Labor Day 2020: A Working Man – Rev. J. Engelsma

The latest issue of the Standard Bearer – Sept.1, 2020 – includes a valuable and timely article by Rev. Josh Engelsma on work. It is part of a series he is working on for the rubric “Strength of Youth,” in which he is developing the biblical idea of godly manhood. In this installment he writes on the place of labor (work) in the godly man’s life, tracing the concept from the threefold viewpoint of creation, the Fall, and redemption.

On this Labor Day holiday in the U.S., when there are so many distorted voices calling for our attention on the place and value of work in our lives, it is good to reference this article and hear what God’s Word says about it. I can only quote a portion of it, so we will go to the end of the article and quote from his section “work and redemption.”

Thankfully, as Christians we have hope in the face of sin and the curse. That hope is in Jesus Christ and His work. He took upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh, condescended to dwell in this world under the curse, and came to work. His work was to do the will of His Father and redeem His elect people. His earthly ministry was one of constant work: preaching and teaching and performing countless miracles. In reading the gospel accounts one gets the sense of constant activity and busyness with very little opportunity for rest. Especially did Jesus spend Himself in His work at the end of His life as He suffered the wrath of God at the cross and gave His life to atone for our sins.

As men, our confidence may never be in our own working and busyness. Rather we trust alone in Christ and His perfect work. On the basis of His finished work, we are forgiven of our sins with respect to our work. And by the power of His work in us, we are strengthened to fight against our sins and to work out of thanksgiving for His work. And we look forward in hope to the removal of the curse when in perfected bodies and souls we will serve God forever in the new heavens and earth.

Keeping this always in mind, we seek to determine what work the Lord would have us to do. We take stock of the unique gifts and opportunities God gives us (cf. Rom. 12:3-8). We seek out the wise counsel of parents, friends, teachers, and fellow saints. And through prayer we fill out that job application and strike out on that career path. As Christians we have a vocation, a unique calling from God. The idea of a calling is not just for pastors and teachers, but for electricians and salesmen as well.

In the work we are given to do, we strive to work hard. There are few things worse than a man who will not work hard. It ought to be the case as Christians that we are the best, most-desired employees. We respect our employer, give an honest day’s labor, make the best use of our abilities, are faithful and trustworthy, seek the good of the company, and refuse to cheat and cut corners.

In working hard, we seek to do so with the right motive in our hearts. We are not laboring to be rich. We are not seeking greatness as the world counts it. We labor as grateful servants in God’s heavenly kingdom. God does not need us, but He is pleased to use us as instruments in His hand for the advancement of His kingdom. That means that our labor is not empty and meaningless, as 1 Corinthians 15:58 reminds us: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” Even the lowliest ditch-digger has an honorable, necessary place of service in the kingdom.

The way this kingdom-focus often comes to expression is in our giving. We work hard not for materialistic purposes, but so that we might use the money God gives to support our family, send our children to a Christian school, feed the poor, provide for the ministry of the Word, and promote the various labors of the church (evangelism, missions, seminary instruction, for example).

Finally, we work not for our own glory and the praise of men, but for the glory of God. “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (Col. 3:23).

Let this prayer be yours as you leave for work in the morning, and as you lay your weary body to rest at night:

So let there be on us bestowed
The beauty of the Lord our God;
The work accomplished by our hand
Establish thou, and make it stand;
Yea, let our hopeful labor be
Established evermore by Thee,
Established evermore by Thee (Psalter #246:3).

If you are interested in receiving this Reformed periodical, visit this link to the Standard Bearer website, where you will find subscription information – for both print and digital copies.

August 2020 Tabletalk – “Christian Discourse”

We are already over halfway through the month of August and that makes it overdue to introduce the August issue of Tabletalk, Ligonier Ministries monthly devotional magazine.

The theme for this month is “Christian Discourse,” that is, how we as Christians must converse (carry on discourse) with others – with our fellow believers, including those of our own household, and with our unbelieving neighbors.

Burk Parsons gives his usual pithy summary of the subject (“Gentle Christian Discourse”), pointing out that

Elders, deacons, teachers, and all Christians are called to communicate with others in a charitable, gentle, and loving way. At the same time, we are called to speak the truth and to tell people hard things that they sometimes don’t want to hear. We are called to admonish, and we are commanded to go to our brother when he has sinned against us that he might have the opportunity to repent. Parents are called to train up their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Pastors are called to reprove, rebuke, and exhort. We are all called to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. Nevertheless, we must never forget that we are also called to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, speak the truth in love, and rebuke with patience. As Christians, we engage with other Christians in all of life, and as we do, we must strive to be humble, gentle, honest, and gracious. When we fail, we must be quick to repent, and we must all be quick to forgive and restore as we live in light of the gracious truth of the gospel coram Deo, before the face of God.

After that one paragraph, we already feel convinced of how relevant this matter is – and convicted of how miserable we fail to carry out truly Christian discourse.  But, there is a way forward, by the grace of God in Christ our Savior and by the power of the Holy Spirit He has given us. And with the Bible as our guide and goad, and the multitude of counselors with articles in this issue as our teachers, we can learn anew the way to speak to one another – from wife to co-worker.

One of the articles I read this past Sunday before service was especially helpful: “Truly Loving Discourse” by Dr. Jason K. Allen. Here is a section of it that strikes at the heart of what it means to practice biblical conversation with others:

One of Scripture’s most salient passages on the believer’s discourse is Proverbs 27:5–6, which states: “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” In short, verse 5 instructs us to speak words of biblical rebuke, whereas verse 6 encourages us to receive them. These two instructions are pointed, perhaps challenging your sensibilities or forcing you outside of your comfort zone.

Yet, for you to live a healthy Christian life and to enjoy healthy Christian community, you must practice both. To this end, consider four words of reflection from these verses to foster truly loving discourse.

First, speak the truth in love. The Apostle Paul issued these words of instruction to the church at Ephesus (Eph. 4:15). Yet, they are essential for us in modeling truly loving discourse. Note that there is peril in undercommunicating either truth or love. Truth without love may be harsh and will likely win no one. Love without truth is mush and will win them to nothing helpful. The goal of confrontation is restoration, not alienation. Truly loving discourse works toward that end. Moreover, you should ask yourself if you’re equipped to receive such counsel. Do your spouse, friends, minister, or colleagues sense such an openness from you? Cultivate it in yourself just as you desire it in others.

Second, root out passive-aggressive behavior. Passive aggressiveness imperils Christian communities. Families, churches, and Christian institutions collapse under its weight. Accumulated grievances and festering conflicts bring about a relational frigidness that will persist until an eruption occurs. Truly loving discourse actually engages in discourse, not insinuation or subtlety.

Third, be willing to confront sin. Proverbs 27:5–6 speaks precisely to this point, both in confronting and receiving confrontation. It is always right to warn the sinner of his ways—doubly so if he is a loved one. This is why Jesus instituted church discipline in Matthew 18. James 5:20 reminds us, “Whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

Fourth, learn to pronounce the word “no.” For many Christians, pronouncing the word no doesn’t come naturally. Whether out of fear of disappointing others or a reluctance to be perceived in a negative light, many Christians simply can’t utter this word. However, a sign of Christian maturity is developing this ability. Invariably, loved ones will embark on a hazardous path or contemplate a dangerous decision. Your ability to lovingly pronounce the word no might be their salvation.

Last, remember, as Jesus said, the tongue speaks from the overflow of the heart (Luke 6:45). These verses remind us that our discourse—even our willingness to lovingly confront—indicates deeper spiritual realities within us. Thus, to practice truly loving discourse, you don’t need a more polished or polite tongue; you need a redeemed one.

A Reformed Commentary on the 2020 Pandemic (Part 2) – July 2020 “Standard Bearer”

The July 2020 issue of the Standard Bearer (produced only once per month in June, July, and August) is now out (in print and digital forms). This is our annual “PRC Synod” post-view issue, complete with a wrap-up of Synod 2020’s decisions and some photos of the delegates at work and in fellowship.

But the issue also contains a regular editorial and a number of other scheduled rubric articles, including Prof. D. Kuiper’s next installment on the ecumenical councils of the early church (Constantinople 381), Rev. J. Laning’s article on “God’s Sure Promise,” a powerful mission article with testimonies from the Philippines’ field, Rev. R. Barnhill’s second article on “Entitlement” (especially for the young people), a book review by Prof. R. Cammenga on Mrs. S. Casemier’s new historical novel on Katie Luther, and the latest church news.

The editorial by Prof. B. Gritters is another timely commentary on the pandemic (part 2) that continues to sweep the world and affect our lives in every aspect. He argues that Reformed theology presents the best commentary on what we are seeing and experiencing, looking this time at the last two parts of Reformed doctrine – Eschatology and Christology. Here is part of what he has to say:

We live in a very difficult time, when our Father’s hand brings disease and gives the world over to the lawlessness it so fervently seeks.

Reformed theology has the best, really the only, way to interpret for the people of God these otherwise strange and fearful happenings in the world. Reformed theology, we are convinced, is simply the doctrine of the Bible, and the Bible is the lens through which the believer must look in order to bring order out of the disorder. That is, Reformed theology is faith’s seeing what unbelief and false teaching cannot see. Reformed theology is faith’s understanding of what unbelief and heresy finds utterly confounding.

Last time I gave a sampling of doctrines from four of the six chapters (loci) of Reformed theology that help clarify what otherwise might be fuzzy to men, that shed light on what otherwise might be dim or even dark. That editorial treated theology and God’s sovereign providence and just judgments; anthropology and man’s fall into sin and death; soteriology and the graces of sanctification and hope that God works through affliction; ecclesiology and the importance of public worship and the relationship between church and state. Here, I follow up with the last two chapters, eschatology and Christology.

Eschatology (The Doctrine of the End Times): Heaven on Earth?

If it’s true that Christians wrongly react to the pandemic, and churches wrongly explain troubles in the world on account of bad theology, anthropology, soteriology, and ecclesiology, it is even more so on account of false teachings in eschatology. Eschatology teaches the people of God what to expect in the end times, what is the goal of God with the church’s labors in the world, to what believers ought to aim, and unto what they press their efforts. Eschatology deals with the future—the near future and the distant future, the future of the church and the future of this world, the future of the devil and his hosts and the future of King Jesus and His relationship to all created things.

Getting eschatology wrong has been disastrous for most nominal Christians these days because their hope is earthly. Their expectations are for improvements here and now, soon. They believe God’s goal with the church’s labor is a Christianized world. So they press their efforts to fulfill the ‘cultural mandate.’ They labor hard to create an earthly kingdom. Rather than to carry out the Great Commission to bring to the nations the gospel of forgiveness in Jesus Christ, they want to redeem society from its chaos. Their desire is to bring the nations the ‘good news’ of social equality, food for the poor, clean water, justice for women and other oppressed people, and probably a vaccine for COVID-19. They are convinced that these are what God wants for the world and that the church is the instrument to bring them about. But note well, it is not the church as institute that carries out this work, through her offices, but the church as organism.

In addition to being bad ecclesiology, it’s also false teaching regarding eschatology. Instead of quickening hope in the coming of Christ, the false teaching leads to despondency, because the depressing happenings in the world do not bode well for a Christianized world. And as for the nominal Christian church—her drift towards Roman Catholicism and her ecumenical adulteries have rendered her impotent for gospel good.

Someone once said that when a man expects to be “hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” Wrong eschatology dulls one’s thinking, lulls the church to sleep. She now imagines a future of ease and prosperity. Her mind is not ‘concentrated’ at all, but clouded and then confused. If the future is to be so bright, how can such evils increase in the world? And what can be done to turn the world into a peaceful place, to make the crooked straight and the rough places plain, when men and nations are so vile? Their hopes are shaken. Worse, they expose themselves to the allurements of the Antichrist who, Scripture teaches, will someday solve the world’s problems.

This is the major error of neo-Calvinism today, in which the false teaching of ‘common grace’ predominates special, redeeming grace. Common grace prided itself in being a ‘two-track’ theology—special saving grace on one track, common grace on the other. God’s ‘common grace’ will remedy the world’s violence, poverty, injustice. Special grace saves souls and prepares them for heaven. But the two-track theology has become a monorail of common grace. Neo-Calvinists focus on the common grace that will save bodies and give a good life on earth. Neo-Calvinism is completely exposed to N.T. Wright’s “heaven is on earth” mantra.

The bracing realism of Reformed orthodoxy ‘concentrates our minds wonderfully.’ Reformed theology focuses our minds on, and directs our efforts to, preaching the gospel of God’s gracious salvation and establishing churches. Reformed ecclesiology teaches that the true church is the “Israel of God,” the new ‘nation’ for which He cares, and that the church institute is the messenger of that gospel. And Reformed eschatology is a-millennial.

Biblical doctrine of the end times promises victory to the church by faith in Jesus Christ. But it teaches that the victory comes through tribulation, suffering, persecution (John 16:33, Acts 14:22). It teaches that Christ’s coming is preceded by wars and rumors of war, pestilence and other troubles in this life, and apostasy in the church (II Thess. 2). It teaches that the days right before the coming of Christ will be like the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37-39), terrible days of apostasy and unbelief when the true church will be small and preachers of God’s righteousness ridiculed.

So Reformed eschatology helps believers to see clearly and to keep balanced in troubling times like today.

To read further in this issue, visit this link. To subscribe to the magazine, go here.

Appropriating the Means of Grace | June 2020 Tabletalk

Now that it is the end of June I remember that I never did a post on this month’s issue of Tabletalk, Ligonier Ministries’ monthly devotional magazine. “The Ordinary Means of Grace” is the theme this month, and once again the issue is filled with edifying articles centered on that subject.

Burk Parsons says this in part in his introduction to the issue:

When it comes to our worship of God, too many Christians think that it doesn’t really matter what we do or how we do it because our sovereign God can use any means to accomplish His ultimate purposes. That, however, does not justify our using means that God has not given us. Nevertheless, many Christians and many churches believe that we may use whatever cleverly devised means we invent to bring about our desired ends.

If we actually believe God is sovereign, we must trust His sovereignly appointed means to bring about His desired ends. The means that God has appointed for our spiritual nourishment and growth in grace are what we call the ordinary means of grace—namely, the Word, prayer, the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and, necessarily joined to these, the church’s discipline and care of souls. These means are appointed by God, are empowered by the Holy Spirit, and point us to Christ, and they sustain us and nourish us in our union with Christ as we rest in the sovereign ends of our triune God.

One of the featured articles is by Dr. Ryan McGraw, professor of systematic theology at Greenville Seminary. In “Appropriating the Means of Grace” he treats the necessity of our using God’s appointed means for our preservation in faith and growth in grace. At the outset he ties this use of God’s means to the church:

The means of grace highlight the necessity of the church in the Christian life. The Lord has not designed us to live the Christian life alone. It has been remarked that believers are like hot coals. Alone they go out, but together they fan into a flame. Public worship is the place where we enter into the special presence of the omnipresent God (Pss. 113:4; 139:7). When the Father gathers His family together, Christ speaks to them through the preaching of the Word (Rom. 10:11–17; Eph. 2:17) as we offer our prayers by the Spirit and enjoy God’s presence in the sacraments. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves (Heb. 10:25) means more than simply being with other Christians. The public assemblies of the church under its officers are where we receive means to sustain us in salvation. We must appropriate and use the means of grace by faith, preparing ourselves to receive them and studying their nature and use from Scripture.

And at the end of the article he shows what great things God accomplishes in our lives when we regularly use His appointed means:

…Just as we perish without food and water, we perish without receiving Christ as our spiritual food and drink (John 6:53). Though the means of grace are simple and at times seemingly unremarkable, God does great things through them. In our sanctification, we should expect slow and steady progress (most of the time). There are rarely quick fixes for sin, and giant leaps in sanctification are unusual. God delivers some people instantly from sins that are deeply set in their lives, but most of the time we need to fight to put to death the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit (Rom. 8:13). The triune God uses the means of grace to kill sin in us and to lead us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Ps. 23:3). Skipping church is like skipping meals. Each meal may not be spectacular, but all of them together keep us alive. We often do not learn how much we grow by the means of grace until we neglect or lose them.

The Lord uses the means of grace to nourish spiritual life in Christ. We should expect the Spirit to bless the Father’s chosen means by faith. We should prepare to receive the means of grace by study and meditation. We should trust in God to use means to bring us to the Savior rather than trusting in the means instead of the Savior. Let us look for the Lord in the means of grace to foster the work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope (1 Thess. 1:3) as we confidently endure to the end of our race (Heb. 12:1). Jesus is the pioneer and end of our faith, and He will place our feet in wide places (Ps. 31:8) as we use the means that He has appointed to walk with Him.

Good thoughts for us as we ponder our way in these spiritually dangerous times. Now as never before we need to be diligent in using God’s means of grace. For only by grace will we stand and persevere and thus enter our everlasting reward.

Source: Appropriating the Means of Grace | Tabletalk

A Reformed Commentary on the Pandemic of 2020 – June “Standard Bearer”

The June issue of the Standard Bearer (produced only once per month in June, July, and August) is now out (in print and digital forms) and the editorial by Prof. B. Gritters is a timely commentary on the pandemic that continues to sweep the world and affect our lives in every aspect. Not one of us has been exempt from the effects of COVID-19, and the consequences of the dreaded virus are vast, touching our lives in ways we never could have imagined.

As Christians we view all of life – our trials too – through the lens of God’s Word, and because the Reformed faith is the clearest expression of the truths of the Christian gospel revealed in the Word, it is Reformed theology that presents the best commentary on what we are seeing and experiencing. This Prof. Gritters demonstrates in his article titled “Reformed theology’s commentary on the pandemic of 2020.” He states this in his opening comments:

What is written about the pandemic in the secular press these days is a mix of helpful comment and some very noxious propaganda. What is written in the Christian press is sometimes more helpful and is what this editorial wishes to be. Here, I propose that Reformed believers can look at the present crisis in the light of Reformed theology and take lessons from all six ‘chapters’ of Reformed doctrine. Let the breadth of our Reformed faith form our thinking about, and govern our reaction to, the present distresses.

And so he looks at the “present distresses” caused by the coronavirus under the headings of Theology (the doctrine of God), Anthropology (the doctrine of man), Christology (the doctrine of Christ), Soteriology (the doctrine of salvation), Ecclesiology (the doctrine of the church), and Eschatology (the doctrine of the last things – saved for the next editorial).

In this post, let’s take excerpts from two section – theology and soteriology – and listen and learn from the glorious truths of our Reformed faith as they shed light on the pandemic.

It is grievous to hear Christians deny the sovereign control of God over the pandemic. As one young writer recently pointed out on our Young Calvinists blog (https://youngcalvinists.org), world-renown theologian, N.T. Wright, mocks the confession that Reformed believers make of the sovereign God who does His pleasure (Isa. 46:10) in the pandemic. Wright belittles “some Christians” who “like to think of God as above all that… in charge of everything…. That’s not the picture we get in the Bible.” Rev. Wright does not believe the Scriptures, for “our God is in the heavens, he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” Wright cannot subscribe to our Belgic Confession that “nothing happens in this world without his [God’s] appointment” (Art. 12). Guilty as he is of the “damnable error of the Epicureans, who say that God regards nothing, but leaves all things to chance,” Wright does not have the “unspeakable consolation” that we Reformed Christians have. We confess that this sovereign God watches over us “with a paternal care.” So are we patient in today’s adversity? If we, Reformed believers, confess that in adversity the doctrine of providence makes us patient (Lord’s Day 10), are we being patient these days? Are we praying for patience? Are we “letting patience having her perfect work” (James 1:4)?

………………………………..

So the Reformed faith confesses in Lord’s Day 9, that God “will make whatever evils he sends upon me, in this valley of tears turn out to my advantage; for he is able to do it, being Almighty God, and willing, being a faithful Father.” At every baptism, Reformed believers confess in the Form for Baptism that our Father “averts all evil or turns it to our profit.”

One great profit is God’s sanctification of us. More and more we loosen our grip on earthly things and cling to God and heavenly things, think less of this life and more of the life to come, hate the sins that plague church and world and love truth and right. Less and less we have aspirations for this side of the grave; more and more we hope for heaven. In the body we groan, waiting for our final adoption, the redemption of our bodies. “We believe… the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting!”

Are you living in that hope? Have I expressed that hope to others, to help them?

“Merciful God, quicken our Christian hope and purify through these troubles!”

If you want another peek inside this issue, visit this blog post of the RFPA.

Speaking the Truth in Love and Taming Our Tongues

A close-knit church community is a wonderful blessing, especially in times of trial; but it can also be a hotbed for chatter about the name of others, resulting in bitter division between brothers and sisters in Christ without them ever speaking to one another.

“That I do not judge, nor join in condemning any man rashly, or unheard.” Such would be “a proper work of the devil” and would “bring down upon me the heavy wrath of God.”

And yet, all too frequently when we get together, we find ourselves talking about others. When it is trivial information (about dating, pregnancy, marriage, moving house), we discuss it that way, as trivia, in a mild and disinterested way. But, when it begins to involve what we might judge as “sin” or, in the case of a minister, “false doctrine” or “error,” suddenly the interest is piqued, the conversation becomes intense, and names are thrown around, judged, labeled and condemned… rashly and unheard.

And because the “sin” or “error” is so serious, we think the way of Matthew 18 does not apply. After all, this is public knowledge.

Not just minister’s names. It starts with what we say about the name of any brother or sister in Christ. This is a very real danger in a close-knit church community—what James calls “wars and fighting among you” (James 4:1), or what Paul speaks of this way: “ye bite and devour one another” with the warning, “take heed that ye be not consumed one of another” (Gal. 5:15).

Whereas Jesus, speaking from the perspective of seeking peace and preserving love between believers (read I Cor. 13:4-7), says, “go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone” (Matt. 18:15).

Would we bring down upon ourselves “the heavy wrath of God?” Have we already done this?

Biblical and doctrinal truth is important, but so is the truth about the name, honor, and character of the neighbor, especially when that neighbor is a fellow member of the body of Christ, and even more especially, when that neighbor holds office in the church of Christ.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We do well to watch our words with these three questions concerning what we would say about another.

1. Is it true? Do I know it is true, or is it something I have just heard through the ‘grapevine’? Isn’t this the source of so many destructive and divisive rumors? Someone who does not know and who should not be involved, starts talking. Does what I say reflect that God is a God of truth?

2. Is it necessary? It may be true, but does it need to be said? Will my words be useful, edifying, beneficial to the one whose name I raise? Too often our words are not only a waste of breath but would be better not said.

3. Is it loving? Am I speaking about this person because I love him and in love for him? Do I speak to protect his name and reputation or to damage it? This question really gets to the heart of the ninth commandment. We must “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).

If we would run our words through the screening process of those three questions, so much destruction of names and division between believers could be deterred. “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth” (Prov. 26:20).

Taken from Rev. Rodney Kleyn’s article in the May 15, 2020 issue of the Standard Bearer. Titled “Taming the tongue,” it is an exposition of the ninth commandment (“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”) as explained by the Heidelberg Catechism in Lord’s Day 43 (Q&A 112).

This issue is still available free on theRFPA website. Lots of edifying reading here!

PRC Seminary Spring Journal Now Available!

The Spring 2020 issue of the Protestant Reformed Theological Journal is now available in digital forms (pdf and epub), with the print version soon to follow (our publisher says a few weeks yet).

This new issue is filled with thought-provoking articles and stimulating book reviews, of interest to and beneficial for pastors and officebearers as well as church members. The editor, Prof. R. Cammenga, provides a summary of this issue in his “notes” at the beginning, from which we quote in this post.

To download and read this new issue, visit the Journal page. And while there, perhaps the past issues will also be of interest to you (all 53 volumes!).

To be added to our mailing list for the print version, or the digital editions (pdf and ePub), send us a note at seminarysecretary@prca.org.

And now, Prof. Cammenga’s “editor’s notes”:

You hold in your hands the April 2020 issue of the Protestant Reformed Theological Journal. This issue completes the fifty-third year of uninterrupted publication of the Journal of the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary. We thank the Lord for His abundant grace and our readers for their support.

You will find in this issue an article by Dr. C. N. “Nick” Willborn entitled “Nineteenth-Century Southern Presbyterians and Their Theological Contributions.” Dr. Willborn is the senior pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and adjunct professor of historical theology at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. (Can anyone recall the important role that Oak Ridge had in bringing WWII to an end?) This is the first of two articles that began as presentations that Dr. Willborn gave at the seminary last fall on the theology of the Southern Presbyterians. His lectures focused on the stalwarts of Southern Presbyterianism: Thornwell, Girardeau, Dabney, Palmer, Peck, and others. The lectures were well received by our students and faculty. And we thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship of Dr. Willborn and his wife, Carol. We are grateful for his willingness to have his lectures published in our Journal.

The most recent addition to the faculty of PRTS is Prof. Brian Huizinga. This is his first contribution since accepting the appointment and being installed as Professor of Reformed Dogmatics and Old Testament Studies. Prof. Huizinga is presently working on his advanced degree. All will profit from his article entitled “John Calvin and the Reward of Grace.”

The undersigned contributes “A Plea on Behalf of the Biblical Languages.” The article addresses the trend that diminishes the importance of learning and retaining the biblical languages for the work of the ministry. It intends to underscore the importance that Reformed churches have placed on the biblical languages since their recovery at the time of the Reformation. And it makes a plea that mastery of Hebrew and Greek continue to be required of seminary students preparing for the ministry of the gospel. This issue includes two review articles. Review articles are extended critical book reviews. The first is Prof. Douglas J. Kuiper’s review article of A Christian and a Democrat: A Religious Biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt. All will profit from this careful analysis of one of the greatest presidents in the history of the United States of America, known especially for leading the nation through most of WWII.

The second review article is by the Rev. Martyn McGeown, who for several years has labored in Ireland and who recently accepted the call from Providence Protestant Reformed Church in Hudsonville, MI. Pastor McGeown favors us with an insightful review of The Crux of the Free Offer: A Biblical, Confessional, and Theological Explanation and Defense of the Well-Meant Offer of the Gospel, by Sam Waldron.

The review first appeared recently in the British Reformed Journal, of which the Rev. McGeown is editor. Seldom do we print two reviews of the same book. The last issue of PRTJ included a review article of this same book by Prof. David Engelsma. But considering the importance of the book and the interaction of its author with the position of the Protestant Reformed Churches on the well-meant offer of the gospel, it was thought worthwhile to print a second review of the book. Our readers will profit from this second review article.

New Additions to the PRC Seminary Library – 1st Quarter 2020

At the end of March, I completed the first quarter list of significant book acquisitions to the PRC Seminary library for this year. I make it a habit to share this list with the TSC (Theological School Committee) as well as with the faculty and students so that they can keep abreast of new titles in the library.

But, to my mind, the list is of value to you too. As noted before, part of my reason for posting this list here is not only to show you the kinds of books the seminary adds to its library, but also to stimulate you to find something to read. Yes, there are books here for the layman and laywoman, for the young adults and for teenagers – even children (at times we purchase Bible story books that assist pastors, teachers, and parents). Browse this list and perhaps you will find something of interest to you.

This time we will give you the entire list in one post. Keep in mind these are not all the titles purchased, just the more significant ones.

Happy browsing! Be on the alert for that book (or those books) that you may wish to read yourself! But you don’t have to worry about the Dutch ones. 🙂

Biblical studies/ Commentaries/ Biblical Theology
Series:

• Dordtrecht Bible Commentary (6 volumes, OT & NT): Dordrecht Bible Commentary, The – Ordered by the Synod of Dort, 1618-1619 According to the Th. Haak Translation 1657, Commissioned by the Westminster Assembly / Theodore Haak, 1605-1690, Transl.; Henry D. Schuringa. (new reprint pb) Allegan, MI: North Star Ministry Press, 2019
• The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Wm. B. Eerdmans): The Letter to the Romans / Douglas J. Moo; Joel B. Green. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2018.
• Pillar NT Commentary (Eerdmans): The Gospel According to Luke / James R. Edwards; Donald A. Carson, 2015.

Other Commentaries (Individual)

• Job and Ecclesiastes Expounded by Theodore Beza: Partly in manner of a commentary, partly in manner of a paraphrase, faithfully translated out of Latin into English / Theodore de Beza, 1519-1605. London: John Legatt, 1589.
• The Song of Songs / G. I. (Gerald Irvin) Williamson (reprint) Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2020.
• Be Resolute: An Old Testament Study – Daniel / Warren W. Wiersbe. Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, c2000.
• The Whole Armor of God: How Christ’s Victory Strengthens Us for Spiritual Warfare [Eph.6:10-20], Iain M. Duguid. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019.
• Early Latin Commentaries on the Apocalypse / Francis X. Gumerlock, editor. Kalamazoo: Western Michigan University, 2016.

Individual Biblical Studies Titles

• God’s Relational Presence: The Cohesive Center of Biblical Theology / J. Scott. Duvall; J. Daniel Hays. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2019.
• Last Things First: Unlocking Genesis 1-3 with the Christ of Eschatology / J. V. Fesko. Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor, c2007.
• Sermon on the Mount: Restoring Christ’s Message to the Modern Church / Charles L. Quarles. ; E. Ray Clendenen. Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, c2011. (NAC Studies In Bible & Theology) vol. 11
• Scriptural Authority and Biblical Criticism in the Dutch Golden Age: God’s Word Questioned / Dirk van Miert, editor; Henk J. M. Nellen, editor. ; Piet Steenbakkers, editor. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2017.
• Word of Life: Introducing Lutheran Hermeneutics / Timothy J. Wengert. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2019.
• Matthew, Disciple and Scribe: The First Gospel and Its Portrait of Jesus / Patrick. Schreiner. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2019.
• The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament / G. K. (Gregory K.) Beale; Benjamin L. Gladd. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2020.

Language Tools

• The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament / Ludwig Kohler, 1880-1956. ; Walter Baumgartner, 1887-1970. ; M. E. J. Richardson. Study ed. Leiden ; Boston: Brill, 2001. (2 vols.)

Church History, General and Biography

• The Rise of Western Christendom: Triumph and Diversity, A.D. 200-1000 / Peter Brown; Jacques Le Goff (10th anniv. rev. ed.). Chichester, West Sussex; Malden, MA: WileyBlackwell, 2013.
• De Afscheiding van 1834 in Friesland: Deel I: De Classis Wanswerd (Dokkum) van de Afgescheiden Kerken / J. Wesseling. Groningen: De Vuurbaak, 1980 (3 vols.)
• De Afscheiding van 1834 in Overijssel, 1834-’69, Deel I: De Classis Zwolle / J. Wesseling. Groningen: De Vuurbaak, 1984 (2 vols.).
• Dr. A. Kuyper, 1837-1937: Gedenkboek uitgegeven bij gelegenheid van de herdenking op 29 October 1937 van het feit, dat Dr A. Kuyper honderd jaar geleden te maassluis geboren werd / L.W.G. Scholten. ; C. Smeenk. ; J. Waterink. Kampen: J. H. Kok, 1937.

Creeds, Confessions, History of

• Catechizing upon the Heidelberg Catechism of the Reformed Christian Religion: Published after Precedent Inspection and Approbation of the Rev. Classis of Hoors …, and Now after the Sixtienth Impression translated for the English Reformed Congregation in Amsterdam / Petrus De Witte, 1622-1669. Amsterdam: Gillis Joostens Saeghman, 1664 (retypeset copy, 2 parts)
• An Exposition or Commentary upon the Catechism of Christian Religion: which is taught in the schools and churches both of the Low Countries and of the …Palatinate / Jeremias Bastingius, 1551-1595. London: John Legatt, 1614.
• To the Praise of His Glory: Outlines on the Canons of Dort / J. Faber; H. J. Meijerink; C. Trimp. Launceston, Tasmania: Publication Organisation of the Free Reformed Churches of Australia, 1971.

Dogmatics, Biblical Theology, Historical Theology

• The Thiselton Companion to Christian Theology / Anthony C. Thiselton. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans, 2015.
• The Culture of Theology / John Webster, 1955-2016; Ivor J. Davidson, editor; Alden C. McCray, editor. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2019.
• Faithful Theology: An Introduction / Graham A. Cole, 1949-. ; Graham A. Cole and Oren R. Martin (series). Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020 (Short Studies in Systematic Theology).
• Common Places of Christian Religion: Gathered by Wolfgangus Musculus, For the Use of Such As Desire the Knowledge of Godly Truth. Wolfgang Musculus, 1497-1563; John Man, 1512-1569 (1st English ed.) London, 1563.
• A Brief Declaration of the Table of Predestination / Theodore de Beza, 1519-1605. ; William Whittingham, Transl. London: Tho: Man, 1613. [retypeset ed.]
• The Abridgment of Christian Divinity: So exactly and methodically compiled… / Johannes Wollebius, 1586-1629; Alexander Ross. London: T. Mabb, 1660.
• The Works of William Perkins: Volume 8 – Discourse on Conscience [Etc.] / William Perkins, 1558-1602. ; J. Stephen Yuille; Joel R. Beeke, editor; Joel R. Beeke and Derek W.H. Thomas. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2019.
• 50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith: A Guide to Understanding and Teaching Theology / Gregg R. Allison. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2018.
• James Ussher and a Reformed Episcopal Church: Sermons and Treatises on Ecclesiology / James Ussher, 1581-1656. ; Richard. Snoddy. Moscow ID: Davenant Institute, 2018.
• Enjoying God: Finding Hope in the Attributes of God / R. C. (Robert Charles) Sproul, 1939-2017 (repackaged ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2017.
• The Forgotten Trinity: Recovering the Heart of Christian Belief / James R. (James Robert) White (revised, updated) Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2019.
• Divine Action and Providence / Oliver Crisp, editor; Fred Sanders, editor; William J. Abraham. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018 (Explorations In Constructive Dogmatics)
• The Christian Doctrine of Humanity / Oliver Crisp, editor; Fred Sanders, editor; Marc Cortez. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018 (Explorations In Constructive Dogmatics)
• Against God and Nature: The Doctrine of Sin / Thomas H. McCall; John S. Feinberg. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019 (Foundations of Evangelical Theology Series)
• David’s Son and David’s Lord: Christology for Christ’s People / Ian Hamilton. ; Joel R. Beeke. ; Gregory K. Beale; Ryan M. and L. Michael Morales McGraw. Darlington, UK: EP BOOKS, 2019.
• Engaging the World with Abraham Kuyper / Michael R. Wagenman. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019.

Philosophy, Logic, Ethics

• Christian Philosophy: A Systematic and Narrative Introduction / Craig G. Bartholomew; Michael W. Goheen. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013.

Practical Theology (1) – Christian Living, Ethics, Family, Marriage, Missions, Prayer

• Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans / Robert Elmer, editor. Bellingham: Lexham Press, 2019.

Practical Theology (2) – Church Government/Leadership, Counseling, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, Sermons, Worship

• The Form of Prayers and Ministration of the Sacraments used in the English Congregation at Geneva, and approved by that famous and godly learned man, John Calvin — photocopy pd. — Geneva: John Crespin, 1556.
• “Can We Close the Back Door?”: A Project to Facilitate the Assimilation of New (Non-Dutch) Members into a Traditional, Middle Class Large to Medium Size Christian Reformed Congregation / Arthur J. Schoonveld. Deerfield, IL: Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1990.
• The Challenge of Church Union: Speeches and Discussions on Reformed Identity and Ecumenicity / Cornelis Van Dam; J. De Jong; Cornelis Pronk; Cornelis Van Dam. Winnipeg: Premier Pub., 1993 (Publication of the Burlington Reformed Study Centre) vol. 1
• Biblical Pastoral Oversight / James A. Hufstetler. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformed Baptist Church, 1989.
• Pastor Paul: Nurturing a Culture of Christoformity in the Church / Scot McKnight; Andy Johnson. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2019.
• Same Lake, Different Boat: Coming Alongside People Touched by Disability / Stephanie O. Hubach; Joni Eareckson. Tada. (revised, expanded ed.) Phillipsburg, N.J. : P&R Pub., 2020.

Misc. (Apologetics, Culture, Dutch History, Education, Music, Politics, Science, Work, World Religions, etc.)

• Down an Indian Trail in 1849: The Story of Roseland / Marie K. Rowlands. Palos Heights, IL: Dutch Heritage Center, Trinity Christian College, c1949, 1987.
• Calvin and the Foundations of Modern Politics / Ralph C. Hancock. Ithaca, N.Y. : Cornell University Press, 1989.
• The Adam Quest: Eleven Scientists Who Held on to a Strong Faith While Wrestling with the Mystery of Human Origins / Tim Stafford. Nashville : Nelson Books, 2013.

Periodicals (Old & New)

• The Southern Reformed Theological Journal (Southern Reformed Theological Seminary, Houston, TX), 2017-2020

May 1, 2020 Standard Bearer – Special Issue: “Since by Man Came Death…”

The latest issue of the Standard Bearer has been released digitally (printed copies are not allowed at present due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and you are encouraged to download and read this timely issue. The May 1, 2020 issue is the second special issue in this volume year (96) and carries the theme “Since by Man Came Death….”

At the time the editors planned this issue (in January/February of this year), we had no idea how timely and relevant it would be in the face of the worldwide coronavirus situation. But now this crisis has put death and dying before all of us, and, while unbelieving fears are being exposed, true faith is also being tested. How can we face the awful reality of an unknown disease with its prospect of severe illness and perhaps death? What hope do we have in such times – for this life and for the hereafter?

The articles in this special issue address these questions and more – openly and realistically – yet also with sure faith and hope, because the answers come from God’s Word and from the biblical and Reformed confessions of Christ’s church based on that Word (penned in times of crisis like our own). If you are living with real fear right now, and are without hope, then this issue is must reading. But even if you are an established believer, and your faith is being tried deeply in these days, then these articles will speak peace to your heart and give you sure hope in Jesus Christ.

The editorial, “Confronted by Our Mortality and Our Last Enemy – Death,” was written by Rev. Ken Koole. We post an excerpt here today, urging you to read all of it – and the rest of the issue in the next few weeks. It will enrich your faith, strengthen your hope, and increase your love for the Lord God, in whom alone we have the victory over this mighty foe. By all means “take up and read.”

 But… but… is hope and gladness clean gone forever? Has God forgotten to be kind, that God whom we and our first parents have so highly offended? After all, death is His sentence and His “creature” set loose upon the human race and on creation itself. Is there no remedy? Just the sadness of farewell and the terror of what follows hereafter?

What can be said to the dying or to those struggling to cope with that empty spot due to a beloved family member taken and gone? What indeed.

Not this: this is evil. It is not God’s will or doing. It is just the Devil’s mischief. God is too loving and kind to have willed this to happen.

Not so. For, if the calamity was not what God willed, He was, evidently, powerless to prevent it. And then, to what purpose is this death? Really, to no good purpose at all, except to magnify Satan’s power prevailing against God’s will. All comfort is gone. We cannot put our trust in or turn to God as the Almighty after all. Who can be sure whether death will not have the last word and mocking laughter after all!

Powerless to prevent it, powerless to overcome it.

Away with such nonsense!

To be sure, death is an awful power, and as far as we mortal men are concerned, invincible. But there is one mightier than death, and that is the Almighty One, who is Jehovah God.

And God be thanked, to those living in the midst of death in a creation under the sentence of death, this Lord God has given a Word, a Word that gives us mortal men words to withstand the horror of death. Words that give hope so real that the believer can stand at the lip of the grave and say “Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory?” Words of defiance when nothing but a corpse remains and the grave is about to swallow our loved one.

How can this be?

It can only be because of who Jehovah God is. The almighty Creator God to be sure, but also God triune, who as such is a covenant-making and keeping God. And not only within Himself, but also regarding a people, a remnant of the human race He would call His own.

How God’s people dealing with the awful power of death need to hear this!

How pastors and preachers need to remember this!

The Flu Epidemic of 1918-1919 and “Churchless Sunday” – Origins Online

Maybe we are weary of hearing about the present flu pandemic, as well as of past ones, such as the Spanish Flu of 1918-19, often mentioned these days (even though there is no comparison in terms of the numbers of those who were afflicted and those who died).

But history is instructive, and the fact is that the church and saints have often had to face such plagues and epidemics. And what believers suffered in those times as well as how they handled those afflictions gives us valuable lessons.

I did a previous post referencing the Spanish flu from the perspective of a former PRC minister, Rev. C. Hanko (when he was a member of the CRC), and that was insightful.

Yesterday, while putting away a recent issue of Origins magazine, the Christian Reformed Church in America’s historical archives periodical, I came across a feature on the Spanish Flu and its impact on the CRC. I checked to see if the article was online, and while the full story was not, this abridged version was.

It is worth pointing to it, so that is our Friday post this week. A serious history lesson with important applications for us too. Below are a few paragraphs from the article; find the full post at the link at the end. [And now, in addition, I followed some links to  the University of Michigan’s online “Influenza Encyclopedia” and found a Grand Rapids Herald news clip about how the CRC churches were suffering. See that below.]

“What’s happening is unprecedented!” I keep hearing people say that about Covid-19 (a coronavirus). Some seem to mean that a pandemic like this is unprecedented. Others mean that the public health response—shutting down schools, sporting events, perhaps eventually churches, etc.—is unprecedented. Neither is unprecedented, really.

Around 650,000 people died in the United States in the flu epidemic of 1918-1919 and 50 million worldwide. Some scholars estimate up to 100 million deaths worldwide. In comparison, 20 to 22 million soldiers and civilians died in World War I, which ended in late 1918, and about 20 to 22 million were wounded.

What did churches experience in 1918-1919? For a broad overview, check out this story on Patheos. The Patheos story also points you to a great website at the University of Michigan on the influenza epidemic of 1918-1919.

…To find more material, I turned to the Christian Reformed Church Periodical Index and did some page turning in The Banner from late 1918 and the first half of 1919.

…My quick search yielded one lengthy piece, an editorial in the 24 October 1918 issue of The Banner: “Churchless Sunday and Its Lessons.” The governor of Michigan had ordered the closure of all churches in the state.

The Banner editorial called its readers to “pray earnestly that the scourge may soon be removed” so that churches could reopen. It also suggested “lessons from this appointment of Providence” to learn:

• “the value of our church privileges,” as we really understand what blessing are when they are withheld
• “the value of fellowshipping with God’s people,” “the communion of the saints,” which might lead to a renewal of devotion in the church
• “to appreciate religious literature more than we have done,” as that is what people turn when they cannot come to church

With these lessons in mind, the editorial suggested that the epidemic might be a blessing in disguise. But it also wondered whether “churchless Sunday” was a sign divine judgment on the nation. It pointed to the description of God’s judgement in Revelation. The nation and world had seen famine, pestilence, war, and death, with the recently ended Great War and now the epidemic. It was time for people to repent and to turn to righteousness.

The editorial concluded by emphasizing that Christians respect government and law. It prayed that the burden of churchless Sundays not be too heavy and that the scourge of influenza be lifted quickly.

Source: The Flu Epidemic of 1918-1919 and “Churchless Sunday” – Origins Online

And here is that additional item mentioned above: the news clip from the October 26, 1918 Grand Rapids Herald on how the Spanish flu was affecting the CR churches in that city.

Sunday Closing Order Keenly Felt By Members Chr. Reformed Churches

There are perhaps few congregations in the city feeling the hardship of the church closing order as keenly as the Christian Reformed churches. Members of these churches have been trained from childhood to regard regular church attendance as natural in their lives as eating breakfast, and at each of the two or three Sunday sessions the churches are wont to be crowded.

Church people are glad to do all in their power to help check the spread of influenza, but much dissatisfaction is voiced by both clergy and laymen of the apparently unjust distinction between schools and churches. The schools are in session five days a week and it would seem that if there were danger of contagion anywhere it would be among the physically undeveloped youngsters congregating in the school rooms day by day. On the other hand, in view of the supreme importance of service of the Almighty in these critical times and the need of prayer it would seem that the church would be the last of all institutions to be asked to close its doors.

Family Services Substituted

In the meantime, however, church members are making the best of matters and conducting services in their own homes. Many a father had his family gathered about him last Sunday morning and afternoon and read to them one of his favorite sermons.

Pastors are making good use of their time by taking up some specific studies which have long demanded their attention, and by doing extended pastoral work. Rev. Johannes Groen is spending much of his time visiting the members of his congregation and averages about 30 families a week.

And if you are still interested in more information on this 1918-19 influenza, or the State of Michigan’s new archive collections of COVID-19, you will want to visit this page that came in my email this morning.