Issues – life is full of them, and not the least in religion and in the church. Some arc real, others imaginary. Wise men recognize the difference—and they also step forward to face an issue when they know they must.
Horace Mann, American educator of a little more than a century ago, offered a wise guideline for recognizing issues that are real when he once said: “Keep one thing forever in view—the truth; and if you do this, though it may seem to lead you away from the opinion of men, it will assuredly conduct you to the throne of God.”
The truth – Whenever and wherever the truth is at stake, the discerning and dedicated believer knows that the time has come to face an issue. Our Lord, whose we are and whom we serve, is the Truth, as He has plainly stated: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
Think then of what is at stake whenever an issue concerns the truth. At such a time our Lord Himself is once again on triaL James Russell Lowell recognized something of this when in The Present Crisis he wrote:
“Then to side with truth is noble when we share her wretched crust, Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and ’tis prosperous to be just; Then it is the brave man chooses, while the coward stands aside, Doubting in his abject spirit, till his Lord is crucified.”
More than conquerors – There will be issues at the forthcoming 1977 CRC Synod that the delegates (elders as well as ministers) will have to face up to if they are to be worthy of being there. The “nice guys” and “ja-broeders” who are content to let others do their thinking for them and whose only concern is to be on the winning side pose a threat to the future of the CRC as well as they have been such in other denominations that have been sold down the river for the price of a peace and harmony that have always proved to be a cruel deception.
We have just commemorated the resurrection of our Lord who is the Truth, and in this month of May we commemorate His ascension to be seated at God’s right hand in glory and to send forth the Holy Spirit of Whom Jesus said: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth . . .” (John 16:13).
Think then of what all this should mean to us in facing the issues when the truth is at stake. As often as we lose a battle, we may nevertheless go forward in the confidence that we shall surely win the war. Short-sighted unbelief must give way to the long range point of view of those who know that, being on the side of Christ who is the Truth, at last they shall be “more than conquerors” in Him.
Issues at Synod – Because I do not at the time of this writing have access to the 1977 Agenda for Synod, my knowledge of what the issues will be is limited. However, we do know that outstanding among matters to be considered is the question of “Marriage Guidelines” and what has come to be known as “the Verhey 
case.”
From other articles appearing in THE OUTLOOK our readers are in a position to know what is at stake in these two items. In the “Marriage Guidelines” matter, the delegates must face up to the question of whether the CRC is now ready to liberalize its stand on divorce and remarriage or whether it will reaffirm its historic position that has been maintained as Scriptural for more than a century. The “Verhey case,” in which Classis Grand Rapids East, the Dutton consistory, and the 1976 Synod are involved, is basically a question of whether or not the CRC will maintain or liberalize its high view of Scripture as the Word of God.
Another issue that could arise at Synod pertains to the nomination of Rev. Philip C. Holtrop of North Haledon, New Jersey, by the Calvin Board of Trustees for a teaching position at Calvin College. In an article elsewhere in this issue, Rev. Peter De Jong calls attention to this issue in view of a recent article by Rev. Holtrop in The Reformed Journal of February 1977 under the title: “A strange language; toward a biblical conception of truth and a new mood for doing Reformed Theology.”
Without attempting to present or to refute precisely what Holtrop‘s article is pleading for, I do believe that the 1977 CRC Synod, in considering his nomination, should give the most careful consideration to his position that leads him to make such statements as the following:
1. Form of Subscription – Rev. Holtrop writes: “What do we do with a teacher, preacher, elder, student, or housewife who, in the interest of Christian piety, because he or she loves the Lord and wants sound doctrine in the sense of doing the truth, takes issue with a certain accepted statement? The answer, of course, is that we get disturbed. That person has given ‘sufficient grounds of suspicion’ (to quote the Form of Subscription which Reformed churches inherited from Dort). He or she does not ‘heartily believe . . . that all the articles and points of doctrine contained in the Confession and Catechism of the Reformed Churches, together with the explanation of some points of the aforesaid doctrine made by the National Synod of Dordrecht, 1618–’19, do fully agree with the Word of God.”
Holtrop continues: “Please ponder those words for a moment—‘do fully agree with the Word of God’ and you will see that what we have here is an agreement or correspondence theory of truth. Historically, the Form of Subscription presupposes the revival of Aristotle at the Geneva Academy and other Reformed institutions after Calvin, and that revival was essential to the Reformed orthodoxy or scholasticism that followed. The spirit of the Form, and orthodoxy, is essentially the spirit of Aristotle.”
Holtrop goes on to say about the Form of Subscription: “Existentialism and romanticism are biblically inadequate. But so, too, is the ‘objectivity’ of Reformed orthodoxy. That should not be our presupposition when we are asked, for example, to sign the creeds or a form of subscription.”
2. The creeds – In setting forth what he advocates as “a new mood for doing Reformed theology,” Rev. Holtrop comments as follows on the creeds: “I have high regard for creeds, but I do not equate them with ‘the truth: They are expressions of my community’s odyssey, and they are beacon–lights at critical junctures, especially in moments of high threat. But the word ‘creed’ comes from credo–something I do, believe, in an historical situation. I am always historically contingent. And so is a creed.“. . . I recognize that the Canons of Dort present us with a certain view of the relation of eternity and time, a view which I, along with others, want to challenge today on the basis of Scripture . . . .”
3. Berkhof’s Systematic Theology – Professor Louis Berkhof served as a teacher at Calvin Seminary with great distinction from 1906 until his retirement in 1944 during which time he produced his monumental work, Systematic Theology, which for years has been held in high esteem both within and also beyond the borders of the CRC. As he goes on to advocate his “new mood for doing theology,” Rev. Holtrop has the following to say about Berkhof’s work:“In candor, in eighteen years since leaving the seminary I have rarely consulted my copy of Louis Berkhof‘s Systematic Theology, except to find appropriate proof-texts or inappropriate ways of organizing theology, or fascinating lines of connection between the emerging orthodoxy of the post–Reformation and a modern version of Reformed scholasticism. I have found other sources—mainly the Bible—immeasurably more helpful and stimulating.”
If, in reply to all this, the familiar charge is made that these statements are quoted out of context, I would urge especially the delegates to Synod to look into this for themselves and determine whether or not this is so and then face up to the issue that confronts them with respect to Rev. Holtrop‘s nomination.
The challenge – There is a challenge that is crystal clear in Scripture for all of liS as followers of Christ and as members of His church to face up to issues as these continually confront us. God in His Word leaves no doubt that He is highly displeased with fence-sitters and middle-of–the-roaders when His truth and the welfare of His church are at stake.
Think, for example, of Elijah’s ringing challenge for the people of Israel. “How long go ye limping between the two sides? if Jehovah be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him” (I Kings 18:20). And think also of our Lord‘s scathing denunciation of the church in Laodicea: “So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:16).
The need of the hour is to face the issues. Ambiguous or umbrella-like decisions at Synod when issues are concerned do more harm than good. The favor of the Lord cannot possibly rest upon them and our problems will only mount and multiply instead of being solved. The matter is extremely urgent. Become informed about the issues, take a stand; and, as long as you are truly convinced before God that you are right, never budge an inch from the position you have taken.