All Articles For Langerak, William

Pastor of Trinity PRC in Hudsonville, Michigan and president of the 2024 PRC Synod   The standard Jesus Christ has set for synod is high, impossibly high. That standard is our text: “for it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us” (Acts 15:28). Every prayer, motion, discussion, and decision of Synod 2025 must have this standard as its goal so that all the delegates and churches may be able to say at its conclusion: “It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us.” The synod may not be content to say only that it seemed good to...

pastor of Trinity PRC in Hudsonville, Michigan Part of our centenary celebration of the Standard Bearer must include its commitment to polemics. Polemics comes from the Greek word to fight, battle, or war. It is found in Scripture, most often in Revelation. In Revelation 2:16, Jesus warns the church at Pergamos that if they will not repent of their toleration of the doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans, He will “fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” Revelation 16:14 refers to “the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” And one of the last references to polemics...

pastor of Trinity PRC in Hudsonville, Michigan Previous article in this series: September 1, 2024, p. 492. In our last article, we began our study of the old and new man by proving that the notion the new man is the Holy Spirit contradicts the Scriptures and Reformed confessions. This proof is significant because this notion is used to defend a novel—and equally false— doctrine about the unconditional covenant, namely, that in the covenant of grace the regenerated person does nothing—he does not believe in (or love) God; faith is wholly passive; faith is God’s act; God believes (and loves)...

Pastor of Trinity PRC in Hudsonville, Michigan This is a study of the biblical and confessional doctrine of the old man and the new man. It is presented under the title of a question that became the occasion for this study. The reason is not because the answer is difficult. The answer is plain. No! The new man is not the Holy Spirit! The biblical proof is also plain: The new man is man (Eph. 4:24); the Holy Spirit is God (I Cor. 12:3). There are three basic reasons for this study. First, to explain and develop the doctrine of...

This article was first written by the author for the PR Scholarship Committee when he was a seminary student and was published in the February 2003 Beacon Lights. With the permission of the magazine, we reprint this article, as relevant now as it was then. An intriguing question has been raised by the 2002 Protestant Reformed Scholarship Committee: “Why isn’t the position of minister desired by more young people?” This question supposes two things: 1) That the number of young people who desire this ‘position’ is inadequate; 2) That more young people would desire the ministry if something changed in...

Rev. William Langerak, pastor of Trinity Protestant Reformed Church in Hudsonville, Michigan And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. Mark 9:42 Those who harm little children offend them. This offense is a “scandal,” which is the original word Jesus used. To offend (or scandalize) is deliberately to entrap or trip someone so they are harmed, wounded, or destroyed. To sexually abuse a child is among the most horrible, destructive, and life-altering of offenses. And...

Often maligned and under suspicion, “but” can fall on hard times. Some of it justified. Heretics use “but” to obscure error. We use it to excuse sin. And both practices are due to sin against the first “but”—“But thou shalt not eat of the tree” (Gen. 2:17). The fact is, “but” is essential to the Word of God, which came not by the will of man, but by the Holy Ghost (II Pet. 1:21). And without “but,” there is no gospel antithesis between God and man, sin and grace, law and gospel, truth and lie, salvation and damnation, heaven and...

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love....

God once said, “The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; …I will destroy them with the earth” (Gen. 6:13). So shall it be at the end of this world when the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just (Matt. 13:49). He that shall endure unto the end shall be saved. When the gospel of the kingdom is preached in all the world for a witness, then shall the end come, and with great sound of a trumpet the angels shall gather together the elect...

Peace is obviously precious. For the Old Testament saints, their hello was “Shalom!” Peace! Every time they worshiped, they received this blessing: “The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace” (Num. 6:23-26). And almost every New Testament epistle begins, “Peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Our God, who put enmity between two seeds on earth, is yet the God of peace (Rom. 16:20). Christ, who came not to send peace, is yet the Prince of Peace who came into this world preaching peace, and departed it leaving us with...