In 1924, the Christian Reformed Synod of Kalamazoo made the striking claim that the Canons of Dordt support the theory of common grace. The synod did not merely claim that the theory of common grace did not conflict with the Canons, but also that the theory of common grace was actually to be found within […]
The title of this column reflects my thoughts early last year upon receiving my copy of The Rock Whence We Are Hewn from the Reformed Free Publishing Association. Boy, was I wrong. My original (wrong) thoughts on the book were, “Do we really need another book on common grace?” Then I read the book. We […]
It is March 24, 2008, and I am at the residence of Mr. Herman Ophoff in Grand Rapids, Michigan. MHH: Mr. Ophoff, where and when were you born? HO: I was born on Butterworth Avenue in Grand Rapids. And when I was two years old, my folks moved because my dad (Rev. George M. Ophoff) […]
When we speak of God’s providence as his personal government of the world, we mean that he governs all things. The scope of providence extends to all things. It includes the entire universe, every creature in the universe, and every event that happens in that universe from the explosion of a star, to the oscillations […]
Dear Editor Huizenga I read the articles about Haiti and earthquakes in the March Beacon Lights with great interest, but some of the arguments left me bewildered. Allow me to submit my thoughts and I hope that you can publish them in a future issue. In the fourth paragraph of your editorial you somehow manage to link […]
The history of Haiti is a history of abuse and suffering. Spain had turned the island into a sugar factory run by slave labor. Having ravished the land, Spain abandoned the country to the French who established a brutal slave operation until the revolution of 1791, when, as many other colonies were doing, the Haitians […]
Even one who does not pay much attention to the movies and television shows being produced these days can’t help but notice an increase in biblical quotes, themes, and images found in the productions. Secular magazines such as National Geographic are devoting more space to discoveries, stories, etc. relating to the Bible. Millions of people […]
Nathan is a member of Faith Protestant Reformed Church in Jenison, Michigan. He wrote this essay for the Protestant Reformed Scholarship. The Protestant Reformed denomination is a denomination that is rooted and grounded in the truth. What is this truth? At the heart of the Scriptures is the awesome, comforting, and beautiful gospel of Jesus […]
In the previous article we gave Scriptural proofs against the three points of common grace and explained the differences between providence and grace. Not included in the three points of common grace are two points which Richard Mouw brings up in his book, He Shines in All That’s Fair, that need to be considered with […]
Is God good to those who reject Him? Is His mercy extended to all? Does God work in the unbeliever so that he does that which is right? These are only a few questions that may seem to apply to topics of discussion between Arminian and Reformed scholars. However, such questions have arisen within the […]