DJEs definition of the True Church

Minute 28:  "The response to that is simply this that because Rome wrongly insists on itself as the only true church is not reason to repudiate the very idea of a true church. And because Rome says for wrong reasons it is necessary for someone to belong to its institution for salvation is not reason to reject the biblical and confessional teaching that membership in a true church is necessary for salvation…. The error of Rome is it falsely claims itself to be the true church, but it lacks the mark of a true church – all three of them – and therefore is no true church."

So far no reformer has any problem with what DJE says, unless you understand what he actually mean.  What does DJE actually mean?

Mr. Kleyn,

Since you refused to meet with me before your resignation from the ministry, serious enough since my call would have been in obedience to the demand of Christ of me and in His name, so that your refusal was a rejection of Christ, I am forced to write you, and after the fact of your resignation.

You have sinned and sinned as a desertion of your office, the precious office of the ministry of the gospel of Christ. You entered upon the office with a solemn oath that, called into it by Christ Himself, you would honor it and fulfill your duties in it, come what may. Resigning from it as that office was held by you in First Church, you have abandoned the office altogether. Necessarily, therefore, I address you as Mr. Kleyn, not as Rev. Kleyn. The office is not your personal possession like a watch that you can carry with you and that belongs to you wherever you may fancy to go. The office belongs to the church and you held it as minister of First Church. Abandoning First Church without a call to another church, you have abandoned the office of the ministry. For this, you will have to answer to Christ, as you also answer for the breaking of all the promises you made when you were ordained into the ministry in your first charge.

Then the reason for your desertion of office: you and your family have changed your feelings concerning the ministry in the PRC! Your feelings or even thinking, indeed! What has this to do with the grounds for church membership and a ministry in these churches? Membership and ministry have nothing to do with our unsubstantial and changeable feelings or even thinking. They have to do with the substantial and unchangeable marks of the true church: sound doctrine in the preaching; proper administration of the sacraments; and the exercise of church discipline. These marks the PRC have and demonstrate. In regard to the marks, the PRC have not changed since you entered the ministry. These marks you have despised in abandoning your office.

How wicked your thinking and behavior have already become is evident from your attending an OPC and a CRC yesterday. Both deny the sovereignty of the grace of God in salvation by their official adoption of the theory of the well-meant offer. Both corrupt the holy life of the saints by their approval of remarriage after divorce, the original mate still living. Both destroy the antithetical life of the holy children of God by embrace and teaching of a common grace of God.

I rebuke you for your faithless desertion of office. This rebuke is founded on the word of God and the creeds. And your former life as a pastor in the PRC confirms the rebuke in your conscience. Repent!

Prof. David J. Engelsma

DJE believes the PRC is the true church, but has literally no room left for anyone else to be inside the true church.  This is not a minor issue for DJE and the rest of his disciples.  DJE believes the OPC is not a true church!  If someone were going to list all the denominations in the world in order of distinctions there would only be the RPC, Netherlands Reformed, and URC between them.  DJE what other denomination is part of the true church?

This is a HUGE deal.  If you do not think this a HUGE deal then you are blindly following your leader in much the same way Germany followed Hitler.  How far would Hitler have to go before the average German would say enough?  No, I am not comparing DJE to Hitler, but I am comparing your blind loyalty to DJE in much the same way the typical German followed Hitler.  

Maybe DJE did not write this letter to Kleyn?  Maybe I or someone else here made it up to make him look bad.  Are you concerned enough to call, e-mail, text DJE and ask him so that you can clear his good name?  Are you willing to say enough is enough when it comes to this absolute garbage!  If not, then when will it be enough?  There is a small fraction of you that actually agree with DJE on this point, but to the majority of you who disagree why do you continue to allow this complete slander and schism to the body of Christ go on?  There is no greater spokes man for your denomination in the last 30 years than DJE and he is allowed to slander the entire Christian world and you are fine with it?  Where are the marks of the true church with respect to what DJE believes on this point?