The Church order commentary

Front matter

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Book

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT

Introduction

The esteemed authors of this Commentary on the Church Order of the Christian Reformed Church have asked me to introduce their book to its readers by way of a foreword. In complying with their request I need not pause to acquaint you with the Church Order which they felt impelled to explain. The instrument is well known and its provisions are familiar to all the office-bearers and to many members of the church that operates under it.

It may not be superfluous, however, to observe that the document, familiar though its text may be, is not above the need of interpretation. Mere reading of the Church Order leaves that impression without fail; while its study is well calculated to raise the question: understandest thou what thou readest ? And to say no more, the execution of its several provisions on the part of the officers of the church, particularly on the part of those whose duty it is to administer the affairs of the church in its graduated series of assemblies, does not fail to bring home to them the need of a competent commentator. The extreme brevity of the Church Order and its predominantly archaic editorial cast are not unrelated to this situation.

The authors of the present volume must have prepared it under a sense of constraint. Each of them is crowded with pastoral labors as the regular Minister of a church. Moreover, both are engaged in journalistic activities. The book which they produced collaboratively is conclusive evidence that they took a far from inconsiderable burden upon themselves when they undertook to write it. True, they leaned heavily upon certain Dutch canonists whom they accordingly give due credit for aid rendered. But even so, their own labors as embodied in the sizeable book before you constitutes ample proof of a fine measure of industry, perseverance and devotion.

I have not been so informed by the respected authors of this Commentary, but I feel wholly confident nevertheless that they would have all their readers constantly bear in mind at least two pertinent facts as they turn to this volume for light. The first is that this is not an official, that is, synodically approved, commentary on the Church Order. It carries no more weight than the intrinsic correctness of the positions taken in the book will bear. And the second is that not all the views propounded by the authors command the assent of all who are able to judge of matters canonical.

A rather careful reading of this comparatively lengthy Commentary has convinced me that it will prove to be a very useful manual indeed, and that it will not fail to meet with the generous appreciation that it deserves. I cherish the desire that this Commentary may have a wide sale and that it may be consulted diligently and studied critically in the interest of soundly Reformed canonical theory and practice in the church which the authors dearly love and devotedly serve.

Grand Rapids, Mich. ,

S. VOLBEDA.

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