Vol 70 Issue 14

Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Young People’s Activities I can safely say that virtually every one of our churches’ young people’s societies has been, is now, or will be involved in some fund-raiser for this year’s convention, scheduled for the first week in August in Lynden, WA. I count at least twelve current activities that could be mentioned in this news column. So I trust that you will forgive me if yours is not included. Just keep those good ideas coming, and continue your commitment to the upcoming convention. Activities vary from...

Uncommon Decency: Christian Civility in an Uncivil World, by Richard J. Mouw. Intervarsity Press, 1992. 173 pp. $8.99 (paper). [Reviewed by Prof. Herman Hanko.] Relying heavily on I Peter 3:15 (“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”), the author deals with the important question of the manner in which the Christian is to promote his Christian principles in an ungodly world. He faces head-on the problem of how Christians are to witness to the...

The late Homer Hoeksema was professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. God’s Creation of the Firmament (Gen. 1:6-8) It has been a favorite device of some to hold up the biblical record of creation to ridicule and scorn as something that can be attributed to Babylonian myth for its origin, but that cannot possibly serve as a record of real works of God whereby He brought into existence a real universe as it is actually described in the Genesis record. This attempt runs somewhat as follows. First of all, they find in the record of...

Rev. Lubbers is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity (love), in spirit, in faith, in purity. I Timothy 4:12, 13 To be sure, Timothy is placed here under a very weighty injunction, as a God-appointed officebearer in the church of the living God. As were the Nazarites in the Old Testament, so must Timothy be a good example of all godliness. He must not fail in this pursuit of godliness as did Samson, but he must be a...

Rev. denHartog is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Redlands, California. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.  Ephesians 4:26 It is not sin to be angry, but when we are angry it is hard not to sin. Anger is a tender virtue, and through our ineptitude it is easily corrupted and made dangerous. He who would be angry without sin must not be angry at anything except sin.* There is such a thing as holy anger. That this is true is clear from the fact, first of all, that the...

Rev. Woudenberg is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  II Timothy 2:15 Being too logical, strangely, has become an all too common criticism in these days since Karl Barth first expressed his fascination with paradoxical “yes” and “no” disjunctives. And so it is that Dr. J. DeJong, editor of the Clarion, in his recent debates with. Prof. Engelsma, faulted him for his “logical scheme of thought.” One can only wonder, is he suggesting it would be...

Rev. VanBaren is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. We read in Revelation 9:1-12 of the locusts that come out of the bottomless pit. A horrible, terrifying picture is presented. Read the passage carefully. For those who would seek an extensive treatment of the passage, I would urge them to read Behold, He Cometh, chapter 21, written by the Rev. Herman Hoeksema. These locusts come forth because of the blowing of the fifth trumpet. Recall that Revelation presents first seven seals. Seven trumpets come forth from the seventh seal. Then follow seven vials or bowls out of the seventh...

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. Furthermore, the president [of classis] shall, among other things, put the following questions to the delegates of each church: 1. Are the consistory meetings held in your church? 2. Is church discipline exercised? 3. Are the poor and the Christian schools cared for? 4. Do you need the judgment and help of the classis for the proper government of your church?  Church Order, Article 41 Introduction The questions of Article 41 asked of the delegates from each consistory by the president of the classis have a very important...

Another Opinion on the KJV From time to time, the King James version of the Bible is praised in the Standard Bearer. Whenever this is done, I pay special attention because the topic is of interest to me. I wonder whether you will give a hearing to a person with another opinion. As far as New Zealand is concerned, the language of the A.V. is different even from more formal speech, and if what one hears over the radio waves from your country is any guide, it is not much like American, either. The language of the A.V. is outdated,...

Last year the synod of the Reformed Churches in-the Netherlands (“Liberated” – hereafter GKN-Lib) decided that women may participate in the congregational meeting as voting members. They may enter into all the debate that takes place at this meeting. They may vote on all matters that come before this meeting. Most importantly, they may vote for pastors, elders, and deacons.   By this decision, the GKN-Lib let the nose of the camel of feminism into their church tents. In time, this decision, unanimously taken, will be followed by decisions approving female deacons, elders, and ministers. These decisions will necessarily involve...