Volu 100 Issue 18

IN THIS ISSUE Along with other edifying articles, this issue emphasizes the PRCA’s Synod 2024. As usual, the pre-synodical sermon is included as our meditation. Rev. G. Eriks, president of last year’s synod, preached an edifying sermon on James and synod’s need for wisdom. Then, instead of our normal editorial summary of synod’s actions, we print Professor Huizinga’s graduation speech for our seminary graduate—now “Candidate for the ministry”—Mr. Arend Haveman. Readers who are interested in a summary of synod’s decisions may find them at prca.org, under the “News” tab. As Rev. Noorman writes in his article in this issue, reading...

Pastor of Unity PRC in Byron Center, Michigan and president of the 2023 PRC Synod Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be...

Professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary and member of Grandville PRC in Grandville, Michigan O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory—Psalm 108:1 Blessed be the name of the Lord, for He has given to us another seminary graduate, and therefore, another laborer in the vineyard where laborers are few. Congratulations, Arend, after four years of intense study in seminary. It is our fervent prayer that by the end of this calendar year you will not only be installed into office in one of our congregations,...

Dear Standard Bearer, The word arsenokoitès occurs twice in the New Testament, namely in I Corinthians 6:9 and I Timothy 1:10. It is a combination of two words, namely arsen and koitè. Arsen is a male, and koitè is a lying down to sleep, derived from the verb koimao, to lie down to sleep. These are the words that the Septuagint uses for the translation of the words zakar, mishkab, and shakab in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13. Thus there is no denying that the word arsenokoitès is based on these two verses in Leviticus. And indeed, whether the word arsenokoitès...

Pastor of Southwest PRC in Wyoming, Michigan If you have walked through a Costco, then you know the deal with free samples. They are aimed at enticing you to buy, but if you show up at the right time you will be offered so many little bites that you might not leave hungry. This article is intended to be a sampling of Christian periodicals. It is possible that the little bites in this article will fill you up, but the ultimate aim is to encourage you to take up and read for yourself. I regularly rely upon the information and...

Rector and professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary and member of Trinity PRC in Hudsonville, Michigan   Previous articles introduced the practice of textual criticism of the New Testament Scriptures. New Testament textual criticism is the scholarly work of comparing the readings of currently available Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, observing the differences in their readings, and trying to explain those differences, in order to determine as best as possible which Greek words the Holy Spirit originally inspired. We examined the history of New Testament textual criticism, noted the principles that should...

Emeritus professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary and member of Southwest PRC in Wyoming, Michigan   Jesus Christ is the only Savior of the world, and the true awaited Messiah. For we teach and believe that this Jesus Christ our Lord is the unique and eternal Savior of the human race, and thus of the whole world, in whom by faith all who before the law, under the law, and under the Gospel were saved, and however many will be saved at the end of the world. For the Lord Himself says in the...