6 minute read
Why Do We Need Apologetics? (1)
DID YOU ?KNOW
Johannes Gutenberg was a German inventor, printer, and publisher who introduced printing to Europe with the invention of the movable-type printing press. His greatest accomplishment was the first print run of the Bible in Latin, the language of the church. It took three years to print two hundred copies, a miraculously speedy achievement in a day of hand-copied manuscripts. Martin Luther summed up the role of the printing press in the Protestant Reformation as the “ultimate gift from God.” Thanks to the printing press and the timely power of his message, Luther became the world’s first best-selling author. Luther’s translation of the New Testament into German sold five thousand copies in just two weeks. From 1518 to 1525, Luther’s writings accounted for a third of all books sold in Germany, and his German Bible went through 430 editions. No Reformer was more adept than Martin Luther at using the power of the press to spread his ideas. Between 1518 and 1575, Luther published more works than the seventeen most prolific Reformers combined. The invention of the printing press made it possible and economical for anyone to purchase a copy of the Bible. Before this, only the churches had a Bible that the clergy or scholars would read to the churchgoers. Eventually people were able to get the Bible in their own language.
Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach 1526 (above left). “Gutenberg First Print” by Friedrich Reichert,1871 (above), and Luther Bible, 1534 (left).
(ISSN 8750-5754) (USPS 633-980)
"Exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." — Jude 3 Journal of Reformed Fellowship, Inc.
Send all copy to: Editor, Dan Van Dyke 3718 Earle S.W. Grandville, Michigan 49418 Email: djvan1951@gmail.com Website: www.reformedfellowship.net
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Rev. Casey Freswick, President, Rev. Talman Wagenmaker, Vice President; Hope Staal, Secretary; Paul Wagenmaker, Treasurer; Rev. Doug Barnes, Viceall, Glenn Hop, Rev. Jerome Julien, Michael Kearney, Dr. Warren Lammers, John Velthouse, and Dr. Cornelis P. Venema Editor: Dan Van Dyke Contributing Editor: Dr. Cornelis P. Venema General Manager: Dan Van Dyke Business Manager: Jace Kuntz Art, Design & Production: Jeff Steenholdt This periodical is owned and published by Reformed Fellowship, Inc., a religious and strictly non-profit organization composed of a group of Christian believers who hold to the biblical Reformed faith. Its purpose is to advocate and propagate this faith, to nurture those who seek to live in obedience to it, to give sharpened expression to it, to stimulate the doctrinal sensitivities of those who profess it, to promote the spiritual welfare and purity of the Reformed churches and to encourage Christian action. The publishers of this journal express their adherence to the Calvinistic creeds as formulated in the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of Dort, and the Westminster Confession and Catechisms. 2. All advertisements or announcements are to be submitted via email to president@ reformedfellowship.net or to the business office a10857 W. Parmalee Rd., Middleville, MI 49333888, and must be received at least two months before the publication date. 3. Fees for B&W/grayscale ads: $190 for full-page, $115 for half-page, $65 for quarter-page. 4. Fees for full-color ads: $235 for full-page, $140 for half-page, $80 for quarter-page. 5. Fees for preparing artwork for ads (in addition to advertising costs above) are $140 for full-page, $115 for half-page, $90 for quarter-page. These fees are waived if advertising art is print-ready. Please submit manuscript in an email or as an MS-Word.doc attachment. If you have pictures or images, please include as JPG files. 6. Preferred final file format for print-ready ads: High
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The Outlook (USPS 633-980) is published six times per year (bi-monthly) by Reformed Fellowship, Inc. Annual subscriptions are $27.00 per year in the United States; outside the US, $33 per year (foreign subscribers please remit payment in US Funds; Canada add GST). Digital download subscriptions are $12 annually, and are included FREE with a print subscription. Unless a definite request for discontinuance is received, it is assumed that the subscriber wishes the subscription to continue without the formality of a renewal order and he will be billed for renewal. Anyone desiring a change of address should notify the business office as early as possible in order to avoid the inconvenience of delayed delivery. Zip code should be included. Periodical postage paid at Grandville, MI and at additional mailing offices.
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MEETING WITH GOD
A Study Guide to Abraham Kuyper’s Our Worship
Liturgy is the pattern of our life in God’s house. The patterns of our corporate worship communicate what matters in our relationship with the Lord. Every church has a liturgy . . . and the form of our liturgy says something about our identity as believers and the content of our faith.
Michael Kearney’s study guide to Abraham Kuyper’s Our Worship provides a wonderfully concise and clear exposition of the nature of public worship in the continental Reformed tradition. In a period of church history marked by “worship wars” and widely-divergent views of what constitutes a God-honoring form of worship, Kearney’s study guide is particularly welcome. The clarity and format of the booklet, including the provision of “questions for reflection and discussion” at the conclusion of each chapter, make this an especially useful resource for the educational ministry of Reformed churches. Though readers may take exception to some of Kuyper’s views on public worship, they will be challenged “to develop a deeper appreciation for the patterns of their worship and the reasons behind those patterns.” —Dr. Cornelis Venema, President, Mid-America Reformed Seminary
72-page paperback booklet • $7.95
