Vol 51 Issue 01

Rev. Richard Moore, president of the previous Classis, led Classis in opening devotions. After singing and prayer, he read Psalm 127 and spoke to the Classis on verse 1: “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchmen waketh but in vain.”

The convocation exercises of the Seminary were held on September 4. Prof. R. Decker gave the inspirational address, entitled “Peace, A Sword, and our Seminary.” After the address, Prof. H. C. Hoeksema presented the students to the overflow crowd assembled there in Southwest Church. By the time he had finished, no fewer than fifteen young men (and one member of the student body was absent) had risen for the introduction. That in itself, as the Rector pointed out, in his remarks, made of this particular Convocation an historic one.

In our discussion of the history of doctrines as set forth by the church during these early years of the New Dispensation, 80-250 A.D., we will now call attention to the doctrine of the resurrection of the flesh or of the body. 

By faith Abram left Ur of the Chaldees to go to the land of Canaan.  He was not some venturesome soul looking for something better or different. He was not a man with a pioneering spirit who had dreams of other places for himself and his family to settle in .for fleshly advantage. He was not at odds with his relatives and neighbors so that it became wise for him to leave the area and get as much distance between himself and them as possible. 

Throughout their history, up to the present day, the Protestant Reformed Churches have been misrepresented as hyper-Calvinists, because of their denial of the well-meant offer of the gospel. This has been done by charging that they preach only to the elect, by charging that they refuse to call everyone to Christ, by charging that they do not believe in missions, and by outrightly referring to them as hyper-Calvinists.

Lausanne, Switzerland is about forty miles from Geneva, the home of John Calvin during most of the years of his reformatory labors and the site of the headquarters of the World Council of Churches (WCC). Gathered at Lausanne were some 2400 official participants and a large number of observers for the International Congress On World Evangelism. Members of the Congress came from over 150 nations to consider together the calling of the Church to bring the gospel to every creature. 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, It has been some time since we have written to you; and with a new semester of school begun, we have a good opportunity to bring you up to date on the news at Seminary.

(The text of the address given at the convocation of the Protestant Reformed Seminary, September 4, 1974)

First of all, I want to express my thanks to Rev. Vander Ploeg and The Outlook for reprinting my editorial response to Rev. Vander Ploeg’s proposal to call a Congress of Conservatives, as well as for his words of appreciation concerning my “brotherly spirit” and “approachable stance.” In my opinion, it is at least a step in the right direction when we can have an editorial exchange such as this; and I hope that this can be continued, so that this matter of a possible meeting may be resolved.

INTRODUCTORY NOTE  Our readers will recall that our June issue carried an editorial entitled “A Realistic Response To ‘A Dream'”—a reply to an editorial by Rev. John Vander Ploeg in The Outlook. As you were informed in an earlier note, The Outlook promised to reprint my editorial, and Rev. Vander Ploeg promised a reply. I was informed by letter that both my editorial and Rev. Vander Ploeg’s reply are scheduled to appear in the September issue of The Outlook, which, as of this writing, has not yet appeared. Rev.