All Articles For Address at Annual Meeting of Reformed Free Publishing Association (RFPA)

Rev. Dick is pastor of Grace Protestant Reformed Church in Standale, Michigan. Thank you for the opportunity to address you tonight at this, the annual meeting of the Reformed Free Publishing Association. Thank you, and may God, Allah, Buddha, Yahweh, Jehovah, Cosmic Consciousness, and “all that is,” bless you! Before I am tarred and feathered, or worse—my brethren, lend me your ears! This bizarre pronouncement of blessing from many gods is not, of course, mine. It was that of a woman who offered it as a conclusion to a letter to the editor of a certain paper, in which letter...

Rev. Terpstra is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of South Holland, Illinois. I express my thanks to the Board of the RFPA for the invitation to speak at your annual meeting. I have a deep appreciation for the labors of the Association and for the literature which the RFPA produces. I want you to know that I am a avid reader and promoter of the Standard Bearer and of the books which the RFPA publishes. And as you may know, South Holland PRC is a loyal supporter of this ministry as well, both through the congregation and through its...

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. Why this defense of the faith? Polemical the Standard Bearer was and polemical she is. Why? Why from the beginning was it felt that theStandard Bearer ought to be polemical? Why thisdefense of the faith? The Standard Bearer is and the Standard Bearer must continue to be polemical for God’s sake. Defense of the faith is at bottom defense, not just of the faith, but of the honor and glory of God. God is glorified in the truth. He is the truth! God is robbed of His glory by the lie. Zeal for the Name of...

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. * The speech given by Rev. Cammenga at the annual meeting of the RFPA, held on September 28, 1995. For over 70 years the Standard Bearer has championed the cause of the Reformed faith. Over those years the Standard Bearer has undergone many changes. There have been changes in the appearance of the magazine. There have been changes in format. There have been changes of rubrics and writers. There have been changes of editors. One thing has not changed in that span of time, and that is the Standard Bearer’s vigorous defense of the...

Rev. Hanko is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. Address to the RFPA Annual Meeting This is an important occasion, since tonight we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Standard Bearer. On October 1, 1924 the first issue of theStandard Bearer appeared in our homes. At that time it was predicted that the magazine would have a speedy death. Maybe it would last five years, at the most ten. Later it was said that it would die out with our churches when Rev. Hoeksema passed away. Today the Standard Bearer is still coming to our homes and has a wider distribution than...

Rev. Bruinsma is pastor of the First Protestant Reformed Church of Holland, Michigan. *Text of the speech delivered at the annual meeting of the RFPA on September 24, 1992. The subject before us implies there is a relationship between the Standard Bearer and the family, but it says nothing as to what that relationship is. Is the Standard Bearer useful in strengthening the family, or does it have little to do with addressing the needs of a covenant family? That question our theme does not answer. For that reason it is perhaps best that we clarify our intent or purpose...

Rev. Koole is pastor of Faith Protestant Reformed Church in Jenison, Michigan. After his address last fall at the annual meeting of the R.F.P.A. (the publishers of the SB), Rev. Koole was asked to submit a transcript of the speech for publication in the Standard Bearer. This “Contribution” is that address. I do not intend to say much that I is new this evening. The theme of my speech should indicate that. The very theme ties us in with the past. It speaks of old wolves clothed in new wool – the teachings of the latest theological fashion. As the...

(Holding the traditions of the Reformed faith in no way rules out the possibility of further development of the truth. In this concluding installment of the four-part series, I guard against a stagnant view of our calling to hold the traditions and contend for the liberty in the churches that a healthy holding of the traditions requires.—Ed.) We are called to hold the traditions. This is the apostle’s command in II Thessalonians 2:15. For those who are Reformed at the close of the 20th century, this command takes on urgency from the wholesale abandonment of the historic, creedal Reformed faith by...

(The previous editorial closed by contending that a living, genuine holding of the traditions fakes place only in the way of our constant, free interpretation of the Bible. The church holds fast what has been handed over to her by going back to Scripture.—Ed.) When this free interpretation of Scripture goes on, it is possible that the tradition that has come down to a Reformed church is both corrected and developed. Holding the traditions is not a static activity. It is not the same as preserving a family heirloom. We ‘may not hold the traditions as the servant of Luke 19 kept...

(The preceding editorial in this series noted that there is an illicit holding of tradition. One form is that of the Roman Catholic Church. Another form is that condemned by Jesus in the Pharisees. This article picks up the subject at this point.—Ed.) Now the ministry of Paul, great apostle of freedom, was unrelenting warfare against this legalistic holding of the traditions, against what he calls, in Galatians 1:14, “the traditions of my fathers.” This makes it all the more striking that he commands believers to “hold the traditions.” This is what this most determined enemy of illegitimate tradition does in II...