Volu 102 Issue 08

But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water…. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced—John 19:34, 37 The victory cry of our Savior sounded forth from the cross, “It is finished!” It was a cry God’s people long needed to hear. Jesus-Savior by His death on the cross powerfully accomplished the salvation of those given Him of the Father in eternity. At the cross, He saved everyone who looked in faith to Him for that salvation in the Old Testament. He saved everyone...

In His providence, in January of 2020 Jehovah God unleashed a pandemic upon the world. This consequence of the fall into sin and harbinger of the judgment to come left nearly everyone in the world waiting and wondering what the SARS-CoV-2 virus was going to do if it infected their bodies. As is usually the case for humans when something too big for us to control confronts us, we “cried every man unto his god” (Jonah 1:5). Whether that god was an idol, science, man himself, or the true God, men cried out. According to God’s decree, once sick, some...

Why were all the male Israelites to be circumcised? Some Baptists will answer that question by saying that all the male Israelites were to be circumcised because God had made a gracious (though not saving) covenant with Abraham’s natural seed. The idea is that God made two covenants with Abraham: a covenant of saving grace with Abraham’s spiritual children and a covenant of common grace with his natural descendants. Though these Baptists may or may not use the phrase “common grace,” their teaching that God promised “physical blessings” to the natural seed of Abraham amounts to saying that God promised...

Previous article in this series: March 2025, p. 202   Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy. All thy strong holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater. Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars. Draw thee waters for the siege, fortify thy strong holds: go into clay, and tread the...

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear—Hebrews 11:3 Scripture is the lens through which we must understand the creation. We saw in the last installment that we have a more sure word of prophecy in God’s inspired Word (Standard Bearer, December 2025, p. 121). In light of that more sure Word, we must not use creation and men’s interpretation of creation as our guide for understanding Scripture. Just the opposite, we must use Scripture as our guide for understanding...

Previous article in this series: July 2025, p. 375.   For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind—2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given us the spirit of fear. Those were encouraging words for young Timothy. He was a young pastor who labored in the hostile city of Ephesus. Not only did he contend with the general pagan population, but he also had to confront the false teachers within the church. In the midst of all his good Christian ministry, Timothy was understandably fearful. It’s not easy...

One year ago, the “News From Seminary Hill” article answered the question, “What happens on Mondays at seminary?” This article gives a glimpse into seminary life on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Good reason exists to devote an article to the Tuesday/Thursday schedule. First, most classes meet twice a week, either on Tuesday and Thursday or on Wednesday and Friday. With this focus you can learn about entire classes. Second, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the more routine days of the week; Wednesdays and Fridays often include some special events. Next year, God willing, the Wednesday/ Friday calendar will be featured. GREEK GRAMMAR...

In November 2025, three members of the PRCA’s Committee for Contact with Other Churches traveled to Beaver Falls, PA to attend the annual three-day meeting of NAPARC: the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council (this year was the 50th anniversary). The council is ecumenical, meaning interdenominational in this case, and comprised of 13 member denominations, which range in size from very small—only five congregations with 275 members and two active pastors, to very large—about 1,700 congregations with 400,000 members and 5,000 ministers. Size differences notwithstanding, all express determination to maintain the Reformed (Three Forms of Unity) and Presbyterian (Westminster Standards)...

From a brief explanation of the Church Order by Johannes Jansen* Previous article in this series: July 2025, p. 375.   Article 77: “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...

Meeting March 4, 2026 Classis West of the Protestant Reformed Churches met on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Doon PRC (Doon, IA). The thirteen churches in the Classis were represented by nine ministers and seventeen elders (one of the ministers of the classis was not able to be present as he and his wife had just welcomed a new baby the day before the meeting). After opening devotions by the president of the previous meeting, Rev. A. Brummel assumed the chair by alphabetical rotation. Four elders who were attending classis for the first time signed the Formula of Subscription. The...