Twin Lakes Fellowship Seminar #1 – Ron Gleason on HermanBavinck

We opened the Twin Lakes Fellowship with the hymn “That Man is Blest, who Fearing God.” After Ligon Duncan made the opening announcements, we sang “Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah.” It was beautiful to hear all these ministers of the Gospel singing praise to our God. Ron Gleason’s outstanding lecture was on Herman Bavinck. Ron is the author of The Death Penalty on Trial . Ron is presently writing the biography of Bavinck to be published by P&R Publishing.

A handout of one of Ron’s chapters was given out, specifically, Bavinck’s view of Calvin’s view of the Lord’s Supper. Ron suggests that it is time for Bavinck to move out of the shadow of Abraham Kuyper. “Kyper and Bavinck belong together like Goldman and Saks or Mercedes and Benz,” but Kuyper is usually placed out in front. Bavinck took over for Kuyper at the Free Univeristy. But it was always Kuyper and Bavinck and never Bavinck and Kuyper. Ron suggested that that historical order and rank was incorrect, especially in regard to theology.

Ron noted that Bavinck’s 20 years of Reformed Ethics will be published in due time. There is a team working on publishing Bavinck’s work on Ethics.

Bavinck the Churchman :

Bavinck the Pastor:

Bavinck pastored one year, and one year only, and then was off to teach at Seminary. His father pastored one of the Afscheid churches. It was in a village of about 1000 people. It was the same town and church where Geerhardus Vos’ father lived and worshiped. At a very early age young Bavinck had a burning desire to serve the Lord. Because of the political and religious situation it was hard to find a church. Bavinck mentions many times in A Short Sketch of My Life that the preaching he sat under led him to sometimes fall on his knees as he was out walking to pray. Bavinck’s pastor was burnt out. There were two candidates presented to fill the pastorate. The vote was divided but the consistory had a young girl pull the name in a “casting of the lot” manner. Bavinck finishes his degree. He was a master in Hebrew and Latin and had excelled in Systematic Theology. As the war progresses, Bavinck goes to enlist but was dismissed at his physical because they had enough men. God’s providence is exceedingly evident in all these occasions. Bavinck focused on preaching the word in his pastorate. He was often overcome with fear and nausea prior to preaching. He was also one who catechized his students. He himself had been catechized in the Afscheiding church, as well as, at home with his father. Bavinck did it, though admittedly it was not his favorite thing at first. He came to love it and to see the value of it. He would see some of his students and young people who later in life told him how valuable that catecetical instruction was to their development.

Bavinck chose to go to Leiden, breaking the mold of his very conservative church. He wanted to learn liberal theology first hand. He said, If I am going to criticize Schliermacher I want to do so using his own words and his own constructs. This is precisely what he did. Bavinck was very critical of his former professor at Leiden as well. We have record of the books he purchased while in the pastorate. Ron made the point that we, like Bavinck, should “always be studying and always keep reading one book that is too hard for you.”

Bavinck visited the physically challenged people as much or more than others. He would put them so close to the pulpit that they would benefit from God’s word. He never went just to drink coffee or tea to them. He came to give the word of God to shut-ins. He also did, what was his last favorite thing to do, namely, administration.

Bavinck practically did everything by himself, save the fact that he trained his elders well. They shared in the work that needed to be done. He remained a writer. He preached every Sunday. He catechized. He visited. He worked. He studied.

Bavinck the Theologian:

As a theologian, Bavinck was appointed to the same position as his father. His father had turned it down much to the dismay of Herman’s mother. But the same position was offered to Herman and he accepted.

Bavinck always stressed objectivity as well as existentialism in his Dogmatics. He was bent on keeping his theological emphasis balanced. He once said, “The Christian theologians greatest task is to think God’s thoughts after him.” We are called to use the tools of hermeneutics and exegesis to think His thoughts. Bavinck became a defender of the church confessions. Some of the younger students and pastors questioned the need for the Three Forms of Unity. Bavinck was a defended of keeping those in the face of this desire for progression from them.

One of the central themes of Bavinck’s writing is the Unio Mystica . Owen had said that this is the key to the Ordo Salutis . Bavinck stressed this everywhere in his writings. Ron’s doctorate was on the Unio Mystica in Bavinck. He also recommened A Philosophy of Revelation by Bavinck. Ron stressed that this work will guide as we seek to engage culture.

Bavinck the Churchman:

Bavinck was and remained a churchman throughout his entire career. He worked with Kuyper on trying to join the church division. These two men succeeded to form a unified church. The problem was there remained two theological schools. After the union was effected the clouds of darkness appeared quickly. Bavinck proposed how these two schools may work together, but the infighting went on for years. It was THE event that proved the final blow to Kuyper and Bavinck’s involvement with one another. Their differences became well known. Bavinck was always ready to stay and work in the church he loved, despite the fact that he was not listened to.

Bavinck the Man with Warts :

Bavinck continued to fight for his old friend, Kuyper, regardless of differences. As Kuyper’s views of presumptive regeneration were propagated Bavinck did not draw the line in the sand, so to speak. Bavinck soft peddled it. There is a warning here for all of us. We should not let our friendships with others to warp our stance on theological issues. The end result of allowing this error was the division in the church some 50 years later in 1944.

Bavinck the Statesman:

Bavinck became what we would call a “civic politician.” He served in the first chamber of the Dutch parliment. When he stood at the podium, he spoke always as a Christian theologian. He was a well known man. But he was always a sinner. He sought to propagate the Christian world view in Holland. He pressed, with Kuyper, the notion of the antithesis. There was always something in the Christian world view something counter cultural.

Bavinck the Author:

Biographers have often asked the question, “Did Bavinck change?” People have wrongly come to the conclusion that Bavinck was not the same man that he was as a pastor after he went to Amsterdam and wrote Reformed Dogmatics. He believed what he had written was sufficient. The first World War shook him however. He conceded that if he had to write his Dogmatics after WWI it would look a bit different. In 1921 the Lord called Herman Bavinck home. He returned from being a churchman and had trouble trying to get home because of problems breathing. The next day he had a heart attack.

The last entry into his diary was that he had time to remember his long time friend A. Kuyper. He noted the death of Kuyper not long before his own death. He repeatedly said this refrain to those who visited him: “I have kept the faith.” On June 2 he told his wife that all the Psalms were beautiful, but asked her to read Psalm 103 to him again. Herman Bavinck died one month later. As they were lowing his body into the grave someone began to sing the words of Psalm 72:11: “The King whose name we are professing, His name shall always endure….”