FOR PROTESTANT REFORMED YOUTH

- --- V3LUM5 XX I MARCH, 1961

. -. NUMBER 2

' 1 1 1 i t t h 1 I I 11 c I , I t i : CONTRIBUT ING EDITORS: ir, r t r FCtlcrx:,wi ,c.i I 'r l i i~.ta:i i I(cf,~ii.~~icd Y, ,1111g 1'1.. pic', >;~c:eticj. R I . ~ Rul$r:c Harbach -- -'rrutl~ vs. Er ror

.\fi:itt~:, I.~:hber. Critiq1:r Rc \.. Hv:.rnni~ Hockwmn Bible Outlines

Us: 1,1 E. .gclr~i t t , , , .li, Kc\. Riclt.ircl \-elilmn,i

Rcr. A\I\.in Sfuldcr . \ < S ~ C ! ate 1,. :it01 Frn~m rhc paitor 's S t u d I.?m I.ut,br;i Alan:, :.rrlg Icditur Ill.,. C. 11, l \ ' c - ;~ : i Nc i r s Editor S:*i cy Ilcini-:r:: I:~IIx.. * . c . lI;t~t:tgc: JZIIIVS I g~ r i k r r Current comment^

C3 C;

STAFF: \l.~rcsz Se;\-htti C,etk l l a r y P,I.;oc~~ \ , I

Roger l i a rb i n Chairma:: -

\far>- Pz>:rjt>r - 1, hl,c R c h t i 11. St;,[, l l a r i an Kunl i Ed\va:d L>ngc;ak

All moteriol for publication should be addressed to MR. DAVID ENGELSMA,

846 Thomas, S. E., Grand Rapids 6, Michigan. Grand Ropids rub>criberr please forward sub-

sciiption dues to CORRAINE STREYLE, 1125 Fronklin St., S. E., Grand Ropids 7, Michigan Subscribers outside of the Grand Ropids areo

pleore forward subscription dues to JANET KUNZ

1131 Ationno St., N. W., Grand Rapids 4, Mich.

Jtlciy R<~tl\\-k:~riip 1 1 , ~ - i J .<. L : : ~ . r

1 PI.,,"^ R,.;,d4 , ., All undelivcroblc material (Forms 3579) should be returned to CHRISTINE FABER, 1028 Temple

I.nm f.ubber. _ Pltc~lo ;kitd Art -~ I S. E., Grond Rapids 7, Michigan.

Hob Dcckei -

Stib.criptiL11 price: S?.W r;,v.ci K",,.. Corraine streyle

1 S u b x r i p t i ~ r i ~ I I I I I I ~ C I c S~.co:~d Claia Postage paid at

Gral?d Rapids, Jlichigan - - --

L .

945 74i4 9fAw MISSIONS IN THE ~ROTE:<TANT REFORMED CHURCHES 1

Rru. M. Schip; ler

ATTACHMENT PROBLEM . .. .... 2 k v . A. Mulde '

LETTERS 4

THE MODERNISTIC INTERPR OF SCRIPTURE 5 Rtv. R. C Har

WISE FOOLS 7 Agotho Lubbcr '

DESIRE THE VNCERE MILK OF THE 9 fie". R. Vcldm On

THE DILEMMA OF DEMO~~RACY 11 Jim Jopker

THE SEGREGATION lsslJE 1 ? €dgerton p'.R-Y.P.S.. Evelyn Hui,vngo, rvportt.r O U ~ L ~ N E S ON THE B ~ X ) K OF REVELATION fRcvclotion 10-11:41

1hc promire of NO More Deloy !Revelat on 10:l-4) 13 ~ h - v ir ion the Little Book Eoten (R~ , i ~ l o t i on 10:B-1 1'1 14 ~h~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ i ~ ~ l of the Temple (Rcvelotion 11:I. 2) 16 lhi lIIc wi*;erres ~Revrlotion 11:3, 4) 17

R ~ W . P Hoekscmo

BOOKS ~ , - ~ ~ ~ l l L. ~i <ter. EVOLUTION AND CHRISTIAN THOUGHT TODAY d

G,,~o, H. Girod. THE WAY OF SALVATION A. A Von Ruler, GOD'S SON AND GOD'S WORLD b v i d . nrjelqmo and Jomc\ Jonker, reviewers

NEWS FROM, FOR, 4ND ABOUT OUR CHURCHES 20 ~ ~ s . C. H. Wastro

4~lSS10]1S in the protestant reformed churches A

REV. M. SCHIPPER

The Staff of Rcc~coi~ Lights has rcquestecl us to write a hrief article revealing t l ~ c present status of niissions in the I'rotrstant Rc.forn~ed Cllurches. \T7itll t l~is cvident in- tertbst or1 tlie part of our yor~ng people in the matter of nri.\sio~rs wc arc. hxly plc.i~sed. \Vr are quite sure it reflect\ thc interest \vIiich 111o~t of our people I ~ i ~ v e rcgi~rding thi\ sul~ject.

CVe sin~pl>- rcfusc to concede to the charge :e\rhich h:~s allvays bc.cnu ~niidr, ant1 ag;~in qnite recently, that the Protestant Kefor~i~cd Clrr~rc-l~es Iri~ve little. or 110 interest irr ~nissio~~s. In T11c Bar~r~er of J;~nui~ry 6, 1961, the. Hc-v. I-I. Bakcr reitcr;~tes tl~is false charge \vhe11 hr \+-ritos: "Besides, tlie I'rot-

e t i ~ n t Ikformed Cli11rc11, as it \vas con- .it~~tecl prior to 1934, h:td little i~~tert.st in

niissions." Better it had heen if hc, ant1 all wlro 1i:lve ni;tde \inlil,lr charge\ ;~g;~inst 115, hat1 i d : "Tlic- Protc\t.~nt I ~ r f o r ~ ~ l c d Cli~~rcl~r.\. ;IS they \vcrc constituted prior to 1931 ancl no\\- ~rrucl~ motis sir~ct. that t i ~ l ~ e , have hat1 very srn;~ll facilities itnd resources wl~rre\i-it11 to fulfill thcir n~ission mandote."

It is simply not t n ~ e that our churches ncvor Iii~tl n~ission zr;~l and rcvealcd little or no int(.rest in tlie c;~usc~ of ~nissions. The recortls of olrr synods \\.ill show that we Iravcs inclr~irecl evcw of secretary of ~uis- sions in tlie Christian Rrfor~ncd Ch~~rc l i for infortnation ;IS to the tvhere-\r-ith-all to con- cluct c\.en forl.ign missions. The. records will sho\v that even I~efore \vc hat1 s>-nwls our ~1111rclics were hurrt on pcr for~~~ing ~nission cndcaror. The records will sho\v that since we I~avc. hat1 synods we have always hat1 a mission hoartl \vliich has \vorketl diligently with the means s t our disposal :~nd con- form to tlie constitution of n~issions adopted tn. our clinrcl~cs which very beautifully es-

-';esscs in its 1)rea1nblc the principle of mis- .~ons xvhich has hitherto controlled our in- terest and entleavor. The records will she\\-

that, \\.heti \r:c \vcrc able, \ve callctl ~uis- sionaries and bent them into the field, and that nt present \\.c have ;I missionary who is on tile field assigned to him. The records \\,ill sl~o\\, that \\-hen a new field opened up, or it new metl~od \\,as proposed, our people reqnnded \\.it11 liecn interest, with praycrs and gifts, to srlpport the \vork. \\'e deny the charge that tlie I'rotestant Refornicd Churches have no iotcn.st in missions.

It is t r ~ ~ e t1i;lt \\,t: have never bet-n aldc to do mucll in tlic field of rnis>ic.ns. It is also true that \vc could do n~ucli more tliitn we ;Ire doing if we had tile facilities. And pcr- haps we could say that \re should be doing much marc: t11;tn we are doing cwr I with our present facilities. Even ch11r~:I: t,s- perienccs ti~ncs of letl~argy, dcsponrlency, evidences of Ii~ck of interest due to vnrio~~s causes. KO cli~~rcli can rest on the laurels of lier acl~icve~nents a t ~ d 1)c s;~tisfic.tl tl~:it >he has done enough. Our churchcs are no esceptio~~ to this.

\\llcn we consider the Lord's co~nmand to His chnrch to ev:~ngelize all the world, it is al\ir;tys propcar that t l ~ e cliurcl~ should in- quire \vhctl~er or not she is obedient to this cr~nuni~nd. If tlie q~rest of oirr young people ivho are inquiring ;IS to the status of niis- sions in our cl~urchcs has in it the purpose to detcnnine \\*hether \tre are obedicnt to Christ's command, they are asking a very proper q~l~s t ion , and one that Inny have salutary effects.

Li'I~ilt is the present status of ~nissions in our churches?

To ans\rcr this question we muld begill by reporting an inventor); of our present facilities ant1 reviewing our present activ- ities. \Ve have ;I missio~~ board, consisting of five n~inisters and four i a~men, men who have I>ee-n choscn by synod ;ind mandated to promote thc mission entleavor of our churciles mnfonll to tllc* constih~tion dso

BEACON LIGHTS

prescribed by synod for the cnnduct of th.~t endravor. 'I'his board \\ill hiive met Gvo tinles since the last synod before tl~is ;irticlc appeus in print, and \\ill prol,al)ly nlect hvo or three times more before the nc\t synod. .\Io\t of the time itnd cffort of this committee has been spent in an l~or~est rffort to cletennine a field of labor for our ~nissioli- CV, the ti~king on of niorc radio facilihes for the propagation of the Gospel pecllliar to our churches, and for tlie distril)ution of suitable literah~re of an infomiative and in- stnlctive nature.

\\'e ;&o have at present o ~ l c n~issio~~;rry who is e~~gagcd in what is callcrl churcl~ r\tc~lsion and reformation work. The Rev. George C. Lubbers bas served fnitllfully al~tl well in this c'tpacity for the last five years. -4s fruit of the \vork acm~nplisl~ed most by hill], t l~rec churcIic!s 11:lve heen bro~~ghl ill to our denominational fold. At resent our mis- sionary is working a nes- field among people of Gcrnm;in Hefonned I)ackgror~rld in 'l'ripp- .\lcrmo, South Dakota. I t is also througli his dirrriion that much litcrah~re is I~e i~ lg dis- tributed throt~ghot~t \,cuious .lreils i l l ollr mllntry.

It is also tllror~gh the facilities ;~ntl co- operation of thc Ilatlio Con~~nittcc of otlr First 1'rotc.stant R'fomied Church in Grand Rapids that the mission cnmn~ittee is con- ducting rather estensive r;idio broat1c;lsdng. Besides the six radio stations n,liich carry our messages thro~~ghout our own la~id, \vc also broadcast from a station in the Nc~tl~c.r- lands \\-eht Iudies, ant1 over the f;~cilitirs of a ~nuch larger station in Europe. Tile cost

of tllese endeavors, which is not a little, is l~ro-rated to e;wh of our faniilics I>y synod. 'I'hat about sums up the present endeavor o our cht~rches in missions.

,k Therr arc several factors that should no& -

Ile lost sight of \\hen we inquire as to the present status of missions in our cl~urches. IGrst of ;111, \ve nus st recognize the fact tliat our ~iun~bers and therefore ;~lso our financial capabilities have been grcbatly decimated sir~cr tlle split in ollr c1111rcl1es in 193. In closc. connection with this. we struggle with thr ol,vious handicap of a sllortage of min- isters. It is tlie canditl j~ldg~nent of this ariter that it ivot~ld be folly to organize thn)ugll mission endeavor more cl~urches, givit~g the~n the oppom~nity to call our mixl- isters, when wc do not hu\,e enough men to supply the cl~urclies we alre:ltl~: have. \Vr can~lot, rtor can anyone else, expect 11s to do grc:~t things in the field of missions t~rlless \r3e ;ire given the rnen ;md die facilities to do Ihe~n.

l Iere is a \vonderful opportunity for me Lo impress upon you young people ant1 csprcially upon our yotlng Iiren h e urgent need of laborers in Christ's vineyard. Cod has given us a \\ell estal,lislled s e n i i w urhc,re you may be trniuetl for the. Gosp ministry. .\lay \vc urge you to cunsidcr prayerfully this urgent 11ced if llaply thc Lorcl may lay it upon your 11e;lt.t to seek this high and Ilok office in His cl~urch. \Vith this pro\ision \\-e may look fonrard to the h ~ l r ~ r e with greater intrrest and grcater activity in die promotion of missions at home and abroad.

ATTACHMENT PROBLEM

As the title .tlmve implic;rtes, wc i7tt.ntl to clevotc this piage to ;I t r c : ~ h ~ ~ c ~ i t t ~ f t l l r s

frientlsl~ip rlt~estion. Quite spont.~~tcously this camc-s II\ into the pmctic;~l :area of our life: our Crirnds, tl~ose xvitli whorl^ \vrv bi~vts felIo\vship and arc familiar. It ib ofttan said a person is kno\\.n hy his friends, is it true or fnlse? Of course this is t n ~ e , o~ily a sl~perficiitl e\plor;ttion of e\i\ting fricndsl~ips \rill prove the point. Rural people are in-

clined to mingle \\id1 ntral peollle, urbiir~ \vi11i ~ ~ r b ; ~ l i ; poor people geacrally mix with poor prnple, rich with rich, great with great, and smiill \vith small. Profttssional people are rliorc apt to ;tssociatc with professional pc~~plc, I ;~bor~rs wit11 laborers rrncl 1,usiness men \\?it11 business men. Ant1 we could go on l 1

Just \\.hat does this prove? Basically thes F:rcts \\rould indicate that friendship requires

TIGO BEACON LIGHTS

co~np~tibilih. h successful friendship de- current that h~gged at me \\,hen I lcfc the ni;ulds ftmd;umcnt:ll Iikenesscs: I~aving si~ii-

interests and abilities, and surely of tlie iiilne I)ilckgm~~~~cl and age. Yott see, Ilun~;~ns

must fit together to be together. At the same tirr~e, :tnd \vier eqil;~l force, ;I conlinurtl friendship clclnal~tls phyaicnl contact. YOII see, humans must 11e toycthcr to stay to- getl~er. Tlicrcfort!, co~lflict in interest i ~ n d separation are not conducive to fric~~dship, ~vl~ile. or1 tllc, othrr lii~ncl, likencsss and con- tact ;ue nutritional ingredients to a flourish- ing realistic l'rientlsllip.

So it ih thitt our friends are tlie tell-tales of \\.hat \\-e rei~lly arc, at lcnst to a tlegec.

Altlio~~gh ci~cli of us is i~rvolvcd somcho\rv or other in this matter, ~tonctlleless it is chic4y ;L prol~lcm for yolrng I)copl(&. Y ~ I I , the young people, arc Ix~sy btiilding friend- ships. "I'hat is, you ;Ire scalccti~~g p;u%~crs \\-lie bt>romr yoclr companions ant1 with who111 you \\*ill tc~mporarily or pmn:~nently share yollr life. 13111 r e m m ~ l ~ e r tl~is: you or? Clrristiar~ young proplc ;md that means, you ~~ntlerstand. that ~ O L I I . frie~~dships i ~ ~ u s t be able to stand in the s~tnlight of hcavcn . . . Coth sight. So yoltr associal(~s must be goclly, a ~ t d the cconolny of your associations niust be godly. 'I'lris icpplic.~ lo your choice. of itU frientls, Imt nlorc esI>ecially that "spccial one" with wllom you will share through rnitrriagc jrollr entire scelf. \Ve are not tq-ing to I I ~ old-fasl~ior~cd no\v, b ~ ~ t these thi~rgs rt.rluiro prayrr LIXI! ~ \ l ~ r l (;ad's \Vord, hy ;ill means, nll~st be our Cuidc, tclling us: wh;~t coi~cortl I i r t l l r Christ with Bi~lial? or wh;rt part hath 11c that helie\~cth roifh en iull~elievcr?

13ut is this our ref1 prohlcm? I think not! Young pc:ople itre rlloreovcr also actively cSn- gagcd in st.curi~~g ;I positior~ or pl:~ce amongst others with \\*horn rather close con- tact is c-stablishetl. Yo11 rtrr setting up a tent in the earth. I havc in mind the occupa- tion yo11 choose or tlie tradc yo11 pursue in order to proniote ;I pl~ysic;~l livctlihood for yourself. and yollrs. This \\,ill bring you into the world ant1 tllc Bible \v:trns against friendship on this plane. Re111en1l)cr the \vorld? sure do! it w;~s that stiff w i ~ ~ d thnt blew into our faces \\,lien we first left the

h ho~nct of our parcnts. There it l~itd heen so coq , hut outside, all was coarse; cursing itncl many 0thc.r feah~rcs of corn~ption were then introducecl to me. It was that strong

calm of tllc Christian School. 'l'herl 1 saw! Evcn the \vny p,lrents and prmclirr de- scribed it, Ivell, their description fell far short. Tliat world, altllough 1 k11rw it as darkness, appeared to rile r ~ q light. Slit. had .o n111cl1 to ollrr alrtl slit. heckonetl to 11' cln- braced. There \yere the lights of Broitd\vr~y scarcely resistablr; tlw tents of wichcclncss cppealing and enticing. Tl~ese could satisfy the flesh in a illonlent if onc is interested in that sort of tl~ing, and we all arc by ~iatr~re. Yes, evil is not far fro~n evctq-one of 11s.

Young People, \\wtclr yollr stcp! A s jlou secure a place on this globe and put to use your Cotl-givon-gilts I)r OII your guartl, For aU must be tlonc to tIis glory. To be a friend of J e s ~ ~ s is to he an encLniy of th~: world.

'rllr principlc to follo\v in taming o11t the above pllrpose is: In thc world 1 ~ 1 t not of the \vorld. Yet the truly interested youth \.;ill ask: how is this principlc put into practice? To be an enemy of the worlcl, pray tell, nhnt does it Incar1 i ~ r u ~ y lifc? 'Ihis ib ;ti1 important cluestion. It to~lches the Ireart of ;I practical \\,orlcl-antl-life, view.

T\vo vicn-s which \ve cannot arrec ~iluht h r rejected. First there are thosc \vlio \vould atl\.oc;ctc> \vorld infiltration, ol~viously attenipting a ref:)r~n in all the sphercs of corruptioll. T l~ i \ is not ;I thoc~ght \jut it t r r ~ ~ d in cllristendo~n today. But over and over ; i ~ , i i ~ ~ the r e s ~ ~ l t has not bee11 world rc.form hut church confonn. If I \\.ere to support such thinking I would then instn~ct yo11 to go into the very tl~rocs of the n.orld, (.stab- lish yourself there iincl let yotu light shine. It is true, to. be sure, that wherever we are \ve must shine as lights. With this part of the progrilni I Iinve no criticism, I)ut to delihcntely establish oneself in the depths of c1i1rknc.s~ is \\rrong. Surely can walk th ro~~gh tlre zoo \vi tho~~t creeping into the case of thr ligrr!

Secondly tflcre is tlie \ie\v of \vorld sep- :]ration. According to this position the Christi'ul is to rcnlove himself, yea, even \vithtlmu. I ~ n s e l f from all contact \\*it11 the \vorlcl. If I were to support this reasoning, I would advise yo11 to inhabit mountain peaks or romii on isolatetl islands. Appropri- ately, some men liave labeled this action world-flight. The I-Ioly \Vord calk us to \vorld-fight, not \vorld-flight. Pat11 trainotl

BEACON LIGHTS Three

the Christians at Ephesus to be soldiers, not spacemen; he told them to put on arlnor, not spacesuits. These things s h o ~ ~ l d govern our actions.

Rut \ve tmch: in the world. yet not of the \vorltl! \\'hat b our position?

In the \vorldT Yes! S o t in its ugliest parts, to be sure. You have no bt~sincss in ~ I ~ I C L ' S where the ugliest of evil is csposetl. lhtt in your earthly labor you will I)e in thc \vorltl, ant1 then UI many fields: rnediciuc, law, politics, industry. agriculhue, I)usittess, c~lTic~c~ and shop. The list is 1)). no meitns esllaus- tivr. \lost of you are in training rlo\rl.

Of the \vorldT So! \Vith the worltl 1 ant not associ;itetl, not intinl;ttely tied in. To ihtn \vorld I do not belong; I give her no ,stlpport or assistance in ;my form in 11c:r \vorldly progralns ant1 endeavors, I take no :~ctivc part in ;my tnanner in her c~nrighteousness. So, I ;urn of thosc people \vho profess t t ~ . n:uiur cf God and &;it in truth; co~~~iicxl \ \ ~ i t l ~ t11o:ie \vllo \tr;&i; ~~prightly i i t ;III evil ;~nd pervcrsc. b y , h:!ving fello\vsllip \\*it11 righteottsncss.

In our ze;il to live ;IS tl~obe \\rho are not of the \vorltl, \vr ;,re apt tcl fall illto i~t~c~tl~t ' r serious error, the error of isola~onisnu. .\lay- Lc \ve \\ill devote our nest sp;tcc- lo illis problem.

In conclt~sio~i: \vhy are young peoplc so l i ~ ;md loose in this nlatter of ;~ttachtnent? .\lost likely 1)ecat~se they iutd their l);u.ct~ls forget \\-e are in ;I continuous b;~ttIe \\*it11 t!ic \\forid. \\:c live as spectators 111ost of tlrc, tirnc and forget \ve are soldiers. 'I'l~is is dibastrocs! Let 11s rcmeml>c~r to \\':tgc: t l ~ e co~?s:it~~t \vi~rf;irr, struggling eitrnestl>- Lo avoid tvorltl i~ttach~nent.

It is your prohlen~ young l~oopie. It i j your prc~blenr sincu: yon are so young anrl siili of little esqwriertcc:: your prt)l,lenl, si~icc. the day in \\,hich you live is so ctvil. 13c. strong.

rcw. a. n1ulc1r.r

LETTERS.. . D L ~ \In. EDITOH:

.\lrrclr ah I respect crnd like, yorc. Hol~ Decker, Jim Junker, rrnd tltc otltcr tnen~bers of yorrr .sfcrff ~citlr rchotn I rrnr ncrlrtcrir~tcrl. i sim;d!l rnrr.Ft register my protest ogairlst ~rtrrch of rrhat tr~111ctrrs iri your nrtrgozirtc, Beacon Lights.

I tlrink thut I hnce neccr seen in any otlic~r cltrtrcli pa11er sr~ch a co~rtlcsccntling, tttrloring, "l~olier-tl~at~-tI~o~r" crttitudc, tcrrrtl other chrtrclres trntl otl~er CRri.\?iar~

1 rmperf yorr and your r~ssociatm ini- - rrrtrtscly for yorrr interest irr yorrr cltrtrcl~, yortr frrith, and your theoIog!y. I ant in,- ~)rcssetl by yorr r rletcrrz~it~(ctior~ lo rcn~uirt Jaitl~frrl to rchot you belietie to be tlrr trrrth. I sltorrlcl like to see rr~orc of these t/rr(rliiit*s unrong otl~er young pcop/e. How- erer, tltere rrre otlrer Cl~ristic~,~.~ irr tl7e "ltoly, crrtlrolic cllurch," there are otlter people rcho cuit /roric.slly parlicipate in tltc "c.orn~nrr rliotr of tlte sr~ir~.~." I think yorr tcorrld (lo tcell to req>ect tlreir tnernbersllil) irr the Eocl~ of Clrrist meit if you cannot rcvl~ect their tlreology or their [cay of lifc.

I llrrre tcrifterr t11i.s letter it1 11ol)es of sltcrldirtg ahrocrd snrrre srzrclll lircasrtre of Clrri~tirrn loce. Iloping I hcrce irot ~rffcndctr, 1 am

Sincerely !/act rs.

I)~mr hlrs. De \'os, Your chnrzes ; r e ;IS scr io~~s as the>- 3r'-

\~:~gue. 1 wish yott \vould sent1 me a lib of tluosc articles \\,hicl~ arc " c o n d c ~ n & g , ~~nlovi~tg, 'I~olier-th:u1 tl~ou'." I'ou \\.ill not l)e hart1 prcsserl to find articles critical of other Cl~urches. Criticis~r~, ho\vevrr, dors not, dc facto. imply the attitutlcs - motives - wliicll you ascribe to 11s. Co~lt~non miam- 1)crship in h e 1)ody of Christ derna~~ds in- tolerance of catleerolls rloctri~les and pcr- tiicr~t morals. That is not the same as your "~~nlo\.ing" and "conc!sscelutling," i .~., hntc- f t r l a~ud p r o ~ ~ d . To11 woulrl not sit idly 11); \vhilr infection ravaged yollr ltand hecallhe you rt.spected your lrandk rr~en~I>ership. To c!o so on the sy-mbolici~l sc;tlc is just ;us lragic. The entire body is infected ant1

Ll~e "toleratecl" hand lovitigly rots a\v;ly. 1 suppose the questio~l resolves into n

c!cbjtc ovcr \Ant is important. \Vhen thrcc cluarlcrs of Protestn~)tisn~ tlenicbs the di\*it~- it11 of Christ, a tliatribc ngninst comnton p,r;~cc ]nay appear ludicro~ts. \\'hetller it is c;ills for investigation illid ~I~SCIISS~OII. I'l~is is ccrtain. \\Then the tliatrilje is a long

A ;~rgutnent \vl~cll becomes abusi1.e or bittc tlic i~r~thor l~acl better cl~cck l~i~usclf for ;L

lack of (highly prized) lo\,c. .ind repent.

BEACON LIGHTS

But you offer IIO proof, just a11 imprcs\ion you hi~ve. One cert:~inly cantrot Ile i icc~~sed

F t a I1olier-th:in-tho11 nttit~ttlc. j ~ ~ \ t I>ec:~usc attcrnpts to p~ t l l his neigl~bor o i ~ t of the.

of si spcedinp truck.

\\'hether I "resprct" somc!onc*'s tlreology atltl \ \ ~ y of life ir; not essential. Hut a "rc.sl~cct;~l>lr" thce~logy :~nd \vny of lift- is thc sine rlua non of '7lollesl" ~~i~r t ic i l~i i t io~r in Christ's botly. In so far ics one's thcol- ogy :uld \vay of life is not "rcspc~ctable," he

is a di~honcst participant. Snch ;I sit~c.~tion tk~m:~ncls correction, in ourselves and others. Ant1 I ;igrcc \\lit11 you that the Christii~n n~nst do this as everything p!sc, humbly and \\ i tI~ love. Sot , I~o\vrver, luke\t.arn~ly or \vi!h lack of firnlncsss. As lnncl~ ;IS I nlnst try to kcr:p fronl I>cing ollt:nsivc, so I I I I I C ~

s h o ~ ~ l d I try to kvep from keeping tht: trutl~ inofi'e~rsivc*.

Si~lcercly (and unoffendetlly), David Engclsma

I'.S. I like yon too.

TRUTH vs. ERROR

the modernistic

IllTERPRETflTIOll Of SCRIPTURE REV. R. C. HARBACH

P ' J . Its View of Science a n d Scr ip ture

Anothrr favorit16 att;ick upon thc \l'ortl (if

Gotl is to argue that tllc 13ook is not a scic*ntific treatise, hut an expression of ccr- t;ti~l trilxil I)rlic*fs clncl re l ig io~~s aspirotions of past itgcs. Tht* impl ic i~t io~~ is that tho nil>le is 11ot in h:tr~nony \\it11 sciencc. It is fillcrl \vith csrrors u , l~ic l~ col~tradict the fi~ldings of scic*ncc-, so tl1;11 tllv Iwst \rtn cillr tlo \\.it11 the hil>lic;~l niutrrial is to "intc.rprc.t it in ii ncw \vay" ancl considrr it ";IS the 11i~hIy syn~holical csprcssic~n of a truth \vhic11 was illhlitively perceived by its redactor or by the sag1.s who colnni~~nici~tccl it to hin1."9 Thc Flootl, as relatecl in Cerlc~sis, according to s11cl1 rr;~soniug, is not :In insl~iretl record of i~ oni\,crsal tleluge, I x ~ t ;in allegory mc.:lnt to revcitl ;I natural nvc!rsion on tile part of Gntl to\\.;irtl vitrlcncr~ :111d il~j~~sticc..

I%nt it is not t h r Cencsis rrcortl wl~ich conflicts with true science: it is philosopl~y (of on(# hri~nd or otlirr) \vIiicl~ clocs. I.';icts (lo not conflict \\fit11 Scripturi., I,rlt unwitr-

~ n t e d intcq)retations of t l ~ e facts (lo. :ic#ncr 11;s nc.vtsr brc:n c~blr to controvert

the hihlical account of tho ~tniversi~l Flood,lO nor I ~ s s it nladr s ~ ~ c h ;In i~ t t e~np t . Only crr-

titin philosopI1rrs h;~vc done. so, or ccrtailr anti-Cluistiar~ s: irutists \rho allo\vc*tl them- sc.lrcs to tlelxl:t fro111 t11r ficlcl of true \ciencc for the tleatl-cntl alleys of spc:111.1- lion. So t t l ~ e Scripture., but the cnn6:lcnt critic is ill the. wronK.

6. Its F r a g r a m in Romanism It is s;~id tll;~t a ocw ;ittempt is 11ei11g

I I I ; I ~ C to revive the stalr idra of t l ~ c post- c.\ilic origin of most of the Old Tcsta:llent, not from the side of the dcstn~ctive critics school rc~ferrcd to ;ibove, bnt from sonll. Ro~niurist tvritrrs.11 This trend to \lotlem- is111 ill Romar~isnr has hcen thoudrt recwnt I)c.c;~r~sc it II;IS I>c.c?n snl,posc.tl tliiit \loclcrn- is111 originntcd f ro~n ;I Protestant I~ i~ck- rrround, itncl that Ro~nanisn~ held tnore rigidly th;in l'rotc.stnntisln to t h c . basic prin- cil)les of Christii~uity. 1311t lio~nanisrn fro111 h.forcb the Dark Ages has bee:) thr t'c- clcsinsticnl grist-lnill of Pc.lagirulisn~ ant1 Ar~ni~~ialrsm, h c * t\vo no st vicious crrors and deep-rooted l~eresies the church has ever Ilnd to contend with, the very seed ant1 heiirt of hlodcrnism. I t should not then bc sr~rprising that the Rornnnist c h ~ ~ r c l i has lratl

BEACON LIGHTS Fit*

within its M y for the past 100 years its o\\?n rationidistic movement \vhicl~ avows itself to I,e of the critical school. ;urtl plainly adopts the tc.rrii .\loden~isn~ ;IS clcscriptivc of its c11;rractcr. "Concerning the origin of thc Old l'cstan~ent they say: - 'The. chiltlrelr of Isrur.1 \verc. on tlrr same religious levc.1 as the 0thc.r nirtions."' Of the tlcstn~ctive critics school they say, "Criticisul has re- coi~stn~ctc-d tlre \vl~ole stor?. of the evol~~tiorl of Chriiti;uih."12 l l r ~ ~ ~ b c r s of this ~r~ovc- rnent admit t l ~ ; ~ t it hat1 its origin "in l>i!~- lical ant1 historical criticism,' that is, in that niovement tile znlbition of \\.hich is "to dim- inntr. God from all soci:rl lifr."

Tlris Slodcrnist nlovenrrr~t \vitllin t l~c Ronlanist church is no Inore dead tliiu~ it is is in the so-called Protestant world. It fosters \vl~at they call "Tl~c tJl.ogrilrrr of llodernism," the preamhle of \vlrich is dc- clared tl~us: "Our rc=ligio~~s i~ttitude is r111etl by the single \rish to onc: \\-it11 tlie Chris- tians ant1 C;rtholics w l ~ o live in Iii~rr~~ony uith tlrt. spirit of the age." \\:hat this move- ment considers "tile spirit of the i~ge" to I>(: may bc found very graphic;&y ant1 very c;~pably describecl in The ICncy- cloprdi;~. It is a spirit having four diffrrent rtspects:

1 ) A spirit of complete lil,crationl ;I

fret~lnnr from ecclesi;~stic;~l autllority: Lhc. lihcratiorr of science, which r r ~ ~ ~ s t investigate every ficld of howlctlge \\,itlrout Ihiclrancc or opposition from the church; 111~ libcraion of tlre state, \vhiclr must not be cncun11)errtl \\,it11 rcligiotcs autl~ority; t l ~ e 1il)criction of tlre intlividunl conscience, which must IIC untra~irneletl by hirr;lrchic;~l tlucrccs imrl anathemits;

2 ) a \pirit of change ,ultl progtess, motiv- irtecl 1)y the resident forces of c\olutiou in tlrr world, \vliich ;~dviulces ovcar iurytlling permanent and st.~tion;rry:

3) .I spirit of rrnificirtio~r u1no11g a11 n1c:ll tlrrouglr thc sense of I,rotherlincss inherrr~t in the hum;r~r hcert; 1) n spirit of ci\ilization wtl i~nited in-

spiration c;rlc~~lntrd to prod~lcc the Ic~tntl:~- tions of desti7y - scierrce and tlr~nocracy.'~

Dr. Se\\,man Smytlre, of _U(*\v Enclan,cl's -'new t11eolog~-" sclrool, says in ?'he Niaiibm of .\lctrr (P. ~licuro), p. 176, '"l'l~c 11resc1rl Pope is a Sonre pi~rcnhe.tes ol history have h e n long dra\m out: I ~ I I L :ll- \rays God's sentence goes on to its full

period. The reaction of Pius S is an in- terruptic~n. lloclernism nlns in Ihc main lint of the thought and intent of Christian civilization." The idea is tlr;~t the pope cai - ant1 ouglrt to bring lli~nself into line \\-ith - contern1)orary progress, lii)er;~lism and niod- ern civilization. Tlre tiny \\.ill colne when pric-sts and popes \\.ill Ilc as ratio~~;tIistic ant1 modernistic in thonght and lifc as any of tl~c. ratlical forills of S1odcrnis111 \re havc ever known in no~ninal Protestantism.

B. iTS TENDENCIES AND TRENDS 1. The Trend of Romanism

'I'hnt \vhich h:~s becn csprcsscd in the prrvio~~s paragraph i~rclic~tc~s the dircvtion ot this trend. 11.c may see tllings unfolding and developing in this direction \.enr speed- ily I)eforcx our v e n eyes tocl;ly. hlrt%*ldy the Archbishop of Canterbur)-, GeolTrey Fisher, cl:ti~ns for his Clrurch of 1lngl;lnd a spirit of rr~~ity wit11 the present pope and the Rejman Catlrolic Church. Ut1io11 does not yet exist, as that tlepends upon the dccisio~rs of nut1roritic.s; but somcthi~~g far deeper al- re;~cly does csist, ;rnd that is onerlrss of spirit soci:~lly, etl~ically, ant1 relirriously. In our country, modern liberals like this a r c l r b i s l r o ~ 11:1\?e been largely responsil~le for the recell. -. clcction of n Ro~rrnn C;ttholic \Vc 11ri1y no\\- rspect to find Iio~n;u~ists bolder t l ~ i u ~ cLver, and "Protestants" Inore tinlid th;rn ever. So~nrthing of this I~oldncss we sc+e irr the toy and novelty shops \\41ich sell tlolls o~~tfittccl as nuns. Do not be surprist.tl to see little priest-dolls, a ~ t l little popcdolls ( per1r;lps \vearing minialllre triregr~corl~ ). Sotltlr rlmctrican ~narkcts 11ttvc for years been floodrtl with nlch trivia.

r\lthougl~ the lIociernist 1no\-e111ent in thc Church of Rome \\.as condemned by the 1)ope i l l 1861, it sprci~d, from \\,here it be- gan ill Italy, to France, then spreatling its r;lvngt.s unro~~g Houn:urists tc~ Gcnnany. England, ~Iustri;~, IIung,uy, Spain, Belgiu~n, 1111ssii1, R I I I I I ~ I I ~ ~ I i~nd Amckricii. The tone of llodcrnis~n under Pius IS was politico- lil~er;~l, and tintler l,eo SIII ; ~ u d Pius S, socialistic. Today, Romnnis~n is shotving 'an increasing interest in the ecumenical nlovc- ment, ;und k t s \\.ith the devotees of a~llal- gin~~ntion of church a~ ld \vc~l-Id. The purposc* of this mo\rement is not esclusivcly religior~' Its ail11 is to seciue a religious and political mouol,oly which \rill control tlre industrial,

Six BEACON LIGHTS

cornnrerciill alltl etlr~cation;~l powers of man- kind. It will tllrrefore willingly bear the:

e y n s u r c of superiors, tlie displcasr~re of the ope, ant1 every t1isagree;tble cireunnist:~ncc

short of outriglit e ~ c o m ~ ~ ~ u ~ n i c a t i o ~ ~ to ad- vance the platforrn of hunlanism, and the mcrgcbr of tho cIi11rc11 \\.it11 Lllc! \vol.lcl. Thc mclvr~ner~t hah its eycss set on tlic r ~ ~ l e of tht: \vorlcl's irrrsist iblr treasure of titanic in- dustrialisr~~. 'I'o :~ccoll~plislr s~lch i~ sll~pen- t l o ~ ~ s task, a gcmius eql~ivalmt to that of t l ~ e \vorltl-system must be put into operation. That nieilns that Lllerc. nuust be such ;I

lil~eri~l o~~tlook on the part of tlre chl~rclr, s11c1i i~ rcpcntir~g of its formc*r strilc (Ref- orniations iintl Co~~ntcbr-Refornii~tio~~s), that it may be \vcrldetl to and ~llatle completely I~arn~onior~s will1 the I I I O ~ C ~ I I \vorltl. All this points to tlie \la11 of Sin. Ht. \\dl bc the \vorltl's greatest h.lodcrnist, ant1 \\,ill scc to it that tllc princil,lcs of Xlotlcrnis~n sllall 11111>- lw p ~ t t into execr~tiort.

2. The Trend of Modernistic "Protestantism"

Thco motlernist c~liurch li11)ors to \,ring all Protcslantis~n into line \vith tllc htest

*:icntific, psycl~ological, psychi:~tric;~l, pliilos- phici~l, and i ~ ~ d ~ ~ s t r i a l d e \ ~ c l o ~ ) ~ n e ~ ~ t s . Not

only the ringliciin, I ~ n t irlso the huge denom- iniitions of Aniericir, sllch as the Protestant Episcol~al and thr Prc:sl,ytcria~~, 1r;lve I~eer~ ~i~dici~l ly niodernistic for years, ant1 are now \\inning ovcr lo tlicir most nll~~ring ccllse

the inii~~cntii~l of tlle Reforriied churches. l'me Christian tlirism, no longer popular, is on tlic out. The churches arc too busy r~laking :I religion, or a god of democracy. 'The Rc.for~llcd principle of thr al~solulo ;rutt~ority of the sovereign Gotl will 11t:

1)11diccI '"en more to the ol,sc~~rc Imck- groun~d. Thc trc51id I~cing to iodivic111, '1 I ' 15111, there \ \ i l l be marc salmtacing of fiunlily life, less recognition r r f ar~thorih in thc honic, and the rc-lasing of the de~nnnds of obe- dience from chiltlren and yollng people. \ lod~~rn I'rotrstnntism has no 11ighc-r i111111or- ity tliitn the nr~totroniy of man. S o \vollder the I'rotestant deno~nuilatio~~s are losullg ~ne~nl)ers to tlur cults! \Ian\. 0th-r " I I I ~ I I I -

Iwrs" s i~l~ply clrnp the cliuuch, i~cing per- fectly c o ~ ~ t e ~ i t with a vitprre religior~s feeling :~nd no settied beliefs. Dcad cllurclics hav(, no of holding their people, and the n~inisters find it extre~nely cliUicult not only in rc;~chi~ig the co~lscic.nccs of men, but also of so ~nuclu as securing their attention. B I I ~ id^ a11 this cr~irnbli~rg docay incrc.:rsi~~g all arountl, it is not Christianity, but Christen- tlo~n \\.hie11 is spiritually defunct.

S r x l tin~e, the trend of religious Amc.ric;~.

- . , . . . - .. . 1 1 ) R ~ - ~ ~ l a f & r ~ : and tho Bible, 341. 12) Tk,, .V;~mbrr o f .llntr. P. 1lno:o. 1361T. 143. . .

Rcvcll. 1909. 1.;) Ti!< Catholic Etrr~c lo~~dia . '3lodernism," Im-

prlmatur -- Joliri 11. Yarley, Archbist~op ol S. Y.. r\pplcton. 131 1.

CRITIQUE

W h FOOLS AGATHA LUBBERS

It ih paradoxical but nevertheless tnlc that there are thosc in this worlcl \vho ;ire \i'ise Fools. There are also those who are foolishly "wise."

To \\fllicli class do you belong? I hope that yo11 1l:uve classed yorlrself

\\.it11 tl~osr who arc characteri.~ed I I ~ tlie caption of this iuticle.

Navc you ever tho~lglut of yourself ;IS a \Vise Fool? You ~ ~ n d o ~ ~ l ~ t r t l l y answer this question with an ctmphatic "~io!" bec;u~sc SIICII an h~terprclation of your life has ncver courscd through yollr mind nor is this part of the daily thinking that yo11 do concerning your life ill this sin-cur*;cd \vorld.

You are chamctcrizctl as ;I fool Ily those

BEACON LIGHTS Seven

who \viU not acwpt nor live accorciit~g to the principles that yo11 hold to be truc.

I f you believe in a God that sustains nntl upholds all things by the \\'ortl of Ijis po\vcr yo11 \\;ill ttndortbtt~clly I I ~ cli;~llt.ngccl on many sitlc.5 by those who \rill not accept this interprrtation of the existence 01' ; t l l things. There are those scoffers \vho will not accept the principle that Cod is the mC:tsurt? of ~111 things but fal~ricntc all sorts of es- crises and seeming scientific axioms tlmt \vottld tlisputc. the c=xistettce of both ;I trtws- celldent and pcrsotlnl Goc1 \x-l~o is rep- resentetl ;uld eiists in the Father, thc So11 a11tl tht. Holy Gl~ost.

In our so~ne\\*h;~t sheltcrcd Clrristiart lives \vhml it iu so n~uch the "voguc" to class onc- self its a Christian tve iue not so often castigated becai~se \\*c cling to tltc pri~lciplcs illicited abovr. It is \vl~en we ;tttempt tc) live l i \w of real mnsistenc\r anel \v:tnt to eschew ill1 c~vil in \vltatevc,r Iorn~ i t prc*\conts i t d f tltst \ve are ch;~r~mctcrizccl ns t l ~ c fool- id1 iu this \vorld - and ure arc, accortlinc l o

According to the me:isure a111 st;unthrtl of rrmen it is tltc most foolish thing i l l the* \vorlrl to c?itablish distincti\,e Protcstat~t Rc- fornletl Christian Scliools \\,here tlie cov- enitnt secd can I)e instructed. Frottr a purely iorn~al ed~~cational point of vicir. it is Iriplmly posbiblc thi~t the it~stn~ction givtw i t t ollr scl~ooh in sonlc cases be infcrior to tltat given in so~nc public, tas-supl)ortc!tl scl~ools. ( I sit~cerrly hope that this is not the case.) Ccrtninly from a fini~ncinl point of \ic\v our sc11ooLs arr it drciclctl liitl~ility. Pitrents \vho send children to schools which dclnand tremendous espcnditttres of tuition are certainly "fool\" ;mccording to the oicilsure of man. , . Ihe fact that our churchcs hitve titken a

stand against union tnemhersl~ip is also no st foolisl~. l ' l ~ e clitys are cotning anti \\.ill c.otltca sooner thitn xvc dare to iu~afirme whet1 jolrs \\.ill bc. available only to thosc \v111) will yoltc. thcmsclves unequally with the cliilclrcn of this age.

The fool itccordi~tg to the nicilsllrc of I I I : I I ~

\\rill be the one \\*llo \\,ill not Irt. \\tilling to accept thc mark of the br:ut. 0111!. l l ~ c foolish \vill not he ;h lc to btty or sell in t l ~ c d:tys of severe persecution.

0 0 0 0

I \\.ant to point you to onc of tile greatcst

of all fools according to the tiicas~tre of man. \\'I. read of hitn vcry onrly in tlte l~ook of Cenc~sis. ITe did one of the no st f o o l i s h tilings th:tt is imaginal,le: Itr I~ttilt it hug I~oat, 56.7% feet long, 9'3% feet \tide. and - 56% feet high. To add to his foolishness he I,uilt this huge nmonstrosity on tlry land far rc.movc.d from ;my water. The stor).. he told ;ttltlrtl to tht, foolishness 01' his venture so it sectned to the people who \vatchrcl him build for 1" years. He prcachccl tltnt Gocl \V;LS going to send a great flootl i ~ ~ t d that tltis cluinsy vessel \\rot~ld be the mains w1icrc.hy Got1 \vo~~lcl save ltis o\vn from the flootl waters that \rould rise above the face of thr earth.

Cit~l't you see then1 doublrtl over with li~ugllter 3s they \vatch Xoillm and his tltree sorts putting finisliing ~ ~ I I I C ~ I L ~ S OII the clunisy I~nrk in the tniddle of dry land. l~nagine tlie taunts that So'& and his sons had to c:rldurc. as sun cotrtinucd to shine each clay and no cvidenc~s of ;L floocl seclnetl to :tppcitI'.

^ E O O

Imi~.gine too the looks of drc;~d itnd con- sterniitiott that muht Iti~ve fi11le11 on the faces of these mockers, thou. \vho arc really fools- ns tltc rain hcsgan to fitU a~trl ; t I I th:tt S o a ~ had ~reiiched for 120 yc;trs I~egar~ to be- come a reality.

Konh ~vho see~iied to be a fool \\.;IS really \vise. He \v;~s \vise I~ecause Got1 caused Iiirn to he \visr. Cod workecl faith in his heart so that he, \vho according to the measure of ntal is foolislt, is nveerthelcss the wise in this \\rorld.

0 0 3 0

Tltis is ottr positiot~ in this \\-odd too. \\'e \vho seem to be so foolish, are the \vise of this ~vorld. "l'he fool hat11 si4icl in liis Ileart, 'tllere is no Cod'." The \vise hnth confc~ssetl t l ~ c Gotl thirt tl~c: fool rrfuscd to itcct.11t.

So mi~t:er 11o\v foolish ottr progriuns may set-m to I I ~ , 110 irtatter ho\v u~nvise our prin- ciplc:s appear to men. they are the most \\-Lie itncl sensil)le thing in this \\90rld.

o i o o

Strive morc and more to become one \vho is ;I fool according to the mcbilsurc. of nlerl bttt is \vise in the eyes of him \vho nlakes all- his o\\?n "\\vise fools." Young people doxi I)e itsl~atned of your foolishness; 1)c h:tppy to 11c. c;tlled a fool.

Eight BEACON LIGHTS

FROM THE PASTOR'S STUDY

REV. R. VELDMAN

".b r~acbor i~ bobes, desire the sincere vtilk of the ccoscl, that ye may gmtc tl~ereb!~.''

1 Petrr "2

llnrk evcry word, every phrase! T l ~ c language is sinlplc; a little child c;ul under- stand it. Yet, tho mcaning is trt .~neudo~~s. Herc. is an eshorti~tio~~ no child of Cotl, old or young, can afford to neglect. ".As nerc- I~orn ha11es ( just I~om ) - dc*.sire, ( long for, crave) - t11e sinccre (honest, true, unfdsi- fied, untlilnted, un:~dulter;~tetl) - milk - of the rcortl ( rmsonal~le, logic:~l, ~ ) c r t i ~ i ~ l i ~ ~ g to the tr.ort1) - that ye rnay grow tl~erchy (in-

-ease, tlevelop) - unto solcation." Let's -,ausc a mornent to let cvcry part sink c1c:eply into yollr soul.

"lfilk," in this wortl of Petc,r, tloes not rcafer to the \\'ord of Gotl as s ~ ~ c h , cLitIier ;IS

Llle I'crsonnl iVord thc Son, or as the \mitten \Vortl, the Scriph~res. True, h e p;issege as cl11otc.c1 above ("sinccrc milk of the wortl" - King James Version) does le:lvc that in)- pression. Therefore we ~vould prefer to follo~v thc EIolli~nd imtl tri~nsl:~tc: ''drsire the rc~nsonal~le, ~~n;~dt~ltcratetl nlilk." This is closer to the origini~l and avoids the cnor c ~ f simply i d e ~ ~ t i f ~ i n g "~nilk" and "\Vord." Therc is insrparnhlc connection between thc t~vo, of coi~rse. The Word of God gives content iind quality to thc milk. IIo\vcver, they are not one and the sanle.

That the milk herc is not simply the \\lorti of Gocl ns such is evident from at 1e:ist three things. Thc i~nmcdii~te co~ltert, ch:~pter 1:s. speaks of "the wortl wvhicli by thc gospel is preached unto you." 'There is ;I

clcar indication of what the apostle has in q i n d . Bcsidcs, the test plilinly pres~~pposes

at all milk is not equally pure ant1 gc~od. 1'11ere is such a thing :IS contaminatetl milk; milk that is unreasor~able, ad~~lter:itctl, fnlsi-

ficd, dilutecl, full of tl;~ngcroi~r 1)actcria. Surely, this cannot be said of the \Vord of Cod :u buch. Finally, the \Vord of God as such is never thc* spiritual food for the cl~urch or tweu thr intlivitlual bchever. M'c. are ftsd 1)). the preaching of that Word, its presentation, this or t lut conception of it.

Hence, the "mill" here is the preaching, the. ~~ese1tttrtiot1 of the \\lord of God, the t n ~ e conc-e11tiotl of it. Tl ierei~~ lies thc spirit- ual food for the chl~rch. It is altogether possilde, t11;~t the pure, reasonable, un- atlultt.ratec1 \Vortl of Cod lies on thc pulpit (:IS is thc ciise cvcbn in tl~oronghly ~notlcn~ churchcs - their teitchc-rs of Falsr tloctrinc: prcach from the same. Bible \vr do), and tliiit the church ncverthelesz receives 110th- ing I)ut a d ~ ~ l t r r ; ~ t r d 111ilk. The \Yard, there- fore, ;IS it ;~ctt~i~lly re,ichc.s the mind and heart of the c h ~ ~ r c l ~ is thr* "~nik." nnd this milk is pure. of ~ ~ u r s c ~ . onl>- in ;IS far as it is in I ~ i ~ r ~ ~ l o n y \\.it11 the objective IVord of God in the Scriptures.

0 0 0 0

Sotc., too, that "milk" in this word of Pcter must not he understood as referring to a light diet in distinction from Ile;lvier ant1 more sul~stantial food.

\\'e know that thv tcrm is often used in thiz sense. Think of I Corinthians 3:1, 2: "rind I, I~retl~ren, coultl not speak to you as unto spiritual. but 11s unto carnal, [wen as unto babes in Christ. I have fed yo11 with milk (baby-food, that is), and not with Incat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now arc. yc. able." Isn't it terrible? To be told by the Holy Spirit Himself that you are too carnal to be ad-

BEACON LIGHTS Nine

dressed as spiritual? 'To lie called ;I "l~abe in Christ," a little baby with respect tci Cluist and IIis life and \\lord. a spiritual idiot, therefore? To have to bc fccl wit11 baby-food all yottr life because yo11 are not able to digest something more s~tbstantinl?

Think, too, of \\.hat the Spirit says in Hel,re\\-s 9:1% "For \vl~en for the time ye o~lgltt to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again \vhieh be the first principles of the or;tcles of Cod; ancl are bccome s ~ ~ c h as have need of milk, and not of stroug meat." Imagine that! Read it ay;~in! You ought to bc teachers; you have Ihc. age; yorive been horn aud instn~trretl in i l~r ch~irch all your li\.es; yet, you're still in the kindergarten! Still stnlgging \\,it11 yo11r simple tables, \\,bile you slroulcl he worki~lg algebra ancl gew~nehy problems! Still on Llrr bottle, \\?hilr by all that is reasonuble yolr should 1:e taking Ilc-avicr und more sub- btantid foods! Now aliout it, young l~coplc? Yoit've been instnlcted all your lives in the sound doctrines of tile M'orcl of God. S~ill in the kindergarten, still 011 tlie bottle, arc yon?

in these places the church is being re- prim;mded for still needing milk?

Here believers are called "babies in Cluist," becausc they are still infants in l h ; ~ t xrlrerein they shoultl be trdolescer~ts or adults.

IIere "milk" refers to a sinlple clict, a form of preaclfilg adapted to babes or at best Sr~nday school children.

Crrtirinly, it is 110 credit to us always to have to be fed \\it11 milk because ure cannot stand meat. That's nodling to lxag aboul; nothing to be proud of. Suc!~ Chri.<ti;~u sho~tlcl be deeply iishenred of themsc.lves. 'rhat sih~alion develops where p c o ~ l e I~avr- not had so~ind, covenmt training; or, wlierc people have had abundant opporh~~ritirs lor such training, but have neglected thc. yc:ars of their youth and sotr~ht the ple:lsures and sports of the \vorld nt he cspertse c:f the nore inlportant things; or, where pcoplc I ~ i l to study God's Word in later yc.i~rs; or, \rfhere men crave the ser~seless literat~~rc: of thc n-orld rather t h a ~ that \vhic:h (,an feed the soul;; or, when people are str hnsy wit11 their homes and \\pork irncl gilrtlens and amusemcnts ant1 golf and I)ouling and what not. that there is neither time nor desire for the things of the kingdolorn of Cod. There Inen rcnlain babes (is it a wontler?), for

whonl eveq-thing is too deep (is it a won- der?), and u,l~o can stand only the thinnest of cliets (is it a wonder?), ancl ha\

re no re- appreciation at all of the beauty and majest of the Word of God. I don't say that there -

is no difterence in capacity between one Cllristia~l and mother, or h i t t l ~ e meat may no1 be a bit heavy for sumc people sonre tilnes. I do say, however, that there is no reason why m y Christian with norn~al in- telligence sllould remain a "l>aby in Christ" all his or her life.

It should stand to reason, of course, that the church a t large sshot~ld not be deprived of solid foods for the sake of such delin- qticnts, but the latter should use whatever Ineans Cod has given to improve their Ilenlth and spirihlal capacity for stronger mcLats. They should rend. shldj., and takc a deeper interest in the truth and kingdom of Cod.

No. "milk" in our passage does not have that cormotation.

"hlilk" here refers to tlie preaching of the full iVor<l of God. The apostle uses this tc1111 to continue the figure of the ne\vborn child. As such a child craves rnilk we must desire the milk of the pure preaching. ~ h n - milk, that preaching of the whole cou11se1 o. God, the cliurch can sta~lcl too, if only the prcacher hinls'lf knows wlxtt he is talking about, and if only the congregation i s properly co~lcemcd about the glory and IVorcl of her covenant God.

0 0 0 -

"As new born babes," says Peter, "desire the sincere Inilk of the \vord, that ye nloy grow thereby." The reaso~iable, unadulter- ntetl uliilk!

That Inilk, the prescnt:ition of the IVortl, tl~crefore, must be 'ie;sonnble." This is not ;ur exact translation. Some esqxessions are clilficult to translate, I,ec;n~se h e y do not [lave tlrtrir precise co~znterpart in other lan- guages. Such is the case Irere. Tlre meitrling secms to he, ho\r~ever: desire the nlitk, tlrat is in Iiarn~onq- with the U70rd, that brings you the \\'ord, that derives its contents and quislity fro111 the i\'ord of God only. Under- stood correctly, lherefore, the King James Vrrsion is not far from the truth: "dic sincere milk of the toord." A

Aforeover, that rnilk must be unadultel ;rtecl iinci in that sense "sincerc." Especially in our day m11ch cor~to~r~inated, dilt~teci,

Ten BEACON LIGHTS

poicor~ous milk is tlclivcretl to t l ~ e door of the ch~~rch . I:or Gocl's 11nt1 yoltr soul's sake,

&e on your g~~art l ! hll kinds of foreign ;~nd ,erctic;ll c l e ~ ~ ~ e n t s are c ; ~ r r i d into the

prc*;lching, mysticis~n, nlodernisn~. arnlinian- isru, pc.l;rgiiinis~~l, ~nan-isn~, free will, r~ni- versa1 i~tonen~cnt, gri~cious offer of salvation to all-anything to ~nakcs the ]~re:~ching palatable to thc c o r r ~ ~ p t 11iincL: nntl hrilrts of evil men. \\re must tlesirc t l ~ e uni~tli~lterated ~nilk, tlre pure prct;tching. To that end s h ~ d y the \Vord of God! Know your doctrine! Be a good connoisscr~r, lest yollr soul be slowly poisoned by that which is not ;it all of Cod, I~ut of man.

\\:e all kno\v how ;in infunt dcsircs n~ilk. It cries with all its little 11ri11g. I~otly and sod, heart and lungs and throat. It cries wit11 complete singleness of purpose. It re- fuses to he comforted witll ituytl~ing but foocl. Slother knows only too \veil, t l ~ i ~ t once babe has its little heart on milk she doe\n't have to walk with it, she doesn't I I ; ~ v I ~ to rock it or sing to it or play with it

CURRENT COMMENTS

The Dilemma

or nttenlpt to lay it in its crib. Babe ~nilk. nothing elsc. Once it gets what it war~ts it will eat and eat until its little ston~;lcIi is fillcd to (rapacity ;~ud tlic milk nlns out of its mouth. Xewborn babes are such little gluttons. Kor \\+ill babe be fed with just anytl~ing. If tht- ~llilk is not \v11:1t it sl~ot~lcl Ile, hal>e \rill vomit it all out again.

\Vhat a picture! Thus \\*c must dcsirc the sincere r~iilk of the \\.ord.

"That m;iy grotv tl~creby," grow in kno\vletlge ;rnd wisclotn, fiiith ant1 love, hope and cu~~fidt~ncc mtl all the blessings of salva- tion in J e s ~ ~ s Christ our Lord. This is pos- sil)lr only throl~gh the means of this nulk, and nat~lrally, the pur1.r and richer thc ~nilk (the t n ~ e ~unception i~nd preachinl: of the \\'orcl of God) the healthier ant1 more con- sistent \\,ill be our gro\\,tl~, the niorc deeply \re shall be led into the niysteries of t l ~ e Lin~clom of God, and thc mom we sh;lll IIC confirmed in the I~lessed assurance of our s;~lv;ltio~i in Jesus our Savior.

o f Democracy JIM JONKER

A perennial probltw in alnlost ally or- ganization is the conflict th;it often iiriscs hehreen wh;it is held to be principirlly right and practically advisal>le. Cl~i~rches, for c s a ~ ~ ~ p l c , face this i s s ~ ~ e \r?lrc.n they delibc~r- ate ; i b o ~ ~ t ncin~itting into 111eir ft:llowship ~rienil~ers \vho hat1 bc.en divorccd and rc.- ~uarried wliile still ttnchurclicd. Principally it wo~ild scan not only t11;lt confession sl~ould bc* n~adc, I~u t also that th~ . g ~ ~ i l t y pi~rtics s11011ld leave their \\'a>? of sin. On the practical level, howevt-r, it seems far-fetched to break up :I I ~ a p l ~ y marriage for this rc.nson. Socirtir*~ also 111rc1 this ~ > r o l ~ l c ~ n 011

;I very SIII;III scale when they convenic.ntly ignore some tight n ~ l c of tlitir constit~~tion \vllrn it apparc.ntly Ic:~cls to a strange or

y~hs~i rd situ:ttic~~i. Gt*l~erally it secl.tis tililt I I C practie;il sitlr of the qucstion Iiol~ls t l ~ e

rllost \veiaht \\,hen it appears very acl- vanto~eous.

Ilc~nocracy, t l ~ e U.S. brand of it at any rate, also finds conflict I~et\rreen principle and practice. Dt:mocracy is b;~secl on ccrtain principles held to be true i~nd important ant1 applicable to situations \vhich present them- sel\,r\. 'TO sonic*, tleniocritcy is just another \ v ; I ~ of governnltmt; to otl~ers, it is i t h ~ ~ s t ;I

religion. Rut bchveen the e\trcnles a good share of our citizens are found. Our office ht~lders sweitr to upl~olcl tlic Constitr~tion and l;~\vs of our governme~rt. Thcy claim t o bclier*e in the p r i n ~ i p l ~ s of democracy, wch as the derivation of po\ver fro111 the gov- e r~~c t l to the gover~ling and the unalier~itblc riglit of (fver). man to "lifi., liberty, ;inti lhc pursuit of h;~ppinesss," as at least partially e~pressml in thc "Four Freedo~~ls.'' Con- sistency \\,or~ld tlen~antl, tl~ercfore, th;tt thesc prir~ciplrs al\vays 11c hvlcl to be import:tnt, that they be fot~ght for, :111d not that tl~ey ever I l e conveniently ihmorc-d.

BEACON LIGHTS Eleuen

Yet, \ve do not have to scr~rtinize govern- tnent affairs too critically to sec that our policies are often very incon<istcnt \r-it11 our principles. The same government that at l ~ o n ~ c can sing \\it11 such fenor t l ~ e song of tile "Form Frerdoms" ant1 cLvrry III;III'S right to thrnm, often changes its ditty to ;I

\\ishy-\vashY "Yo~l're a jolly good fello\v, any\vayW \vl~cn it de;~ls with forcipncrs. 'rlrr. country \vhicl~ prides itself on its h;~trctl nf tlictiitorship is oftcn \villing to lend support to a dictator, if he is friendly, pro-\Vestern, non-comn~r~nistic.

For c.san~ple, before Castro cl;rspetl C~~bir, that country was on c?scct.dingly frirndly terms \\.it11 the. United States. Yet, its dic- tator, who enjoyed the sctnction of om gov- ernment, rt~lrtl with an iron I~antl. \Vr \vt.rr enjoying Crthnn track, \vc \rTerc. rort:~in of sotlte Ineiisrlre of supression of Coi~~mu~rists, untl so \ve kept shaking Batista's 11:tncI. n'c raised no cry then about de~l~ocrilcy for C111)ii. \\'I. \rlere forced to ])lay it vcry carttious, I~o\vever, whet1 rcvol~ttio~t bcgan. Olficially \ve had to support I3atista. B I I ~ 1r.e stiiyeci out of the cjuarrrl as 1nuc:11 ;IS

possible, lest \vc2 hho111d happen to pick tlu> losing side and lose ii frientlly cou~rtry. Ironically, thr side tvhich stirrcd patrintic blood with its cries of de~r~ocr;icy, tt~rnod out to be ;I thorn in the sidc. Unfortu~~.rlely, Fitlel, as fiu ;is democracy \\.;ls concer~ietl, h~rned out to be ;in infidel.

This situation has pari~llcls. 'rhc cold Tn~jillo, dictator of the Ilon~inicnn Republic, lms b t ~ n bi~skng in the \var~nth ol' o111. s~nile while Iris people l~avr 11ce11 livi~lg i l l

poverty and chains. Salilzar of Portugirl has been keeping the Con~munists out of his country so he has our sr~pport wllilc~ \rlr

;~rnusedly watch a fc\v ardent rd1~1.s fight for principles. Our fear of Contm~~nist in- filtnrtio~~ has heen so jireat th;~t we have- courted Fmnco as \\.ell as Inany Soutl American totalitarians.

In contrast, although R~lssi;~ cannot be ikqiorctl, we have chosen to ignore Red China, advancing reasons of principle. Of- ficii~lly \r7c do not recognize this reginie ant1 st> far we liavc gotten along cluitc well \\.it11 this policy. Yet it scenls ri~thcr absurd to shut ollr eyes to the fact that, recognizc.d or not, this country must he rt.ckonrd \vith, as its s t r c ~ ~ g t l ~ , n~ilit;~ry, ecot~omic, and politici~l, is constantly increasing. Quite probably, it cannot be kept out of the. U.K. forever. Japan is looking Inore* favor;~l~ly : ~ t its trade.- seeking neighbor. And, strangely and shocA~~~gly, our northern nc:ighl>or, Cnnadi~, takrs cldvi~ntape of our sih~ation as it prc- pares for trading on :I largc scale with Retl Cl~ in i~ as \\,ell as with C~tbn.

The U.S. hi~s a difficult position to main- tain. It is no longer self-sull'icient. It needs its allil-s, ilelnocri~tic or dictatorial. Yrt it cannot control even its closest friends on the i~~te r~~nt iona l scene. It Ilits principle\ vitirl to it< life that it may not neglect. I-ct- it must live iu~~d with :i diilercnt \vorld.

It firces a tfilenlrn;~. \lust it .rl\v;cvs ~nain- tail1 principles, or n~trst it work at a practical le\~c13 If it follo\vs the forni(,r colIrse. it slrlrers rl~ntcrii~l disaciviinti~yc. If it pur- sues the latter, it loses prestige itr~d finds itself on dangeromu ground i r~ sacrificing principle. Ilust it continut. to talk out of Ilo~h sides of its moutlr? Xlrlst it be con- sistent, or will the end jllstify the mei~n~s?

J F I; and Co. fiices this dilcn~ma. \\'ill tiicy s\r-ilq the horns, or will t l ~ e Imonms con- tinue to swvillg then^?

IN OUR OPINION

the segregation ISSUE

EIIGERTOS P.R.Y.P.S.

\Vc, ;I.\ the I-oung People's Society of Edgerton, discussed the . sul~ject, "\Vl~nt Place has Srgrcgatiou and Integration in the Christian's Lifr?"

\Ve itppro.lched the ~trbject with the fonr follo\ving questions:

\\'hilt is segregntio~~ and iotrk~~ttion? \\Thy do wc have it? Is it right? Is there any solution?

Segregation is thr separi~liot~ of the three bi~sic rr\ccs; \vliite, I~lack, and yello\v. This separittion does not only include schools, but cl~urches and all other pu1)lic places. r

Integration is the dwclling together oi tlle three raws as a wholc.

1l;rny people attempt to 11~11old scgrega-

BEACON LIGHTS

tion tvith Scriptt~re 11y saying tlliit in 9, Ham rccrivrtl ;I curse fl-otn his father

CIUoall. Since Ham is belic.ved to he the :~ther of thc hl;trk racr, thc. scyrc:gation

~~roblcm is thcir ctlrsr. In our stt~dy, I I ~ \ \ , - ever, \vcs foutlci [hat it \\'as not 1Ii11n \v110 wi~s cursed. I~ut his son C;;IIIII~III. li~~rtller, tllrot~glt a cari-fill study of Gc~~esis 10, wc fot~ntl Canaan to bt. the f;ttlicr of t11c. miilly natiolls in Canimn, \vho \\,crc later destroyetl by the lsraclitcs nt th(. ertd of their rsodus. Tl~us, tht* crtrsc itr;~s f~llfilled I I ~ thc. coni- 1n;uld of Gocl to the 1srnelitt.s to utterly destroy these nations. Then \vhy, we might ask, hits segregation come into our socicty? \Vt. fot~l~tl thal st*~n.:.alioc~ I~cc;~tnc! a re:~lity soon nftt.r crt~;tLii~n ;it the 'I'o\ver of Bal>el. Hrrr, as it r e s~~l t of sin tltr li~ngt~:~ges \\'ere cot~hlsccl, allel natio~ls were separated. 'To- day, 1111: striving of the. \vorlcl for urlity, is

God's \v;ty of preserving His chrtrch. \Vhilr the \vorlcl fights \vith itself, it \vdl not perscctite the church. The nlcntion of tlre woltnd of thv beast in Kevelation 13:3 rvfers to the ~ntifu>ion of Iitngwages ancl the sep;tration of niltions. \Vh(.n the \vound of tlte I>ei~st is Iieilled. one language \ i i l l be- conic. t~nivers;al, tlie \\.orlcl \\fill uttite and the anti-Christ \\rill come to perserutt. the cllurrh.

Neither sc.grc,g:~tio~~ nor il~tejiratior~ :Ire right or \vrong. Srgrrgitlion is tllc rc.sult of sit1 ;u l~c l intc.gr:r;ttio~l is thc. rest~lt of the \vorltl attelnptit~g to ttnile i1g;rinst the Cllurch.

1x1 the kingdom :tncl church of Gorl, there is no place for seoreg;ttion. Scripture points otlt in Citlatians 3:27ff. tlut \vc arc. ill1 spirit~lal brctliren and on(. in Christ Jrstls.

c-vclyn h~tizc:nga

HELPS FOR BIBLE STUDY ON THE

73ook o f REVELATION by REV. H. HOEKSEMA

I,c.~son SS (Re~elutiou 1 //:I-?) The Promise of tto Jlore Ilelay

This chapter is evidently another intcr- I~ltle: a. It is not :I contin~tation of the si\tll trr~rnpc.t, rvell t l~o~tgh thr \econd uroe is not i~nt~outicccl :IS pust until 11:14. b. Nor docs it IIelong to the sevmtl~ trumpet \.ision, whicl~ is not ir~trocl~~cerl until 11:l.j. c. This i~~terlutle co~lsihts of t\\.o closcly ralatccl parts. ( I ) 'l'he vision of the niigl~ty ~tngel and his oath. (2) I'llt. vision ofi Joh l~b

itting of the little book that is in thc arlgel's hand. tl. The puq~osc! of the hterlttdc ap- pears to he that it is preparatory to the

bounding of tlte seventh trumpet. (1) By :i mesage of camfort to the people of God: (1) By a special prep;~ration of John for Further prophetic work.

-7. \'ss. 1-3a. The ntighty iulgel: a. "Aucl 1 ha\\, another n~igllty angel come do\vn Iron1 Ile:ivcn": (1) 'The standpoint of the prophet appears to Ile no lor~ger in Iteaven ;IS in clt. 4:1, for he hCholds the angel coming tlo\v~l t r t t l of l~ea\,er~ to the earth. (2) It IS ";mother :u~grl" ill clisti~lction from the angels tltus far ;tppearii~g hi the .%pot-

BEACON LIGHTS Thirteen

idyipse, particularly from the trumpet angels. (.3) This angel is seen at once as "migl~ty." b. His descriptiorl: (1) He is clotl~cd with a cloud: a robe of judgn~e~lt, syinl)olizil~g po\tFer and autlrority to judge. (2) Thcre is a r;ii~lbo\v up011 Iiis head: s i p of C;od's colrenant in its urli\tcrsal sigiificance; the rigltt to realize this coverrant. (3) Iiis face was as it \\.ere the sun: royal rnajcsty ;oltl glory. Cf. ch. 1:16. (4) His feet \vet(: as pillars of 6rc: sy~nbol of wrath and juclg- ment. Cf. ch. 1:lJ. (5) He cried with the roar of a lion: sy~nbol oE royid anger ;mtl majestic po\ver. Cf. 1:15. (6) In 11is hand he had a little book; see about tl~is later on vs. 8. (7) He set his right foot ullon the sea and Iiis left foot upon the e;~rtll; sym- bolizing that aU thiugs are under his feel in judgment.

Sote. In spite of the m;uy objcc~ions that have been raised against this view, vlte

nlust agree \\-itll those interpreters that see in this angel uone other tll;u~ Cl~rist FEnlsclI'. The objection that it could not Ile said of Christ that 11e \\*o~~lcl swear 11y God cer- tainly is not applicai)le lo Cl~rist ill Iris human nature: if He prays to Carl wily should be not swear by 1Ii1nY Nor czul it he objected that CMst co111d not appear as "another ;u~gel": God fIirnself appeared as an angel to Al~whanl. On thc o t h c ~ Ilantl, tile siniilarity I~ehveen the clesc~iptio!i of this angel and that of Christ in ch. 1 is too striking to be d n l i d . Besitles, no mere angel has such pujvrr ancl authority ;IS is ascribed to this "lnighty angel." C o ~ ~ i ~ a r c also Daniel 127. The L.ord :Ippears herr \\-ithout thtr long priestly robe of rh. 1. 1-Ie stands here as the King-Judge, \\'ho is on the poiut of esc~uting j u d g ~ ~ ~ r n t .

3. Vss. 3b-4. The seven th~~nclcrs. a. "rind \\.hen lie cried, se\.en thunders uttert.d their \,oices"; (1) Thunclcrs :ire symbols of wrath and jutlggnent. Here tllcy i1l-e callccl forth by the voice of the mighty angel to wl~icll they are n response. (2) Tltai they are sever1 indicates that they Ilavc to tlo

with t l e co~-~~pletiou of the Kingdom of God c ~ i ~ d His covenant. (3) They evidently utter 411 intelligible message, for (a) Tlrey "utter voicc~"; (b) And John understands their ? b. Contcnts rernnin a secret: (1) Jolli~ is on tlie point of writing down the rnessdge of the seven thunders (vs. 4). (2) Hoivever, a voicca from hen\-en rcs t r~nb him; "Seal up thosr. things :sn~hicl~ the xvcri thunders ut- tered, and \vtite then1 not." Tile contents niust remain hidden.

Kote. XIany interpreters I~a\.e made as many conjechires about the coi~tellts of the srven tl~unders. This is quite in viol~tion of the test, \vhich e~llpllasizcs that they n~ust remain secret. The passage, therefore, nie;lns to convey the rucssage that there zue things that had better remain liicl from us, ancl into \vhich \ve shoitld not pry curiously.

4. Vss. 5-7. The oath. "And tllc angel . . . liftccl up his hmd to heaven." etc. a. That the angel lifted his (right) ]land to heavcn is symbolic of his cidling i ~ p o ~ l God. b. He s\vore 11y God (1) As tllc etel~ral One: "that livetll for ever ant1 ever." (2) As the al- nlighty Creator of dl things: earth and sea and Ilea\ren M C ~ all things t l ~ c ~ r contain. vs. 5. c. The contents of the oath: (1- Megati\~elp: "that therc sl~ould be t h e nt lorlgcr." This does not nlcau a cessation of til~le, but th;ct there shottld be no more delay, as e.g. ;it the end nf the sixth seal. The end is near, ahout to comr. I-Ic \<ill not tarry. (2) Positi\,ely: "in t l~c daya of thr voice of thc se\,entl~ ~tnyel' 'etc. \IS. 7. (a) The period of the se\,entll trumpet vision is meant. (b) In those days the "mystev of Cod" is to be fi~lisl~ed. T11o mystery of Cod is the gospel, the pron~ise of sal\pation, God's purpose witl~ resard to the Kingdom of heaven and it< completion. (c) Could be knoan only through rt.\.clatinn. Hence: "~rhicli he hadl declared t t ~ his sewants the prolhrts." This refers to the promise as it had been @<,en to Godk people tlirougl~ the prophet\ of old from the beginning or the world.

Lesson X X I (Retielotion 10:8-11) Tlle Visioil of the Little Book Eafen 1. This passage is the second part of the b. This second part contains the vision of

interlude begun iu vs. 1: a. The first part the eating of the little book that \+,as in th tells of the vision of the mighty angcl w d angel's hand by the prophet Jolm. his oath that there shoulcl t)e no rnore (Ielay. 2. 1's. 8: "Ancl the voice which 1 hearc

Fourteen EEACON LIGHt

fron~ 11cavc.lr sl,;lkc 11nto rnc itgi~in," ctc. a. The rcferellce is to thr voice t l ~ i ~ t is also

+pentioned in vs. 1. \\'hose voice it is that teilks to John fro~rl heiivrn is llot men-

,loncd. IIcw \vc5 l ~ ; i \ r t . another c\,itlct~cc that the stirr~dpoint of tlrc I,rc~l,l~c:~ is on the e'uth. and no lollger in heil~~crl. I). "nl~d said, Go arid tikc the little book," etc. (1) It would 11o cll~itr iml~ossiblc to esplairl this on Ihe i~~s~crnptior~ t l~at Jolln (ill the visiolr) is still in heaven. How co~tld he oct~ially approach the imgel s Irc is hrrc conl- n~iu~tlerl to do, unlcss he \<,ere on the earth \vhc.rr ;rlw the imxcl is? (2.) As to thc little book th:rt is ill tile ;cttgc:l's Iia~~cl we m:ly note the follo\\ing: (a) It is t:vidcut tllat this little. book is !lot the satne ;IS the book \rid1 thc sc\cn se:tls of ell. \':I. hluch of tile lattcr hat1 alleatlv berri rt.vc,illetl to John, and, therefore ,tliere \vas no need of eating that at this point of the rc*vel;ttion John recci\res. Besides, thtrre is ;I good deal of difference bohveen the two. 'I'he book ill tilt. i~r~gel's Ilantl is drscril,etl :IS "little," the sealed book is trot. T1ic book n~t*ntie~nt.d hcrc is ope11 in tlle atlgcl's Ilimrl, the book of ell. 5:l is sealed. Tllc book of ch. 5:l can

mc taken only I)y the I,arllb, ;IIICI by no one 1st:; this book Jol111 i s con~m;lntlccl to take

from thi. allgel'> hilncl. (b) On the other hand, it is irlso cvitlcnt tllat tllcre is it

rrlolir~n I)ehvcelr Ll~e t\vo. Both havc to do with the d~ings that rn~tst cortre to pass "liereidtcr." Set: 11s. 11. And thc e;~ting of - this little book prepares Johrr to prophesy. Hcncc., ~lris little book must rcprc.serlt a part of tlic contc.trts of fhe book wilh the scvcr~

3. Vs. 9. ":\ncl I \rFellt unto the ;~ligrl, ;uld sirid unto I~im, Cive rne the little l~ook." a. X ~ t i c e ill \vllat rnilrlner John carries oc~t the command to ~ a k o the little Ilook from the angcl's harld: Ile approaches tlic! i1ng1.1 i~tld ilsks for it. This detlotcs (1) That tlit' prupllet is rcsady ;illti tlrsirons to reccivc- the revelittion of the \\'ortl of God. (.2) thld t l~c ackno\<-lcclgc.mt.tit of the fact that Ire mnbt ri.ct*i\~ that \\'ortl fro111 Christ (the angel) \\'\lo ~lrllst give it to him. I>. Ilo\vever, thc angel gives Jollrr ill1 ;tdtlitional cor~~nli~lld: "ti~ke it a r c 1 cat it tip"! See for si~nil;~r actions Jer. 1.5:16; Ezckicl 2 8 ff. (1) It is not stllficient for Jolm to read tllc contcnts of tlrr littlr* book iultl tlllls make himself iicclu;~inti.d with it. (2) 0 1 1 thc contrttr!., ht, must s\vallo\v it, digest it, ,and assinliliate it completely. The \\1ord of Gocl nitst I~tu.ornc p;wt and arcel el of l~hnself! c. .hd the angel also informs II~III Iieforeliimtl of tllc clfcct this little book \\.ill hn\re on the propliet: "and it shall ~nake thy belly bitter, bllt it shitll be in thy mouth s \ x ~ ~ t ;IS honey." Koticr. that the bitterness in the I,elly is here n~entioncd first. Colnparc vs. 10. 'The meiining of this: (1) Sot that part of the \\'ord of God is swcrt ;md part of it bitter, for the \\,hole book hils the t\vofold elfcct according to the test. (.2) Certainly not that the \\'ord of Cot1 is deceitring. (3) But that tIrc prophet delights hinlself in the \\'ortl of Cod and gladly rrceives it. But he who fills lrin~sclf \\,it11 t l ~ i ~ t \\rord and becolncs 3 \r;itnc.ss a11d tloer of it, rn~lst expect 1)ittc.r- rless according to the flesh in the \vorld.

seills. Sor ciln tllcrc: bc ally tlo11l11, tlrat thc: 4. 1's. 10: "And I took t l ~ c little book" part of revelation it contains inehcles all rtc. 'I'his verse rrierc~ly tc~lls of John's hilt rl~ust still be rc\.ealed to John. This is obc~yirrg the conllntuld of the angel. Only oviclcl~t froni 1's. 11. It contnins the propll-

hc rraturally descrilws the effect it has or1 ec)' from rl;. 11 to lhe entl. (3) 'l'irr secr is

llinl in the order of his cspriencc of it: commanded to "take t l ~ e little book Urn1 is (I) Sweet to his titste. (?) Bitter in his belly. open in the hantl of the angel." 1 .et 11s note hc>re (a) '~h;rt the book is open, so that John is ;rllo\vecl to reiul t l ~ e contcnts, they ;IrcB 11ot hid from lli~n. (b) 'I'hat lrc is definitely ordcrctl to go to thi. iu~gel iultl to take tllr bc~ok. Ite is not :I Illere ~xusivc in- strr~ment in receivillg tile re\v.lation of the \Vord of Cod. .Action on his purt is re- *luirccl. (c) And thi~t it is the \.oicc from neitvetl (of the Spirit?) that directs llinr to take the Imok.

3. Vs. 11: "-And he said unto mr" etr. ;I. I4ere the p~uposc. of thc \\*hole transitc-

. tion of the vision is illtlicatc:d: (1) Johrl 1l111st grophesy irgain. (2.) Ant1 his prophecy \\rill I>e of trernerldol~s significarrw: concerning (,lot "before") pcoplc., ~latiorls, LOII~LICS and Inarty kings. 1). For this the propllet must be preparrcl (by e i l t i~~g the book) in o special way according to t l ~ e special signif- icance of the t l~l lgs to be revealed.

BEACON LIGHTS Fifteen

Lessor1 XSll (Recelntio~~ 11:1, 2) The Bfenszrri~tg of the Telnple

1. \Is. 1. If we may tmderstancl tlie lsa. 136; 482; 60:l-t; Neh. 11:l; jer. 317; second woe to bc identical with the sixth %r:ch. 6:4. (3) The outer court togrher \\-it'? trumpet, this section, up to \IS. 15, bclonp thr whole cib- shall he given over to t h 1 , to the sixth trumpet. At any rate it is h e C:cntiles and trcdcie~~ under foot by tlrrm, first piwt of the propl~ccy concerning ''many that. is defiled. (4) rintl tlre pcriod d~tring people, nations, tongues and kings," 10:11. wlljcll this is to takr placc. i s i~itlicatcd ;IS The t e ~ t of thc first two versc3s oll'crs 110 forty-two months. (a) This is, evidently, 11

difficulty. a. "-And there was given me il schen~ tic or s>mbolic n~unher. (I)) It is the reed like ullto a n~d." (1) This is, of course, siime as 1260 days, vs. 3; cli. 1?:6; it is clone in the \ision. (9) \\'I10 gave John the also three and a half years, or time a~rd reed is not mentioned. (3) The rccd was times and half a time, D:m. 7:z.S: Rev. 12: sin1piy a measuring stick. (4) That jl \$!as 11; it is the tinle of Arlticl1risl. Dan. 7:.15, lib unto a rod rnakes it dso a symbol ol' Rrv. 13:s. (c) In general it indicides the authority and power. Ps. 2:s; ;Hev. 2:20,27. entire period of the new dispensatioll, tvhcn 11. ".hd the artgel stood, saying (t~ccorcling the Church is in the \~+Itlel-lless, ch. 126: t t ~ the H. V. si~nply: ":uiti one saitl"), Rise, for Antichrist is always in the \vorlcl, for it and measure the telnple, and tile altar, .lr~tl is 'the last hour," I Joli~l 2:18. (d) 'r'et then1 that \r,orship therein." (1) By tllr tllcre is a special reference to the latter ternplc. is meant here the temple 11tlilding days and the final realization of the anti- proper, with thr holy place ant1 holj- of christian reign. (el As to tlie rnenning of holies, exclusive of the ot~ter court. (2) Thc 111~. n ~ l n ~ b e r 4.' is 6 (tlie nurnbcr of J1.111) altar, thrrefore, is nrost pro1)ably CIle ;11ta1. tin~es 7, i.e. the a t t e m ~ ~ t of nlrre \I;III to of incense that stood in tlle holy place. (3) establish the kingclom. which f d s as the Sotice &i~t the \\,orshippers ilrc. prescntccl number 6 indicates: he cannot reach 7 as being in the te~uple, the holy pl:lcc, ti~nes 7. \vllicli in the real teruple was open only lo Sote. There is not much difference \ \ * i v the priests. (4) These John ~ulrst tncasure. respect to the meiuing of this test as such 'rhat this measuring is not for tlre pt~rl>ose I41lt the main question is: ho\v must the t c ~ t of aswrtninb~g tllc size hut to iiiclicalc ;ul~cj a p p l i e ~ To what cloes tl,e refer? separate the proprr do mini or^ of Christ, is \\:hat must especially l ~ c determinrd is, evident from: (a) Tile fact fll:ll the r e d is ,,,hetlleT the text lllllSt ill. uuclerstood as 'like u~l to a rod." 8) 'The fact tlrnt :llstr referring to r3rdrl!. Jenlsnleln iI,ld to the \\.orshippers must be ~neas~~rr t l . literal temple, or to the spiritual city of God

3. Vs. 2. a. "But the court \r.lriclt is with- jrnd Cod's spirihlal house, i.e. to the Ch11rcl1. out the temple Ieicve out, ilnd mensilrr it There are ur the main t\\;o classes of literal not." (1) The collrt in tlre tcn~plc of Ijvrod, interpretations: 1. TI~ose that see in the test \vl\.llich Jolrn must have seen ir l tllc vision, i~ reference to the destr~tctioll of Jenlsalem \ ~ t s 7.50 feet scjllare. (3) This joh11 is told ill the )re;Ir of 70 -4.D. 2. 'Those that apply not to mcasure, indicating tlrat thr Lord it to h e temple as, according to them, it does not rrcognize it ils propcrly fi~lling \ \ i l l ha restorcd hy the Jews in the Iilttcr undcr the "rod" of His liingclom, and sep- clays, and to ;I litctral rc.i~m of .i\ntichrist in i~rating it from the ten~plr. proptrr and its Jemsalem. \Ve cannot agree trrith ally such \vorsliippers in the house of Cotl. 11. "For literal interpretation, for tlrc follo\tGng reas- it is gitren unto tile Gmtiles, nnJ tllr Iioly ons: (1) Tlre test itsrlf rloas not ;tllow of city shall they trcrtd trncler foot forty ;und sucll litcral inteqretatiot~s. Thc worship- hvo months." (1) IIcre the rcasorl is given pers here are in the tenlp1cs proper: they \vhy the outer court is not meesr~rc!d: it is never \\.ere in the 0.7. tcrnple. The tenlple gi\,el~ or s~lrrcildercd to tile (:e~~tiles. (2) At huildir~g is not dstroyc:cl, nor occupied h> the same h i e ;I third area is I,rougllt into the Gentiles: the literid temple \%-its cSom. view: the holy ciw, i.e. J c r ~ i s a l e ~ ~ ~ . I t is pletely destroyed. (2) I3ecause in t l ~ e K.T c;dctl "thc holy tie" because of its icleal, e\.cry\r*l~r-re Jcrusalelll and the tcmplc essential significance ;IS the d\vellirtg pl;+ce, ~lnless ohenvise indic;ltetl. are a1)plied tl the throne, the tit). of Ciocl. Ps. 4Ck.L; 48:l; the Cl~urcll. I Cor. 3:16; 11 Cor. 6:16; Epk

Sixteen BEACON LlGHl

:20-22; Gal. 4:25, 26; Ilcll. 1.7:.72. (3) t\vccn thc. false cllitrch (thc city), the Rrcausc also t l ~ e I)ook of Ite\,clir~io~~ spe:th h!pocritic;tl cht~rch (the outer court), thc

w f Jerus;tlen~ t111c1 tc1111de in tllc spirih1:11 true chllrcl~ (the tv~nple). .\nd Christ claims 2nse .ch. 3:19; rh. -31:" 10, 82. Hence, ;uld pn.serve?: Ilis own, even thol~gli nisny

we have here ;I \tisin11 of the Cl111rcl1 in the i x l o ~ ~ g to ancl fit11 a\rray to Antichrist (the world. Ant1 in it n tlistinctior~ is n~atlc he- Gentiles).

Lesson SXIII (Reuelotiotl 11 :3. 4 ) The Ttco \ \ ~ i t t ~ ~ s s e ~

1. 1's. 3. ;I. "Aud I \ \ r i l l givc: po\trcr ~lnto In; two wit~~esses" etc. (1) Noticc! that the vision here changes or merges into the spoken \\'ortl. (2) 'rile \c~ord "po\ver" docs not occur in tlir original. 'The n~e ; ln i~~q is simply: ":\ntl I mill give unto my t\vo wit- nesses t11;1t they sl~;rll prophesy." (3) Soticc, too, th;~t the t\vo witnrss~.s ill-t* llc%rc. spoken of n.s w e l l - ~ I I ~ W I I . A l t l ~ o ~ ~ g l ~ tlley \verc not n ~ e ~ ~ t i a t ~ e t l bc.forc, they ;Ire sinil~ly describetl ;IS "my two \vitnessrs." Even tl~is c~lrctrdy suggests that they ;ire \\$lnesses t11at arc nlwi~)-s with the Cllr1rc11 in the world. (4) From the \\~orcIs "my t\rro \\itnchsrs" it is also evident &:it it is Christ Hin~self tl~nt is here- speaking. His \vitncsscs thry are. A witness is orliS who receiIqes and tlelivers

P : s t i ~ l ~ o l ~ y . 11~~1.1' Lhc*y arc aillresses of hrist. They not only bclong lo Hin~, I)ut

they bcar witness of Irin~, ilntl tll;~t ; ~ t the time that the "holy cityn and tllr c o ~ ~ r t arc trodrlen under the foot of tlre Ccl~tiltrs. 111 the midst of an ;cpostatc, antichrislian Church it is given to these \\vitnesses to prophesy. That they itre t\vo (a) Is surely not to be take11 litel.i~lly (;IS rc,ferriuy to E11oc1i iintl Elijah, for insta~~ct!; or to the Olcl Tt.sta~nent tint1 Ne\v 'frsl;in~cnt). (b) 13ut thc nllrr~ber is tic-ri\d froni Ll~e fact that they arc "tllct 1\\7o oli\:c trc.c-5." Sec. O I I

vs. 4. (c) .4nd it n1;1y suggest that they arc. con~parati\fely f(.\r~. Also: "in tilt. n~or~th of t\vo or thrcc \vit~lcs.sc-s" every \vortl sl~all be estnl)lishetl. 'l'hc 70 \\,ere sent out "tmo I>:/ t\vo." 11. "iintl Urcy shall prol)lictsy t\vclvc* I~unclretl ancl t111-ccscore days, c loth~~d in sacliclotl~." (1) The 126') clays are 111~- s;nnc3 as t l ~ c -1-2 montlis of \.s. 2 (1.3 ti~nes 30). T11:;t here the pcrio~l is n~~nibcretl in chys i?ldic;~tes the conkin~~it)? of t l ~ e prophrsy of thc. t\vo \vitnesses: every clay tl~ey sllall

d;ro;)l~rsy. (I) To propl~esy is no1 to predict ~c f ~ ~ t u r e niercly, b l ~ t to proclaim thc \\'ord

~ I C C:otl. (3) 'rli;~t tllese ttvo nitncsscs are rlothcd in hackcloth d c ~ ~ c ~ t e s thcair rnollrning

bcc:~use of the apost;~te cantlition of thc Church; also their htunili;~tion, rcpronch ;tnd s~~ffering fro~n thr \vorlcl ;IS witnesses of Christ.

Sote: All tllc c~~rphasis here sIro111d br given to the \\.ortls: "I will give." Tht. Lord IIimself is tlrc only author of all prol)hccy. \\?tho~~t 1 lull there is not the nwess;iry anointins, calling, i ~ l ~ i l i t ~ , lino\\~ledgt., light cnd faith to propl~vsy. . h t l this rccei\-es c n~pl~asis hvrc., bt.ci11rse the Churcl~ is trod- dt n do\\m by tlie nnt ichristian philosophy and pouter. I t is ;I tirnc of apostacy ;in(] pcrsccntion, But Christ \\rill c;u~sc. I l i \ F'arcl to bc proclainietl to and throuk~ the Church..

2. 1's. 4. a. "These ;Ire the two olive trees and the two ci~ntlle stick." (1) These words are c\:icler~tly taken from the visio11 i r ~ Zc*clr. 4. At tire cntl of that c h ~ ~ p t c r we rr;ltl that tllc t\vo olive: trers itre "Ore two anointed ones tlii~t stand bt.fori. tlrc Lortl cf the \vIrolc r;~rth." vs. 14. (2) In the vision h e 1)ropht.t 1)cholds: (a) A golden c;lntlle- stick \\-it11 seven larnps. (b) On thr top of it. i.r. i~nmc-di:ltrl>- aha\-c it a I)o\vl from tvl~ich the oil flo\\.s through seven pipes to each lamp (see R. \'.: "'there are seven pipes to each of the lan~ps"). (c) .\nd on each sitle of the ho\vl ;m olivc trcc fro111 which the oil ilo\vs illto thc bo\vl, and thcncc into the 1;lmps. (3) Aleillling of the vision: (a) The cancllestick is the C h ~ ~ r c l ~ or the king- dorn of (:od, as n light in the \\*orld. 1). The \*ision intends to teach in general, that tlie Church can bc built ancl surely \\ill be built anrl prcsen.etl in the midst of and over ag.~in\t the hoslilc worlcl-po\ver (the "great mor~ntnin'' vs .7) 1,). the Spirit of tlre Lord, i ~ i d not by the oil, ~ v i t h o ~ ~ t which the car~dlr.siick mcans ilotl~ing and the I;~ml)s cannot give their light: t l ~ c gracr. of the Spirit. (c) Ho\\.ever, this gnce is atlmin- iktt-red to the Church by means of the t\vo

BEACON LIGHTS s s ~ e n h t l

olive trees, that ;ire "the anointetl ones," i.c. at h a t time Zmrb1)abel. tlie prince, and Joshu;~, tlie high priest, but in their ollirial capacity; hence: thc oNicebcarcbrs. el) ..\pplication of this vision to tlic t\vo wil- nosses ill otu test: (a) IIt.re also tltc trvo witnesses are "the two olive trccs," i.c. tlre anointed ones, the officebciuc-rs, pariic- ularly the ministers of the \Vord, tllror~gll nrhon~ Carl \\.ill bless IIis Cliurcli rind ;rd- minister the gram of tlre kno\vlc~dgr of llis Word to Ilis people. (b) 0111y nolicct, Ihat tlrey ;Ire also thc t\vo ci~~ldlt,sticks, i.v. lllo Church (t\\.o Ilere, not olle, or scb\.ell, I)c-

cause the\! are identified with the t\vo wit- nesses), hltlicating thc close connectinti bc- t\vcc*n then1 :mtl the Cl~ttrch. Tlrro~~gh d m ~rlinistry Christ blesses IIis Cli~~rch; a ~lirough the mirristry the wliolc Church wit- nesses and prophesies. h. "St;~nrling beforc the God of the earth. (1) Cad is God of tlie carth, i.e. of the earth ant1 its fulness ;ud its people. He is the I.orcl of all. (-3) To stand before I1i1n means h a l tlrc two mit- nesses represent I lim, spe;rk :IS before 1 [is facr, l Iis \Irorrl. (3) F1e11ce they spceak with Irighest ;iuthority, ant1 tlre Cotl of the earth shall rcsalize tlieir \\'ortl.

B 0 O K s ~naint;tir~ in this book that thv 11.aic rn;~\irns ol science and the teachincs of Christi,ulitv

Evolution and Christian Thought Today R U ~ ~ E L L L. .\LISTE:R (ed.) - Ecrdmat~s - "3" pp. - s4.1.50. --

Ever since Copernicns dcrtlonstratc.d that the su~r and not the ci~rtli \vas thct ccantcr of our universe, the "Sea of Faith" Ins, for the rd~~catcd, been at elih tidr. Slost scientific rnen can only "hear its n~el;~nclioly, long, \\ithdr;~\\,ing roar. lletreating." The scicnce that in its infancy destrt)iotl thec~logy's u~ I- fortun;rte escrescences, in its Illsty I I I I I I ~ I O ~ C ~

srcms intent upon domolisllinji tl~eology. In Christian circlrs, the conflict hits centcrc.cl about the fonnotion of the \vorltl. Tlic Christian vie\\. 11;rs always 1)ce11 that the universe was created by Gotl; scicnco in- sists - niost s ~ o n g l y since I>ar\ri~~'s T l ~ c Origin of tlw Spccies-~rpon evolution as the esplanation.

T\vclvc ;tuspiciously etluratctl ~cic!~ntists fully "corn~nitted to tllc e\u~rgelic,rl Chris- tian tloctrine that the \vorld ant1 its living mc~nl~ers are the result of tlie activity of God as declared in the Holy Scriptures"

- :trtn not contradictories. Thc areas esan~incd ;trc \vide-ranging. Each of the hirelve men prohes into a specific field of sciencu? (e.g., ori~611 of the universe, origin of life, and fossil>), states the evolutio~listic theories dr;r\vn fro~n that Geld, and proffers 4

hnrrnon)~ bet\vecn the scirntific facts a- L]lc teachings of Scriphlre. Thc genc. co~~scnsl~s is that tilt creatiotli5t often "es- lril~its iri . . . his anti-evol~~ticrriar>. literatt~re at1 anticjuated, 'moth-l)a11' conception of cvol~~tionis~n." The contributors to I:'coltr- tiori nrltl Clrri-stin11 Thorrglit ' l 'day agree dint the proptr correl;~tion I)et\r7cen Scrip- ture and nilturd re\.el:~tion is ;I belief tlrat God (corrtm thc- evolutio~~isls) created the \vorltl by progressive, or dcrvelopmental mean, (coritrc~ thv "l~~c~rorthodos" - as tliscl~ssc.d on p. 168).

Dr. Carl F. H. Henry swns up the situa- tion in the last chapter. The. learned (B.A., .\l.A., B.D., Th.D.. P11.1>.), prominent theol- ogian points out the vagucsneu: td m;rny. often uncluestionetl, evolutionary d o t n s and concl~~dcs wit11 thc tollir~g remark thnt "the rejcctio~~ of t l ~ c Logos in u;~turc, his- tory, and conscience is I)ut the first step tc the rejection of the I.ogos conic in the flesh J(~sus Christ."

Althor1g11 treating the first threc chapter of <:enesis more like poetry by Eliot A I'ound than infallible Scripture by God, ;u~thors have prodnerd a work \\~liicli Irighly relevant to all Cllristians. Evc~y str

Eighteen BEACON LIGH'

dent and inquiring lay~n'ul shoultl consider this book a "rn~~st" in llis etlucalion.

The Way of Salvation GORDON H. GII~OI) - Ri~kcr I300li 1Iouso - 1.57 pp. - $3.93.

The author of this I~ook is a Iieforlned niinistrr, pastor of the Seventh Reformed C111trcl1 of (:I..III~ Ral>ids. 1 lis ratlio n~in- htry, his talclltetl pen, ancl his effective prt.;~ching 11:lvr n111t1e llinl \c*ell known in Hcfonned church circles. IIis c;~pabilities arc evitlent i l l this Iiook also.

His style of \vritiug makes the Look vc:ry plt~.unralile rc~aclillg. I1 is co~ll~nunica- tion is personal and direct. IIc \\-rites rhctoric;~lly, illst as if hc is prcnchi~~g to an antliencc, an ;~udic~lce \\.horn he clesperatcly w.1nt.s to move : I I I ~ illspire. To ;I 1;rrge measure he is successf~ll. Iris writinr is \,cry clcar a~ltl easy to understand, for he i r~c l~~des abundant, lucitl, highly-illrlstrative e:iir~nplcs and i~nnlogies.

The I>ook cc>ntai~ts ten chapters 011 topics such ;IS elect ion, rcgellcration. f;lith, con- vrrsion, snnlificatio~~, and glorification. It

p - e a t s the ortlcr of salvation (Ordo Saltitis) wl1ic11 is fo l~~ld in al~lxeviittecl form in Romans 8:30.

Girod's tre;ttmcnt is vc-ry sor~nd, with no d o ~ ~ b t of proper emphasis. Tlle co~lclusions of the 1)ook itre firmly rootc~cl in Scripture ancl thc Reforlnetl cor~fessions, to which n~;uny rc-l'c.rcnccs arc made. So~uc confusion rc.srrlts, 11o\\-ever, with Girod's use of tlle \vc~rd "i~~vitntio~i," :1ltIlo11g11 1 1 c . ccl~tates it \vi t I l the external c n h ~ g , the preaching of the tvortl.

'I'he hook is Ilighly recommcmdetl for all our pcoplc, p;trticwlarly for OIII. young people. It is fi~irly short, extrclnely interest- ing, ant1 apirit~~ally edifyi~~g.

j.j.

God's Son and God's World (79 pp) - A . A. \'\u R u i . ~ n - llcrclr~i:u~~s (S2.0) (tran\l,rted by Lewis B. Slncdes)

Keen Metaphors In bricf, s~viftly lrloving chapters, Dr. van

Rcller c\pour~tls . I I I ~ rclatcs l l ~ e "I an<' F4 : r ims of Jesus ("I am the bread of life,"

'I am 111c* t r~ lc vine") ant1 Ll~c pocticnl ecstasies of the Psalmist a b o ~ ~ t nature. The

language is simple and the iriight penetrat- ing. 'That Christ is the vine ;11rd wcs thc l~ra~lches hlcls its I~asic meaning in the keen e~tcnsion of the metaphor, n;tn~clp, h c bringinq forth of fn~i t . Upon that fruit of faith, hopc., ant1 lovr, the chiltlrcn of Cotl thrive, in .fact, they become intoxicated; 'The holy into~icatior~ is born out of the iu~mean~r:rl)le aucl all-embracing love, the love that is in Christ, the love by whicll wc karn to pr;~iw: God Fli~nself in 311 the \vorks of his hands."

Sedate Backhand

Atltl~or van Iiuler contends that the spirit- u d truths of John's n;~rrative rcasult in an intensified joy, on tile part of ;I Christia~~. in 11:lhlre. Onr who 11% expcriencetl a ld recognized the transforrnation \vorkrd 11y Christ, glories irl tlle creation as doe\ David in PuLn 104. Too n ~ r ~ c h cmphitsis can be placed upon nature, horn-ever. And here van Ruler gives a setlate I~ackhand to the Cath- olics' Thornism. .All attelnpts to logically prove God frorn a buncy of the nith~ral \\.orltl arc. "academic" and "artifici'il"; "the living Gotl i\ in t l ~ c worlcl of natllre, to he sure. but I le is there, not in nntuue's way. but after l lis own ~llanncr." Creation is :I

work of art, not a logical syllogim. Mass and Purpose

The meaning of the Son of Gocl gives mass ; I I I ~ l>~~rpo\e to life. I\ Christia~(s lift. is joyous, I~omorous, liveable because of - l~ot in spitc of - his Godlilress. Despite. its I~revity, tile book drill7 this t h c r ~ ~ e home, opportunely and artistically .

d.j.e.

Talks to Young People C. B. EAVICY - Baker Book H o ~ ~ s e - 110 pp. - S1.95

. . . t'&s directed to young people for the tlcx-elopment of their physical ant1 spiritual life as well as their soci;tl life. Lt incl~ldes discussions on New Year's Day, Good Fri- day, and Tllanksgiving Day.

Successful Youth Meetings GRESVILLE \V. ~'I~ILLIPS - Baker Book liousc - 70 pp. - 51.00

. . . semi-profitable material on prograins for yot~th nreetings. hlaterial includes Uiblc quizzes and drills, and a section on poetry.

BEACON LIGHTS Nineteen

30 Programs for Young People 1101-r E\.-kss - I3Hker Book H o ~ ~ s e - 106 pp. - S1.50

. . . provides progzirns for youth orgtini- mtions on such topics as singing in church, death, r i Christian family life, and honorkg Cod with money.

NEWS FROM

FOR

ABOUT

O U R C H U R C H E S

by MRS. C. H. WESTRA

The "C;111" Sews for this n~trnth is its follo\\.s: Calls rleclincd - He\-. R. Iliirbach declilled the call fro111 R;unclolpIi; 111*v. C;. \'an Burcn declined Grand IIavcn, ;ultl Rev. G. Lnhl,ers decliued Isabel a r ~ l I"orl)css.

Xew trios arc as follolvs: Creston - Revs. C.. \';ITI Baren, 11. H. Kuiper, ;u~tl R . Veltl- man. R;uldolpl~ - Revs. H. Hanko, R. \!eld- man, antl H. 11. Kc~iper.

\lay the Lord pro\.ide sht.phertls for these flocks in His tinle, ant1 miry they rnean\vhilc be content a\v;~itinp Nis \\dl.

0 0 0

Re\,. Robert IIarbach preaclled on "Lyn- den Time" on Old \*car's Day, using the theme "Old Estates and Better Beginning\" (Ezek. 36: 11).

Chapel Talks C. U. EAVEY - Baker Book Ilousc - 116 pp. - $1.95

-:

. . . 50 short, \videly-ranget1 topics per- tinent to Y O I I I I ~ people such :IS nlanners, obccliencr, selfishness, books and reading, fric~nds. ,rnd gossip.

llopc School had a pre-school round-up on Thursday, Janr~ilry 26, ant1 on January 30 their Lindergarteners' school year began

Here's a ne\sv address for Sol~tl~east's ~er\~icem.m: l Iomer Teitsn~a, h1.R. 3, 325- 24-13, USS C:~lvert (F'A 33, c/o Fleet P. 0.. San Fr:incisco, Californi;~.

lfomer rereiverl a prolnotioll i ~ n d WCIS

tr:lnsferrcd to another ship and is now in the v i c i ~ ~ i h of Japan.

l'rom Iiudsom~ille's 1111lletirl \re find that \en.icen~iir~ Jerry Cras i\ now honle to stay, antl Cilrry Cras \\*;is horne I;~le in Jan~~.try for a 15 day furlough. T

\len>l)crsllip papers of Mr. a11d \lrs. Robert Kuiper ant1 I ~ I I have heen tr:~ns- fcrred from Southwest to Southcast church.

Slr. Donald F. Har~ck tr:~nsferrcd from Forhcs to First Church.

51r. ;u~d \lrs. 1'. Zanrlstw i~nd four chil- drc!n tril~~sferred from First to IIopc Church.

Hndsonvillc recci\.ed tbc 1>;111ers of hlrs. I,con;vcI Holstege froin \loline Chr. Ref. Cliurch; So~~th\s-est recc.ived the papers of Ilrs. L. Schr~t from R ~ ~ r l i n ~ : ~ r n e Congregl- t i o ~ ~ a l Church; Soutl~enst rcccived the papers of \Ir. \Ian-in \l;rstberge~~ from 3(1111 St. Chr. Ref. C1111rch.

J ; I I I I I ; I~~ 29 \\,as Si~rgspiration Sight! l'licy wcrc. I~eld at Loveli~rld ant1 So~~t l l - \\vest Cllr~rches. "Sing to the I.ord, sing Ilis prt~ise, ;#I1 ye. peoplr\."

Tlic follo\\.inp item \v:is s c ~ ~ t to 11s by t h q I'rogam Conunittee of the Reformed \\'i nc-ss Ilour concerning the Radio Choir whicl~ has fr~rnished many of the musical

BEACON LIGHTS

portions of our \vc-cl;ly bro;~dc.;~sts. 'She choir tvas reorca~iized n11d reconstituted ;I

ttlc rnore t11;1r1 ;I year a ~ o at Ill(. request the iladio o r ~ i t . \Ir. Holr~ld

I't.tc.rrr~~ direct\ tl~c. clloir ;ind Jinr Jonker is accompanist. i\t the present time the group is \\tell l~alanced wit11 eight soprnnos, eight altos, fi\w tenors ant1 seven bi~sses. Included in the membership of the choir are young pcople from the local Proteslant Reformed Churches - I-Iudson\*ille, Sotttheast, South- \vesl, ar~cl Firht Ch~~rcl i .

Rcccntly t l ~ e ;~ssoci;tte editor of Rc!ncor~ Ligltts, 1Rrv. .A. Ylultler, recorded a seri's of ri~dio sermons for the Reformed \\'ilness Hour. The Ll~c.tnr of his 1ness;Lgc was - "'l'lle IJo\\rers of I'n~isc." Includrd \\.as a sernlon crmtitlccl - "The Po\ver of Praise - 1317 Sink6np." The Reverend saitl ill tlris semmon, ". . . Sing Ll~erl, 0 merry ~ u ; u ~ ! . . Zion loves to sing, she loves to hing Zion's song. Sing much, sing lontlly, for you li;~\;e ;t place i l l I~en\.en's clinrr~.; . . ."

Our young pc.ol,lr lo\rr to sin;: the songs of Zion. This is r\?iclent b>. the fact that many of them exercise tllis for111 of Cliris- Li;lr~ ;~cti\:ity I,!. singing in their local choral

o11ps ;lnd alsc~ by their representation in ?c! Il;~c!io Choir of the Reforrllr(1 \\'itness

Hour. Young People! You have ;I tlatc nest

S~illday - and etfc8ry Suntlay - to listen to this clioir ;trrcl othrr n111sic.al talent - ancl to hear the preaching of The \\'ortl - nrl the Keformed \\'ihless IIol~r!

\[is.; Alicc \'amcl[.r \Ic.ulen co~~fessed licr faith on I;cl)rrt;uy 5 in our corlgregation at Lpderr.

0 0 0

Two 11111sic;tl lreals are cor11i11y soon at IIope: 'l'lte 11ope Heraltls pl;~n to give a progrim 011 l.'rbru.~ry -76, ancl the IIope Clior;~l Society \vill p~csent its Spring COIL- crrl (111 -7.

e ~ o

South Hollancl l'o1111g Peoplr in\.ited their Oak La\vrr ~lc*i,olIl,ors to a co~nl>i~~c:d socirty meetirrr: of Febrt~nry 12. l'l~c*ir 13il)lc dis- cussio~l \\,as t&c*11 fro111 Lnkc 12:13-91.

* s o

J;~ntt;~ry 18 the \lotl~ers' Cl i~b llcld i~

Lea and apron slile at Atlilllrs SL. Scl~ool. Strange that eve11 at a "teu" most of our

latiirs preierretl coffee. I'd say that pro\?es we're more Ilutcli tl~arl English!

Februry 17 \vas the date of tlic h,lotllers' Chtl, Sc1111) Supper also held at the school. :!bout :300 p ~ p l e were tre;~trd to pea soup. vegetal1le s o ~ ~ p , 11ome-made pies and sal;tds, coffc-c ar~tl niilk.

Q O O

Future Conventioneers for this n~o~ltll: :\ clnuphter born to \Ir. ancl 511-s. Cieorge

De I'ries of Southcast. ;\ son born to Air. ant1 111s. --indrew Vanden

Top of L y r ~ d c ~ ~ . .-\ cia~~glmtcr born to Slr. and \lrs. 11. I3n1ns-

ting of Hull. .I son l)or~l to \lr. md \Ira. Peter 11. \\resCra

of Hull. A dau%htcr born to \IT. imcl Mrs. J;~nmcs

Schipper of Sot~th\vt.st. ,-\ dai~ghter born Lo l l r . and 111s. B. Kam-

nlinga of Sor~tlt\+~-st. ..\ dnupl~ter 11ei11g adopted 1,). l l r . ant1 hlrs.

R. Blorm of Hope.

-flrt. Sortll\vc\t lo\\-a l'rol. Hrf . Srl~ool Society is sponsoring a lecture February -74 at Doorl clrurch. Rev. B. IVoudenberg is slated for a speech on t l ~ r subject, "'Slle Secebsity of Protesta111 Refonnecl Cl~rislian I~lstn~ction."

3 0 0

Caliecl Homc: Infant child of \Ir. and .\IT>. Ilenry IIoekstra (111111). 11r. Peter Eooistrn of Firrt Cl~iirch at tlic ;tgcS of 96 !ears.

0 0 0

ti~idsor~villc.'~ \Ir. ;mcl Sirs. Socict): sponsored ;I Hostess Supper follo\rred 11): ;I

program on February 10. 'The proceeds of the evening are to be used for kitchen equipmenl.

0 8 0

If~edclinx Hclls ran:: on January 19 for \liss Thrntss;~ Ilykstr;~ and \I-illinn1 Hofmiui (1st); on Fr11ruai-y 3 for Miss Linnea Berg- lund and Jolrn Stt~irrsma (Southeast); 011

17ctl)rnary 10 for Jlias Al;~ril>n Shoern:~ker :1nc1 Ccr;~l(l ldi~l)l)c-rs (Htrclso~i\-ilk).

C:ongr;tt~~l;~tions to \lr. J. Bolt of First Cliurcl~. \\~Iio rcsidrs in the Hollnnd ant1 \vhu 011 I;el)nl;~ry 1.5 cclebrntecl his 80th bird day.

BEACON LIGHTS

R E V . G. V A N B A R E r i B: )X 18 D') > ? I . IOVIA