Office Bearers

GS 1971 ARTICLE 83 – Translation Heidelberg Catechism

Committee I presents:

Materials – Agenda 8 

  • B, 1 – Report and recommendations of Com­mittee appointed by Synod Orangeville 1968.
  • B, 2 – Overture Church at Barrhead, Alta. B, 3 –  Overture Church at Burlington-East, Ont.
  • B, 4 – Overture Church  at  Smithers, B.C.
  • B, 5 – Overture Church at Burlington-West, Ont.
  • B, 6 – Overture Church at Brampton, Ont.
  • C, 7 – Remark Church at Lincoln, Ont.
  • D, 9 – Overture Church at Smithville, Ont.
  • S, 1 – Letter J. De Koning (partly)

The advisory report of Committee I on these materials is read and discussed.

The following motion, duly seconded and discussed is REJECTED:

  • Synod decide to maintain, the mandate of Synod Orangeville 1968, Acts art. 157, “to be diligent with respect to all aspects of a new translation and publication of the Heidelberg Catechism and to report to the Churches in due time.”

Ground: From the report of the Committee appointed by Synod 1968 it becomes apparent that the Committee could not complete the task assigned to them.

After having read and discussed the overture and suggestion of the Church at Burlington-East, regarding:

Textbook for catechetical Instruction – (Agenda 8 B, 3)

Synod observed

  • 1. ‘that in the past the Reformed Churches, via their General Synods have repeatedly busied themselves with this matter;
  • 2.  that in the last decades the Churches have not paid much attention to the improvement of material for catechism instruction;
  • 3. that the compilation of comprehensive textbook material needs the cooperation of available talents; and decide to appoint a Committee with the following mandate:
    • 1.  to consider the set-up of a Textbook useful for catechism-instruction in the home, Church and school;
    • 2. to seek the advice and cooperation of the Faculty of our Theological College in this matter;
    • 3.  to present the result of their considerations to the next General Synod;
    • 4.  to keep the Churches informed about the progress of their work.

ADOPTED

The following advisory report of Committee I regarding a New Trans­lation of the Heidelberg Catechism is further discussed.

Considerations

  • 1.  Your committee is not convinced of the necessity of an entirely new translation, but does feel that there is a strong desire to have a revision of the one, which is used among us.
  • 2.  Since the Report itself calls the draft translation, which has been presented to the Christian Reformed Synod 1970, very helpful for the purpose of a revision, continual attention to this draft trans­lation should be given in the future.

Recommendations

Synod decide to appoint a Committee with the mandate:

  • 1.  to revise the text of the Heidelberg Catechism
    • a.  by replacing difficult and anachronistic words and expressions, as far as proper equivalents can be derived from to-day’s English,
    • b. by recasting sentences, which are too complicated, into positive and independent sentences, which form a direct answer to the question, in close adherence to the original German text.

ADOPTED

  • 2.  to report to the next Synod, and to send copies of a draft text of the Heidelberg Catechism to the Churches at such a time, that it can be examined and judged by the Churches before Synod con­venes.

ADOPTED