Trowel & Sword. November 1963
Preamble: “The Church and the World” was a statement issued by THE REFORMED ECUMENICAL SYNOD, which met in Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A., August 7-16, 1963. In it the synod expressed its concern at the “increasing alienation of modern man from the church” in a self examination of the the Church’s own short-comings. The statement refers not just to the short-comings of the Reformed Churches but of the universal Christian Church world-wide. Did this statement have an impact? Consider the state of the Church and the World today. Has anything changed in the last 63 years?
Following this article is a link to an address by Rev. G. Van Groningen of the RTC to this Synod which some may find worthwhile.
The Church And The World
The Reformed Ecumenical Synod meeting in Grand Rapids, August 7-16, 1963, at the request of several member Churches, discussed at length the calling of the Church in the growing estrangement of mankind from the Gospel. Evidence of this estrangement can be seen in the increasing alienation of modern man from the Church, in the advancing secularisation of human society and in the moral chaos of our day. The Synod considers it necessary to concern itself seriously with the growing hostility and indifference to the Gospel and to address this brief message to the Churches concerning the Church and the world.
The Church must remember that she will be a blessing to the world only if she lives as a Church in humble and complete submission to the Word of God. This the Church has not always done. The cause therefore for the growing disaffection with the Gospel is not to be sought in the world alone. The Churches must share the blame for they have often fallen into unfaithfulness and apostasy.
The Churches contribute to the estrangement from the Gospel when they depart from the only sure foundation which Christ provided in the teaching of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20), or fail to declare the whole counsel of God as their message to the world. Likewise, when Churches permit ministers of the Word to declare the Church confessions obsolete and to contradict and disobey the infallible Scripture, they becloud or deny the Gospel and thus foster the growing estrangement. But Churches are also to blame when, while maintaining an orthodox creedal confession, they fail to express in witness and life, the vitality of the Christian Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation. Finally, the Churches err when at times they rend the Church of Christ in a way that cannot be defended before God in the light of Scripture; thus by their separate existence such Churches which otherwise seek to live in harmony with the Word of God make the Church appear to the world to be a house divided against itself.
It should be emphasised that the turning of many from the Church and Gospel preaching may not induce the Churches to leave the world to its fate and withdraw into a spiritual isolation. The Churches ought rather to follow the Good Shepherd (Luke 15) who by self-sacrificing and forgiving love, seeks that which is lost and gone astray. Hence the Churches may not be content simply to warn of coming judgment upon those who refuse to turn in repentance to God, but must also proclaim the full Gospel to the whole world knowing that God our Saviour “would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (Tim. 2:4 and 4:10). For this reason the Church may not be a stranger to the world. She must show her solidarity with the world by seeking to understand the world’s spiritual and material need and by alleviating mankind’s distress in a manner consistent with her nature and task, in obedience to Jesus Christ.
The Church may not be concerned for the well-being of individual men only, for she must devote her whole-hearted attention to the whole of society with the full Gospel. She must proclaim the truth of the Gospel for all areas of life – not only for education and science, but also for social and political activities on the national and international levels. The great goal of the Church in these endeavours is the hallowing of God’s Name and the coming of His Kingdom.
Thus the Churches must strive, like the Good Shepherd Himself, to guard the sheep from apostasy from the Word of God (Matt. 18), and at the same time endeavour with all the means legitimately at her disposal to bring back the erring and lost under the dominion of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, the only Saviour of the world.
In view of all the imperfections evident even in faithful Churches, the question might well arise whether, rather than turning first toward the world, Churches ought not first pursue their own greater sanctification. It would be a mistake, however, to think that the one could be done without the other, for the Church cannot truly be the CHURCH without also being concerned for the world. Likewise, the Church cannot be a blessing to the world unless in her own life, in her confessing and preaching, in her discipline and sanctification, in her unity and catholicity she submits herself and binds herself to the eternal and imperishable Word of God. In short, unless she remains truly CHURCH.
The message of the Reformed Ecumenical Synod to the Churches concerning the estrangement of mankind from the Gospel is this: Let the Church of Jesus Christ be truly Church in love, in truth, in obedience to her Lord! In her concern for the world let her take heed to herself. Let her loving concern for the world increase as she seeks to grow in grace and in knowledge of her Saviour.
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Click on the link below to read the address By Prof. G. Van Groningen to the Reformed Ecumenical Synod.
Recent Comment: “I would love to see Trowel and Sword resurrected. It’s so good to keep in touch with each other and encourage each other.
Maybe we could employ a journalist or other suitable person to manage and edit it?
Sarene Sietsma”.
T&S Revisited 
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