All Articles For Hebrews

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Randolph, Wisconsin. The first aspect of the fundamental work of the deacons is that of collecting the alms. This must be first in priority, as well as in time, for immediate needs must be immediately relieved. They must be relieved immediately, partly because of their urgency. Such needs must also be relieved immediately as a picture of how our Savior supplies our needs. Our Heavenly Father always gives us our immediate needs immediately. Trusting He will do this, we pray: “Give us this day our daily bread.” And when we...

The gospel of salvation by grace alone is in mortal danger in virtually every reputedly conservative Reformed and Presbyterian denomination in North America. The threat is a doctrinal movement described variously by its proponents as the “Auburn Avenue theology” (from a Presbyterian church in Louisiana that is a center of the movement), the “federal vision” (because the movement claims to be developing the doctrine of the covenant—”federal” means ‘covenant’), and “objective covenant theology” (because of the movement’s peculiar stress on the objectivity of the covenant). The essence of the movement is the teaching that the saving grace of God in...

Mrs. Meyer is a wife and mother in Hope Protestant Reformed Church, Walker, Michigan. Treasures. We have them. No, not gold or rubies or pearls, though we might actually own some of those things. No, our treasure is spiritual in nature. We know this is and ought to be the case: “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2). But here is the problem—we by nature are not spiritual. We are spiritually dead. By nature all we see are the gold and rubies and pearls. That new man within us has to fight the...

The two preceding editorials in this brief series summarized two extraordinarily significant articles that appeared in the April 2000 issue of the Calvin Theological Journal (CTJ). The articles recalled and reconsidered the controversy in the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) over common grace. This controversy resulted in that church’s adoption of three points of common grace in 1924 and in the formation of the Protestant Reformed Churches (PRC) shortly thereafter. The first article, by Christian Reformed seminary professor John Bolt, examines the history surrounding the synodical decision of 1924, particularly the deposition of Rev. Herman Hoeksema. The second article, by Christian...

Rev. Miersma is a missionary of the Protestant Reformed Churches, currently serving in Ghana, West Africa. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Psalm 1:6 We have here a most remarkable Psalm. As the first psalm in this memorable book of songs it sets forth the theme and tone for the entire book. It does this by showing us the attitude of God toward both the ungodly and the righteous. The first five verses describe the two. On the one hand, the righteous man does not walk in the counsel...

Rev. Slopsema is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As partaker of Christ’s anointing, and in the office of believer, the child of God speaks on three different levels. In general conversation he is called to speak the truth in love, avoiding all lying as the proper work of the Devil. At certain times he makes vows: confession of faith, marriage, baptism, and installation into church office. When we speak a vow unto the Lord we must not defer to pay it (Eccl. 5:4). Occasionally, the child of God is required to sware an oath. The...

Prof. Decker is professor of Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Seminary.

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. What a wonderful gift is memory! The ability to recall words, ideas, and experiences belongs to man’s creation in the image of God. More particularly, the ability to remember belongs to that aspect of the image of God called true knowledge. Memory allows the child of God to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, and to enjoy friendship with God on the basis of that knowledge. Truly we have been fearfulIy and wonderfully made. Those who study the mind and memory inform us that the...

The late Homer Hoeksema was professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. And God said, Let the wafers under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.  And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:9, 10 God’s Creation of the Earth and the Seas When a man builds for himself a house (and all man’s work is, after all, but a very faint reflection of the work of his...