Vol 80 Issue 15

Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Minister Activities On Sunday morning, March 28, the Faith PRC in Jenison, MI extended a call to Rev. A. Brummel, pastor of the South Holland, IL PRC, to become their next pastor. That same Sunday morning, the congregation of the Hudsonville, MI PRC extended a call to Rev. G. Eriks to come over and help them as their next pastor. The Immanuel PRC in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada extended a call to Rev. C. Haak to serve as their next pastor. Rev. R. VanOverloop, pastor of the Georgetown...

Reprinted from When Thou Sittest In Thine House, by Abraham Kuyper, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1929. Used by permission of Eerdmans Publishing Co. Our Birthdays f only two “birthdays” Holy Scripture makes mention. In Genesis of a birthday festival prepared in honor of Pharaoh, and in the Gospels of the wild festal day in Herod’s palace, so gruesomely stained with the blood of the Baptist. And when alongside of this memory of what the Pharaohs and Herods celebrated on their birthday, you put the dreadful words wherewith first a Job, and presently a Jeremiah, curse the...

Rev. Hanko is pastor in the Protestant Reformed Church of Lynden, Washington. The Second Prophecy (cont.) 3. Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? And how do ye see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? God is reminding the people in this verse of the poverty of the temple they were building. He was doing that because Christ was coming soon. His coming was only a little while away, less than 500 years away. To help these Old Testament believers look for His coming, God began...

Mr. Kalsbeek is a teacher in Covenant Christian High School and a member of Hope Protestant Reformed Church, Walker, Michigan. “And 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 commandment.”  I Chronicles 12:32 “Death to the Great Satan!” Strange isn’t it, that the “Christian” West should be identified by Islam as the “Great Satan”? However, there may be more truth than fiction to that Islamic judgment of the West. When one considers its moral...

Prof. Hanko is professor emeritus of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Introduction The doctrinal issues in the Marrow Controversy are still issues in the church today. They revolved around the question of the preaching of the gospel and the extent of the atonement of Christ. The Marrow Men wanted an offer of the gospel to all upon condition of faith and based on a universal atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Marrow Men were Arminian, and they corrupted the gospel of grace. The concern of the Marrow Men was rooted in what they perceived as...

Rev. Koole is pastor of Grandville Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. Gibson’s ‘Passion’—Romish to the Core (And Therefore,It Is As It Was NOT) Seldom has there been such a hullabaloo over a film as there has been over “The Passion of the Christ.” A regular firestorm of controversy, some might say. The disturbances the film has caused have been worldwide. This writer was in Singapore late February, and even there the film was becoming a matter of public debate. Should it be allowed into the country at all, or should it be banned? According to the Singaporean news media...

Rev. Kleyn is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Edgerton, Minnesota. Every child of God experiences afflictions. Not just a little, but usually much of it. The amount does indeed vary from time to time. The severity also varies. But if one adds up all the afflictions experienced in a lifetime, there are many. As David said in Psalm 34, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” The believer confesses that these afflictions come from the hand of God. Jehovah sends them. They do not happen by chance. Nor do they come from the devil. They come from God. His...

Irreverent Modern Versions I read with interest Mr. VanderWoude’s contribution in favor of vernacular language or common speech (Standard Bearer, April 1, 2004). I disagree with the arguments in favor of it. The common people in the time of the Reformation did not even have the Bible to read for themselves personally. This was the “high” and “reverent” responsibility of Romish bishops and priests to the wee, simple folk, said Rome. This is quite different from just mere language problems. You do not have a language problem if you do not even have the Bible to read from in the...

The Editorial Committee hereby informs the readers of the Standard Bearer of a significant development as regards the position of editor of the Standard Bearer. In the October 1, 2003 issue, Prof. Engelsma informed the readers of the Standard Bearer of a change forthcoming (“New Editor Sought”). He had notified the magazine staff (that is, the department editors) that he would not be available for reappointment as editor for the next volume year (i.e., volume 81, beginning October 1, 2004), citing his age and the number of years that he had borne the load of this work. With much regret, the...

True faith is assurance of personal salvation. Assurance is not the fruit of faith for a few old people after many years of doubt. Assurance is not the “well-being” of faith (for the few believers who are “God’s best and dearest friends”) in distinction from the “being” of faith. Assurance is what faith essentially is. Personal assurance of one’s own salvation by the grace of God in the crucified and risen Jesus Christ is the very being, or nature, of faith. Faith knows and trusts Jesus Christ as the Savior of the one who believes. Weak faith is certain of...