Posts Tagged ‘church history’
When 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 (Dark)
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…
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 MoreMusic in Worship
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. As we look at the denominations around us, we find that the vast majority use musical instruments in their worship services. A. Oddly, we don’t. Why not? What harm would there be in using them? Why can’t we be like those around us? B. I heard a similar reasoning before – I Sam.…
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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