Posts Tagged ‘church’
Because of road construction, our church is split into two groups. Are they still one church or are they two?
Question: May God continuously guide you as you continue your service to the lost. I need to ask some questions about the autonomy of the church. Allow me to relate our situation. My home congregation is a large congregation and members come from different areas. At the moment some of the members are having a…
Read MoreWhy Do “Churches of Christ” Differ so Widely?
by Sewell Hall via Biblical Insights, February 2012 A sign reading “Church of Christ” in front of a building tells you very little these days. Most any doctrine or practice may be found inside. This is frustrating to many people. Outsiders make fun of the situation, saying, “You preach unity but you are the most divided…
Read MoreChurch Autonomy
by Robert Turner “Autonomy” is a compound word, composed of autos, meaning “self,” and nomos, meaning “law.” An ordinary dictionary will tell us the word means “self-ruled,” so that an autonomous church is “self-governed, without outside control.” There are those who reject the concept of God and revelation, saying ultimate authority is in man. To…
Read MoreWere Abraham and Moses in the church?
Question: I heard a quote from a preacher sometime ago that Moses and Abraham are not in the Church of Christ (Ephesians 4:4; I Corinthians 12:13), even though they are currently saved. I understand they were never baptized into Christ; but if they are not in the body, where are they? It is my understanding…
Read MoreI’m not certain what group you are with, but I find your website helpful
Question: I am a disciple of Jesus Christ who attends a fellowship of churches once known as the International Churches of Christ. I was googling opinions and articles on various biblical topics when I saw your website. I just wanted to tell you how refreshing it was to see such an uncompromising stand on being…
Read MoreCan you join the church?
Question: I do appreciate the sermon outlines but figured this was an oversight that could stand some tweaking. In Why Are There Denominations? V. “Join the church of your choice” is a foolish idea A. It is advocating pleasing self. B. We need to join the church of God’s choice. We cannot “join” but we can be added to…
Read MoreI’m shocked at your stance regarding 501(c)(3) churches
Question: The web site is excellent. Someone worked very hard on the design. My question is your church a 501c3 church or a free church? More and more I am finding many of the New Testament churches have signed up to be a corporation and be under the IRS rather than the Lord. Even the…
Read MoreWhat if you feel that a particular church is not suitable for you?
Question: What are the suggestions if one cannot afford monetarily to attend church, or feels that a particular church is not suitable for him? If he does private bible study, is this enough? Does he have to go through the baptism ceremony? If a Christian continues to study other religions and philosophies, is this against…
Read MoreIs it wrong for a church to be incorporated?
Question: If a Christian does not want to attend an incorporated church because he says it’s wrong, is it right for him and his wife to worship alone on the Lord’s day because he says an incorporated church is in sin, and he cannot find a church that is not incorporated? Answer: A person cannot…
Read MoreCan a church register as a charitable organization to get grants from the government?
Question: Is it scriptural for a church of Christ to register as a charitable organization? By charitable organization, I mean being exempted from tax and duties, and receiving financial grants from the government in order to fund missionary projects, etc.? Is it good for a church of Christ to venture into this system? If not,…
Read MoreHow can I know which church is the right one?
Question: Hello, I have a high-functioning form of Autism. After living many years in a false religion, I have recently heard about Christianity a few years ago. I am still trying to get the hang of understanding how Jesus can love me when he died many years ago. There is a problem that is blocking…
Read MoreI wish there were churches like yours in my area
Question: I found your web site while researching Exodus 4:24 (good article) and peeked at your home page. I was encouraged by the description of your church – I just wish that there were churches in our area with the same focus. Unfortunately, the PDL/Emergent/Post-Modern movements are alive and well here, and it seems that most…
Read MoreYour message about what the church is and is not is powerful
Question: My son just forwarded the message regarding what the Lord’s church is and what it is not. It is powerful and better said than I’ve ever remembered reading. I’m sharing it with other Christians as I’m sure they in turn will do so we can be ready to clearly answer to those seeking the truth.…
Read MoreHave You Heard About the Church of Christ?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The churches of Christ are not a denomination. They are neither Protestant, Catholic, or Jew. They are comprised of individuals born again through obedience to the commands of Christ (John 3:1-5; I Peter 1:22-25). The church of Christ is the church Jesus said he would build (Matthew 16:18), coming into existence…
Read MoreSocial Compatibility or Scriptural Compatibility
by Warren E. Berkley Many who read this article will immediately know what I’m going to describe. You are members of a small congregation somewhere in the United States. Due to the economics and mobility of urban life and suburban careers, your membership has dwindled and the budget is strained. Yet, you still do everything…
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 MoreSince the church isn’t the building, you can’t make rules about how the building is used
Question: You are right in that you say the church is not to be an entertainment organization. But the picture you put on that site is not the church! You started out by saying that the church (Did you mean that building in the picture? That isn’t the church!) had no kitchen, etc. But, I…
Read MoreMust a person formally place membership with a local church before they participate in the work?
Question: What are your thoughts regarding “placing membership” with a local congregation? I understand the biblical authority for someone working under the oversight of the elders of a congregation. If someone has been attending a congregation regularly for a period of time, can it be assumed they wish to work under the oversight of the…
Read MoreAre temporary meetings, such as at a remote military base, really a church?
Question: I have a question about a certain type of assembly that I am not sure is scriptural. During the invitation at the church building tonight, the speaker used Matthew 18:15-20 to distinguish between individual, group, and church. I agreed with the points he made. After the lesson, there was some lively discussion between the…
Read MoreBack to Basics: The Kingdom
by Frank Jamerson Some who are teaching that there is no distinction between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant are teaching an absolute distinction between the kingdom and the church. When those who profess to be teachers of God’s word say “the kingdom of God is not the ekklesia, the church,” it is time…
Read MoreWhy do people ask questions about me when I visit a church?
Question: In “Should people be checked out before accepting them in a congregation?”, a person wrote about ‘checking out’ new people to the congregation before accepting them. While I understand the logic behind making sure they accept the true church and follow the Lord, I have experienced that type of probing and questioning that is…
Read MoreThe Autonomy of the Local Church
by Keith Sharp Introduction Several years ago I spoke by phone to a preacher who works with a large congregation in South Texas. As we conversed he asked if I was “anti-cooperation.” I told him I knew what he was talking about, but that I advocated scriptural cooperation between churches of Christ. He changed the…
Read MoreHow a Church Loses Its Distinctiveness
by Tom Holland via The Sower, Vol. 54, No. 3, May/June 2009. When “called out” people who are supposed to be distinct and committed to the Lord and His Word become like everyone else, what right do they have to make a claim that they are a “church of Christ”? The Lord Jesus created His church…
Read MoreParallel Worship (Children’s Church)
by Bob Berard Some elderships with announced good intentions have introduced the practice of excusing children and a few members from their congregation’s Sunday evening worship services for a special program called “children’s church.” While the remainder of the church engages in a worship assembly wherein are conducted the same worship activities as in the…
Read MoreCan I have your permission to open a branch of your church?
Question: I am very much interested in your teachings and your church. I have therefore decided to open a branch of your church. I have been making preparation to perform and I need your authority to enable me to do it. I should, therefore, be grateful if you would kindly assist me to enable me…
Read MoreIs Peter the rock of the church?
Question: In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said to Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. Does Jesus give any guidelines as to how and when his followers or Christians should worship God? Answer: “He said to them, “But…
Read MoreHow can Christians gather and not be the church?
Question: We have addressed several people on the subject and I went to the computer and found different ones saying the same thing. My problem was I just couldn’t figure out how we could not leave the building and still not be assembled. The church is the called out and when we are gathered in…
Read MoreFinding a Spiritual Family
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2010Spring6FindingASpiritualFamily.mp3 by Frank Walton Christ, the Only Way
Read MoreHow do I know which church is the right one?
Question: Hello, I am a struggling 24-year-old who has been struggling with what church to go to and what kind it should be. The reason for this is because I have been to four different churches and everyone claims that their church or religion is the right one. How would I know what is the…
Read MoreMy congregation is becoming more unscriptural. Should I find another one?
Question: My home congregation is slowly beginning to make some unscriptural moves. I have been told by another gospel preacher that my home congregation has a bad reputation. Our evangelist holds an erroneous view on marriage, divorce, and remarriage. He believes that Christ’s covenant is for Christians only and that since an alien sinner didn’t…
Read MoreModel or Mission?
by Jefferson David Tant The assembly of people that began on the Pentecost following Christ’s resurrection serves as a model for us, even in the 21st Century. We follow the patterns that were set up by the early church in that we respect the way they understood the authority that governed them. We observe how…
Read MoreShould I stay with a church that isn’t great but appears to be growing?
Question: Is it OK to stay with a church if you see God changing it and you yourself are helping that change? I was just wondering. There are a lot of downfalls at my church, but things have been looking better, not always just there. It is starting to get out of the state of…
Read MoreNew and Improved Religion
by Carey Scott It is amazing that just about every product that has ever been sold has evolved into a more new and improved product. The marketing firms have convinced the manufacturers that unless they have new and improved printed on their products; they will not sell as many. But what does new and improved…
Read MoreIs membership in a local congregation necessary for salvation?
Question: First of all, I want to say that I do like your site and the good information it provides. However, while reading “Christians Without Churches?” I came across the following statement: “Is it possible for a Christian to be part of the “universal” church without being identified with a local church? The Scriptures give…
Read MoreThe Lord’s Church Is Magnificent
by Jim Ward via the Lost River Bulletin, Vol. 59, No. 2, Feb. 2009. The term church occurs nine times in the book of Ephesians with nine additional references to the church using the term body, and one each using household of God and temple, it is apparent that this is one of Paul’s major…
Read MoreI’m amazed that a church of such conviction still exists!
Question: I found your site while looking up information on “Edom.” I read your home page and was amazed that a church of such conviction to uphold the biblical teaching manner of the Bible still exists! I have been looking for a straight forward Christian, Bible-believing church for some time now. We have many churches…
Read MoreCongregational Independence
by Doy Moyer The Scriptures teach local congregational independence and autonomy. What does this mean? The body of Christ (universal terminology as in one body, Ephesians 4:1-3) is not some interconnected web of congregations; rather, the body is composed of individuals (see I Corinthians 12:12-27). Individual Christians ought to seek out other Christians in their…
Read MoreThe Church: Yours, Mine, or the Lord’s?
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Feb. 6, 1976 Questions: Isn’t it true that the present-day church of Christ was begun in the early 1800s by Alexander and Thomas Campbell? Was there any organization of your church from the first to the 18th centuries? On what basis can your ministers claim that salvation can be obtained only through…
Read MoreChurch Recreation
by Keith Camp Recently I received an invitation to a facility that provided “ping pong, walking track, concerts, basketball, weights, pool table, board games, banquets, refreshments, etc.” No, the invitation did not come from the local Boy’s club. It came from a local church. Increasingly churches have begun to take on the atmosphere of social…
Read MoreHow much autonomy does a church have when its evangelist is receiving outside support?
Question: How much congregational autonomy does a young church, without elders and deacons, and its evangelist is supported by an overseas congregation? Answer: It remains autonomous. Your evangelist is supported, I assume in part, by one or more congregations. “For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities” (Philippians 4:16). That…
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