Vol 60 Issue 01

First Protestant Reformed Church of Grand Rapids has chosen Rev. R. Miersma to receive the call to be missionary on the island of Jamaica. 

THE NEW CENTURY BIBLE COMMENTARY, I & II Thessalonians, by Howard Marshall; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983; 340 pp., $6.95. (Paper) (Reviewed by Prof. H. Hanko) This new set of commentaries, edited by Ronald E. Clements (Old Testament) and Matthew Black (New Testament) has added this volume to its list. It is, according to the information sheet sent with the book, “a standard commentary on the Revised Standard Version that is balanced and up-to-date in terms of both its scholarship and its reflection of the contemporary relevance of the biblical text.” 

As we stated in our preceding article, we, as Protestant Reformed Churches do not believe in Hyper-Calvinism. That God is sovereign and has surely willed sin does not annul our calling to demand of all who hear the preaching of the gospel to repent and believe. Continually we are admonished as people of God unto faith and repentance because the truth stands sure that God does all things, but also that He causes us to stand in His grace. If it is God Who worketh in us the willing and the doing, we then, as the result of that work...

In any great undertaking there are certain basic rules or principles which need to be followed if the endeavor is to be capped with success. The pilot must know the principles of aeronautics; the draftsman the principles of engineering; the surgeon the principles of human physiology. Such is also the case in the great enterprise of producing unspiritual young people. Here, too, one’s goal is most easily achieved, and success guaranteed, when these basic rules are taken into consideration.

This little gem was written by Paul to a rich man who -was instructed by Paul to receive his slave who had run to Rome, but was converted there by Paul’s preaching and instructed to return. As such, it contains many implications on the fruits of the gospel.

The “Turn of the Screw” Perhaps the following hardly seems newsworthy anymore since it was an event which occurred several months ago. Yet, because it will likely have a real and devastating effect on Christian schools and even on churches, it is worthy of continued attention. I refer to the ruling of the Supreme Court on May 24, 1983 concerning the denial of tax exemption for Bob Jones University. You have likely read of it. The Presbyterian Journal, June 8, 1983, quoted from the rules of Bob Jones University as stated in their student handbook:

Greetings to our beloved churches in the U.S.A. who have called us and support us continually in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ on the mission field. It is our joy to report to you again of how the Lord has blessed His church here and added unto her such as must be saved. The Lord continues to reward all those who have given and supported this cause. As your missionaries we daily give thanks that the Lord has given to us the great privilege of being involved in the work of missions and witnessing how the Lord prospers...

In previous articles we have seen that our adoption as the children of God is predestinated from eternity by God the Father and prepared and sealed in time through the work of Christ, the First-begotten Son. Now we turn to the third phase in the revelation of the wonder of our Sonship, the work of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of adoption. It is through the Spirit of adoption that the adoption of sons is possessed by the children of God. 

Sin begets sin.

The Word of God upon which I base my remarks this evening may be found in II Timothy 2:19: “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” The text begins with the word nevertheless. This is a word of comfort and assurance for Timothy, the youthful pastor at Ephesus, and for the faithful church there.