January 1982

“Elders must never be afraid to do what is right, certainly you need to be responsive to the needs of the congregation – no doubt about it. But remember that ultimately you as elders are responsible to God and to Him alone. When you do His will you need not be afraid to offend a few members or even many members of the congregation.”

Attitudes of Elders Toward Their Work John Kalsbeek

“It is unscriptural to represent the church as only one of many ‘organizations’ which equally represent the body of Christ. In scripture, the church has a special, focal position. The church is the body of Christ.”

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“It is the job of the church to provide motivation and direction for believers in all areas of life, and to bring believers to a knowledge of the Christian life in its fullness.”

Are the Reformed Creeds Worth Keeping in Schools? John M. Frame

“To think that many who appear to live in total indifference to the gospel and never darken the door of a church, might still somehow be counted among the elect, is to engage in wishful thinking.”

The Bible and the Creeds do not Teach Unconditional Good News Jelle Tuininga

March 1982

“We are not nearly so certain about the Scriptures as we used to be. Witness, for example, all the study committees we have appointed in the last decade. In many cases, these committees were appointed because we didn’t like what we were quite sure the Bible was saying, and so we wanted to ‘study’ the matter some more to see if we couldn’t find room for some ideas that seem more palatable to us.”

The Clarity of Scripture Jelle Tuininga

April 1982

“Many laymen of the church have been captive participants in worship services where a variety of unsettling, sometimes nightmarish music experiences have replaced the smooth Bible-based texts and sturdy tunes which comprised their vehicles of praise in days past.”

Church Music: Accommodation or Discrimination? Laurie Vanden Heuvel

May 1982

“It is amazing how, time and again, there is recorded in the Gospels (often in the very words of Christ) the testimony to the factual nature of the very parts of Scripture Satan most likes to attack in order to chip away at our faith.” Will You Believe Christ’s Words?

Sandra Heynen

June 1982

“If I think back to my own par-ents and to many others of the older generation (many of whom had avery limited formal education) and take note of their knowledge of Scriptures and of the Reformed confessions, then I am both amazed and ashamed. Amazed at their knowledge and understanding of the Reformed faith, and ashamed at how comparatively little the present generation (most of whom have far more formal education) understands of that faith.”

Catechism Without Learning Jelle Tuininga

August 1982

“The abiding message of the Bible is religious, not scientific. Science, by definition, restricts itself to the horizontal relationships of life, which are constantly changing. The Bible, by its own proclamation, is the Word of God and emphasizes the vertical relationships of life. Therefore, the Bible can, and does, have an abiding message.” Expository Preaching for Today Allan Dykstra “Our views must not depend on whether they are old or new. In our turbulent times, just as in all other times, let us in our thinking, actions, and speech be governed by the Word and Spirit of God. If that is the case, we will be ruled by other considerations that the question of whether or not something is ‘up-todate.’”

Twenty Years Behind Peter De Jong

October 1982

“Giving up our constitutional definitions of Christianity threatens our schools with the loss of the very things that distinguish them as Christian schools.”

Christian Schools Should Remain Reformed Peter De Jong

December 1982

“We are at a point in the history of our church where not just one particular doctrine is being changed, or our lifestyles are being changed, but the foundation of our faith is being changed.”

Out of Concern for the CRC Harry J. Bout