Returning to the Basics of Reformed Worship (3) The Purpose of the Church

The above heading, Retuning to the Basics

of Reformed Worship is the subtitle of the book With Reverence and Awe co-authored by D.G. Hart and John R. Muether.* In two previous articles we have been following the layout of this book and focusing on the need for returning to the basics of worship. In this context we covered the connection between theology and worship and we stated that historically reformed worship has always flowed from Reformed theology. Soundness of doctrine goes hand-in-hand with what is appropriate in worship. If our worship differs markedly from the ways in which Reformed believers have worshipped in the past, then there is a good chance that our theology has also changed or it no longer governs our corporate worship. Next we proceeded to take a look at the relationship between the Church and the world. We reviewed the church-growth movement with its primary aim of attracting newcomers with their so-called “seeker sensitive ministry.” The consequence of this “seeker sensitive ministry” is that worship

becomes the means to attract the un-churched or unbelievers to church, and the focus of worship is directed to fulfilling the real or imagined needs and preferences of the throng of “seekers” that enters the church building. Worship is then directed to pleasing man instead of pleasing God. What

is forgotten or ignored is that true worship must be explicitly theocentric. If not, it tends to be directed toward pleasing man, whether believer or unbeliever. Then it has lost the Reformed conviction that Gods ways and his Word must shape our service of worship. Since our topic was The Church and the

World, we touched on the matter of the “separateness” of the Church from the world, and the reality that if the distinction between the church and the world is lost, the power of the Church is gone. We answered some questions: What is the Church? What is the world? We observed that Churches now seem to be more concerned about winning the approval of the world and less on guard against conforming to the world. That led to the theme of holiness versus worldliness. To be holy means that we are not worldly, because we are set apart, not conformed to the world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2) Worldliness refers to the many things the people of the world normally engage or participate in. It is a way of living and a way of life that fallen humanity (the “world”) substitutes for God’s holy ways. Finally, we observed that the church is by nature antithetical to the world. It has the duty to fight worldliness. The church is at

war with the world. The contrast between the church and the world will be most obvious when the church is at worship, and this very act of worship is the church’s renunciation of the world. For believers, the church at worship is the real world. "User-friendly" or "seeker-sensitive" worship is not an option for the people of God. In fact, worship that demonstrates the separateness of the church testifies to the world of the

hope that is within us. True worship is for the church, not for the world. The foregoing short summary of our two previous installments leads to further reflection on the purpose of the church and the purpose of worship. This time our primary focus will be on the first point, the purpose of the church, even though it will inevitable bring also the matter of worship into the discussion.

Differing Points of View

What is the purpose of the church? What is the church’s responsibility to the world? When we look for answers to these questions we soon recognize that there are differing and/or conflicting points of view. There are those who take the view that the church is primarily a tool for the transformation of the world’s culture. The primary purpose of the church then becomes the exercise of social influence. Others believe that the purpose of the church is not to save the world, but to save God’s people from the world. The task of the church then becomes focused on the ministry of the Word and the need to order life by what

Christ has ordained. And, as discussed in our previous installment, there is also the church-growth movement. For church-growth proponents, the primary purpose of the church is growth by attracting newcomers. In spite of the obvious differences between how the purpose of the church is viewed, there is commonality in a shared commitment to fulfilling the Great Commission. Therefore to understand the purpose of the church, it is helpful and necessary to come to a good understanding of the Great Commission.

The Great Commission

The Great Commission is found in the last chapter of Matthew, where we find Christ’s command to his disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). The differing views on the purpose of the church clearly show that the meaning of Christ's words are not readily understood by or realized by many who call themselves Christians.

Also in the Reformed camp there is often confusion and misunderstanding about the Great Commission. What is frequently

forgotten is that the Great Commission is not given to individuals but to the Church. (Matthew 16:17-19). In With Reverence and

Awe we read: “Rightly understood, the Great Commission is the task of the church… After all, the commission directs us to baptize. The sacrament of baptism is given to the church, to be administered only by her officers. Frequently office is disparaged in the interest of promoting the "priesthood of believers." However, the priesthood of believers doesn't mean that all believers are pastors or ministers, and the general office in the church should not swallow up the special offices of minister, elder, and deacon. The church is not a human

invention. God ordained it for the task of the Great Commission that Christ gave to the apostles.”* Another problem surrounding the Great Commission is to mistake it simply as a command to evangelize. That is the very common and frequently encountered error whereby the Great Commission becomes in

effect a proof-text for both foreign missions and door-to-door evangelism. Again a quote: “The Great Commission is not only about evangelism, nor is it mainly about evangelism. It is bigger. We must indeed proclaim the gospel to the lost and desire that converts come to Christ. But that is not the only function of the church, and it is certainly not the focus of its worship.”*

Discipleship

“The Great Commission itself suggests something very different. The main verb in the Greek is not go (which is a modifying participle), but disciple (which is the imperative). The text literally reads, "as you go, disciple, by teaching and baptizing." This points us to the truth that salvation involves far more than conversion. It involves becoming a disciple of Christ. The goal of the church is not to extend the gospel message to everyone or to bring more folks through the doors of our churches. Rather, it should be exactly what Christ commands here: ‘teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.’ This aim of the church's ministry is discipleship.” If discipleship is in fact the aim or purpose of the church what exactly is discipleship? We can make use of an older and perhaps more familiar phrase—Christian nurture—to describe the process of discipleship. “In this sense discipleship means being conformed to the whole counsel of God as it is revealed in his only begotten Son. It trains God's people for good works and sustains them with spiritual food for their pilgrimage in the wilderness of this world. It trains the people of God in resisting worldliness.”*

“This understanding of the Great Commission provides an important context for considering worship. The assembly of God's people is not a time to recharge the batteries of all God's people so they can go out during the week and do the real work of the church either through personal evangelism or fellowship in small-group ministries. Instead, worship is essential to the health of every believer. It is a time when Christians are discipled by God's Word as it is preached, as it is signified and sealed in the sacraments, and as it provides the substance of the church's prayers. Worship is not merely wise; it is necessary for discipleship.”* So what does all this have to do with returning to the basics of Reformed worship? Simply put, if we have an incorrect view of what the Great Commission is, and a wrong understanding of what discipleship really means, then more than likely we are already traveling the road that leads away from the ways in which Reformed believers have worshipped in the past. Then there is indeed an urgent need to return to the basics of Reformed worship.

The Marks of the True Church

As Reformed believers we are very familiar with the marks of the true church. It is therefore noteworthy that there is a direct connection made between the Great Commission and the marks of the true church: We read: “Discipling, teaching, and baptizing—together, these elements of the Great Commission describe what the Reformers understood to be the marks of the true church: the preaching of the Word ("teaching.. . all that I commanded you"), the administration of the sacraments ("baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit"), and the exercise of discipline ("make disciples"). The Great Commission, then, is a description of the true church fulfilling her mandate. The ministries of Word, sacrament,

and prayer disciple God's people. This is the ministry that God has promised to bless, when at the end of the Great Commission our Lord said, "... and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20).”* It is good to be made aware that “contemporary confusion about the Great Commission arises from two fundamental mistakes. The first is an unwillingness to believe God's promise to use the church and things the world considers foolish to accomplish his purpose of reaching the lost… The second mistake comes from

understanding the church and its worship merely as vehicles for evangelism. The goal and purpose of the church is to make disciples.”*

In Summary

We mentioned that in discussing the purpose of the church we would inevitably wind-up with also bringing the matter of worship into the discussion. That is also now the reality, and that will lead us, DV, into the subject for the next time, the purpose of worship. For now we end with this quote about evangelism and the Great Commission: “Evangelism is only part of the commission Christ gave to his church. If we take the church's responsibility to disciple more

seriously, we will not tailor our worship to win the approval of the world. Instead of dumbing it down, we need to have our worship wise up. Through worship God disciples his people. Good worship, worship that is faithful to the Great Commission, will not shy away from teaching all that Christ has commanded. Thus, it is the church, and specifically the church at worship, that fulfills the Great Commission.”*

Ron Dykstra * With Reverence and Awe – Returning to the Basics of Reformed Worship - D.G. Hart and John R. Muether, P&R Publishing.

CHRIST’S CHURCH AND OUR CALLING

Rev. Dr. R. Dean Anderson, 27 March 2008

It is the duty of all believers, according to the Word of God, to separate from those who

do not belong to the Church and to join this assembly (of God’s true Church) wherever

He has established it. They should do so even though the rulers and edicts of princes

were against it, and death or physical punishment might follow.

(Belgic Confession, Art. 28)

That is no small thing! It is important to ensure that one is at the correct church address. It is so important, according to the confession that you will even have to risk death because of it. And this is not just idle talk, since at the time these words were written it often came to that. Every Sunday morning you and your family had to make a choice; either go to the Roman Catholic church and listen to a sermon from a priest, or go to the Reformed church—and in those days the Reformed church was strictly off limits. You could be dragged off to prison just for having Reformed literature in your house. We may pose a number of questions here: Why was the choice of church so important? As long as you served God uprightly in your own heart and you didn’t pay any attention to all those unbiblical superstitions, couldn’t you, for the sake of the preservation of your life and that of your family, go to the Roman Catholic church? Maybe the priest was also someone who only wanted only to follow the Bible and didn’t care very much about what the pope thought—what would be wrong with that then? In the confession the issue is not the belief of the individual person in the congregation or in the church. The issue is also not what a particular minister or priest might happen to think. Rather, the issue is about the church being church. The confession holds that there are some churches which must be called “false.” Now that word “false” sounds very strong. In this context it actually means nothing other than “illegitimate,” i.e. a church that Christ no longer recognizes as a legitimate gathering of His sheep, We may ask if it is possible, that Christ sometimes refuses to recognize churches as legitimate gatherings. Many people from the Hervormde Church (the large state church in the Netherlands) don’t think so. They say: The church always remains a church of Christ. She is our mother—even if she becomes seriously ill (through false teaching). You cannot abandon a sick mother! And yet those same ‘Hervormde’ people have surely abandoned the Roman Catholic church? Astonishingly enough, many don’t think so! Some time ago I spoke with Rev. Van Spanje (from the ‘Hervormde’ church) who was holidaying in Katwijk (whenever I speak with a ‘Hervormde’ minister I cannot resist speaking about the doctrine of the church). Rev. Van Spanje explained that many, including himself, had learned at Sunday school and Catechism classes that the Reformed people had been forced out of the

Roman Catholic church. They were taught that you must never leave a church of your own free will. He did admit that this was somewhat of a coloured view of history. What should we say to this? Luther was indeed thrown out of the Roman Catholic church. But that is not what happened to the Reformed people. Just as our Confession states, it is the duty of every believer to leave an unlawful church and to join himself to a lawful (= true) church. Rev. Van Spanje readily admitted that ‘Hervormde’ people often skip over this part of their own history. In ‘Hervormd’ circles this part of the confession is quietly ignored.

Personal Faith

But let us return to the original question. Is the address of the church truly as important as our confession makes out? Isn’t it sufficient to have an upright personal faith and to belong to a reasonable local congregation? A personal faith that comes from an upright heart is truly essential. Each one of us must personally learn to depend on Jesus Christ. We must learn to praise and thank Him for the forgiveness of our sins. Christ has paid the ultimate penalty for each one of us. Christ, not ourselves, was crucified for our sins. And, miracle of miracles, we learn that He has given us that personal faith and regularly feeds it with His Word and Spirit. There is then a sudden change from “us” to “God.” When we have received that living faith in our hearts, we have a personal relationship with God. It cannot be otherwise. For then Christ lives in our hearts through His Spirit. Then the Holy Spirit is part of our lives. That’s why the Bible warns us as believers: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Eph. 4:30). The Spirit places God’s mark on us. On the last day we may show that mark and exclaim, “Look! I am a person for whom Christ has paid!” But if we have such a personal relationship with God through faith, then the objection may be raised that we won’t loose that relationship just by going to another—what one might call a “false” or unlawful—church. That is true, but that is not the issue here. It is true that we could pray to God in such an unlawful church and we could praise and thank Him there. But the point at issue is something quite different. We must ask ourselves the question whether we are sitting in a gathering that Christ recognizes as His church. You can go and sit anywhere and praise God. And Christ, if you have true faith, will continue to acknowledge you as one of His sheep. But we need to ask ourselves the question whether He acknowledges the gathering we are in as His church. That is what is at issue. That Christ recognizes us as one of His sheep, is not the same thing as saying that He recognizes the church we are in as a legitimate gathering of His sheep. We might decide to ask ourselves whether this is an important question. The first thing we must say in answer is that true faith is underlined by the desire to obey and follow Jesus Christ in everything. If He asks us to honour Him in the church that He acknowledges as His own, then that’s what we will want to do.

This leads us to the question as to what Christ’s church is. Many people turn very quickly to the text: “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt. 18: 20) And, indeed, Christ does say that, but He is not speaking here about His church. In that passage He is speaking to His disciples and promises them that when they follow the procedure for discipline (Matt. 18:15-20) He will be with them. The “two or three” are witnesses concerning the un-forgiven sin of a straying brother.1

What is Christ’s Church?

The confession correctly states that the church is the gathering of true believers, and a gathering that God wishes to establish in every local place (cf. Lev. 23:3 where God commands believers to gather locally to worship Him every sabbath day). In fact the Greek word for church, ecclesia, means just that, “assembly” or “gathering.” Literally it refers to people who are “called out” (i.e. of their homes) in order to gather together. In the Bible, this word never refers to a church building. The essence of the church is its gathering together for worship, although the church remains church even outside the worship services (cf. Acts 8:3). We see here that the word “church” in the New Testament almost always refers to the local congregation.2 Just before His ascension into heaven the Lord Jesus gave His great missionary mandate to His disciples. They were charged to go into the whole world with the gospel. After Pentecost this mandate was to be put into practice. That was the beginning of the New Testament era of the church. We read about the institution of these new churches of Christ in every town and city in the Book of Acts. We see the apostles traveling, preaching, and instituting churches. Churches were instituted by establishing a gathering of believers over which elders were placed who, in the name of Christ, shepherded this congregation (= gathering). The elders bear the final responsibility for such a local congregation or church (Hebr.13:17). It is of such a local church that we all are members. Each local church is a complete church of the Lord Jesus Christ, His body (cf. I Cor. 10: 17; 12: 12ff. and especially v. 27). How Does Christ Indicate Recognition of His Churches? If we are members of Christ’s church, then we have also received responsibilities from Him. As a member of His church we are obligated to use our gifts for the up-building of this congregation, we must help ensure that Christ receives His rightful honour and that sin isn’t tolerated among His flock. Christ rules over His local churches. When these churches as congregations fall into hardened and unrepentant sin, Christ requires us to secede for He no longer recognizes such bodies as His churches. This fact is shown quite vividly by several New Testament examples. In the first place we should consider the example of Acts 18:5-8. Here we read of how Paul came to Corinth and, as was his custom, began preaching the gospel of Christ in the local synagogue. Only when they rejected Jesus as the true Messiah did he (and those who followed his preaching) leave and establish a new church. This reminds us of the fact that in every new town or city of the diaspora Paul came to, he always considered the local synagogue to be the true church of God. The synagogues of the diaspora (unlike those in Judaea) had not yet been confronted with the preaching of Christ and therefore

could not be held accountable for not yet having accepted Him in faith. Only after having been confronted with the preaching of Christ, and having rejected Him, did Paul consider a secession to be necessary. The new local church of God (the Father of Jesus Christ) was established next door in the house of Titius Justus. The leader of the synagogue joined this secession church. From now on there would be two churches in Corinth claiming to be the true churches of God, namely the local Jewish synagogue who rejected the idea that Jesus was God’s Son, and the Pauline church which accepted Jesus Christ. In the second place we might consider Paul’s letter to the Galatians. When Paul wrote his letter to the churches in the region of Galatia he was very upset. Churches which he had founded through his preaching had subsequently gone over to a Judaistically modified form of the gospel. After Paul had left other Judaistic preachers had come with their “corrections” to Paul’s gospel and the Galatian churches had followed them.3 The apostle Paul calls those that accept and live by this new teaching “accursed.” The Galatians have been “bewitched” for if they accept this new doctrine—despite the fact that the Judaisers appear still to have believed in Christ and His crucifixion for sins—Christ benefits them nothing and they are “severed” from Him (see Gal. 1:6-10; 2:21—3:2; 5:2-5). Now we should try and put ourselves in the shoes of a member of one of these congregations. We know from church history that many of them did not heed the call of Paul to repent.4 A church member who desired to be faithful to the apostle Paul would be faced with the fact that the doctrine his church preached led men to be severed from Christ and accursed! He would have little choice but to secede and begin a congregation which faithfully followed the teachings of the true apostles. And, once again, we know from church history that this is precisely what happened. A typical town in the region of Galatia therefore ended up with three different churches, each claiming to be true churches of God, namely, the local synagogue of Jews and proselytes who refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, a Judaistic Christian church, and a church faithful to the teaching of the apostle Paul. The work of the devil attempting to destroy Christ’s church was evident right from the beginning, and the New Testament shows us how important it is to take a stand for the truth, even if that means secession upon secession.5

The third example, or rather set of examples, come from the letters to the seven churches in Rev. 2-3. In Rev. 1:9-20 John saw a vision of the glorified Jesus walking in the middle of seven golden lamp-stands, the seven churches of Asia Minor. In chapters two and three Christ writes letters to the seven congregations.6 Some of the congregations are comforted, some are warned. Of importance to our topic are the warnings. We may take, for example, the congregation in Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7). She had lost her first love (v. 4) and the Lord calls her to repentance. He then says, “If not, I will come to you and remove your lamp-stand from its place, unless you repent.” (v. 5). We have already seen that the lamp-stand was defined in chapter one as the church itself (Rev. 1:12-13, 20). Jesus threatens them therefore with the removal of that status. They face the prospect of no longer being recognized by Jesus as His church. If they do not

repent, they may well continue to gather together to conduct worship services and may well still consider themselves to be a church of Jesus Christ, but Christ will say, “I have removed my lamp-stand! I no longer walk in your midst!” Christ gives a similar warning to the church at Laodicea. He reproves them for being neither hot nor cold. They have no zeal for the gospel. And thus we read the warning: “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.” In effect this amounts to the same threat. Christ will no longer acknowledge this church as His congregation. In the same way as for the churches in Galatia, congregational members who desired to remain faithful to Christ would need to actively work at changing the course of their erring church. But if the hearts of the majority of congregation harden against Christ’s word, they need to separate themselves to avoid coming under Christ’s judgment. The church that would be left behind would, most likely, continue to call itself a church of Christ. Likely there would still be true sheep of Christ left behind, sheep who have not yet seen that Jesus no longer acknowledges that congregation as His church. That would be a sad thing, and one would certainly need to do his best to convince those believers that Jesus wants to be served in a church which He recognizes, a church which remains true to His Word. It is, of course, not always easy to determine that a church is no longer acknowledged by Christ. Jesus does not give direct revelation about this. We do not receive a vision concerning this, or get a message from an angel. We are left to determine the matter for ourselves on the basis of what Christ has revealed about His church and His gospel in His Word. But if we notice that a church refuses to repent we may not hold out until a new generation appears. The warnings for the churches of Ephesus and Laodicea were given to the congregations as they were at that time. Jesus warns them that if they do not repent He will spit them out of His mouth and remove His lamp-stand from them. Even in the first century the choice of a church was not easy, but surely important! Our Choice of Church

When we look at churches around us such as the Gereformeerde Kerken (Synodaal, i.e. the synodical GKN) and the “Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk” (the old “state” church) then two things quickly become apparent. Firstly, there are still many sheep of Jesus Christ to be found there - people who are true believers and who desire to serve God with their whole life. But secondly, these churches have organizationally become so tolerant that for years (in the ‘Hervormde’ churches for generations) the gospel has been completely denied. There are indeed still many ministers who preach the true gospel. But the denial of the resurrection, of Christ’s crucifixion for our sins must always be tolerated in these churches. They do not tolerate the use of church discipline against such ministers because “doctrinal freedom” must be maintained. Even reasonably conservative congregations are not free from the consequences of this organizational denial of Scripture. All local congregations in both federations are strictly bound by the decisions of their liberal synods.

This article is not the place to expand upon the problems within these churches. But one point should be clear. If we pay close attention to what Jesus says about His churches in the New Testament then we cannot and may not acknowledge these churches as true churches of Christ. The warnings of Christ in His Word have gone unheeded for years and for generations. There is no other possibility but that Christ has acted on His warnings. Our Responsibilities

How does all of this concern us? In the first place we are all responsible before Christ concerning the choice of church we make. If He has forgiven our sins by His crucifixion then He asks us to worship Him in a church that He acknowledges. But He asks more from us. We are all also responsible to use all our gifts for the building up of that church which He acknowledges. This means that we may not lean back in our lazy chair and leave all of the concerns of the congregation to others, but that we honestly ask ourselves how we can be of benefit in building and sustaining Christ’s church in this place. Last, but certainly not least, is our responsibility toward those sheep who remain in a church that Christ no longer acknowledges. With great care, wisdom and love we must exercise our calling to convince such people to consider their church situation and to call them to become members of a church that Christ does recognize. We may not keep silent about this matter. The love for Christ, as well as the love for these brothers and sisters must stimulate each of us to activity in this matter. If we have ‘Hervormd’ or Synodical friends, acquaintances or even family, then they need to be approached in the love of Christ. If we remain silent about their choice of church in order to “keep the peace” we show ourselves instead to be loveless toward them. The love of Christ is a love that will put everything on the line in order to convince others to worship and thank Him in the manner He has asked for in His Word. It may be that this means that we must study some more about the doctrine of the church and more recent church history. Then we ought not to neglect to do so. Surely the minister and elders are willing to give guidance when asked. Let us pray that our local churches become known, not as exclusive clubs with people who don’t pay any attention to others, but as congregations that are actively busy with the Word of God, and always willing and ready to speak about it in the love of Christ—all this in order to see to it that our Lord is honoured and worshipped. Let it be said of us—that’s where the work of God’s Spirit can be seen, that’s where people can be found who put the Word of God above all else. Only God can work that in us through His Word and Spirit. Let us direct our efforts towards Him. 1 See further my essay The Sinews of the Church: Biblical Principles concerning Church Discipline to be found at: http://katwijk.gkv.nl/anderson/uk/ 2 The only real exception is Eph. 5 where Christ is said to be the head of the whole church (understood to be worldwide). In Acts 9:31 there is very strong textual evidence for reading the plural “churches.” Note the emphasis on a plurality of local churches in texts such as Gal. 1:2; Acts 15:41 and 16:5. This emphasis is also seen in Paul’s use of the image of the “body of Christ” in the first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 6:15-19; 10:16-17 and 12:12ff, cf. Rom. 12:4-8). The “body” is quite clearly the local congregation of Corinth. 3 For an overview of the teaching of these Judaisers see my essay Jews, Judaisers and Paul to be found at: http://katwijk.gkv.nl/anderson/uk/

The Judaisers themselves probably originated in those Jewish Christians who refused to accept the decrees of the counsel of Jerusalem recorded in Acts 15. It appears that they seceded from the church of the apostles and began establishing their own churches and attempting to convert those of Paul. These are probably the same people Paul calls “false apostles” in 2 Cor. 11:13. 4 See the last section of my essay Jews, Judaisers and Paul. 5 Of course it also needs to be said that secession should never be undertaken unless one can in good conscience say that the church from which one secedes can no longer be considered to be a church recognized by Christ. Secession for any other reason is the sin of schism. 6 It may be objected that John is not instructed to write to the congregations, but to the “angels” of the congregations. The letters (in Greek) are addressed for the most part in the first person. That these “angels” cannot be considered to be divine messengers is clear from the fact that John is asked to write these letters down and send them (1:11). Moreover it becomes clear upon reading the letters that the individual “angels” which are addressed really stand for the congregations themselves. The following considerations from several of the letters should suffice. We should first note that each letter closes with the sentence: “He who has an ear, let him hear (= obey) what the Spirit says to the churches.” It is clear from this alone that the churches themselves are addressed. In the letter to Ephesus we note that the “messenger” (= angel) is asked to repent. If he does not repent, then the lamp-stand (that is, the church) will be removed from its place. If the messenger as an individual is not the same as the congregation, then why is the congregation punished because of the sin of the messenger? Surely the more obvious punishment would be to remove the messenger from his place? In the letter to Smyrna it is also quite clear that the individual messenger is addressed in respect of the

whole congregation. In v.10 the letter all of a sudden addresses the reader in the plural, saying that some of them will be cast into prison. It then switches immediately back into the singular with the charge to be faithful unto death! Is only the individual messenger to be faithful unto death? Will only he receive the crown of life? The charge is surely meant to be applied to all the persecuted brethren of that church. In the letter to Pergamum the text also suddenly slips in the plural in v.13 (“who was killed among you”) and in the letter to Thyatira vv.23b-25 also use a plural form of address. In the letter to Sardis at v.4 Jesus says to the messenger that he (the messenger) does have a few names in Sardis (of men) who have not defiled their clothes. This implies that the rebukes made against the messenger earlier in the letter actually apply to the whole congregation, otherwise it would not be surprising that there are still a few who are undefiled.

Press Release of Regional Synod West

November 3, 2009, Abbotsford, British Columbia

1. Dr. R. C. Janssen, chairman of the convening church of Abbotsford, called the delegates to order and led in opening devotions. 2. The credentials were examined by the convening church and found to be in good order. The following delegates were in attendance: a. From Classis Manitoba: Ministers: R. denHollander, A.J. Pol.; Elders: R. Buist; W. Raap. b. From Classis Alberta: Ministers: R. Aasman, J. P. Kalkman; Elders: M. Tams, J. VanVeen. c. From Classis Pacific East: Ministers: R. Schouten, W. Wielenga; Elders: C. Dehaas and B. Meerstra. d. From Classis Pacific West: H. Alkema, J. Visscher; Elders: H. Stel. A. VanDyke. 3. The following brothers were chosen as officers of Synod: as chairman, Rev. R. Aasman; as vice-chairman, Rev. R. Schouten and as clerk, Dr. A.J. Pol. 4. Regional Synod was constituted. Dr. Janssen was appointed to serve Synod as advisor.

5. An appeal was received from br. H. Voorhorst against a judgment of Classis Pacific West of October 7, 2008. Synod decided to not accede to this appeal. Br. A. VanDyke abstained from voting as he is an elder in the church of which the appellant is a member. 6. An appeal was received from Rev. R. Boersema against a judgment of Classis Pacific West of October 6, 2009. This appeal was sustained. 7. The Deputies of Regional Synod reported that they had attended Classis Pacific West of October 6, 2009, at which Candidate Mr. Ryan DeJonge underwent a peremptory examination. Br. DeJonge sustained his exam and the deputies report that they could give concurring advice. 8. The church for auditing the books of the Treasurer reported that they had audited the books of the Treasurer for the period from October 11 to October 20, 2009 and found everything to be in order. 9. Appointments. a. Regional Synod Treasurer: br. J. Moedt. b. Church for Auditing the books of the Treasurer: Taber. c. Church for the Archives: Providence CanRC Edmonton. d. Church for the inspection of the Archives: Immanuel CanRC of Edmonton. e. Deputies of Regional Synod: i. Classis Alberta: Rev. R. Aasman; Rev. J. Louwerse (1st alternate); Rev. W. Slomp (second alternate). ii. Classis Manitoba: Dr. A.J. Pol; Rev. P.H. Holtvluwer (1st alternate); Rev. J. Poppe (2nd alternate). iii. Classis Pacific East: Rev. W. Wielenga; C. Bouwman (1st alternate); Re.v R. Ijbema (second alternate). iv. Classis Pacific West: Dr. J Visscher; A. Souman (1st alternate); J. Slaa (2nd alternate). f. Delegates to General Synod: i. Ministers: R. Aasman, P. H. Holtvluwer, J. Louwerse, A.J. Pol, R. Schouten, J. Visscher. Alternates: C. Bouwman, W. Wielenga, J. Poppe and W. Slomp, in that order. ii. Elders: C. Dehaas, R. Klaver, J. Kuik, W. Raap, A. VanDyke, W. Weidenhammer; Alternates: D. Schouten, L. Toet, J. VanLaar and H. Stel, in that order. g. Remuneration for lost wages for delegates: Maximum of $200.00 per day and a maximum of $1000.00 per week. Mileage: .45 per km. h. Nominated for the Board of Governors of the Theological College: R. Aasman; alternates: A. Souman and T. Lodder, in that order. 10. Arrangements for the next Regional Synod: Convening church: Edmonton Immanuel; Date: November 2, 2010. 11. Question Period was held. 12. Censure according to Article 34, Church Order was considered unnecessary. 13. The Acts were read and adopted. The Press Release was approved. 14. The chairman led in closing devotions.

Eastern Delegates to General

Synod Burlington 2010

Elders (alphabetical order)

Ministers (alphabetical order) Elder A. Bax Rev. D. Agema Elder W. Horsman Rev. J. DeGelder Elder J. Jonker Rev. P. Feenstra Elder C. Poppe Rev. J. Moesker Elder B. Stulp Rev. J. VanWoudenberg Elder H. Vanderwel Rev. D. Wynia Alternate Elders (in order) Alternate Ministers (in order) 1. Elder E.J. Post 1. Rev. W. DenHollander 2. Elder T. Lodder 2. Rev. J. Ludwig 3. Elder J. Temple 3. Rev. C. Vandervelde 4. Elder H. DeJong 4. Rev. G. Nederveen 5. Elder B. Buist 5. Rev. E. Kampen 6. Elder P. Flach 6. Rev. M. VanLuik

PRESS RELEASE OF

THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF REFORMED CHURCHES

The Seventh meeting of the International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC) was in Christchurch, New Zealand, from October 15 to 22, 2009. A prayer service preceded the official meeting. This service was under the leadership of the Rev. John Goris. The Rev. Dirk van Garderen delivered a fitting sermon on the second beatitude (Matthew 5:4). Several brothers from different parts of the world thanked the Lord for the preparations, the upcoming sessions and the results of the gathering. The Conference was held during the day at the Holiday Inn in the centre of the city and in the evening at the Bishopdale Church. This church is part of the Reformed Churches in New Zealand and together this federation and its members in the Christchurch area took exemplary care of the needs of the delegates. Their keen organizational skills, their appetizing meals and their warm hospitality will long be remembered with fondness. The Conference opened with words of greetings from the hosting church, the Reformed Churches of New Zealand. Upon the recommendation of the Interim Committee, the Executive was appointed. It was composed of the Rev. Bruce Hoyt (RCNZ) as Chairman, the Rev. Richard Holst (EPCEW) as Vice-chairman, the Rev. Cornelius Van Spronsen (CanRC) as Corresponding Secretary, the Rev. Dr. Peter Naylor (EPCEW) as Recording Secretary and Mr. Henk Berends (CanRC) as Treasurer. The Rev. Bort de Graaf (CGKN), the retiring Chairman, was thanked for his services to the Conference over the past four years.

Member Churches

When the Conference opened it consisted of the following members:

• Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARPC)

• Calvinist Reformed Churches in Indonesia (Gereja Gereja Reformasi Calvinis di Indonesia NTT) (CRCI, was GGRC)

• Canadian Reformed Churches (CanRC)

• Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland) (CRCN, was CGKN)

• Confessing Reformed Church in Congo (Eglise Reformee Confessante au Congo) (CRCC, was ERCC)

• Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales (EPCEW)

• Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ireland (EPCI)

• Free Church of Scotland (FCS)

• Free Church in Southern Africa (FCSA)

• Free Reformed Churches of North America (FRCNA)

• Free Reformed Churches in South Africa (Die Vrye Gereformeerde Kerken in Suid Afrika) (FRCSA, was VGKSA)

• Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC)

• Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia (PCEA)

• Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin) (PCKK)

• Presbyterian Free Church of India (PFCI) previously called the Free Church of Central India

• Reformed Churches in Indonesia – NTT (Gereja Gereja Reformasi di Indonesia NTT) (RCI, was GGRI)

• Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland - vrijgemaakt) (RCN, was GKN(v))

• Reformed Churches in New Zealand (RCNZ)

• Reformed Churches in South Africa (RCSA, was GKSA)

• Reformed Churches of Spain (Iglesias Reformadas de Espana) (RCS, was IRE)

• Reformed Church in the Unites States (RCUS)

• Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland (RPCIre)

• Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA)

• Reformed Presbyterian Church of North East India (RPCNEI)

• United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA) New Member Churches

During the Conference the following churches were received as new members:

• Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) (FCC);

• Independent Reformed Church in Korea (IRCK);

• Heritage Reformed Congregations (HRC);

• Reformed Churches of Brazil (Igrejas Reformadas de Brasil) (RCB, was IRB);

• Reformed Presbyterian Church of India (RPCInd).

Papers

The theme of the Conference was “The Vitality of the Reformed Faith.” This theme was explored by means of four papers. Each paper was delivered in the evening at the Bishopdale Church in order that the members of that church and neighbouring churches could also be present. Discussion followed and the next day it continued at the Holiday Inn in a number of workshops and a plenary session. The first paper was delivered by Dr. George W. Knight III (OPC) and had as title: “The Vitality of the Reformed Faith: Facing the Challenge of the Charismatic Movement.” Dr. Knight began by analyzing four episodes in the book of Acts (Acts 2: 1 – 41; 8: 4 – 25; 10: 1 – 11: 18; 19: 1 – 7) related to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He went on to deal with the filling and fulfillment of the Spirit, paying special attention to the gifts of prophecy, signs and wonders, speaking in tongues and healing. He also made some suggestions about how to interact with those deemed to be “charismatics”. The second paper was delivered by Dr. Nelson D. Kloosterman (URCNA) and had as title: “The Vitality of the Reformed Faith: Facing the Challenge of Individualism in Church Life.” Dr. Kloosterman first described the nature of the challenge that individualism poses for the church and the Christian faith. He then moved on to a diagnosis of the matter identifying a number of causes relating to a loss of transcendence, evangelicalism and the psychologizing of the self. Finally, he outlined a response to the problem that related to the church’s worship and confession. The third paper was delivered by the Rev. Frank van Dalen (ARPC) and had as title: “The Vitality of the Reformed Faith: Facing the Challenge from Islam.” The Rev. Van Dalen gave an update on the work that his churches are doing in Iran, Turkey and Pakistan. He spoke about Muslim distinctives and also gave numerous suggestions as to how to minister to them. The fourth paper was delivered by Dr. Mohan Chacko (RPCInd) and had as title: “The Vitality of the Reformed Faith: Facing the Challenge of the Asian Context.” Dr. Chacko opened his address by identifying three challenges facing the churches in the Asian-Pacific region: the charismatic movement, individualism and Islam. He then proceeded to delineate four paradigms in relation to Pentecostalism. This in turn was followed by an examination of individualism. It was concluded by a number of observations on Asian missions. Introductions

A number of churches applied for membership in the ICRC. They introduced themselves during the meeting. Other churches sent observers or visitors to the Conference, several of which introduced themselves or updated the meeting on current work: the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia, the Grace Presbyterian Church of New Zealand and the Reformed Church in Japan.

Missions

The missionary mandate of the church has had the attention of the member churches of the ICRC since its inception. The 2009 meeting was no different. The Mission Committee presented its report and it highlighted the fact that regional mission conferences are growing in number. These conferences were held in Europe (2007 and 2008), Africa (2008), and Asia-Pacific (2008). A newsletter has been published on a more or less regular basis. Contact was also made with the World Reformed Fellowship (WRF) and more contact will be pursued. Furthermore, it was decided to arrange a meeting of representatives of the world mission agencies of the ICRC member churches to exchange information and explore ways for possible multilateral cooperation. Information (names, qualifications, areas of expertise and contact details) will be compiled on short-term theological teachers in order that member churches may be made aware of existing resources and be able to make use of them. Protocols on how members may deal with major disasters and persecuted Christians were adopted. Other Significant Actions

It was decided to accept a proposal from one of the churches to appoint a Committee to review all aspects of the Conference. A proposed amendment to the Constitution was also passed along to the Review Committee for its study and evaluation. Budgetary Matters

An income and expense statement was received and adopted. It showed that the Conference spent $136,638.09 (USD) from 2006 - 2009. A four year budget for 2010 - 2013 in the amount of $140,000.00 (USD), or $35,000.00 per annum, was adopted. Next Meeting of the Conference

The next meeting is scheduled, the Lord willing, for September of 2013 in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, hosted by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales (EPCEW). Mark T Bube James Visscher

News from the Churches • Rev. Jason P. Van Vliet has been awarded the degree Doctor of Theology,

following the successful defence of his dissertation, Children of God: the Imago

Dei in John Calvin and His Context. The defence took place on October 29, 2009, at the Theological University of the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken of the Netherlands, in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands.

The dissertation examines Calvins´s explanation of the imago Dei within the times and ecclesiastical circumstances in which he lived. Dr. Van Vliet aims at giving a satisfactory answer to the question of whether Calvins´s teaching on the imago Dei can be considered one of the stronger or weaker points of his reformatory work. The dissertation is published by Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht in

the Reformed Historical Theology series.

• Rev. R. Bredenhof graduated with the Master of Theology degree from St.

Stephen's College (University of Alberta), on October 26, 2009. His thesis was

titled, "'I Speak as to My Children': 2 Corinthians and Paul's Relationship with

the Church at Corinth."

• In accordance with the decision of General Synod Smithers 2007, Acts Art. 159 –

17, the Ebenezer church at Burlington, ON, will convene the forthcoming General

Synod, D.V., on Tuesday May 11, 2010 at 9:00am in its church building at 607

Dynes Road, Burlington, ON. The consistory of Burlington-Ebenezer will call a

special prayer service for this Synod for Monday May 10, 2010 at 8:00pm.

• 1. All material for Synod shall be received by the convening church in thirty

copies no later than six weeks prior to the convocation date of General Synod.

2. All materials submitted to Synod, including Reports, Appeals, and Overtures,

which quote any foreign language source must provide in the text of the

submission a full English translation and in a footnote the citation in the original

language.

• All material for Synod (in 30 copies) can be mailed to the attention of the Agenda

Committee, Ebenezer Canadian Reformed Church, 607 Dynes Road, Burlington,

ON, L7N 2V4 –