Vol 67 Issue 01

Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Ministerial Calls The “News” should start with calls this time—to make sure that there is enough space to get them all in. There are, after all, five different calls to consider. Here is the up-to-the-minute status of each one (as of September 8). First Church in Grand Rapids, MI presented a trio of Pastors B. Gritters, J. Kortering, and T. Miersma, from which their congregation extended a call to Rev. T. Miersma to serve as missionary to Jamaica. The congregation in our Hudsonville PRC in Hudsonville, MI...

September 12, 1990   Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church Classis East met in regular session on Wednesday, September 12, 1990 at the Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church. Each church was represented by two delegates. The majority of the day was spent in deliberating a protest from Norristown regarding a decision made by the May 9/30 classis which instructed them to return to the use of The Psalter. Norristown protested that the May decision was arrived at illegally. Classis sustained the protest of Norristown with regard to legality but rejected the advice of its committee of pm-advice to allow Norristown to continue to use...

GREAT LEADERS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, edited by John D. Woodbridge; Moody Press, 1988; 384 pp., $24.95, (cloth). (Reviewed by Prof H. Hanko.) The history of the church, it has been said, is the history of her leaders. Undoubtedly this is true when it is remembered that throughout the church’s history from Pentecost to today, God has been pleased to raise up men of outstanding ability, zeal, courage, and faithfulness through whom He has worked mighty deeds for the welfare of Christ’s body. Sometimes these men are relatively obscure men, all but forgotten by the church today. Sometimes they are...

Rev. Gritters is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Byron Center, Michigan. Review In response to the questions of the disciples about His second coming, Jesus taught that there will be a great apostasy against which the church must fight; the Antichrist will arise as the pinnacle of this false teaching; and the saints will be persecuted in a way no one has ever seen before. Before this persecution comes, the church is called to be active in preaching the gospel to all nations (Matt. 24:14), for when the persecution comes, the gospel will be silenced: “the two witnesses”...

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado.

Rev. Kamps is pastor of the Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. Introduction The Reformed believer makes a most profound confession. He confesses what God has said. The Reformed believer is in agreement with the living God. Most men find themselves at odds with the living God over this book, the Bible. The men of this world cannot say from the heart that they believe “without any doubt, all things contained” in the divine Scriptures (Belgic Confession, Art. V). But the Lord always preserves to Himself a few who enter in at the strait gate and joyfully confess what...

Rev. Hanko is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. “Rev. Hoeksema, if only you had never published that Standard Bearer!” The remark was made on Classis Grand Rapids East by Rev. Veldkamp. This was approximately two months after The Standard Bearer had made its first appearance. The classis was about to suspend Rev. Herman Hoeksema and his consistory from office in the Christian Reformed Church because of his refusal to sign the three points of common grace adopted by the synod of 1924. The impression was left that publishing The Standard Bearer was an act of rebellion, which deserved being put out of...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Immanuel Protestant Reformed Church in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. The two great passages that set forth the concept of reconciliation are Romans 5:10 and II Corinthians 5:18-21. The word translated reconciliation, a word used only by Paul, sets forth our salvation in a very rich, broad way. Three ideas are implied in reconciliation: 1) There is a relationship between persons that has brought them very close. 2) This relationship is disturbed so that the persons have become alienated. 3) The cause of alienation has been removed, so that the relationship is restored, and peaceful harmony is once again enjoyed....

Rev. VanBaren is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan.

Prof. Decker is professor of Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Our churches and our seminary represent and stand in a glorious tradition. That tradition is called the Reformed faith. It consists of the truth of Holy Scripture as expressed in the great creeds of the church; as restored over against the errors of Rome through the 16th century Reformation, especially under the leadership of God’s servants, Martin Luther and, more especially, John Calvin; and as expressed in the Three Forms of Unity, our Reformed Confessions. That truth is taught in the Protestant Reformed Churches along the distinctive lines...