All Articles For Commencement Address

Commencement exercises of the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary were held on June 19, 2012 at First Protestant Reformed Church of Grand Rapids. The text of Prof. Cammenga’s address on that occasion concludes here. Previous article in this series: July 2012, p. 427. It is God who commissions the prophet/preacher. God knows him, God sanctifies him, and God ordains him (Jer. 1:5). God commissions the prophet/preacher to speak. This is the great calling that God gives to the prophet/preacher. This is plain from Jeremiah 1. All the emphasis in the passage is on the prophet’s calling to speak. Jeremiah’s objection when...

Commencement exercises of the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary were held on June 19, 2012 at First Protestant Reformed Church of Grand Rapid. The text of Prof. Cammenga’s address on that occasion begins here, to be concluded, D.V., in our August issue.    Members of the Theological School Committee, fathers of synod, esteemed colleagues, honored graduate, and brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, the passage of Holy Writ that Rev. Koole read, Jeremiah 1, records God’s commission of the prophet Jeremiah. A commission is authority bestowed on someone in order to perform a certain task, authority to carry out...

Prof. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. This is the text of the speech given at the graduation exercises of the Protestant Reformed Seminary in June, 2000. Why the Church’s Catholicity Is Important It is important that the church be catholic. It is important because that is the only way God can reveal the fullness of the riches of His grace. In the last verses of Ephesians 2the apostle Paul describes how the middle wall of partition was broken down through the blood of Christ and reconciliation was accomplished, so that Jew and...

Prof. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. This is the text of the speech given at the graduation exercises of the Protestant Reformed Seminary in June, 2000. From time to time over the past years we have come to experience in the halls of the seminary something of what it means to be part of a catholic church. That was true again this past year. It seemed to me, therefore, that “The Church and Her Catholicity” would be an eminently suitable topic on which to meditate for a little while this evening....

Commencement exercises of the Protestant Reformed Seminary were held on June 16, 2011 at Grandville Protestant Reformed Church. An abbreviated version of Prof. Dykstra’s address on that occasion begins here, to be concluded, D.V., in our August issue. There is a certain paradox about the ministry of the Word. We reject the notion that there are theological paradoxes—irresolvable contradictions in theology. There are, however, characteristics and callings of the minister that seem contradictory. For instance, the ministry of the Word and sacraments is a high calling indeed. A minister is a herald of the King—Jesus Christ, Lord of lords and...

Commencement exercises of the Protestant Reformed Semi¬nary were held on June 16, 2011 at Grandville Protestant Reformed Church. An abbreviated version of Prof. Dykstra’s address on that occasion was begun in the July issue and is concluded here. The Reformed minister is a soldier, called to war a good warfare (I Tim. 1:18). He fights for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for doctrine which is according to godliness. Hence he battles against the lie and all sin. At the same time, the minister is a pastor, a shepherd. For God’s people are sheep. “We are his people, and the sheep...

(Note: the following is approximately the speech delivered at the Convocation of the Protestant Reformed Theological School on September 6, 1972.) 

(Transcript of the commencement address delivered at the Graduation Program of our Seminary, June 7, 1983 at the Hope Protestant Reformed Church, Walker, Mich.) Graduates Gritters and Hanko, Brethren of the Synod and Theological School Committee, Faculty Colleagues, and Beloved Brethren and Sisters: