Reproach in Uitdaging

At the beginning of February last year (2001) I was contacted by Eric Leijenaar, editor-in-chief of the evangelical monthly Uitdaging. On my website he had read the article “The Palestinians in Prophecy” and he asked my permission to publish it. I gave that permission, and in May the article in question appeared in the column “Guest Writer.” So far, no problem. But in the following June issue the following letter to the editor was published:

Although the article about the Palestinians certainly gives food for thought, it does not seem to me a fortunate idea to publish articles by André Piet just like that in Uitdaging. On his website André Piet proclaims the doctrine of universal reconciliation and the ultra-dispensationalist view, neither of which are recommendable. I thought it good to bring this to your attention.
Jildert de Boer, Harderwijk

In football terms, the letter writer plays “the man” instead of “the ball.”
Anyway, the editors responded to De Boer as follows:

Editorial note:
The editorial staff of Uitdaging has been pointed to this by several readers. It was not known to us when we made the decision to publish the article about the place of the Palestinians in biblical prophecy. Incidentally, our concern was solely with the distinctive perspective of Piet on that subject. Publication of articles in the column “Guest Writer” does not automatically mean that the editorial staff of Uitdaging agrees with their content. The articles are the responsibility of the guest writer himself and are intended solely to let the reader hear a different voice.

This response is very much to the point. Only one thing may be called curious. The editors write that they were not aware of the fact that André Piet proclaims the doctrine of universal reconciliation on his site. Very strange. Someone (a journalist, no less!) comes to the GoedBericht website, looks through the index of dozens of articles, gathers background information about the author for publication… but it escapes him that André Piet believes that God is a Savior of all men?!?

Nor did it end with the above response. Just now, in the September issue, Uitdaging again publishes a letter to the editor. The tone is considerably harsher, not to say hateful. And the quality… well, read for yourself.

I would like to respond briefly to an article in the latest Uitdaging. I saw an article about Israel and the Palestinians, written by André Piet. Now my concern is not the content of the article, but the writer André Piet. I have “known” André Piet for some time already, through his website and an internet discussion forum (Medema). André Piet believes in the doctrine of universal reconciliation. This is a serious error. I even consider it such a serious error that someone who adheres to it cannot be a born-again Christian—at least not if one has believed this for years. This sounds harsh, but it is the truth. After all, in John it is written that one of the first marks of true faith is being convinced of sin and judgment by the Holy Spirit. Being “in the Spirit” or “having the Spirit,” of which Paul speaks, follows from this. The Spirit leads into and toward the truth—but of course you all know this already. My point is that I consider Uitdaging a fine and reliable magazine to read, and therefore I am surprised to read a kind of “Bible study” in Uitdaging from someone whom, in my view, is a false teacher. Someone who does not have the Spirit may write a fine story, but it is not from God. A story or study from a biblical perspective by such a person makes it a tragedy.
B.D.

André Piet cannot be a true believer because he has “believed for years” that God reconciles all. In other words, when he had only believed this for a few months, he was still a “born-again Christian,” but after some time this has been undone…

B.D.: “This sounds harsh but it is the truth. For in John it is written that one of the first marks of true faith is being convinced of sin and judgment by the Holy Spirit.”
That it sounds harsh, I make no issue of. But that it is foolish and untrue, I do. For I do indeed believe in sin and judgment—only not in an endless judgment. That is not what the passage to which D. refers (John 16:8–11) is about, nor anywhere else in Scripture. In John 16 it is not even about a future judgment but about a judgment in the past (“of judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged”). The reference is, moreover, entirely taken out of context, since it does not speak about the work of the Spirit in believers but about the testimony the Spirit gives to the world. The harsh statement of D., upon closer examination, turns out to be soft as butter. In other words: an accusation without any foundation.

The accusations are not insignificant (or perhaps they are?). André Piet is not a “born-again Christian,” he is a “false teacher,” “someone who does not have the Spirit,” “not from God,” and his “Bible study” (note the quotation marks) is for that reason “a tragedy.” From where comes this reproach?

“Faithful is the word, and of all acceptation worthy (for for this we both labor and are reproached), because we have hoped on the living God, who is Saviour of all men—especially of those believing; these things charge and teach.”
1 Timothy 4:9–11 (YLT)

Postscript October 2:
In the October issue of Uitdaging the following letter appeared from someone who understands much better what it is all about… 😉

Hereby I would like to respond to the reaction of B.D. in Uitdaging of last September, who claims to “know” my husband through the internet.
With astonishment I read that he dares to call my husband— with whom I have been extraordinarily happily married for ten years— not a born-again Christian.

My husband, who besides his job as an employee at a nursery, devotes all his free time to the study of God’s Word. Whose only desire is this: to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior (Titus 2:10). A man who is sensible and holds fast to the faithful word according to the teaching, so that he is also able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict (Titus 1:9). It is extremely painful to read such a venomous reaction while we as a family have only one desire: as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD! (Joshua 24:15).

It is a good thing that we are not delivered over to the grace of our fellow men, but to the grace of God which has appeared, bringing salvation to all men! (Titus 2:11). One more question to B.D.: what difference does it make whether someone has believed for a day, a week, a month, or for years that God will reconcile all things to Himself? (Colossians 1:20).
Petra Piet, Rijnsburg

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