All Articles For II Thessalonians

Heaven Misplaced: Christ’s Kingdom on Earth, by Douglas Wilson. Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 2008. Pp. 136. $19.00 (cloth). Reviewed by David J. Engelsma. In the form of “lyrical theology”—a “theology couched in poetry, hymns and songs, and liturgy,” the author tells us (11)—Douglas Wilson promotes the standard Christian Reconstruction postmillennial doctrine of the earthly future. I speak of “earthly future” rather than “last things,” because for Wilson and the Christian Reconstructionists the “last things” are past. They happened in the days leading up to and including the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Wilson expresses the optimism of postmillennialism quite...

Previous article in this series: July 2009, p. 423. “Furthermore, to the poor, removing for sufficient reasons, so much money for traveling shall be given by the deacons as they deem adequate. The consistory and the deacons shall, however, see to it that they be not too much inclined to relieve their churches of the poor, with whom they would without necessity burden other churches.” Church Order, Article 83. Article 83 of the Church Order is closely related to Article 82. Article 82 concerns transfer of membership from one congregation to another congregation within the denomination. Those who transfer from one...

One of the most alarming trends to be found in our degenerate age is the growth of lawlessness. We are rapidly becoming a country which totters on the brink of anarchy.  There are many evidences of this. 

“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” II Thessalonians 2:13, 14

“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,  And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;  Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 

Noah sinned and did so in a way that publicly introduced into the new world the sins for which God had destroyed the old world. His three sons were aware of his sinfulness. One responded in delight, the other two with sorrow before God and profound respect for their father. 

You have heard of the patience of Job. 

Chapter II  The Great Hermeneutical Rule Of Interpreting Prophecy (1) In our present church-world, to mention hermeneutics seems almost like joining the multitude of voices, all clamoring for a hearing for their understanding of the correct, orthodox way of interpreting the Scriptures, particularly the Old Testament Prophetic writings called the Scriptures. 

September 14, 1981 

Previous article in this series: February 15, 2019, p. 220. Considering that the Formula of Subscription (FOS) is an authoritative document binding for every Reformed officebearer, it is crucially important that each understand to what the FOS binds him. In that connection we face a question that often arises, namely: Is the Reformed church order binding on the officebearer who signs the FOS? Historically, the confessions and the church order are closely related. As we noted earlier, in the midst of bitter persecution, the Reformed churches in the Lowlands produced the Belgic Confession and a Reformed church order. Significantly, in...