All Articles For Koole, Kenneth

Previous article in this series: April 1, 2013, p. 292. As stated in our recent SB editorials it has become plain that at present there is a concerted effort by various Doctors of Reformed Theology to put as much distance as possible between H. Bavinck’s covenantal view and that of H. Hoeksema. A perusal of recent issues of the Mid-America Journal of Theology (MJT) going back to volume 19 (2008) makes this rather clear, as we have demonstrated. From the articles dealt with, it be­comes plain that the intention of the writers is not simply to distinguish between Bavinck and...

Previous article in this series: March 15, 2013, p. 268. As we noted in our last article, there is evidence of a con­certed effort on the part of some to distance Bavinck’s doctrine of the covenant as far as possible from Hoeksema’s, driving a wedge between the two. Dr. L. R. O’Donnell III’s article in the Mid-America Journal of Theology (MJT 22, 2011) was one instance. And an article by Dr. C. Venema entitled “Covenant and Election in the Theology of Herman Bavinck” (MJT 19, 2008, pp. 69-115) is another. As previously stated, it is not our purpose to go...

Previous article in this series: March 1, 2013, p. 244.   We are dealing with an article in the Mid-American Journal of Theology entitled “Not Subtle Enough: An Assessment of Mod­ern Scholarship on Herman Bav­inck’s Reformulation of the Pactum Salutis Contra ‘Scholastic Subtlety’” (MJT 22, 2011), written by Dr. L. R. O’Donnell III. As stated in the last issue, O’Donnell does his best to put as much distance as possible between Bavinck’s covenantal views and those of certain twentieth century theologians charged with “extreme formulations” of this doctrine, Hoeksema being one so labeled. The charge brought against Hoek­sema and these...

Previous article in this series: February 15, 2013, p. 220.   As stated in two previ­ous articles, we intend, eventually, to offer a brief analysis of an article found in the Mid-America Journal of Theol­ogy, volume 22, 2011 (MAJT 22) entitled “Calvin’s Treatment of the Offer of the Gospel and Divine Grace,” by J. Mark Beach, a profes­sor of Mid-America Seminary. But before we do that, we wish to draw your attention to a couple of other articles in recent issues of this Journal. The first is “Not Subtle Enough: An Assessment of Modern Scholar­ship on Herman Bavinck’s Reformulation of the...

Previous article in this series: February 1, 2013, p. 197.   As stated in our previous editorial, it is our inten­tion (eventually) to offer a brief critique of an article found in the Mid-America Journal of Theology, volume 22, 2011 (MAJT 22) entitled “Calvin’s Treatment of the Offer of the Gospel and Divine Grace,” by J. Mark Beach, a professor in Mid-America Seminary. An article of interest to us as much for the subject matter, Calvin and the Free Offer, as for the fact that the Protestant Reformed perspective and the name of H. Hoeksema loom rather large in the article....

Recently we have been read­ing through a number of theological journals pub­lished by Mid-America Seminary the past few years (entitled Mid-American Journal of Theology—MAJT). They make for stimulat­ing reading. What struck us was the number of articles over the past few years devoted to the doctrine of the covenant and related issues such as baptism, election, covenant of works, and common grace, among others. Common grace, you say? Yes, common grace. It comes in handy if you have a conditional covenant view and all the children of believers, even the carnal seed, are considered to be in the covenant of...

“…unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.They profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate.”

Rev. Koole is pastor of Faith Protestant Reformed Church in Jenison, Michigan. February, 1993 is a significant month for our Faith Congregation. It marks 20 years of existence. Faith was organized on February 22, 1973, Prof. Hanko preaching the sermon “The Church – the Pillar of Truth,” based on I Timothy 3:15 b. Nineteen families organized as charter members. Also, fifteen years ago (1978) February was the month that Faith dedicated its then newly built sanctuary to worshiping God in a Reformed and biblical manner. Worthy of note is that, of the three members of that original building committee, two (Ernie Miedema...

Rev. Koole is pastor of Faith Protestant Reformed Church in Jenison, Michigan. Other than the worship of the Virgin Mary, the doctrine we most associate with the Roman Catholic church and her abuses is probably her doctrine of purgatory. It is this teaching that serves to underscore what Rome is all about, namely, ignoring (or better, inventing) Scripture, promoting superstition, inculcating fear into the minds of her members, using fear to extract a steady stream of income, corrupting the gospel of Christ crucified, and destroying the blessed assurance of faith in Him. It is this doctrine that makes plain from...

Rev. Koole is pastor of Grandville Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. Take Pastors to Court over “Vilification” Religious vilification. At least that is the charge. As Patrick Goodenough, a Bureau Chief for the Pacific Rim news network, reports: Two Christian pastors in Australia will appear in court next month to face complaints brought by Muslims who accuse them of vilifying Islam. Their appearance in a legal tribunal in the state of Victoria is the culmination of an 18-month dispute between a Christian group that organized a seminar on Islam and three Muslims who attended it.  The three claimed a...