Vol 23 Issue 15

Report of Classis East, Convened April 9, 1947 at Grand Rapids, Michigan This meeting of Classis was held April 9, 1947 at Fuller Ave. The opening exercises were conducted by Rev. J. De Jong, who presided at the last meeting of Classis. Psalter No. 374 was sung, after which Rev. De Jong read Psalm 135 and led in prayer. The credentials were read showing that all the churches were represented at Classis. After the credentials were accepted Classis was declared constituted. Rev. S. Cammenga was then called upon to preside while Rev. J. De Jong took down the minutes. Three...

Write Your Congressmen!!! …. Important labor legislation is, or will soon be, before both houses of Congress. Among the provisions of the bill before the House of Representatives will be a clause to ban the “closed shop”. It is expected that the Senate Committee will report its measure soon and also include this provision. We believe that all of our readers are or should be, directly or indirectly, interested and concerned in this matter. Therefore, we urge you to write to your Representatives and Senators to encourage them to support these measures; particularly the provision to ban the “closed shop”....

The question that engaged our attention in our former article at its conclusion ought to be kept rather clearly in mind. We were interested in the contrast drawn by the apostle Paul in Romans 10:5-8. What was this sharp and important contrast? It is the contrast of what “Moses writes” and what is “righteousness which is by faith confesses.” What “Moses writes” is the principle of the law. It is the standard of works; works that a man must do in order to be saved, to have life. According to this dealing of God with man, only the man who...

Reformed Sociology. Sociology is the science which deals with the laws and principles that control our relation to the neighbor. The Bible is no text book on sociology, but Scripture certainly enunciates the laws and principles according to which we must conduct ourselves towards the neighbor, whether in the sphere of marriage, economics, politics or labor and industry. I would first like to emphasize again that Scripture addresses itself, not to a mankind in general, but to the saints, as they are principally redeemed in Christ and now walk in sanctification. Then there are principles which underlie this sanctification-process in...

We saw that Article 79 as interpreted in the light of the Church Order (not in the light of that imaginary handbook), very actually declares that the Consistory only shall depose office bearers. Let us now return to Art. 85 (84 of our Revised Church Order) and see that this article sets forth an identical teaching. “No Church shall in any way lord it over other churches, no Minister over other Ministers, No Elder or Deacon over other Elders or Deacons.” So the article reads. The fathers of Dort did not insert into the article a clause explaining just what...

We have taken notice of the wickedness of Nahash, the king of the Ammonites. Invading Gilead, he laid siege to Jabesh east of the Jordan. Feeling certain that they could expect no help from their brethren anywhere—their pessimism was justified; the nation had rejected and forsaken the Lord and therefore it lived in dread of the heathen—the Jabeshites decided to surrender. But what would the Ammonite king do to them once he had them in his hands? The men of Jabesh were afraid, understanding, as they did, that the mercies of the godless are cruel. So they tried to bargain...

As a vision, therefore, the passage must be interpreted. This means that a certain apocalyptic truth is here presented by means of different symbols. In the introductory verses of Revelation 20, the symbolism of the vision includes the angel that comes down from heaven, the key and the great chain he has in his hand, the bottomless pit, and the shutting up of Satan and the sealing of the pit over his head. Nor can there be any doubt that all this is to be understood symbolically, and, therefore, dare not be interpreted as signifying that the devil shall be...

Many of us must have heard a rumor that Dr. Schilder is planning to visit us, and to speak for us in behalf of the cause of the liberated churches in the Netherlands. There was basis for this rumor. Some time ago undersigned received a cablegram from him to that effect with the addition: “Letter follows”. Considerable time elapsed before that letter arrived. When it came, the brother informed me that he intended to come during the summer. I hastened to answer that letter, and to tell him that, if he intended to speak here, the summer period would be...

Under the above title, the Rev. L. Doekes continues our discussion as follows: (DUTCH REMOVED) The translation here follows: Let us see now, how the Rev. H. Hoeksema conceives of the covenant. Needless to say how tense our interest ought to be in this matter. More than ever, in our heavy ecclesiastical struggle, we have come to realize the significance of God’s covenant for us and our children. The slanderous indictments of our opponents confirm us in this from week to week. We will let the Rev. Hoeksema speak, as he expressed himself in his booklet: “Believers and their Seed.”...