Vol 38 Issue 09

Report of Classis East, meeting in Creston Church, Jan. 10, 1962. Rev. C. Hanko, who presided at the October meeting, led in the opening devotions. He also declared the Classis properly constituted after the credentials of the various delegates had been accepted. All the churches of Classis East were represented by two delegates each. Rev. Hanko, following the order of rotation, then took the chair, and ably presided over this meeting of Classis. The Classis then conducted the routine business of adopting the minutes of the previous meeting, and receiving the reports of the Stated Clerk and the Classical Committee...

Contribution of the Program Committee of the Reformed Witness Hour: During the month of February, D.V., Rev. H. Hoeksema hopes to continue his series of radio broadcasts with messages based on the first Epistle of Peter. The messages of Feb. 4 and 11 are entitled, “Born Again” (chapter 1 vss. 22 and 23), in which the truth is proclaimed “that regeneration is in no sense of the word the work of man, but only and absolutely the work of our Sovereign God.” Sunday, Feb. 18, an explanation of I Peter 2:1, 2 will reveal the “Desire for Spiritual Nourishment” of the newborn saints....

The Hymn Question Dear Rev. H. Hoeksema: Permit me, in accordance with your request, to write a few lines in regard to the hymn question. I think there is room and ample reason to introduce some New Testament hymns—not the hymns that are sting in most of the American churches, they are too superficial and often sickening. No, but I mean hymns that are true versifications of Scripture, and that shall not be sung in the churches until the synod has set its stamp of approval upon them, In our Psalter nothing can be found on the resurrection of Christ...

THAT RIGHT WING Much in the news these days is the revival in America of the so-called “right wing movement.” The phrase refers to political and economic ideology. The extreme left wing is communism in the form practiced in Russia and Red China. The extreme right wing is capitalism in its purest form—capitalism without state intervention. The terms are sometimes misleading since a dictatorship such as in a country like Portugal is also sometimes labeled as “right wing.” There are variations of the extremes as well. There are tendencies towards the left called socialism. This socialism is found in various...

The Consistory of the First Protestant Reformed Church, we wrote last time, overtured the Synod in 1959 to revise Article 69 of the Church Order so as to make room in our churches for the singing of a select number of hymns as approved by the synod. Five grounds, which we also quoted, were given for this overture. Briefly we would comment concerning these grounds as follows: As to the first ground, viz. “that Article 69 has lost all significance for us in its present form,” it may be said that this could be remedied by simply eliding those parts...

In answer to this question concerning the meaning of the quotation from II Peter 1 (raised in the last issue), we may notice that our Confession does not answer this question directly, seeing that it quotes only from verse 21. But in order to understand this quotation we should view it in its context, and then must ask as to the meaning of the statement that “No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” As suggested, there are those who interpret this expression as merely laying down a rule for the interpretation of Scripture. In that case the text means...

The Protestant view of the Church is certainly expressed in that article of the Apostles’ Creed which reads: “I believe an holy catholic church.” Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian’ Religion, writing on the “Church,” and specifically setting forth the meaning of the article: “I believe an holy catholic church,” writes as follows (Book IV, Chapter I, paragraph II, and we quote: “That article of the Creed, in which we profess to, believe THE CHURCH, refers not only to the visible Church of which we are now speaking, but likewise to all the elect of God, including the dead...

The hand is a wonderful member of the body. Swiftly it glides over the ivory keys, its fingers striking the right ones at a prescribed rhythm, and produces a captivating melody and rich harmonies. Moving up and down, left and right it selects the letters on the linotype machine setting the type for the printing of these words. Firmly it grasps various tools, moves objects, builds structures and machines, controls trains, planes, automobiles, ships and other vehicles with motors. Deftly it applies paint and realizes a beautiful landscape or seascape. It presses buttons, throws switches, weaves and sews, pounds and...

There are still two matters in this section under consideration to which we must call attention. The first of these is the question of the meaning of Paul in verse 13, where he speaks of the “good degree” (King James Version) which is acquired by those who serve well in the office of a deacon, and also what is, to be understood when Paul speaks of the “great boldness, in the faith which is in Christ Jesus” in connection with such a good service as deacon. The text in verse 13 reads as follows: “for they that have used the...

And it came to pass when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. Exodus 34:29, 30 For a second period of forty days and forty nights, Moses abode on Mount Sinai without food and drink communing with God. There upon the mountain God...