Vol 21 Issue 01

* Paper read at a meeting of the student philosophy club of the Protestant Reformed Seminary. It might be well to state at the outset of this paper that the thoughts and ideas conveyed subsequently have been borrowed from and in many phrases quoted literally from far superior minds than the author’s, and are not interpretation from original sources as much as from other commentator’s views of the philosopher’s ideas. Any personal opinions will be expressly stated and will in the main be found in the conclusion of this paper. However, as this paper is meant merely to serve as...

When speaking of the authorship of any one of the books of the Bible, we must always bear in mind that we can speak of a twofold authorship of each book. Scripture is the word of God and in no sense is it the word of man; yet it pleased God to have His Word recorded for us through the instrumentality of men in the way of organic inspiration. Therefore we can speak of a primary and a secondary authorship. The primary authorship of every book of the Bible must be ascribed to God, but the secondary authorship is to...

Inspiration is that act of God, whereby He moved holy men so that they infallibly, unerringly wrote the Word of God. This refers, of course, to the original manuscripts. We believe that these divine Scriptures, in their entirety, are the direct product of the living God and of the power of His grace. Although mention, then, can be made of the divine and human “factors” with respect to the composition of the Bible, these “human factors,” although referring to the holy men who wrote the Scriptures, must never be regarded as anything else than the divinely willed and prepared instruments...

There are possibly no two other terms in the field of theology more commonly confused and misunderstood than the terms foreknowledge and fore-ordination, or the more familiar word, predestination. Both these terms have this in common that they are Scriptural terms, each referring to some definite phase of the eternal counsel of God’s will, in which divine election and reprobation take a prominent place. They are intimately related to each other as cause and effect, since God’s sovereign foreknowledge is the determining cause of His eternal predestination. Turning to the Scripture we meet various passages, particularly in the New Testament,...

When the men of De Afscheiding came to this country in the middle of the nineteenth century they confessed that one of the reasons for their coming was “That we may enjoy that great privilege of seeing our children instructed in Christian schools, a privilege that we lack here, since in the public schools a general moral instruction is given which may offend neither Jew nor Romanist, while free schools are barred.” (Pamplet; Landverhuizing, Brummelkamp en Van Raalte). So there came to this country at least a nucleus of men who clearly saw that Christian Instruction was necessary. They had...

“Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value.” Matt. 27:9 The above heading will perhaps evoke but little interest to those who are not acquainted with the problem which the text presents. Nor will the reading of the text and the context arouse much curiosity. The context, relates how Judas returned to the temple and cast the thirty pieces of silver, his traitor’s reward, at the feet of the chief priests and...

Esteemed Editor: Allow me please a little space for a reply to your article entitled “As to ‘Touchy Topics.’” But first let me thank you for your generosity in allowing my material to be published in its entirety even though I apparently came in the back door after the guests had been advised as to who and what was to be found in the chambers of the Standard Bearer. I shall make no conjectures for this manner of dealing nor shall I allow myself to be disturbed by the conjectures and insinuations of others. In the first place you seemingly...

Appearing on a rock, above the rabble that crowned Abimelech king, Jotham, like a impersonation of conscience, speaks his parable. The thrust of this remarkable production already has been given in my analysis of the vile strategy that Abimelech employed in achieving his purpose. Let us now examine with care the argument of this significant discourse. Jotham lays before the Schechemites the facts, when he says to them (verses 17, 18), “For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: and ye are risen up against my father’s house...

In the Missionary Monthly Dr. Beets comments on the latest news item concerning Dr. Schilder and his suspension as follows: Great names have adorned that Theological School of the Seceder Church. Van Velzen, Srummelkamp, and in later years the famous Dr. Herman Bavinck. More recently we think of the beloved Profs. Bouwman and Greydanus and Honig. When Prof. Honig was retired a young and able preacher was chosen to succeed him: Klaas Schilder. An able man. Highly gifted. Clever. He received part of his higher training in Germany. Relations between him and the brethren of the Free University must have...

Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O Lord, according unto thy word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments. Ps. 119:65, 66 Lord, Thou hast dealt well! This acknowledgement, and that, too, as a matter of experience, dominates this entire section of the psalm. Enemies there were, haters of God and of His Word, that “forged a lie against” the psalmist, hated him, persecuted him, and spoke all manner of evil against him falsely. And the inspired psalmist, as the servant of the Lord, had been in distress, afflicted, no doubt, because of and...