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Synod 2012 of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America (PRCA) met in the Crete Protestant Reformed Church in Crete, Illinois. On Monday evening, June 11, 2012 the pre-synodical worship service was held in the beautiful and spacious sanctuary of the Crete PRC, under the supervision of Crete’s consistory. Rev. James Slopsema, president of last year’s synod, preached the sermon. Rev. Slopsema expounded I Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” The congregation, as well as...

Sermon preached on Pentecost Sunday 2011. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) John 7:37-39 Introduction When the Lord stood and cried these words, He was observing with the rest of Israel...

[Address delivered at the Annual RFPA Meeting, Sept. 18, 1975] 

In the second head of doctrine in these Canons, the fathers, dealing with the doctrine of the death of Christ upon the cross, set forth the doctrine of limited or particular atonement, and they emphatically (please note this emphasis as we underscore) endorse this manifestation of the love of God in Christ as only for the elect. We quote Art. 8:

Prof. Decker is professor of Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. *Seminary Commencement, June 14, 2001, First Protestant Reformed Church, Grand Rapids. Graduate: Angus Stewart. Polemics may be defined as “the art or science of defending the truth which has as its object the refutation of errors.” Polemics is a bad word among the churches of these days. Toleration is the good word! We ought to tolerate differing views and doctrines because no one has a corner on the truth. Evangelicals can even get together with Roman Catholics. What is much worse is the fact that much of the...

Rev. Hanko is a minister in the Protestant Reformed Churches. Milking a Ram with a Sieve: Works Righteousness Rejected In the previous article (October 15, 2001) we examined the essential points of Luther’s Reformed and reforming doctrine of justification. In this article we wish to look at some supplementary points, and, first of all, a little further at his opposition to the pernicious doctrine of justification by works. In his own inimitable way he expresses his opposition to the doctrine of justification by works:

Previous article in this series: December 15, 2011, p. 129. * Fourth installment of the text of the address given at the annual meeting of the Reformed Free Publishing Association (RFPA) on September 22, 2011 at Faith Protestant Reformed Church, Jenison, MI.

David Torlach, M.D., is a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia, a denomination with which the PRCA have established, officially at Synod 2009, a Corresponding Relationship. Several men from the EPCA have, in the recent past, been trained in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Dr. Torlach is the fourth. He graduated, along with Mr. Cory Griess, at the Commencement Program on June 11. One of the items of interest at this year’s synod was the reading of a letter from Dr. Torlach, expressing his appreciation for his training and for the reception of him and his family in the...

Prof. Engelsma is professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. The previous article on John Calvin’s doctrine of the Christian life showed that, in addition to the law as the rule of the Christian life, Calvin found in the New Testament an important pattern of the life of every true Christian (Standard Bearer, Oct. 15, 2003). With specific reference to Romans 12:1, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,” Calvin defined this New Testament pattern as the believer’s belonging to God. The entire life of the Christian is formed by his conviction that he...

Prof. Decker is professor of Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. II Timothy 2:1, 2 This text speaks of the task both of the professors and of the students. What the apostle says here to Timothy he says to the professors in the seminary. What you have “heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to...