Posts Tagged ‘church history’
Who started the church in Rome?
Question: Hi Jeff, Got a quick question for you. Do we know who started up the congregation in Rome? Of course, we know that it wasn’t Paul from the way he words his epistle to them, but I wondered just who did or if we even know. Thanks. Answer: The quick answer is, no, we…
Read MoreHow can people say that baptism is unnecessary? Where did this idea come from?
Question: How can some people say it is unnecessary to be baptized in order to be saved? Where did this idea come from? Answer: I suspect the roots of this come from a desire to claim that loved ones were saved even though they did not obey Christ. Early on there were those who changed…
Read MoreI enjoyed the story of the early church in Europe
Question: Thank you for putting Bro. Grimm’s story on the Internet! It took a long time for me to read it, but it was worth it. My husband’s ancestors came from Alsatia. He had no roots in the churches of Christ but this story has brought real meaning to me. Just to know that ancestors at…
Read MoreIsn’t the use of “conservative,” “non-institutional,” or “mainstream” to describe churches wrong?
Question: Since the “Church of Christ” is the only authorized name for the church, why do some take pride in calling it the “conservative church” or the “non-institutional church”? I also hear of the “mainstream church.” Is this not liberalism and denominationalism? Answer: First off, “church of Christ” is not the only name found in…
Read MoreIt Is Scriptural to Pay Preachers
by Billy Moore via For a Better Understanding, March / April 2010 “..the laborer is worthy of his hire… ” (Luke 10:7). “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (I Corinthians 9:14). “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all…
Read MoreWhat is the spirit within us? What are the roots of your teachings?
Question: Thank you for your fabulous web site – I am slowly working my way through your teachings of the Word. Judging by the sheer volume of material you have on your site I can only imagine how busy you must be. If you have the time I would like to ask you your teachings…
Read MoreWas Dr. Henry Halley associated with the churches of Christ?
Question: Good day. I was reading your excellent article on Alexander Campbell. Good job. I have a question? Was Dr. Henry Halley of the famous Halley’s Bible Handbook ever associated with the churches of Christ? I read where he was once a student of J. W. McGarvey. I saw also where he was associated with the Disciples of…
Read MoreGive Me that Good ODD Religion!
by Steve Klein Churches of Christ are typically viewed as “odd” by denominational folk. Two of the main reasons for this view are that churches of Christ don’t use instruments of music in worship and they don’t celebrate December 25th as the birth of Christ. While these things seem odd to members of modern denominations,…
Read MoreAlexander Campbell and the Church of Christ
by Wayne Jackson Members of the Lord’s church are sometimes erroneously referred to as “Campbellites.” What exactly is behind such appellation? It is a tiresome thing to have to respond, again and again, to the same misguided (and frequently dishonest) charges. But one is compelled, from time to time, to do so. First, Alexander Campbell…
Read MoreDo all churches of Christ teach that the Ten Commandments were nailed to the cross?
Question: I stumbled upon the La Vista Church of Christ web site in the course of searching for an answer to the question, “Were the Ten Commandments Nailed to the Cross?” Simply stated, your answer is “Yes,” and I fully agree with every single comment I found on your web site regarding the answer to this question – good work; I’m impressed. Somebody…
Read MoreWhen Was the Church Built?
by Richie Thetford In the denominational world, one would get all kinds of different dates as to when “their” church was established. But we need only to be concerned with one church – the church that Jesus built! Therefore, let us take a look at when the church of Christ was established. To find out…
Read MoreWhat happened before the Restoration movement?
Question: I have been discussing with a lady about the importance of worshiping God in “spirit and in truth.” I told her that the seed was planted in America according to the biblical pattern. Her question is “what happened to all the people between the time of the early church and the restoration of the church…
Read MoreAlexander Campbell as a Preacher
Theories on Preaching by Carroll Elis via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 11, September 1952. Preaching is not for a lazy man, a sick man, or a tired man. Preaching the gospel is work. The greatest use which can be made of the human tongue is in the proclamation of the gospel of Christ. Effective preaching…
Read MoreDid Alexander Campbell Establish the Church of Christ?
by Bill J. Humble via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 8, June 1952. Alexander Campbell A Preceptor reader from Texas has submitted a list of questions that request a statement of what Alexander Campbell actually did. Since members of the church are often asked such questions as “The church of Christ began with Alexander Campbell,…
Read MoreThe Church in 1492
by Kent Heaton The world of 1492 was very small. Men knew very little about the earth as we know it today. Christopher Columbus sailed this important year with a crew of 87 to discover a new world. His adventure literally changed the face of the world and man came to realize the world was…
Read MoreA Bit of History
by Jefferson David Tant While looking through an old paperback songbook, I found a page written by Austin Taylor, a song leader who often traveled with my grandfather (J. D. Tant) and other gospel preachers to lead singing during gospel meetings. He mentioned the favorite songs of several preachers. I do not know when the…
Read MoreHow can baptism be necessary when everyone doesn’t have access to water, someone to baptize them, or haven’t practiced it for centuries?
Question: I have been researching the role baptism plays in the Christian experience. I ran across your web site (along with many more) on the subject. I understand that your church believes that baptism is necessary for salvation. The first question I have regarding your views is an entirely practical one. If an area or…
Read MoreHow do I address the criticism of the church by a family member?
Question: Hello, I am a member of the body of Christ and it disturbs me greatly that people within my physical family, as well as my spiritual family, are saying that God never founded the church of Christ. Below you will find a few correspondences sent to me by a family member who has left…
Read MoreWhen did evening worship services start?
Question: In the history of the church (the Lord’s church) when did evening services start? I ask this question because I grew up without evening services due to preacher circumstances in a small community. I understand we should desire to meet with our brothers and sisters when the opportunity presents itself, but I witness condemnation…
Read MoreWhat is this business about “anti,” “liberal,” and “sound?”
Question: Mr. Hamilton, in the last day or so, you received a question concerning congregations. The writer spoke about ‘anti’ and ‘liberal’ congregations. What does this mean? What is meant by a sound church? I find all this to be very confusing. Jesus didn’t want us to be divided, so what is this anti, and liberal,…
Read MoreJoe H. Blue
[Written in January 1944 in a personal letter to Roy L. Ruckman. Brother Blue had no thought of it being more than a personal letter, but it has been shared with hundreds for it is a means of encouraging young preachers.] I was born September 18, 1875, in Izard County, Arkansas, near Mt. Pleasant. The…
Read MoreIs it wrong to use a slogan?
Question: I am a member of the Lord’s Church assembling with the saints. The sign out front reads “Church of Christ.” I find your website very refreshing in that you say very little about the Restoration Movement, nor do I see you using the slogan “Speak where the Bible speaks, silent where the Bible is…
Read MoreThe Story of the Churches of Christ in Central Europe
by H. Godwin Grimm January 1957 Mannheim, Germany The history of the churches of Christ is the story of a small group of men and women united to Christ in a bond of obedience and mutual love, guided and inspired by His spirit. They felt commissioned by the Lord to be His agent in the…
Read MoreAn Anecdote from “Raccoon” John Smith
by Louis Cochran In passing a Methodist camp meeting one day in September he stopped to watch a young Methodist preacher baptize a howling, rebellious infant by sprinkling water on the squirming body. When the service was concluded, he stepped to the front of the crowd and, identifying himself, took the preacher firmly by the…
Read MoreCongregational Independence
by Harris J. Dark via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec. 1951. via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 3, Jan. 1952. (Note: The following was electrically recorded when delivered as a sermon by the author at the Chapel Avenue Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee in the spring of 1950 and is reproduced here…
Read MoreWhy do you have an article about John Hus?
Question: Why would the La Vista Church of Christ have an article about John Hus? Answer: Because it gives some history of religious beliefs and practices. In particular, it shows that many of the ideas from the New Testament that we often think died out with Catholicism only to reappear in the late 1700s actually…
Read MoreJohn Hus: The Pre-Reformer
by Jeff Young published in Biblical Insights, December 2005 In the middle of Old Town Square, in the heart of Prague, Czech Republic, stands a large discolored statue of John Huss (ca. 1370-1415). The Czech spelling is Jan Has – pronounced, “yan hoose.” Appropriately, Hus rhymes with the English translation of his last name – “goose,” a term…
Read MoreWhat is the history of the “Church of Christ?”
Question: What is the history of the “Church of Christ?” Answer: The true history of the church is found in the Book of Acts in your Bible. However, I assume from your question you are wondering about the history of the churches of Christ in the United States. A really good and detailed account is…
Read MoreA Study in the Inquisition
by Clinton D. Hamilton via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 4, Feb. 1952 via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 5. Mar. 1952. A lemon growing on the limb of an oak tree is not in harmony with the biological law that everything brings forth after its kind. Upon seeing this or something similar, one knows…
Read MoreChristianity by Force
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. We live in a country where the choice of one’s religion is freely made. A. It is not that way in all countries, nor has it always been like this II. The Catholic church had a long history of compelling membership A. In his book, WHAT LOVE IS THIS, Dave Hunt writes and quotes:…
Read MorePre-Campbell Christianity
by Ken Chumbley via Gospel Gazette, Vol. 2, No. 8, p. 18, August 2000 The following is an excerpt from an article by Carroll Sites that has been found in a number of bulletins over the last few years: Many people identify churches of Christ as owing their roots to Alexander Campbell in 1813. This is…
Read MoreMcGarvey as a Preacher and Teacher
by Henry S. Ficklin via Gospel Guardian, Vol. 10, No. 39, Feb. 5, 1959 In 1902, when I began as a student at Transylvania University, in Lexington, Kentucky, McGarvey was President of the College Of The Bible. These two institutions were on the same campus, but they were separately organized. It was McGarvey’s desire, I fully…
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