Vol 63 Issue 11

Ronald L. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. “Do you acknowledge the doctrine contained in the Old and New Testaments and in the Articles of the Christian faith and taught here in this Christian Church to be the true and complete doctrine of salvation?” This is the first question asked of those who make public confession of their faith. The Scriptures emphasize the importance of faith. InHebrews 11:6 we read, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder...

Ben Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. With this issue of the Standard Bearer, we continue the profiles of our churches with a profile of the Doon, Iowa, Protestant Reformed Church. In March of 1926, out of the upheaval of the common grace question, a very small group formed the local Protestant Reformed congregation of Doon. This group had its early struggles; no pastor, no church home, and heading into the depression years. This group also had its early problems in regard to growth and falling away. It remained a small and struggling group between...

John A. Heys is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. It would certainly be wrong to credit Jonah for what he did not do. But it would also be unfair to accuse him of sins which he did not commit. He is to be rebuked for fleeing to Tarshish when called to go to preach in Nineveh. God’s visitation upon him in that raging storm at sea and his own words to the sailors reveal his sinfulness. He may also be rebuked for not going to Nineveh as soon as the fish spewed him out on dry land....

Jason L. Kortering is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Grandville, Michigan. 7. Holiness expressed in the keeping of specific feasts (Lev. 23:1-24:23). The first one mentioned is the Sabbath, no work is allowed on the seventh day in order that they may gather before the Lord (Lev. 23:1-3). Then we have the Feast of the Passover mentioned, the fourteenth day of the first month (Lev. 23:4, 5), the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the fifteenth day of the same month for seven days, no work is to be performed during this time, the beginning and ending of the feast is to include...

Arie den Hartog is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Randolph, Wisconsin. I am writing this article at my desk in the study of our Randolph Church. We are thankful to the Lord that He has given us a place in one of our churches after our return home from Singapore. Our life as a family has started a whole new chapter. It would be hard to put into words what a great difference there is between life in Singapore and life here in the U.S.A. After laboring in Singapore and the Evangelical Reformed Church there for almost seven...

Gise J. Van Baren is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. The Grand Rapids Press, January 17, 1987, presented a special report in its religious section about “A controversial course”, taught by Howard Van Till at Calvin College. Van Till is an astronomy and physics professor who recently wrote a book, The Fourth Day which has generated considerable controversy. The book is doubtlessly contributing to the growing rift between the “conservatives” and “liberals” in the Christian Reformed Church. I quote some of the report in the Press: Standing between the creationists on the one hand and the strict evolutionists on the...

George C. Lubbers is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. The Hope of Heaven and Earth. Jehovah-God Speaks to Fallen Adam. (Genesis 3:17) “and God said to Adam.” God is addressing Adam here in Paradise as the Covenant God of Adam. Really He is speaking here as the same God of glory Who spoke to Abraham, the father of all believers, much later. When Moses pens these words in Gen. 3:17 he is with Israel in the wilderness; Israel is then dwelling in their tents about the tabernacle which was made after the pattern of the heaven tabernacle. God had...

Herman Veldman is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. Our Heidelberg Catechism begins its discussion of the Confession of the Apostles’ Creed in regard to our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in Lord’s Day 11. And we begin by calling attention to the distinctive character of this Lord’s Day. In Answer 29 we read that “we ought not to seek, neither can find salvation in any other.” It is well to lay all emphasis upon this truth. We will have opportunity to call attention to this later in connection with Answer 30. As far as the thirtieth...

In trying to understand Dr. Howard Van Till’s The Fourth Day, it is difficult to figure out which came first in this case, the chicken or the egg. That is, was his view of Scripture first? And did this view of Scripture make room for his evolutionist scientific theory? Or was his evolutionism first, and did this necessitate his view of Scripture? I suspect it was the latter, even though in his book he deals first with his view of Scripture. However that may be, when one reads The Fourth Day he comes increasingly under the impression that Van Till’s view of Scripture...

A couple changes should be noted which begin with this issue. First of all, the Rev. G. Van Baren takes over, for the rest of this volume-year, in All Around Us. We thank Prof. Decker for his contributions and welcome the Rev. Van Baren back to this department. Secondly, the Rev. A. den Hartog takes over In His Fear from the Rev. B. Gritters—also for the rest of the current volume. Thanks to Rev. Gritters, and welcome to Rev. den Hartog. As you know, the Rev. den Hartog has left the Singapore mission field and is now in the pastoral ministry in Randolph,...