Vol 38 Issue 02

It seems good again to see our church bulletins filled with announcements concerning the activities of the various societies, and catechism assignments. From First’s bulletin we learn that Adams St. School has decided to solicit financial aid by direct contact in this year’s Deficit Drive. Last year’s plan of contact-by-mail proved to be deficient -in satisfying the need. The News Sheet of Adams St. School acquaints us of the fact that 222 pupils have been enrolled from 97 families; that, Miss Hulda Kuiper left for duties in the new South Holland-Oak Lawn school, and that three new teachers are: Messrs....

Reformed Free Publishing Association Meeting At the annual membership meeting of the Reformed Free Publishing Association held September 28, 1961, at the Southwest Protestant Reformed Church, Messrs. J. Kalsbeck, D. Meulenberg, G. Pipe were elected to serve on the Board for three years and Mr. R. Bos was elected to fill the unexpired term of Mr. G.E. Rylsma. It was also decided at this meeting that the Secretary’s and Treasurer’s annual reports be printed in The Standard Bearer. They follow as reported. Secretary’s Report Society members and friends of the Reformed Free Publishing Association. Dear Brethren: The Board of the RFPA...

“The administration of the Lord’s Supper shall take place only there where three is supervision of elders, according to the ecclesiastical order in a public gathering of the congregation.” —Article 64, D.K.O. In many Reformed circles today the provision of the sixty-fourth article of our Church Order either has already or is fast becoming an obsolete thing. The spirit of individualism, so prevalent in this age in the world, seems to reflect itself more and more in the church as she repels various forms of authority and ecclesiastical supervision. Old traditions are discarded or conveniently ignored and substituted with the...

The significance of the Church is an extremely important and significant question. The Roman Catholic view of the Church is most clearly and ably set forth by Robert Bellarmin, the famous Roman Catholic controversialist. According to him the church is a company of men externally bound together by the profession of the same Christian faith, united in the communion of the same sacraments, under and subject to the government of legitimate pastors, especially the pope. What does this imply? This implies that Rome excludes from the Church all heretics and infidels, all the unbaptized, all who are not subject to...

We now turn our attention to what Paul writes concerning what is proper and becoming for women in the congregation. I believe that we should keep in mind three things in connection with Paul’s address to the women. It is important that this be kept in mind lest we forget the extremely spiritual nature of these exhortations. In the first place, it should be remembered that Paul is here addressing women “professing godliness.” They do not simply profess to be religious; they do not simply “belong” to the church, and nothing more; they are not simply “ladies” in distinction from...

Report of Classis West held in Doon, Iowa, Sept. 20, 1961: Rev. B. Woudenberg presided at this meeting which was adjourned at 8:45 P.M. This meeting was again one in which harmony and unity prevailed. Various matters were discussed and decided in executive meeting, including protests and matters of discipline, and the decisions were unanimous in all instances. Our Missionary, Rev. G. Lubbers, was present and was given advisory vote. The brother spoke a few appropriate words to the Classis and the president of Classis responded very fittingly. Let us remember our brother in our prayers in his difficult labors....

BREAKDOWN OF RESPECT FOR THE LAW There have been serious and growing problems recently in this country in law-enforcement. Articles have appeared in the daily papers telling of the opposition of other-wise “lawabiding” citizens to the efforts of police to enforce the law of the land. Up until recently, law-enforcement agencies and police forces of cities and communities have been able to concentrate their attention on fighting crime and violence. They could expect for themselves a relative immunity from harm, for it was considered extremely dangerous to attack or harm or kill a police officer in the pursuit of his...

We know him by two means: East, by the creation, preservation and government of the universe; which is before our eyes as a most elegant book, wherein all creatures, great and small, are as so many characters leading us to contemplate the invisible things of God, namely, his power and divinity, as the apostle Paul saith, Rom. 1:20. All which things are sufficient to convince men, and leave them without excuse. Secondly, he makes himself more clearly and fully known to us by his holy and divine Word, that is to say, as far as is necessary for us to know...

“I would like to give more, but . . . .” But what? Ah, to that question there may be a multitude of answers depending upon the person to whom you address the question. There may, indeed, be those as the widow who cast in her last two mites. In sincere gratitude to God she would have cast in more than those two mites as a thank offering. But she had no more. She gave all the money she had. Therefore she gave more than those who gave a larger sum and had a mite left for other purposes. And...

And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God: . . .  And Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them. And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the land of the Egyptians.  Exodus 18:5, 8-9 Many months had...