Vol 76 Issue 13

Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Evangelism Activities From a recent bulletin of the Cornerstone PRC in Dyer, IN, we learn that their congregation is busy with a couple of different evangelism opportunities. First, Rev. Nathan Brummel and his wife, Paula, invited any adults and or children to visit with them at the Dyer Nursing Home. Apparently these visits over the next several months will include not only a time to meet the residents of the Home, but also a 45-minute Bible study as well. On that same bulletin it was asked if...

March 1-3, 2000 at Bethel PRC, Roselle, Illinois The March meeting of Classis West was held at Bethel Protestant Reformed Church in Roselle, Illinois from March 1 through March 3. Rev. Allen Brummel chaired the meeting of Classis. Classis West had a full and weighty agenda, most of which was treated in closed session. The classis gave careful consideration to discipline matters and a protest against a previous decision of classis in a discipline matter. In all cases, previous decisions were upheld. There were also other appeals treated, all dealing with confidential matters. Classis can report that it joyfully accepted...

Homer Hoeksema was professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Introductory Remarks The Word of God does not furnish us with any kind of detailed account of the history of the line of Seth, the line of the people of God. In the rather remarkable fifth chapter of Genesis we find, apart from the biblical account of the beginning of the covenant line and the account of the consummation of the history of that line (chapters 4, 6, 7), the record of that line. But there is very little detail furnished us. We learn that there...

Rev. Woudenberg is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. And he (Moses) took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.  And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words. Exodus 24:7, 8 In the thinking of Dr. Klaas Schilder the covenant of grace was viewed as forensic or legal in nature, a proclamation of law. If...

Miss Lubbers is a member of First Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan Four articles (cf. Nov. 15, 1998; Feb. 15, 1999; March 15, 1999; and October 1, 1999) have summarized and reviewed the early writings by Herman Hoeksema and George M. Ophoff concerning Reformed Christian education and Christian schools. I have indicated that articles respecting Christian education during the very early years of the publication of the Standard Bearer influenced the thinking of those who labored to establish and develop the Protestant Reformed Christian Schools. Although the schools were not to be schools governed by the churches, the...

Rev. Gritters is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. After the shock of the first few consistory meetings is over, and the elder takes stock of his gifts and calling, he ought to be busy getting to know the flock under his care. He already knows them partially. Now the knowledge must increase in both breadth and depth. Aside from other essential labors to qualify himself for the work (see the following articles, God willing), he must come to know the sheep. Necessary knowledge No one will disagree that without this knowledge an elder is really impotent...

Rev. VanBaren is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. “Science vs. Science” In World Magazine of February 26, 2000 an article appears presenting the “scientific” evidence of intelligent design in creation. The arguments appear to come from those who are not necessarily all Christian and probably do not believe in the literal account of creation in Genesis 1-3. The testimony of Scripture, of course, should ever be remembered: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Heb. 11:3). Many,...

Ironic Site Selection As the Protestant Reformed Churches prepare for the celebration of our seventy-fifth anniversary, I wonder if anyone else sees the irony in the selection of this place to celebrate? If the Lutheran churches had celebrated their anniversary at the Vatican seventy-five years after the theses had been nailed to the church door, that esteemed professor of theology who had nailed the ninety-five theses on the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg would have nailed them to the wall and then dieted on the worms. I pray that our denomination remains faithful to the truth and that...

Readers of the Standard Bearer may like to know that the family conference sponsored by the British Reformed Fellowship (BRF) will meet this summer in Wales as scheduled. There was some question about this because of the necessity recently to find another site for the conference. The dates are July 22-29. The location will be the Cefn Lea Conference Centre south of Newton in the central part of Wales. I have it on firsthand report that the new site of the conference has “more extensive facilities” than the one originally reserved for the conference. Those with access to the Internet...

If the Protestant world were informed that a publisher was soon to publish a hitherto unknown set of Calvin’s sermons on the entire book of Romans, there would be excitement and anticipation. Similar, I trust, will be the response by the readership of the Standard Bearer to the announcement that the Reformed Free Publishing Association (RFPA) is presently working on the publication of a complete series of sermons by Herman Hoeksema on the epistle to the Romans. This big project, involving considerable editing of the original manuscripts, is now a long way towards completion. The book will serve the church in a...