Vol 41 Issue 19

Report of Classis East, July 7, 1965, at Southwest Church.  Rev. G. Lubbers presided over the opening devotions, and declared the Classis instituted after the credentials had been accepted. All the churches were represented by two delegates each.  Rev. M. Schipper then presided while Rev. Lubbers recorded the minutes. The minutes of the April Classis were read and approved. The Stated Clerk and the Classical Committee tendered their reports. 

First Church of Grand Rapids has placed the following on trio, from which one will be elected July 19: Revs. M. Schipper, H. Veldman and G. VanBaren.  Seminarian Robert Decker is in receipt of his first call and it was from our church in the far northwest, Lynden, Wash.  Rev. H. Hanko, of Doon, Iowa, has received and accepted the Synodical call to professorship in our seminary. He will occupy the Chair of New Testament, taking the place of Rev. H. Hoeksema, who resigned his position due to illness.

Scripture on God’s Government and Sin (concluded) 

In the April issue of the Reformed Journal, Dr. Harry R. Boer continues his discussion on Predestination and Mission Preaching under the heading, “Reprobation in Modern Reformed Theologians.” Boer does not believe in predestination in the Reformed sense of the word, but regards especially the doctrine of reprobation as pure rationalism, based on inferences which are contrary to the teaching of Scripture that unbelief is the sole fault of man.

Assemblies, Mergers, Etc.  Late Spring and early Summer is the time for the meetings of ecclesiastical assemblies. In order to bring our readers up to date on the latest developments of the last few months, we give some brief surveys of major decisions of the more important ecclesiastical organizations. 

Preparatory Self-Examination  To the worship of the church belongs such important things as the preaching of the gospel, the singing of the psalms, the offering of prayers and the return of a portion of God’s bountiful gifts, contributed with cheerful hearts to support the cause of God in the midst of the world. Without any question, each and every one of these aspects of public worship has some necessary contribution to make toward the spiritual well-being of the worshipper. 

We concluded our preceding article with a very brief resume of the history of Irenaeus, whom we wish to quote in connection with the history of the doctrine of creation. To this very brief resume we wish to add the following quotation from the same book, the Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I, page 310: “The Episcopate of Irenaeus was distinguished by labors, ‘in season and out of season,’ for the evangelization of Southern Gaul; and he seems to have sent missionaries into other regions of what we now call France.

The Only Point of Departure: God, the Creator!  Paul addresses himself to the matter at hand. He had pointed out the Achilles heel of Athenian idolatry, in pointing out the underlying admission of their poverty in worshipping an “UNKNOWN GOD,” as evidenced by their superscription. However, now he will do more. He will proclaim to these Stoics and Epicurians “what” they ignorantly worship. He will remove their ignorance. The “times of ignorance” are past! 

The subject may seem somewhat strange—it did to me first too. It was only the first part of the theme that was assigned to me: THE NEW GENERATION OF 1924. The Men’s Society of Oak Lawn had requested another subject; but since I had been invited to speak on this subject on April 30 in Grand Rapids for the Mr. and Mrs. Societies, I suggested that possibly I could stop on the way down there and could speak here on the same subject. I added the last part: A BLUEPRINT FOR ITS FAILURE, because I thought it might be interesting...

Dear Mr. Editor:  Will you please place this as a contribution in the next issue of The Standard Bearer.  Just as the noose of trade unions tightens itself around the American economy by forcing Congress to repeal the “Right To Work” section of the Taft-Hartley Bill (Section 14-b), there is a tiny indication of possible relief from this tyranny for our Protestant Reformed wage earners and for other Christians across the country who have refused to yield to this yoke.