Vol 46 Issue 18

It seems that the choir of Covenant Christian High, under the direction of Mr. R. Petersen is acquiring some renown. On May 26 they traveled to Kalamazoo to perform there in a program sponsored by the Kalamazoo Protestant Reformed Church. And on May 19 they went even further—out of state, no less. The Ladies Society of South Holland’s church sponsored a program in that church’s auditorium. The feature attraction was Covenant’s a cappella choir.

But if you hold fast to the organic idea, then all the difficulties disappear. Then you have here the one people which is nevertheless twofold; one vineyard which nevertheless brings forth a twofold fruit. From the viewpoint of its good kernel, that vineyard is the object of God’s favor. For the sake of that good kernel the Lord cultivates that vineyard. He does all that there is to be done to a vineyard. Thus the Lord did with Israel. Therefore He also expected good fruits. Nor was He disappointed in that expectation by that good kernel.

THE ROAD AHEAD: A Theology for the Church in Mission, John H. Piet; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970; 103 pp., $1.95 (paper). That there is room in present day literature coming from the ecclesiastical press for a book on the theology of missions is almost a truism. Such a book could be important and would be welcome. But one qualification for such a book would have to be that it set forth the truths of Scripture on this subject. This book lacks this major characteristic.

The broadest ecclesiastical assembly off our Churches finished its work late Wednesday afternoon, June 10. If measured according to the standards which men apply to ecclesiastical assemblies, it was, presumably, not a very important meeting. There were no press reporters at the meeting and no articles were to be found in the daily paper concerning Synod’s activities. There was no flood of press releases containing statements of Synod’s .position concerning the affairs of the nation.

Do you read your Bible? Likely you wonder whether I am addressing this question to you. Maybe you even wonder why this question should be put to any reader of the Standard Bearer. Is it not a presupposition that any one who reads this paper also reads his Bible? Yet now that you are confronted personally with this question do not brush it aside; still more, do not be too ready to answer in the affirmative.

Justin Martyr was a Gentile, but born in Samaria, near Jacob’s well. The date of his birth is uncertain, but may be fixed about A.D. 114. His father and grandfather were probably of Roman origin. Before his conversion to Christianity he studied in the schools of the philosophers, searching after some knowledge which would satisfy the cravings of his soul.

THE LORD’S JUST WAYS IN THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL (Ezekiel 18:25-30)

In his epistle to the Ephesians Paul points out that by His cross and Spirit Christ has broken down the middle wall of partition between the Jews and the Gentiles. 

Recently a reader of The Standard Bearer sent me a copy of the Gospel According to John, A Contemporary Translation, produced by the Committee on Bible Translation, associated with the New York Bible Society. Some of our readers may already know that Dr. Edwin Palmer, formerly pastor of Grandville Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, is now associated with this project. This little booklet of the Gospel According to John is the first published portion of The Holy Bible: A Contemporary Translation (ACT).

Textual Index. There is nothing very glamorous about a textual index; it contains a large number of statistics, and it represents a great amount of tedious and painstaking labor. Yet a good index can be a very helpful item and a big time-saver for anyone doing research, especially over a span of 45 volumes of a periodical such as our Standard Bearer. Such an index (1970 issue), covering the first forty-five volumes of our magazine, has been prepared by Mr. T. Elzinga. By a rough estimate, there are close to 4000 entries in this textual index.