Vol 26 Issue 12

MET IN SESSION, MARCH 1, 1950 AT HULL IOWA Chairman of the previous Classis, Rev. A. Petter, calls the brethren together in the auditorium of the Hull Church, and after singing Psalter No. 240, and reading I John 2 he offers prayer.

In our last installment in this department we called your attention to the fact that the lips and tongue play an important part in the believer’s prophetic calling. It is about this matter that we would call your attention somewhat more fully at this time. For the believer as a prophet of God is by no means one who simply receives revelation from God. He is the seer who has been caused to see things by God, but he is also one who reacts to what he sees. He is one who speaks concerning what he sees and hears.

We now pass on to the events narrated in chapter 8:1-14. As was stated, it is best to suppose that the wars and victories of which this section makes mention preceded the quiet at chapter 7:1, and David’s decision to build the Lord a house. Here the text states that David dwelt in his house and that the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies. We must now have regard to David’s victories over the heathen of which that rest was the crown.

As is well known in the circles of the Protestant Reformed Churches, there is a small struggling church in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Recently events of joy have transpired in her midst and it is of these that we would write at this time.

First, brother, I wish to reflect upon your article which appeared in the Concordia of Feb. 16, 1950, page 4. I quote the following paragraph which appears at the beginning of this article: “The reader may recall that at one time the Rev. Veldman demanded that we ban the concept of conditions. And I showed with reference to writings from him and from the Revs. Hoeksema and Ophoff that such banning as heretical would also adversely affect the Revs.

The next passage to which the Rev. Petter appeals as proof that faith is a condition which man must fulfill before God will give him salvation is taken from Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:21: “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Now also of this text the Rev. Petter offers no exegesis whatever.

In our last article under this heading we referred to Canons III, IV, 12, which speaks of regeneration. And at the close of that article we had several questions which we now shall discuss.

It is by no means with an unmixed feeling of joy that The Standard Bearer celebrates the twenty-fifth anniversary of the existence of our churches.