Exposition of reformed doctrine

Preface

The consciousness of the growing need of a book of the kind that is hereby ofTered to the public, has impelled the author to diffidently attempt to supply the need. In his own circle and outside the question was often asked: What book can we study to better acquaint ourselves with Reformed Doctrines in the American language? To this question no satisfactory answer could be given. The books that might be recommended are either too large and too technical or are in method of treatment so different from the usual method followed in our circles that they were not appreciated. What was sought was a book that treated Reformed Doctrine, especially of a Dutch type, in a form that is simple and easily comprehended, and in a method that is in harmony with the traditional methods in vogue among our Reformed people. As our people Americanize they want the sound teachings of their ancestors in a new language, and it is advisable that the same terms for the expression of religious truths be in use in our American circles as are employed in our Holland circles. Unity, harmony, and sympathy among the various parts of the same Church demand this. And since no work thus far meets these requirements, the author has felt called to attempt to furnish what he and others have so painfully lacked thus far.

The professional theologian will readily see that the author can make no claim to originality. He gladly confesses that what he offers is more a compilation from various sources than an original scientific product. The broad field of Reformed Theology has been so well cultivated that a young man, writing onlv a popular treatise, could not dare to make any claim of originality. The purpose has not been to write a theological text book, but rather to furnish a source of information for the average membership of our Churches. No peculiar theories have been prominently advanced, but the aim has been to present as objectively as possible the truths held and officially recognized in the Reformed Churches.

Instead of casting the contents of the various parts into the form of a discourse it has seemed most wise to employ questions and answers and then to extend the answers till a clear presentation of the subject was reached. The questions help to fix the mind on the precise nature of the subject, and they also aided the author to secure the needed quality of brevity. By following the usual order of Reformed Dogmatics the most systematic treatment was secured, and by the use of the index and of the subject index in the rear of the book, this work can be profitably used in connection with any book of catechetical instruction.

No serious efforts have been made to combat the views held by non-Reformed teachers of religious truths; only when modern surroundings seemed to make it absolutely necessary, and when the Reformed view could be best brought out by contrasting it with other views has space been given to the presentation and refutation of other teachings.

There is in many circles a growing laxity of seriousness in Christian life, and to the attentive observer this is the result and accompaniment of laxity in doctrine. Doctrines are the basis of our religious convictions. Where they are ignored or rejected vagueness and indifference must result. To help save our growing generations from the maelstrom of indifference and of false teachings the author has hopefully labored to gather the contents of this book.

The author wishes to acknowledge his heartiest thanks to Revs. J. W. Brink and H. Beets for their readiness to read his manuscript and for their valuable suggestions offered to him.

Aware that imperfections of various kinds attach to this work it is with hesitation offered to the public. May our Lord and Master make the good it contains to be useful in the home and the class room for the culture of faith and the coming of his glorious kingdom.

M. J. B.

Grand Rapids, May 39, 1907.

Introduction

What is Reformed Doctrine?

Reformed Doctrine is that system of the truths of divine revelation, obtained from the teachings of the word of God, which the Reformed Churches have declared to be the expression of their faith and have as such embodied in their Standards.

These Standards are the 37 articles of the Belgic or Netherland Confession of Faith, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of the Synod of Dordrecht, 1618-19.

A doctrine, also called a dogma, is not a mere conjecture, or a private opinion, but it is a statement of fact declared by God, a formulated proposition of the teaching of the word of God on any point.

The private opinion some one in the Reformed Churches may hold is not therefore Reformed Doctrine ; to be this, it must have been authoritatively recognized by the Reformed Churches, as the faith of these Churches.

Is the knowledge of Reformed Doctrine very necessary for us?

Yes, indeed. To understand and to love the Reformed Church, her teachings must be known, and a very strong type of Christian life will result from the proper appreciation of the Reformed system of doctrine. In many circles there is a decrying of all doctrines, which are presented as fetters to the freedom of thought. This view results from a misunderstanding of the meaning

INTRODUCTION of doctrines; they do not limit our thought, but declare to us what past generations have found to be the teaching of God's word, and if we love this word, the doctrines formulated by our Church will be appreciated by us as the expression of our own conviction, and they thus will be the banner of our faith.

No thinking person lives without some idea as to the value of religious teachings, and for us who have learned the meaning of our own Church's teachings, they are the molding thoughts of our religious life.

What other name is often given to the doctrines contained in our Reformed Creed?

They are often called Calvinistic, because they were in the days of the Reformation first systematically advanced by the great reformer, John Calvin.

What is the source of Reformed Doctrine?

The Holy Scriptures or the word of God.

The accepted standards of the Church are not the source of Reformed doctrines, they are formulated statements of these doctrines, which have been obtained from the teachings of Scripture.

Divine revelation has been historically and gradually given to the church on earth, and so the teachings of God on any one point are often scattered throughout the whole Bible. The Reformed Churches have summed up and systematized this teaching in their doctrines.

Our doctrines are, therefore, binding on us, because they are the teachings of God's word, wherein God has revealed himself to us and has declared the relations of the creatures to himself. This divine revelation has made possible our systematic view of the truth.

Do all christians accept our view of divine revelation?

No, a difference of view as to the meaning of divine revelation has caused the christians to be divided into

INTRODUCTION various groups. There are three main groups. Protestants, Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox.

Among the Protestants there are again various bodies, as the Reformed, Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, etc. The principal Reformed Churches in this country are the German Reformed, Dutch Reformed and Christian Reformed. The last two are both of Dutch origin. All these groups have certain creeds in common, known as the Eucumenical creeds: the Apostle's creed, and those of Nicea, Chalcedon and Athanasius. Besides these, nearly every group or denomination has its own peculiar expression of faith.

Which are the principal non-christian systems of religion?

Judaism, Mohammedanism, and various forms of heathen religion, as Confucianism, Buddhism, Fetishism, etc.

None of these know of God as revealed in Christ, and cannot, therefore, direct its followers in the way of eternal life.

These non-christian religions are often known as false religions; they are a perversion of the divinely revealed religion.

All true religion needs a condescending revelation of God to man. This was originally given, and has been preserved for us in the Bible. The heathen have lost this revelation, and are now wandering in darkness. The original desire of man for worship of God is not, however, entirely lost, there is still a need of God and a seeking after him. In their darkness, different heathen come to different ideas of God and of the proper method of serving him. Usually some great mind among them gives direction to the popular religious life, especially if

4 INTRODUCTION

his teaching be in harmony with the main tendency of a people's character.

All non-christian religions are unfit for world-wide acceptance, they are by their very nature bound to certain localities, and will, in course of time, be discarded in favor of Christianity.

What main divisions must we make in treating our Reformed doctrine?

A proper treatment requires the following division :

CHAPTER I. Sources of the Knowledge of God

Knowledge of God from Nature.

Is there more than one source of our knowledge of God?

Yes, we have a two-fold revelation of God, one given in nature, and the other in Scripture, sometimes known as a general and a special revelation.

This two-folfd revelation is eminently adapted to man's need and capacit}^ that man might know something of his God, and his will. Of course God's revelation of himself is not a full expression of himself, for in God is an infinite fullness of perfection, which is greater than God can reveal to us, and than we are capable of receiving. But God has given us a revelation of himself, sufficient for us to honor and enjoy him.

Are there some who deny that God can be known?

The Atheist even denies the very existence of God.

The Agnosticist professes not to be able to know whether there is a God or not, he declares God is unknowable.

The Pantheist identifies God and the world. He claims there is no personal God who can be known by us as distinct from the world.

How may the knowledge of God from nature be distinguished?

As innate and acquired knowledge.

By innate knowledge, we mean a natural intuitive impression in our souls that there is a God, so that we, upon first hearing of him, naturally consent to believe there is a Supreme Being. This innate knowledge is not a clear idea of God, nor is it the result of reasoning, it is rather the capacity to know God, and the spontaneous recognition that there must be a God. This innate knowledge fits man for the reception of the revealed knowledge.

The acquired knowledge is that which we have gained from God's revelation in nature, from all material things, from the laws and forces of nature, from the history of the past, as well as from all the intellectual and moral qualities in ourselves and others.

Ps. 19:1: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork."

Romans 1:19, 20: "Because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the w^orld are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity."

Acts 14:17: "And yet he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave you from heaven, rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness."

How do we argue to prove from nature that there is a God?

1. When we behold the world with its various changes Ave conclude there must be a first cause to have produced this world, this first cause we believe to be a Avise, powerful, benevolent Supreme Being: God.

2. The system, order and beauty of the world and all its parts, persuade us that there is an intelligent

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD FROM NATURE 7

Supreme Being, who governs everything according to a definite purpose.

3. Our moral sensibilities, that is, our conscience, our sense of right and wrong, our feeling of responsibility, our fear of death, our conviction that right must triumph, — all leads us to the persuasion that there is One who has created and maintains our moral order.

4. The irrepressible tendency in human nature to believe in some mysterious superintending power, with the result that among all kinds of people there is some form of religious worship.

5. The existence of the Bible can never be accounted for if there be no God, for its contents is beyond the invention of man.

Are these arguments convincing for everybody?

No, they do not convince those who will not or cannot see their force. But the existence of God and our faith in Him does not depend on our ability to furnish indisputable evidence to sinful reason of man that God exists. To the unbiased mind, which has no preconceived theory, it is most natural to believe that God is; and for the sanctified mind, which looks upon nature in the light of special revelation, the whole world is full of the glory of God. Our conviction that God is, comes first of all from the faith in his word, though the christian does appreciate the above arguments.

The revelation of God in nature does not speak to us of Christ, of grace and salvation. Therefore, to know God unto salvation, we need a special revelation.

Knowiedge of Qod from the Holy Scriptures.

Wherein is God's special revelation contained?

In the Holy Scriptures, or the Bible.

How did God g^ant us this special revelation?

Through various revelations of himself to man, and through inspiration of the writers of the books of the Bible.

His revelation was given in various ways ; through dreams, visions, appearances of angels, direct communication, inward suggestion, and by the appearance of Christ in the flesh.

Heb. I :i, 2: "God, having of old times spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son."

At this point it is well to note the difference between revelation and inspiration. Through revelation, God made known himself and his truth to those whom this revelation was granted; through inspiration, God infallibly guided the writers of the Scriptures to write his revelation, and thereby to preserve it for every age. Sometimes revelation and inspiration was enjoyed by the same person, sometimes, however, revelation was granted to one person and later committed to writing by another person, inspired for this purpose.

Was God's revelation always preserved in writing?

No, Moses was the first inspired writer, about 1500 before Christ. Before his time, the knowledge of God's revelation was preserved by tradition from one generation to another. People were fewer in number, lived longer, and were less scattered, so that it was then more possible to preserve the truth of revelation by tradition than it would be now. The other inspired writers were Prophets, Apostles and Evangelists, who wrote the Old Testament in Hebrew, and the New Testament in Greek.

What did God do in inspiring the writers of the Bible?

Through the working of the Holy Spirit, he prompted

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD FROM HOLY SCRIPTURES 9

them to write, informed them what to write, and directed them in the use of the exact words required.

II Pet. 1 :2i : 'Tor no prophecy ever came by the will of man ; but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit."

Did the Holy Spirit cause each writer to express himself in the same way?

No, the Spirit gives to each person peculiar natural qualities, and he made use of each person's qualities when he inspired him. The writers were not mere tools or machines used by the Spirit, as if their minds and hands were used unconscious to themselves. They consciously wrote as they did, and upon all they wrote was the stamp of each person's peculiarity. David was privileged with poetical gifts, and, therefore, the Spirit caused him to express in poetical language the truth of God ; his writings are different in style from those of Paul, whose style is again expressive of his character.

Why do we believe all the books of the Bible to have been inspired?

1. Because of their own witness to this fact.

II Pet. I .21 : ''For no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit."

II Tim. 3:16: "Every Scripture is inspired of God, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness."

2. Because the Jews generally in the time of Christ's sojourn on earth, held the view that their sacred writings had been produced by men divinely inspired. In addressing those holding such an estimate of those writings, Christ never cautioned them on this account, but, on the contrary, sanctioned their belief. Christ as well as the Apostles accepted the Old Testament as the word of God.

Matt. 4:4: ''But he answered and said: It is written."

Luke 24:27: "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."

As to the Scriptures of the New Testament, Christ promised his disciples the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth.

John 14:26: "But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all I said unto you."

Luke 10:16: "He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me." Acts 2:4; Gal. i :8; I Thess. 2:13. The teachings of the apostles were not less divine than that of Christ himself, for they were guided into all truth by the Holy Spirit, who can make no mistake.

3. Because of their contents and influence.

Here we would mention the prophecies and types of the Old Testament, fulfilled in the New ; the mysteries of the holy Trinity, the union of the divine and human natures in Christ, the plan of salvation, and other mysteries beyond the reach of human invention. Further, the fact that the Bible contains nothing but truth, with no mixture of error, and is a perfect guide for faith and morals, far superior to the writings of any human being.

The contents also shows that it is a whole, a unity.

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD FROM HOLY SCRIPTURES 11

Written by over forty writers, during more than fifteen hundred years, in three languages, by men on every plane of social life, from shepherd and fisherman to kings, the books, nevertheless, form a unity. Back of the human hands we must, therefore, recognize the Master-mind of God.

The influence of the Bible, saving, purifying and transforming human lives, also proves that it is the word of God, the instrument of the Holy Spirit. Many efforts have been made to destroy the Bible, but it has a mightier hold on the world now than ever before.

4. Because of the testimony of the Holy Spirit to the heart of the believer, confirming the teaching of the Scriptures.

John 7:17: "If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself."

I John 5 :7 : "And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth."

By the testimony of the Holy Spirit, we mean that the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Scriptures and by his leading of our lives, confirms the teachings of the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit and the Scriptures agree in everything, because the teachings of the Scriptures are originally those of the Holy Spirit. In their description of the sinner, of the way of salvation, of Christian life, etc., the Scriptures harmonize exactly with what the Holy Spirit causes God's people to see and experience in their own lives. Thus the testimony of the Holy Spirit confirms the Scriptures and the more the Spirit controls us the more will we agree with the Bible.

For an unbeliever this argument may have little weight, because he is a stranger to the working of the Holy Spirit in his heart.

How must he, therefore, value the Bible?

As God's word. It is not sufficient to say : God's word is in the Bible, because this statement leaves room for the idea that part of the Bible is not God's word, and if it is not, who will determine what is inspired and what is not? This would leave us no certainty. We recognize that not all contained in the Bible was originally spoken by God, there are f. i., words of Satan and of evil men in Scripture, but the writers of the Scriptures were inspired to write even these down.

Because they are God's word the Scriptures are the only infallible rule of faith and life, and in every sphere of life they must have supreme authority.

How many books does the Bible contain?

Sixty-six: 39 in the Old Testament, and 27 in the New Testament.

The 39 of the Old Testament contain 17 historical, 6 poetical and 16 prophetical books. The 27 of the New Testament contain 5 historical books, 21 epistles and i prophetical book.

What do these books together form?

The Canon — Canon means rule — and canonical books contain the infallible rule of faith and life.

The Roman Catholic Church has added to these canonical books, others known as Apocryphal, old writings, which date from a time near that of the origin of the canonical. The Protestant Churches have rejected these as not being of divine authority, because they were not accepted by the Jewish and early Christian church, and because they contain errors and statements contrary to the teachings of the canonical books.

Are the Scriptures plain or obscure?

They are plain in those things needed for salvation. There are mysteries in God's word, which we can know,

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD FROM HOLY SCRIPTURES 13 but never entirely comprehend, as the doctrine of the Trinity, etc. ; there are other things difficult to understand, but they are, nevertheless, plainly revealed, and with the illumination of the Spirit, can be imderstood, if we will diligently study. In the things needed for salvation the Scriptures are, however, very comprehensible for all of average intelligence.

Is the careful reading and study of the Bible necessary?

Indeed it is, for God has not revealed himself and the way of salvation for us in anything else as he has in the Bible.

A very good custom is the reading of the Bible at stated times, at family worship, and at other times, collectively and individually. May our succeeding generations continue the good custom of our forefathers in this respect. Our lives will then be informed, nourished, and strengthened by the word of God.

It is a serious mistake to let the reading of other literature rob us of our time and inclination to read the Bible. We then neglect the best, to content ourselves with the poorer and often the worst.

But as we read, may we ever remember the need of the Holy Spirit to illuminate our minds, that we may appreciate the riches before us; sincere prayer must accompany Bible reading.

Ps. 119:105: ''Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." John 20:31 ; I Cor. 2:6-16,

When and by whom were the English translations of the Bible made?

The Authorized or King James' Version was completed in 161 1. This translation was made by fifty-four English scholars, who were appointed by King James the First.

Before this, translations had been made into English, the principal ones of which were those of Wycliffe, 1382, and of Tyndale, 1526. These two translations were not allowed to be spread by the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church. Many who bought them were persecuted, and Tyndale himself was put to death as a martyr, while his Bibles were sought out and publicly burned. The Bibles of Wycliffe and Tyndale, however, had greatly changed public opinion, and paved the way for an open and free distribution of the Bible, so that only a few years after Tyndale's death, the Bible was first published by royal authority, 1539. Other versions were those of Coverdale, Matthews and Taverner. These versions, as well as the later King James' Version, were based on Tyndale's translation.

The King James' version has been the popular Bible of all English speaking people to this day. It is beautiful for its simple Anglo-Saxon and its purity of language. But since it was published, in the early part of the seventeenth century, many of its expressions are a little obsolete. Because of this, and particularly because there have been discovered more ancient manuscripts of the Bible than the translators of the King James' Version had in their day, and which are considered more trustworthy than later manuscripts, and also because of the better understanding of the original languages in our day, it was deemed advisable to again have a new version. The movement for this was started in England in 1870; a company of 65 English and 34 American scholars of various denominations began the new translation, and finished it in 1885. This is known as the English revised version.

In 1891 the American scholars of the joint committee published a revision, incorporating the readings and

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD FROM HOLY SCRIPTURES 15

renderings proposed by them, and which the English revisers had not adopted in the text, but printed in an appendix.

The main difference between the English and American revisions are: The American version retains the name Jehovah instead of translating it as Lord or God. It is more uniform in the translation and use of other words. It has modernized some expressions passed over by the English revision, and in many cases prefers the readings of the King James' Version to those of the English revision. It is safe to say that the American revision is the latest and best result of Christian scholarship in translating the Bible into the English language.

Are there any who accept another rule of faith and life than the Scriptures?

Yes:

1. The Rationalists, who teach that human reason is the proper guide in matters of faith and life.

Not all, who practically are rationalists, are called by this name, but all who accept their own judgments rather than the plain teachings of Scripture are really rationalists.

The Reformed believer also ascribes great authority to reason, but not supreme authority. Reason may weigh the evidence adduced in favor of any religious truth, must ascertain the meaning and importance of any statement in revelation, and may, within certain limits, exercise what may be called a "veto power," forbidding the acceptance of teachings that are self-contradictory or are contradictory to ascertained truth. But reason alone is not reliable, it has been darkened by our fall in sin. That it is not reliable is evident from the hopeless position of those who arrogantly follow the decisions of reason: they are never agreed among themselves, the one spurning what the other holds dear, and all are ever seeking, but never rest confident in the positive conviction of knowing the truth.

11. The Roman Catholic, who adds to the Scriptures :

1. The apocryphal writings.

2. Tradition, certain alleged teachings of Christ and the Apostles, not recorded, but transmitted orally and endorsed by the rulers of the church.

3. Since 1870 official decisions of the Pope in all questions of faith and morals,

III. The Quakers add to the Word what they call inner light.

IV. Many advocates of so-called New Theology make much of what they term christian consciousness as rule of faith and life.