Vol 55 Issue 15

Twice in recent months the claim has been made that Dr. Harry Boer’s gravamen is not a legitimate gravamen. The argumentation is that the Boer gravamen is a “prove it” gravamen, that it is simply a request for the Christian Reformed Church to give Scriptural proof for the doctrine of sovereign reprobation, and that the Synod is not a kind of “question-box” and cannot be called upon to render proof for the various doctrines set forth in the creeds. The Rev. Nelson Kloosterman made this claim in The Outlook (February, 1979). After writing rather confusedly about the nature of a gravamen,...

Dear Question Box Editor:  Will you please comment on these questions?  1. Did Pharaoh die in the Red Sea?  2. Is Exodus 15:19 proof that he did die? 

Our Southeast Church in Grand Rapids has extended a call to Rev. David Engelsma, pastor of our church in South Holland, Illinois. The call was extended after a congregational meeting on March 19. The trio also included Rev. Arie den Hartog and Rev. Bernard Woudenberg. Professor Herman Hanko declined the call extended to him previously by the Southeast congregation. 

Chapter 2 

Dear Timothy,  In my last letter to you I finished our discussion of some of the qualifications which a pastor ought to possess in order to work effectively with the sheep over which the Lord has placed him. I do not want to pursue this matter further at this time, but I do want to say a few words about the role of the elders in the whole area of pastoral work. 

In the April 1979 news bulletin of the Association of Christian Reformed Laymen there appears a quotation from this rubric, which was entitled: “Women in Office” (Standard Bearer, Feb. 15, 1979, page 235). That article commented on a letter from North Blendon Christian Reformed Church which appeared in the Banner. In that letter, the consistory of North Blendon informed the denomination that they “do not and will not consider this decision of Synod (on women in office of deacon) settled and binding upon the conscience and practice of our congregation.” The A.C.R.L.

Paul continues to explain to the Corinthians his joy in the affect which his former letter had upon them. 

To our sister churches, Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since you have shown such great concern for us by your gifts toward our building fund, we consider it of interest to you to keep informed about the progress of our building project. We are indeed very thankful for all the many gifts which we have received and give thanks and praise unto the Lord for all His benefits. We received some very sizable gifts, including one of $10,000 from Hope church of Grand Rapids. This has made it possible for us to begin the actual work...

Dear Prof. Hanko,  After reading the Standard Bearer of Jan. 1, 1979, I felt like talking to you. The reason is the book review about “Daylight”, by Rev. Andrew Kuyvenhoven. You wrote: “Most are not of exegetical nature, but are rather brief meditations ‘hanged on’ a given text: all tend to be practical rather than doctrinal. They can be read with profit by those who enjoy devotional literature.”  After I read this I felt worried and concerned. 

In 1974 Hope Protestant Reformed Church of Walker, Michigan called the Rev. Robert C. Harbach to serve our Churches as a Home Missionary. For several years Rev. Harbach served in Houston, Texas where a Protestant Reformed Congregation was organized as a fruit of his labors. For some time now Rev. Harbach has been preaching and teaching the Gospel in Victoria, British Columbia. Of this labor he writes in the succeeding article. We are sure that the reader will appreciate Rev. Harbach’s trenchant analysis of the ecclesiastical and religious situation in Victoria.