RFPA Blog News

Pre-Seminary Studies

For the month of September we will be posting a few mini blog series from some of the new candidates for the ministry in the Protestant Reformed Churches, each of which were asked by the RFPA to guest write for the RFPA blog. This first article and mini series is written by Candidate Justin Smidstra. ____________ In this post and the next my intention is to describe the early years of a seminary student’s course of study and relate a few...

TODAY! Radio Interview with Prof. David J. Engelsma on Gospel Truth of Justification

Today from 4-6 pm EST, Prof. David J. Engelsma will be interviewed by Christopher Amzen on his radio program “Iron Sharpens Iron." The subject will be his recent book, Gospel Truth of Justification. You can go to the website www.ironsharpensironradio.com and click on live stream to tune in and listen from any device. The program can also be listened to by phone (563)999-9206, following the prompts and press #3 for Christian Radio.       Be sure to tune in later today. You don't want to miss it!

Radio Interview with Prof. David J. Engelsma on Gospel Truth of Justification

  On Friday, September 1, Prof. David J. Engelsma will be interviewed by Christopher Amzen on his radio program “Iron Sharpens Iron” from 4-6 pm EST. The subject will be his recent book, Gospel Truth of Justification. You can go to the website www.ironsharpensironradio.com and click on live stream to tune in and listen from any device. The program can also be listened to by phone (563)999-9206, following the prompts and press #3 for Christian Radio.       Be sure to tune in...

Book Review: The Reformed Baptism Form (3)

The Reformed Baptism Form: A Commentary, B. Wielenga, trans. Annemie Godbehere, ed. David J. Engelsma. Reformed Free Publishing Association, 2016, 425 pages. Reviewed by Rev. Nathan J. Langerak. Wielenga throughout the commentary deals with the text of the baptism form. That is the strength of his commentary. The text as it was in use in his day differed at certain points from the official text adopted by the Synod of Dordt. At places he suggests emendations and changes to the text...

Book Review: The Reformed Baptism Form (2)

The Reformed Baptism Form: A Commentary, B. Wielenga, trans. Annemie Godbehere, ed. David J. Engelsma. Reformed Free Publishing Association, 2016, 425 pages. Reviewed by Rev. Nathan J. Langerak. For those who still love the truth of the covenant in the baptism form, the translation and publication of this commentary are significant. The commentary can be read with great profit. Wielenga in the main is sound in his exposition of the baptism form. Take for example his exposition of the form’s teaching...

Book Review: The Reformed Baptism Form (1)

The Reformed Baptism Form: A Commentary, B. Wielenga, trans. Annemie Godbehere, ed. David J. Engelsma. Reformed Free Publishing Association, 2016, 425 pages. Reviewed by Rev. Nathan J. Langerak. The Reformed Free Publishing Association must be commended for publishing an English translation of the valuable commentary on the Reformed baptism form by Dutch, Reformed minister Bastiaan Wielenga. The original work was a thorough examination of the Reformed baptism form used by Reformed churches in the administration of baptism. He wrote the commentary...

RFPA Annual Meeting - "After 500 Years: What about James on Justification?"

If in this anniversary year of the Reformation, you confessed justification by faith alone to a Roman Catholic neighbor, or to an advocate of the heresy of the federal vision, and he responded by quoting to you James 2:21 and 25, could you maintain your confession, or would you be silenced? All opponents of the gospel truth of justification by faith alone, from Rome to the federal vision of today, hang their hat on James 2. At the annual meeting of...

Social Constructionism (5) What is it?

In the last four posts, I attempted to shed some light on the context of the theory known as social constructionism. It is a theory that dramatically shifts man's understanding of knowledge. It is a reaction to the modern positivist understanding of knowledge. In the positivist school of thought, knowledge is only gained through scientific methods or our senses (humans discover knowledge). Social constructionism presents the post-modern theory of knowledge. For social constructionism, knowledge no longer has a separate existence, but...

By Grace: Mighty Grace, Abiding Grace

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”— Ephesians 2:8 Mighty grace. For grace is also the power of God by which we are delivered from the dominion of sin and death. Reconciliation alone is no salvation, nor could it possibly lead to salvation if the operation of grace ceased at the cross. It must be applied, so that from darkness we are translated into life, from sin into righteousness, and...

Answering an Atheist: A Theology of Suffering

Good evening [...] Christianity has a specific theology of suffering, which is absent in atheism, for in atheism suffering is basically meaningless. In fact, in atheism everything is meaningless: people might try to find meaning, but there is no real, objective meaning to anything, if, as atheism teaches, all events are random. Our lives were not planned if there is no God who planned them. Our lives are simply the result of the random collision of molecules. That is what I mean by meaningless. If...

By Grace: Blessed Grace

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”— Ephesians 2:8  Blessed grace. For by grace are we reconciled unto God. The same grace that motivated the Most High to ordain us unto salvation, according to which it was his purpose to make us lovely even as he is lovely, explains why he reconciled us unto himself through the death of his Son. Saved we are by grace. This means that we...

By Grace

        “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” — Ephesians 2:8   FOR! Let us not overlook this little but significant word. For by grace are ye saved. The conjunction presents the truth expressed as a reason for something else, an explanation of something that has been mentioned in the context. It informs us that this statement does not stand alone, that it is not an isolated...

Christian Education and the Reformed Baptism Form (4): Duty Bound

The Christian instruction of covenant children is a duty that is bound upon the Reformed parent. We read this in the third question asked of the parents in the Reformed Baptism Form. We now turn to this second section in the form that speaks of Christian education.   In previous posts we have discussed that parents stand in the office of prophet, priest, and king with regard to their children. In this post, we look at the vow that parents take...

Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life: Public Worship

Public worship is a “must,” but it is also a joy. The Spirit of Christ has regenerated us. We are glad to go up to God’s house. We are thankful for salvation, and express our gratitude by assembling with the saints to praise God. We recognize the awesome privilege that is ours: to come into the presence of the thrice-holy God every Sunday!

My purpose is not to elaborate on the principles and elements of worship; many fine articles, pamphlets, and sermons can be consulted for that. Rather, I will make only a few brief points that touch on worship as a spiritual discipline.