object of tlie assr~~nhly, to fri~n~c. a systc.111 of clrurcl~ covernnic.nt and public \rorsliip as "might unite die king- tlon~s of Englc~nd, Scotlantl and Ircl;tnd," sras never accxnnplishetl! Rut the tloctrincs fornl~llated in that confcssio~l have gmretl thr Prcshyterian churches for 400 years.

In 1680 Charles 11 \$.as restored; ?8 years of Ilorrihlr persecution followed for tlrr church of Scotland, a dark but l~rroic era: an era of in~prisonn~ent, hrandings, and torture until the accession of n911ianl and Mar). bronght relief. It was ;in age in which Christ purified, lnouldetl and hr~ilt up a pn\verful rhurcl~. No historical resume ivould pass muster which failed to inrntio~i John Knos, \vho learned at the fret of Cal- \.in and returned to Scotland to tlcfy that Ilomish Harlot and ~ l ~ ~ r d e r c s s , hlnry Queen of Scots. Sor should we forget ~Zndrc!m \lel\ille. deputy of the church assembly, informing proud James VI that he was king of the common\\-ealth, but Christ was King of the church "whose subject James is nod of whose Kingdom he is but a nicmher." For his principles lrlelville was imprisoned and later banished, as were most ministers who tvould not bend to James' ca~npnign of bribery and subversion. No lcss note- worthy is old Jenny Ceddes \vho threw her chair at Charles 1's episcopal priest as lie ;ittrmptetl to read mass during :I sen-icc in 11er churcl~ on July 1637. "\Vilt thon read mass at my ear?" she cried and virhlally started a re\.ohltion.

You will no t ic~ on page 54 of our Psiilter :it the rrltl of tlie canons a list c ~ f sub- srrihers appears. I t is pertinc~lt to our sub- ject to notice that many signed as tleputies not only of their church but also of their republic - the Duchy of Celclerl;~ncI, the State of Groningen, etc. The \vliole story of the Reformation finds monarchs or pre- tenders to the crown taking a religions stance, and followers who believed it their

s:lcretl c;tlling to uphold thcir 1eadc.r \\-id1 :irnis even to t11t. tleath. XI:lny tllen. \\,c.rr \vl~o changed religions wit11 el-eqr cliiu~gr of political weather. Bnt there were many also n.ho werc. faithful to principle. The n:tlne of \Villi;~m of Orange is :in rsanll~le. Or on? thinks of those Psalm-singing Scott- ish regiments \vho with thcir chaplains 1n:lrched to the aid of their beleagured Irish brothers in the persecution of 1642. Those troops stnycd long in Ireland nnd their ch;~plains set I I ~ consistories and evc.nti~ally the presbl-ten of Ulster. (Does that ring a hell?)

'I'l~c*re was much intercoursta b(.t\vc.c.n tllrsr hvo co~~ntries. At first much work hi\tl to be done to escide Unitarianism from tl~t* Irish branch of the church. later, Iroli~ntl senfed as a refi~gc to the Scots ~ l ~ ~ d r r churcl~ persecution. So it is not s~~rprising then that the Scotch-Irish llres- bytrrians who adopted that same West- minster Confession and fol~nded thc pres- hyterian churches in the new world were highly concerned with safe-guarding their rrligious freedoms. Ifre judge the111 now perhaps rather harshly for their inordinate, as we see it, participation in the new goy- ~ ~ r n n ~ e n t . Had we lived in their timc.c and shared in their background and problems, I wonder what me \voulil 11a\fe j t ~ d r ~ d proper.

IIo\\fever right or wrong their ~iioti\,cs ni:~! have been, the fact remains that whcn the cllurch mixes into tlie realm of tcm- por.11 power, troubles will result. \ l i n i s t c ~ of the gospel must make the preaching of the cross their main concern -not the found- ing of prestigious seats of Icarning, not the signing and nriting of historic political tloc~unents, not even the influenci~lg of thr community to good by Icgislation or bl- prrstigc.

1. Sfarcellus Kik, in hi5 book Chrrrcl~ und Stnfe finds thr proto-typ of the church's temptation to rely on 1Iight ,md thr power of Ole state r:lther ~ Y X I the pomrr of the cross in Jesns' tc~nptation hy Satan. liathcr than the lo\vly way of humiliation and iuf- fering, tlle Devil would tempt our Lord iuntl His Church to gain dominion by forcr ant1 conquest. IIow often the church has succt~mbed to this temptation. How natural for the early churchmen of our nation to desire insurance for their children .md

BEACON LIGHTS

safety fro111 pcrsc~cution hy meilns of tin- warranted nic~dtlling into tcmpt~r;~l sovcm- ~nent.

Thi\ principle follo\vs tllrougl~ in the history that follows, and how e:isy the logic of it is: \\'hy not nse Christ's tlotninion for the matcrial wclf:tre of mankind - a social cospel. ;I "relevant" posl>rl. \\Thy not sho\v that Ciocl is rt-:tlly "Fatherly," to it11 men? .Aftc.r all, did not CHRIST himself multiply the lon\.rs and fishes, I ~ c i ~ l the hlind. raisc tile sick to I~c.i~ltli? Arc not Inen really I>rotliers? Later on in Presbyteriztn lustor). \ve set* the "Cospel ant1 Cl~mboats" up the I'angtsc- Rivrr. The klission of the chl~rch becarnc. the ~ ~ ~ ~ i f y i n g of nations into One \\'c>rld, t l ~ c edr~cating of Inen, the healing of their pl~ysicnl illnesses. This was tl~c. real "ll:~rlicip:~ting" e\7:111g~listie, p r ~ t ~ s t i ~ ~ g . anti truly "with-it" church!

\Vr will see somc of the details of this worltlly involvrnic.nt in t l ~ e follo\vinp par- ; t~rnphs. How sad that ;I church \vith SIICII ;t beal~tiful past could Ii:i\.e fallen so com- pletely for thc: e m p b 1)auble of worldly power! \Vhy c o ~ ~ l d it not li:~ve rc~mcnibered Christ' rebuking Peter: "l'ut up thy sword aqain in its place; for all who take. up the. sword shall perish with the sworcl." As the Prt-sbytcrian chr~rch in the United States mov~xl towards this century, diere were 1);lttlcs and skirmishes on every side. AI- rrady t~ack in Scotland there I ~ a d bren amendments to the Confession to soften the idea of Election and to give thc ungodly somt. credit for "acts of rigl~tcousnt~ss" though the>- c o ~ ~ l t l "never lead to redemp- tion." Serious t r o ~ ~ h l e s wc-rr fcslt in the Nt-\l- Ellgland sti~tcs ovr-r t l~a t oltl rl~.ngon l~nitarklnisni. 'I'he presbytery of Philatlel- phiit felt thC need to tighten the g ~ a r d s on thc. i~ccepta~rcc~ of ci~nclidatrs rrom tl~c. ever liberalizing Ireland. Tl~c, southerrr states \\,ere ani~i t i i ;~niz in~. ..ind 1111t1er rvery- thing r~trnblecl t l ~ r problem of sln\~.ry which c . w . ~ ~ t ~ ~ : ~ l l y split tl~c. nation;~l clir~rcl~.

So. :iltllo11g11 sorne of tllesc concerns divitlrtl prrsl,);tcries, it1 other cases coni- prorr~ist.~ patcIlc!tl toyeihcr :In lunholy peacc*. Afore troubles wcrr on t l 1 1 6 \x7ay. 'I'hrre was increasing compc:tition in scholastic realms tvhich I~atl tr:~tlitionally I~een tllct almost t.sclusivc t lor~~ain of churchmen. 'I'l~c temp- tatior~ to beco~nc heroes in the world of the intc-llcct rnt111:r than to renii~in to the

Jew-s a stun~l)ling block and to tl~c. Grc-eks foolisl~ness g:~vc- impetus to thr rising titlc of thct Dutch and Gennan "Highrr Crit- icism." T o round o ~ ~ t the gloomy picture uFe nred orrl!? say t l ~ : ~ t in tiit. ~ n i s s i o ~ ~ fit-Id, where tlw ~'resbYtc~ri:un Cllurch hat1 \r;~st holdings in scl~ools. hospitals, :lnd prop- erties, big niorie); \v;~s supl1orting thr preaching of n social gospel to furthcr the One-\\'orltl icle;tl of the. brotherl~ood of III~III, popularii.ing the. .\mericnn go!ovcsr~lment and, oh ycs, greascs thc \vhc.rls of I)ig r\~~lc.ric.i~n corpor;ttions :~hro;*d!

If I tell tlic. follo\\ring > t o n with 1)ittc.r- ness, it is bec:~usc librritl nicn in t l ~ e c l ~ ~ ~ r c l ~ \vent about to destroy the church of my heritage, the church in which I heard tile gospel. In tc.lling about what they clicl, I can no sooner speak une~notinr~:~ll!~ t l i a ~ ~ we can of '24 or '53.

This s t o n reads like a p;lgr fmm :I

Testl>ouk for Apoutacizers. Tllr Libc.r;iIs had :I strnteky. I citll it "Infiltrate, In- trench, ;md Propagate." The policy was to get lil~cral moll into kc). positions of f : ~ ultics, institutions, and committees. Aftrr a11 it only takes onc. \volf to \\.red havoc in a sheepfold. A vt.ry few men in power- Eul positions could pcrpetuatc thcir in- Snrnce b!- passing n ~ l i n ~ , screrning nr\v applicants, ;tnd influencing policies. Fur- thermore, whrn prc.stik~ous men spe;lk, little men tend to listen! \Vhen a pres- bytery submits to a hierarchy, bew~are!

Herr is ml rsnmpl~. of how the strt~tcgy worked: In t l ~ e early 30's the Intrr Cl111rcl1 \\'orld \lovrment (seed of tod;~v's ecumen- i sn) p~~blislictl an iniprrssivr, three \1ol111ne, I<ockcfcller f i~~anced "sun~ey" of forc!ign missions. It showrtl thr dircctio~i of t l ~ r wind for \urc in rrconimending that mi>- 3ion;lrirs ant1 111inihtc.r~ not p rom~~lga t r rloc.- trincs offrr~ti\.r to tlw Chincsr, doctrines .\IICII ilr the l>loocl a to~~emcnt! It proposed that thr c o ~ n p ~ ~ l s o r y tc.itcliing of the Iliblc in missionary schools I1c. eliniinatrtl. 11 SIIX-

ae5trcl that n niorc coopcr;ttive. consiliatory. liber;~l, unclerst:~nding handling elf the mi\- sioni~ry entl(~;~vors \vould pacif! thc. Itc-cl- agitated mti-c1iristi;in-;~nti-foreign rno\,c-- ment ;rnd benefit the 1ni5sion progam! Ilo\v right they \rscrc., of co~rrsr! Hen. tntc th;~t the preaching of the cross is a11c1 alway, was ;III offence. Ilo\v ironic that it s l~o~~lc ! be a cli~rrch agency tli:~t \voultl say sol

BEACON LIGHTS

T-l~e seconcl \t;~ge of the .;tr:~lc.gy \\,ah won felt 11y ct~nsrn.ativrs. ..\ scslf ~ > c ~ r p e t ~ ~ - :rting screening commission i11>pointed by thc hoard of foreim misisons \\?as soon culling ont men whose stand \ws not to their taste. .4 non-presbyteri;~~,, Ilarry Emerson Fostlic, rvidently very much to their taste, \t7irc one of the cl~oic~. spt*akcr~ at the annt~ill ~ni\\ionilries' sutnlnc>r retreat up in the cool hill country of the I'angtse in the 1920's. Consenatives \tiflenc.d in a n m astonisl~nlcnt. Yes. Harry Emerson Fosdic \va\ \ . c . ~ rn11cl1 to tlrr liberals' taste; *o much so t!r;lt (;tncl this is lrartl to hc- licsve) IIC \\,;IS c;llletl to serve ;I prc*sl,yterian pi~storiite in lliu~l~;ttt;~n. The I)i~ttlc hrgur~ on the mission field hy an Inclc*pendc~lt Board of Forr.ikm llisions f o ~ ~ n d e d I,y con- *t~n.ativr\ \\.;I, no\v joined on the floor of the preshytt-v of New Tork. 'Thc inde- prndent ho;~rcl \\n\ later to be rulc.11 illegal. ~~nmnstihltiol~al. ant1 breach to unit! : the ctlnflict concerning Fosdic dibtillrtl into ;I

declaration concerning candidacy to Prrs- h!terian pulpit.\ \r.llicl~ was \i~metl that yt3ar. That infi~mor~s document \\,;I\ called the .iubern Affirmation of 19".

I \\:ill bring tlli.\ Iyaper to 11 close by tt4llinp you sonrrthing of this ARirr~iation hcaca~~se it's rlletoric is the rhetoric of apostacy. It is \vorth learning about. The pages of this docr~ment state thict ". . . the tloctrire of inerrancy, intended to c!~ll~ance the authorih of Scriptures, in fact impairs their supreme ;r~~thority for faith :mtl life, and in fact weakens the testimony of the chl~rch to the po\ver of God unto salvn- tion . . . ." The Affirmation goes on to defend the right of clualified applicants to the presbyterian ministry regartlless of their \.ie\vs concen~ing cardinal doctrir~c.~. This \Iodernist rh~ttoric eUecti\,c4y I~l~~clgeonecl orthodox "trclr~l,le niakctrs" \\.II(I \vcSre "up- wtting the pcacu. of the cht~rcl~." T l ~ c modernists used such persuasive. means as tht. rallying cry: "So creed but Cllrist" or "Sot a doctrine but a life." Its followers \vercs chiefly ratio~liilists ("Find SOIIII- rational means of making Scripture believ:ihlr") an11 Barthians (Subjectivists - "Truth I>ecomes t n ~ e as you helie\,r it. Christ hecon~es Divine as you believe in Him.")

In Princeton and other presbyterian \chools orthodox professors had done their work well. Tlwy could no\\, sit bacl; ;IS

s e c ~ ~ ~ i ~ ~ p good felltr\va, tolcrarrt and com- l)i~ssiolli~te to\vards thc olclrr grr~c.r;ltion, t111. co~lsc.r\.:~tivc* \vho "co~~ld not i~~~tlerst;ltltl tllc. I I I~\ \ - movement." Ancl their heen~ir~g piety, their subtle use of old terms with a new ~ne;ming, decei\.ed many. They laudcd ;I ptarsonal irr\~olve~nent in religion r ;~t l~er th;~n ;I tlead orthotlos i~lsistence on doctrine. Tlicy tleclared the historicity of Script~~re an irrcslc-vant issue, ~IIII.; making the dc- fence of it irrelc\~ant also. \\?lether .\l>ri~- h a n ~ ;~ctu;~lly pleadetl with the strangen or \vhctlier the flootl ;~ctr~ally covered nntl tlrstroyed the earth was prono~~ncecl UII-

in~port;uit. \Vhat wiis really vital \\,as ho\v yo11 interpreted ;inti rrncted spiritually to thcse pict~~re-myths! Truth, you see, llad no ;~l>stract Platonic life out in space sollie- \\,llere (neatly side-stepping by ridicl~lc the logos, Christ, T n ~ t h in t l ~ e flesh). No, truth urns only true as it lives subjectively in yollr I~eort. Ho\\f pro~~cl these 1i1c.n cor~ld now I,e! Intellcch~alisrn was io1111tling tronlpets from all the parapets! Kow the getit minds of earth snch as Heari Bergso~l, Sigmuncl Freud, Charles Danvin c-t~lcl lend approv;~l to their tlroror~gh scholarliness. No\\, the church too cot~ld say that man- kin11 w;~s "spiritually ;~chicvirig his evolu- tionnr). potential; man \v;rs reachi~rg out to become divine." It could be preached fro111 the l ~ ~ ~ I p i t s n o w . The Aubern ..iffinnation gave. the legal right. lnfamo~ls docun~e~~t !

Bcwnre when churchmen begin to sour~d thc trt~mpcts of Tntellcct. Tradition:\ll>- rclornmcd churches in our area ant1 \r.ithin the lifetime of most of you have lar~ded those \vho tend to elirxlinate confessional terms such as Justification, \vho seek to make :I religious terminology \\,hicl~ is "iu~ti-;~l)stract." But does not the elirnina- ti011 of terms such as Trinity, lleprobi~tion. or S;~nclification tend to unclernlitir t!~r vc.ry t n ~ t 11s thus descril~ed. Such a tendency nay \ountl to some like the Battle shout of n marc sincere religion, a more personal. rr- formed scholarsl~ip. But to me it zoll~~ds like the dikes breaking!

13c~\r,.1rc \vlier~ intellect pillngcs the \i~lll)lc I,~ith ol ordinary Christi,~ns. Beware \vl~i*r~ pritlc is impatient with the simple, clear teaching of the Bible, when interebt flag\, itching for topics, for titilation for enter- t'linment! Be\<-are when the church forget, to preach the cross and attempts to cure

Eight BEACON LIGHTS

the world of its ills. Prrser\,c at all price the \visclom of t l ~ c fathers wllo worked to presen-e our church by its cll~~rcll order.

'file gro\vth of heresy and dc.stnlction is ;~l\t;iiys irrliermt in the carnal sreci withi11 the church. 13ut know that God will pre- serve IGs w;ttcl~~nc*n on Zion's walls. \\'hen tlic liberals of 193i rrndrretl it tactically inipossihle for consen~aiives to contend furthcr tlicy got oul. \Ien such cis hlachen, llurray, \\'ilson, Van Ti1 resigned from Princctoii and fr~uncic~d \Vestruinster Sem- inar). in Phil:~clel~l~i;~. Othcrs resigned their charges, lrft tlrrir homes, and forn~rd a new cllurch lx~secl on olcl principles. But that is nothe her story.

The tapestry of churcl~ Irision is still a-\veaving. \\'e have not seer1 the last of the red of iiiartyrclom. Tlltbre is n ~ t ~ c h of the black ant1 palc grrens of decay and heresy on the loon1 of ollr uenturjr. But there are also thc azllres act1 shimmering tvhite of the llr;i\;rrs of tlic saints woven

'1b011t the zold tl~reatl of C;ocl':. co\enant promise,. \\'e joiii the m i ~ l t ~ under the throne in the cry "Ho\v long, 0 Lord of Host<. Ho\v long?" as \vc look 11ack on the nja~mificcant clot11 . I I I ~ 1je.tr the thunderincr 41uttle of C;od's loom boomiuc t l ~ r o ~ ~ c l ~ tl~c. ages even as have briefly here in this history of the Prrsl>>tcrian church. \Ye are reassured once again that the church \\.ill most surrly cnmc to the wedding of thr Lamb. Ilresscd anti jewelled and splendid! Kot b). the tra~rlp of the marclting reinlel~t , not b!. the shrilling \-oice. of rhetoric, but by thc c,ding of the Still Snlall Voice will she come! In spite of po~np ant1 ~ r i t l r . in defiance of rcbcl or king, in \pitc of Ileresy and sloth she \\dl conlr. It uill be Ily the foolishness of prcaching that dc*l)iscd nible. It will be tl>rouglr sin ancl grucr. Hut it rnost surely will be! \Ye \$dl comr to that c i b that hath Eoundatior~ \vhose builder and maker is God.

vs. E R R O R

REV. ROBT. C. HARBACH

The Shepherd's Boy It was ;I steep way down into the \'alley

of I-Iumilia~ion, lmt Grrai-heart, guiding Piety and Christians, encouragctl them not to be so afraid of this \,alley, as thcrr was nothing to hurt them. In fact, it is a fruitful v:~lc, and, althougll some are hardly besct in this place, it is of the best ground. with fat meadows, fireell fields strewn with lilies and growing with good estates.

*l'alking together as they passed on, tile!. noticed a boy feeding his fathcr's sheep. His clothes were in tatters, hut his facr was likr Stephen's, tlir fact of an angel. Great-heart had them pause a moment to lihten as the boy broke out in song:

He t11ut is dou;n ilecd fear no full; He that is low, no pride;

BEACON LIGHTS

Hc that i . ~ htrnlbh, ocer d l Ilns C:od to hc his g~ritlc.

I on1 content tcitlr rchot I get, Liltlc it 11e or n1rrc11;

Alzcl. Lord, contcnf, I slrclll not frpt, Becnclsc, Thotr ~aocsf strch.

Folness, to sttch. u btrrderi is, Thuf on pilgrimage go;

IIcrc little, snd hereaper hliss Is 1 x 9 to hace it so."

--- "With apologies to John Bunyarl. - RCI.1.

"Just 1ihtc.n to that!" acl\ised their guide. "Fe\v happier than he who wears that herl> called heart's case in his bosom."

It's been said that "nobody blew better than John Bunyan h e w , that no shepherd boy that ever lived on the face of the earth ever sang that song," meaning, of course, to imply the added thought, "no, nor any- thing like it!" nut certainly this is simply not true. There are people nith real humil- ity, 'and child-like h~lnlility who sing this continually. David, a shephercl himself, dirl. He sanF:

Lord, n1!y 11eart is nut hntrglitrJ, Nor inine eyes lofty:

Neither c/o I exercise myself in great matters. Or in things too lli& for me.

Surely I hace behaced and quieted myself, As a c&ld that is ~ e u n e d of his mothm:

My soul is men (IS n tceaned child,

Let lsrael hope in the L d From 1 1 ~ 1 c ~ o r t h und fur ccer!

- P s a h 131

But thcn, listen to this song: In 1mcrL.liness of m i d , Let each esteem others better that1

themsclces. Phil. 2:3

Does that ring a bell? 1-es, it does! Seems I heard it, some years back. \Veil, what does it mean? Oh, come now; nreti wt3 go into that? Come now, yourself! You certainly ought to be able, right from your o\cn heart, to say what these words mean. 1'011 don't need a commentary, csscept that of your own conscience to tell you what it means. Or are you now at this point feeling a littie anger at an old familiar Scriph~re, and that became, though a long htantlin::

cornrnand of the gospel, you have 11evc.r begun to measure up to it? \\fhnt is this attitl~dc of spirihlal lowly-n~indedness to\vartl the brethren? It is for me to consider !*on i~bove, n~hile you also consider me aI)ove, and so all around thc family circle nf the ch~~rch . Then no one is looked do\vn tlpon, ancl cveryone is looked up to! "In honor prefem'ng one another." On my list; everyone clse is at tile top, w~hile I place myself at the hottom. You do the sm~c., placing yo~~rsclf a t the end (IF your liqt. The Christian has his "list" arranged in this ordrr. In the world, Number One comes first, all else last. Or in most cases. everyonr clse is in effect sl~oved off the edge of the world.

"The humble Christian is clothed \ritll lowliness, mildness, meekness, ccntlenes. of spirit and behavior, and \iith a soft, sweet, \\-inning air and deportment. He is clothetl all over with these things, in har- mony \r,ith, 'and be clothed wit11 I~u~nility'" (I Peter 5:5). Pure Christian humility has no s~ich things as rollghness, or contempt, or bitterness. It makes a person like a little child, harmless that n0r.e need br afraid of; or like a lamb, destih~te of bittrmcss, wrath, nnger and elnmor. agreeable to Ephesians 4:31.

"h'linistrrs of the gospcl especially ought to he so clothed. They ought to he thororlgll in preaching the mord of God, nithout mincing matters at all. Handling the Sword of the Spirit, they ought not to be mild and gentle. They are not to he gn t le and moderate in searching and awakeni~~p the conscience, but should he sons of thun- der. The word of Cod, sharper than any two-edged sword. ought not to be sheathed by its ministers. They must let its double edgt- have f11l1 effect, dividing asunder soul ancl spirit, joints and marrow (provided they do it \vithout judging particular persons, lea\-ing it to conscience and the Spirit of Cod to make tile particulrir application). But all thcir manner of life should have the arom;t of lowliness, good will and love to ;1!1, clispelling a fragrance wherever they nn. Or it will be like a light shining n11o11t them. their faces shining with it. They should bc like lions to guilty co~~scienccs, but like lambs to men's persons.

"The humble Christian, the marc. furious the world is against him, the rnorr silent

Ten BEACON LIGHTS

ri11tI still \viIl he l)v, 11111ess i t IE in l1i3 closet, anti tht.re hc \\,ill not I I C - still. Our hlcssed Lord Jesus seems never to l~ave hrcn so hilent a> nrhcn the \\rorld compassrd him round, reproaching, I,ufft.tinK, ~ I I I C I spittin:: OI I him, with loud oritcric~s :and horritl c r~~el t ie \ . 111 controvt-rsy, pulpits anti siclv- trllk must not ring \vith such hob-nailed lankwage ;IS persec~~tion! or I'l~arihees! or carnal sc-trtl rind srrpcnt's brootl." (The last three pr~mgraplis, above, cor~d(*nst.d from Jonathan Edtvards.)

It was tl~cs shepherd of Gt.iarv;~ \vho a i t l , "I have. nlwnys, indcctl, bee11 c.sceedingly pleased with this obser\-atior~ of Chns - ostom, thnt Iiumili& is tht: foundation of our philt~so~,hy; I I I I ~ still morcL with this of Augnstirrc., 'As a rllctoricia~~,' says lie. on being intrrrogatetl what \\.;IS the first thing in the rules of eloquence, replic~l P~~n tmc i i~ t ion , and on being scyi~rulely in- tcrrorratetl what was the srconrl. :ind w l ~ r ~ t \ws the third, ga\?c the same reply. So, blio~~ld riny one interrogate mcb concerning the rules o f the Christian religion, the first, second, ancl third, I would ;~lwit\~s reply, I~Iumility" (John C;11\~in. Institutes of the Chr. Relig., 11, ii, XI).

Co hick to thost, \vords of Ihvid . I~lcs continued in his lowly vocation c~t' shephertl, follo\ving thv ewes great \\.it11 young, r~ntil Cod calletl him to a higher st:rtion in life. t ic never h;ld his tryc on tire tlrronr, ant1 it would not have been any grief to him if God had passed him by to make rinothcr king. \\'hen Saul rewardcd him by calling hi111 to his court, and he was to become the king's son-in-law, he thol~ght himsclf ~ ~ n w o r t h y of the honor. "Seemet11 it a light tl~ir~:: to I)c* :I king'\ son-in-l,t\\., scching

that I uni ;i 1)oclr miill, ; ~ n d ligl~tly e>- tt.emc.tl?" (I S;~in. lS:??).

David co~rltl I~onehtly s;~y, "S~~rc ly I have bet~ilved . . . myself." Ttrc gre;ct \vron?: \\-it11 people toclay is not "nient;~l illness." nor "c~motio~lr~l problems." It is w r t ~ ~ ~ g I)(.- havior. People feel l~ntlly becnr~se thry brhrive badly. r\ good co~lscience tlrpcnds on good behrivior. Davit1 \\.as nn l ~ i s best 1~c~h;tvior. He hilid, I cluietrd ~uysrlf ;is :I

child that is \vc;incd of his mothc.r. Thc \vr:rnin~ child frets, cries, makes t r o ~ ~ l ~ l e for itself i ~ n d otht'rs. Rut "my so111 is etren ;is n \\.caned cl~iltl." Thc \veaning child is lout1 \\,it11 din ; ~ n d dither. Rut the wearretl c-hiltl is quiet and content. He has nc\v dc~sirc~s no\\*, I I ~ \ \ ~ food. Those old tlc.sires no longer worry him. 'I'he wea~>inr: child \\-ants this and t l~at, is never Latisficd, pouts and cluarrels \\.it11 mother (tliat ib, yoti quarrc.l \vith Cod), is not on g~ot~tl term\

\\-it11 noth her (\vith Cod). The \\~eanc*tl child \vorlld no 1ongc.r be I)a~npered. does not kick, strr~pgle or murmur, ;IS if nlotl~cor (Cod) \verc. cruel, b r ~ t le;~\-es :ill to an 1111-wisr, all-lo\ving \\'ill. The w e a ~ ~ r d child neither frrt \ nor worries. The weaned I~abc de- pends on Gotl lone. Sly expxt;itior~ is fro111 IIim, says that cl~ilcl. Then, as ;I

\vennecl child, you don't w n t 1111lf the things you wanted before. Thcn yo11 don't have half the occas io~ for trouble t l ~ e covetous and discontented have! Dut you my David's psalm you had hrttrr not iing bccause you can't sing it tmthfuliy? \laybe not. Then sing i t for another reason. Sing it as instr~~ction to yorlr own soul. Sing of what you ought to be. Sing of whnt, by the gnce of God, you can be!

CONTRIBUTION

Then Backwards Becomes Everything* PETER A. HOEKSTRA

Some time ago in ;I realm called Koit- make certain that all the citizens kcpt the sirhca, trouble clevc.loped. Everything law>. The impartial judicial segment of seemed to be working I~ack~vards. The law- that renlm upheld the bat1 laxvs, and was rni~kers matlc many laws that were not for infestc~cl wit11 graft, bribery, faulty logic, m d the good of the citizens. Thc chief law Inany other types of com~ption. Still there enforcer was in the midst of a 3c;mdal thnt was more trouble. involved brcanking la\vs while tn-ing to In this realm there csisted a .group who

proportcad to bts follo\vc*n. of ;I man culled Si\.lnc." Thi\ croup of people wrrr :~lsn it1 trol~l~le. I'hc.ir tri~chings and I~vliefs wrrr \l~n~nlt.tl 11p in the uvortl h~lip. It st~c.mc.tl, ho\ve\~c*r, that many of thr Sivlac- i\ts no lonzrr thought it important to l~old their truths of tulip. or to tei~ch then, to tht.ir cl~iltlrcn. 'I'Ilcy won begur to sec3 tlirc r e > ~ ~ l t s I)ecausr of thcir actions.

Just as thc ~nam'str.itcs of the. realm were tlnir~:! things Ixtck\\,artls, so t l l c , Nivli~c-ists for~ntl many tl~ings h;ilqxninc! I~ack\\.;.;trcl i l i

their circles. They wert. bickering, fight- inc, ;inti gossiping a~nonqst tlle~~~sc,l\.es. They III-mn In adclress Cod as onc of themrlves. .\limy hepan to find f;~rilt with Cod's \\'nrtl, choosing to list cat^ to son~c of it ant1 reject other parts of it, c.s~cc.ii~lly if they col~ld not twist it to fit their \ray of tllinLi~~g. Tl~cy no longer prayetl, "Fathcv thy will he clone"; htrt mther, "Father this is my \\,ill, bless it pleast.." In fact, adtlcssing C;ocl as I;:~llic:r \\.as ;III exception to the rule. I-Tr bec;~rnc. Ino\\n ;IS clatl or pops and was spoken tn in t e r ~ i ~ s of you and your, not Tl~rrs or 'fhot~. The degeneration of their beliefs ant1 prac tices \\rare not \vithout effect on tl~eir chil- dren. They (lid just :IS their parcnts did. They showed little or no resprct for tlic~ir parents, teachc-rs, or anyone in authorit)-. .An r~ntlrrlying reason for all t l~rsr tllil~ps \\-ill 1xx mentioned later.

Therr i~lso a grol~p of Sivlac-ists in the rCillm of Nnitsirhc \\rho hat1 not slippccl clnite so far in their beliefs, hrrt they were also in trouble. Their lives were far from being c~samples of Naitsirlic living. Tlreir children soon follo\x-ed. The cl~ilclren soon hcarcl of something called Nis." They f o ~ ~ n d nut that they had bcen performing ;~ctc of Xi. from the time that they were born. AE they gre\x- oldcr, they fonncl out that Xis \\.;I> fun. Their parents told them th;~t Ni.\ \\,as bad, but their parents played the g;ltce themselves. It had become a game to thrrn: 1,ittle children playctl it, but were I I S I I : I ~ ! ~

caught. As they got older, Iio\r.e\7er, they became more proficient at hiding Nis. \\'hen they clitl get carlght, they had many pointed questions xvihch they directed at their parents. This led many parents into saying that some types of Nis were not as 11nd as others. Sis was not good, hut some Nis was not too bad either, they rationa1i;tx.d.

Being confi~srd and ignorant, t l~c children cnncmtr;~ted on finding out which t?pes of Sir nrert. accepti~ble (\\'hilt one conic1 get by with). I t didn't t;~kc long to find out that i f o~re t:~lketl long :~ntl loud t-~lnt~gh, he cor~ld convincr others that a nc:\X7 t>pc of S i r \Ira acceptable. So the situation be- eitlne progressi\~cly worsts. Son11 pi~rents and children alike \\.care participating in thr 1-ntertainn~ent of the general pop~~l;~et. of l l ~ r - \\*orlcl: t111. \vorlcl's rn~~sic., ~novies, ~iartpinc, and litcnturr. Thr pi~rrnts sent their chiltlren to he educated by the corn~pt gr~\.en~~rlt~~lL. l' l~c*!- liacl their childrm go ru~t ant1 play wit11 the child re^^ of the world. They forgot th;~t it takes \ -en little black l x ~ i n t to tnrn a \pessel of whitr paint gray, hilt it takes an i~br~ndance of white to trtnl 1)lack into \vhitc.. The sitrution became \\'orSe.

The t>-yw$ nf Xis of the world soon bc-camc. more evident as the tlrrss of the \\,orlcl \\f;~s seen in thcir circles. The r~l~cllion of the \\+orlcl was manifested in the relationship of children to parenh. p;Irents to rmployers ;lnd employees. 171e Iiome \vhich once hart been on a solid fot~ndatiori began to teeter. No longer \\,as i t CI place wherr the fi~mily unitc.d to lean1 of God's \\.onclro~~\ \reorks itnd w:~ys, ,guided 1)). the father as its head. It became a place for family menibcrs to come ant1 eat and sleep if they ~vished. \lother was not tht-re to comfort and teach tlic little ones; th;~t \\,;IS left to a hireling and i~ T.V. set. Tlic. \en seed that wet the potential for future generations \vas tloomed for destn~c- lion in the bet1 charnl~ers. 7'11~ game of Xis \\.as no longer a game. It \\*as an ugly monster that controllrcl their li\.es.

An ltnclerl!ing reason for all tl~is back- \\~ardncss can fountl by c\plaining ho\v tlley thought concerning God. He \\,as tliot~ght of as i~ faitl~fr~l friend who could Iw what they \\.anted Ilim to hi.. He co11ld IIC forgotten about if they cho\r to forget i~l>out Ilim. IIr collld 1)c calletl when they tlecided to call out to Him. 111 short, they thought of God as if His holy name was \pellet1 I~achx~arcls, as nrr all tllc- \rfords in this article which were marked \iith an asterisk when they were first mentioned.

BEACON LIGHTS

Psalm 139:7, 8 - "\Vliill~er sl~oll I go front tliy . \j~irit.~ or r~l1it1,c.r ~11crll I flee, frori~ llr!r presrrrcc? If I trsccncl rrp irito hc*occr~, tliotr art tl~ere: if I rrroke Ill!, I~ecl ir~ 11c,11. bc~lu~ld, thorr art there."

AWARENESS JIM VAN OVERLOOP

l'o1111g pcoplt*. arc ~ O I I it\v;~r(* of Gocl? Do yo11 re;tli7c the powcar of Cocl? Tol~r first inc1irl;ltion \\~ould I)r to retort, "\\711)

of collr\cb kno\v Cocl. Cod is i l l Ileavcn. Sure. I know 111, is powrc.rf111. I know He can do \\*ondro~~\ things." To11 probahl: woultl consider nlv o~~c\ t ion to I)c out of . place. You, the* render, most prol)ably arcB Protrsti~nt Reformed. Yo11 have nttendcd our Christian c.lrment;~rv and/or hirrh schools. You I I : I \ ~ C been I~rougl~t up in ;I

Christian home.. You h o \ v \vho Cod is. SIy nek* rlcrestion is, are you reall:/

:lw;+rc. III Cotl's power, of Cod's o~nniprc.s- ence, of Cod's omnisciencc? Do your lives she\\? that yo11 kno\v this? I\ this merc hratl-k~lowledgr or have you applic.tl this to your li\~c*s? Dn yor~ in yollr daily lives act ;LS if yo11 know this? Are you afri~itl to show this? Or 11eavt.11 forbid, don't ~ I I I care?

Haves you c8vcr consitlrrctl thl. fact t l ~ i ~ t Cod kno\\.s your every singlc solitary thought? He krio\\-s \vhat you think, \vliat you si~)., \\hat yo11 (lo. I-lc is alwi~ys present. IIe i\ always with you. This Cod is with yo11 on your d;~tes; Hc. sees \vl~at you do. This Cod sees \vhat jxtrties the young peoplc of the, clmrch :~tlt.nd. 'I'llis Cod hears llis nanlc being titken in vain. Me sees tlie bodirb that kIr has given you I)ring tlrivcn by ;I mind thi~t is ill ;I tlrunkrn \tupor or made insensible by cln~cs.

Young Peoplc, have you ever really t n ~ l y Irt &hi\ sink in? The almighty, all-knowing, everywhere-presc-r~t God knows your secrets, your i~ctions, your words. SInybe your pzirenth don't know, hut Cod dnt.s. .4ncl Cod 14ATES SIN. Solo~non i l l Proverl~s (316-19 says, "'l'hese six things cloth t l ~ c Lord hate: yea, seven are an nl~omination

days. Ilr knows if yor~ attendctl society cir not. if you \vere prepared for it and con- tributed, or if you u7erta making it hard on the. tliscussior~ leacler. This s;ur~c Cot1 is with yo11 Sunday nights after cl~urch. You may be out of the sight of !.ottr parents. ministier, or te;~chers, but nrvcSr out of Cotl's sight. God hates the Ucvil. Ilc ITATES SIX. He hates the old tnnn \\,itllin us. Is it not \vontler that Cod doesn't kill 11s in righteous indignation? Our sins arc innumer:~l,le. But no matter ho\v 1111-

faitl~ful \ST arr, Cocl does not change. llis covcar~ant starrtls . Hc is faithf11l to tlie cmd. Hc sends the Holy Spirit into our hearts. It is only thro~rgh the gift of the IIoly Spirit that \vcb can pray for rllercy :u~tl forgive.- ncss. Sotict. that we cunnot du it of our- selves. The Holy Spirit must be urorki~~g in our hearts before \\.e can become ;I\\*ilre of ollr many sins ant1 miseries itncl I~ow dead we arc in them. \\'e cannot of our- wlvc~b (lo onr good thing. It is not of 11s at :all.

\\'it11 this knowletlge of our total tlcpri~v- ihr (:~nd if we could ever understand the deptl~ of our drpravity, \ve \vould br tn~ ly liuml)le), tve \\pill want to h o \ v rnore al>ont Cotl's $ft, Christ crucified. \\'ith this l,no\vletlge our hearts overflon \\fit11 pati- tude to Got1 for such a grc;~t salv;~(ici~l. Wit11 the constant aid of the Holy Spirit \I--(. nlust nln the mcc. \ire must be re:~dy for the bwttlc; 110, we itre in t l ~ c bi~ttlr II~I\\,! \Ye must pick up the \Vord. And wit11 thc kno\\~ledge of the \\'ortl we must finl~t pri~l- cipi~lities ant1 powers, the rulcrs uf dark- ness. .As Paul snys to the Epllcsians. "1'11t on tht. whole :Irmour of God, that ye miiy be al~lc to st;~nd againat the \viles of tlrt.

~lnto Ilinl: -4 proud look, a l y i ~ ~ g torlgtur, devil . . . . Stand thercfore, having jrollr ;ind hands that shed innocent I)lood, AII loin, krrt a b u t with truth, ;tnd h:n-ing OII

heart that clcviseth wicked imagination\, the 11rc-astplatc of righteousness; rind your feet that be swift in running lo mischief, feet sl~ocl \vith the preparation of the .i falsc. witness that sp~' ;~kcth lies, and hc* gospel of pe;lcc.; Above ;dl, taking the sl~ic.ld that sowetl~ discord among brctl~rer~." of faith, \vhercwith ye shall be able to

This Cod knows \vhat you do on Sun- quench all tht. fiery darts of the wick~d.

BEACON LIGHTS Thirtet-11

And take the I~elmct of sal\*atiotr, iu~tl the Ht,itlg so arnied \vtX will he ;twarr of sin; s\vord of t l ~ r Spirit, \vhicIi is t l ~ c \\.orcl of \\lc \ \ f i l l fight it! (;ncl:" Being \o i~rmecl \ve c ;~n rc-sist ;111 thc (;otl grant us the grilcc to bc ;I\vnrtb. nl.tn! tcmptatiotrc presented in this \vorld.

CRITIQUE ' AGATHA LUBBERS

The Missouri Lutheran Conflict . , 111~ ti1ocler11 cI11trc11 histon C O I I ~ ~ I * \vl~icl~

I teach at Covvn;tnt Christi;~n Fligl~ Schocl incl~tde; ;I cot~.;idcration of cclntctnporury rcliciious e\-c-nt\. I think that s t~~t lcnts \\+I1 verify my .~,st~rti t~g that this is on(. of the mo.t interchtinyr i111c1 I te lpf~~l ;~speds of tllr conrqe. :\lthough xve ought to kno\v ;thont thr pa\t, c~trrent history shoulcl not slip past unnoticed.

There arc t\vo l,n\ic clifficultic.\. Ilo\\,cver, that confront the \n i ter who reports ant1 rvalnate contemporan- ecclesiastical his- t o n . n~t. first is that the editor \ \ i l l have sttch a plethor;~ of rnaterial \vhen the article which dcn~ancls ctrntempornry printing ar- rives. that t \ ~ ( . nrticlv \\.ill 1lc11 I lc. pu11- lishcd until tht, nvS\vs or tlir acti\.itirs I~ein:: 11i.c~;~-d ha\ I. lorlr: been settled. Thc other clifficulh is crnc. \vhicl~ bebets ;III \vritc*r. :mtI b v o l \ - ~ < t\vo I)nsic aspects. Either thr n.:~tlcr i> not interestrci in thta sitr~;~tion hrinrr cIi \c~~hctl or tllc rc:~tlc*r LIW\\'s as m~r rh or nlort. th:~n the writcr c . t ~ n c c * l - ~ ~ i ~ ~ ~ : thr s i t~~ :~ t ion ttnder d i+c i~s~ in t~ . I will :I#?-

crpt the fir4 ot thew ri.;ki. i.c.., that In\. render hio\vs Inorc. than I kntnv concc.rninr the citnation in thr Luthrr;lt~ Cliltrch- I\li>soitri Synod. and \vill also ;ts.;~~~iie tllat ;I. Reforn~etl Christinns \\,c ;trtV con- rc.rnrtl \vitlr that denolllinntion \ r l ~ i c l ~ is c~lrrently troul,lccl .uently beca~tsc, nf errors hring t;lueht in the .;eminav.

,Uih011gh 1 -11 th~~ did not pcrson;~lly np- prove it;. use. there is ;I srgrncLnt of thr Protesiant chttl-clr \vhich tleri\~rss its niltne

fronl the man \vho ~lrove a d r e ~ \vc.tlge hc+h\.c*c.n I'rotestantisni and Konran Cath- olicism. It i; the dcnominntion wvhicl~ tlc- rivcbs its name from the Augustinian monk of thr 16th c e n t 1 1 ~ that today is .shaken by tloctrines which Luther \vould have tlcncl~tncc.d \\-it]> colorful Irr~t stem 1an:qlage.

I ' v t ~ y rr:lder of R~:I\COS LIGHTS knoxvs tlri11 I l l ( > church of thr 1;ttc 20th centttry llils filllen upon diffic~~lt clays. The days in which the c1111rch is callrd to live esolt thc doctrini., of man ;lncI denounce t l ~ e doc- trines \vhich exalt the Sovereignty of Ccxl, j~lslificntion by faith only, and the absolute tlotninion and a~~ thor i ty of the Scripturcc.

'l ' l~i\ is the problctn ;it Concordi;~ Srw- in:~r!. in St. Louis. llissonri. Searl!. 7(W) .rt~lclent\ ;rttend Concortlia Scniinan. but it I I ; I \ I ~ c r n ,Illit do\\% for several \vc=c.ks bc- ~ ; I I I \ : . nf :I facult\. :~ntl student boycott. -. I 111. prr~iclrnt of the. wnlinary. Or. John I l . 'l'ictit.11. has llecn ottsted on cIr;~rgr\ of t t ~ ; t c . I l i r r i : 1-rant tlnctrines -and 1~ I I~IS, if tl11. ~relrorts concerning his and thr tc.;lch- in<\ ~ : f hi.; colleagues art. true. Dr. 7-ictjcn clot.\ not deny the fCtctu;llity of thr reports. I :IIII crrtain that ht. is \\illinn to deft~ntl I l i , tloctrinal position.

Sincc 1969 ;mtl ~ ~ t ~ t i l Jar111ary 90, 1974. Dr. Iohn H. Tietiran, d;5 years oltl, II;IS 1,c.t.n t l ~ r l>rezidet~t of Concordin Srmini~y. t i c 11;ls been battling \vith the llissouri- Lutllcr.111 majority ;in(! Synod president, the Rev. Dr. Jacob .\. 0. Preus, who i> the heiitl of the mn.\rn.;~tivc majority in thr

For1 rfem BEACON LIGHTS

Synocl. The fight has bern n fight con- cer~dng tloctrinal interpretation and con- cerning the incrranc), of the Scriptures. Dr. Preus insists, as the spokesnran for the con- sen.ati<c wgnmrnt of the Bliswnri 1,utheran tlenomination, that the 13iblc must br literally interpreted. Are Adam ancl Eve lristoric.11 individuals? Did Adam and Eve really fall? Is the story of Jonah and the great fi5h fiction or is it true? These and ni.ln). othcr questions are at the heart of the

Although BL~COX LICH.L.S ilnd those who write rcprcscrit tlrc C;llvin or 13cfor111cd side of the Protesk~rt Rcfonnation, we never- theless ~rievc. with Christinns in the Stis- souri Lutheran C11~1rch \\vlio \vill be ltlisled by those \vho deny thr infi~llil~lc Scriptures. \Ye grieve becausc: the cht~rch or dcnomina- tion, which is 11:ul1ed with thc salne name that klartirr Li~thcr horr, docs not really represerlt the rallYillg c1-y of the Hctforma- tion ;md the chief empl~asis of SInrtin Luther in the 16th century. It is the rallying cry of all thosc: who are Refonncd and ever Rcfonuiing, Soln Scril~tcirri.

l'he controversy concer~ling the inei~ancy of the Scriptures is not an unimportant issue. A denial of such historical renlitirs, as a real ..\rl:~~n and Eve, ;I rc.;~l fish to pennit sun.i\:;tl for Jonah, and a real fill1 into sin can only Icad to a denial of the cardinal truths expressed in the Apostles' Creed concerning Jesus Christ, the Son of Cod, the Second Person in the divinc -1-rinity.

This controversy in the Lutheran Church, which we obscnre, is not some isolated kind of instance. It is thc same Mnd of happening that we sce occurring in the Refornred Church world. Those who be- long to thc C;llsinist tradition are also de- nying t!~e incrrnncy of the Scriptures. Sin de\relops asrd cosnes to n\n~rift=statior: in many fornis. 7'11is is o~lo of tllr forms. In- tellectual sophistication often bears exactly this kind of fruit.

hlany have commented on die fracas io thc. Luthrran Church - SIissouri Synod. Dr. l'ietjen hinrsrll said:

The membcrs of our svnocl niust become awarc of thc moral bankruptcy of the actions of t l ~ c present 1c:lders of our synod and of the senlinary's board of control. Such evil, if allowed to con-

tinue. \\pill bring,,thc jt~dgllle~~t of Cod\ wrath on us ;ill.

That is strong 1anr11age and so~unds ill- most like solrre c.s caiheclcr pronouncement by thr pope in Ilomr. It also is an t~tten~pt by tllr accused to t a b the offensive, but it does not satisfactorily cha~rge nor sol\,c tltc issue for the concernetl coriscnntive Chris- tian in the llissonri 1,uthcran Church. He t\.a~uts a solutior~ which includes a discon- tinuation of teac!lings which ctestroy the faith of seminary stndents and distorts the tn~ th of the \\'ord of God.

Dr. Prc-us has been acct~srtl of Ix.incr tyrannical in his ~msition of power us Prrsident of tllc General Synocl of the church. 'The accusers of Dr. Preus have ~amplained that the church owes allegiance to God. not to Dr. Preus. To this chargca, which i* also peripheral and flimsy corn- pared io the central importancr of the essencr- of the controversy, Dr. Prcus re- sponded:

I agree. This is God's church, ;~nd we ought to l x faithful to God's IVord."

That is the ccmtrol issue! ObcJirncc to God's \\lord! \\'illingness to bow brfore the Scriptures is more important than pro- nounce~nrnts about thr judgnent of God's wrath on us nlI. "Obedience is better than sacrifice."

Dr. Kicharcl Klann: chuim.l~~ of the Systematics Department of the selni~lary, said tliat the charges of teaching false doc- trine against 44 of his fello\v professors st the sc1:ool arc true and warranted. There :we 49 profcssors on the fac~~l ty of the seminary. Dr. Klann was onc of thc "minority five" professors \vho continued teaching when 44 professors boycotted classes. Dr. Klann, who spoke in t l ~ e 1111- manriel L u t l ~ e r ~ n Church of Grand Iiapids, cited Aiblirnl passages including the story of Jonah and the . m a t fish, all historic facts in the earthly life of Jesus, the crc- ntion of Adan and Eve as real peoplta 'iod their fall into sin, ;md the doctrine of an& as Biblical issues iri the controversy-. He went on Lo say:

You must belicave all the Bible, even if you don't understand parts of it; not to do this would be to deny tire 1,uthrran confessions."

:\lthougl~ we have been taught to rec- osiize that there is a certain synergism in the theology and confessiorrs c~f thr

BEACON LIGHTS

Lutheran Church, wc nevertheless grir~. with one local Grand Rapids 1,uthc~r:cn pastor \vho deplores the "ncw throlom" that is creeping into the c l~nrc l~ by nlean, of bad teaching in the scmi~litr).. \Ire xrievc because every denomination has its "k'r~i- terts" and "Daanes."

Protcst:u~t Rt.forn~cd people ought to I ~ I * ver!. thnnkfi~l, therefore, that we h;~vc. :I

seminary siipportecl hy the Protest;mt Rc- fornlecl Churches that insemin:~tcs nccortli~ir to the Reformr,tl Confessions in thr tri~th of thv \iTorcl of Cod. Professor H. C. Hot.ksr111;l yay3 it \veil in his last cditori:rl, 'Tlringa I Sever Kne\~-," Staiujnrd Bc,nrc,r. Fehnlay- 1.5, 1974.

We are about to dedicatr a ne\v sr.111- inary bililding. (\VP h;n-r done so, .A.L,) \ire are activc in home missions. \\'c are active in Christian educatio~~. \Ye arc active i r~ all our congregations \\itli ioilnd cutd edifying preaching; and our people do not have to sit in the pews wondering \%?hat new heresy or liturgical oddity they ~vill have to stomach on Sundr~y. Itre have no theistic evolution- ists and other deniers of the historicity of Genesis among our teachers and preachers. We have no teachers of uni- 1-ersal atonement in our Semina . like Prof. S tck's colleague, Prof. ~arol3 'Dek- ker. We have none in our midst ~vllo publicly admit to sipling the Formula of St~bscription with mental resen~ations. \\'c have none among w who publicly ex-press agreement with men like Hari-y Kuitert. as does d ~ e Christian Refomled Church. Thanks be to Cod's grace alone, we are Reformed. By that same grace we intend to remain Reformed. And by that same mace, we will c?ntinue to develop in tT~e Rcformcd line.

During the weekend of February 16 a1111 17 special meetings mere to be held br- tnreen tlie members of various boards rrsponsihle for the control of Cnncordi;~ Seminary. The scheduled forum will handlr. Constitutional problems as well as thrs primary reasons for the shut-do\vn of tlw s c m i n q . As in all ecclesiastical conflicts, however, the political aspects of tllc fracas are beginning to take preeminence :~nd tllc. real doctrinal issues 'ue being forced into the background. Personality clashes an1 personalih issues are being forced to the front. and sllbstantial issues are bcsinp shunted to the sidelines. This can o~tly mean compromise, but the instruction of young men for the ministry will be hindered. Sincere instruction in the truths of Cod's

infallible, incrriint IVord, nil1 no longer be ~~ossihlc ~lnless the* rc;ll isrle.; art. soltred. I presume wc have not heart1 the mcl of the matter.

\\*hen \rve o11sen.r such events ill tllc cc- clesiastical \vorltl \vc ougl~t to hc stimulated by God's grace to be more vigilant i11 the l~attle a.qai~,st all that hinders thr cause of Cod.

\Ye :tlso o11g11t to In. stim~llnted to con- i t . \ \ \\.iil, marc. nrgc.nq ;irld ic*n.tmey than ~-vcr the wrc promise of Jesus Christ: "The gates of Ilell cannot prevail arrainst the Cl~i~rclr" (\Iatthe\v 16: 18).

O f * *

P a t Scriph~m: One of the hazards of long ranm nc\n reporting is the daily rorllitl of affairs. The Iatrst news from St. Lollis as this article goes to print is that 40 of the faculty members of the Seminary h.lvc been relieved of their positions and that ,i "Seminary in Edle" of the majority of the thtdellts \ \ i l l nlcet whilc appro\- inlately 100 ~tudents may return to classes ;at the resumption of the Spring term in .\,larcl~.

Quotes The best ica!y for a tnan to train trp

n chill it1 the way he shnrrld go is to troucl thnt [any himself.

Cheerjrrlness menns n cot?fertted spirit; a pure heart. a kind and l o ~ i n g dis/~osition; i f meails htlm ilif!y arld charit!/. a generotrs appreciation of others, and (7 modest opinion of self.

BEACON LIGHTS

TUDY By REV. G. LUBBERS

" . l ' r , r i IIO c ~ l ~ t r s t ~ ~ t r i r ~ ~ Jor 1111, /)ri=verlt seerr~etlt to be ioyoris, hut griecorrs; ~rc~c~c~rt/rckt~s.s i~ftcurcerrtl it !~ic~lcl~~tlr tllc? I~c,rr~~e~oh?e fruit of flglrteou.\nc~ss nnto therrl tlrnf trrc c*.v~.rr.iwrctl tl~crrl)!~.'' - I Icl)r~~\\~s 12: 1 1

"SUBMITTING TO THE CHASTENING OF A FATHER" It is \o~nctiiilc.s ~ i i i t l tlrat the I3ible should Christ's sake. It is given ;llso 1111to yo11,

hr. rniitk. mtrrcs i~lll)lc. Yourrr: ptsOplc really : ~ I I I I ~ ~)cople, out of mere gr;icc not only mnnot rc:itl t l r c . U i l ~ l i . nnd it is not very to believe in Christ hut also to suffer in IIis meaningful for yoling people. Havc you behalf (Phil. 1:.79). Because you :ire Cod's ever Iic-i~rtl thiit said, nly yo~~tlrlul frirnct? cucovenant young people you we differe~~t Of coursc, !.ou do not agrrc with this from the children of the xvorld, :mtl you prol~:~g;~nd:i ;ig;ii~~st t l ~ e hvcrrd Scriptures. are also to conduct yourselvrs clifferc~~~tly tlo yor~? Ancl do yolr h o w \vI~y I am o than they. Your citizenship is in hc:~vc.rl certain that you do not ;igrcc with this? ~vhere Christ is our Hrad. It is hecausc I bclievr that the Holy Spirit Sow to form you and me ;is the potter was prornist~cl to you no less thar to thr- atll~lts ill thc chlirch. You are a mernber. ;I livin:: mc-mher of the Church of Jcsu~k Christ. of His hotly of which He is thi. Hctld. 'I'hc. Spirit d\vells in Christ as in the 1Ie;rtl ;111tl :ilso in you ;I.; members of t11t. I)od!. You are C11risti;lns cund are such only l ~ t ~ c ; ~ i ~ r c !.ou ;Ire p;lrt;rki.rs of Christ'. :tnoillting.

Yo11 ;ire sons of our hcirvcnly Father; the objccts of Ilis c.tc.rni11 lovr iind mercy ill Jesus Cl~riht !,011 are. Hc \v;is pleased ; I I I C ~

tlclipiitc.tl to :idopt you 11s His sons ;uicl tlauglltcrs. Ant1 ;IS the children of IIis in- finite ileliglit hc rl~iikes you tlic objccts of

His sl~rcial ch;~ster~ing and hardships for

ioms the clay the heavenly Fad1c.r ns tlir Father of spirits puts yo11 in His program of \piritual esercisrs. These ;Ire ;ill eu-r- riyc-s nnto godliness. \Ye milst l~s tc the lie 11f false teaching and all estemiil \vorsllip md then "csercise thyhelf unto gotllinc~\u" 11 I-in~. 4 : i ) . And the Lord biv~ss 11s the .piritu~.il "\vorkout" so to speak. \\'c arc. exercised bl- Ilim in the \\rarfarr of fi~itlr .~nd godliness. \ITe are to become paltakers of Cod's holiness. \Ye are not to Ilc simply 5ome rxrmplnry moralists and legalistic per- fectionists. Say, \ve me to sliarc in tl~c. holiness of Cod Himself, conformcrl to His inna~e as sons :incl daugl~trrs. To bring 11s to that perfection hr gives 11s h;lrclsllil~s.

BEACON LIGHTS Seoetrtretr

:~lllictior~ ;in(! s ~ ~ f f e r i n ~ s for Christ's sitkc.. \vlricll 111. snnctifirs to our hearts by His Spirit.

\\'I. ;ire, tliereforr, as covenant yoi~th a vc*r\. l)oc~~li:tr group of spiritilal gynna5ts. \\'c. lniist nln ii different race \vhicli is sct hefore us. It is the race of the hopr rtemal in t11c. I~ravcn\. This r;icc* i< not nln by the ~~n\pirit~lill I~ast;~rcl children. Kor do t111.y rc.crive the amictionx and sr~fferings \vhicl~ Cot1 fives to his trr~e children. tv11o1-n 111. loves so v c n dearly.

I know it: 1 knou. it! YOII rmlly do not cle*.ir~- thi\ road of affliction. Toll do not likr to ht hated of ;ill men for Christ's .inkc. Yo11 \\inct ;it thr thought, that you \rill not hc lowd if you confess the Same of t111. I.ord, wherever you are, in word and deed. .Ant1 it is painfill not to bc accepted hcc;~i~sr yo11 confess your Lord ovecipinst ;ill t h ~ enernics of Cod's IVord ir~sitlc ant1 o~~tsi t lc of the chiirch of Cod in the world. It is p;ii~~ful to hr in a little church wl~ich tlocs not rcccivc any seel;Lim from the c1111rcl1 world hrcal~sr yo11 have cloctrines wliicl\ they rrjcct. It is pai~~fnl to liold to th~ . Fivr Points ol the Reformed tcaclring iu ;I el~~~rch-\\.orld \\.here man is put in the c.cbntc+r of all tlling~ and the Cod of tlic Scril)(~~rc*s i.; r~~jectrtl. No, that rxperienrc for )toil young people is not joyot~s. \\'lie11 !.oil ~ n r c t tlii~t young girl, \vhoni yo11 cnn- not join in life, heci~~ise she does not love your Cod, then it is painful to lea1.r her forcver because you can or~ly marry "in the 1,orcl." Yes, the chastening of the Lord is not joyorls for the prcsrnt Imt gives grief and pain to the flesh.

Rut, come, my youthful fellow-member in Christ, and see what it \vorli.s "after- \\,arcl." It is a blessed reward that is ours \vhicli the Lord gives us in His spiritual gyninasir~m. It is the pcaccr~ble fruit of riglitrousncss. \\'e must look at the "fnlit" of t11c Spirit in our Life. This is good f n ~ i t on a good tree. It is the fruit of fail11 which 11s been p d e d from thc dross. The final f n ~ i t is to enter into the glory of die Lord. Here it is called the fruit of righteo~~sness, that is, a fruit which consists in personal righteor~.mess in the keeping of God's commandments. This righteotlsne:~ is merited for us by Christ on thr Cross :uld is onrs by the Spirit of grace in our hearts.

You :Ire still young and incsprrienccd in thr fi)mnasium of your I~c:~vmly Fntlirr. Hc will liiive In;tny trying ca~pcrienees yet for yo11 to endlire \\.it11 p;~tic*nctr. I.ifc \ \ i l l not be easy for you as ;I Chrisii~i~. Even- one that will live godly in this worltl shall suffer harclsliips. \Ve nus st pass through many trials into final glory. Rut to those ~ v h o "are exercised thereby" thc>re is the peaceable fnlit of righteousness.

IIIc. c-wrcise of t h r c tri;~ls is Ih;it w arr forcrc! tn sh~dy the Rihlc fnr the sake of onr co~nfort and hope. It carrses 11s by gracv to tlrink dcaeply fro111 the waters of life in Gocl's \\'ord and to eat of the heav- enly manna. It \vheh the spiritrial appetite of the youn? Chri5tian. Think of Luther in his cell as he sourlit for neace. Think lie\\. nre a v i i l need to search the Scriph~reb for hope iind comfort when we will need to stand up iind be coiintcd whm Antichrist will come. Yes. we \\.ill th(-~i be exercised in much prayer, fcwcnt pr:iycr. Ilid not the apostle Pal11 pray wvlien in prison? \\'as h ~ . not e~ercised \vhm he went througl~ ill1 hi.; trials. - l d cannot he finally \ay: I havr kept the faith, I lia\.e run the race, and lienccfortli t11c.r~ is laid up for nir a cro\s7n of lire, and not for me only I x ~ t for all who love his appenr:ince.

Accept the cliastming of tl~cs I,ortl, Chris- tian friend. You lia\r acccptecl tlir chas- tening of your earthly fathrr and profited thereby to I)c sure. Shall wc not much more accept the clia\tming of thr Father of spirit\ arid live. IIe doc,s all for ollr profit, our etemd henvfit. IIc is the Father, who created the spirits of men and angels, yea, of the v e n devils in hell. And he has His lofty design \\it11 11s.

In the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ our fdtli must shine forth as the product of Iiis gr,iee. It must be found unto pnise and honor and glory of Him. Hence, he exercises us to make our faith strong: h r gives us such hardships tl~at we cannot go in our own stren-gth one step but lean on His c\.erlasting arms of mercy in humble trust. Thus we walk life's pilgrini's journey in thr knowledge, that, althoudi for the present the chastisements arc grievous, af- tenvards they shall yield the pcace;il~le h i t of righteousness.

Then ure shall thank Got1 forevermore for these afflictions from IIis l i ~ l d !

Eighteen BEACON LIGHTS

CURRENT EVENTS AND COMMENTS

Blind to A Loss RACHEL LUBBERS

dawn slowly walks one rniltl. I [is I~rown collar on his coat stands up stri~ight hiding the soft morning breez. It appcitrs that he is enjoying the quiet hours of morning and yet son~chow reassuring Ilirnsc.lf that truly there ;ire hours of such c-njoyable peace. He strolls on convincing himself that all of e;~cli day is not spent in forever going noise, I~usiness which c:ursvs con- stant hnrry :~nd scurry. During this ~~uilce- ful hour he w:~tches the sky, o h s c ~ n g how the stars fade out while rays of light begin. to streak the blue morning sky. As the soft breeze touches throng11 the trees his eyes are tlrawn to the faithful rcbappear- ing buds of thc rnitple trees wl~icli speak of the promise of life after the tlt~struction of winter's dc;~l l~. After the first soft glo\v of mornir~g co111c2s forth the grwt ; I I I ~ final strength of this day - the ever breirtll-tak- ing sunrisc* wl~ich spreads its w i ~ ~ g s far and wide as though it is comiug to concluer the world.

Through this display of beauty the re- maining world sleeps on.

As he cor~tinues his walk Iiis 111ind \van-

ders and lic begins to reflect on tllc Inean- ir~g freedom Il;~s for people tocl:~y. He contemplates this desire for freedom, which has destroyetl so many lii-es, yet plays a vital part of li\.ing each clay. \It~ny odults rise it in li\'ing with the law. Their con- ception of frrcdom breaks the Iz~w apart so that each law can be usecl or tbvcsn es- cludcd :IS eiicl~ individual \t;isllrs. 1li11ly of

those who (lo know they arc not livir~g according to Inw can always sor~lcllow man- age to justify their action through some other means. Therefore, society will nllotv almost anything to be done and conrfort- abll- be accepted. Those in authority over us are expected to meet their obligatior~ toward society and if they do riot they too nre either ignored, or tolerated.

Small clrildren and young peoplc \v;itr.l~ out for what fascinates their eye - frc~cdo~n. They livc. in demand and cleterminatinn \vhich has no boundries. The authority of parents has become but an "idea" ant1 rude rebellion has replaced respect. Often tod;ly tense parents fill themselvcs with over- \\.helming es:rsperation in seeing and frc*liq a lack of unity within the home. Evr.ry- one goes on his own way and a b o ~ ~ t his own ~ I I S ~ I I C S S c.sclucli~lg himself from the bother of othcrs. Orlr no longcr li\,i.s ac- cording to the obligation of the I ; I ~ , but rather, many test the 1ax-r to see whitt it \rill allow them to do.

Yet, his mind trnvels on to ;I freedom which is the overpotvering ruler of all. God, who is the authorit). of all, IIO\V is 30 sadly k i n g molded to fit rnilrl. Cod, who is thr unchi~ngable, is now beco~ning mutable. S'lnny of His laws are being re- vised. forgotten, or beix~r u~terprctccl dif- ferently. Slany :ue even going so far as to exclude Hinr altogether in nrdcr to make life "easier" to live.

,+i one properly evaluates this prol~lcm he can easily see another side clffeut of this misuse of and craving for frcvdo~n. Human sensiti\.ily is slowly dying i~ncl of course once you lose that. you li;ivc! :I

. e a t loss. 'There is a definite pus11 for in- tli\iduol :ccI\~uncement and a lack of n e i ~ h - borly hrlp. concern, and love. .And when socic:t?; beca~nes 1i;trdened to humi~n need then it loscs n trrir sense of fear, trlrth, rrsped, guilt i~nd sin.

This lo\.e iuld craving for freetlo~n h;~s cn~lsc~d ;I tcwiblr loss. Each of us toclay must become a living witness to :I free- dom nrhich does not take this ro~~tt. .

Lea\-ing the scene for a minute he look about and finds tllc whole xi-orltl aglow with beautiful benming sunshinr and he turns around ancl walks steadily hack to his home.

BEACON LIGHTS Nineteen

Extra copier of this and other issues

are available from the editor at

30C r copy while supply lasts.

MOVING? Please fill out form and mail to subscription manager (see inside cover for address).

Old Address: ...................................................................................................... n . m

....................................................................................................... ciW state zip code

New Address: .................................................................................................... atreat

...................................................................................................... citV state zip code

BEACON LIGHTS

"" ' '3'9S JOHN ZANDSTRA JR. ''i ' I , > 'C)-1.A7fS [ fir R D .

. I L L I ' J I - +, 4 ? 5