THE NECESSITY OF FAITH, by Harvey M. Kuitert. Eerdmans, 1976, 159 pp., $2.95. Reviewed by Professor William Young, Department of Philosophy, University of Rhode Island.

This little book is an index of the rapid and radical inroads of apostasy on the part of theological, ecclesiastical and publishing institutions which only a few decades ago were reputed to be strongholds of orthodoxy. In fact it is an apology for apostasy, for modernism of the extremist school that is distinguishable from atheistic humanism only by the vague employment of a minimum of traditional Christian language rendering possible an attack on Christianity from within rather than from without.

Christianity is reduced to one among the religions of the world, and religion as such is reduced to a human invention. Underlying the writer’s outlook on religion is an uncritically assumed skeptical relativism: “it is we ourselves who contrive the world of God and salvation, and at the same time it is not we ourselves” (p. 37). “Christian faith too consists of projections, words, and customs which were dreamed up here on earth, and not in heaven” (p. 40). A more outright atheistic denial of revelation could scarcely be found in Feuerbach or Marx. A chapter on the uniqueness of Christianity boils down to “it is  impossible to express in one fixed way  what is unique in Christianity” (p. 50). We need not be surprised that the historical Christ is eliminated from the  “faith” proposed by the Amsterdam theologian. “Jesus cannot be confined to the interpretations which men have attached to him up to the present. . . Thus, in the stories about Jesus, Christianity has its own account of origins, somewhat akin to the myths of primitive religions” (p. 62). The term “myths,”  not in the Dutch text, appears to be a provocative gloss of the translator.

To go through the remaining chapters on the church, morality and theology would be superfluous. It must suffice to note that moral standards as well as doctrinal creeds are relativized to the changing fashions of the times. Christian morality is misrepresented as “bourgeois morality” (p. 94), and between the morality to Hippiedom and Calvinism, “The problem is that one group does not tolerate the pattern or conduct of the other group” (p. 99). Morality is analogous to a promiscuous “playboy” (in the Dutch text, “Morall” “schnrrell’ ”); its approach is trial and error” (p. 101). Is it really unfair to conclude that the Professor of Ethics at the formerly Reformed Free University is permissive toward Playboy morality, even when allowance is made for the translator’s license?

Feeble is the effort to disarm the critic who calls attention to the underlying relativism. “People generally begin to speak of relativism only when they first come to realize that they themselves no longer have a monopoly on the truth . . .” (p. 148). A college sophomore could hardly give a more naive subjectivistic exhibition of relativism. May the watchmen on the walls of Zion, scorned by the writer and his translator (pp. 5, 130), be on the alert to speak and act faithfully.

CHRIST’S CHURCH, THE BIBLE AND ME, by Alexander C. De Jong. 46 pp., $1.00. Published by Paracletos Press, 12940 Western Ave., Blue Island, Ill. 60400. Reviewed by Rev. Peter De Jong, Editor.

Dr. Machen 55 years ago began his illuminating little classic, Christianity and Liberalism, by observing that within the churches two radically opposed religions were in conflict although both claimed the name Christian and used the same terms, and that one o[ the most pressing needs of the time was to have the radical difference between the true and false brands of “Christianity” exposed. The same situation again confronts us today. The value of Dr. Alexander De Jong’s booklet is that it sets out to show clearly the difference between two incompatible religious views, both existing within our churches, regarding the Bible. Are we to believe that the Bible is inerrant or to believe that it is full of mistakes? That is the question which must be faced.

The last 14 pages of the booklet help the render understand why it came to be written. Spearheading the attack on the inerrancy of the Bible in the Christian Reformed Church is Dr. Harry R. Boer. His little book, Above the Bible? The Bible find its Critics, appeared in 1977 (although most of it had previously appeared in the Reformed Journal). This book was critically reviewed by Dr. Alexander De Jong in the September, 1977, Banner in a review reprinted on pp. 32–35 of this booklet (d. also another review in the Oct., 1977 OUTLOOK pp. 7–11). Dr. De Jong concluded his review by observing that the views expressed in the book are “contrary to the Bible’s teaching concerning its own nature and authority as well as contrary to the confession of the Church as articulated in Articles III-VII of the Belgic Confession.” This observation elicited an angry retort from Dr. Boer in the February 10, 1978 Banner (pp. 36–42 of the booklet ) charging that in it De Jong had attacked “the legitimacy of” his “ministry of the gospel.” He argued that De Jong could not properly attack his view in this way because the Christian Reformed Church was “ambiguous” (or two-faced) in its view of the Bible, arguing both for and against inerrancy in its notorious “Report 44.” He further argued, in the same way as he did in his book, that the Bible often contradicts itself proving that it is not “inerrant” and that we ought to frankly recognize and tolerate the existence of the two contradictory views of the Bible within the same church.

De Jong replied in the same Banner (pp. 42–46 of the booklet) denying that  he had endangered “the legitimacy” of Boer’s “ministry of the gospel” and stating that he was for the present still “willing” to “treat” him “with acceptance in our denomination” but pointing out that he and Boer took radically different starting points in their faith in the Bible and that he and many others could not in good conscience continue to pay Boer and others like him to attack the Bible’s teachings.

This public demonstration of the conflict about the Bible within the church drew considerable attention. Dr. De Jong was asked to speak on this subject by the consistory of the First (C.R.) Church of South Holland, Ill., on April 13, 1978. It is this address which forms the body of this booklet. It attempts to explain in a way that any ordinary, concerned person can understand what the issues are in this conflict about the Bible in the Christian Reformed Church. It shows the way in which the conflict began, how notorious “Reports 36 and 44” tried to compromise it, and why we must quit trying to “straddle the fence” on this important matter and insist on an inerrant Bible. Beginning with the claim the Bible makes concerning itself we must face the “problems” with which the critics have always attacked that claim in faith that God does not lie, as the faithful church has always done. It suggests that we should seek to have “Report 44” which is used to support the liberal attack on the Bible rescinded, try to support only what is faithful to  the Bible and if one CR church will not hold such a position, join one which will.

This little booklet is to be welcomed and recommended to many who would like to understand more clearly what is happening to our churches and what we ought to do about it. The book is not inflammatory. Even the criticism of Dr. Boer‘s book which began the discussion  was not excessive. Rather, views expressed in that book deserve less gentle treatment than they were given. Dr. Boer’s book defended Bible criticism against the words of our Lord Himself with the arguments that Jesus did not know everything and that we do not know what He really said or taught (pp.  95–97). Are such views “legitimate” for  any Christian minister? Let us pray that the Lord may correct such errors and deliver His church from them.

THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACHING ON THE HOLE RELATIONSHIP OF MEN AND WOMEN, by George W. Knight m, Th.D., Grand Rapids, Baker, 1977, 76 pages, $3.95. Reviewed by Thomas Vanden Heuvel of Chino, Calif.

Dr. George W. Knight III is a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and professor of New Testament at the Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. Dr. Knight holds degrees from Westminster Theological Seminary and the Free University of Amsterdam.

This book is a very important contribution in the continuing discussion about the place of women in the church. Dr. Knight has a very high and orthodox view of Scripture. This determines his position on the place of women in the church and in the home.

He speaks of the relationship of men and women in the teaching and ruling offices of the church, in public worship, and in the marriage and family. He speaks of this relationship as a role relationship.

The theme of this book is that the role relationship of men and women is not determined by the culture or society in which one lives, but is determined by the creation order of God and ordained for all cultures and societies and times.

This is the strength of the book. Dr. Knight defends his excellent position with abundance of Scripture which he believes is authoritative. The teachings of Paul, Peter and Christ are dealt with as normative for today. He crosses swords with all those in the evangelical community, including our own reformed community, who regard Paul, Peter and Christ to be reflecting the culture of the day and the rabbinic exegesis of that time in their treatment of the place of women and the early chapters of Genesis, and hence of little value to us.

In years to come there will be increasing pressure from the unbelieving and liberal mind to convince the church that the teachings of Paul, Peter and Christ regarding the place of women in the church are time conditioned and hence basically irrelevant. This book will prove to be tremendous asset to every Christian’s library. It helps to buttress the Biblical position on the place of women in the church, home and society.

Dr. Knight rightly sees that the issue of the place of women in the church is not a sociological issue, but at bottom, it is a theological issue, which finally is decided by tlle view of Scripture one has.

THE AMSTERDAM PHILOSOPHY, A PRELIMINARY CRITIQUE, Papers by John M. Frame and Leonard J. Coppes. Copies may be obtained from Harmony Press, R.D. 2, Philipsburg, N.J. 088135, at the price of $1.00. Reviewed by John De Pater, Escalon, California.

This booklet is quite valuable and its reading can help us to gain a somewhat better understanding of what is popularly called the Amsterdam Philosophy or Dooyeweerdianism which has shaped to n large extent the thinking of those who are associated with the A.A.C.S. and gained a foothold among many people of Reformed persuasion in Canada and the U.S.A. The writers of this booklet have provided a critique of the ideas found in the school of thought mentioned above and attempt to alert the reader to some of the implications involved in accepting them. It is of course impossible to do justice to a system ‘of thought as involved as the Dooyeweerdian School in a mere 61 pages. An analysis of this way of thinking among Reformed people is long overdue because of its widespread influence. The authors have done this in terms within reach of the intelligent laymen as well as philosophers. Serious questions are raised about this system but not in a simply negative way. This little book can well serve as an introduction to what the Amsterdam School stands for find what is involved in some of the ramifications of this system as they are set forth by scholars on the American continent, so that we may come to a better understanding of it. The system has quite an appeal to many young Christian scholars. The question is, does it lead us in the right direction? We owe those who follow it at least the serious consideration of their system. We cannot afford to neglect its careful study and are obligated to scrutinize the directions in which it could lend us. The Critique under review can serve as a starting point for discussion and study that could lead to a proper evaluation of the Amsterdam School and its implications. By all means get the booklet, read it carefully and try to find out what is at stake.

THE LORD OF GLORY, by Benjamin B. Warfield. A paperback reprint of a 1907 study of the Designations of our Lord in the New Testament with a special reference to His deity. Published by Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan at $3.95. Reviewed by John De Pater, Escalon, California.

Baker Book House performs a valuable service to the church by making such a wealth of textual and exegetical material available to assist her in the defence of the Deity of Christ. Teachers and students of the Bible will find it to be an invaluable tool. B. B. Warfield in his own time took a decisive stand for the infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture against the onslaught of Higher Criticism. Even as such the book is a great help when we face current Biblical scholars. The discussion is carried on with dignity and at a high academic level. The tone could strike one as being a little dry. Don’t be discouraged but try to assimilate the textual material provided and you will find yourself well equipped to meet and oppose the Jehovah Witnesses and others who deny the Divinity of Jesus Christ. The work in compiling the textual material must have been immense and it was painstakingly done. Reading the book one becomes aware of the fact that the evidence of Christ as God is spread over every page of the New Testament. B. B. Warfield gives of his talent to structure it for you. If you read this book well you will discover that you have made progress in truly searching the Scriptures. The fact that it was written 80 years ago does not reduce its usefulness. The Lord of Glory is a book wen worth having.

COMMON GRACE AND THE GOSPEL, by Cornelius Van Til. 231 pp., $4.50 (or, recent catalog $3.50). Published by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., Philadelphia. Reviewed by Rev. Peter De Jong, Editor.

This is a collection of the writings of Professor Cornelius Van Til of Westminster Seminary over more than a quarter century dealing with the subject of “Common Grace.” The first three chapters appeared as a book in 1947 under this title and the six chapters which follow were printed at various times later except for the last which appears in this book for the first time. Although they do not form a unified whole, they all deal with the one theme of Common Grace and its relevance to the gospel.

Light on a Live Subject

Although the book deals with a subject which has been discussed repeatedly over the years it may be helpful to many in our Reformed family at the time, as many long-held Reformed doctrines and practices are now being discarded or called into question, we are being compelled to face answer the question whether we have good, Biblical reasons for holding them. Especially we in Christian Reformed doctrines are being compelled to do this. Regarding the subject of “Common Grace” we are being told from time to time by our friends in Protestant Reformed churches that the current apostasy within our churches is traceable more or less directly to the acceptance of this erroneous doctrine of common grace by our Synod of 1924. To confuse matters further, we may be told by the followers of Professor K. Schilder in the Canadian and American Reformed Churches that our churches have taken the wrong tum in these matters since 1944 as we have followed the lead of our mother churches in the Netherlands instead of espousing the cause of those who were “liberated” from them.

As we in this situation must try not only to stand against errors, but also to hold and promote a genuinely Biblical Reformed faith and life, Dr. VanTil’s writings on this subject can be very helpful to us.

He has over many years established a reputation of maintaining and defending the Reformed faith that is second to none in our time and no one can plausibly accuse him of being naive or compromising toward the current liberal or “neo-orthodoxy” apostasy from the Christian faith. It is more than worth the effort needed to listen to what he has to say about the controversial doctrine of “Common Grace.”

The “Three Points”

What were the “three points” about which debate has centered since the CRC Synod formulated them in 1924? Early in the book Dr. Van Til in 4 pages of quotations cites them together with the arguments the Synod advanced from the Bible. the Creeds and the Reformed fathers for holding them (pp. 19–22). They are (1) the existence of “a certain favor or grace of God which He shows to his creatures in general,” (2) a “restraint of sin in the life of the individual and in society” and (3) that “the unregenerate, though incapable of any saving good . . . can perform . . . civic good.”

The Bible‘s Teaching

Again and again throughout these discussions Dr. Van Til refers to the Bible passages cited by the 1924 Synod. Psalm 145 :9 says, “The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” Our Lord commanded (Matt. 5:44–48), “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you: That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Van Til finds these and other passages plainly teaching us that there is as the Synod said, “a certain favor of grace of God which He shows to his creatures in general.” Despite his admiration of both Rev. Herman Hoeksema and Dr. K. Schilder he finds that they erred in denying this. “When Schilder argues that we cannot legitimately reach a conch.sion about God’s attitude from the facts, we really that we arc specifically told that God’s attitude is revealed in these facts” (p. 32; cf. pp. 29–33). “To say that the facts of rain and sunshine in themselves do not tell us anything of God’s grace is to say in effect that the world and what is therein does not speak forth the revelation of God.” “The fact that the unbeliever who eventually turns out to have been a reprobate adds to his punishment because of his misuse of the gifts of rain and sunshine about him is not a proof against the idea that these facts are the gift of God’s favor to him. On the contrary it were impossible that his punishment should be increased by his manipulation of the facts about him unless these facts were evidence of the undeserved favor of God in relation to him” (p, 115).

The Synod of 1924 had cited such passages as II Kings 10:29, 30 in which God said of the generally wicked Jehu that he had “done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes” and the Lord’s words in Luke 6:33, “If ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye: for sinners also do even the same” as showing that unregenerate men do what the Lord in some sense calls “good.” This obvious teaching Dr. Van Til also defends, “The case is similar with respect to the knowledge of unbelievers and their ability to do what is relatively good.” Although “in principle opposed to God,” “in spite of this, because of God’s common grace they can discover much truth and do much good” (p. 16).

God‘s Word Must Govern Our Thinking

Confronted by such Bible teachings, why should anyone object to the doctrine of common grace? The answer is that it seems to conflict with other teachings of the Bible.

“Hoeksema and Danhof argue that it is inconceivable that God should be in any sense, and at any point, graciously inclined to those who are not His elect.” “Moreover the idea of common grace, Hoeksema and Danhof contend, virtually denied the doctrine of total depravity”  (p. 18). What is Van Til’s answer to these objections? “How can God have an attitude of favor unto those men whom He so obviously has not included in the number that could possibly be saved through the gospel of the blood of Jesus Christ? Well the answer is that we cannot comprehend how it is possible, but the Scriptures reveal it to be true. And so we must learn to say to ourselves and to take seriously the words. . . . ‘Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?’” ( p. 134 ). “Against both Heeksema and Schilder I have contended that we must think more concretely and analogieally than they did, allowing ourselves to be led only by scriptural exegesis. All the truths of the Christian religion have of necessity the appearance of being contradictory.” “We do not fear to accept that which has the appearance of being contradictory. We know that what appears to be so to us is not really so. So also in the case of the question of common grace. We are not to say that God cannot have any attitude of favor toward a generality of mankind, including both reprobate and elect, because our logic seems to require us to do so. in the case of common grace, as in the case of every other biblical doctrine, we should seek to take all the factors of Scripture teaching and bind them together into systematic relations with one another as far as we can. But we do not expect to have a logically deducible relationship between one doctrine and another” (pp. 165, 166).

“We make Scripture the standard of our thinking, and not our thinking the standard of Scripture” (p. 167).

The missionary implications of this Biblical way of dealing with these difficult matters should not be overlooked. Dr. Van Til finds and defends the fact that both the old orthodox Reformed thinkers in the Netherlands and the faithful Presbyterians at Old Princeton “were not deterred by those who would impose ‘logic’ upon Scripture either by way of rejecting election in favor of the sincerity of the general offer of the gospel, or by way of rejecting the sincerity of the general offer of the gospel in favor of election. They thought concretely and scripturally rather than abstractly and deductively from one aspect of revelation” and so “both preached with conviction the universal or general offer of salvation to men as a class” (p, 188).

The average reader will not always find this book easy to read, but if he will thoughtfully work through the discussion he may find the guidance of this veteran Reformed leader extremely profitable not only in dealing with immediate questions about common grace, but in learning how the Lord would have us proclaim and defend His gospel in today’s confused and confusing world.

UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIAN MISSIONS by J. Herbert Kane; 452 pages; Baker Book House; $9.95. Reviewed by John Vander Ploeg, Grand Rapids, Mich.

To suggest that, in the event of a second printing of this 452-page book on missions, a complete index would be a real asset to make it even more valuable, is intended as commendation rather than criticism. Kane’s Understanding Christian Missions, so chock–full of current statistical information, so extremely well-organized throughout, and also so easily understood because of the author‘s ability to communicate in an engaging and down-to-earth style, is a volume that deserves a prominent place on the bookshelf of any serious student of Christian Missions as a reference to be consulted often.

The author, Dr. J. Herbert Kane, has served for fifteen years as a missionary in China, serves presently as professor of Missions at the School of World Mission, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois, and is also the author of other books on Christian missions: A Global View of Christian Missions (Baker ) and Winds of Change in the Christian Mission (Moody).

The extensive coverage Kane gives Christian Missions is suggested by the ten chapter headings: 1. The Making of the Missionary; 2. Matters Relating to Recruitment. 3. Theological Issues [here and there the Reformed reader may raise an eyebrow while nevertheless finding himself, in large part, appreciative of this section also]; 4. Historical Development; 5. Cultural Penetration; 6. Political involvement; 7. Methodological Imperatives; 8. Christianity in the Third World; 9. Recent Developments; 10. Future Prospects. This wide range of topics and the thorough treatment each one receives leaves no doubt that the author is highly knowledgeable and a master in the important field of missions.

“Is the task of world evangelization completed?” is the author‘s final question. His answer: “From all four comers of the earth comes a resounding No! Far from being completed, we have hardly reached the halfway point. To quit now would jeopardize the entire enterprise.”

GUIDELINES FOR URBAN CHURCH PLANTING, Roger S. Greenway, Editor. Baker Book House, Publisher, 1976, 76 pages, $1.95. Reviewed by Frank De Jong, Ripon, California.

In the Spring of 1975 an important meeting of the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association was held in Los Angeles. Leaders from a variety of Protestant churches were confronted with the problems dealing with the widespread changes in Home Missions throughout the entire world. Of these problems it was recognized at this assembly that the planting of churches among evangelized urban people is one of the most urgent and important. The editor of this valuable book states it plainly, “cities must be regarded as the modem frontiers of Christian missions and they must be given high priority in terms of strategy and the assignment of resources.”

This high priority became evident at this Los Angeles meeting. On the last day the morning and afternoon sessions were devoted entirely to this study of this important subject. The outcome of this was that the papers presented at these meetings were published under the heading, “Guidelines for Urban Church Planting.” This valuable material is thus available for wider circulation and can serve missionaries throughout the Christian world to guide them in their urban ministry.

The guidelines given in this book are based upon a book written in 1965 by Dr. Donald A. Mc Gavran of the Fuller Seminary titled, Understanding Church Growth. In it he sets forth eight “Keys to Church Growth in Cities.” The papers presented at the last meeting of the EFMA used these eight keys as a guide to examine models of what is being done today in the work of Urban Church Planting. Every Home Missionary, in fact all who are interested in the great cause of Urban Missions, should read and study these guidelines.