FIFTY YEARS OF MUSIC AT CALVIN COLLEGE by Seymour Swets. Williams B. Eerdman’s Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1973. Reviewed by Jean Geenen of Kalamazoo, Michigan.
This account of the growth and development of the music department at Calvin College is delightful reading. From the viewpoint of this former A Cappella Choir singer, the reminiscences by our esteemed professor brought back precious memories of some of the highlights of the days spent at Calvin College.
Not the least of the interesting history is the account of the reluctance of the early Christian Reformed Churches to use any music other than the Psalms in the worship services. As a son of this strict background, Swets worked long and hard to give Calvin College students the background in music to express their religious convictions in the highest musical terms.
High on the list of achievements for Professor Swets was the annual production of Handel’s “Messiah.” It has become a city-wide event that is looked forward to by music lovers and become a consistent sell-out.
The musical performing groups have done much to endear Calvin to the church constituency. Many delightful episodes of their toms to various parts of the country are recalled.
As a church, we are indebted to Professor Swets for his untiring efforts in developing the music department of om college from the “stepchild” role to the fully accredited department which exists today.
ZIJN WIJ OP DE VERKEERDE WEG? Een Bijbelse Studie Over de Verzoening, by Herman Ridderbos. Published by J. H. Kok, Kampen, The Netherlands. 1972. Reviewed by Rev. Peter De Jong of Dutton, Michigan.
This book, whose title one might translate, “Are We on the Wrong Bond? A Biblical Study of the Atonement” is interesting for more than one reason. As the preface informs us, the book is a reaction to another book, which has received a good deal of attention in Dutch Reformed circles, the dissertation of Herman Wiersinga whose title we might translate. The Atonement in Theological Discussion 1971. Dr. Ridderbos, the famous Reformed New Testament scholar, sets out to give a careful, yet brief and popular, exposition of the Scripture passages that teach the doctrine of the atonement. The little book, therefore, is useful both to shed light on one of the most serious present controversies in the Reformed churches in The Netherlands, and to help us understand more clearly one of the most important biblical teachings.
Dr. Ridderbos points out that what distinguishes Wiersinga’s attack on the doctrine of the atonement from others is his effort to find a base in the Bible for it. Wiersinga advances the conclusion that “the whole thought that Christ, through His suffering and death, would have satisfied the demands of God’s punitive righteousness, would have to endure the wrath of God and the punishment for our sins, and in that sense have made an atoning sacrifice for our sins cannot be harmonized with the Biblical message of the atonement.” He claims that this whole doctrine is in conflict with the Bible’s revelation of God’s love as the starting point and source of the atonement, and that it does not do justice to the Biblical role of Christ as the Mediator.
Weirsinga says that the atonement of which the Bible speaks is in no respect directed towards God to satisfy His righteousness or honor, but that it is exclusively directed towards man to move him to repentance. This suffering and death of Christ must by what he calls its “shock-effect” change men. Christ’s “substitution” then must be considered temporary or provisional, designed to move us to imitation by its example. He criticizes thc old doctrine as regarding the atonement as a past event instead of as a dynamic reality in the present. Christ, according to him, only begins the process which takes place in our repentance, change and renewal.
Ridderbos states that it is not his purpose to pass judgment on this dissertation but to deal with the Bible passages to which Wiersinga tries to give a different interpretation from the customary one in order to substantiate his views. The second chapter deals with the implications of Paul’s statement in I Corinthians 15 that “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.” The necessity of Christ’s death, Wiersinga attempts to find not in God’s purpose but in men’s wickedness. When Isaiah, for example, says, “It pleased the Lord to bruise him” (53:10) and “The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (6). Wiersinga attempts to brush this aside as just an expression of the popular notions about retribution, which Isaiah is opposing, saying “we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God” (4).
These and many other such efforts to create a biblical basis for Wiersinga’s views. Ridderbos in throughgoing fashion exposes as the untenable distortion of Scriptures that they plainly are. When Wiersinga attempts to ground hi attack on God’s love, Ridderbos points out that God’s love is shown precisely in Christ’s death for us (Rom. 5:8) as He was sent “to be the propitiation for our sins” (I John 4:10). Ridderbos proceeds to deal further with the Bible’s representation of Christ’s death as an offering, a mass of material which Wiersinga, to save his theory must try to pervert into the notion that God must make the sacrifice to man!
Our Lord’s teaching that He must give His life “a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28) provides the subject for another chapter, followed by a discussion of the relationship between Christ”s atoning death and its effects in the life of the believer. A chapter is devoted to the extent of the atonement, alluding to passages that stress its breadth and cosmic implications, but also stressing the fact that atonement only takes place through faith in Christ. In this connection the writer makes the sharp observation that “one oversteps the boundaries and . also the intent of the Bible when he qualifies” the goodness and struggle for humanity, peace and righteousness in the world, as the “latent kingdom of Christ” as long as this proceeds outside of the faith and fellowship of Christ.
This little book concludes with a chapter which points out that the teaching of the Bible on this matter of the jectivized in an effort to make it intel-atonement must not be altered or subligible and acceptable to the modern man. One must not, us the Bible warns us, eliminate the contents of the message in order to remove its offense.
In reading such a book as this, one is, as ·usual, impressed with the solid biblical study and clear exposition of Ridderbos. At the same time this careful, analytical and critical treatment of the views of Wiersinga leaves one uneasy and unsatisfied. It is a little like care· fully weighing and analysing the reasons why one should not indulge in murder. The careful academic and gentlemanly discussion of Wiersinga’s views is apt to obscure the heinousness of the crime that is under discussion.
To deny Christ’s atonement is not just an academic misunderstanding which has serious implications; it is a crime not inferior to murder since it destroys men’s souls. One would wish that Dr. Ridderbos who has shown himself such a master in the study of the life and labors of the apostle Paul showed something more of the forthright bluntness of the apostle who wrote, “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:9). As long as church leaders, and the Dutch church itself, insist on dealing with the conscienceless denial and betrayal of the most fundamental doctrines of the gospel in an atmosphere of academic tolerance and clubby, gentlemanly comradeship, they will be contributing to the destruction of their church and its faith, just as Eli did to the destruction of his family and Ilis people. It doesn’t make sense to engage in a prolonged and jlolite discussion of the pros and cons of arson when the house is burning down over your heads.
Wiersinga’s heresy is not new. It is the same as that advanced in the twelfth century by Abelard against Anselm with the same appeal to the love of God. This newest effort to promote an old heresy will have to be disciplined as well as discussed if the church is to be saved from its destructive effects.
UNDERSTANDING SPEAKING IN TONGUES, by Watson E. Mills. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1972, pp. 88, paperback, $1.95. Reviewed by Rev. Jerome Julien, pastor of the Faith Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Here is another book on a subject about which there is a growing list of publications. There is a distinct need for this kind of literature, as long as its purpose is to clarify what God’s only Word says, and not to simply express what men would like to read. Today’s fad is to emphasize the Holy Spirit. And no matter how we might like to try, we can no longer dismiss tongue-speaking as something which belongs to what some call ultra-fundamentalist denominations.
The question is, does this book contribute to the understanding of this difficult subject?
In some ways, yes, it does. Dr. Mills simply and yet clearly gets down to the meaning of many texts in Acts and Corinthians. He has some good insights and offers some suggestive ideas which could be developed further. For example, Dr. Mills relates tongues to Old Testament ecstatics. He also clearly relates the phenomena of the special gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts to the various milestones along the route of the expansion of the Christian Church.
But several things must be said against this volume.
First, since the author’s purpose is to write about tongues as such he does not deal with the basis for the desire to experience tongues. True, he does speak about ecstatics and its bad aspects. He quotes a Pentecostal who look.s down on the emotionalism which often accompanies tongues. However, the underlying theological foundation and the underlying psychological reasons for tongues are not dealt with.
Besides, Dr. Mills comes through rather soft on Pentecostalism and Neo-Pcntecostalism. He suggests that charismatics and non-charismatics ought to compromise and cease all criticism of each other.
Sad to say, there is a statement that makes a reader wonder just what is the author’s view of the authority of Scripture.
As much as I learned in the reading of this easy to read book, I cannot recommend it as containing the answer for those who want to know about speaking in tongues. It is too compromising and lacks decisive guidance for our troubled church scene.
This account of the growth and development of the music department at Calvin College is delightful reading. From the viewpoint of this former A Cappella Choir singer, the reminiscences by our esteemed professor brought back precious memories of some of the highlights of the days spent at Calvin College.
Not the least of the interesting history is the account of the reluctance of the early Christian Reformed Churches to use any music other than the Psalms in the worship services. As a son of this strict background, Swets worked long and hard to give Calvin College students the background in music to express their religious convictions in the highest musical terms.
High on the list of achievements for Professor Swets was the annual production of Handel’s “Messiah.” It has become a city-wide event that is looked forward to by music lovers and become a consistent sell-out.
The musical performing groups have done much to endear Calvin to the church constituency. Many delightful episodes of their toms to various parts of the country are recalled.
As a church, we are indebted to Professor Swets for his untiring efforts in developing the music department of om college from the “stepchild” role to the fully accredited department which exists today.
ZIJN WIJ OP DE VERKEERDE WEG? Een Bijbelse Studie Over de Verzoening, by Herman Ridderbos. Published by J. H. Kok, Kampen, The Netherlands. 1972. Reviewed by Rev. Peter De Jong of Dutton, Michigan.
This book, whose title one might translate, “Are We on the Wrong Bond? A Biblical Study of the Atonement” is interesting for more than one reason. As the preface informs us, the book is a reaction to another book, which has received a good deal of attention in Dutch Reformed circles, the dissertation of Herman Wiersinga whose title we might translate. The Atonement in Theological Discussion 1971. Dr. Ridderbos, the famous Reformed New Testament scholar, sets out to give a careful, yet brief and popular, exposition of the Scripture passages that teach the doctrine of the atonement. The little book, therefore, is useful both to shed light on one of the most serious present controversies in the Reformed churches in The Netherlands, and to help us understand more clearly one of the most important biblical teachings.
Dr. Ridderbos points out that what distinguishes Wiersinga’s attack on the doctrine of the atonement from others is his effort to find a base in the Bible for it. Wiersinga advances the conclusion that “the whole thought that Christ, through His suffering and death, would have satisfied the demands of God’s punitive righteousness, would have to endure the wrath of God and the punishment for our sins, and in that sense have made an atoning sacrifice for our sins cannot be harmonized with the Biblical message of the atonement.” He claims that this whole doctrine is in conflict with the Bible’s revelation of God’s love as the starting point and source of the atonement, and that it does not do justice to the Biblical role of Christ as the Mediator.
Weirsinga says that the atonement of which the Bible speaks is in no respect directed towards God to satisfy His righteousness or honor, but that it is exclusively directed towards man to move him to repentance. This suffering and death of Christ must by what he calls its “shock-effect” change men. Christ’s “substitution” then must be considered temporary or provisional, designed to move us to imitation by its example. He criticizes thc old doctrine as regarding the atonement as a past event instead of as a dynamic reality in the present. Christ, according to him, only begins the process which takes place in our repentance, change and renewal.
Ridderbos states that it is not his purpose to pass judgment on this dissertation but to deal with the Bible passages to which Wiersinga tries to give a different interpretation from the customary one in order to substantiate his views. The second chapter deals with the implications of Paul’s statement in I Corinthians 15 that “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.” The necessity of Christ’s death, Wiersinga attempts to find not in God’s purpose but in men’s wickedness. When Isaiah, for example, says, “It pleased the Lord to bruise him” (53:10) and “The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (6). Wiersinga attempts to brush this aside as just an expression of the popular notions about retribution, which Isaiah is opposing, saying “we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God” (4).
These and many other such efforts to create a biblical basis for Wiersinga’s views. Ridderbos in throughgoing fashion exposes as the untenable distortion of Scriptures that they plainly are. When Wiersinga attempts to ground hi attack on God’s love, Ridderbos points out that God’s love is shown precisely in Christ’s death for us (Rom. 5:8) as He was sent “to be the propitiation for our sins” (I John 4:10). Ridderbos proceeds to deal further with the Bible’s representation of Christ’s death as an offering, a mass of material which Wiersinga, to save his theory must try to pervert into the notion that God must make the sacrifice to man!
Our Lord’s teaching that He must give His life “a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28) provides the subject for another chapter, followed by a discussion of the relationship between Christ”s atoning death and its effects in the life of the believer. A chapter is devoted to the extent of the atonement, alluding to passages that stress its breadth and cosmic implications, but also stressing the fact that atonement only takes place through faith in Christ. In this connection the writer makes the sharp observation that “one oversteps the boundaries and . also the intent of the Bible when he qualifies” the goodness and struggle for humanity, peace and righteousness in the world, as the “latent kingdom of Christ” as long as this proceeds outside of the faith and fellowship of Christ.
This little book concludes with a chapter which points out that the teaching of the Bible on this matter of the jectivized in an effort to make it intel-atonement must not be altered or subligible and acceptable to the modern man. One must not, us the Bible warns us, eliminate the contents of the message in order to remove its offense.
In reading such a book as this, one is, as ·usual, impressed with the solid biblical study and clear exposition of Ridderbos. At the same time this careful, analytical and critical treatment of the views of Wiersinga leaves one uneasy and unsatisfied. It is a little like care· fully weighing and analysing the reasons why one should not indulge in murder. The careful academic and gentlemanly discussion of Wiersinga’s views is apt to obscure the heinousness of the crime that is under discussion.
To deny Christ’s atonement is not just an academic misunderstanding which has serious implications; it is a crime not inferior to murder since it destroys men’s souls. One would wish that Dr. Ridderbos who has shown himself such a master in the study of the life and labors of the apostle Paul showed something more of the forthright bluntness of the apostle who wrote, “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:9). As long as church leaders, and the Dutch church itself, insist on dealing with the conscienceless denial and betrayal of the most fundamental doctrines of the gospel in an atmosphere of academic tolerance and clubby, gentlemanly comradeship, they will be contributing to the destruction of their church and its faith, just as Eli did to the destruction of his family and Ilis people. It doesn’t make sense to engage in a prolonged and jlolite discussion of the pros and cons of arson when the house is burning down over your heads.
Wiersinga’s heresy is not new. It is the same as that advanced in the twelfth century by Abelard against Anselm with the same appeal to the love of God. This newest effort to promote an old heresy will have to be disciplined as well as discussed if the church is to be saved from its destructive effects.
UNDERSTANDING SPEAKING IN TONGUES, by Watson E. Mills. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1972, pp. 88, paperback, $1.95. Reviewed by Rev. Jerome Julien, pastor of the Faith Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Here is another book on a subject about which there is a growing list of publications. There is a distinct need for this kind of literature, as long as its purpose is to clarify what God’s only Word says, and not to simply express what men would like to read. Today’s fad is to emphasize the Holy Spirit. And no matter how we might like to try, we can no longer dismiss tongue-speaking as something which belongs to what some call ultra-fundamentalist denominations.
The question is, does this book contribute to the understanding of this difficult subject?
In some ways, yes, it does. Dr. Mills simply and yet clearly gets down to the meaning of many texts in Acts and Corinthians. He has some good insights and offers some suggestive ideas which could be developed further. For example, Dr. Mills relates tongues to Old Testament ecstatics. He also clearly relates the phenomena of the special gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts to the various milestones along the route of the expansion of the Christian Church.
But several things must be said against this volume.
First, since the author’s purpose is to write about tongues as such he does not deal with the basis for the desire to experience tongues. True, he does speak about ecstatics and its bad aspects. He quotes a Pentecostal who look.s down on the emotionalism which often accompanies tongues. However, the underlying theological foundation and the underlying psychological reasons for tongues are not dealt with.
Besides, Dr. Mills comes through rather soft on Pentecostalism and Neo-Pcntecostalism. He suggests that charismatics and non-charismatics ought to compromise and cease all criticism of each other.
Sad to say, there is a statement that makes a reader wonder just what is the author’s view of the authority of Scripture.
As much as I learned in the reading of this easy to read book, I cannot recommend it as containing the answer for those who want to know about speaking in tongues. It is too compromising and lacks decisive guidance for our troubled church scene.