Volume 24 - No. 3 September 2005 Published quarterly by the Committee on Relations with Churches Abroad of The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands Published quarterly by the Committee Contents on Relations with churches Abroad of The Reformed Churches in Editorial The Netherlands By R. ter Beek, p. 65 Volume 24 - No. 3 September 2005 Joy and more joy! By H.G.L. Peels, p. 66 Editors: Rev. J.M. Batteau New Committee for Relations with Churches abroad Gkv (BBK) Rev. R. ter Beek p. 67 Ms. C. Scheepstra Mr. P.G.B. de Vries The foundation for Helping Neighbours abroad By P. Hooghuis, p.68 Mrs. S. Wierenga-Tucker Reformed theology: between ideal and reality (II) By G. Kwakkel, p.70 Address for Editorial and Administrative (subscriptions, change of address) A marginalised phenomenon Matters: By R. ter Beek, p. 73 Lux Mundi Postbus 499 The proclamation of the Gospel to the Jews By H.J. Siegers, p. 77 8000 AL Zwolle The Netherlands America: with or against the world? Telephone: +31(0)38 427 04 70 By A. Kamsteeg, p. 79 E-mail: [email protected] Contacts in North America Bank account: no. 1084.32.556 By R.C. Janssen, p. 82 Subscription Rate in The Netherlands per annum: Hans Rookmaaker and the struggle for a Christian view of art and culture € 7,50. By W.L. Meijer, p. 84 ICRC Pretoria 2005 p. 86 News Update News from Kampen (GKv), p. 87 GKv offers sister-church relationship to GKSA, p. 88 by R. ter Beek Editorial In the coming days, the General Synod of the Reformed on Friday and Saturday. Churches (liberated) of Amersfoort-Centre, will finish its This is not always work. As far as the international contacts of these satisfactory for sister churches are concerned, this was an important synod. churches who feel the need to be present for discussion and The bonds with the sister churches have been decision making on certain points of the agenda. It is difficult strengthened. to predict when a subject will be dealt with. There is often a considerable length of time between the first plenary The meeting with representatives (May 27-28) was heart discussions and the taking of a decision. The possibilities of warming. The Free Church (continuing) has been kept in the structuring this have proved limited up until now. This time list of sister churches. After a long preparatory phase sister there was special opportunity to take part in the discussion of church relationships have been established with the the report about marriage and divorce. This opportunity was Reformed Church of South Africa (GKSA), and the Nongu u used but there were more subjects which attracted attention. Kristu Ken Sudan nen Tiv, Nigeria (NKST). The Presbyterian Free Church Council of Kalimpong, India (PFCC) has The synod greatly appreciated the opportunity to get to know become a sister church as well. The synod has taken steps in the guests from abroad. The deputies work was judged the contacts with the Gereja-Gereja Reformasi di Indonesia, positively but one of the questions which BBK deputies can Kalimantan barat (GGRI-Kalbar), the Orthodox Presbyterian set to work with is: how can we offer sister churches who Church and the United Reformed Churches in North want to, the opportunity of contributing to the discussion of America. In this and following issues, you will be able to read subjects which are handled at the synod? What are the more about this. possibilities and where do the boundaries lie? The way in which we hold meetings brings limitations. But in the The Synod of the Reformed Churches (liberated) meets over preparatory phase lay more opportunities than have been the course of many weeks on Fridays and Saturdays. Much used up until now. preparatory work is completed by In the meantime the representatives in preparations for the committees which International meet throughout the Conference of whole land. The Reformed Churches sister churches are in Pretoria, South invited for but one Africa, in October are particular week. In well underway. We this week, the host wish the people who offers the are busy with opportunity for preparations, every discussion with the blessing. A number deputies for churches of proposals, and abroad, or with papers have already members of the been distributed synod, or between amongst member the foreign churches. representatives themselves. There is We hope to see you also opportunity all in Pretoria, and offered to become may the Lord use the acquainted with a discussions there to certain aspect of bless his work church life in the throughout the Netherlands. The world. representatives are One of the foreign delegates addresses the synod in Amersfoort - Centre, 2005 May present at the synod (photo P.G.B. de Vries). 65 September 2005 Lux Mundi by H.G.L. Peels Joy and more joy! For many people, the book Chronicles might just as well About the author: be cut out of the Bible. The name alone - ‘Chronicles’, is Dr. H.G.L. Peels (*1956) is enough to make you think of tedious lists. Professor of Old Testament studies at the Theological University of the Christian Reformed Churches And yes, the first nine chapters of Chronicles contain long (CGK) in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. genealogies which mean nothing to the average Bible reader. Utterly boring. Above all, if you have already read Kings, this Bible book is repetitious. Is the Greek name for Chronicles one. Mention of joy in Chronicles is conspicuous. In contrast not Paralipomenon, ‘that which has been left out, the to 10 times in the 102 chapters of Samuel and Kings, in the leftovers’? Thus the suggestion that Chronicles is a mere 65 chapters of Chronicles the Hebrew root for ‘joy’ is used 25 supplement, an appendix, is an obvious one. Added to this is times. Joy, not just as feeling or emotion, but very concretely that a whole generation of Biblical scholars had very little as rejoicing, as expression of joy. This joy element constantly interest in Chronicles. They considered that the Chronicler has the Chronicler’s attention, whether he tells about the twisted facts about certain parts of history, that he upheld a transport of the ark to Jerusalem, or about the building, narrow-minded nationalistic viewpoint, that he did injustice dedication or reform of the temple, or about the coronation to the reality with an over emphatic retaliation idea, that he of a king or the size of a spontaneous voluntary contribution. more or less gave signs of spiritual exhaustion, and so on... It is, for example, striking that the Chronicler easily In the last decades, the wind has begun to blow from changes the sources he uses in this sense. Two examples. In 1 another direction. Study after study about the book of Chronicles 16 he describes how the ark is brought to Chronicles has appeared wherein it becomes evident that this Jerusalem, wherein David charges the Asaphites to praise book has been handled unfairly in the past. The conceited God. They do this with a song that we know as Psalm 96. judgements often said more about the exegetes’ own attitude Where this psalm really sings about ‘strength and glory’ in and values than about the Bible book itself. Especially a God’s sanctuary (v. 6), Chronicles turns this into ‘strength negative view of the Old Testament period after the and joy’ (v. 27). Also in the quotation from Psalm 132, as this Babylonian exile was sometimes playing tricks on scholars. In is reproduced in 2 Chronicles 6, the word ‘joy’ suddenly recent times, Chronicles is being read anew by interpreters crops up (v. 41). And read the compelling history of the with growing enthusiasm and they are making discovery celebration of the Passover under King Hezekiah in 2 upon discovery. Boring? Dull? Forget it! Chronicles 30. One great crescendo of joy, in the verses 21, It is becoming clearer that Chronicles is absolutely not 23, 25 and 26. just a book which briefly repeats Kings and is really It is difficult to put this all down to chance. It is unnecessary. On the contrary, the Chronicler gives a especially this focussing on joy that puts us on to the trail of deliberate re-telling of the history from a totally independent what the Chronicler could have intended. His work, really standpoint, with an own purpose. Take these first nine speaking a sermon in the form of a prophetical historical chapters for example: when we take a closer look, these so writing, was a word in time. Most exegetes agree that (the called boring genealogies give a sort of sermon-in-names in most of) Chronicles must have been written at the beginning which the big themes of the history of Chronicles already are of the fourth century BC. We imagine: almost one and a half represented. And note the way in which is spoken of ‘whole centuries after the return from the Babylonian exile. The Israel’. Most noticeable is also the insertion of all sorts of temple is rebuilt, but is nowhere near as glorious as it was. prophetic speeches, which we miss in Kings, or the extensive The kingship over Israel has not been re-established, Judah is account of the ‘good’ kings Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and a small backwater province in the immeasurably great Persian Josiah; everyone of them had meant much for the temple. empire. What do you mean - Zion the centre of the world? Every Bible reader noticed this in Chronicles of course: the Where is the fulfilling of God’s prophecies? The books of unique concentration on the temple, the worship service, the Malachi, Ezra and Nehemia, written in the fifth century BC Levites.