January 1970
“The grave leads to judgment …. Each man will receive exactly what he deserves: no more – but also no less. And the standard will be what man has done with the Word of God. None can escape. Does his life give evidence that he believes God’s wisdom rather than his own? Does his life give evidence that he trusts in the goodness of God rather than his own? Does his life give evidence that he bows before the sovereign authority of God rather than his own?”
* * * * *
“…when your pastor must be called to bring a word of comfort because YOU are at the grave; because God’s appointment with YOU has been kept, what will your pastor say about you?”
Some Things Only Happen Once Elton J. Piersma
March 1970
“The same inspired apostle who was ready to go to such lengths to meet the people to whom he was commissioned was every bit as much concerned that the Word of God he taught must not be in any way altered to appeal to the unregenerate tastes of his listeners.”
Misguided Evangelism Peter De Jong
April 1970
“The crying need of the day is not a new direction, a new road or a relaid highway. The need is to enter upon, walk and work in the entire, well marked way of life that Christ has placed before us.”
What Should Come First? Gerard Van Groningen
“It is a fact that the fundamental, and, we believe, biblical assumption upon which our whole system of church government is based, that God’s Word has entrusted authority in the church to the elders and that all such authority is consistorial, is rapidly being lost from sight.”
Board Members Represent the Churches Peter De Jong
May 1970
“The Christian Reformed Church has fallen upon difficult days. Its very existence as a denomination is being threatened in a very real way. Let no one think that it cannot fall. It is falling. Some may doubt this, but if they do, it is perhaps because they lack an intimate knowledge of what is going on and/ or they are insufficiently grounded in Scripture and therefore are unable to discern truth from error.”
Is This the “Bride” Christ Bought? Laurie Vanden Heuvel
“It is not enough to be Reformed for merely traditional reasons. If we want to be Reformed, we must be Reformed in our own day.”
Is It Still Worthwhile to be Reformed Today? Klaas Runia
“The church will not long attract people when it tries to compete with the far superior entertainment on TV. The strength of the church is not in the latest fads, but in ‘doing its thing.’ And ‘its thing’ is the preaching of the Word.”
* * * * *
“The strength of the church is not in fewer sermons but in better ones.”
Phooey on the Sermon and the Church Order Edwin H. Palmer
June 1970
“…freedom of interpretation may not mean that every interpretation is acceptable.”
Is It Still Worthwhile to be Reformed Today? Klaas Runia
July 1970
“The Hebrew word for ‘day’ is ‘yom’ and this word can occasionally be used to mean an indefinite period of time, if the context warrants. In the overwhelming preponderance of its occurrences in the Old Testament, however, it means a literal day – that is, either an entire solar day or the daylight portion of a solar day. It was, in fact, defined by God Himself the very first time it was used, in Genesis 1:5, where we are told that ‘God call the light, Day’”
Do the Six Days of Creation Correspond to the Geological Ages? Henry M. Morris
“…in the history of the church it was often the common people of God who remained loyal to God’s Word.”
We Need Each Other Jelle Tuininga
October 1970
“…in a world of men never wholly sanctified, the call to righteousness in every nook and cranny of life, in every interest of human existence, is not only relevant but it is also of the utmost necessity and importance.”
The Foolishness of Preaching Edward Heerema
“They are on call, so to speak, twenty-four hours every day. When a pastor is called somewhere, he must go. When the telephone rings, he has to answer. When someone knocks at his door, he must invite the visitor. Whether it suits him or does not suit him, he must be ready. It is expected of him. He must always have a suitable word for the occasion.”
* * * * *
“The minister…does not serve as a mouthpiece for the Church. Rather, he is the mouthpiece of Christ who through him speaks to the members of the Church.”
The Servant of the Word Simon Kistemaker
November 1970
“To be a leader or a participant in a church secession and to justify such drastic action, one must first discern, spell out, and clearly set forth the basic issue or issues at stake.”
* * * * *
“Malcontents, disgruntled persons, and those who have an axe to grind are usually not given to examining the real reason for joining a secession movement. Notwithstanding their eagerness to gain momentum and to grow in numbers, the leaders of a secession movement owe it to themselves, to their would-be adherents, and above all to the Lord to exercise careful screening in order to sift out the true motives of those who apply for membership with them.”
Secession is Serious Business John Vander Ploeg
December 1970
“In most church-related colleges today, as a result of the spirit that prevails, orthodoxy is a bad word, representing a stumbling block to a bona fide academic activity.”
* * * * *
“There seems to be a sinister delight in shaking and shocking God’s people by shooting holes into the foundations of their faith.”
The Crisis in Education Bernard J. Haan
“…the seriousness of secession should be considered not only by those who secede but also by the church from which the seceders have seen fit to disaffiliate themselves.”
The CRC in 1970 – Quo Vadis? John Vander Ploeg