All Articles For Vol 64 Issue 21 9/15/1988

Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. First for some “late” news. Since Rev. B. Gritters declined the call to become our churches’ second missionary to Jamaica, First P.R.C. in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the calling church, found it necessary to form a new trio to fill this need. From the trio of Pastors W. Bekkering, C. Haak, and K. Koole, a call was extended to Pastor W. Bekkering. Rev. S. Houck has declined the call was call he received from the Hope P.R.C. in Isabel, South Dakota extended to Pastor W. Bekkering. Rev. D....

Ronald H. Hanko is pastor of Trinity Protestant Reformed Church, Houston, Texas. 3. The analogy of body and soul. Various analogies have been used to help explain the union of Christ’s two natures and to show that faith in this union is not unreasonable. Regarding the use of these analogies to show the plausibility of belief in Christ’s two natures, we should remember that this is a matter of faith and not of demonstration. It is part of the great “mystery of godliness” (I Tim. 3:16), and is something, therefore, that the natural man cannot receive by any amount of...

Gise J. Van Baren is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. The Synods of many of the Reformed churches have been concluded. Of interest to us especially are the decisions of the Synod of our “mother” church, the Christian Reformed Church. That Synod met from June 14 to June 23 at Calvin College. Several important issues were treated there: the question whether children might partake of the Lord’s Supper; decisions concerning joining with the National Association of Evangelicals and also with the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC); treatment of a protest against a church which has...

Thomas C. Miersma is pastor of the First Protestant Reformed Church, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We have been considering the underlying trend which lies behind the modern and liberal approach to Scripture. That approach is rooted in the principle that man’s reason is the standard of authority by which all things, including also God’s Word, are to be judged. The fruit of that philosophical principle has been, as we have seen, a separation between faith and reason. Reason belongs to the realm of human science and philosophical speculation. Faith in modern thought is no more a certain or assured knowledge, founded...

Arie den Hartog is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Randolph, Wisconsin. God has made all things for His own glory. “For of Him and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36). From the beginning to the end of all history and through all the ages of eternity God will be glorified. At the beginning of history the angels sang of the praises of God. In heaven the song is heard; “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things,...

Herman C. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. HAS THE CHURCH MISREAD THE BIBLE? The history of interpretation in the light of current issues, Moises Silva; Zondervan Publishing House, 1987. 136 pp., no price listed (paper). (Reviewed by Prof. H. Hanko) This book is the first in a series under the general title: “Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation.” The series is edited by the author of this volume and “seeks to identify and work toward a clarification of the basic problems of interpretation that affect our reading of the Bible today. This unique...

The Creation Record Literal (4)\ We conclude this series on a positive note. Let us remember that the Christian—also the Christian scientist—begins and ends on the basis of the absolute authority of Holy Scripture. This is and must always be his bias, or prepossession. His approach to science is not neutral. Neutrality is, in fact, an impossibility, whether for believer or unbeliever. And with respect to the Genesis record, this bowing before the absolute authority of Scripture implies that he embraces the record of creation as literal. One does not have to maintain that Scripture is a kind of science...

Rev. Slopsema is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Walker, Michigan. Then said he also to them that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. Luke 14:12-14 Someone had invited Jesus to a feast....