Vol 71 Issue 12

Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Evangelism Activities Along with some bulletins from our Peace PRC in Lynwood, IL this past week came information from their Evangelism Committee giving quotes from contacts they have received lately. These contacts came from Florida, the Philippines, Pennsylvania, and Hawaii. Each excerpt spoke of how much the information sent to them was appreciated. These opportunities, along with those of our other churches, can only make us aware again and again of the power of the truth of God’s Word to penetrate all languages and social barriers. We...

The late Homer Hoeksema was professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. God’s Creation of Man (2): Created a Living Soul Concerning the manner of the creation of man, Scripture informs us in Genesis 1:27 that “God created man (Adam) in his own image” and, further, in Genesis 2:7: “And the Lord God formed man (Adam) of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” We may well caution ourselves at this point that we must not think finitely and earthly concerning the divine work of creation,...

Rev. Haak is pastor of Bethel Protestant Reformed Church in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. We have seen that the gospel according to John shows the personal and private ministry of Jesus with individuals. In chapter 3 the Lord dealt with Nicodemus, a man from the self-righteous, formalistic Pharisees, who had been taught that one cannot enter the kingdom unless he is born again by the Spirit of God. Now the Savoir confronts an entirely different person, who is also one of the sheep entrusted to Him of the Father. The Samaritan woman belonged to a people despised by the Jews....

Rev. denHartog is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Redlands, California. It was truly the fulfillment of a dream when last September we received an invitation to return to Singapore to visit the Evangelical Reformed Churches there. It has been eight years since we left Singapore after seven years of labors in the ERCS. The occasion for this visit would be the dedication of the new church building and the celebration of the 13th anniversary of the First Evangelical Reformed Church on January 22, 1995. A few months later we received a check in the mail for more than...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. From the earliest times, God taught His people that there is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood (Heb. 9:22). Surely Cain and Abel were taught to sacrifice by their parents, from whom God took the fig leaves, replacing them with bloody animal skins (Gen. 3:21). Animal sacrifices could not make the conscience of him that did the service perfect (Heb. 9:9); yet Abel obtained witness that he was righteous through the excellent sacrifice that he brought (Heb. 11:4). The excellence of his sacrifice was...

Prof. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Introduction Although some time ago we spent time in England in the early days of the Reformation, we left England after meeting only a few men and returned to the continent of Europe to talk with men there, men who were deeply involved in the Reformation in Switzerland, Germany, and the Lowlands. It is time now to return for a while to the British Isles, only this time we shall travel to the northern part, that part called Scotland. We have already been there once,...

The Sum of Christian Doctrine Is it really true that the Heidelberg Catechism contains “the sum of Christian doctrine” as stated in the October 15, 1994 Standard Bearer, “The Good Practice of Two Services, One Given to Catechism Preaching,” by Rev. Dale Kuiper, and so often affirmed in our circles? I can think of several important doctrines not covered by the Catechism. The obvious one, of course, is the doctrine of the last times. Much of the Bible is devoted to this important subject since it is an integral part of His coming into this world. Yet the Catechism chooses to...

The editorial “Jewish Dreams” (Standard Bearer, Jan. 15, 1995) continues to draw response. Some of the response is sharp. This is not surprising. For some time now, as regards the doctrine of the last things, premillennial dispensationalism and postmillennialism have pretty much had the field to themselves. In their controversy with each other, both severely criticize Reformed amillennialism. From the Reformed quarter, little or nothing has been forthcoming in defense of amillennialism, much less a vigorous attack upon both forms of millennial error. “Jewish Dreams” put the confessional Reformed doctrine of amillennialism into the field of discussion about the last...

Rev. Hanko is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself, by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the ministry of reconciliation. Now then are we ambassadors of Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. II Corinthians 5:18-20 What an amazing and blessed experience! God has reconciled...