Original Sin
The Bible teaches us that even if we never sinned—never did anything wrong—we would still be counted sinners before God! This is the biblical doctrine of original sin.
When you hear of original sin, the reference is to Adam’s sin and to the fact that God holds us responsible for that first sin of Adam. We are as guilty as he was of that first disobedience!
You’ll find this doctrine of original sin in Romans 5:12. There we are reminded that when Adam sinned, death came on the whole human race. But why did it come on all and not just on Adam himself? The word of God in Romans 5:12 says that it came “because all sinned,” not just Adam and Eve!
Many people do not like this teaching because it seems to them so unfair. But it is really not unfair at all. In many other areas of our lives we accept responsibility for the actions of others without thinking it unfair. When our political leaders make laws, we are held responsible for those laws. Parents are held responsible in many cases for the behaviour of their children. This is simply part of human life. But even in salvation this holds true. We do not complain or think it unfair that Christ accepts responsibility for us and for all our sins as our Saviour. Yet our salvation comes through Him in the same way that sin came through Adam!
Original sin is a very important doctrine of the Bible, and it is of the greatest personal importance. It teaches me how completely lost I am as a sinner and shows me that there is no possibility of salvation except in Jesus Christ. I learn from this doctrine that even if I never committed any sin, God would still be angry with me and punish me eternally. That leaves me nowhere else to go, but to the cross of Christ for help and salvation.
Do you know that you were born with original sin? Did you know that even your smallest children are infected with it from birth? Did you know that the only cure for this horrible “disease” is the work of Jesus Christ? That’s the reason the Bible calls us to believe in Him and only in Him for salvation. Rev. Hanko
Pleasure In Death? (2)
Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23).
“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11)
In an article in the last issue of the News we gave reasons why these two difficult passages from the prophecy of Ezekiel could very well be interpreted as referring to God’s pleasure in the repentance of the elect.
Before we go on to another possible interpretation, we want to stress the importance of this.
As was true of the people of God in captivity, they were concerned that their sins had so angered the Lord that there was no hope of restoration. It is to this concern that the Lord addresses Himself by assuring His people that He has no pleasure in their death, but that surely they will be restored to life and blessing in the way of repentance. This was also granted them in the years following.
There is abiding comfort in this verse for every child of God. Each of us sins beyond measure. We are sometimes moved to sing with the Psalmist: “Our sins rise up against us, prevailing day by day.” The consciousness of sin is so great that we wonder whether we have not, by them, forfeited every right to God’s favour and love. It is a comfort then to know that the Lord is always merciful and gracious, always ready to forgive and restore when we turn from our evil ways and seek Him.
But Calvin in his commentary on 18:23 suggests also another interpretation of this verse which we here consider.
Without quoting Calvin verbatim (we urge our readers to read Calvin’s explanation of this passage), it is the general meaning of what Calvin says that there is a certain sense in which God does not take pleasure in the death of any man, but rather takes pleasure in their repentance.
What does this mean?
It means, as Calvin makes clear, that God requires of all men everywhere that they repent of sin and turn to Him. The command to repent comes to all who hear the gospel without exception. No man is ever excused from not repenting of sin.
In this sense, God does not take pleasure in man’s continual determination to reject the command of the gospel. He is angered by it and filled with fury against the sinner. It is, on the other hand, well-pleasing to Him that the sinner repent and confess His sins. The Canons of Dordt put it this way: “As many as are called by the gospel, are unfeignedly called. For God hath most earnestly and truly shown in his word, what is pleasing to him, namely, that those who are called should come to him. He, moreover, seriously promises eternal life, and rest, to as many as shall come to him, and believe on him” (III/IV:8).
Article 9 of the same Canons goes on to say: “It is not the fault of the gospel, nor of Christ, offered therein, nor of God, who calls men by the gospel, and confers upon them various gifts, that those who are called by the ministry of the word, refuse to come, and be converted.”
Thus, both Calvin and our Canons emphasize that when God commands everyone everywhere to repent and believe, God does so seriously expressing what is His will.
Obviously, in order to understand this, a distinction must be made between the will of God’s decree and the will of God’s command. Scripture itself does so.
Yet in making the distinction, we must be careful. The defenders of the “free offer” set these two wills over against each other. They say that according to the will of God’s command, God wills the salvation of all men and earnestly desires it; but, according to the will of His decree, God wills the salvation of the elect. The result is that God wills two things in flat contradiction to each other. This cannot be.
Calvin faces this very question in his commentary and strongly repudiates the notion that there can be two wills in God. He insists that, while the distinction is legitimate, we must insist on one will in God.
He points out further that, while there is surely some mystery here as to how these two aspects of the one will of God operate together, it is clear that the will of God’s command is the means whereby He executes the will of His decree.
This question of the will of God is so important that we wish to speak of it in another article. Prof. Hanko
The Place of Women in the Church
Two readers have asked about the place of women in the church. One simply asks, “What is women’s role in the church?” The other, “What are your views on the ministry of women in the church, e.g., as Sunday School teachers or praying in mixed prayer meetings?” These are important questions in light of all the efforts that are made today to give women a greater role in the church, including ordination to the church offices of minister (or missionary), elder and deacon.
Scripture answers the question whether women ought to be ordained to church offices very clearly and unequivocally. This answer is found in I Corinthians 14:34-35 and I Timothy 2:11-12: women may not serve in the offices of the church. The word of God in the I Timothy passage says that they may neither teach nor have authority in the church. When I Corinthians 14:34 says that they may not “speak,” it doesn’t mean that they may not talk in a church building, but that they may not speak in the way of praying, prophesying, edifying and teaching, as the context shows. Nor is this just some personal idea of the apostle Paul, but the word of God.
Whether they ought to pray in mixed prayer meetings is answered by the word of God in I Timothy 2:8. While verses 11 and 12 speak of the role of women in the church (cf. 3:15), verse 8 speaks of the role of the men and teaches us that it is the calling of the men to pray “EVERYWHERE.” Women should not, therefore, pray in any mixed gathering or lead in prayer when there are men present.
Whether they ought to be Sunday School teachers depends on the place the Sunday School has in the work of a particular church. If the Sunday School is part of the official ministry of the church, then the work ought to be done only by ORDAINED MEN. If it is not part of the official ministry of the church, then the words of I Corinthians 14:34, “Let your women keep silence in the churches,” do not really apply and there is no principle objection to them teaching.
Does this mean that women have no role at all in the church? By no means. Women have a very important place in the church. The Bible speaks of it in I Timothy 2:15, 5:9-10, 14, and Titus 2:3-5. The calling of the younger women, according to these passages, is to bring forth and nurture the covenant children of the church—a very important calling! The calling of the older women is to instruct the younger women and support them in this work, and also to practise hospitality, helping the poor and afflicted and being a blessing to all the saints. This is a God-given role which only they can fulfil. No man can possibly fill it for them. Rev. Hanko
