The issue that you find in your hands promises to be another edifying collection of writings from our regular contributors.

Tyler Ophoff takes up the battle for the office of all believer. This office was and is being denied practically in the Protestant Reformed Churches, as Tyler convincingly demonstrates. This denial of the office of all believer in large part explains the existence of Sword and Shield. This magazine is the believer’s witness to the truth, not the witness of the church institute. Sword and Shield is a free paper, free from all ecclesiastical control, and is the witness of the believer taught by the Lord and moved by the Spirit to confess Christ before men. Tyler’s series will be an important addition to the subject of the office of all believer.

Rev. Luke Bomers picks up his series on the sacrifices, which is proving to be very informative writing. In all of his articles, we see the gospel of the free forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake.

For the special 1953 issue in October, we took a break from the new rubric, Running Footmen. This is the rubric that is filled by interested believers on various topics of their choice. This month’s contributor, Alisa Snippe, takes on Professor Cammenga’s book for children on the ten commandments. He loads the children of the Protestant Reformed Churches—and their parents—with backpacks filled with bricks. Perhaps someone should tell him that for the man who so offends a little one, it is better for him that a millstone be hung around his neck and he be drowned in the midst of the sea. He is long hardened in his false doctrine, as Alisa demonstrates by quotations from his egregiously false 2003 sermon on Christ is not enough, but perhaps he may still listen.

We have another contribution from Garrett Varner as he continues his series on the beatitudes.

For the rest we hope that you find this issue food for your souls.