Vol 78 Issue 06

Rev. VanBaren is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. What about the KJV? The Protestant Reformed people make use of the King James Version of the Bible. It is used not only in the church services, but also in societies, in catechism classes, and also in Protestant Reformed Christian schools. The obvious value of this is that all learn and memorize from one single translation. But we have other reasons for using this version too. Although some Protestant Reformed members have one or more of the other translations available within their homes, and compare those translations with the...

Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Mission Activities   Rev. A. Spriensma, as part of his consideration of the call to serve our churches as missionary to the Philippines, traveled to the Philippines with Mr. Al Brummel, an elder in the Edgerton, MN PRC and a member of our churches’ Foreign Mission Committee.  They left on November 7 and planned to return home, the Lord willing, on November 20. Plans called for them to spend their first weekend in Manila, which would be the base of future mission activity for our churches when...

Guilt, Grace and Gratitude: Lectures on the Heidelberg Catechism, by George W. Bethune. Banner of Truth Trust, Publishers, 2001. Two Volumes, pp. 495 & 509. $49.99 (hard cover). [Reviewed by Prof. Herman Hanko.] It is not easy to find English commentaries on the Heidelberg Catechism, and it is still more difficult to find, among the few which can be obtained here and there, a good solid exposition which will be of help to the beleaguered minister who must preach on this wonderful book of instruction nearly every Lord’s Day. This reprint of George Bethune’s work will fill a gap. George...

Mr. Kalsbeek is a teacher in Covenant Christian High School and a member in Hope Protestant Reformed Church, Walker, Michigan. “And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command.” I Chronicles 12:32 History is dead! Imagine that if you can! Imagine that history does not exist. If that is impossible, try to imagine that you can know nothing of history apart from your own personal experience. This would mean that you could...

George Ophoff was Professor of Old Testament Studies in the Protestant Reformed Seminary in its early days. Reprinted here, in edited form, are articles which Ophoff wrote at that time for the Standard Bearer. In our previous article on this subject we dealt with the typological views of the fathers of the early church. We saw that the Greek fathers were wont to allegorize the historical events of Scripture. We warned against this mode of interpretation. The Latin church, so we saw, cannot be charged with going into the extremes of their contemporaries in the east. Their expositions were more...

Rev. Dick is pastor of Grace Protestant Reformed Church in Standale, Michigan. A Dream   If it were possible, I would want one more date. Just one more. And that would be the end of it. It would be a one-night fling. And after THIS date, there would be no regrets. I’ll tell you whom I would like to date. Her name: S.K. Dating-sma. Call her “Dating” for short. Yes, I would really like to date this my sweet Dating. I’ll even tell you my motive. I’d like to do away with her…. Now, I know, this all sounds terrible. It...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Randolph, Wisconsin. It is not enough that the deacon be a Spirit-filled believer who manifests God’s grace in how he lives (being grave, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre, I Timothy 3:8). These requirements are important, of course. If a man does not measure up to this standard, he may not be a deacon in God’s church. But the standard requires still more. Also his wife must be godly! This requirement is set forth in I Timothy 3:11-12: “Even so must their wives be grave,...

Rev. Kleyn is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Edgerton, Minnesota. The life of the child of God can be summarized in one word, thankfulness. That is what the Christian life is all about. It is not about seeking earthly pleasures and joys. It is not about being successful and prosperous on earth. It is not about striving to keep self and others happy. It is about being thankful to God. And, yes, that means being thankful also when life is difficult. Thankful always and thankful in all things. As believers in Christ, we certainly have much for which...

Rev. Smit is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Doon, Iowa. “… and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger….” Luke 2:7 Jesus was born this way because God governed the circumstances of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. By doing so, God declares clearly that He alone saves us from our sin. Even in Jesus’ birth, this message of the gospel is declared unambiguously. God meticulously, in sovereign might and wisdom, governed all the details surrounding the birth of His only begotten Son, so that no glory might be to man, but rather, as the angels...

It is common to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ as the coming of the Son of God to make peace. Surely, such celebration is right. His angelic heralds went before Him announcing peace on earth (Luke 2:14). One of the earliest prophecies of His coming called Him Shiloh, the Peaceful One, who gives rest (Gen. 49:10). On taking leave of His disciples in the crucifixion and ascension, Jesus Himself left with them as His parting gift, peace: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you” (John 14:27). The peace of Jesus is the tranquility of soul...