All Articles For I Peter

God and Politics: Four Views on the Reformation of Civil Government, Gary Scott Smith, Editor. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company 1989. 300 pages, $13.95, (paper). (Reviewed by the Editor.) The four views of civil government and its duty, all held and advocated by Reformed men, are theonomy; principled pluralism; Christian America; and national confessionalism. Greg L. Bahnsen presents the case for the theonomic position. Gordon J. Spykman argues for the position of pluralism. Harold O.J. Brown contends for the Christian America position. And William Edgar defends the view of a national confession. Each sets forth a prominent...

THE LORD’S JUST WAYS IN THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL (Ezekiel 18:25-30)

Election and Reprobation According to Barth In Christianity Today there occurred an article under the heading: “The Enigma In Barth.” The article especially has reference to the fact that Barth, in his Dogmatics, quotes frequently from Scripture in spite of the fact that he emphasizes, at the same time, that there are errors, both historical and theological, in the Bible. This, according to the article, is the enigma in the Swiss theologian. But this is, by no means the only enigma in Barth. This is also true and emphatically so, with respect to his treatment of the doctrine of predestination and especially...

Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Minister Activities In late September, the council of the Hull, IA PRC placed a trio of pastors before their congregation from which they were to call an undershepherd. This trio consisted of the Revs. W. Bruinsma, K. Koole, and Dale Kuiper. Hull has since extended a call to Rev. Dale Kuiper, presently pastor of the Southeast PRC in Grand Rapids, MI. Mission Activities Rev. J. Mahtani, our churches’ home missionary to the Eastern U.S., met with the members of the Fayetteville Reformed Fellowship in Fayetteville, North Carolina,...

Rev. VanOverloop is pastor of Georgetown Protestant Reformed Church in Hudsonville, Michigan. Dedication Address To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.  I Peter 2:4, 5 That which brings us together tonight is the dedication of a building, a church building. First we moved sand, then we watched the cement foundations being laid in the trenches dug for them. Then we saw the block walls...

Mr. Kalsbeek is a teacher in Covenant Christian High School and a member of Hope Protestant Reformed Church, Walker, Michigan. (Preceding article in series: May 15, 2003, p. 367.) Eastern influence on Hollywood Not only is the East having a significant influence on education and politics, its ideas are also endorsed by many on the cutting edge of Western culture: Hollywood. About this, Don Feder writes: From spirits and reincarnation to telekinesis and the occult, the movie industry is in the grip of a new Age mania. Consider the re-released Star Wars trilogy … there’s the Force, “an energy field...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Byron Center, Michigan. We have begun explaining the scriptural and theological basis for the diaconate by demonstrating that God has a special care for His poor and needy. This special care He manifests by commanding us, His church and saints, to care for the poor in our midst and by blessing us in the way of obedience to this command. While this command is reason enough for us to care for the poor, it does not in itself justify devoting an office of the church to this work. The basis...

Rev. Slopsema is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. Matthew 22:29 The Sadducees were a religious sect in Israel that believed that there is no life after death and therefore no resurrection of the dead. They sought to discredit Jesus with a question about the resurrection. They posed a situation in which a woman was widowed seven times by seven brothers. Their question was, “Whose wife will she be in the resurrection?” With this question they sought to...

Rev. Langerak is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Henry J. Kuiper: Shaping the Christian Reformed Church, 1907-1962, by James A. De Jong. Eerdmans (2007). ISBN: 978-0-8028- 2585-8. Paper. Reviewed by David J. Engelsma. President-emeritus of Calvin Theological Seminary James A. De Jong has written an interesting account of the life and work of influential Christian Reformed minister Henry J. Kuiper. Because of the prominence of “HJK,” the book affords as well a fascinating look at the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) during the years of Kuiper’s ministry, from 1904, when Kuiper entered what would now be...

Rev. Kleyn is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan. As God’s people, we are pilgrims and strangers here on this earth. This world is not our permanent home. We are here for just a short time. Each of us is traveling through this world and life with a view to reaching our eternal destination in heaven. And once we arrive there we will say: “Now I’m no longer a stranger. Finally I’m home!” Consider Abraham. Abraham was called by God to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldees and to live in Canaan. In that new...