Vol 63 Issue 09

Ben wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. The history of our congregation in Loveland, Colorado, goes back to the time when many of the people who now make up the membership lived in Sutton, Nebraska, and attended the Free German Salem Reformed Church. After the death of their pastor, troubles arose and many of the people moved out west, settling in the area around Loveland, Colorado. Here they began their search for the truth and joined the Reformed Hoffnungs Gemeinde. In 1954, Elder George Kitzman, who was visiting friends in South Dakota, attended the...

THE FOURTH DAY, Howard J. Van Till; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.; 286 pp., $9.95 (paper). (Reviewed by Prof. H.C. Hoeksema) The publisher’s blurb makes some big claims for this book by a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Calvin College. It states: In this comprehensive and rigorously argued book, Howard Van Till draws on both scriptural evidence and scientific investigation to construct a theologically sound and scientifically coherent perspective on the nature of the cosmos.  Van Till begins with the premise that neither the biblical nor the scientific view of the cosmos is complete in itself....

Ronald L. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. At the end of our last article, we were busy discussing the basis for public confession of faith. We saw that the responsibility to make public confession of faith is based, first of all, on the general calling of the believer to confess Christ’s Name in the world. Confession of our faith is something to which the Word of God everywhere calls us. It is simply an integral part of the Christian life. A second reason why Reformed churches have always insisted on a public confession of...

Herman Veldman is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. We concluded our preceding article with the remark that God is and remains sovereign. We would conclude this series of articles by calling attention to this sovereignty of God in connection with the truth of God’s providence. Our remarks will be brief. There are certain scriptural passages that are very pertinent in the treatment of this subject. We read inPsalm 73:18: “Surely Thou didst set them in slippery places: Thou castedst them down into destruction.” Another text is Psalm 92:6-7: “A brutish man knoweth not; Neither doth a fool understand...

Herman C. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. In the last article we wrote on this subject we began an evaluation of the various procedures which modern science has begun to use to give children to infertile couples. These procedures include artificial insemination, surrogate motherhood, and the use of frozen embryos. We were busy discussing what other Christian ethicists have to say on this question; and we were examining particularly the views of John Jefferson Davis in his book Evangelical Ethics. We quoted him last time with respect to the legal problems which...

Robert D. Decker is professor of New Testament and Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Observing the Trends: The Rev. Louis M. Tamminga wrote an interesting article under this title in The Banner (January 5, 1987). Tamminga is director of the Christian Reformed Church’s Pastor-Church Relations Services. Some of the changes and trends Tamminga observes in the Christian Reformed Church are: —A sophisticated communication system has revolutionized society and daily affects the lives of Christians everywhere.  —Many evangelical churches have developed flamboyant worship styles. In spite of some justified criticism, they will prove increasingly engaging to Christian Reformed people.  —Fear of...

Gise J. Van Baren is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Alice was still able to get out occasionally. She seemed to welcome the opportunity to escape the confines of her bed. Surprisingly, she could still sit fairly well in her wheel chair, though now for only short periods of time. She took her last, brief shopping trip on February 16 to K-mart. She found this to be interesting still, but she returned home very tired. That favorite pastime of hers, shopping, had also now come to an end. Good Morning Alice:  I’m afraid I should have...

Robert D. Decker is professor of New Testament and Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. That the church of Christ has the calling to do mission work is plain from Scripture. Jesus said: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matt. 28:19, 20) This command of Christ applies to the church of all ages, for the...

Correspondence I received the following letter under date of January 3, 1987, and referred it to Rev. Veldman for his reply. Dear Prof. Hoeksema: The December 1, 1986 issue of the Standard Bearer, which is devoted to the doctrine of regeneration, is very worthwhile and good for us to study. However, concerning the leading article, “Begotten Again Unto a Lively Hope”, by Rev. H. Veldman, I do not understand why the Holy Spirit was not specifically mentioned. After an excellent introduction, the author explained that the author of regeneration is the Triune God, as the God and Father of our Lord...

In a recent issue of The Banner (12/8/86) the Q & A department carried a question from an Indiana reader as follows: “Why is evolution taught at Calvin College? More than a year ago The Banner acknowledged this, and no one has ever challenged these views on the pages of our church magazine. However, Christian Renewal (Feb. 3, 1986) discussed this problem openly. What can be done about this?” This question was referred by Q & A Editor Rev. W.D. Buursma to Calvin College, and an answer was furnished by Dr. Howard J. Van Till of the department of physics and astronomy. Dr. Van Till is...