Article 8, dealing with the so-called well-meant gospel offer, is of crucial importance for the work of missions: “As many as are called by the gospel are earnestly called.11 For God earnestly and most sincerely reveals in His Word what is pleasing12 to Him, namely, that those who are called should come to Him. He also earnestly promises to all those who come to Him and believe rest of soul and eternal life.” Here the Canons express a most significant biblical insight. One is reminded of such passages as II Corinthians 5:20 (“So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God”) and II Peter 3:9 (“The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance”). If, now, the salvation of sinners is pleasing to God, certainly we who love the Lord should be eager to bring the gospel message to all men. Here again we note that this eagerness, this missionary passion, is clearly implied, but not expressly stated. Article 8 also tells us something about the way in which the missionary should present the gospel. As an ambassador for Christ he should urge men to be reconciled to God, not just because he, the missionary, desires this, but because this is what God himself desires.
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11 The Latin original here has serio vocantur. It is highly interesting to note that at this point the Synod of Dort took over the very language of the Remonstrants. In one of the statements the latter group had earlier submitted to the Synod, called “The Opinions of the Remonstrants” (Sententiae Remonstrantium, which can be found in translation in Crisis in the Reformed Churches [Grand Rapids: Reformed Fellowship, Inc., 1968], pp. 222-29), they had said, “Whomever God calls to salvation, He calls seriously [serio vocat], that is, with a sincere and completely unhypocritical intention and will to save” (III-IV, 8). The Remonstrants were here saying: We believe that when God calls anyone to salvation he seriously and sincerely desires that such a person should be saved. In response to this statement, the Synod of Dort said in effect: On this point we have no argument; we agree with you one hundred percent. And thus it happened that the very words of one of the Arminian documents became part of the Canons of Dort!
12 The translation of the Canons found in the Psalter-Hymnal of the Christian Reformed Church has here: “what is acceptable to Him.” This is, however, a very weak and inaccurate rendering of the Latin word gratum. In my translation, therefore, I have used the English word pleasing to render the Latin gratum. I believe that this word brings out more clearly what the Synod meant to say: the salvation of sinners in response to the gospel call is not just something mildly acceptable to God (suggesting, perhaps, that God isn’t too happy about this turn of events, but is willing to tolerate it), but it is something highly pleasing to Him.
Anthony A. Hoekema, “The Mission Focus of the Canons of Dort,” Calvin Theological Journal 7.2 (November 1972): 217–218.
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