Dr. H. De Moor (professor of church polity) disputes the thesis that a consistory belongs to the essence of the church, while major assemblies belong to the welfare (wezen and welwezen in Dutch—“being” and “wellbeing”) of the church. That, to my mind, constitutes one of his basic errors. When one looks at the New Testament […]
We’ve heard a lot about “church growth” in recent years. A seminary in California promotes what is called “the church-growth school.” Our Home Mission Board is also into this “church-growth” business lately. “400,000 by 2000” is the catchy slogan. By the year 2000 the CRC is supposed to have 400,000 members. Concern for the lost […]
In the old yet current debate over creation vs. evolution there is one area which needs special attention, namely, the concept of world pictures. A world picture is the way we conceive of the world operating, in light of what we know and believe, in regard to what is there, how it works, and how […]
We have complained about Prof. Harold Dekker’s heresy of a universal love of God and general atonement. We have also objected to the film arts report as being contrary to the Antithesis. We have not been able to stop Report 36-44 with its double-talk from becoming a guideline in the C.R.C. We objected to the […]
In an old edition of the authorized Dutch Bible [Statenbijbel] there is a picture ofAdam and Eve in paradise. Adam is busy teaching his sons Cain and Abel from a little book. Bold letters on the cover of the book read: Heidelberg Catechism. Is that not a bit far-fetched? Above all, is that not […]
We recently received the following letter for possible placement in the Outlook. Dear Rev. De Jong: According to the National Geographic, May, 1988 issue (Page 618), on February 23, 1987, astronomers first observed an exploding star (supernova) in the Large Magellanic Cloud viewable in the southern skies. This star is 170,000 light years from earth. […]
I am a Danite who lives in the town of Zorah. My wife and I were childless, but the angel of the LORD came to my wife and told her that she would conceive and have a son. She was forbidden to drink wine or other fermented drink or to eat anything unclean, or to […]
Some time ago I read an article which said in effect that we as Christians ought to have the spiritual and intellectual maturity to be able to question the Scriptures. In the name of academic freedom, we ought to be able to put questions to the Bible without being vilified by fellow Christians. Now that […]
Evaluation It is very difficult to evaluate a movement which is constantly in flux, both ideologically and organizationally. There is a great deal of intellectual ferment within the theonomist camp and books and articles are being published at a rapid rate. Ideas are generated constantly and are being sent out like trial balloons. Each new […]
Not long ago many influential scholars spoke of the “certain results” and “assured findings” of the “science” of higher textual criticism as having rendered untenable the orthodox conception of Biblical history. Over the years numerous archaeological discoveries have blown up one “assured result” after another. Such examples can be multiplied; yet the higher critics continue to […]