Volume 52, No. 4 April 2002

The Christian: God’s Delight........................ Rev. Fritz Harms .......................2In this meditation Rev. Fritz Harms looks for the balance between a sorrow for oursin and an understanding that we have been accepted of God.

Johan Herman Bavinck (1895-1964):The Legacy of a Missionary, Professor and Author

....................................................Rev. Johan D. Tangelder ...............4Rev. Tangelder reviews the influence that Dr. J. H. Bavink had in the field ofmissions.

Teen Scene: Let’s Get Ready to Rumble ............. Mr. Dave Vander Meer ....................8Mr. Dave Vander Meer looks at the battle that all Christians must fight as soldiersin God’s army.

Some Distinctive Aspects of Rural Evangelism .... Rev. Jack L. Vander Laan ................9This edited for size reprint from the March 1961 Torch and Trumpet describessome of the difficulties of evangelism in rural churches.

Sound Bites - 1961 .........................................................................................................14Quotes from the eleventh year of the Torch and Trumpet’s publication that still speak to us

today.

Election and the ‘Free Offer’ of the Gospel (2) ....Dr. Cornel Venema ....................... 16In part 2 of his discussion of the “Free Will Offer”, Dr. Venema looks at the Biblical basis for the“traditional” reformed view.

Folk Islam ..............................................‘Dick Wunnink’......................20Writing under the name “Dick Wunnink”, the author looks at how local traditionshave influenced the Islam religion.

God’s People, My Parish .......................................Rev. Wybren Oord .........................22“Year after year Alfred and Alice farmed the little plot of land they owned...”

Inside this Outlook

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Volume 52, No. 4 (ISSN 8750-5754) (USPS 633-980) “Andthe three companies blew the trumpets...and held THETORCHES in their left hands, and THE TRUMPETS in theirright hands. . .and they cried, ‘The sword of Jehovah and ofGideon” (Judges 7:20).

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The Christian: God’s DelightEaster, 2002

Fritz Harms

The other day I received a copy of apublished prayer. The prayer of theyoung writer reflected a tremendousstruggle with God. His view of Godwas that he needed Him. He had toplease and satisfy God because Goddemands holiness, yet he knew hecould not attain that holiness.

He prayed that God would give him agood night’s rest so he could feel re-freshed in the morning to try again todo what God wanted from him. The

prayer was written in a most thought-ful and respectful way. From theprayer itself one would surely con-sider it to have been written by agodly person.

What should be the test by which wegauge our view of God as Christians?When we read Scripture, we need toask ourselves if the God who revealsHimself in it agrees with the picturewe have of Him? Personal upbring-ing, preaching and teaching may all

Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter ofJerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment; He has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the Kingof Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do notfear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He willtake great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:14-17

explain our personal impressions andfeelings about who we think God is.The question is, however, whether ornot our understanding of God is basedon God’s Word itself?

The church background of this youngman whose letter I read might help toexplain the spiritual pain he sufferedas he wrote his prayer. His perceptionof God’s demands and his own inabil-ity to live up to those demands drovehim to such a state of depression that

April, 2002 3

he saw no other way out than to endhis own life. The man simply couldnot handle the burden any longer.

The causes of this kind of problemmay turn out to be more complex thanwe first think. This prayer was suchan urgent call for help, that I believewe, as churches, should pay carefulattention to the matter of how wepresent God to our covenant people.Do we let Scripture speak in a care-ful and balanced manner or do wesingle out theological emphases thatreflect a certain bias within churchtradition? As a preacher I am the firstto admit how exceedingly difficultthis task is. But we must strive to bebiblical and balanced in all the thingswe preach and teach.

There should be no doubt that theweight of God’s glory has been wa-tered down in modern times. Inmuch preaching and teaching todayGod is somebody who will not andcannot hurt us. On the opposite sidethere is the emphasis on the deprav-ity of man in his fallen and in his re-newed state. In that case, man isnothing but a worm even if he canconfess with humility and joy, ac-cording to Romans 8:1, “Therefore,there is now no condemnation forthose who are in Christ Jesus.”

The prophet Zephaniah reminds usthat the church is God’s prized pos-session. This is all the more true inlight of the future redemption ofwhich Zephaniah speaks that hasmade its appearance into our world,namely through Christ’s birth, deathand resurrection. God has come todwell with sinners so that He mightrestore fellowship with them. InJesus Christ, God is now truly with us(Zephaniah 3:15,17). The ancientprophet gives us the picture of God as

One who greatly delights Himself inHis people. This picture of paternalaffection from God is far removedfrom the perspective that God is stillcalling us to give an account of our-selves at the close of each day as wecome to Him with fear and sorrowbecause we realize how deeply wehave disappointed God.

Don’t misunderstand me. Sorrow forsin ought to have a meaningful placein the Christian’s life. What is impor-

tant for a healthy spiritual develop-ment, however, is that our peopleknow that God, through Christ, hasaccepted them as His full sons anddaughters (Q/A 1, Heidelberg Cat-echism). Let Scripture be our guideas it shows us the real God who de-lights Himself in His people.

Test what view of God you havewhen you look at God’s involvementon Good Friday when He let His ownSon die? How deep do we look intothe heart of God’s pure love when wesee Jesus hang on that cross cryingout: “My God, my God, why have youforsaken Me?”

This knowledge should determinehow we preach and teach about sinand judgment to come. This love ex-pressed by Christ’s suffering in ourplace should teach us that we are the

prized object of God’s love. Whenwe consider that Christ rose from thegrave, His open tomb should fill uswith absolute wonder and joy andcontinuous amazement at how muchwe are loved by God!

The severe nature of sin and its stub-born resistance in the life of the rec-onciled sinner and saint may not andshould not be ignored as though thisis something of the past. No, like‘Christian’ in John Bunyan’sPilgrim’s Progress, we as God’speople are on a long journey. Ourpath is filled with potholes and oppor-tunities to waver.

The church is engaged in spiritualbattle on the way to glory. We mustrecognize that something has dra-matically changed. We are speakingabout when Christ was born in theflesh, suffered and died to atone forthe sins of the church, and rose invictory on Easter. (I John 4:7-12).Christ has laid the foundation for thepromise to come true for all of God’schildren when He says “I will bringyou home” (Zephaniah 3:20).

If you struggle with sin in your lifeand despair of the lack of sanctifica-tion, take your eyes away from your-self and look to Christ. See Him wholoves you and always will. His trium-phant love always comes before ourinadequacy. By God’s grace, youare God’s delightful child in whom Hegreatly rejoices.

Do we letScripturespeak in a

careful andbalancedmanner?

Rev. Fritz Harms is thepastor of the ChamplainValley URC in New Haven,Vermont.

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Johan D. Tangelder

I have often been asked, “Why didyou decide to go to the Philippinesas a missionary, leaving behind yourrelatives, your friends, your congre-gation?” Obedience to the GreatCommissions was the key factor.But the love for missions instilled byprofessor Dr. J.H. Bavinck, while Iwas a student at the Free Universityin Amsterdam, also contributed tothe acceptance of the call to the for-eign mission field.

Bavinck was a wonderful, inspiringprofessor with a broad range of in-terests. His lectures were pro-found, always intellectually stimulat-ing and spiritually enriching. Theyleft an unforgettable impression onhis students. His great impact is bestmeasured by the great stream ofstudents who pursued their doctoralstudies under his guidance.

He was a missionary “who thoughtit important to confront the world ofEastern religious thought with themessage of Christ.” His inspiringexample left a powerful impression.A Brazilian, who was studying withBavinck when the professor hadalready become extremely fatiguedand worn out, testified, “He doesn’thave to say much; just to see himonce in a while is for me a fount ofinspiration.” I can identify with thissentiment.

Johan Herman Bavinck (1895-1964)

The Legacy of a Missionary, Professor and Author

Bavinck was a unique man, whospoke from the heart and by his lifeand deeds. No wonder that shortlyafter he began to teach at the FreeUniversity, he attracted many stu-dents from the United States andCanada. He was also a prolific andgifted author, one of those rarelearned scholars who could writewith childlike simplicity for specificgroups of people.

All his writings show his intimatedevotional knowledge of Scripture.He read the Bible as the book ofthe daily meeting with God andman. His fertile mind was alwaysbusy. From 1923 onward there wasscarcely a year without the publica-tion of one or more books or ar-ticles. Many of them were devotedto missions; others were Biblicalstudies and meditations.

Bavinck’s Background

Johan Herman Bavinck, the sec-ond son of Grietje Bouwes andCoenraad Bernard Bavinck (1866-1941), a pastor in the ReformedChurches in the Netherlands(GKN), was born in Rotterdam in1895. Jan Bavinck, his grandfather,had been a leading pastor in theSecession church. Jan’s eldest son,Herman, became a professor ofdogmatics. Coenraad, a deeplyspiritual man, was also a theologian

at heart, and an authority on theworks of Augustine. However, heleft the writing of theological worksto his elder brother.

J.H. Bavinck grew up in an atmo-sphere of mild piety, blended with alively interest in theology. In 1912he enrolled as a student of theologyat the Free University. In additionto his theological and philosophicalinterests, he also developed a fas-cination for psychology.

In this time period he became criti-cally ill and had serious surgery.This experience deeply impactedhis spiritual life. Bavinck was a manof great faith which was continuallyfed by the Bible and his close walkwith God. His sermons, his writingsabout religion and missions, and hispublished Bible studies testify to hisdeep and warm spirituality.

Bavink felt overwhelmed by theawesome greatness of God. Hesaid that the Almighty God alwaystakes the initiative in His dealingwith people. Salvation is, therefore,“fundamentally a mystery ofgrace.” We can only speak whenthe living God speaks to us and inJesus Christ answers us.

After completion of his work at theFree University, Bavinck went forfurther studies to Germany. In 1919he received the doctor of philoso-phy degree from the University ofErlangen. His thesis was on themysticism of the medieval HeinrichSuso. Throughout his life Bavinck

Bavinck was a wonderful, inspiring professor witha broad range of interests.

April, 2002 5

J.H. Bavinckgrew up in anatmosphere of

mild piety,blended with alively interest in

theology.

was intensely engaged in showinghow the powerful Gospel of JesusChrist opposes the alluring forcesof mysticism.

During his student years he joinedthe Netherlands Student ChristianMovement. Through his involve-ment Bavinck showed his desire topresent the Gospel to the intelligen-tsia both during and after the FirstWorld War.

Bavinck was a transparent Chris-tian; a harmonious and humble manwho used his many talents in theservice of his Lord. He neitheraspired nor attempted to become adenominational leader. He wasmore at home in his study, on thepulpit and in the lecture hall than ina crowd. He was a good listenerand genuinely interested in people.I can testify to it. When I sat for anexam in his book-lined study in hishome, he put me at ease and askedquestions about my background.

Bavinck was adverse to absolut-ism, party forming and ecclesiasti-cal strife. The outbreak of a long-smoldering conflict within the GKNon matters of doctrine and churchorder, which resulted in division ofthe denomination and the formationof the GKN (Liberated), deeplyhurt him.

Pastor and Missionary

In 1919 Bavinck accepted a call toserve the Dutch-speaking churches(GKN) in Indonesia. During hisbrief stay in Medan he married TineRobers. ( She died in 1953). After-wards he went to Bandung, thecapital of the province of WestJava. He worked chiefly among theDutch. But he opened their eyes forthe needs of Indonesian and Chi-

nese societies. Bavinck gained theattention of young Indonesians andChinese. Every Sunday many ofthem came to hear him preach. Hiscontacts with the Indonesian andChinese world while serving a“Dutch congregation” prepared himfor the missionary service whichwould follow.

In 1926 Bavinck returned to theNetherlands and became affiliatedwith the GKN church inHeemstede. His remarkable per-sonality and unique style of preach-

ing caught the attention of peopleoutside his own congregation. Dur-ing his Heemstede period he alsoconcentrated on studying psychol-ogy. His book Inleiding in dezielkunde (“Introduction to Psy-chology”) was a marked achieve-ment for that time. In the forewordhe cited the words of Augustinethat are so typical of his own ap-proach: “I desire to know God andthe soul” To those words he added,“For one who has faith in God in hisheart, in this world few things aremore beautiful than to be allowed topenetrate into the depth of thesoul.”

In 1929 Bavinck became a mis-sionary in Solo, a town of centralJava, the very heart of Javanese

culture. He was put in charge ofthe youth work. He wrote smallbook describing it , Youth Work inMiddle Java. It describes the greatvariety of work done among youngpeople. He saw as his crucial task,through vital contact with the Bible,to bring young people to JesusChrist.

Bavinck said that the Bible calls usto conversion, to surrender. It in-vites us to be reconciled to Godthrough the blood of the cross. InThe Impact of Christianity on theNon-Christian World Bavinckstates that “Conversion is not apsychological, but a theological phe-nomenon; every effort to describeit will prove unsuccessful becausethe hand of the Lord is in it, and weare not authorized to scrutinizeGod’s own work.”

According to Bavink, the Apostles’Creed lacked one article, namely, “Ibelieve in conversion”. What hemeant was perfectly clear. Manydon’t seem to believe in conversion.But there is no other way to Godthan through the Gospel of the cru-cified and risen Savior. It callspeople from the East and the Westto repentance and conversion.

While in Solo he strengthened hiscontacts with Javanese mystics. Hewas well qualified in both personal-ity and education to penetrate themysterious and subtle world ofJavanese mysticism. Bavink had arare gift of fully understanding otherpeople’s spiritual experiences, somuch so that he was sometimesnicknamed “the white Javanese.”

His understanding of Easternthought did not lead Bavink to anyform of syncretism. He was a re-

6

spectful missionary, but still a mis-sionary who confronted the worldof Eastern religious thought with theclaims of Christ.

Jogjakarta

In 1933 Bavinck was called toteach at the theological college inJogjakarta, central Java. In prepa-ration for his teaching position hewent back to the Netherlands tostudy at the Leiden University.During that time he completed hisfamous book Christus en deMystiek van het Oosten (Christand Eastern Mysticism). Althoughit went through only one edition andwas never revised, it is his mostimportant publication.

In this book Bavinck shows an ap-preciation for the attraction of mys-ticism as few others have. He wasonce said, “I was born with anEastern soul.” But he also dispelsthe delusion of mystical specula-tions, using the results of hisfather’s studies in Augustine toclearly explain the difference be-tween Eastern mysticism andChristianity. He notes that the cut-ting difference between Easternreligions and Christianity is in thetwo opposing views of salvation.“Salvation in the Gospel is never apsychological process, but it is firstand foremost a profound change inthe relationship of God and man, itis reconciliation, justification.”

In 1935 Bavinck went toJogjarkarta to join his colleagues intraining pastors for the Javaneseand Chinese congregations. InJogjarkarta he was able to pursuehis studies, especially in the field ofOriental mysticism. At the sametime he was able to help his students

relate to the Gospel which theywere going to preach to their ownpeople.

In those years Bavinck wrote anumber of works on Biblical sub-jects- I refer especially to the finebook Mensen Rondom Jesus(People Around Jesus). Heteamed up with Dr. F.L. Bakker towrite Geschiedenis der Godsopen-baring (History of Divine Revela-tion). Bavinck did the New Testa-ment section. The book was trans-

lated into both Javanese and Indo-nesian. Because it provides newand unexpected perspectives on thesacred Scriptures, it speaks to thesimple “dessa” (village) Christians,but also to Western theologians. In-donesian pastors, teachers andevangelists still use it today.

Professor

When the Reformed Churches inthe Netherlands (GKN) decided toestablish a chair of missiology atKampen, Bavinck was their logicalchoice. He accepted the call andreturned to the Netherlands at theeve of World War II. At the sametime he was appointed professorextraordinaire of missiology at theFree University.

He began his teaching career at

these two institutions toward theend of 1939 by delivering an impos-ing inaugural lecture entitled“Christusprediking in de Volker-enwereld” (“Proclaiming Christ tothe Nations”). In it Bavinck showshow the apostles already struggledwith the question of how to bringthe truth of Christ in such a waythat the Gospel becomes under-standable for those who are notacquainted with its language. Healso stated that the key to missionsis to preach Christ to people whodo not know Him, who is the Lightof our light, and the Life of our life.The cross is central to the Gospelproclamation. Bavinck observed;“It is remarkable that many Chris-tians from the East came to realizethe terror of sin when they saw thecross.”

Why Missions?

In joyful and humble obedience toher Lord’s Great Commission, theChurch goes into all the world topreach the Gospel. But the GreatCommission can only be under-stood from the perspective of John3:16. God does not want to build HisChurch only in Europe andAmerica, but the whole world mustknow the message of reconciliationthrough Jesus Christ, God’s Son.Missions is striving to win people toChrist, but it is also a struggle withcultures which bear the traces ofother religions.

Since Christians long to see thecoming of the Kingdom of God, theycannot let society remain in thedevil’s control. The Gospel is for allof life. Christians may not disobeythe call of the Kingdom in the socialand the economic life of their time.In other words, the Church ofChrist is always busy, always seek-

He once said thatthe Apostles’ Creedlacks one article,namely, “I believe

in conversion.”

April, 2002 7

ing, always struggling. She stands inhistory as the seeker of the King-dom. Missions is not an option. It isour God given duty to do missions,to pray for it, to give it a place in ourheart. Hence, we must show inter-est in it because it concerns God’swork and because we, as membersof the Church of Christ, are involvedin it.

In his lectures Bavinck repeatedlystated that missionaries need tohave a proper academic training. Infact, a missionary needs more edu-cation than a pastor at home. For in-stance, one blunder made by a mis-sionary may effect the whole mis-sionary situation in a particular fieldfor years to come. But he also saidthat the best missionaries are ordi-nary Christians, who -in word anddeed - confront a nation with themessage of Christ.

World War II

After the Netherlands was caughtup in World War II, academicteaching was still possible only fora few years; ultimately all universi-ties and colleges were closed. Theconnection with the Dutch EastIndies were cut off. The war be-came a time of great tension for thefamily Bavinck. Three childrenwere actively engaged in all kinds ofunderground activities. Bavinckhimself gave spiritual guidance invarious ways, among them the writ-ing of books and pamphlets on apopular level, preparing the churchfor the resumption of her missionarytask after the ceasing of hostilities.

After the war he taught for a while- once every two weeks - at theTheological School of the FreeReformed Churches in Apeldoorn.

In the fall of 1947 he lectured atCalvin College, Grand Rapids, on“The Impact of Christianity on theNon-Christian World”. In 1949 hewrote Religious besef enchristelyk geloof (Religious Con-sciousness and Christian Faith),a masterful study on Romans 1 inwhich he showed that God in Hisgeneral revelation is at work in theworld, but that at the same timepeople replace God’s revelation byimages of their own making.

In 1953-54 he was guest lecturer atthe Theological School atPotchefstroom, South Africa. Con-sidering his pioneering work inmissiology, it is no wonder that hehas been called one of the greatestbuilders of this still young “science.”

Conclusion

A summary of Bavinck’s approachis his great work Inleiding in dezendingswetenshap, published in1954, which has been translatedinto English as An Introduction tothe Science of Missions. It willcontinue to be used as a text inEvangelical Seminaries and BibleColleges for its exposition of Bibli-

God does not want tobuild His Church

only in Europe andAmerica, but the

whole world mustknow the message of

reconciliationthrough Jesus Christ.

cally based mission principles. In1955 he gave up his position inKampen and became full time pro-fessor of missiology and practicaltheology at Free University.

Although a serious kidney ailmentsapped his strength for a long time,Bavinck kept working until the veryend of his life. His second wife, F.van der Vegt, whom he married in1956, was a wonderful support dur-ing this very difficult time. The kid-ney problem clouded his spirit.When he was coherent, he testifiedof the love which drives out all fearof death. On June 23, 1964, theLord welcomed into His eternalhome his faithful servant JohanHerman Bavinck.

Rev. Johan D. Tangelder isa retired minister in theChristian Reformed Churchwho resides in East Strathroy,Ontario.

8

“Let’s get ready to rumble” is acommon phrase used today whensports teams are going to square offin some contest. A rumble was alsoonce a reference to a fight betweentwo gangs. Even though in our cul-ture this phrase isn’t as popular as itused to be, most of us have heard itand understand its meeting. Twocombatants are about to go at it. Forsome, just the thought of a “fight” inan emotionally charged atmospherewhere this phrase is used is enoughto make the hair stand up on theback of your neck.

But do you realize thatChristians are in abattle each day? I’mnot just talking aboutsome Christians on theother side of the worldbeing terrorized bysome warring group.Each and every daywe are in spiritualbattle with the evil oneand his followers. Weare embattled withinourselves with thetemptations thatwould have us turnaway from God andseek our own gloryand pleasure. And weare embattled with theworld which wants usto change so that wewill fit into its mold.

Let’s be honest, theBible is not a nicefluffy book stating that

Let’s Get Ready To Rumble!!!

we should just “all get along”. Whilethe Bible does not advocate that weshould kill all who do not follow God,we are still engaged in a battle It isa different kind of battle. Today’sfight for the most part is not withswords or guns. Our weapon is thegospel of Jesus Christ.

What we learn from the New Testa-ment is that followers of Christ willlive in Heaven glorifying God andthe rest will be sent to hell being eter-nally tormented for their sins. That’sno fluffy book.

For Further Study

Let us look at the Bible to help us prepare for the battle.

Read Ephesians 6:12 What is the nature of this battle?Read John 14:6; 17:17-19 What is the battle over?

Read Matthew 6:24; 12:30; James 4:4 Can we be neutral in this battle?

Read II Corinthians 10:3-7 Where does the power we fight with come from? How must your mind be prepared to fight?

Read Ephesians 6:10-18 Whose armor do we use for battle? Write down each piece of armor. Notice what otherwords are related to that piece of armor. Is the piece ofarmor offensive or defensive? What is the final command in this passage? Whom dowe need to win this battle?

PERSONAL: Are you equipped, ready, and willing, tobattle for God?

We have to realize that we are atwar. A war that does have a physi-cal side to it, but it also has a spiritualside. You need to be ready andequipped for that fight. That’s whyPaul told Timothy to fight the goodfight of faith. Faith is something tostruggle for, but its a good struggle.All fights are not bad. You are in awar for Christ but you cannot winthis battle yourself.

You need to realize that it is Christ’swork on the cross that empowersyou for this battle. He is the one who

calls you to be Hissoldier. He is the onewho sends the HolySpirit into your heartto strengthen you forbattle. When you arein Christ you are a sol-dier for Him!

Fight the good fight of the faith. I Timothy 6:12

Mr. Dave VanderMeer is the Youthdirector ofCornerstone UnitedReformed Church inHudsonville,Michigan.

Dave Vander Meer

April, 2002 9

Throughout the world men andwomen work with the soil. Some donot produce enough food for theirown families. This is true in areas inwhich there is not sufficient mois-ture, or where there is not enoughwarmth. Many live in poverty andunder the shadow of disease. This istrue in lands other than our own, butit is also true to a certain extent in ourcountry.

Some who farm have large farms towork, whereas others find that theirfarms are much too small so thatthey are required to supplement theirincome with work away from thefarm. The people who live in thisway are those in rural areas. Andmany of them do not know Jesus astheir Savior. They must be reachedfor Christ.

The task still facing the Church is tosee to it that those who know not theChrist may come to know Him andthe salvation that is available in Him.

Rural Evangelism Has Its OwnProblems

In this article we shall deal with thematter of bringing the gospel tothose who live in the rural areas ofour land. We shall discuss some ofthe distinctive aspects of rural evan-gelism. We must not think that evan-gelism as it is to be carried out in therural areas of our land is much differ-ent than city evangelism. It is not.The principles are the same. But theapplication of the principles is muchdifferent. We shall concentrate onsome of the differences which are

significant in the work of rural evan-gelism. As we consider the distinc-tive aspects of rural evangelism weshall consider the problems that arefaced by any church which wouldtake up this work. We shall consider,first, The Problems in the Church;and secondly, The Problems in theField.

Unrealized Opportunities

Those in the rural church who are

enthused about evangelism are likelyto face the problem that manypeople there do not recognize;namely, that there is work to bedone in rural districts. They will meetwith outstanding men in rural com-munities who say that there is noopportunity for evangelism in theirareas.

I recently read of a young man whowas called as a candidate to a ruralchurch. He chose the rural fieldbecause he felt that in it was to befound good opportunity to reachthose unacquainted with salvation inChrist. After he had gotten ac-quainted with the people in hischurch, he had a meeting with his

official board and suggested to themembers that a careful house-to-house survey be made within fivemiles of the church to discover anyunreached families. Members of theboard smiled indulgently at theiryoung pastor and informed him thatthere were no unreached families inthe area. Those members of theboard had lived in the surroundingterritory most of their lives and knewall the people personally.

The young pastor accepted the wordof the board members. However,after two years had passed, he be-gan to realize there were somepeople in the surrounding area withwhom he had gotten acquaintedthrough business contacts who didnot seem to have any church rela-tionships. He succeeded in persuad-ing his young people to make ahouse-to-house canvass within afive-mile circle of his church. Afterthe study had been made, he had thenames of forty-four families whoclaimed no church connections. Heannounced this at the next meetingof the board. As he mentioned thenames one by one, a board memberwould say, “Oh, but I know that hisfather always attended church,” or“Why, his grandmother belonged tothe Bethel Lutheran Church,” and soon. They did not think there waswork to be done, when there wasplenty of it. This is a problem that willface many who wish to undertakethe work of rural evangelism.

Lack of Enthusiasm

Another problem which must befaced is the lack of enthusiasm on

Some Distinctive Aspects ofRURAL EVANGELISM

Jack L. Vander Laan

The principles arethe same. But theapplication of theprinciples is much

different.

10

The minister cannotdo the work alone.

That has been one ofthe most serious

mistakes that havebeen made in the

past.

the part of many members of thechurch. They may be outstandingmembers of the congregation incertain respects, they may be goodleaders in other things, but they can-not be interested in the task ofevangelism. This is no doubt true incity churches too.

Probably the only churches inwhich you will find that this is notthe case are those which containonly first generation Christians.They have just newly experiencedthe redeeming grace of God. Theyhave recently come from a life of sinand are filled with the joy of salva-tion. They realize very keenly theneed of others. But in mostchurches, and surely in most ruralchurches, which generally have along history, it is inevitable that onemust meet the problem of a lack ofenthusiasm. This must be made amatter of prayer. The need of thepeople ought to be clearly presentedto those who are lacking in evange-listic zeal. They ought to be re-minded of the tragic end of thesepeople if they do not come to knowChrist. And their responsibility toshed light in this world must espe-cially be pointed out.

Less Education in RuralChurches

In the rural church in which thepastor or evangelism committee isstriving to inaugurate or advance aprogram of evangelism there is an-other problem which must be met.It is a fact that in rural areas thepeople do not have as much educa-tion as members of an average citycongregation. Such people arestrongly inclined to think that theyare not qualified to do the work ofwitnessing. They will hesitate to vol-

unteer for making contacts withthose who do not know the gospelof salvation in Christ. These peoplemust be encouraged to do this work.One way to do this is to show themthat Christ chose disciples whowere not highly educated and usedthem for His work.

Familiarity a Hindrance

In rural areas it is generally true thata man knows his neighbors muchbetter than the city-dweller does.

They have possibly lived next doorto each other for many years. Theymay even have worked together.Some are inclined to be hesitantabout speaking to their neighborsabout Christ just because theyknow them so well. It is true that thiswill be difficult if they have not spo-ken to their neighbor about suchthings before.

Still, every advantage is theirs, justbecause they know their neighborso well. They are in the best positionto determine the proper time to ap-proach their neighbor and what ap-proach will be the most effective.The advantage that such a personhas ought to be made clear to him,and he should be given encourage-ment to make use this advantage.

His obligation should be made cleartoo.

Layworkers Needed

Many other obstacles will surelybe faced in the endeavor to enlistthe aid of members of the churchin the program of evangelism. Buttheir aid is indispensable. The min-ister cannot do the work alone.That has been one of the most se-rious mistakes that have beenmade in the past. There are stillmany in the church who believethat when they have a ministerthey are paying him to do their wit-nessing for them, But lay workersare a necessity. Someone has saidthat you cannot win a war withonly the graduates of the militaryacademy. That is very evident, Butthousands of ordinary fighting menare also needed. In the church ofChrist this is true too. The ministerscannot do it all. If the task is left tothem, it surely will never be com-pleted. They should guide the pro-gram. They should lend their lead-ership and support. But laymen areneeded. Of this both city and ruralchurches must be convinced.

The Lack of Opportune Time

There is another problem which isfaced in the rural church in gettingthe work of evangelism done.Those who are unchurched or whoare neglecting their church mem-bership altogether must be con-tacted. Calls have to be made.Members of the church will beneeded to make most of thesecalls. In the city church there areusually several members who areavailable in the summer time. Theycan go out just before and just af-ter supper and make these con-tacts. They have jobs which give

April, 2002 11

It would be well tohave a rotating

committee of peoplewho make it a point

to seek out thevisitors after the

service and makethem feel welcome.

them this free time. And this is pos-sibly the best time to make contactsin the city. The summer is surelymuch better than a cold winter day.And, the evening of the day is pos-sibly the best, too, because then thewhole family is likely to be at home,This is a problem in rural evange-lism. For the farmers are not avail-able at that time of the year, nor atthat time of the day. Many of themwork from sun-up to sun-down,And the people on whom theywould call are also busy at suchtimes, Possibly the month of Augustis best, because then the farmer isnot nearly so busy as otherwise.

Failure to Welcome Visitors

I have been in city churches of ourdenomination whose memberswere not very friendly. They did notgo out of their way to make a visi-tor feel welcome. Yet as a rule, Iimagine

the city churches will be

more friendly, and will make visitorsfrom the community feel morewelcome at the services than isusually the case in a rural church.The members have a convenientway of standing in a circle and talk-ing to each other with the result thata visitor sees only their backs andhardly dares try to enter the circle.

This is something that must beeliminated. A fine practice is tohave a welcoming committee greetthe visitors before the service. Per-haps it would also be well to have arotating committee of people whomake it a point to seek out the visi-tors after the service and makethem feel welcome. If they haveonce been contacted and the con-tacts resulted in attendance at theworship service, everything oughtto be done to see that such peopleare not discouraged by a lack of

receptivity on the part of the mem-bers of the church.

Past Neglect May RequireExplanation

Because of the failure of many achurch to begin the work of evan-gelism as soon as the church wasestablished, there maybe anotherproblem which will have to befaced. Those who are contacted bythe church will want to know whythe church has not been interested

in them before. They have lived inthe same place for several years.The church was there all the time,and yet no one from the churchever came before to talk to themabout their soul’s welfare. This issomething which must be faced.Those who make the calls mustexplain that the church has failed inthis duty up to that time. They mustmake it clear that now, however, thechurch is concerned about theireternal destiny.

Rural Members of CityChurches

Churches which are located in acity may have a responsibility to-ward the people living in the ruralarea. Some of these churches have

several families living in the coun-try. If the work of evangelism ispracticed in such churches it willlikely be limited to the area imme-diately around the church. And thusit will be confined to the city alone,while the rural area is neglected.Such churches have a tremendoustask facing them. They should putforth effort to reach the un-churched in the rural areas sur-rounding them.

Problems in the Field

Today it is much more difficult topersuade the unreached among usthat they should affiliate themselveswith the local church than it is totake the Christian church with itsclaims into an area where it is rela-tively unknown. Most of theunreached people in America todayhave a general knowledge of thework of the church. Many of themhave relatives in the church. Othershave had parents that were mem-bers of the church. Consequentlythey are well acquainted with theethical standard of the Christianchurch. Often they conduct them-selves within the influence of thisstandard.

Upon being contacted for thechurch they will say that they arejust as good as the people who at-tend church and consequently theydo not feel any particular need for,or attraction to, the local church.Someone has very pointedly de-scribed such people as being inocu-lated with Christianity, and conse-quently immune against it. Thisproblem is found in the rural areaand in the city situation alike.

The Problem of Distance

There are problems in the field ofrural evangelism which cause spe-

12

One will not be able to make quite as many calls, but they canand must be made.

cial difficulty in pursuing the workof evangelism. The people are notfound by the thousands in a coupleof city blocks as in Harlem. Theyare scattered. Many of the peopleare quite isolated. Some of themare located at considerable distancefrom the church. They may use thisfact as an excuse for not coming tochurch. They say it is too far forthem to come. This is very clearlyan excuse, since they do not find ittoo far to come and do businessduring the week.

True, the isolation of the people inthe county does make it a little moredifficult to make calls on theunreached. But this is not an insur-mountable difficulty. They can becontacted by mail from time totime, if necessary. Their neighborscan then make the calls. One willnot be able to make quite as manycalls, but they can and must bemade.

Sunday School and D.V.B.S.

The Daily Vacation Bible Schooland the Sunday School are put togood use by many city churches. Inthis way unchurched parents arecontacted through the children andfrequently brought into the church.

The Sunday School cannot be usedquite so effectively in a rural situa-tion because, in some instances atleast, the children have to bebrought from quite a distance. Ifthey are to be picked up and broughtback after church there willscarcely be enough time to do that.Daily Vacation Bible School is usu-

ally held soon after school is dis-missed for the summer. But thisprobably would not work out quiteso well in many rural areas, be-cause it is just at this time that thefarmers are very busy, and can usethe children at home. For that rea-son Daily Vacation bible Schoolshould probably be conducted in therural areas just before school beginsin the fall.

The Problem of Poverty

A real problem which is faced inthe rural evangelism program is theextreme poverty of some of thefamilies which are to be contacted.They live on small, poor farms.They can barely eke out a living.Some of them cannot even do that.They have difficulty getting enoughmoney to buy their food and othernecessities of life.

One family that I contacted told methat they would come to church assoon as they could afford to buyclothes that would be fit to wearthere. This is a problem. But withthe help of the diaconate of thechurch it can be solved. Here is awonderful way to use some of thestagnant money in our benevolentfunds - a wonderful way to showthe mercy of Christ to those whoare in need.

The extreme poverty of some ofthe people results in another prob-lem for the church which would dothe work of evangelism in the ruralareas. Because some are not ableto make a living on their farms,they are compelled to work in the

city in order to supplement theirincome. The father tries to workthe farm a little and hold down a full-time job in town. It is very difficultto find a time when you can visithim. During the day he works intown, and at night when he getshome a great deal of work is wait-ing for him. So he has to work intothe night as well. In addition, some-times the mother works too.

It is extremely difficult to try to con-tact such a family for Christ. But insuch a situation, the evangelisticworker must adapt himself to thesituation, and look for the rare oc-casions in which there are breaks insuch activity. Perhaps in such in-stances it would be best to makethe calls on a Sunday afternoon.

Lack of Education

On the rural field more often than inthe city, it will be noticed that thesubjects of evangelism are lackingin formal education. The truth ofthe gospel must be adapted to theirneeds and to their ability to under-stand it. But here the versatility ofthe gospel is seen very clearly. Thetruth of God’s Word should be put insuch a way that it can be under-stood even by those who have verylittle education.

In presenting the necessity of faithin the Lord Jesus Christ for salva-tion one can explain the passages ofScripture which are not so deep andinvolved. We can turn to such pas-sages as those which refer to thewheat and the tares, the sheep andthe goats. These things will probably

April, 2002 13

be easily understood by those whoare working with fields and live-stock.

This is by no means an insurmount-able obstacle. In fact, those whoare lacking in education may oftenbe more easily reached with thegospel than those who have hadconsiderable schooling.

Such people, however, maypresent another problem. That isthe matter of their assimilationinto the church after they havemanifested an interest in the gos-pel. Especially will this be true ifthe church is a city church. Thosewho are lacking in education mayfeel out of place. They may feelinferior, They are not as good asthe rest of the members, theythink. And thus, there is the prob-lem of making these people feel athome. I’m afraid that in the pastmany churches have somewhatfailed along this line. The factthat our church is known as amiddle class church does notmake this problem an easy one.

Shifting Farm Population

The work among rural people isbecoming increasingly difficultbecause of another fact. The eco-nomic situation, especially as iteffects the farmer, has a bearingon this. Many people cannot af-ford to own their own farm.More and more farmers are rent-ers. It is simply too expensive togo into farming on their own. Theresult is that those living on farmsin such a situation do not stay inthe same place very long. Thereare more and more renters, butthere is less and less permanence.

This makes the work of evange-lism more difficult because it of-ten takes a great deal of time be-fore a person is brought by theSpirit of God to a saving knowl-edge of Christ. Although this istrue, the church must neverthe-less minister to the spiritual needsof these people, even though theymay be living on a certain farm foronly one year.

Familiarity With the Faults ofChurch-members

A problem which faces the evange-lizing church, no matter where it isfound, is that many of the membersthemselves are a hindrance to thiswork, because of the discrepancybetween their profession and theirconduct. But I believe that this is aneven greater problem in the ruralsituation than in the city becausethe unchurched person in the coun-try knows where his neighbor goesto church, and he links the personwith that church. For that reason,he is likely to be prejudiced againstthe church. It must be pointed out tothat person, that those who are inthe church are not perfect, and donot profess to be so. It should alsobe stressed that individual believersare dissatisfied with their own lives

because there is so much sin inthem.

Conclusion

These, then, are some of the prob-lems which cause rural evangelismto be distinctive. These are some ofthe reasons why rural evangelismcannot be carried out in exactly thesame way in which it is done in ur-ban areas. These problems must belooked upon as challenges to provethe effectiveness of the gospel. Letus remember that the Word of Godis quick, and powerful, and sharperthan any two-edged sword. Let usbe like the apostle Paid who says inRomans 1:16, “For I am notashamed of the gospel: for it is thepower of God unto salvation.” Inthe face of these problems let us goto God in prayer and ask him to helpus solve these problems, and to soguide us that we may find the sat-isfactory answer in each case.

Rev. Jack L. Vander Laanwrote this article while he wasthe pastor of a CRC church inLeighton, Iowa. He iscurrently a chaplain in Ft.Lauderdale, Florida.

The truth of God’sWord should be putin such a way that itcan be understoodeven by those who

have very littleeducation.

14

Sound BitesTorch and Trumpet 1961

January 1961

“The whole Word is truth — notjust its central message concerningsalvation, not merely a core or ker-nel wrapped in the husks of histori-cal forms that have no meaning to-day. Not one jot or one tittle of thelaw shall fall to the ground. For ‘thescripture cannot be broken’.”

Will a Man Rob God?Henry R. Van Til

“We firmly believe that Cat-echism preaching keeps us bal-anced in presenting the Gospel ofGod’s free grace; assists us in pro-claiming the whole counsel of God;aids us in building up our people inthe saving knowledge of God inChrist Jesus; and helps us to com-bat both old and modern heresies.”

Why Do Not All Our MinistersPreach the Catechism?

Edward B. Pekelder

“In order rightly to resist begin-nings of error it is necessary for usto learn to know God’s truth as fullyand faithfully as we can.”

* * * * *“Our lands have many beautiful

seminary buildings and campuseswhere the teaching is not sound. Itstarted with so-called ‘peripheral’matters and ate to the very heart.”

Pray for Jerusalem’s PeaceCorneal Holtrop

February 1961

“The Bible does not speak to usas it should unless its very wordshave found a lodging place in our

hearts. Its voice should be like thatof a familiar friend.”

Stick to One Bible TranslationHenry J. Kuiper

“Unless we sharpen our witness,knowing where we stand aschurches and where we are goingunder the guidance of the HolySpirit in obedience to the Word, weshall fail to give spiritual guidance tomen within and outside of thechurches.”

If I Were a MissionaryPeter Y. De Jong

“God’s works, all His works,whether in nature or in the realm ofgrace, always demand His words— His interpretation. Wheneverman ignores or denies the Word andinterpretation of God he goesastray, creates misconceptions, andlapses into paganism.”

* * * * *“...a proper understanding of the

first three chapters of the Bible(Genesis 1-3) is absolutely essentialto the proper understanding andevaluation of all the rest of theBible. If these chapters are ignoredor misinterpreted the entire Biblewill — sooner or later — be misun-derstood.”

The Relation Between Generaland Special Revelation

Nicholas J. Monsma

March 1961

“...when the Calvinist is com-pletely certain that a matter istaught in the Word of God, he takesthat matter into his system, whether

it seems to fit in or not. For him thetest of truth is not human reason butthe Word of God.”

Complementary Truths and theReformed Faith

R. B. Kuiper

“Some of our present-day preach-ing, under the guise of being ‘practi-cal,’ seems to be in danger of beinglittle more than moralizing.”

Indifference StagnationBankruptcy Apostasy

Christian Huissen

April 1961

“I feel that the secret of preach-ing with power is to be found in theextent to which the truth to bepreached has taken hold of thepreacher. It has to live for himbefore he can make it live for oth-ers.”

* * * * *“Odious comparisons by pew-

piteers make for picayunish pickingat spiritual food instead of heartyeating.”

* * * * *“...the preacher is but a link — a

link between God and the congre-gation, a link which serves its pur-pose best by drawing least attentionto itself. If the people are to hearGod, and in hearing Him to see Him,then they ought not to hear thepreacher.”

* * * * *“I yearn for more spiritual force

in my ministry. The holy joy thatcomes of working not so much outof duty only, but out of delight andlove — of this I want more.”

* * * * *“I have found that the more

Christ means to me the more myministry becomes personalized and‘pastoral’ as over against mechani-

April, 2002 15

cal. The more Christ means, themore His people mean, the moreHis Word means, the more Hiscross means; and through all this,professionalism gives way tohumble wonder and love.”

My Greatest Problem as aMinister — and How

I Seek to Solve ItVarious Ministers &

Managing Editor

May - June 1961

“How shall we reevaluate theconcept of infallibility and not comeup with fallibility? Who can explainhow anyone can tone down infalli-bility and escape fallibility?”

As We Grow OlderCorneal Holtrop

“Those who have sought to de-fend the position of the possibility ofactual historical inaccuracies ormistakes have frequently assumedthat their opponents were pos-sessed of an extremely narrow,unduly literalistic view of inspirationand infallibility. While rightly repu-diating such a view of infallibility,those same people continued toposit the possibility of actual histori-cal error in matters not pertaining tothe Spirit’s purpose. But it washere that an unjustified jump wasmade. The legitimacy of that jumphas never been proved in any of thediscussions that have come to myattention. No matter how muchemphasis one may lay on ‘lettingScripture speak for itself,’ thepossibility of actual historical er-ror or contradiction does not flowfrom a stress on the phenomenaof a divinely inspired Scripture,produced under the impulse of asovereign God who controls allthings and makes them usable for

His purpose of revelation.”Reformed Old Testament

Scholarship TodayMarten H. Woudstra

“With all its superficialities andshams, middle-class respectabilitylooks like a comfortable way of life.Yet for true believers it cannot bereconciled with gospel demands. Itproduces not only stomach ulcers inan effort to keep ahead of the billcollectors but also heartaches in therealization that God sits in judgment onus.”

Straws in the Wind?Peter Y. De Jong

“Without being aware of it, weare the recipients of a system oftraining where the training aidshave almost, if not entirely, replacedthe direct handling of the Bible. Weare so preoccupied with sourcesand aids about the Bible that we asa people suffer from a deplorablelack of Scriptural knowledge.”

Says the Bible Is Not DulyHonored in the Christian

Reformed ChurchArnold Jonker

September 1961

“It is never enough for a churchto have a fine mission program,well organized and efficiently ad-ministered by competent and Spirit-filled leaders. At heart every Chris-tian, born again by the Spirit and liv-ing by the fullness of grace in ChristJesus, must be a missionary.”

Men Without SoulsPeter Y. De Jong

October 1961

“When one ignores the doctrineof salvation by faith alone unto jus-tification and puts in its place the

doctrine of salvation by doing thelaw, he has perverted the Gospel ofJesus Christ in truly modernisticfashion and has returned unto theyoke of bondage from which Paulsays we have been redeemed.”

Faith Versus Works:A False AntithesisHenry R. Van Til

“From the viewpoint of the Cov-enant, Reformed churches havebeen impressed with the fact that itpleases the Lord to continue HisChurch in the way of succeedinggenerations, as well as by acces-sions ‘from without’.”

* ** * *“...it has pleased God to place

our children in the particular officeof church member from their verybirth.”Some Thoughts on Catechizing

Our YouthJohn H. Piersma

December 1961

“...sins against fellow-men aresins only because they are first ofall sins against God.”

* * * * *“No sin mentioned or implied in

the second table can be definedwithout due regard to the firsttable.”

Distorted PrayersNicholas J. Monsma

“Is the Christian ReformedChurch a sleeping giant? I think itis more precise to say that it is inimminent danger of becoming ashorn Samson.”

Is the Christian ReformedChurch “A SLEEPING

GIANT”?R. B. Kuiper

16

Does the Bible teachthat the gospel

should be preachedindiscriminately to

all?

Reformed Evangelism“Election and the ‘Free Offer’ of the Gospel”

Part TwoIn my previous article, which intro-duced the subject of the so-called“free offer” of the gospel, I notedthat Reformed believers have oftendistinguished between the univer-sal call of the gospel to all sinnersand the effectual call of the gos-pel. Though all sinners are called tofaith in Christ through the gospel,only those who are effectuallydrawn by the Spirit respond appro-priately to this call. Through theSpirit working by means of theWord of the gospel, God unfailinglybrings all His elect to salvationthrough faith in Christ.

Despite the general consensus ofReformed believers on this distinc-tion between the universal and ef-fectual call of the gospel, consider-able differences exist regardingthe character of the universal gos-pel-call. Three distinct views of thegospel-call have emerged withinthe Reformed tradition. One view,which I termed “strong hyper-Cal-vinism,” amounts to a denial of thelegitimacy of a gospel-call that ex-tends to all sinners alike. In thestrictest sense, this view claims thatthe call of the gospel addressesonly the elect. Since God does notintend to save the non-elect, andsince they have no capacity to an-swer the gospel call, it is inappropri-ate to summon them to faith andrepentance. Another view, which Itermed a “mild hyper-Calvinism,”affirms the legitimacy of the gos-pel-call to all sinners, elect and non-elect alike, but rejects the idea thatit promises equally to all its recipi-ents salvation upon the condition of

faith in Christ. This view maintainsthat the call of the gospel merelycommands all sinners to believe andto repent, but does not express anygoodwill or desire on God’s part thatall sinners be saved. Language likethe “free-offer of the gospel” or the“well-meant gospel offer” must be

strictly avoided, since it suggeststhat the gospel-call manifests a fa-vorable disposition on God’s parttoward all sinners.1

In addition to these two views, athird view, which I termed the“classic” or “historic” view of theReformed tradition, claims that thegospel not only summons all sinnersto faith in Christ but also expressesa genuine desire or good-will onGod’s part toward them. This viewof the gospel call maintains that,though God has not decreed to saveall lost sinners, He nonetheless sin-cerely calls all sinners to salvationthrough the gospel. The gospel ad-dresses all sinners with the samegospel summons and in the samemanner.

Now that we have considered thesedifferent views of the gospel call ina general way, the time has come totake up the most important ques-tions relating to the call of the gos-pel.

The first and most important ofthese questions, of course, has todo with the Scriptures’ teaching.Does the Bible teach that the gos-pel should be preached indiscrimi-nately to all, and that in the call ofthe gospel there is expressed a dis-position of lovingkindness or good-will on God’s part toward sinners?This question will be the focus ofour attention in this article. Onlyafter we have attempted to answerthis question will we be in a positionto take up in a subsequent articlesuch subordinate questions as:Which of the three views distin-guished has the predominant sup-port of the Reformed tradition? Isthe teaching of a “well-meant of-fer” of the gospel not contradictoryand inconsistent with the teachingof particular and sovereign elec-tion? And lastly, so far as our par-ticular interest goes, what signifi-cance does this subject have for thework of evangelism and missions?

The Biblical Basis

Without attempting to be in anyway exhaustive, there are severalkinds of biblical passages that sup-port the teaching of a well-meantgospel offer.2

Passages expressing God’sdesire to save the wicked

A number of biblical passages de-

Cornel Venema

April, 2002 17

pict God wishing or desiring that Hispeople, Israel, would fear Him andkeep His commandments. Whatmakes these passages significant isthat they portray God desiring sal-vation for all the children of Israel,even though some among themmay persistently choose otherwise.That is to say, they allow us to seehow God desires the salvation ofthose whom He may not have sov-ereignly determined to save in Hiselecting counsel.

In Deuteronomy 5:29, we read,“Oh, that they had such a heart inthem, that they would fear Me andkeep all My commandments al-ways, that it may be well with themand with their sons forever!” Thispassage, which expresses a gen-eral desire on God’s part for Hiscovenant people (including theirchildren), does not tell us that it isGod’s sovereign intention to bringto pass what He desires. In thecontext of the history of God’sdealings with His people, Israel, it isreadily apparent that many did notfear Him or keep His command-ments. And yet, God expressesquite emphatically His earnest wishthat it were otherwise, that thechildren of Israel would be pleasedto walk in covenant faithfulnessbefore Him. Though it would not beimpossible to argue that this desireonly refers to God’s will for Hiselect children, such a reading ismost unlikely and tends to insertissues into the text that are not be-ing addressed.

In a similar passage, Deuteronomy32:29, language is used that ex-presses in the strongest termsGod’s desire that His people wouldbe wise and considerate of their fi-nal end: “Would that they [Hispeople, Israel] were wise, that theyunderstood this, that they would dis-cern their future.” The Hebrewconjunction used in this verse, lu,often introduces the expression of astrong desire or wish.3 In this pas-sage, then, we have an example ofGod desiring something beneficialfor all of His people, though nothingis told us that would indicate that itis His sovereign intention to effectwhat He desires.

Other examples of these kinds ofpassages are Psalm 81:13 andIsaiah 48:18. Psalm 81:13 portraysGod as One who wishes that Hispeople would listen to Him andwalk in His ways: “Oh, that Mypeople would listen to Me, that Is-rael would walk in My ways!”Isaiah 48:18 records the Lord’swistful lament that His people havenot paid attention to His command-ments and, as a result, are sufferingthe adverse consequences of theirfailure to do so: “If only you hadpaid attention to My command-ments! Then your wellbeing wouldhave been like a river. And yourrighteousness like the waves of thesea.” These passages, like thosecited from the book of Deuter-onomy, undoubtedly reveal God’sgenuine desire and wish for all ofHis people, even though the context

indicates that what He wishes forthem He has not determined to ef-fect. John Murray, commenting onthese passages, correctly observesthat “the Lord represents himself insome of these passages as ear-nestly desiring the fulfillment ofsomething which he had not in theexercise of his sovereign will actu-ally decreed to come to pass.”4

God takes no delight in thedeath of the wicked

Just as there are biblical passagesthat express God’s desire for thesalvation of those who do not fearHim and keep His commandments,so there are biblical passages thatreveal God’s displeasure at thedeath of the wicked. Because Godtakes no pleasure in the death of thewicked, these passages also por-tray Him earnestly calling the dis-obedient to turn from their wickedway and be saved. Three passagesof this sort are found in the proph-ecy of Ezekiel.

In Ezekiel 18:23 the Lord declaresin vigorous terms that He has nopleasure in the death of the wicked:“‘Do I have any pleasure in thedeath of the wicked,’ declares theLord God, ‘rather than that heshould turn from his ways andlive?’” The grammatical construc-tion of this verse (literally it reads,“taking pleasure in, do I take plea-sure in the death of the wicked”)suggests that the answer to theLord’s rhetorical question must be,“of course not!” The Lord takes no

These passages portray God desiring salvation for all the children of Israel, even though some may

persistently choose otherwise.

18

The remarkablefeature of these

passages is that theyresist any attempt to

restrict theirapplication to elect

sinners.

pleasure or delight in the death ofthe wicked. Much rather—andemphatically so—He would ratherthat the wicked turn from their wayand find life. Later in the samechapter of Ezekiel, verse 32, a re-lated but somewhat different pointis expressed: “‘For I have no plea-sure in the death of anyone whodies,’ declares the Lord God.‘Therefore, repent and live.’” Thisverse states quite directly that theLord has no delight or pleasure inthe death of anyone. For this rea-son—because He has no delight intheir death—He summons thewicked to repent and live.

A most significant instance of thiskind of passage, however, is foundin Ezekiel 33:11: “Say to them, ‘AsI live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘Itake no pleasure in the death of thewicked, but rather that the wickedturn from his way and live. Turnback, turn back from your evilways! Why then will you die, Ohouse of Israel?’” This passagebegins with an oath-formula under-scoring the truth and weight of thewords spoken. Once again the Lorddeclares that He has no pleasure inthe death of the wicked. To thecontrary, what pleases Him is thatthe wicked should turn from theirway and live. The call to repen-tance, therefore, which the Lordexpresses at the end of this passage,is a heartfelt expression of what Hedesires for the wicked.

The remarkable feature of thesepassages is that they resist any at-tempt to restrict their application toelect sinners. One could argue, forexample, that in these passages theLord is only speaking of and ad-dressing the wicked who belong toHis people, Israel, and who are

numbered among the elect. On thisreading of these passages, all of thewicked are presumably elect sin-ners, whom God has sovereignlypurposed to save and to bring intocommunion with Himself. Not oneperson addressed in these passagesis an elect sinner. Now, why wouldanyone attempt this kind of readingor construction of these passages?The likeliest answer is that theywould do so in order to avoid the

implication that in the call of thegospel God not only summons sin-ners to repentance and life but Healso desires that they do so. Therestriction of these passages in theirapplication to God’s dealings withthe elect alone is likely born out ofa dogmatic prejudice that God couldnot desire the salvation of sinnerswhom He has not sovereignly pur-posed to save. But this is preciselywhat these passages apparentlyteach.

Christ’s disposition towardJerusalem

One of the themes running throughthe New Testament Gospel ac-counts of Jesus’ ministry is that ofthe unbelief and impenitence on the

part of many of the children of Is-rael. Even though Christ wentpreaching the kingdom of God firstto the “lost sheep of the house ofIsrael,” their response to Hispreaching was often one of hostil-ity and rejection. Despite theirabundant privileges and opportuni-ties, they spurned the call to repen-tance and Christ’s invitations toreceive the kingdom offered tothem.

A remarkable instance of this pat-tern of unbelief and impenitence isrecorded in Luke 13:37 (par. Matt.23:37). After Jesus answers thequestion, “are there just a few whoare being saved?” (v. 23), by com-manding his hearers to “strive toenter by the narrow door,” He goeson to note how many fail to do so.Remarkably, many of those whowill not gain entrance into the king-dom of God are people who knewthe master of the house and even,by their own testimony, “ate anddrank” with him. However, be-cause they refused to enter whenthe opportunity was granted tothem, they will find themselves out-side the kingdom of God where“there will be weeping and gnash-ing of teeth” (v. 28). Despite thefact that many will enter the king-dom, including some from “east andwest and north and south,” thereare some who are “first who will belast” (vv. 29-30). In the context, itis clear that Christ is warning manyamong the covenant people of Godthat, despite their many privilegesand ample opportunity, they will notbe saved.

What is important to our question isthat Luke concludes this section ofhis Gospel by recording Christ’s la-ment over Jerusalem: “O Jerusa-

April, 2002 19

J

It is difficult to seehow this text could

be taken in anyother way than as anexpression of Jesus’heartfelt desire thatthe inhabitants ofJerusalem find

salvation.

lem, Jerusalem, the city that kills theprophets and stones those sent toher! How often I wanted to gatheryour children together, just as a hengathers her brood under her wings,and you would not!” (v. 34). Withinthe context of Luke’s account,these words can only mean thatChrist is lamenting the unbelief andimpenitence of many of the inhab-itants of Jerusalem. What Christexpresses as His desire and wishfor them, the text declares not to betheir desire or wish. The languageused to describe Christ’s lament,moreover, emphasizes the deep an-guish and distress that He felt in theface of the unwillingness of manyof Jerusalem’s inhabitants to begathered under His wings. This lan-guage of being “gathered under Hiswings,” when interpreted in thelight of the preceding discourse onthe way of salvation or entranceinto the kingdom of God, indicatesthat Jesus is speaking of their salva-tion.

It is difficult to see how this textcould be taken in any other waythan as an expression of Jesus’heartfelt desire that the inhabitantsof Jerusalem find salvation.5 Itseems clearly to express a desirethat could only arise from a com-passionate and earnest interest intheir salvation. If someone were toargue, for example, that this ismerely an expression of Jesus’ hu-man will as the God-man, two insu-perable difficulties would arise.First, it would be inconsistent withan orthodox doctrine of Christ’sPerson to suggest that any featureor expression of His humanity is notalso to be ascribed to His Person.Even were we to grant for the sakeof discussion that this lament arisesout of a human compassion on

Christ’s part for his countrymen,such compassion would necessar-ily belong to His Person.6 And sec-ond, the perfect harmony of thewill of Christ with that of His Fa-ther militates against any sugges-tion that the desire expressed in thislament is somehow contrary to ordifferent than that of the Father(compare John 12:49,50; 14:10,24;17:8). The best reading of this pas-sage is one that takes it for a

simple declaration of Christ’s de-sire for the salvation of many whorefused to believe and repent atthe preaching of the gospel of thekingdom.

Endnotes

1.It is also objected that the languageof “offer” is inappropriate andunbiblical because it suggests thatthe sinner is free “to take or leave”what is presented to him. I will ad-dress this objection in a subsequentarticle, when I consider the languageof the Canons of Dort on the gospelcall.

2.For a more detailed treatment ofsome of these passages, see JohnMurray, Collected Writings of JohnMurray, “The Free Offer of the Gos-pel” (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth,

1982), IV:113-32.3.Murray, “The Free Offer of the Gos-

pel,” p. 118.4.Murray, “The Free Offer of the Gos-

pel,” p. 119.5.Cf. James R. White, The Potter’s Free-

dom: A Defense of the Reformationand a Rebuttal of Norman Geisler’sChosen But Free (Amityville, NY:Calvary Press, 2000), pp.136-9. Whitetreats the parallel to this text in Mat-thew 23:37, and tries to argue that inthe context Jesus is not speakingabout the salvation of all the inhab-itants of Jerusalem but only of theleaders of the Jews. On his reading,the text does not express any desirefor the salvation of the inhabitants ofJerusalem, some of whom may benon-elect. Though White’s reading ofMatthew 23:37 is rather unlikely, heneglects to note that the context inLuke 13:37 has to do with the issue ofsalvation or non-salvation, and thatit speaks generally of many amongthe inhabitants of Jerusalem who for-feit their opportunity to enter into thekingdom while the door was open tothem.

6. In the doctrine of Christology, thisfollows from what is known as the“communion of the attributes”(communicatio idiomata) in Christ’sPerson. All the essential attributes ofdeity and humanity must be ascribedto Christ’s Person. This accounts forsuch expressions as “the Son of Goddied” or “Jesus was almighty,” etc.Affirmations are made about Christ’sPerson either by virtue of His being“true God” or being “true man.”

Dr. Cornel Venema is the Presi-dent of Mid-America ReformedSeminary where he also teachesDoctrinal Studies. Dr. Venema isa contributing editor to The Out-look.

20

‘Dick Wunnink’

Since the horrific September 11slamming of two planes into theWorld Trade Center and a thirdplane into the Pentagon, and thewar against terrorism in Afghani-stan, many Americans and Canadi-ans are debating the nature of Is-lam. For example, Aaron Hughes,professor of religious studies at theUniversity of Calgary, says thenumber of students taking his class,Introduction to Islam, is “way, wayup” since Sept. 11.

Secular journalists are also showinggreat interest in Islam and religionas such. But what most of the jour-nalists describe is not the Islam thatis practised by the average Muslim.They seek to understand Islamfrom their Western-postmodernperspective, defining it in terms offormal, institutionalized religion withits sacred text the Koran, commen-taries, and organized mosques.

Responding to Islam

Scripture mandates that we bringthem to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.But if we are to reach the Muslimworld with the Gospel, the pioneerof Reformed missions to Muslims,Dr. Samuel Zwemer, noted that wemust first know of it and know it. Tounderstand Islam we must begin bymaking distinctions of various kindsof Islam. There are fundamentalistMuslims as well as mystics andsecularists. The 1.2 billion Muslimsin the world are divided along threemajor groups: Sunni, Shi’ite, and

Folk IslamThe supreme need of the Moslem world is Jesus Christ. He alonecan give light to Morocco, unity to Persia, life to Arabia, re-birthto Egypt.”

Samuel Zwemer [1867-1952]

Sufi, each with their own branchesand subdivisions. But while theirleaders might be wholly committedto Islam, the ordinary Muslims areimpacted by folk Islam, a mixture offormal Islam and local animisticpractices and beliefs.

These beliefs contradict many for-mal aspects of the Islamic faith.They are, however, common andpermeate the every day life ofMuslims from Morocco to Malay-sia. In fact, in Arabia, Pakistan, andIndonesia most Muslims are folkMuslims. In other words, when Is-lam became the major religion inthese regions, animistic beliefs andpractices did not disappear, norwere they stamped out.

This folk Islam worldview builtupon and integrated with the every-day stresses and joys of ordinarypeople must be addressed in reach-ing Muslims with the Gospel. In hiscarefully documented book The

Unseen Face of Islam. Sharingthe Gospel with Ordinary Mus-lims, Bill Musk notes that the com-mitment to folk Islam by manyMuslims has remained mostly hid-den from or ignored as irrelevant byWestern missionaries. Not onlymust formal Islam be studied butFolk Islam as well. These two ex-pressions of Islam, tend to live eas-ily with one another. In fact, Musksays, that “both views may welloperate in veiled partnership withinany one single Muslim.” Muslimsmay attend mosques, but they alsogo to the shaman or thewitchdoctor.

In his book, The Influence of Ani-mism on Islam, Zwemer showshow Islam sprang up in pagan soiland retained many old Arabian be-liefs in spite of its vigorous mono-theism. Wherever Islam went, itintroduced old and new supersti-tions. Superstitions and animisticbeliefs still bind mind and heart withconstant fear of demons, withwitchcraft and sorcery and the callto creature worship.

Zwemer believed that the rapidspread of Islam in Africa and Ma-laya was largely due to its animis-tic character. His accounts revealthat many Muslims live in a worlddensely populated by an array ofgood and evil and earthly spiritswhich influence human affairs. Forexample, in the Philippines, ceremo-nies connected with rice plantingand harvesting, birth and death, arepart of the living routine for FilipinoMuslims. Much of the pre-Islamic,Malaysian belief systems and cus-tomary laws (adat), which are in-digenous to the people ofMindanao and Sulu, were simplycarried into Islam.

This folk Islamworldview of

ordinary people mustbe addressed in

reaching Muslimswith the Gospel.

April, 2002 21

Filipino Muslims conceive the worldas alive with spirits and make offer-ings to these spirits, the same wayas pagans do. They believe thatthese spirits relate not only to thephysical and mental well being of aperson, but also to the success andfailure in agriculture and business.For these Muslims their religiouspractices are nothing less than Is-lam. They believe that they arefaithful and true to the basic teach-ings of the Koran. There have beeninstances when foreign-fundamen-talist Islamic teachers have tried topoint out that many of their localreligious practices were un-Islamic,but in each case the local religiousleaders repudiated these chargesby saying that they (the foreigners)didn’t have a correct understandingof Islam.

The practice of animism extends tothe use of the Koran. Varioussurahs (chapters) and verses arereputed to be powerful for suchproblems as headaches, fevers,blindness, and toothaches. For ex-ample, Surah 113 is believed to be adeterrent to all sorts of disease.Surah 114 has the power to counterpsychic afflictions, and Surah 13 isa sure cure for headaches. Andthroughout the Islamic world, theKoran is used as a charm in itself.Miniature copies of the Koran arepinned on to children’s clothing astalismans. In Egypt a common say-ing is that Satan does not enter thehouse in which the Koran is recitedevery day. The act of recital keepsevil at bay.

Musk notes that such unorthodoxviews of the Koran are exagger-ated among Muslim populations forwhom Arabic is a foreign tongue.He observes that although the read-

ing of the Arabic Koran may beencouraged as an act of piety, itsobscurity in non-Arabic societieshelps promote an alternative view inits effects, where it is seen aspower and efficacious in a magicalsense.

The Saints of Folk Islam

In Folk Islam saints fulfill an impor-tant role. A major distinction is be-tween the dead and the livingsaints. Whitewashed, domedshrines dot the landscape of muchor rural Africa and the Middle East.

Both the corpses of saints and theirshrines - even the ground, water, orfoliage surrounding their graves -are endowed with large deposits ofbaraka. Folk Muslims believe it is amagical power that can be createdby ritual and manipulated for humanbenefit.

Anwarul Karim says, “It is the saintwho can avert calamity, cure dis-ease, procure children for the child-less, bless the efforts of the hunterand even improve the circum-stances of the dead.” In return,devotees express their gratitude

and dependence in the form ofvows, visits to shrines, and celebra-tion of saints’ days.

Living saints (pirs) are Muslimswho have progressed beyond theconfines of legalism. The pir is ex-pected to have almost magical pow-ers. Muslims believe that livingsaints are capable of performingmiracles. They are expected to ren-der certain services to believers.Bab Farid, a Pakistani saint, is saidto have cured incurable diseases,raised a dying man to life, converteddried dates into gold nuggets, and cov-ered vast distances in a moment.

Muhammad

For Muslims, the birth of theprophet Muhammad is one of themost important events in history.Veneration of the prophetMuhammad, including his relics, arepart of the religious devotion formultitudes of Muslims. InQandahar, Afghanistan, the cloakbelonging to Muhammad is trea-sured. The Topkapi Palace inInstanbul, Turkey displays an en-cased hair from the Prophet’sbeard. In Cairo, Egypt, the QaitbeyMausoleum houses a stone blockbearing the footprints of theprophet. His footprints marked inthe Dome of the Rock at Jerusalemare world famous. And his tomb inMedina is perhaps one of the great-est objects of veneration associatedwith Muslims devotion today.

Although the Koran stresses thehumanness of Muhammad, in real-ity he became deified. Theprophet’s biographer, MuhammadIbn Ishaq, a Muslim historian whodied about AD 768, passed on sto-ries of miracles, such as those in

There have beeninstances when

foreign-fundamentalist

Islamic teachers havetried to point out thatmany of their localreligious practiceswere un-Islamic,

but...

22

The Author of this article writesunder the alias of “DickWunnink” due to past threatsreceived from the Islamcommunity when writing aboutthis subject.

which Muhammad melted a rockwith a drop of water, or producedwater from a dried waterhole withan arrow.

Addressing Muhammad with bless-ing and prayers constitutes an im-portant feature in daily religious lifeof most Muslims. Musk observesthat orthodox Islam, although un-willing at times, has usually yieldedto the imagination and needs of theordinary Muslim’s heart concerningan object of devotion, a mediatorwith God, and a powerful answererof prayer. The key place ofMuhammad in Islam and his ven-eration by millions demonstrate thathe is believed to be more than aprophet. They ignore and distort thebasic facts of Christ’s life and pur-pose of His coming into this world.

In practice, Muhammad has sup-planted Christ in the mentality ofthe Muslim community. Islam,

therefore, poses for Christianity agreater problem than any other re-ligion or belief system. As Zwemerstates:

The sin and guilt of theMuhammad world is that theygive Christ’s glory to another,and that for all practicalpurposes Muhammad himselfis the Moslem Christ. JesusChrist is supplanted byMuhammad not only inMoslem world tradition and inthe hearts of the commonpeople who are ignorant andilliterate. He is supplanted inthe hearts of all Moslems byMuhammad. They are jealousfor his glory and resist anyattempt to magnify the gloryof Jesus Christ at the expenseof Muhammad.

The folk-Islamic view of the worldpresents a great challenge forChristian mission outreach minis-

They looked like they were alreadyin their seventies when I met them.The first time I visited them on thefarm I was amazed by the old ma-chinery they had. Not antique, but,like their owner, old and worn fromuse. But it worked. Year after yearAlfred and Alice farmed the littleplot of land they owned with thatold machinery, never asking forhelp from anyone. Unlike the otherfarms that surrounded them, theirsnever yielded a great crop.

Some people would consider Alfredand Alice to be dirt farmers be-

tries. The world of popular Islamdemonstrates the reality of thekingdom of darkness. Its demonicnature must be exposed and dealtwith. Christianity is the final religionand not Islam. The message ofChrist incarnate, crucified, risenand glorified has not changed andmust be proclaimed for the evange-lization of the Muslim world. Thetask of the Christian church then isnot only to show folk Muslims thattheir religion is without hope. Theymust be brought to the point thatthey realize that their spiritual needcan be met only in Jesus Christ,rather than in false teachings andpractices.

Wybren Oord

God’s People, My Parishcause of the small yield that theyreceived from their crops. Theywould just plod along, season afterseason, working the fields withtheir old machinery. And so, al-though they were happy and con-tent with their lives, Alfred andAlice were poor. So poor, somepeople said they didn’t have twopennies to rub together.

It didn’t take long for me to find outwhy. Whenever Alfred and Alicedid have two pennies to rub togetherthey would give one of them to thechurch. Not only in monetary form,

but also by their impact upon thechurch and the community. EverySunday they would drive their oldstation wagon to church, and afterevery worship service they wouldbe sure to welcome any visitorsthat were in church. It was a touch-ing sight to always see this frail,seventy-some year old farmer andhis wife talking one Sunday with acollege student, the next Sundaywith a seven year old child.

Not only were Alfred and Alicefaithful in their church attendance,they attended every meeting, everysociety, and every Bible Study thatthe church offered. If anyone was

April, 2002 23

2002 Men’s ConferenceBethany United Reformed Church

Plans are moving forward in preparation for the fourth annualMen’s Conference. It will be held on Friday evening, Sept. 27,and on Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Bethany United ReformedChurch, 5401 Byron Center Ave. S.W., Wyoming, Michigan(616.534.0006).

Four different speakers will center their thoughts on the theme:“An Everlasting Foundation.” This theme is found in Proverbs10:25: “When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more.But the righteous has an everlasting foundation” (NKJV). Thistext will be considered in conjunction with Psalm 11:3, where thePsalmist in his distress cries out: “If the foundations are de-stroyed, what can the righteous do?” (NKJV).

Men of all ages, married or single, will certainly be challengedby the insights given by the speakers as well as by the “RoundTable” question and answer sessions. You are urged to markyour calendars with plans to attend the Men’s Conference onSept. 27 and 28.

In these changing and uncertain times, we need to be groundedon the “Everlasting Foundation.”

Don’t miss out on the inspiration, food, and fellowship!

For more informationContact 2002 Men’s Conference Clerk

Craig Baker: E-mail: ca7baker@triton.net;Phone: (616) 795-8842

in the hospital, Alfred would visitthem while Alice would bring ameal to the family. If it was yourbirthday or anniversary, Alicewould call and congratulate you. Ifthere was anything to be done, theywould be there to help.

The time came when Alfred andAlice decided to retire. Theywanted to sell the machinery andmove into town. When the auctionflyer came out, most of the peoplethought it was kind of amusing.Most of the machinery would prob-ably wind up going straight to thejunk yard. And most of it did. It wasbasically sold as scrap metal.Alfred and Alice hardly madeenough to buy a cheap, run-downhouse in town.

But then something happened.People began remembering all thethings that Alfred and Alice haddone for them. Before the elderlycouple moved into town, a group ofpeople met at their new home andbegan painting, re-shingling, andbasically fixing up the place. Bymoving day, the house looked beau-tiful.

While they were on the farm I wasamong the many who often thought,if Alfred and Alice would havespent as much time on the farm asthey did running ‘errands’, theycould have been more successful.They would have been able to af-ford a house in town that didn’tneed so much work.

After they moved to town, I real-ized all the lives they had touchedwith their phone calls, their rhubarbdesserts, and their many visits. Idiscovered there were more waysthan one to count success. Successwas found in the joy it brought to

friends and neighbors to be able tobe a “big” help to this couple thathad done so many “little” things forthem.

Success is being content in theLord. Alfred and Alice were al-ways satisfied with what the Lordgave them. Anytime the Lord gavethem anything extra, they alwaysgave it back to Him. In that, theywere truly blessed by the Lord whofaithfully provided them with allthey needed. And through them, wewere blessed.

Alfred and Alice lived in that housefor many years. The yard was neverneat nor trim, but the garden neverhad a weed in it. And you couldalways count on a bag of veg-etables when they came in season.

Rev. Wybren Oord is the pastorof the Covenant UnitedReformed Church in Kalamazoo,Michigan.

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Denominational AffiliationReformed Fellowship, Inc.2930 Chicago Drive, SWGrandville, MI 49418-1176 U.S. Funds. Canada add 7% GST

Immanuel Chapel in Upton,Massachusetts is seeking a

full time pastor.

We are a small, confessionally Re-formed, congregational church locatedin central Massachusetts about an hourfrom Boston. The man of God’s choos-ing must possess the Biblical gifts nec-essary for preaching and teaching andmust have a love for His people. He alsomust be well-versed in the Scripturesand must support the Savoy Declara-tion of Faith (1658), a congregationalversion of the Westminster Confession.

Responsibilities include preaching atboth Sunday services, some teaching,and bringing Scriptural direction to theother activities of our church. We alsoemphasize home visitation by our elder-ship, which, would include the pastor.There is a parsonage on the churchproperty.

If you feel called to pursue this oppor-tunity, please submit to our search com-mittee the following documents (plain-text email is acceptable):

•Personal and family information in-cluding testimony of faith;

•Educational background;

•Ministry experience;

•List of 5-6 references.

Submit to Jason Poquette, 35 SunsetDrive, Whitinsville, MA 01588. Tele-phone: (508) 234-4366. Email:JPoquette@compuserve.com