“Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.” — 1 John 2:22 Who is this child whose birth we celebrate this month? Who is Jesus Christ? It is evident that the names Jesus and Christ have […]
Sometimes epochal events in history can infuse ordinary words with new meaning. Take, for example, two words that have become ubiquitous on bumper stickers, shirts, hats, and other memorabilia over the last ten years: “never forget.” These words immediately evoke memories of the September 11 terror attacks. They serve as a rallying cry to keep […]
“And that this may be the more effectually observed, it is the duty of all believers, according to the Word of God, to separate themselves from all who do not belong to the Church, and to join themselves to this congregation wheresoever God has established it.” —Belgic Confession, Article 28 The last bond between the […]
How do you know an apple tree is an apple tree? It seems like a silly question to ask. The answer is, obviously, because it produces apples. You see the result: apples on its branches. But what if someone were to tie some apples to a pear tree? Would that make the pear tree an […]
Most commentaries on Romans 13 delve into the question of why Paul would suddenly enter into a discussion on civil government. Several commentators believe the opening verses of this chapter reflect Paul’s desire to visit Rome and his personal experience with Roman officials up to the time of his writing this epistle. They argue that […]
Past generations had heroes—in part because there were more heroes to be had. This was back in the day when astronauts walked the earth (and moon!), when baseball players stayed married to one woman (most of the time), and when being a politician meant you were serving your country rather than being served (with some […]
Having made an introduction of NAPARC, we will now begin introducing in alphabetical order the member churches of NAPARC. Since the first member church we will consider is a Presbyterian church, we want to explain some distinctions. Although there is complete agreement in doctrine and in the confessions, there are differences in polity between the […]
The Word of God has a way of transforming people’s lives because it connects them with the reality of the God who created them and who acts in history and with Jesus Christ, our Savior. One dramatic story of a people being transformed through Scripture concerns a small tribe of people in Papua, New Guinea, […]
Congregations, On October 8, 2013, the forty-first meeting of Classis Michigan was hosted by Sovereign Grace URC and held in the facilities of Dutton URC. Twenty-four delegates from the twelve area URC churches joined fraternal delegates Rev. William den Hollander of the Canadian Reformed Churches and Rev.’s Norman deJong and Vern Picknally from the Orthodox […]
Sin and Its Consequences After offering a broad overview of the necessary connection between God’s justice and the punishment of sin in history through the instrument of judicial authority, Bavinck identifies more specifically the particular punishments of sin that God administers in human life and history: guilt and pollution, the two consequences […]