CLARIFICATION
Dear Rev. Kuiper,
May I place a statement of clarification in your Journal? In the TORCH AND TRUMPET, July-August 1961, you express amazement (p. 25) at a statement I made on the floor of Synod during the discussion re the Use of Ordained Men. You quote me as follows—“It is not possible to substantiate this on exegetical grounds. It is not possible to go by something that was written 2000 years ago. The Advisory Committee substantiates its position ecclesiastically”. Had you quoted me correctly, there would be little need for amazement on your part for I think we basically agree. (l would note though that the quotation as recorded and summarized by you does not reflect the context and intent of the original statement.)
The last sentence of the quotntion should read—“The Advisory Committee should have substantiated its position ecclesiastically.” As a matter of fact, they did not do this. In my judgment (and in that of others at Synod), the committee imposed our own situation upon Scripture and therefore arrived at a forced exegesis of Scripture. In other words, I was addressing myself to what the committee had done; and what they had done could not be substantiated exegetically. It could not be substantiated because the situation confronting the Church today differs from that confronting the Church of the New Testament (e.g. hospital chaplains, editors of Church papers, Bible teachers in educational institutions). I doubt very much (and I believe that this was also the import of Prof. Van Elderen’s remarks ) that by exegesis one could ever arrive at a definition of the ministerial office which would go beyond that adopted by Synod, viz., it is essentially that of the ministry of the Word and Sacraments. It is on the basis of this changeless principle of Scripture that the Church today must make an ecclesiastical judgment re whether or not a given minister may retain his ministerial status when engaged in a special service.
I think you agree.
Cordially yours, David E. Holwerda
FROM IMALY CITY
As teachers of Christian schools we know you will he interested to learn that three of our fellow Christian school teachers have been awarded the 1960 “Classroom Teachers Award Medal” given by the “Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge” for exceptional classroom work in behalf of responsible, patriotic citizenship and American way of life.
It is an outstanding honor for the Principal of the Imlay City Christian School, Mr. A. C. Boerkoel, and one we feel he richly deserves.
We feel privileged to have such a man lead our children to a better understanding of the Christian and American way of life.
It is good to know that our Christian teachers can be recognized for their contribution to outstanding American citizenship.
Mrs. John Scheeres