Vol 16 Issue 05

In the same issue of The Banner from which we quoted above we also read the following item: “The discussion of the subject at the synod of Sneek led to an incident which will interest our readers. Prof. K. Schilder remarked that they should seek contact with the Protestant Reformed Church of the United States, especially because they correspond with ehurch.es with which they have much less in common, for instance the Reformed Church in America, which has Free Masons among its members. Prof. G. Ch. Aalders, who represented his Church at our synod this year, was of a different...

The Beatitudes can be divided in the first four and the last three. The first two speak of the citizen of the heavenly kingdom as being poor in spirit and therefore he mourns. In the next two he is described as being meek and also that he hungers and thirsts. Together they express something negative. Pointing to the inward condition of the citizen of the heavenly kingdom from the spiritual point of view. There is a divine simplicity and at the same time a deep thought expressed in these words of our Lord Jesus. No, not like the man of...

From a certain brother we received the following missive: Dear Brother: I read your article on “Hoopers” and found you in complete accord with other ministers writing on this very interesting topic. All the ministers, you included, show no sympathy for the “looper.” All the ecclesiastics are opposed to him. But does this mean that his doing is groundless? The “looper,” as compared with the minister, is but an ordinary layman, generally a pariah. Now according to the teaching of Paul in I Cor. 3, all the ministers are Christ’s gifts to the laymen. Is this teaching not opposed to...

This is life eternal, that they may know thee, the only and true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. John 17:3 Eternal life. It is a boon unspeakably good. But just what is it? How is it to be described or defined? Is it heavenly felicity? Is it to be identified with holiness, with purity of heart? Ghrist says that to know God is eternal life. Mark you, not to know about Him but to know Him is life eternal. It is a knowing that springs from experiencing His power to save from sin, to deliver from the...

And there were certain Greeks among them, that came to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Beth said a of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. John 12:20, 21 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. It indicated that they had embraced the Messianic hope, as had the Magi from the East, who had come, some years previous, to Christ’s cradle. As the Magi, so in all likelihood these visitors had been brought in contact with this hope by the Jews...

In The Banner of November 16 we found the following statement by the editor: “All these issues (that are at present being considered in the Netherlands, H.H.) are foreign to our own Church, except the one on Common Grace; and this was settled at the synod at Kalamazoo in 1924. When Dr. K. Schilder was among us, about eleven months (ago?? H.H.) he sought to reopen that controversy by propagating his off-color views on that subject, but the attempt was not successful. Many of our people are wondering what the decision will be next spring. (That is, when the Synod...