All Articles For Editorial

In a contribution in this number of our paper Mr. G. Ten Elshof criticizes, and rather severely and completely condemns, the decision of our last Synod to invest the ten thousand dollars that accumulated in our Mission Fund for the time being in government war bonds. Perhaps, others, such as the mission committee, are the proper party to reply to this article. It concerns a matter of finance. And if my memory is correct (I did not take the time to look it up), the proposal to invest this sum as was decided came from them. Nevertheless, I consider it...

In answer to the article by Mr. J. Gritter in the August number of our paper, the following may suffice. 1. I wish to point out that nowhere did I make the statement that “employees, if dissatisfied, may collectively cease working.” Nor would I subscribe to this statement without important qualifications. Even if a man quits his job he has certain obligations before God, both with regard to his employer and to those that are dependent on him. The fact that he is dissatisfied with his job does not justify his quitting, unless he is sure of another job. And...

There is one more point I meant to make in regard to the position of the C.L.A. with respect to the strike. Thus far I argued that the strike is principally wrong because it is revolutionary. It is a refusal to work for those whom we regard as our employers, and to whom, therefore, we owe obedience and subjection according to Scripture. And, secondly, I showed that the strike cannot possibly stand in the service of righteousness, because it is not duly instituted authority that settles the issue in a strike, but mere force. The strongest wins. The point I...

At the annual meeting of the editorial staff of the Standard Bearer, which was held on June 4, it was decided to continue to edit our paper in the same manner as during the last three years. Accordingly, to undersigned was once more assigned the position of editor, clothed with dictatorial powers. But as these dictatorial powers mean mostly work, the editor was again appointed to draw up a schedule of subjects for the ensuing year, and to assign them to the various co-workers. The Rev. Ophoff was granted the privilege to draw up his own schedule. The schedule here...

Previous articles in this series: Oct. 1, Nov. 1 and Nov. 15, 2016 editorials. With this editorial we conclude our critique of Kenneth Stewart’s book, Ten Myths About Calvinism (IVP Academic, 2011). What Stewart’s book makes plain is that he wants to retain the right to be called a ‘Calvinist’ while he calls into question the very doctrines that were central to Calvin himself—in fact, doctrines that are fundamental to any theology that has the right to call itself ‘historically Reformed.’ In particular, doctrines that have to do with God’s sovereign will and grace (cf. the Oct. 1, 2016 editorial)....

Imagine with me the year of our Lord 2025, the year of the Protestant Reformed Churches’ centennial anniversary. Not that far away when you think about it—just eight short years. Now imagine seven or eight vacant PR churches at that time as well. Actually, not all that imaginary. Not when you consider how few college-aged men of our churches at present have indicated an interest in preparing for the gospel ministry—just three (3) at latest report. And they are only thinking of and prayerfully considering it at present—two in their second year of college (sophomores), one in his first year...

Previous article in this series: March 1, 2017, p. 244. How, then, can this be accomplished? The “it” is the goal set forth in the last eight editorials, namely, training that will equip young adults for teaching in Protestant Reformed schools. Training that will prepare them to stand in the place of Protestant Reformed parents; that will enable them to teach effectively and maintain proper (godly) discipline; that will set them on the road to giving excellent instruction with Christ at its center, and permeated with the Protestant Reformed world and life view. The desire and the need for this...

Previous article in this series: February 15, 2017, p. 220. Since the time that Protestant Reformed schools were proposed, there has been an awareness of the need for training teachers for those schools. And especially as school societies formed in various congregations and, one after another, schools materialized, teachers longed for training to equip them for giving distinctly Protestant Reformed instruction. The churches understood the need. It came into expression in the requests to synods for a Normal School, and for the Protestant Reformed seminary to give some instruction for the teachers. Synods reacted positively to those requests. Yet, the...

Previous article in this series: February 1, 2017, p. 197. The concept of an institution for training Protestant Reformed teachers was proposed in the late 1940s when the Protestant Reformed school movement was picking up steam. The congregation in Redlands, CA established the first Protestant Reformed school in 1934. Hope Protestant Reformed Christian School (Walker, MI) started in 1947, and three years later Adams St. Christian School (Grand Rapids, MI) and the Free Christian School of Edgerton, MN opened their doors. In other congregations, societies for Protestant Reformed education were being formed. Recall from the last editorial that the Synod...

Previous article in this series: January 15, 2017, p. 173. It has been the intent of this series of editorials to demonstrate the importance, yea, even the necessity, of having some institution to provide training that will equip men and women to teach in Protestant Reformed schools. This is not a novel idea. It has a pedigree, if you will. It can be traced to Herman Hoeksema. Recall (from the first editorial in this series, Nov. 15, 2016) that in 1920 Rev. Hoeksema, minister in the Christian Reformed Church, was promoting membership in a society for a “normal school.” Rev....