Category Archives: What Must be Preserved of the Churches of Christ?

The New Testament is clear that the early church sang in their assemblies. And contemporary scholars struggle to determine why that is. Beginning sometime in the 19th Century, historians of the early church once thought that the early church adopted … Continue reading →

Denominations that only allow members of their own denomination (or certain approved denominations) to take communion with them practice what’s called “closed communion.” Denominations that allow all other believers to take communion with them practice “open communion.” As a rule, Christian denominations … Continue reading →

I want to focus on a phrase that is rarely discussed. It was said by Jesus at the institution of the Lord’s Supper but is not recorded in any of the Gospels, only in — (1Co 11:25-26 ESV)  25 In … Continue reading →

I need to add another thought from a book first published in 1916, written by a man born in Syria to explain the light shed on the Bible by Near East customs and culture — It is also customary for … Continue reading →

Have you ever wondered why so many denominations only take communion quarterly? It’s pretty clear that the early church took it weekly (although there’s some evidence of daily communion), and no pre-Reformation history of quarterly communion. I can’t confirm this, … Continue reading →

The Churches of Christ have long insisted on weekly communion. This teaching traces back to a series of articles by Alexander Campbell called “The Search for the Ancient Order.” Campbell specifically declared that his studies on how churches should organize … Continue reading →

Church politics We elders should be a little worried about this one. It certainly worries me — (Gal 2:11 ESV)  11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. (Gal 2:11 NASB)  But … Continue reading →

Before we talk about falling away, let’s discuss being in jeopardy of falling away. We begin in 2 Peter — (2Pe 1:5-8 ESV) 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with … Continue reading →

Although the Churches of Christ often teach God’s forgiveness based on 1 John 1:7, they also teach that sins won’t be forgiven unless and until we — * Confess the sin to God (and perhaps publicly, if the sin was … Continue reading →

I don’t remember who preached the sermon, or even if it was in my home church. But sometime while I was a teenager, I heard a lesson that just astonished me — a most excellent lesson still being taught in … Continue reading →