All Articles For Vol 81 Issue 12 3/15/2005

Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Evangelism Activities On Friday evening, February 11, the Wingham, Ontario PRC sponsored a Winter Lecture. Their pastor, Rev. M. DeVries spoke on the theme: “Contending for the Faith in an Age of Tolerance.” Nearly all the adults and young people of the congregation were in attendance. And there were 25-30 visitors present. These included a couple from Grace PRC in Michigan, a couple from Brampton, Ontario (near Toronto ), as well as invited relatives and acquaintances from the mid-western Ontario area. Refreshments were served and fellowship was...

Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ, by John Bunyan (1628-1688). Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 2004 (first published in 1681, and republished in Bunyan’s Works, Volume 1, Banner of Truth, 1991). 230 pp. (paper). $8.99. [Reviewed by Prof. Barrett Gritters.] The Calvinistic Puritan John Bunyan, best known for his Pilgrim’s Progress, wrote a fine exposition of John 6:37, which the Banner of Truth has recently republished in a small paperback. If the reader is hesitant to pick up a Puritan work because of expected tedium, he may find himself happily surprised at the sound exegesis, pointed applications, and non-tedious reading....

George Ophoff was Professor of Old Testament Studies in the Protestant Reformed Seminary in its early days. Reprinted here, in edited form, are articles that Ophoff wrote at that time for the Standard Bearer. Previous article in this series: February 15, 2005, p. 228. Let us now attend to the knowledge of which the tree of life was a sign. Adam, let me repeat, was commanded to eat of the fruit of the tree of life. “And the Lord God commanded the man saying, of every tree of the garden, eating thou shalt eat?” (Gen. 2:16). It is plain that...

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.   No Secret   In Israel the relation between husband and wife was exemplary. Exemplary in so extraordinary a way, that now, after two thousand years, the type of Jewish wedlock still operates among the scattered children of Jacob, yea, is sometimes still so beautiful and attractive, in the high esteem of robust and paternal authority, in the honor of wife and mother, and in the affectionate union of “husband and wife and...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Randolph, Wisconsin. Previous article in this series: January 1, 2005, p. 155. The first priority of deacons in the church of Jesus Christ must be the care of the poor in their own congregation. At their installation, the deacons were authorized to do their work within and on behalf of that congregation in which they were installed. Their next priority, as we have demonstrated in our previous article, must be the care of believing poor in other congregations. But Christ requires deacons in His church to be ready also to...

Rev. Hanko is pastor in the Protestant Reformed Church of Lynden, Washington. Previous article in this series: February 15, 2005, p. 231. The Fourth Prophecy (cont.) 2:23. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts. In this last verse of the prophecy of Haggai, Zerubbabel, the political leader of the Jews, is both the person addressed and the subject of the prophecy. Insofar as this promise applies to...

Rev. VanBaren is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. Evolution or Intelligent Design There has been an effort put forth to introduce into public school curriculums the concept of “intelligent design” as an alternative to evolution. Both evolution and “intelligent design” would be presented as theories. Those who would want the “scientific” view of evolution, of course, strongly oppose this. They insist that the constitution does not allow it. There must be separation of church and state. “Intelligent design” implies God—which involves “church” and “religion.” They even do not want textbooks with attached notations that evolution is only...

Rev. Kortering is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. Previous article in this series: January 1, 2005, p. 159. We are dealing with the first obstacle to effective personal witnessing, as begun in our previous article. That objection suggests that our befriending non-Christians with a view to influencing them with the gospel is spiritually wrong because we are to be separate from all the wicked and ungodliness. This objection reminds us of the need to be spiritually mature and to guard against such danger, which is that the wicked may have greater influence on us than we may...

This concluding installment is an expansion and revision of the third section of my speech on the assigned topic given at a conference last summer. The focus is primarily on the recurring question about the remarriage of the innocent party (as it is known.). It seems that justification for approving remarriage in an ever broadening circle starts with allowing the remarriage of the innocent party. Previous article in this series: March 1, 2005, p. 244. Last installment we focused particularly on Christ’s teaching about divorce itself. The gospel record makes plain that Christ went directly against the current teaching and...

Rev. VanderWal is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Redlands, California. My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:5-8 What marvelous words are set before us in these verses! How well they declare the strength and...