Trinitarian Bible Society Founded in 1831 for the circulation of Protestant or uncorrupted versions of the Word of God Officers of the Society General Committee: General Secretary: Mr. D. P. Rowland The Rev. M. H. Watts , Chairman Assistant General Secretary: The Rev. B. G. Felce, M.A. , Vice-Chairman Mr. D. Larlham The Rev. G. Hamstra, B.A., M.Div., Vice-President Editorial Manager: Mr. D. Oldham, Vice-President Mr. G. W. Anderson Mr. C. A. Wood, Vice-President Office Manager: Pastor R. A. Clarke, B.Sc., F.C.A., Treasurer Mr. J. M. Wilson Mr. G. Bidston Warehouse Manager: Mr. I. A. Docksey Mr. G. R. Burrows, M.A. Mr. G. D. Buss, B.Ed. Quarterly Record The Rev. R. G. Ferguson, B.A. Production Team Pastor M. J. Harley General Secretary: D. P. Rowland Mr. A. K. Jones Assistant General Secretary: D. Larlham Production Editor: The Rev. E. T. Kirkland, B.A., Dipl.Th. Dr. D. E. Anderson The Rev. J. MacLeod, M.A. Assistants to the Editor: C. P. Hallihan, D. R. Field, K. J. Pulman The Rev. D. Silversides Graphic Designer: P. Hughes The Rev. J. P. Thackway Circulation: J. M. Wilson © Trinitarian Bible Society 2009 All rights reserved. The Trinitarian Bible Society permits Issue Number: 588 reprinting of articles found in our printed and online Quarterly Record provided that prior permission is July to September 2009 obtained and proper acknowledgement is made. Contents Annual General Meeting 2 From the Desk of the General Secretary 3 The Treasury 10 The Resurrection and the Life 11 Open Doors in South America 13 Calvin at Five Hundred 26 The Word of God Among All Nations 44 Trinitarian Bible Society will be held, God willing at 11.00am on Saturday, 26 th September 2009 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Elephant and Castle, London, SE1 The Rev. Neil Ross, B.A. Minister of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, Dingwall, Ross-shire is expected to preach All are welcome IMPORTANT NOTES: G To encourage as many supporters, children and young people as possible to attend the Society’s Annual Meetings, the times of the meetings have been changed. e Business Meeting, to which all friends are most welcome and which should prove interesting and informative to all ages, will commence at 11.00 a.m. and will include an address by the Rev. Malcolm H. Watts, reports on the work of the Society, and a presentation by one of the Society’s translators, God willing. G Lunch will be served following the conclusion of the Business Meeting, at approximately 12.30 p.m., God willing. G e Worship Service will commence at 2.00 p.m., God willing. G Copies of the Minutes of last year’s Annual General Meeting have been sent to Members. Further copies are freely available from the Society. Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009 From the desk of the Genera l Secretary BRETHREN, PRAY FOR US… We thank all our members and friends for their continued prayerful sup - port of the Society. It is a great encouragement to us to know that throughout the world we have so many individuals and congregations of the Lord ’s people who bring the Society and its work before the Lord in prayer at the Throne of Grace on a regular basis . Although there is a very clear practical side to our activity, the work of the Society is essentially spiritual, and this must always be kept prominent - ly in the forefront of our minds . Without its all-important spiritual element, the work is nothing. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. (Psalm 127.1) There are many things the Society needs. It needs suitably able and qualified employees; it continuously needs finance in order for its impor - tant work to continue; its governing body and those managing the affairs of the Society in different parts of the world need the Lord to grant them much wisdom, guidance and direction—as do all the staff—that they may fulfil their various activities well; but, above all things, we need the Lord’s blessing. 3 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record Indeed, we are utterly dependent upon the Lord for His blessing. His blessing is indispensable. It is necessary that His blessing rests upon every area of the work. It is necessary that His blessing accompanies the Scriptures that we distribute in His Name. The Society’s dependence upon the Lord for His blessing has been acknowledged from the very beginning of the Society’s existence. In writ - ing about meetings of the Society, the men of God who founded the work in 1831 explicitly stated in Law XIII of the Society’s Constitution: This Society, acknowledging the ignorance and helplessness of man, deems it a bounden duty to express its entire dependence upon the blessing of JEHOVAH, the FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY GHOST, in its “work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope”, by offering up prayer and praise at all its Meetings. This formulary is no mere statement of intent extracted from a historic document no longer in vogue, and which is consequently wholly irrelevant to the present day; it is that which truly encapsulates the very essence of what is needed for the ongoing work of the Society in 2009. Without the blessing of the Lord, all our work is, and will be, in vain. There is, therefore, the need for those of us who are in any way directly connected to the work and witness of the Society to humble ourselves before the Lord continuously; to acknowledge our dependence upon Him; to beseech Him for His grace, direction and help; and to render to Him our praise for His great goodness and condescending grace in giving us His ‘unspeakable gift’ (2 Corinthians 9.15) . We need to thank Him continually for having given to us the inestimable treasure of the Holy Scriptures and for providing the resources necessary for their translation, production and distribution; and for granting to the Society the many opportunities we have for their circulation throughout the world. This spiritual aspect of the work is that which directly relates to all the Members of the General Committee, the Directors of the Society’s Branches, the Members of its Auxiliary Committees, the Society’s Staff, Consultants and all who are involved in one way or another with the many and diverse practical aspects of the Society’s work and with how these func - tions are fulfilled. Whatever we do, we need to do all to the glory of God, 4 Issue Number: 588 – July to September 2009 prayerfully and humbly looking to the Lord for His blessing and His most necessary help. It is in this most important spiritual aspect of the work that our prayer - ful supporters and friends can also be so very helpful. We would ask you each to share with us in this spiritual part of the great and noble work the Society is endeavouring to undertake, of supplying the Word of Life to our fellow sinners throughout the world. Comparatively few of our many good supporters in the United Kingdom, North America or Australasia or elsewhere can be directly involved in the practical tasks undertaken by our translators, revisers and other editorial staff; or be employed in the despatch of the orders and grants that are sent out to so many different parts of the world; or serve as Members of Committees and Boards, overseeing the work of the Society. But all who fear God and are truly supportive of the work of the Society, wherever they may live, can assist in this great task, in the all-important spiritual activity of seeking to bring the work before the Lord in prayer that His great blessing may both rest upon the many aspects of the work that we seek to undertake in His fear, and accompany the many copies of His Word that we are enabled by His grace to distribute. The warfare in which we are engaged is against the spiritual Amalekites— the world, the flesh and the devil. We need our supporters and friends to follow the most important, noble and blessed role undertaken by Aaron and Hur, and to hold the Society and its work up in prayer before the Lord. Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. (Exodus 17.8–13) 5 Trinitarian Bible Society – Quarterly Record In addition to the details given on pages 13 to 25 in this magazine about the Spanish Bible, our contacts in South America and the need for prayer for His blessing to be upon the wonderful openings the Lord has granted to the Society there, the following paragraphs contain information on other projects in which the Society is engaged, which we hope will be of both general and prayerful interest.