Vol 95 Issue 10

Trivia question The Synod of Dort (or Dordt) was an international Synod held in Dordrecht in 1618-1619 by the Dutch Reformed Churches to settle a divisive controversy initiated by the rise of Arminianism. The first meeting was held on November 13, and the last on May 9. Do you know how many times this body convened including those dates? Answer later in this column. Denominational activities Classis East met on January 9 at Hope PRC in Walker, MI. For the full report, see the Stated Clerk’s report earlier in this issue. Minister activities The Consistory of Immanuel PRC in Lacombe,...

Classis East met January 9, 2019 at Hope PRC in Walker, MI. Rev. M. VanderWal by rotation chaired this meeting. An appeal was ruled to be illegal because it violated Article 30 of the Church Order. A portion of a protest was ruled illegal; another portion of this protest was judged to be legal, but it was not sustained. The church visitors gave a favorable report of their work in 2018. Rev. K. Koole and Rev. R. VanOverloop were chosen to be church visitors in 2019. Rev. N. Decker was elected to the Classical Committee. He replaces Rev. K. Koole...

The year 2018 has come to an end, and the year 2019 has begun. So also it is with some of the mission work done in 2018 and work now begun in 2019. The calling of the missionary is to “work to develop a field of labor and then preach and teach on any field that the Spirit gives through that work.” My wife and I were in St. Petersburg, Florida for three weeks at the end of March and the beginning of April. It was a group of folks from many different Christian backgrounds and expectations of what church...

In our previous article we noted that the creeds are at times criticized for not saying enough about missions and are, therefore, to be blamed for the lack of missionary zeal in Reformed churches and their members. We noted, however, that the very existence and possession of creeds in Reformed churches means that those churches are (by God’s grace) mission-minded churches. We now turn our attention more specifically to the ways in which the Canons of Dordt speak about mis­sions. We do this especially in light of the 400th anniversary of the writing and adoption of this creed. Missions is to...

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”Romans 12:1. “All Thy works shall praise Thee!” Our rubric’s title is a certain truth found in Psalm 145:10. “All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee.” Prior to and after this verse, numerous praiseworthy attributes and works of our great God are listed. Immediately following this verse, the idea contained in the second phrase of verse 10—“and thy saints shall bless thee”—is extended. Bible commentaries commonly describe...

“…These stones shall be a memorial unto the children of Israel forever.”—Joshua 4:7c The Synod of Dordt’s 180 sessions can be divided into four phases (December 15, 2018 issue). During the first phase, from November 13 to December 5, 1618, Synod treated four matters: 1) Bible translation (sessions 6-13); 2) Heidelberg Catechism preaching (sessions 14-17, 20); 3) baptism of slaves and adopted children in the Dutch East Indies (sessions 18-19); and 4) training students for the ministry (sessions 18-20). More detailed comments about these matters can be found at https://dordt400.org/category/400_years_ago/. The May 1, 2019 issue of the Standard Bearer (a...

Previous article in this series: December 1, 2018, p. 112. Of man Now concerning man, Scripture says that in the beginning he was made good according to the im­age and likeness of God; that God placed him in Paradise and made all things subject to him (Gen., ch. 2). This is what David magnificently sets forth in Psalm 8. Moreover, God gave him a wife and blessed them. We also affirm that man consists of two different substances in one person: an immor­tal soul which, when separated from the body, nei­ther sleeps nor dies, and a mortal body which will...

Pastor Todd Wilson and his church are trying to do the impossible—in two respects. First, though it is impossible to harmonize the creation account in Genesis with the basic beliefs of Darwinian evolutionism, this has not stopped Wilson from trying. Wilson recognizes evolutionism’s most glaring problem is that it is anti-­God (anti-theism). But he hangs on to the idea that one can believe in God (theism) and hold to other parts of evolutionism. For example, he believes it is possible to reconcile Genesis with the idea that men evolved from monkeys. Second, though it is impossible to unite those who...

Training of elders is necessary. The well-being of the PRCA and other true churches depends on a qualified, well trained eldership. The training is not, for the most part, formal and specialized training. It comes chiefly through the extended and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, who often uses a good Christian upbringing in a stable home, and who always works in answer to fervent prayer and by the regular means of grace. That was the subject of the first editorial on this topic in the January 15 issue. The February 1 editorial showed that faithful elders will want to...

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.” Genesis 17:1, 2 God called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees and later out of Haran to go to the land that He would show to him, which land God would give to him and to his seed (12:1­7). God had promised Abram, “I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth”...