What Makes churches of Christ Different?

Church of Christ

Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you” (Romans 16:16).

When talking about spiritual matters with other religious people, we often find many things that we will agree about – God is the creator, Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead, there is hope that the faithful will have eternal life in heaven, etc.

However, there are also some significant differences between churches of Christ and other churches. Some who belong to other churches are curious about this, and we want to be ready to give an explanation for what we believe (cf. 1 Peter 3:15).

Before we begin, I want to be clear that there is no “official” position for churches of Christ. We do not have a written creed, nor do we have a denominational headquarters deciding on doctrine. I cannot speak for any other congregation that calls itself a church of Christ. However, there are some teachings and practices that are generally common among churches of Christ but differ from those of most other churches. In this article, we will look at some of these unique characteristics and briefly examine the New Testament to see why we believe and practice them.Continue Reading

Revisiting Bible Authority

Pointing in Bible

It is good and necessary to revisit certain topics from time to time. We do not want to “drift away” from what we have previously learned (Hebrews 2:1). Some topics are so foundational that they affect what we believe, teach, and practice – individually and collectively.

The topic of Bible authority is one of these foundational topics. It is a subject that has been covered multiple times here,* but I want us to take another look at it in this article, perhaps in a different way, to help reinforce the concept.

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Should Christians Listen to Contemporary “Christian” Music?

Contemporary worship band

Contemporary “Christian” music has grown in acceptance and popularity over the last several decades. During this time, artists in more and more genres – including rock and hip hop – have been writing songs with lyrics that are more spiritual than secular. For many religious people, this is seen as an unquestionably positive development.

Before we consider whether these songs are ones that Christians should listen to, let us start with a definition of what we mean by Contemporary “Christian” music.

“Contemporary Christian music (CCM), also known as Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music, is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and stylistically rooted in Christian music. …the term is typically used to refer to pop, but also includes rock, alternative rock, hip hop, metal, contemporary worship, punk, hardcore punk, Latin, electronic dance music, R&B-influenced gospel, and country styles.” (Wikipedia)

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Church Asks Judge to Strike No Instrumental Music Clause in Land Deed (11.04.21)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This week we’re discussing a church in Tennessee filing a lawsuit to determine whether the property deed prohibiting instrumental music is binding. The Otter Creek church of Christ acquired the property from the West End church of Christ last year and this prohibition was written into the deed. Now they want a judge to determine whether this is binding.Continue Reading

Singing Only? (Sermon #10)

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Singing Only? (Sermon #10)

We’re in between season 5 and season 6 which will start on April 25th. During the break we’re posting audio sermons each week instead of the regular episodes. The sermon for this week was preached on December 11, 2016 at the Eastside church of Christ in Morgantown, KY.

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Why We Do What We Do in Worship

Communion Trays

As Christians, we have an obligation to “do all in the name of the Lord” (Colossians 3:17). This means to do things by His authority (cf. Matthew 7:21-23). When it comes to the worship of the church, abiding by what has been authorized in God’s word means we will do those things that we can read about in the New Testament.

So what did the churches in the first century do when they assembled together to worship the Lord? There are five “acts” we can read about in the New Testament:
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Lessons from the Melodeon at Midway (Season 2, Episode 7)

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Lessons from the Melodeon at Midway (Season 2, Episode 7)

One of the most significant events of the Restoration Movement was the introduction of a melodeon in the assembly of the church in Midway, Kentucky. According to L.L. Pinkerton, the preacher at Midway, this was the first time an instrument had been successfully introduced among those of the Restoration Movement. So how did the melodeon find its way into the worship of the church in Midway? It certainly did not happen overnight. If we can learn the lessons from this event, then hopefully we will be prepared to guard ourselves against potential apostasies today. So in this episode, we’re going to consider three lessons from the melodeon at Midway.

  1. Perceived Problems
  2. Gradual Slide into Apostasy
  3. Opposition Evolves into Acceptance

Article: Lessons from the Melodeon at Midway

If you found this episode to be useful, please share it with others. Also, if you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a rating on iTunes or Stitcher. This also helps others hear about the podcast. Thanks.