Loveland Protestant Reformed Church

709 East 57th Street; Loveland, CO 80538
Services: 9:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. June through August)
Vol. 6, No. 10 Pastor: Rev. Garry Eriks Phone: (970) 667-9481
Homepage on Internet: http://www.prca.org

Table of Contents:
  The Offices in the Church
  Being Reconciled to God (1)
  What is the Destiny of the Unevangelized?

The Offices in the Church

There has been much controversy about the number and nature of these offices. Without entering into that controversy, we believe that the offices that remain in the church are three, the offices of elder, deacon and minister.

We say "remain" because there have been other, temporary offices; apostle, prophet, evangelist, etc. These offices, which involved bringing the inspired and infallible Word of God (Acts 21:10-11, Heb. 2:3-4, II Pet. 3:15-16), are no longer necessary , since we now have the completed Scriptures (II Pet. 1:19-21).

That it is only the offices of ruling elder, deacon, and minister that remain is clear, since these are the only offices mentioned in the later epistles of Paul (I Timothy and Titus, especially) where he is giving instruction to the successors the Apostles. This is further confirmed by the fact that these epistles have to do with "proper behaviour in the church" ( Tim. 3:15) and with "setting things in order in the church" (Tit. 1:5)

Nor are we concerned to argue the point that both the ministers and ruling elders are identified as elders in the NT. The fact of the matter is that these three offices have distinct duties and are viewed as separate offices in the NT (I Tim. 3 and 4).

What does concern us is the fact that these offices are neglected and forgotten in the church today. Few churches have all three offices, and where the offices are present once often finds deacons doing the work of elders or vice versa, or ministers doing the work of all three. Likewise, in many cases the offices have become nothing more than honorary positions and those who are chosen to them are chosen not on the basis of spiritual qualifications, but of prominence or wealth.

This can only be to the detriment of the church, if Christ has instituted them for the church. Indeed, insofar as the offices are representative of Christ, their absence in the church means that at least in some ways Christ Himself is not present among the people of God, as He ought to be.

We believe (this is another reason we find three offices in the NT) that these offices are aspects of Christ's three-fold offices of prophet, priest and king. This is very evident in the offices of ruling elder and minister. It is hard not to see that those two are extensions of Christ's kingly and prophetic offices. But the office of deacon, properly understood, is, we believe, an extension of Christ's priestly office, or at least of some aspects of that office (this we hope to show in a forthcoming article).

If that is true, then the offices are that much more important to the church, and may not be neglected as they are today. It is our hope and prayer that they may be restored to their proper place and function. Ronald Hanko

Being Reconciled to God (1)

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. II Cor. 5:20

The reader sent no question along with the request to deal with this verse. I suspect that probably the question implied is: "What is the meaning of the command which comes to us to be reconciled to God? How do we reconcile ourselves to God?" Perhaps the questioner even means to ask: "Does not Scripture teach that reconciliation is God's work, and not ours? How then can we be commanded to reconcile ourselves to God?"

And, if I may put myself as much as possible in the position of the questioner, perhaps the question is: "Does this command come to all men? And does that not imply that all men 'must' not only, but also 'can' reconcile themselves to God?"

In any event, it is a good question. A look at the text ought to prove profitable.

A brief look at the context will be helpful. In vs. 18, the apostle makes two very important statements. One is that God, of Whom are all things, has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ.

Note, first of all that this reconciliation is emphatically ascribed to God alone as His work. And notice, secondly, that this reconciliation is said to have taken place for "us." Not all men are reconciled to God, but only the apostle and the Corinthians, i.e., the church of Christ.

The second point the text makes is that the apostle, along with the other apostles has received the "ministry of reconciliation." I.e., the apostles (and other ministers of the gospel) have been appointed to be ministers who proclaim the gospel of reconciliation.

What is that gospel of reconciliation?

Reconciliation takes place only between those who have been estranged. If a husband and a wife are, through the sins of one or both, estranged from each other, they need to be reconciled. And reconciliation takes place when the sins are removed. Reconciliation is, therefore, the restoration of a bond of unity and harmony which previously existed, but which is destroyed through sin.

So it is with God and man. God and Adam lived in harmony and unity in the garden. Adam broke that bond by his agreement to join with Satan in opposition to God. The bond was broken. The covenant of marriage was destroyed on Adam's part.

The gospel of reconciliation is however, that God remains faithful to His place in this covenant of marriage. God continues to love His bride with a great and unchangeable love. God never goes back on His determination to love and cherish His bride.

And so the gospel announces that God reconciles His elect church to Himself through Jesus Christ. I.e., God takes away the cause of the destruction of the original relation, namely sin. And God reconciles His people to Himself by re-establishing the bond which was present originally. This is a marvelous gospel which is brought by God's ministers.

It must be remembered, however, that the relationship which God restores through Jesus Christ is much higher and far more blessed than the original relationship that existed in Paradise I. It is a relationship restored in Jesus Christ, and that means it is a relationship which is perfectly realized in heaven where we shall be with God in closest fellowship forever and ever.

Vs. 19 goes on to explain the second truth of vs. 18: that the apostles and ministers are given the word of reconciliation. It too adds especially two truths to what has been said.

First of all, it tells us that this reconciliation involves the whole world.

This must not be interpreted as if reconciliation involves every man head for head. If that were true then every man would be brought to heaven. Vs. 19 itself says this. For this reconciliation of the world involves "not imputing their trespasses unto them." If the trespasses of all men are no longer imputed to them, then all men are saved -- of course!

But the apostle has in mind the great truth that Adam fell as the head of the whole creation. When he fell, the whole creation fell in Adam and came under the curse of God's wrath. But when Christ accomplished reconciliation, He died for the whole world which had fallen in Adam. That is, He reconciled the whole creation to God.

This truth is literally taught in Col. 1:20: "And having made peace through the blood of the cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself." And then, as if the apostle wants to be sure that his readers understand what he means by the "all things," he writes: "By him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." The entire earthly and the entire heavenly creation are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.See also Romans 8:19-22. But we shall continue with our discussion of this in the next bulletin. Prof. H.Hanko.

What is the Destiny of the Unevangelised?

One of our readers has asked, "What is the eternal destiny of those who have never heard the Gospel and have not had the opportunity to repent, and likewise for the very young (and mentally retarded) who die without an understanding of the gospel?"

There are many who believe that all who die young, that is, before a certain "age of accountability," will be saved. It is also becoming quite popular to teach a kind of universalism which says that all the unevangelised will also be saved.

If I believed the former, I would in all seriousness earnestly pray God that my children might never grow up but that all of them might die in infancy. If I believed the latter, I would immediately cease preaching the gospel, for I would thereby be putting men and women and children in danger of eternal damnation who would otherwise be saved.

Apart from that, however, there are serious doctrinal errors involved in both beliefs. First, there is nothing in Scripture concerning an age of accountability, nor any suggestion that all children who die young will be saved. There is not even anything in Scripture to suggest that every child of believers who dies when very young will be saved.

We do not deny, of course, that children can be saved and that children of believers often are. Believing in sovereign grace we believe most firmly that God not only can save children but does promise to save the children of believers (Gen. 17:7; Acts 2:39; Eph. 6:1-3). We do not presume to think, though, that even those promises guarantee the salvation of every child of believers, even of every one who dies in infancy.

Indeed, we find it quite ironic, that many of those who teach the salvation of all infants who die young are often those who deny the validity of infant baptism. They do not find in the passages that speak of God's promise to save the children of believers sufficient hope for their salvation to allow them to receive the sign of that salvation in baptism.

The idea that all are saved who die before an age of accountability is really a denial of original sin, i.e., of the Biblical truth that our children are born and conceived in sin and are by nature children of wrath, even as others (Gen. 5:3; Job 14:4; Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:3). Indeed, that is a Romish notion to teach that infants have their original sin removed and have no actual sin until they are older.

That all infants who die young are elect of God and redeemed (as some claim) simply cannot be proved even in the case of believers. The one passage where David, a believer, seemingly speaks with some assurance of salvation of his dead infant son (II Sam. 12:23), cannot be taken as a rule, and most certainly not as a rule for all children, in light of such passages as Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 28:18, Psalm 137:9, and Hosea 4:6.

The doctrinal error that lies at the heart of the teaching that all the unevangelised are saved is the Romish and unbiblical doctrine of free will. This teaching says that unless everyone has a "chance" to decide their own destiny by freely choosing for or against Christ they cannot be condemned.

Along with that unbiblical teaching concerning free will goes a denial of God's sovereign will in predestination. If man's will determines whether or not he will be saved, then God's will does not determine his destiny and is not sovereign. If God's will is sovereign, also in determining who will be saved, then salvation cannot depend on man's free-will choice. Scripture teaches that God has chosen some and rejected others (Deut. 14:2; Is. 43:3, 4; Jn. 10:25-29; Rom. 9:10-13). R. Hanko