Vol 69 Issue 19

Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Young Peoples’ Activities The month of August for the young people of our congregations means it is time for another young people’s convention. This year’s convention is being held the first week in August on the campus of Dordt College in Sioux Center, IA. The young people’s societies of the Doon and Hull, Iowa PRCs, along with the First PRC of Edgerton, MN, this year’s host societies, have chosen for their theme, “Spiritual Youth in a Carnal World,” based on Ephesians 5:8-21. Now, as many of the regular...

The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women, by John Knox. Dallas, Texas: Presbyterian Heritage Publications, 1993.95 pages. $5.95 (paper). [Reviewed by the Editor.] This is the John Knox, and this is his notorious condemnation of women’s governing (“regiment”) in society. Written in 1558 from Geneva, the “blast” was aimed at two Roman Catholic queens, Mary Tudor of England (“Bloody Mary”) and Mary of Guise in Scotland. But it soon struck Protestant Elizabeth I of England, permanently alienating her from the Calvinistic Reformation; The book embarrassed John Calvin, who tried to placate Elizabeth by dedicating the...

Rev. Miersma is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Thus far in our consideration of the Trinity we have seen that while God is one, yet He reveals Himself to us as a plurality of persons. God speaks to us as the “I am that I am” (Ex. 3:14), and yet within Himself He speaks in the plural, “Let us make man in our image…” (Gen. 1:26). Moreover, we have seen that God reveals Himself as three, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, by His works of creation, redemption, and sanctification. By the threefold character of His...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. To travail is to experience birth pangs; it is to bring forth a child by way of deep, excruciating pain. All other physical pains are evidence of disease, decay, and death; birth pangs are the only pains that are a sign of life. “A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world” (John 16:21). The word...

Rev. Cammengs is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. Some Statistics The statistics relating to homosexuality are shocking. Not only do the statistics bring out the seriousness of this perversion, but plain for all to see is the judgment of God associated with this sin. Even from a human point of view, there is every reason to be appalled at the consequences of homosexuality. If only from a medical standpoint, everything ought to be done to rid our society of this menacing evil. That the homosexuals prefer to be referred to as “gays” is surely one of...

Rev. Gritters is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Byron Center, Michigan. “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.”  Matthew 7:16, 17 In Greek mythology, Augeas, King of Elis, owned a gigantic herd of 3,000 oxen. But for 30 years no one had cleaned out the stalls of these oxen. A mammoth, almost impossible task faced any who would put forth the effort. Then Hercules, Greek hero, had to redeem himself for...

Prof. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Introduction The truth of God’s covenant is part of our precious Reformed heritage as Protestant Reformed Churches. We are not always aware of the fact that this truth goes back to the time of the Reformation. Prior to the Reformation this truth was unknown; it has its roots and origin in the Reformation in Switzerland, particularly in the work of Zwingli and Bullinger. It is to the latter that we call attention in this article. Early Life Heinrich Bullinger was born on July 18, 1504,...

The Lord has blessed our Hull, Iowa Protestant Reformed Church in a very special way, by the gift of a new church building in which to worship. At the time of this writing we have already worshiped in our new building for two Sundays. We were overwhelmed by the sense of complete unworthiness on our part to have such wonderful facilities in which to worship. God however has been pleased to be with us and to cause us to grow, also numerically, so that it became necessary to construct a new building. Then He has also in abundance given us...

Prof. Decker is professor of Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Troubles among the Netherlands Reformed Congregations A special synod of the 10,000-member Netherlands Reformed Congregations (NRC) has deposed the consistory and pastor (Dr. Joel R. Beeke) of the denomination’s second largest church, the 1300-memberFirst NRC of Grand Rapids. The two-day special synod met on June 30 and July 1 in the sanctuary of the First NRC on Crescent Street in Grand Rapids. The synod was called at the suggestion of the NRC’s 100,000-member sister denomination in the Netherlands, the Gereformeerde Gemeenten. In January the Dutch synod sent a...

Involved with the Alliance Gladly I react to your editorial, “Aloof from the Alliance” (Standard Bearer, June, 1993). It amazes me that the Protestant Reformed Churches (PRC) want to stay aloof from the Alliance of Reformed Churches (ARC). The PRC have so much to say to the Alliance. Permit me to put the following notes to your editorial. The orderly way of dealing with heresy and unholiness in a Reformed denomination has been tried. For the longest time the “Concerned Members” have maintained that Howard VanTill should be disciplined; up to the present no such procedure has been executed. For...