Call the Sabbath a Delight, by Walter Chantry. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1991. 112 pp., $5.95 (paper). [Reviewed by Prof. R. Decker.] This little paperback is must reading for Reformed believers in our day. It maybe true that our Reformed fathers were a bit legalistic in their views…
Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. In all assemblies there shall be not only a president, but also a clerk to keep a faithful record of all important matters. Church Order, Article 34 Ecclesiastical Functionaries This article requires that there be two officers at…
In his recent book, Behold Your God (BYG), prominent Scottish Presbyterian theologian Donald Macleod denies the Reformed doctrine of total depravity. He denies this basic truth of Calvinism in the interests of defending the doctrine of common grace. Macleod teaches an operation of the Holy Spirit within unregenerated men and…
The recent book, Behold Your God (BYG), by Scottish Presbyterian theologian Donald Macleod is a passionate plea for the doctrine of common grace. Three of the sixteen chapters are devoted to common grace explicitly. A fourth consists of the application of common grace to the saving will of God and…
An Introduction to the New Testament, by D. A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo, & Leon Morris; Zondervan Publishing House, 1992; 537 pp., $24.95 (hard cover). [Reviewed by Prof. Herman Hanko.] Books on “Introduction” deal with background material on Scripture. Usually they deal with the individual books of the Bible. A…
Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Mission Activities If members of the Hudsonville, MI PRC congregation felt like entering a contest this winter, they needed to look no further than a letter from the pastor, Rev. G. VanBaren. In this letter Rev. VanBaren…
Rev. Koole is pastor of Faith Protestant Reformed Church in Jenison, Michigan. February, 1993 is a significant month for our Faith Congregation. It marks 20 years of existence. Faith was organized on February 22, 1973, Prof. Hanko preaching the sermon “The Church – the Pillar of Truth,” based on I Timothy…
Rev. Bruinsma is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan. Solomon exhibits in this passage, as always, a keen insight into human nature. He knows the pride that resides in our flesh. He knows that there is nothing that hurts our pride more than when we are shown…
I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. I Timothy 2:8 Men are to pray in every place as Christ’s ministers at the altar. Introduction In the first place, we note, that Paul is writing the authoritative words in this text in the capacity…
Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. We start this installment of the “News” with a few Young People’s Activities. If over the years you have acquired a taste for really hot chili as I have, then you will be interested to note that…
Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. We start this installment of the “News” with a few Young People’s Activities. If over the years you have acquired a taste for really hot chili as I have, then you will be interested to note that…
Christ shall have dominion. This was the sure promise of Psalm 72. That promise has now been fulfilled in the kingdom established by the gospel. Christ reigns in the confession of every true church. Since the church is established among all nations, the kingdom of Christ is a world-kingdom. Within the…
Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Young People’s Activities The Young People’s Societies of Faith PRC in Jenison, MI, this year’s host of the annual young people’s convention, invited their congregation to a special “get together” on Saturday evening, August 15th, at their…
Classis West met on Wednesday, September 2, 1992, in Loveland, CO. Classis finished its work at about 3:00 p.m., that same day. Rev. R. Moore served as President of the meeting and Rev. T. Miersma led Classis in opening devotions. The main item of business was a letter from the…
The ABC’s of Assurance, by John H. Gerstner. Ligonier, PA: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1991. 112 pages. Paper. $7.95. [Reviewed by the Editor.] Literally. Dr. Gerstner treats the biblical . doctrine of the Christian’s assurance of salvation by chapter headings that follow the alphabet: “Assurance of Eternal Salvation”; “Beating the…
Rev. Woudenberg is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Philippians 2:4 I was quite surprised when, after the publication of my last article, I received a call expressing dismay at…
Rev. Heys is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. In the beginning of the history of mankind, our God revealed the truth in His grace; but He also in His infinite wisdom and almighty power displayed: His love and mercy. We do well to bear in mind the…
Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We read of fasts for the most part in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word means to cover the mouth, to keep the mouth shut, to fast. The Mosaic law prescribed only one fast, what Leviticus 16:29-31 calls “afflicting…
Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. Those who are delegated to the assemblies shall bring with them their credentials and instructions, signed by those sending them, and they shall have a vote in all matters, except such as particularly concern their persons or churches. …
Rev. Lubbers is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. My plan is to publish two “study helps” for each of the six chapters of I Timothy. After consulting with Prof. Engelsma, Editor-in-Chief, I saw the fitness of writing a short “Overview” before writing the study helps. We must…
Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Randolph, Wisconsin. In our last article we considered your struggle with doubt. We concluded that all doubt must be faced and must be resolved, and that the resolution of that doubt comes by going to the Bible for the answers…
William Oomkes is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church in Byron Center, MI and a member of the denominational Domestic Mission Committee. On August 15, 1992 the conferees set their sights toward the “Stricklands” Conference Center located on the Belfast Lough, in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. They came…
More Materials Can you send me the pamphlet you spoke about in this last issue (August 1) of the Standard Bearer, “A Defense of Calvinism as the Gospel”? Also, do you have any other pamphlet on the issue of common grace? I have been reading about it in your magazine…
Providence and Sin More serious is Professor Macleod’s condemnation, in his book, Behold Your God (BYG), of Hoeksema’s doctrine of providence as “virtually blasphemous” (p. 131). Macleod is here commenting on Hoeksema’s criticism of common grace’s deviation from the Reformed doctrine of providence. Hoeksema is treating the question of the…
At its annual meeting in June, the staff of the Standard Bearer reappointed the men now serving to the offices of the editorial staff. The exception was the appointment of Professor Herman Hanko as general adjunct. Changes in the content of the magazine for the next volume year, which begins…
Rev. Bruinsma is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan. For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldst receive him forever. Philemon 1:15 These are pretty soft words, it seems, to describe a dastardly sin committed in the house of Philemon! Philemon was a Grecian…
Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Ministerial Calls The Council of the Grandville, MI PRC presented a trio consisting of the Revs. B. Gritters, J. Slopsema, and A. Spriensma to their congregation for consideration and on Sunday evening, September 20, they extended a…
Classis East met in regular session on Wednesday, September 9, 1992 at the Byron Center Protestant Reformed Church. All the churches, with the exception of Norristown which had one delegate, were represented by two delegates. This session was chaired by Rev. Kenneth Koole. The main item of business for this…
Prof. Decker is professor of Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. To be righteous is to be right with God. It means that God judges one to be guiltless and worthy of everlasting life and glory. God forgives one’s sins, adopts that person as His own child and makes…
Rev. Miersma is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In the modern age in which we live it is perhaps difficult to understand the wonder of that direct access we have to God through Jesus Christ, which was brought again to light by the Reformation. We…
Rev. Koole is pastor of Faith Protestant Reformed Church in Jenison, Michigan. In days of self-indulgence, in days when hedonism and worldliness saturate the life of the churchlike fat does bacon, one becomes apprehensive about extolling freedom in the use of the things of this world (with the fullness thereof).…
Rev. Gritters is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Byron Center, Michigan. “Should I do it? Or should I not?” For a good portion of the Christian life, the Bible does not give direct answer to us whether we should or should not. These things, about which the Bible…
Rev. Spriensma is a minister in the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. What is your attitude toward death? What should be the Christian’s attitude toward death? Is your attitude that of fear, or of hope? The way you answer will reflect how much your thinking is affected by the great…
Prof. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. The Reformation was the great work of God which delivered the church from the slavery and tyranny of Roman Catholicism. The tyranny of Rome extended to every part of the Christian’s life, including the Christian’s…
Rev. Kamps is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Granville, Michigan. The Christian man understands well that true freedom is freedom from one’s own depraved reasoning. One is free when he is governed by Christ Jesus through the Word of God. God in Christ makes a man free from…
The goal of the 16th century Reformation was the freedom of the church. This stood in the nature of the case. The Reformation was the work of the Spirit of Christ to restore the gospel to the church and, thus, to form the church anew by the gospel. And the…
Rev. Slopsema is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Walker, Michigan. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1 What slave, liberated from a most cruel bondage by the payment of a great…
Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Ministerial Calls As many of our readers know by now, Rev. A. Spriensma accepted the call he was considering to serve as pastor of the Grandville, MI PRC. Rev. Spriensma was scheduled to fill a classical appointment…
Rev. VanBaren is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. The closing prayer of Scripture is found in Revelation 22:20: “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” The prayer appears to be misleading. Uttered nearly 2,000 years ago, it has…
Rev. denHartog is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Redlands, California. Sickness and disease is a common, fearful reality that we all have to deal with in this sin-cursed world. How many hundreds of different kinds of sicknesses there are! From birth our bodies are filled with an army…
Prof. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. God not only calls men to particular tasks in His kingdom; He also suits the man He calls with the personality, gifts, and strength to do the work. So it was with John Knox, the…
Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Randolph, Wisconsin. In our last article, I asked you to put on your thinking caps to consider the place of the Bible in your defense of the faith and in resolving your own doubts and struggles. You were able to…
Prof. Decker is professor of Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. More Leakage or Hemorrhage? Since we last reported on the statistics of those congregations which have seceded from the Christian Reformed Church (CRC), seven more groups have formed independent churches. Only three of the previous secessions have occurred…
Mr. Hilton is principal/teacher in the Free Christian School of Edgerton, MN.
Mr. Huisken is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Edgerton, MN. What is “Free”? This question has been asked over and over. The name was suggested by Rev. William Verhil, who was pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Edgerton in 1944, the year that the school society…
The Reformed View of the “Real Presence” As a subscriber to the Standard Bearer, I have been reading with interest Prof. Hanko’s articles in recent issues on Ulrich Zwingli (cf. the SB, August 1 and Sept. 1, 1992). In the most recent article, you mention the problem of the Real…
Influential Scottish Presbyterian theologian Donald Macleod denies the creedal Reformed and Presbyterian doctrine of total depravity. This is the biblical truth that the natural man, that is, the unregenerated human, is completely sinful. Macleod denies this doctrine in his recent book, Behold Your God (BYG). The denial of total depravity…
Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, MIchigan. Congregational Activities In late October the village of Lansing, IL approved a request from our Peace PRC to run the village water line to the south end of their property rather than the north end. With this…
Rev. Mahtani is a minister in the Evangelical Reformed Churches of Singapore. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Psalm 27:8 We are not surprised to find this sweet dialogue inPsalm 27, another of David’s beautiful Spirit-inspired songs. The…
Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. School Activities The ninth graders of the Hope PR Christian School in Walker, MI are again willing to do odd jobs for any of their supporters when they become available. For example, if you have leaves to…