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Bekijk het origineel

OUR CHURCH ORDER

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OUR CHURCH ORDER

Article 8

6 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

“No school teachers, artizans, or others who have not studied (languages, theology, etc.) shall be admitted to the Ministry, unless there is definite assurance of their being exceptionally gifted: godly, humble, modest, and possessed of good sense and discretion, as well as gifts of public address.

“When such persons present themselves for the Ministry, the Classis shall (if the Synod approve) first examine them, and, the examination being satisfactory, permit them to preach in private for a certain length of time, and then further deal with them as they shall deem edifying.”

The most general method of admitting to the Ministry of the Word has ever been by means of training and study at a university. In the 38th Lord’s Day of our Heidelberg Catechism mention is made of schools (elementary and advanced), and we are stirred up to maintain them. These schools bear the closest possible relationship to the ministry. Practically all our orthodox fathers received their training at a university. The knowledge of the ancient languages has been very profitable to the Church. How, indeed, could the Word of God and other useful writings have been translated from the original languages if the knowledge of these languages had been wanting?

It is to be regretted, however, that adequate attention was not always given to the qualifications of the persons admitted to the universities to be trained for the sacred ministry. Hence many university-trained men have done much harm to the Church. Today, too, the condition of the institutions for the education of ministers of the Word is deplorable. Admission is granted very easily. A serious and thorough examination relative to the applicant’s state of grace and call to the Ministry of the Word is seldom heard of. Truly, universities in general have become degenerate. I have frequently asked myself: “Must these young men one day be ministers in the Church, and watchmen on the walls of Zion?” It is so necessary and useful that they who are being trained for the ministry may constantly be at the feet of Christ, the University of Heaven, to obtain true wisdom and knowledge there.

For a definite purpose it was stipulated: “No school teachers, artizans, or others who have not studied, shall be admitted to the Ministry unless there is definite assurance of their being exceptionally gifted: godly, humble, modest, and possessed of good sense and discretion, as well as gifts of public address.”

Experience has constantly proved that there were persons in the Church, aware of the fact that they possessed gifts and knowledge, who reasoned: “Why cannot we, possessed of such gifts and knowledge, become ministers at once?” They mistook the gifts and knowledge for a divine call to the Ministry of the Word. And how lightly they thought of this important office! Also today many are found who, having some knowledge and gifts, think they are able to preach. Those who are truly called of God, however, realize that more is necessary than the above mentioned things.

It is a sad development in the religious life in the Netherlands that everywhere religious groups are found, mostly originated by persons such as those previously described. O, the sad dissension, jealousy, and wrangling occasioned by this! In this way the Church becomes more and more dismembered and divided, to the delight of the Prince of darkness and his kingdom of darkness. Our lament may well be: “Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth”, Psalm 141:7.

It is so necessary and profitable for a person who knows that he is to become a preacher, to follow the appointed path, so that all may be done orderly and honorably, to his own welfare, and the welfare of the Church. But alas! many cannot leave this matter in the Lord’s hands, though He has spoken regarding His own work: “I will work, and who shall let it?” (Isa. 43:13). They insist on pushing themselves forward, and promoting their own cause.

The Lord’s ways with His people and with the genuine ministers of His gospel have ever been wonderful. The Lord brought many to the Ministry of the Word by means of the University, but several sincere and useful Ministers of the Lord also entered this glorious office without a university training. Is not our God an omnipotent God? Let no one set bounds to a Sovereign God. Our Dort fathers did not, as is clearly evident from this article. In it they acknowledge the sovereignty of God in qualifying men for the ministry of the Word, according to His good pleasure, without a training at a university. For this reason they stipulated, by way of warning and admonition, as we have seen, that those who have received from God, and manifest exceptional gifts, viz. godliness, humility, modesty, good sense and discretion, as well as gifts of public address, must be admitted to the sacred Ministry in an orderly way without requiring a university training.

This is alluded to in the second part of the article: “When such persons present themselves for the Ministry, the Classis shall (if the Synod approve) first examine them, and the examination being satisfactory, permit them to preach in private for a certain length of time, and then further deal with them as they shall deem edifying.”

The Reformed Congregations in the Netherlands and in America have always duly regarded this article. Many preachers entered the ministry in accordance with Article 8, and honorably served the church for a longer or shorter period.

In other churches this Article has virtually had its day. The Christian Reformed Church in America has added by way of restriction:

“The Reformed Churches recognize no other way to the Ministry of the Word than by theological study, excepting only the very unusual cases in which, very rarely, the Lord, according to His sovereign good pleasure, grants the necessary gifts in other ways.”

The leaders in the Church should guard against setting bounds to God’ sovereignty. Our fathers did not do so. In our day we expect too much from knowledge and wisdom acquired at institutions of learning. The ministration and qualification of the Spirit is denied too frequently. A simple and powerful word will be blessed more than a learned discourse in which the human element predominates and the divine is lacking.

Ministers are to be pitied who, after a 10 or 12 year training course, are still nothing more than readers instead of preachers.

The Lord grant in His great mercy ‚in our days of superficiality and apostacy, faithful and sincere Ministers to us and to our children, to the glory of His Name and to the salvation of Zion.

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Bekijk de hele uitgave van donderdag 1 april 1937

The Banner of Truth | 6 Pagina's

OUR CHURCH ORDER

Bekijk de hele uitgave van donderdag 1 april 1937

The Banner of Truth | 6 Pagina's