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Special Feature: the Synod of Dort 1618-1619 VOLUME 65 NUMBER 10 NOVEMBER 2018 EDITION SPECIAL FEATURE: THE SYNOD OF DORT 1618-1619 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FREE REFORMED CHURCHES OF NORTH AMERICA THE MESSENGER NOVEMBER 2018 • VOLUME 65 NUMBER 10 EDITOR: Dr. Gerald M. Bilkes 2692 Bridge Place NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525 USA • T: 616.977.0599 ext.121 E: [email protected] ASSISTANT EDITOR: Rev. David H. Kranendonk E: [email protected] • T: 226-980-9607 The Editors report to the Synodical Publications Committee. COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Rev. J. Procee, Secretary FIGHTING 4234 Perth Line 20, St. Pauls, ON N0K 1V0 T: 519.801.6485 • E: [email protected] FOR THE FAITH • Mr. David Tamminga • Rev. Ian Macleod • Dr. Gerald M. Bilkes • Rev. W. Klaver • Rev. Jerrold Lewis • Rev. Robert VanDoodewaard • Mr. Herman DenHollander • Mr. John DenDekker, Treasurer • Rev. John Procee SUBSCRIPTION RATE Canada & U.S.A. - $31.50 annually per subscription. The Messenger is published 11 times per year (July & August issues are combined). MEDITATION SUBSCRIPTIONS/REMITTANCES Subscription requests, invoices, and payments should be addressed to: Janey Slingerland (Publications Administrator) hat (if anything) are you prepared to fight for – even to die for? Today people 18 Chapala Cres. S.E. Calgary, AB T2X 3M4 CANADA fight for all kinds of things. Some people fight for democracy and human T: 403-254-6591 • E: [email protected] rights. Others fight for the environment. Still others fight to protect animals SUBMISSIONS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/NOTICES W – especially animals that are on the verge of extinction. All articles, notices for family announcements, obituaries, anniversaries, and non-commercial The Christian is also prepared to fight for something – something far more important advertisements for the December 2018 issue than any of these things. The Christian is (ought to be!) prepared to fight for his faith. should reach the editor no later than Thursday, November 1, 2018 and should be sent to: This is the clear teaching of our text, Jude 3. In this verse, Jude, an apostle and brother Mrs. Rhonda Kroesbergen (Messenger Administrator) of our Lord, exhorts his readers to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once E: [email protected] delivered unto the saints.” OPEN WINDOWS The phrase “contend earnestly” is actually one word in the original Greek. It means “to This bi-monthly publication for children is under the direction of the Free Reformed make a strenuous effort on behalf of, to fight for, struggle for.” The same word is used in Publications Committee: John 18:36 where Jesus says to Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom Rev. Jerrold Lewis, General Editor 160 West Parkway, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the E: [email protected] Jews.” It is also used in 1 Tim 6:12 where Paul exhorts Timothy to “Fight the good fight of FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR MISSIONS AND faith.” This is what Jude exhorts his readers to do. He exhorts them to fight for the faith OUTREACH CAUSES SHOULD BE DIRECTED that was once delivered to the saints. AS FOLLOWS: What is this faith? The word “faith” has different meanings in the Bible. Subjectively, it FOREIGN MISSIONS Dietrich DeKruyff, Financial Administrator can refer to that grace which the Holy Spirit works in my heart by the gospel by which I 14 Southland Drive, London, On. N6P 1C2 E: [email protected] come to trust in Christ and embrace all of His benefits with a believing heart. Keep in contact with your missionaries online: But that is not the meaning here. Here the word “faith” has an objective meaning. RADIO EVANGELISM & HOME MISSIONS It refers to the Christian faith – that body of doctrine which is comprised in the Holy Banner of Truth Radio Broadcast Mr. John denDekker, Treasurer Scriptures. It is for this faith that we must earnestly contend or fight. 16726 – 80th Avenue This is not easy. Fighting for something is exhausting. It requires much effort. There Surrey, BC V4N 0G8 CANADA T: 604.576.8935 • E: [email protected] will be many setbacks and challenges. But it must be done. Believers (“the saints”) are REFUGEE FUND required to fight for the faith. James Van der Zwan, Treasurer 26829 – 33B Ave., Aldergrove, BC V4W 3G8 T: 604.818.3423 • E: [email protected] Why? There are several reasons why we must fight for this faith: CHRISTIAN MINISTRY TO ISRAEL Mr. John Wilbrink, Treasurer 8 Weneil Drive, Freelton, ON L8B 0Z6 1. We must fight for this faith because it comes from God. T: 905.659.7413; E: [email protected] That seems to be what Jude is implying in our text. Notice how he refers to this faith: it Read The Messenger on the Free Reformed is the faith “once delivered to the saints.” website: www.frcna.org The word “delivered” has the sense of “passed on by tradition.” The faith of the Bible 2 NOVEMBER 2018 CONTENTS “The defeat of the Spanish in the battle of Heiligerlee near Groningen (1568)" Meditation02 Fighting for the Faith EDITO05RIAL Are we Practical Arminians? PRIMARY09 SOURC ES Five Articles of 1610 PRIMARY10 SOURC ES Contra-Remonstrance of 1611 Rev. J. Schoeman HIS12TORIC AL Contested Truth was passed or handed down by succeeding generations of believers – the prophets and apostles. But ultimately, it was delivered by God Himself. What is more, it was delivered “once”. The word “once” means it was delivered once and for all. CONTEMPO15 R A RY That means nothing can be added to it or taken away from it. It is totally complete. The Canons in China The fact that this faith was once delivered by God is reason enough to contend for it! 2. We must fight for this faith because it is under attack. HIS16TORIC AL Such was also the case in Jude’s day. It is interesting to note that Jude never intended to write Synod of Dordt in Action an epistle exhorting his readers to contend for the faith. His original intention – as he himself says in verse 3 - was to write to them about the “common salvation”, i.e. the salvation they had in 20 common. By this, he probably meant he was intending to explain to them the basics of the gospel HISTORICAL A Dutch TULIP as Paul did in the Book of Romans, for example. But later on, Jude changed his mind. Instead, He decided to write to them about the need to contend earnestly for the faith. Why? He tells us in verse 4: “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of 22 old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, INTERVIEW Dordt’s Influence Today and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Who these men were, we do not know. Nor do we know what they taught. It appears some of them were antinomians – people who believe that believers are set free from the law and are, INTE23RVIE W therefore, free to live as they please. Others were probably Gnostics – people who believed that Outreach Encouraged by the spiritual was superior to the material and who, therefore, denied that Christ was fully human. these Truths What we do know is that the church at that time was under attack - not by people from without the church, but from within. This has always been the case. During the first few centuries A.D., it was people from within INTE23RVIE W the church who attacked the doctrine of the Trinity, the deity of Jesus Christ, the canon of the Conquered by these Truths Scriptures and the depravity of man. During the Middle Ages, it was people from within the church who introduced the veneration of saints and of Mary, the doctrine of purgatory, the doctrine of the transubstantiation, the doctrine REFLE24CTION S of papal supremacy and infallibility, the doctrine of salvation by works, etc.– against which the Pronk Anniversary Reformers fought so valiantly During the 17th century, it was people from within the church who attacked the doctrine of the 27 sovereignty of God in salvation by asserting that man has a free will and that it is entirely up to INStallation him whether he will be saved or not. Dr. David Murray NOVEMBER 2018 3 MEDITATION ...Continued During the 18th and 19th centuries, it was people from within Can you do that? Do you know what you believe? Could you the church who attacked the doctrine of the inspiration and clearly articulate what you believe to someone who asked you? authority of the Scriptures and the virgin birth, the miracles, No, we do not all have to be theologians. But we should be at and resurrection of Christ. least somewhat familiar with what the Bible teaches. During the 20th and into the 21st centuries it was people from This is why our Creeds and Confessions are so helpful. within the church who attacked the church’s long-held belief Although they are written by man and are, therefore, not that the offices of the church are open only to men, that God infallible, we do believe they are faithful summaries of the created the world in six days, and that homosexuality and teaching of Scripture. That means we should study them transgenderism are sins. - even memorize them. We should be reading good, sound Throughout history, people from within the church have Reformed books. We should maintain and defend our attacked the faith once for all delivered to the saints. There long-held practice of Catechism preaching and Catechism are still such people today.
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