All Articles For Ophoff, George

At the camp of Gilgal a strange company of ambassadors arrived. Professedly and apparently the travelers came from afar. For the sacks upon their asses were old, their wine bottles old and rent and bound up, their shoes clouted upon their feet. The garments upon them were old, and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. According to their account, the land of their abode lay far beyond the borders of Palestine, where their fellow countrymen had heard the fame of Jehovah, the God of Israel and all that He did in Egypt, and all that He...

As soon as Achan’s crime is punished by his death God reassures Joshua and the people, exhorts them to be courageous and cheerful, and for the second, time to undertake the expedition against Ai in the confidence, reposing on His promise, that the king of Ai and all that appertains to him—his people, city, and land—has been given in Joshua’s hand. In this second venture, the Lord and not Joshua takes the initiative. These are His orders to Joshua. All the people and thus not merely a two or three thousand will do battle with the adversary. The city is...

The eighty-four years from the accession of Nerva to the death of Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 96—A.D. 160) forms a period, as we have seen, in which the pagan civilization and culture of the Graeco-Roman world was at the height of its glory. It was the golden age of literature. The far-flung empire stood under a well-ordained jurisdiction. The seas had been swept free from piracy. Commerce flourished on the Mediterranean Sea. There was protection of life and property. Improved methods of farming had increased the yield of the soil. The great cities were renowned for their swimming pools and magnificent...

The work of crushing the armies of the five kings, who had encamped before Gibeon to make war against it, was but half done and the day was far spent. As was said, the enemy might still escape before being completely destroyed. Then there formed in Joshua’s soul the passionate desire that the day might be prolonged “until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies.” The desire crystallized into a prayer of faith, which is quoted in the sacred text from the “Book of Jasher” i.e., “Book of the Upright.” “Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day...

With the thirteenth chapter begins the second part of the book of Joshua. The description of the division of the land begins with this chapter and continues through chapter nineteen, As Joshua has become old and stricken in years, and as much of the land is still to be conquered, with no prospect of his completing the conquest, God commands him to wait no longer, but to undertake the division, Joshua 13:1-17. It will be well to note the land that remains to be subdued. First, there were all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri, in the south...

Attention has already been called to the great offence which the history of the conquest of Canaan has given to the opponents of Christianity. As was said, the Manichaeans classified it among “the cruel things which Moses did and commanded,” and which went to prove, according to their view, that the God of the Old Testament could not be the God of the New. This is the usual criticism brought against the Jehovah of the people of Israel. He is a cruel and unjust deity. Thus to identify Him with the God of the Christians is to inflict the followers...

The matter of Caleb’s inheritance being taken care of, a commencement is made of the distribution of the land among the nine and a half tribes. Being the kingly tribe, Judah was the first to receive his lot and was planted in a conspicuous territory. Preeminence was, due to this tribe, which had inherited the patriarchal blessing, and from which He was to come in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed. But Judah was not planted in the heart of the country. That position was given to Ephraim and Manasseh, while Judah obtained the southern section....

A local consistory has not the right to act contrary to the Church Order i.e., place its private judgment upon any of its articles and to act according to it, for I. The idea of our Church government is rule by majority and not by minority. Allow me to explain. Our system of Church government is presbyterian in distinction from that of the Roman Catholic system and the system known as Collegianisn) which are hierarchical, and that of the Independents or congregationalists which is individualistic. In the Presbyterian system the consistory under Christ is the sole judicial power over the...

The question: Resolved that a local consistory has the right to act contrary to our Church Order. Rev. B. Kok argues on the side of the affirmative. It is thus his task to prove the affirmative proposition, thus to prove that a local consistory has the right to act contrary to the Church Order. The undersigned argues on the side of the negative. It is thus his task to prove the negative proposition, thus to prove that a local consistory has not the right to act contrary to the Church Order. My introduction, I admit, is rather long. This is...

(Continued from page 150, earlier in this same issue) Let us examine the other excerpts from the works of the authorities quoted by my opponent. Hodge is quoted to the effect that “there are certain things prescribed, to which every church ought to conform, and many things as to which she is at liberty to act as she deems best to God’s glory.” So far Hodge. This sentence, certainly, contains not a shred of evidence in proof of the affirmative proposition. The “certain things prescribed to which every church ought to conform, are of course, the articles of the Church...