Vol 95 Issue 20

Trivia question Four current ministers in the PRCA have a last name beginning with the letter B. Can you name them and tell in which congregation they labor? Answers later in this column. Minister activities Grandville PRC announced a new trio of Revs. J. Engelsma, G. Eriks, and B. Huizinga from which to call a minister-on-loan to our sister church in Singapore. Rev. Joshua Engelsma, pastor in Doon, IA PRC received this call and planned to answer by August 18. Immanuel PRC of Lacombe, AB Canada announced their new trio of Rev. D. Lee, and Candidates Matt Kortus and Jacob...

Can We Trust the Gospels? by Peter J. Williams. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018. ISBN 978-1-433552-9-53. 153 pages. $17.99. Softcover. [Reviewed by Prof. Douglas Kuiper.] Subscribers to the Standard Bearer believe the four gospel accounts to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God and, therefore, trustworthy. Peter Williams does also; his answer to the question expressed in the book’s title is “yes.” It is unfortunate that this book does not have a subtitle that lets the reader know his position. This book falls into the category of apologetics, which is the defense of the Christian faith. The book defends the...

Notice the title of the article, “What are we doing?” Missions is the work of the church. In the year 2001, we had three home missionaries, working in three different declared fields with church plants: Northern Ireland, the eastern United States, and the Western United States. The calling of the church was to pray for our missionaries and, of course, financially support the work with their offerings. In the year of our Lord, 2019, we have one home missionary, with no declared field of labor, except of course, the whole of the United States and Canada. Are we doing anything?...

Previous article in this series: April 1, 2019, p. 306. The Synod of 1946 was pivotal. Its decisions could change entirely the direction of mission work in the Protestant Reformed Churches. First, should our churches engage in foreign mission work and, if so, should that work be done in China as the eastern branch of the Mission Committee was recommending? Second, should the structure of the Mission Committee be altered? Should synod appoint a mission committee made up of men from Classis West to pursue church extension work in the West while retaining the present Mission Committee with the men...

Young men and women, lend me your attention for a few minutes. Your love for sports might make this a sensitive issue that you would rather not consider, but I think this is a necessary caution. I also believe myself qualified to write this warning because I have an appreciation for sports. I played at the high school and college levels, and I continue to value it even today. Athletics can benefit men and women with respect to social and leadership skills, as well as improvement in mental and physical health. There is an extreme view that sports have minimal...

Our God is the God who fills. Immense, He fills the vast heavens with His presence (Jer. 23:24). Thrice-holy, He fills the whole earth with His glory (Is. 6:3). Righteous Judge, He fills the world with His knowledge as waters cover the sea (Is. 11:9). Sovereign Lord, He sends His servants into the streets and lanes, highways and hedges to bring in the poor, maimed, halt, and blind to fill His house. Gracious, full of compassion and plenteous in mercy, He fills empty rebels with peace and the fruits of righteousness (Rom. 15:13-14; Phil. 1:11). Spirit, He fills dead men...

Evil things are happening in homes and families in our land. Daily media reports are sometimes shocking, even unimaginable. There is the shameful abuse of women and children, sexual sins, sometimes committed by fathers violating their own children. We read of the most horrible atrocities imaginable, such as parents murdering their own children, and children their own parents. Even natural affection in the home seems in some cases to be utterly absent. All of these things are clear evidences that we are living in the last days, days of increasing wickedness in the world in which we live. May the...

Previous article in this series: May 15, 2019, p. 379. “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.” Hebrews 10:16 “Why will God…have the ten commandments so strictly preached? .That we may become more and more conformable to the image of God, till we arrive at the perfection proposed to us in a life to come.” Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 115 Introduction In previous articles in this series, I explained this “postscript” to my treatment of premillennialism’s...

Once again, regrettably, Prof. Dykstra and I disagree on the interpretation, inaccuracies, and shortcomings that he perceives in our beloved 1912 Psalter. In the July 2019 issue of the SB, Prof. Dykstra con­tinues to point out in his summary of recent synodical decisions the failing of our current Psalter, particularly verse 4 of Psalter number 255. He regards this verse as a “blatant well-meant offer,” that is, heresy. I love this song; we lustily sang all four verses of number 255 in the classroom; nor do I consider myself a heretic. Prof. Dykstra should not allow theological thieves to hijack...

I am having a hard time understanding the connection between the following example given in your editorial (“Highlights of Synod 2019” in July SB, p. 419) and the following decision of Synod 2019. Example in article: “Of particular importance is the 2019 Synod’s decision not to reject the phrase ‘in the way of.’ …Years ago, this was pointed out to me (a young minister) as the proper way to express the relationship between obedience and blessing….Parents see the salvation of their children in the way of faithfulness to God’s commands. Not, he said, a little louder for emphasis, because of...