Vol 73 Issue 21

Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Young People’s Activities The 1997 PRYP Convention was held this year from August 18-22 at Camp Miniwanca on the shore of Lake Michigan, about an hour’s drive north of Grand Rapids, MI. This year’s convention was hosted by the young people of the Hudsonville, MI PRC. Being a member of that congregation, I had the privilege of spending that week at the convention, and what an enjoyable week it was! We at Hudsonville thank God, first of all, for keeping all the conventioneers and adults safe before,...

Rev. Dick is pastor of Grace Protestant Reformed Church in Standale, Michigan. We have been engaged in good Bible study of the Gospel according to John. Good Bible study is focused on Jesus. He is the Word living of the Word written. He is the Word saving of the Word spelled out. Indeed, we have been studying the inspired John in order that, as John says (20:31), we “might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing (we) might have life through his name.” Good Bible study: beholding and believing Jesus!

Mr. Lanting, a member of South Holland Protestant Reformed Church, is a practicing attorney. Congress’ power extends only to “enforcing” the provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment. Legislation such as the RFRA which alters the meaning of the Free Exercise Clause cannot be said to be enforcing the Clause. Congress does not enforce a constitutional right by changing what that right is. The courts retain the power to determine if Congress has exceeded its authority under the Constitution. Broad as the power of Congress is, the RFRA contradicts vital principles necessary to maintain separation of powers and the federal balance. Boerne...

Standard Bearer, Volume 10, January 15, 1934, pp. 174-176 Through the window of my study, one Sunday morning, I saw a young man aimlessly walking the street, both hands in the pockets of his overcoat, coat collar up, evidently very uncomfortable; for the weather was chilly and a fine drizzle was falling. It was eleven o’clock. I had conducted the first (the Dutch) service, and so happened to be in my study during the second morning-service, which begins at ten-thirty. That young man was playing truant! He should have been attending the service, listening to the preaching of the Word...

The “All” of I Timothy 2:4 I refer to your editorial, “A Candid Confession of the Character of a Conditional Covenant” (Standard Bearer, March 15, 1997). Laying aside all prejudices, I believe that I Timothy 2:3, 4 means exactly what it says. “All” means all (cf. Isaiah 53:6: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all”), and “will” may mean wish or desire. That all will not be saved is supported by Scripture in many places, but, I believe, Scripture...

Familiar word in Protestant Reformed families in the fall of the year. As in, “Learn your catechism”; “Do you know your catechism?”; and, “Let me ask you your catechism.” It makes up a big part of the work-load of every Protestant Reformed minister from the fall of the year through the spring of the following year. Every week he prepares for and teaches five or six catechism classes, each of which is 50 minutes to an hour in length. Some of the classes require him to grade written work afterward. Catechism is part of the weekly routine of every child...

Herman Hoeksema was the first editor of the Standard Bearer. Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Romans 2:17-21a In the...