Volu 101 Issue 11

minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches, and member of First PRC in Grand Rapids, Michigan   And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance—Acts 2:1-4...

professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary, and member of Grandville PRC in Grandville, Michigan   VACANCIES It will be helpful to get a little historical perspective on the current state of the Protestant Reformed Churches (PRC) with all her vacancies, so, let’s go back over 60 years to the year 1963. In 1963 there were so many vacancies in the PRC that Rev. Gerrit Vos (1894-1968) penned a special meditation for the May 15 issue of the Standard Bearer (SB). It was entitled, “Returned to the Lord,” and it began with these words, “There...

The date of the original publication in the Standard Bearer of Gerrit Vos’ meditation brings back memories. The date was May 15, 1963. On that date, I was preparing for examination before synod as a graduate from the seminary of the Protestant Reformed Churches. I was the only graduate. For the first two years, I was the only student in seminary. This meant that there was no graduate in 1961 or in 1962. Only one had graduated in 1960. After 1963, there would not be another graduate and candidate for the ministry in the PRC until 1965. One graduate and...

pastor of Crete PRC in Crete, Illinois   The Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America (PRCA) is scheduled to convene this year on Tuesday, June 10, in the facilities of Faith PRC (Jenison, MI). As is customary, a worship service will be held on the evening before synod convenes in order to ask God for His blessing prior to taking up the work. What struck me in going through the agenda is how many matters there are for prayer, including both prayers of thanksgiving to God for His goodness and faithfulness and prayers for wisdom. Perhaps you can...

pastor of Georgetown PRC in Hudsonville, Michigan   “THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CRC” For several years now, the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) has been enduring internal controversy regarding its position on homosexuality. If you have lost track of these developments and want to get caught up, I recommend reading Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra’s article in the March 15 issue of Christian Renewal.1 Zylstra examines the CRC’s surprising turn—from rushing into liberalism to resting on a historical confessional position of the Heidelberg Catechism. Here is the curious case of the CRC in a nutshell: “How many denominations have gone this far...

pastor of Doon PRC in Doon, Iowa   THE WRITER The inspired writer of this book was one of Jesus’ disciples. He and James were the sons of Zebedee and Salome (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40). Prior to becoming a disciple of Christ, John and his brother James worked with Peter and Andrew in fishing. Initially, John was a follower of John the Baptist, but the latter directed him to follow Christ instead, which he did (John 1:35-36). This in itself did not make him Christ’s disciple; that occurred later when Christ specifically called him to be a full-time disciple (Luke...

pastor of First PRC in Holland, Michigan   “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Ps. 95:6) We often hear these words calling us together on the Lord’s Day. A joyful summons to the highest activity of the Christian life, the most exalted expression of covenant relationship, the soul-satisfying fulfillment of the purpose for which we were created and redeemed: worship of the one true God. To worship is our privilege and duty; to be worshiped is God’s exclusive right and due. For He is the Lord our Maker, and “He...

home missionary in the Protestant Reformed Churches, and member of Zion PRC in Jenison, Michigan   “Do you hold to covenant theology?” If someone asked you that question, how would you respond? To answer the question, there must be a common understanding as to what covenant theology actually is. With this article we turn to a discussion of a number of issues in what is called covenant theology, and how these issues have a bearing on our understanding of the church institute and the sacraments. My most recent articles in this rubric have been on the church of Christ: The...

former editor of the Standard Bearer, professor of Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary, and member of Hudsonville PRC   Previous article in this series: May 1, 2025, p. 279.   Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell...

Science teacher in Covenant Christian High School, and member of Hope PRC in Grand Rapids, Michigan   This is the time of year when many of us are busy in our gardens or tending to something we are trying to grow. Gardening is a very beneficial activity. Besides the value of being outside, being active in God’s creation, and enjoying the growth and development of the plants you are cultivating, a garden affords us, as Christians, the opportunity to be reminded of many spiritual truths. Whether in sowing, reaping, watering, fertilizing, weeding, pruning, or otherwise, we can be led to...