Vol 58 Issue 09

By the time you read this column 1982 will already be one month old. Nevertheless, I don’t think it’s too late to reflect on the new year as did the people of our Loveland, Colorado, congregation when they read the message from their pastor, Rev. Kortering, on their December 27 bulletin. Following is a part of that exhortation:

THE DOCTRINE OF SCRIPTURE (Locus 2 of Institutio Theologiae Elencticae); Francis Turretin; Edited & Translated by John W. Beardslee III; Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; 234 pp., $7.95 (paper). (Reviewed by Prof. H.C. Hoeksema) This is a most welcome little volume. Francis Turretin was a giant among Reformed theologians, For many years the use of Turretin’s dogmatics, his Institutes, was standard in Presbyterian seminaries, in spite of the fact that students had to struggle with his seventeenth century Latin.

Joseph had his reason for putting and keeping Simeon in prison and demanding that the other nine brothers bring Benjamin along when they would return for food. He knew that they would return in the near future since the famine had been in the land only two of the seven years that God revealed to him the famine would prevail. And he is insistent that when they return they give undeniable evidence of a radical and complete change as far as their spiritual lives are concerned. 

February 1, 1982

As Others See Us The Protestant Reformed Churches have been presented recently in a little magazine entitled, The Covenanter Witness, Sept. 1981. The magazine is produced by churches of Scotland and Ireland: the Reformed Presbyterian Churches—two sister denominations in these two countries. These churches are commonly known as “Covenanters.” A sister denomination is also found in this country. The Contact Committee of our Synod has had contact, howbeit somewhat informally, with this church in Ireland. One of their ministers, Rev.

In a previous article under this title the importance of church membership was established. The church as an organization is the mother of God’s people. This is true from the viewpoint that through her ministry God brings His people to salvation in Jesus Christ and sustains them in that salvation. The ministries that God has given to the church are essentially three: the preaching of the Word, the administration of the sacraments, and the exercise of Christian discipline. These three labors of the church are indispensable for our faith and salvation.

Chapter XII

(In the last article Kuyper began a discussion of the reformation of the church by way of separation from the denomination. He talked briefly about the fact that such reformation always begins in the local congregation. But as that reformation begins in the local congregation, it can be either opposed or supported by the local consistory. If the local consistory supports such reformation then it comes into conflict with the federation of churches.

The E.R.C.S. The initials E.R.C.S. stand for the Evangelical Reformed Church of Singapore. 

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can early nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”  I Timothy 6:6-8