Vol 74 Issue 12

Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Minister Activities Rev. G. VanBaren has declined the call he had been considering to serve as pastor of our South Holland, IL PRC. We extend our congratulations to Rev. Doug Kuiper and his wife Teresa on the occasion of the birth of their first child, a son, Daniel James, born February 9. We extend our sincere Christian sympathy to Mrs. John Heys and her entire family in the death of her husband, Rev. John Heys, who went to be with his Lord in glory on February 16...

Sermons on the Deity of Christ, by John Calvin. Tr. Leroy Nixon. Audubon, New Jersey: Old Paths Publications, 1997. 302 pp. $34.95 (cloth). (Reviewed by the editor) To what is fast becoming a very valuable and attractive set of otherwise out-of-print sermons by John Calvin, Old Paths Publications has now added this volume of 20 sermons by the Reformer on the birth, suffering, resurrection, ascension, outpouring of the Spirit, and return of Jesus Christ. The other volumes are Calvin’s sermons on Galatians; Psalm 119; and the predestination of Jacob and Esau according to Genesis. Whereas the earlier volumes made available...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Every rational, moral being has the ability to desire and does desire. God Himself has strong desire: He desires not sacrifice but truth in the inmost parts (Ps. 6:16), and He desires to dwell in Mt. Zion (Ps. 68:16). Christ heartily desired to eat the last Passover with the disciples (Luke 22:15). The angels desire to look into the things proclaimed by the prophets (I Pet. 1:12). Satan desired to have Peter that he might sift him as the wheat (Luke 22:31). The wicked desire evil (Prov....

Rev. VanBaren is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. “No Morals Anymore?” Much has been written, broadcast on radio and television, and discussed concerning the president of the United States. Is there real scandal, and will it bring down the president? Or is there a “right-wing” conspiracy to destroy this president? What of the intern with whom he was presumably involved? Were there others who were involved in a “relationship” with the president? And if this president is guilty, and if he is lying, is he not doing exactly what many past presidents have done—howbeit without the...

Rev. Dick is pastor of Grace Protestant Reformed Church in Standale, Michigan. It is well that we recall the setting. Jesus and the disciples are in an upper room in Jerusalem (Mark 14:12-16). They are keeping the Passover (Matt. 26:18ff.). Of the exact order of events at this time it is difficult to be sure. We suggest the order that Hendriksen does, whom we quote: 1. Jesus washes the feet of his disciples and explains to them that he has given them an example to be followed (John 13:1-20). 2. He startles the disciples by telling them that one of...

The late Homer Hoeksema was professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. God’s Temporal Judgments We must next consider the Lord’s pronouncements immediately after the first announcement of the promise, as these are recorded in Genesis 3:16-19: Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I...

Rev. Gritters is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. In the early darkness of Monday, February 16, 1998, the Lord took a faithful servant to his eternal reward. Rev. Heys died peacefully after an 11-month stay in Hudsonville Christian Nursing Home where he was living because of complications from a stroke and pneumonia. Rev. Heys would have turned 88 on March 16. By God’s grace, Rev. Heys labored so that he could hear God say to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Rev. Heys is survived by his dear wife, Esther (VanBaren); three children: Ardess and...

Polygamy in the Old Testament King David is called a man after God’s heart, and we know that he sinned grievously in the adultery with Bathsheba. But how can the number of wives and concubines that he had be justified in the light of God desiring one man and one woman to be the basic family unit? (Dr.) Julian Kennedy Bournemouth, England Response: Polygamy on the part of the saints in the Old Testament, such as King David, cannot be “justified.” It was a deviation from the Word of God governing marriage that had been clearly revealed at creation: one...

Timely Issue on Worship My compliments to all the contributors to the January 15, 1998 special issue of the Standard Bearer. I found this issue to be quite instructive and thorough. As you mentioned in that issue, the subject of “Reformed Worship” is a very timely topic. It is also one that perhaps even the Protestant Reformed denomination doesn’t emphasize enough. Our churches have been blessed with a long history of Reformed, scriptural worship services, and it’s easy to forget that this is not simply the result of tradition. As each new generation arises, we need to be constantly reminded...

From a reader in Virginia Beach, Virginia comes a request for more light on divorce and remarriage. The request is a response to my series on the subject in recent issues of the Standard Bearer: “The Sad Case of Bert Zandstra” (Nov. 1, 1997); “The Scandal and Silence” (Nov. 15, 1997); and “The Remarriage of the Guilty Party” (Dec. 1, 1997). The request for more light asks particularly about the Word of Jesus Christ in Matthew 19:9. Prof. Engelsma’s otherwise excellent editorial series on divorce and remarriage left me in a bit of a logical quandary. Unless I am totally...