Vol 30 Issue 13

Although the eleventh article of our church order literally speaks only of supporting the ministers of the word, it goes without saying that implicit in this is the obligation of every member of the church to support, according to their ability, the church or cause of Christ in the world in all her needs. This duty is rather clearly defined in the thirty-eighth Lord’s Day of the Heidelberg Catechism. In discussing the requirement of the fourth commandment of the law this thought provoking answer is given: 

In the first place, we must give our attention to the proposition that election is “out of mere grace.” The term grace has several connotations in Holy Scripture, all of which are rooted in the idea of grace as an attribute of God Himself. God, as the God of all infinite perfections, is in Himself gracious, that is, beautiful, pleasant. As such, His grace means that He delights in Himself also, and is filled with favor toward Himself as the triune God. He is graciously inclined toward Himself.

As we suggested last time, we had intended to consider at this point the act of schism perpetrated by Rev. De Wolf and his elders. That was, indeed, our intention. However, recent events have induced us to take up another matter in this present writing, which we had originally intended to treat later. 

For the next few issues of the Standard Bearer we will write on such Scripture passages that speak rather directly of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. This will give us a little change in menu and will at once afford a wonderful opportunity to write on the matters of Scripture which may be considered the very heart of the gospel in Jesus Christ. For what else is there to preach but Jesus Christ and Him crucified? 

The Lord’s marvelous work. Isaiah 29:13-24 

I would like to answer the news item that appeared in the Concordia of Feb. 25, 1954 concerning the history of the Lynden Protestant Reformed Church. There are several references of events that happened in Lynden that are not true, but are lies. To keep things straight, I am writing this article. 

The editor of Concordia devoted the greater portion of his editorial space in the. March 11th issue to ridicule the article of the undersigned written in the February 15th issue of the Standard Bearer relative to “Not Hoeksema, But Kok Changed.” In fact, along with another article written by Mr. Gary Byker of Hudsonville, Concordia takes great pleasure in playing up what it considers the mental and moral weaknesses of the undersigned supposedly reflected in the article referred to. We surmise that when the editor received the article of Mr.

Continuing with our quotation from Cyprian, who contended, as did Tertullian, that the baptism by heretics was not valid, we quote the following: “But again some of our colleagues would rather give honor to heretics than agree with us; and while by the assertion of one baptism they are unwilling to baptize those that come, they thus either themselves make two baptisms in saying that there is a baptism among heretics; or certainly, which is a matter of more importance, they strive to set before and prefer the sordid and profane washing of heretics to the true and only and...

Chapter 3: Love of the Neighbor’s Person (cont’d)  By the power of that love we walk in the light. In that light we have fellowship not only with God, but also with one another, I John 1:5-7: “This 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.

Today, February 27, the undersigned received a letter from Rev. J. Howerzyl, pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church at Oskaloosa, Iowa, that became schismatic by recognizing the Rev. De Wolf and other schismatics, in which he states that he believes that I do not present the matter of our telephone conversation entirely correctly in my “editorial”, captioned “What Rev. Hofman Did Not Write.” Said article appears in the February 15 issue of theStandard Bearer.  The paragraphs to which Rev. Howerzyl has reference read in full as follows: