Vol 82 Issue 11

Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan.   School Activities The conclusion of the first semester at Heritage Christian High School in South Holland, IL brought not only the dreaded week of exams but also an opportunity for students to enjoy a week of interim courses. January 3 through 10 the student body of Heritage enjoyed an interim course entitled, Practical Theology. Mr. Ralph Medema taught the introduction, and then Rev. N. Brummel spoke on Christian philosophy, Rev. A. Brummel on missions, Prof. H. Hanko on prayer, and Rev. J. Mahtani on world view...

Mr. Kalsbeek is a teacher in Covenant Christian High School and a member of Hope Protestant Reformed Church, Walker, Michigan. Previous article in this series: Decemeber 1, 2005, p. 106. 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 commandment.”  I Chronicles 12:32 One might be able to understand why a secular society would be sympathetic to Islam and antagonistic to biblical Christianity, but that that which calls itself the Christian church would...

Mr. VanEngen, a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hull, Iowa, is a practicing attorney. Reformed parents have always cherished the ability to train up their children in the covenant. In the United States, parents have always enjoyed broad control over the upbringing of their children. A recent decision by the Ninth Circuit, however, has ruled that parents do not have the exclusive right to determine what their children are taught. The case, Fields v. Palmdale School District,¹ involved the distribution of information of a sexual nature in the public school setting, but the case could have drastic implications for...

Rev. Hanko is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Lynden, Washington. Previous article in this series: February 1, 2006, p. 206.   The Second Disputation: Chapter 1:6-2:9 (continued) 1:6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if I then be a father, where is my honor? and if I be a master, where is my fear? Saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised they name? 1:7 Ye offer polluted bread upon my altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that...

Prof. Cammenga is professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Previous article in this series: January 1, 2006, p. 156. “After the suspension from the Lord’s table, and subsequent admonitions, and before proceeding to excommunication, the obstinacy of the sinner shall be publicly made known to the congregation, the offense explained, together with the care bestowed upon him, in reproof, suspension from the Lord’s Supper, and repeated admonition, and the congregation shall be exhorted to speak to him and to pray for him. There shall be three such admonitions. In the first, the name of the sinner...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Randolph, Wisconsin. Is the proper work of the deacons limited to the care of the poor? Or ought they also care in some way for those who are sick, aged, widowed, orphaned, displaced, or enduring some other heavy burden in life? The question arises because, in explaining the duties of deacons in Reformed churches, both the Church Order (Articles 25, 26, and 83) and the Form of Ordination of Elders and Deacons speak exclusively of the care of the poor. I say exclusively—but there is one possible exception to this:...

Rev. Laning is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Walker, Michigan. Under ecclesiology (the study of the church) we consider not only what the church is, but also what the church does. We have now moved into this second area, and are considering the church’s calling to preach the gospel and administer the sacraments. The preaching and the sacraments together are called the means of grace, because they are means that God uses to cause us to partake of the grace that Christ purchased for us. They are sometimes also referred to as means of faith, since it is...

Previous article in this series: February 15, 2006, p 220. The Declaration of Principles intends to set forth what the confessions teach, and thus what is binding in the Protestant Reformed Churches, on a few specific doctrines. The Declaration delineates doctrines that are connected, directly or indirectly, with God’s covenant of grace. When the Dutch immigrants asked, “What is binding in the PRC?” they had in mind particularly the doctrine of the covenant. Everyone knew that the Reformed confessions did not contain a complete treatment of the covenant. However, the PRC were convicted that some of the covenant conceptions being...

Rev. Slopsema is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection…if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.  Philippians 3:10, 11 At one time Paul had confidence in the flesh. He was confident that he could attain eternal life on the basis of his circumcision, his pedigree (he was an Israelite, of the tribe of Benjamin), his position as a Pharisee, and his works. However, the things that were once gain to him, he now counts as loss for Christ. Once he...