Vol 63 Issue 02

Ben wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan.

The Contact Committee of our Protestant Reformed Churches in America, in behalf of our Synod, brings to your attention the financial need of the Protestant Reformed Church of Wellington, New Zealand.  The readership of this publication is undoubtedly aware that a very small, struggling, and independent church at Wellington, New Zealand has asked for and has been granted sister church relationship with us. 

CONTENDING IDEOLOGIES IN SOUTH AFRICA, edited by James Leatt, Theo Knefel and Klaus Nurnberger; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1986; 318 pp., $10.95 (paper). (Reviewed by Prof. H. Hanko.) This book is an effort to explain the deep racial conflicts in South Africa from the viewpoint of the many ideologies which have jostled for supremacy in this troubled country since the beginning of its history. The book discusses Capitalism, Liberalism, Africaner nationalism, African nationalism, Black consciousness, Socialism, Marxism, Communism, and Social democracy. The book makes an effort, for the most part successful, to remain objective. While it is rather heavy going,...

September 18, 1986 At the close of volume-year 62, the Board reports on its activities in the past year. We thank God for His faithfulness to us in continuing to allow the R.F.P.A. freely to publish the Standard Bearer. During the past year the Publication and Book Committee investigated new machinery to address the magazines. At our February meeting, the committee recommended that we purchase an Addressograph Electronic Addresser with a Direct Impression Printer. The Board approved this recommendation. The electronic addresser is a small computer which stores all our addresses on s2 floppy discs. The addresses can be sorted by...

Jason L. Kortering is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Grandville, Michigan. 2. The priestly consecration with its warnings for violations (Lev. 8:1-10:20). Aaron and his family were presented to the Lord in the presence of the congregation. Aaron was dressed in the proper clothes of the priest, a robe, an ephod (cape), breastplate, mitre, and crown. Moses took the oil and anointed the tabernacle, including its contents, and also anointed Aaron (Lev. 8:1-13). A bullock of sin offering, a ram of burnt-offering, and a ram of consecration were slain after they had laid their hands upon each of...

Robert D. Decker is professor of New Testament and Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. The Banner recently focused its attention on the rising problems of the break-down of family living, divorce and the remarriage of divorced persons, sexual promiscuity and how these phenomena are affecting the church. We do well to pay attention to these problems, for they affect Protestant Reformed people, families, and churches too. Editor Andrew Kuyvenhoven writes:

From Paradise to Paradise (Gen. 3:16) If we believe all of the Scriptures we receive them as an organic unity, written by one Author, containing one central message concerning the Christ of God, and inspired by one Spirit. For all Scripture is given by inspiration; it is God-breathed (II Tim. 3:16). Besides, the Scriptures are often designated as being “the Scripture” (Mark 12:14; John 2:22; John 5:39; John 7:38, 42; John 10:35; John 13:18; John 17:12; John 19:24, 28, 36, 37; John 20:9; Acts 1:16;Acts 8:32; Rom. 4:3; Rom. 9:17; Rom. 10:11; Gal. 3:8, 22; Gal. 4:30; I Tim. 5:18; II Tim. 3:16; James 2:8, 23; James 4:5; I Pet. 2:6; II Peter 1:20). In perusing all these many, many...

John A. Heys is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. In the book of Jonah there are more miracles recorded than we are apt to concede. There is the miraculous sleep of Jonah, the landlubber, during a storm that was so violent that seasoned, experienced seamen were frightened, and sleep was impossible for them. There is the miracle of Jonah being snatched from the jaws of death by the jaws of a fish which God prepared and sent, and then used to keep him alive for three days and three nights in a sphere where death, because of...

Herman C. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. In Vitro Fertilization In our last article on this subject we introduced the subject of in vitro fertilization (IVF). This is the process by which conception takes place outside the womb of the mother in a test tube or petri dish. It is a technique used for married couples who have exhausted every medical means of having children and remain childless. By this method ova are taken from the wife, sperm from the husband, and the ova of the wife are fertilized in the laboratory. When...

Ronald L. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. Friendship is good. Friendship is necessary. We have been made in such a way that it is not good for us to be alone. We have been made in such a way that we need friends. We have been made in such a way that we have to be a companion of someone. This is especially true of young people. Have friends they will. Be a companion of someone they will. But the question is: “With whom will they be a friend? Who will be their companion?”...