In the previous article, we discussed the need for authority. However, recognizing that authority is important will not do us any good if we fail to understand how to determine what has been commanded by Christ and authorized in His word. So in this article, we are going to see how authority is established. To do this, we will consider how God communicates His will to us, and look at a practical example to see how to apply this.Continue Reading
June 3, 2026
What Makes churches of Christ Different?
“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
January 21, 2026
One Loaf and One Cup
When Jesus gathered with His disciples shortly before His death, He instituted the Lord’s Supper. This would be a memorial to remember His death, and would be observed by His people in the church until His return at the end of time. Because of this, we continue to observe the Lord’s Supper “on the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7), and by doing so, we “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
The Lord’s Supper is a simple memorial that reminds us of the body and blood of Jesus, which was offered on the cross for our sins. Jesus explained its purpose and significance to His disciples when He instituted it:
“While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom’” (Matthew 26:26-29).
When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he reminded them of these same instructions:
“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes’” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
These instructions are fairly straightforward. However, that does not eliminate the possibility of controversy regarding the observance of the Lord’s Supper. One point of controversy that has arisen among brethren over the years has to do with whether or not the Lord’s instructions require us to partake of one singular loaf and drink from the same singular cup. We will consider this question here.Continue Reading
November 6, 2024
Revisiting Bible Authority
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.
August 22, 2024
The “Most Important” Part of Worship (08/22/24)
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This week we’re talking about the “most important” part of our worship. If you ask many brethren what that would be, they may answer, “the Lord’s Supper.” I have heard this comment made on multiple occasions: The Lord’s Supper is the most important thing we do in our worship. But is it? We’re going to discuss that today.Continue Reading
August 14, 2024
How Much Time Should We Spend on the Lord’s Supper?
In my limited personal experience in every church where I have been a member, the observance of the Lord’s Supper in the assembly has been simple and relatively brief. Even when visiting on a Sunday with other congregations, that experience has been the same.
Lately, I have been hearing of more churches rearranging their Sunday service schedule in order to have one service wholly dedicated to the Lord’s Supper and another service in which they engage in the other acts of worship (singing, praying, preaching/teaching). As of the time I am writing this, I have not visited a church that has gone to this type of arrangement. However, based upon comments I have seen online, those who have done this seem to have an overwhelmingly positive view of this new format.
This begs the question: How much time should we spend on the Lord’s Supper? In this article, I want us to consider some thoughts regarding that question.Continue Reading
June 8, 2023
Investigating a Miracle Claim at a Catholic Church (06.08.23)
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This week I’m joined by Kristofer Gardana, and we’re talking about an alleged miracle that took place at a Catholic Church in Connecticut. This was said to have taken place as they were administering the eucharist which, according to Catholics, is a miracle in itself. We’re going to discuss all of this in our episode today.Continue Reading
