Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Nov/68

Contributor - T. Hogerwaard

Title - Systematic Theology for Members of Consistory

Topic - Consistory

INTRODUCTION

"When, therefore, a teacher of the law has become a learner in the Kingdom of heaven, he is like a householder who can produce from his store both the new and the old." Matth. 13: 52 N.E.B.)

Why this series?

Classis Ontario met in a special session last July. Because some ministers had already taken their vacation and some were prevented from being present for other reasons, this time the elders outnumbered the ministers. It was a hot day and the meeting of Classis was an informal shirt-sleeves affair. Therefore the elders spoke their minds more than' is usual during Classis meetings. In that I rejoiced. But while listening to what they had to say I was dismayed and alarmed by the fact that a great ignorance about the most fundamental Christian doctrines came into the open! That was even the case with those who had served the Church faithfully for many years. When driving home I asked myself: "Have we ministers failed so grossly?" Never before was Christian education stressed so much as it is now and here we see, the ruling elders of the Church being ignorant about the most fundamental points of doctrine! I then asked myself what could and must be done about it. Well, I know that last year the Board of Education of our Church had made "education of members of Consistory" their pro gram for that year' As the Agent for Education in our Classis I presented the following recommendations which were duly adopted (unanimously!). They read: "That the ministers of Classis organize meetings of the greater Consistory where theological matters - especially of a practical nature - be introduced and discussed, and that - as far as possible - the local minister undertakes this task but that also ministers of the Reformed Church in America from elsewhere be invited to introduce special topics." But this resolution went the way which so many hundreds of resolutions have gone: the way of all flesh! Nothing was done at all!

And. yet, the experience during the Classis meeting just mentioned was another proof how badly this instruction is needed! Although I have always had a very high regard for the office of the ruling elder (this in accordance with our Reformed tradition to which fact I will come back later in the series "In preparation upon the merger vote", I have never envied their position. A minister is trained for years and years before he is called to serve a congregation and is supposed to study for the rest of his life. Our form for the ordination and installation of elders reads: "It is also the duty of the elders, in all occurrences which relate to the welfare and order of the Church, to assist with their good counsel the Minister of the Word, yes, to serve all Christians with advice and consolation. The Elders are particularly enjoined to have regard to the teachings and conduct of the Minister of the Word, to the end that all things be directed to the edification of the Church and that no strange doctrine be taught."

There is a faithful member of the congregation, a certain day he is elected as an elder and the burden of all that you just read is placed upon his shoulders and that without any preparation! How can he judge whether the minister teaches false doctrine if he hardly knows what the right doctrine is? Yes, I know that many sects agree, with Dr. A. Kuyper that "the knowledge comes with the office", but that is neo-Calvinist teaching not Calvinistic! The fact that a man has been a faithful Christian and churchgoer does not qualify him (in every respect anyway) to be an elder. Instruction is badly required. The fact that I have drunk milk since I was born and have eaten butter and cheese since I was 1 year old does not qualify me to be the manager of a dairy, does it? To ask an elder to see to it that "no strange doctrine be taught" while he often does not know what the true doctrine is. is just as unreasonable as to ask a lawyer to be present in an operation room where a heart-transplantation is Reformed, in order to see to that everything is done according to the ethical and technical rules of the medical profession!

The need for the instruction of elders is felt elsewhere too, namely in Scotland and there they are doing something about it on university level! Life and Work (Church paper of the Church in Scotland) issued September 1968 carried the following announcement: "Theology for today. Lasting two terms, this course is intended for elders who are not free on weekends. Classes meet at New College on Sunday evenings at 7, beginning on 20th October. Full information may be obtained from the Director of the Studies, the Rev. James B. Torrance, M.A.B.D. at New College, the Mound, Edinburgh (Scotland)" (1). Therefore I am encouraged, be it on a much more modest scale to start something like it - in writing. That is not so good as being able to teach in a classroom, but it is the best we can do under the prevailing circumstances.

Trained elders a necessity

We live in very serious times and in all probability they will become far more serious than they are: I mean the enmity against God's revelation in Christ will increase. Those who think that I am too pessimistic I would like to remind of the fact that in 1930, when I studied theology the idea that Germany, "das Land der Dichter und Denker", (the country of poets and thinkers) within 15 years would start a persecution of Christians; would exterminate twelve million people, among them six million Jews would have been dismissed as a crazy product of a diseased brain! But it happened just the same. In Communist Eastern Germany the ministers are handicapped in their work, more and more the elders and deacons will have to come forward. Moreover, there is another lesson to be learned from history. When the last great persecutor of the Christians, emperor Diocletianus, undertook the last and desperate effort to wipe every trace of Christianity from the face of the earth, he gave instructions that:

1. special care should be taken, that all the Scriptures of the Christians were destroyed;

2. that especially the bishops, the leaders of the congregations be killed.

With diabolical insight this enemy of Christ had seen very clearly that if the Scriptures were destroyed and the men whose task it was to bring the living Word, were no more then it would not last long before the Christian congregations would dwindle and disappear. In case of a communist take-over, the ministers again will be the first targets. Then, the elders and deacons have to come to the front. They will have to be well armed for the spiritual fight. This course is meant to provide some arms! Therefore study Of theology for elders and deacons is not a luxury but a necessity! I hope you all see that now.

Study of theology a joy and an enrichment

But never think that the study of theology is a sour and dismal duty! On the contrary! Speaking from 40 years' experience, I can assure you that as soon as you have acquired the taste of it, it will spoil you for any other thing! What can be more enjoyable, more important than to be engaged "in the Lord's business", which our Lord was already when he was 13 years of age? True, there are dangers involved, masterly described by Karl Barth (2), but that is something for those advanced in the course, not for beginners, so we will not talk about that now. You may prefer examples and I will give you three. One of the elders of one of our congregations here in Ontario, once asked me whether I could help him to good theological books. When I asked him how much money he was willing to spend, he answered $100. So I accepted his money and saw to it that in the course of the following month a stream of first class books reached him, chiefly of course "made in Scotland". No one knew about this, but some months afterwards people in the congregations where be preached during the vacation time of the ministers began to notice, how much his preaching had improved! On the other hand when a minister neglects his theological study, people notice it too. the consequences are very grave indeed (3).

I have a friend in Holland, active in administration, who, on account of his intense interest in theology has acquired a deeper insight in spiritual matters than the majority of ministers! It is God's Spirit Who gives insight, but He wants us to study hard and diligently. The Lord, during His days on earth, was often so busy that He had no time to eat; a good deal of His nights were spent in prayer. Do we think that we can get insight without hard work, without intensive prayer? If so, we do not know the Lord's mind!

An elder of mine in Aruba, West Indies, came to me one night, dismayed and angry. The school inspector, a fervent R.C. had attacked the Reformed Church and its doctrines, he had tried to defend his faith, as well as he could, but that was not very well! Worst of all, my fellow minister had been present and he had taken the side of the R.C. inspector! He asked whether something could be done about it. My answer was "Sure, it depends on you". During the following months I gave him books about the difference between Rome and the Reformation, starting with very simple ones and ending with Dr. Berkhouwer's standard work "In conflict with Rome". Some weeks later he came to see me again. He was jubilant! He said: "The inspector came to see me and started to talk about Rome and the Reformation. But I was ready for him! I could simply mow down everyone of his arguments! I do not think he will ever start a conversation about Rome and the Reformation with me again!" Indeed, he never did. So you see, there are great rewards for the man who applies himself to the study of the "queen of the sciences" (4).

Some practical matters

Just as the first day in high school no lessons are given but only an outline of the course; information about books to be bought and used, so this time I have limited myself to the introduction. Next time we will start. Then it will be as the American admiral Burke (during a battle in the Pacific war) wired the commanders of the destroyer-fleet which he commanded: "Hold your hats, boys, here we go!"

Dear fellow presbyters: This course is going to eat heavily into my free time and I do not mind. But I expect the same from you and that is only fair, is it not? So I would request you to do the following things:

a) keep the issues of Pioneer in a safe place, read them again and again. Moreover, later on I will refer back to previous issues.

b) Study what is written, take a notebook and make notes. If everything is not clear, write to me, so that I know which points need more clarification.

c) I expect you to set an amount of about $25 a year (less than the price of a package of cigarettes a week and better for your health?) to buy books which I will mention.

We will start with very easy and cheap ones (paperbacks) but you have to study them, and again: If you have questions, by all means let me know. You badly need to be instructed in the main doctrines of the Church; your own minister has no time to do that, moreover it would be a waste of time that 20 men are doing the work which one man can do. If I were a carpenter and spent as many hours for overwork on the job of my boss as I am doing now in this work, that would yield me (overwork: pay and a half) at least a thousand dollars a year, so if I contribute that sum to your instruction (I consider the word "education" wrong in this context!) you can spend $25 a year on this course of theology! Can't you? Next time then (Christmas issue, so you will, have plenty of free days for study!) we will start with the most fundamental theological issue of them all: "The existence of God" and "Can we know God?" For today: Class dismissed! Thank you!

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