All Articles For Editorial Committee The

Church Relations I am writing in response to Rev. P. Burley’s article in the July 1, 1990 Standard Bearer, in which he wrote about the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia. Not all of us within the EPC fully agree with the emphasis placed on the regulative principle, and on the “purity of worship.” I for one feel that a sister-church relationship must be grounded, not on the basis of how the regulative principle is applied in that church, but on whether the true preaching of God’s Word is practiced and upheld in that church. God’s blessing is on His people if...

Could Christ Come in 1994? I was embarrassed and upset by the way you ended your editorial, A.D. 1993: The Lord is Coming,” in the latest Standard Bearer (Jan. 1, 1993). In the main part of the article you did an excellent job of refuting Mr. Camping’s false prophecy concerning the return of Christ. But your remarks at the end struck me as being almost as wrong as Mr. Camping’s errors. If no man knows the day and the hour of Christ’s return, as Scripture teaches, it is as wrong for you to “declare with absolute certainty” that Christ won’t...

It is with joy and profit I have read your articles on “The Death of Confessional Calvinism in Scottish Presbyteriansim,” (Aug.1, 1992-Dec. 15, 1992). After that I read again my copy of Dr. Macleod’s book,Behold Your God, together with Common Grace and the Gospel, by the late Prof. Cornelius VanTil. I have to confess I have read many things against Rev. H. Hoeksema, but nothing by him. I wonder if I could get a copy of his Reformed Dogmatics and how much would it cost. Could you guide me, please? Since I can remember I had troubles with the doctrine of Common Grace...

1994? Maybe Wrong? This letter is written in response to your editorial of January 1, 1993, concerning Mr. Harold Camping’s book, 1994?. I am a Reformed believer, belonging to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, who was brought to the Reformed Faith through the teaching ministry of Mr. Camping and Family Radio. I am also one who has a high regard for the history, government, and confessions of the church, as well as the singular importance of the preaching of the Word. I highly respect you and your work for the Lord and His kingdom.

Rebellious Young People and Children Dying in Infancy I appreciated the clarity of the series of editorials on “The Covenant of God and the Children of Believers.” I have given copies to others. I have two questions on the concluding installment (theStandard Bearer, Sept. 15, 1990). I ask that you answer them in the SB. The first concerns your statement that rebellious young people in the sphere of the covenant are to be disciplined by the church. At what age can a rebellious child be taken by his parents to the elders for discipline? Would not such a child have...

The Lord’s Supper at Home I have worked for an invalid, a sincere Reformed Christian woman. The Sunday worship services were brought into her home by telephone line. On the Saturday evening before the administration of the Lord’s Supper, the elders brought her the bread and wine. Then, on Sunday morning, she ate the bread and drank the wine in her home at the same time that the congregation was partaking at church. Would this be improper administration of the Lord’s Supper? Ellen VanDenTop Lynden, WA Answer: In response to your question we point you to Article 64 of the...

Preaching the Catechism My question pertains to the proper or best method of preaching on the Lord’s Days of the Heidelberg Catechism. The question is, Is the selecting of a text or passage of Scripture as the basis for the sermon a proper or better method than basing the sermon on the Lord’s Day itself? Garrett Flikkema Lansing, IL Response: Ministers in the Protestant Reformed Churches have no choice in this matter. Article 68 of The Church Order states, “The ministers shall on Sunday explain briefly the sum of Christian doctrine comprehended in the Heidelberg Catechism so that as much...

Must the Minister Preside? My question concerns Article 37 of the Church Order of Dordt. This article requires that the minister preside at consistory meetings. What is the reason for this? Why may not an elder preside? Is not this rule contradicted by Acts 6:4? I very much appreciate the SB. It is a magazine with much in-depth teaching helpful for daily life. Harv Nyhof Holland, MI Response: Very little is written by the commonly regarded authorities on church polity about your question. Our answer would be that the minister is to preside because he is the most qualified for this...

Another Opinion on the KJV From time to time, the King James version of the Bible is praised in the Standard Bearer. Whenever this is done, I pay special attention because the topic is of interest to me. I wonder whether you will give a hearing to a person with another opinion. As far as New Zealand is concerned, the language of the A.V. is different even from more formal speech, and if what one hears over the radio waves from your country is any guide, it is not much like American, either. The language of the A.V. is outdated,...

A Favorite Publication This letter is long overdue. For quite a while I have been planning to write to express how much I appreciate the articles in the Standard Bearer. It has quickly become one of my favorite publications. Whereas I receive certain publications and put them in a pile until I have time to skim through them, I eagerly read the SB upon receiving it. The readers of the SB will be interested to find out that our church, Grand Valley Orthodox Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, uses Professor Herman Hoeksema’s Triple Knowledge as the textbook in one...