Caricatures of conservatives come dime a dozen. Here’s one of the latest to come to my attention: “A conservative is a man who will not look at the new moon, out of respect for that ‘ancient institution,’ the old one.” Chuckle if you will, but if you are ready now to tar all conservatives with this brush the reply would be in order. Stuff and nonsense, or just pure piffle.

George S. Schuyler, in his autobiography Black and Conservative, had more sense when in effect he defined a conservative as a person who is determined to preserve whatever he has that he regards to be precious. No one less than our Lord Himself placed His approval on conservatives when, in His letter to the Church in Philadelphia, He said: “Hold fast what you have” (Rev. 3:11). That puts the conservatives in pretty good company, actually none better.

And, believe it or not, the conservative can also be grateful and celebrate Thanksgiving Day. As a matter of fact, the conservative who prizes what he has is in a better position to do so than anyone else. But doesn‘t the conservative always complain, criticize, and grumble? Don‘t you believe it! The conservative is the person who really prizes what he has, he is determined to hold it fast, and he is eager to praise his God From ‘Whom all these blessings flow.

Thanksgiving Day in Canada was observed October 13 whereas November 27 is the day in the U.S. Because this issue of THE OUTLOOK is scheduled to appear between these two dates this is a good time for some thoughts on being thankful.

   

Thankful—even for Controversy – To thank God even for religious controversy would seem to some to be about as preposterous as one could get to be. The advocates of unalloyed and perennial peace, love, and harmony in the church may very well be shocked by the very mention of religious controversy as a reason for gratitude.

But what these anti-controversy people forget is that we are not yet in heaven. Not until we arrive in glory will controversy have had its day. One wonders how so many church members can sing their militant hymns so lustily (“Christian Dost Thou See Them?”, “Am I a Soldier of the Cross?”,“ Onward, Christian Soldiers”, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus”) and then never flex a muscle or let out a peep when the truth they profess to believe comes under attack.

Thank God, for example, for the caliber of such religious controversy as that recognized even by a secular magazine like Time when it wrote some years ago: “The Darwin-hating Baptists of the early 20th century attacked modernism with simple faith and simple anathemas. The evangelical conservatives, by contrast, strive for a consistent, logical theology; their best.known writers—such as Editor Carl Henry of Christianity Today and Cornelius Van Til of Westminster Theological Seminary—challenge Barth, Bultmann and Tillich on the ground that these men propose as truth personal heresies and unwarranted distinctions that are incompatible with essential Biblical faith and Protestant tradition” (Dec. 20, 1963, p.57).

Although he is now an octogenarian and possibly eager at times at his age to quit the fray. Dr. Van Til continues to carry on with his unabated concern for the faith of the fathers—and for this too we give thanks. Van Til’s recognized scholarship, gracious personality, and unwavering commitment to the Reformed faith are among those blessings of our Lord that we can so ill afford to miss.

We readily grant that controversy for the truth is something that is not foreign to the pages of our publication. Let no one misunderstand. We do not want controversy just for controversy’s sake. However, we know full well that controversy for the faith is a sign of life.

There is no controversy at the cemetery, the city of the dead. There was no controversy in the Church in Sardia. But it was of this church that our Lord delivers this catching denunciation: “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.” Of an apostate denomination averse to controversy and sorely in need of a showdown, someone once made the discerning observation: You can‘t split rotten wood!

One must be either uninformed or indifferent concerning our Reformed heritage not to recognize that also in the CRC we can discern a crisis in the offing, possibly much closer than we think. Our need for high-level, wholesome, unrelenting, and God-glorifying controversy is becoming increasingly apparent. For whatever avenues our publication affords also for this we do thank God and courage.

Thankful—for Reformed Fellowship blessings  – The Reformed Fellowship, Inc. is the owner and publisher of THE OUTLOOK. In addition. this organization engages in other ventures “devoted to the exposition and defense of the Reformed faith”—for example, the publication of catechism books and Bible-study outlines. Whatever success in this has been enjoyed, also during the past year, is due to the tender mercies of the Lord. For this also we give Him thanks!

We arc grateful to report that paid subscriptions to THE OUTLOOK number about 5,000, an average increase of approximately 440 per year since 1970 when paid subscriptions numbered 2800. Total circulation is slightly above the 5,000 mark.

A special reason for gratitude is the fact that our publication can continue and remain in the black without a denominational quota such as our denominational publications receive. Most, if not all, religious publications cannot carry on without being subsidized. Under God, the freewill contributions of members of the Reformed Fellowship make our debt-free operation possible. We are humbly grateful to believe that our publication is sustained and in a healthy financial condition just because the cause it seeks to promote is one that lives in the hearts of those who receive and support it. For this also we give Him thanks!

A hearty word of thanks is in order also for those who provide copy for THE OUTLOOK month after month, year after year. Their services have largely been without any financial remuneration. At no time have we been embarrassed for a lack of copy. Instead, almost every month we have had to hold copy over due to a lack of space. It is indeed most heartening that so many competent writers, those wholly committed to the Reformed faith, have been so willing to serve. For this also we wish to give thanks to our gracious Lord from whom all these blessings flow.

At the time of this writing we are also still living in the afterglow of a very successful Inspirational Rally with a large attendance held at the Dutton Christian Reformed Church on September 25 in connection with the Annual Meeting of the Reformed Fellowship. Dr. W. Robert Godfrey of Westminster Theological Seminary addressed his large audience on the Canons of Dort, using as his title, “A Chatter About Change and the Charter of the Church.” It was thought-provoking thrilling, and also humbling to hear from this scholar (who was converted while in high school) what a great and precious heritage we as Reformed people have in the Canons. All those present who still love our doctrinal standards must have felt as Paul did when. upon meeting the brethren at Rome, “he thanked God, and took courage” (Acts 28:15). And so, we thank Him for this also.

Enumerating reasons for gratitude, mention may be made also of the addition of new area chapter and of new Reformed Fellowship members during the past year. New members have been enrolled both from Canada and the U.S. Area chapters (some of which were organized during the past year) are, to the best of my knowledge, now active in the following areas: Holland-Zeeland, Northwest Iowa, Pella (?), New Jersey, Lynden (Wash.),* Hamilton (Ont.), Toronto (Ont.), Ripon (Calif.) area. It will be appreciated if we may hear from local correspondents if this list is not correct and also from others who may be organized and active but arc not included in this list.

As more chapters come into being and begin local action, there is reason to believe that the cause of the Reformed faith will be promoted with greater effect due to greater local interest. May God so grant! With Him all things are possible, and for this we would give Him all the thanks and praise.

Those who wish to have information about becoming members of Reformed Fellowship or how to go about becoming members of Reformed Fellowship or how to go about organizing a local chapter are encouraged to write Reformed Fellowship, Inc., P.O. Box 7383, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49510.

Next year, the Lord willing, we will celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the birth of our publication. It would be impossible to measure the impact these twenty-five years of writing and publishing may have had on our Christian Reformed Church constituency and on the defense and the propagation of the faith of our fathers also beyond the limits of our own denomination. We believe that our Lord has been pleased to bless all these efforts, feeble though they may have been, and that His gracious favor and approval rest upon them. For this quarter of a century of witnessing to the truth we should be wholeheartedly grateful to God as the Giver of it all.

When at times Satan or some evil counselor calls our attention to the apparent futility of our efforts to reverse the wrong trends in today‘s church life and to counteract a growing apostasy, we comfort ourselves with the assurance that, at last, when we meet our Lord to give an account, He will not ask whether we have been successful but only whether we have been loyal.

It is also very reassuring to know that Noah, who preached for 120 years without any converts, nevertheless receives honorable mention in the Bible and that he was pleasing to our Lord as “a preacher of righteousness” (II Peter 2:5). How fitting it is for us to give thanks also for this encouragement!

For another Hendriksen Commentary – Another reason we note for giving special thanks at this time is the publication in 1975 of his Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark by Dr. William Hendriksen, another in his series of commentaries on the New Testament. For ten years now, since his retire thanks to our God who so graciously makes all this possible, and we pray Him earnestly that more may still be to come from Hendriksen‘s facile pen.

From 1927 until his retirement, Dr. Hendriksen served five pastorates, took postgraduate work at Princeton Seminary, tallght for nine years at Calvin Seminary, and also began his distinguished career as a writer. In addition, he serves as an elder at the Boca Raton (Fla.) Christian Reformed Church. Writing for publication is a time-consuming and an exacting discipline as anyone who has ever tried it knows very well. We marvel at the almost unbelievable capacity for work the Lord has so graciously given for Hendriksen’s prodigious labors. To date he has authored the following New Testament Commentaries: Matthew (1973), Mark (1975), John (1953), Galatians (1966), Ephesians (1967), Philippians (1962), Colossians and Philemon (1964), First and Second Thessalonians (1955), First and Second Timothy and Titus (1957).

Other books by Hendriksen are: The Bible and the Life Hereafter (1959), Hendriksen’s Survey of the Bible: A Treasury of Bible Information (1947 ), More Than Conquerors (1939). An almost unbelievable accomplishment!

There are good reasons for receiving also this commentary on Mark with great appreciation and for recommending it wholeheartedly. Consider the following:

1. Dr. Hendriksen is an evangelical, sound in doctrine, a conservative in the very best sense of that term. Reading extensively in what he has written will confirm the judgment of one reviewer who speaks of Hendriksen as “a conservative theologian who is open minded and fair, yet who never departs by even a hairbreadth from the position of absolute fidelity to Scripture as God’s infallible Word” (Standard Publishing Co.).

Unfortunately there are now those among us whose utterances reveal that they have not escaped the poison and blight of the so-called new hermeneutic. How fortunate that it is not one of them but rather one who wholeheartedly recognizes Scripture as God’s Word inspired, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative Word who is producing one commentary after another that we may recommend enthusiastically and without a moment’s hesitation.

2. In addition, Dr. Hendriksen is also gifted with the rare ability of combining recognized scholarship with an unquestioned devoutness as well as the gift of communicating to persons of average ability and education.

In his Foreword to F. F. Bruce’s commentary on Acts, the late Dr. Ned Stonehouse says: “Learned commentators have frequently failed to be lucid and enlightening, and interesting writing unfortunately does not necessarily presuppose a faithful and adequate handling of the text which is being interpreted.” Dr. Hendriksen‘s commentaries are a Godsend because he has precisely the sorely needed ability to be both scholarly and interesting in his exposition of Scripture.

3. Like the others, Hendriksen’s commentary on Mark is a treasure trove of useful and valuable information for ministers, Bible teachers, and all others who care enough about God’s Word to make a study of it. Included among the helpful features are the following: an extensive Introduction, the author’s own translation of the text, a verse-by-verse commentary, an outline of the contents, critical notes, and a select bibliography—all by an author who is true to the Bible as God’s Word and also abreast of the world today. For nil this and so much besides we may be joyful and give thanks!

Note: Hendriksen‘s commentaries are positively a must for every ministers library, If you are wondering what to give your pastor for Christmas (or anyone else) this new commentary on Mark or any of the others is an excellent choice. Our ministers receive allowance for the car and also for other pressing needs. Strange, that no church (to the best of my knowledge) makes a library allowance for their minister. Books are expensive and every minister must have them if he is to survive and grow in his ministry. Maybe a word to the wise will prove to be sufficient.

*While this editorial was in the making, a long distance call from Lynden (Wash.) reported the organization of a chapter there with 60 members.