All Articles For Philemon

Perhaps, youthful friend, you recall that in my contributions to this column I am attempting to answer certain questions presented to me by the young people in my congregation. It so happens in the providence of God that I have just finished a sermon for the coming Lord’s Day on the Fifth Commandment which is also, as you can gather from the title of this article, the subject of the question we wish to answer. The question reads: “How far does obedience to parents go?

Rev. Heys is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. As pointed out last time, Abraham set in motion the movement that resulted in Isaac receiving Rebekah as his wife. Neither Isaac nor Rebekah sought each other. They never corresponded. In those days there was no postal service for exchange of letters by mail, and there were no phone. Isaac most likely knew of the existence of Rebekah through his father for it had been made known to Abraham that his brother Nahor had gotten a son named Bethuel, and that Bethuel begat a daughter named Rebekah (gen. 22:20-23); but...

Christ shall have dominion. This was the sure promise of Psalm 72. That promise has now been fulfilled in the kingdom established by the gospel. Christ reigns in the confession of every true church. Since the church is established among all nations, the kingdom of Christ is a world-kingdom. Within the church, Christ reigns in the heart and life of every believer personally. To this reign belongs Christ’s subduing of His enemies, defeated by His cross. Satan is overcome in the salvation of every elect. Sin is crucified in the holy life of every believer. The reprobate world is judged, hardened,...

The Gospel According to John, by D.A. Carson. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1992. 715 pp., $34.95. [Reviewed by Prof. Herman Hanko.] Dr. Carson’s commentary on the Gospel According to John is one of the best commentaries I have read on this beautiful and important part of Scripture. I recommend it to all our readers. Ministers and teachers can find in it a wealth of material to aid them in understanding what is a difficult book But those with no formal education in college or Seminary can also easily read the book. It is true that it...

Rev. Miersma is pastor of Immanuel Protestant Reformed Church of Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. I John 1:5-7 The Word of life, Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God....

Rev. Eriks is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. There is nothing better for the Christian young person than to be known for godliness. He may be an “A” student, an obedient son at home, a good brother who does not fight with his siblings, and a conscientious catechism student, but none of this matters if he is not godly. Godliness is not simply obedience, but it is a life focused on serving God. In the Scriptures many of God’s people were famous for their godliness already as teenagers. David was known as “a man after his...

Slabbert Le Cornu is married to Dorothea, and they have three daughters: Joanette (6), Hannelie (3) and Doret (1). He is fourth-year theological student at the Reformed Churches of South Africa’s Theological School, in Potchefstroom. They are members of the Reformed Church, Potchefstroom-South. Slabbert is the founder and director of Die Esra Instituut (‘The Esra Institute’), which is a teaching ministry to advance the biblical-reformed faith and worldview in the world today. He is also the editor of the magazine Die Esra Verslag (‘The Ezra Report’). For further information, he can be contacted at: esra@netlab.co.za 3. Was it justified? efore...

Prof. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Introduction Part of the power and enduring value of our confessions is the fact that they arose out of the life of the church. They were not drawn up by men sitting in ivory towers, contemplating the truth of Scripture but far removed from the battle for the faith. They breathe the life of the church’s struggles. The Heidelberg Catechism was written in the struggles between Calvinism on the one hand and Lutheranism and Romanism on the other hand, as these struggles were bitterly fought...

Prof. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Introduction Although some time ago we spent time in England in the early days of the Reformation, we left England after meeting only a few men and returned to the continent of Europe to talk with men there, men who were deeply involved in the Reformation in Switzerland, Germany, and the Lowlands. It is time now to return for a while to the British Isles, only this time we shall travel to the northern part, that part called Scotland. We have already been there once,...

Rev. Woudenberg is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.  Revelation 3:12 As we have noted several times, in the eyes of the Liberated Churches, when the synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches adopted the...