All Articles For Vol 64 Issue 20 9/1/1988

Ben Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. The consistory of the First P.R.C. in Holland, Michigan presented a trio of the Revs. B. Gritters, C. Haak, and M. Kamps to their congregation. On July 25th Rev. C. Haak was chosen and a call was extended to him to become Holland’s next undershepherd. The congregation of the Hope P.R.C., in Isabel S.D., formed the following trio: Revs. R. Hanko, S. Houck, and J. Kortering. From that threesome Rev. S. Houck was extended a. call to come over and help the group in Isabel. We also...

SOLVINING MARRIAGE PROBLEMS, by Jay E. Adams; Zondervan Publishing House, 1986; 122 pp., (paper) $6.95. (Reviewed by Prof. R.D. Decker) This Zondervan publication was first published by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co. in 1983. We reviewed that edition in the September 1985 issue of The Standard Bearer. Jay Adams is Director of Advanced Studies at Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, California. The book is intended for pastors and other Christian counselors, but may be profitably read by any Christian. One does not always agree with Adams’ views, especially his view of divorce and the remarriage of divorced persons. Nonetheless, Adams’...

John A. Heys is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. A shadow can present us with a warning, and even of a warning that is very serious. The shadow cast when the sun is sinking behind the western horizon can warn us that it will soon be dark on this earth, and that the work we are performing will have to be finished very soon. Walking alone on a dimly lit street, where robbery has taken place repeatedly, and seeing a shadow approaching from behind may fill one with great fear. Thus also when Adam and Eve heard...

George C. Lubbers is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. It was with mingled sorrow and joy that we received the tidings that Rev. Clinton Elliott, the oldest minister in our Jamaican church, had been taken home to glory. He must have been alone at home and walking in his backyard, when the angels came to carry him home to glory in their chariot. We sorrow that a friend, a dear brother and affectionate colleague, was taken from our presence here on earth. He even addressed me in his letters with the familiar “dear brother George.” Now he...

Herman C. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. But in connection with the sin of drunkenness there is a certain anomaly. On the one hand, experience proves that confession and repentance alone do not necessarily free one from the sin; and on the other hand, it is possible, through the work of Alcoholics Anonymous, e.g., to be freed from drinking without actually being saved. That is, one can be freed from his “drinking problem” without confessing his sin and seeking forgiveness in the cross. And in addition to this, it is also...

Ronald L. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. “No one shall be called to the ministry of the Word, without his being stationed in a particular place, except he be sent to do church extension work.” Church Order, Article 7. Article 7 stands closely connected to the preceding articles. Article 2 specifies the number and nature of the special offices in the church. Article 3 requires that those who preach the gospel must be lawfully called to this office. Articles 4 and 5 stipulate that this calling to the ministry is to proceed from the...

Thomas C. Miersma is pastor of the First Protestant Reformed Church, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We have been considering the development of modern philosophy in its relationship to the development of the modern view of the doctrine of Scripture. That view, as we saw in connection with Immanuel Kant, fundamentally denies the possibility of revelation; it sets human reason above Scripture and subjects Scripture to the mind of man. The result is a fundamental divorce between reason and faith. The only place which Kant could find for religion was a certain feeling or sense of obligation and duty, of moral necessity....

At the conclusion of my previous editorial on this subject, I referred to the fact that there are those who have rejected the period theory because of its obvious exegetical flaws and because it does not really help them in getting rid of Scripture’s very definite and specific timeframe in connection with God’s creative work. They prefer to get rid of any kind of literal timeframe whatsoever, and at the same time, of course, to get rid of the successive order of the creative works described in Genesis 1. In order to accomplish this purpose they have turned to what...

Some months ago I received a request from a long-time reader in British Columbia, Canada to evaluate a new political party which has been formed there, the Christian Heritage Party of Canada. Due to the press of other matters and also due to the fact that I needed more information, as well as time for study of the matter, I could not keep my promise to write about this subject until now. And I did indeed want to keep my promise before I lay down the editorial reins of our magazine at the end of this volume-year. Most of our...

Thanks! On Thursday evening, June 16, the Board of the Reformed Free Publishing Association and the Theological School Committee jointly sponsored an appreciation dinner in connection with my retiring as Editor-in-Chief of The Standard Bearer and my completion of 29 years at our Protestant Reformed Seminary. At the dinner many kind words were spoken, and a remembrance (an inscribed pewter plate, a pewter cup, and a pewter lamp) was given me. This was followed by an open house at our Hudsonville Church, which many friends attended. Besides, I received many cards and notes from those who were unable to attend....