Vol 81 Issue 01

Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan.   School Activities   This past summer season, now sadly just a memory, many of our Christian schools organized what can be called an annual fun day of cleaning and repairing. The school boards usually try to encourage members of their respective school societies to come and help other volunteers enjoy a day of repairs, cleaning, and weeding at school. Just such a day took place at Covenant Christian School in Lynden, WA on Saturday, August 28. Looking at their “to do” list, we find it hard...

September 2, 2004 Classis West met in regular session on Wednesday, September 1 in Randolph Protestant Reformed Church, Randolph, Wisconsin. An officebearers’ conference was held on Tuesday, the day before Classis. The theme of the conference was “Christian Education.” The keynote address was given by Rev. Steven Key, who spoke on “The Biblical Basis and Goal of Christian Education.” Rev. Allen Brummel then spoke on “The Consistory’s Duty to Promote Christian Education,” followed by Rev. Ron Hanko on “Christian Education: A Reformed Heritage,” and by Rev. Carl Haak on “The Protestant Reformed Liberal Arts College: Our Next Goal!” Visitors to...

Christ On Earth: The Gospel Narratives as History, by Jakob vanBruggen. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1998. 320 pages. No price (paper). [Reviewed by Prof. Herman Hanko.] Jakob vanBruggen, professor of New Testament in Kampen Theological University (Liberated), is a prolific writer, perhaps best known in this country for his book The Future of the Bible, in which he offered a convincing defense of the Majority Text of the New Testament Scriptures. In this book the author is concerned primarily with the question whether the four gospel narratives of the life of Christ are reliable. The question that must...

Rev. Laning is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Walker, Michigan. (Preceding article in this series: September 15, 2004, p. 490.) In the Nicene Creed we confess to believe “one holy catholic and apostolic church.” The previous article contained a brief explanation of what is meant by the church’s apostolicity, over against the false teaching of the Romish church. The truth concerning the apostolicity of the church is closely related to a number of other fundamental doctrines of the Reformed faith. In this second and concluding article there will be a reference to some of these. Apostolicity and Sola...

Rev. Dick is pastor of Grace Protestant Reformed Church in Standale, Michigan. (Preceding article in this series: August 2004, p. 449.) The 2004 Athens Olympic Games are over. The athletes came and conquered or were conquered. Spectators came and saw, booed, applauded, mashed a marathoner, and went home, or went to jail. Here in Grace Life we want to linger in Athens a little while longer. For we are wrestling with a question. It is a question that will not go away. It is a question from which we must not fly. The question has to do not just with...

Prof. Hanko is professor emeritus of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. (Preceding article in this series: September 1, 2004, p. 469.) Introduction John Wesley’s itinerant ministry made a huge impact on ecclesiastical life in the British Isles. While most of his ministry was carried on in England, his influence was felt in Ireland and, to a lesser extent, in Scotland. While the Calvinism of Howell Harris and George Whitefield prevailed in Wales at least for a time, Calvinism deteriorated also there, and, in time, Wesley’s influence was to be found in Wales as well. This...

Rev. VanBaren is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. The Next Generation One cannot help but wonder what kind of children our generation is raising. Public schools, in harmony with the rulings of the courts of our land, cannot use the Ten Commandments as the moral standard for society (separation of church and state, you know). The movie and television dramatize all manner of sins, violations of the Ten Commandments, as entertainment. The young people of the land watch this as a matter of course. Video games of violence and sex are popular. Vulgarities and swearing are commonplace—even...

Mr. Adams is a teacher at Eastside Christian School and a member, with his family, of First Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Pictures by Mr. Ed Bos.) Anticipation of the 7th Family Holiday Conference of the British Reformed Fellowship (BRF) created great expectations. Singles, couples, and several whole families gathered from the United Kingdom and North America to hear speeches, have fellowship, and relax from August 13-20, 2004. There were 80 attendees at this year’s conference, up from 50 in 2002—a cause for great thankfulness. The venue was an old estate that has been converted into a Christian...

The Westminster on Assurance Thank you for your fine articles regarding the believer’s assurance of salvation. Especially precious is Question and Answer 21 of the Heidelberg Catechism, which is the focus of your article in the August issue. Would it not be enlightening for your readers if you included all four articles of Chapter 18 of the Westminster Confession of Faith, entitled “Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation”? In your last editorial you quoted a portion of 18:3 in order to present a strong criticism of the Westminster Confession in regard to its treatment of the doctrine of assurance. Perhaps...

In the last few months, the newly appointed editors of the SB have made a determined effort to learn as much as possible from the retiring editor. We continue to lean on Prof. Engelsma as we grow into the job, and, it should be pointed out, he has been most gracious and cooperative. Recognizing that many of our discussions with him would be profitable for the broader reading audience, early on we determined to interview Prof. Engelsma with a view to publication in the SB. Profs. Gritters and Dykstra conducted the interview. It is long, and very little has been...