"It is my conviction that the day of Pentecost is the focal point in the history of the world," Wm. E. Sweeney wrote in 1929, ". . . that all the lines of history before that time converge to that great day, and that all the lines of history since that time have diverged." . . .
April 17, 2023
Here we go again. It’s time for Communion, again. Once more with feeling! Right? . . .
December 12, 2022
Apparently there has been some debate about the meaning of "koinonia" (Christian fellowship/community) as described in Acts 2:42 and the rest of the New Testament. I didn’t know that . . . until I listened to a recent podcast on the topic. . . .
September 22, 2020
By Jerry Harris The church established in Acts 2 identified two sacred observances: baptism, which was discussed in week 1 of this series (May 2020), and Communion, termed “the breaking of bread” in Acts 2:42, that this article discusses. The word sacred is used to describe baptism and Communion for a reason. These rituals are often labeled as “ordinances,” but they are much more than obligations to adhere to, for they possess an aspect of holiness that connect us to the blood of a sacrifice. This blood is connected to both cleansing and the forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 9:22), meaning
May 17, 2020
By Tyler McKenzie I was born, raised, baptized, and ordained in Restoration Movement churches. I’ve served all my years in ministry in the Restoration Movement. I married a Restoration Movement girl. I got a Restoration Movement degree. I’m Restoration Movement tried and true. But that’s not why I love our movement. I love the Restoration Movement for what it stands for. It is a movement of churches aiming to restore the dynamic life of the first church in Acts. That church is worth restoring. It’s a movement marked by the pioneering grit of Jesus’ apostles trying to establish Jesus’ church
March 23, 2020
By Michael C. Mack If you were to look up the word communion in a dictionary, you’d see it defined as “intimate fellowship or rapport.” It comes from the same word as community or communication or communal. Under normal circumstances, this is a communal experience. So, how do we accomplish this aspect of Communion in a time of social distancing? First, we should remember that social distancing does not mean social isolation. For now, we are wise not to get together in large gatherings, but we can still find ways to love one another, carry each other’s burdens, encourage one
March 15, 2020
(An eyewitness’ account*) By Glen Elliott To Luke, my brother in the Lord, from Cleopas. I understand you’ve been collecting eyewitness accounts about the life of Jesus. Here is mine. I live in a small town called Emmaus. I have made the journey to and from Jerusalem many times in my life. But one such journey forever changed me. Here’s what happened that Sunday. Passover Week in Jerusalem A friend and I had been in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration with others who were following one who was clearly a prophet. God had not sent a prophet to his
January 30, 2020
A lively editorial page from January 26, 1935, touched on such topics as the activity of the Holy Spirit, the Roosevelts planning to serve wine at the White House (Prohibition had been repealed in 1933), and reaction to a Robert Benchley essay called “The Sunday Menace” (the humor author had suggested outrageous acts “to get rid of the dullness of midafternoon on Sunday”). But the editorial we share today is a measured, almost melancholy observation about how baptism is practiced in the Roman Catholic Church. _ _ _ THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS MISSING SOMETHING Editorial; January 26, 1935; p. 4
April 24, 2015
By Robert F. Hull Jr. “Seeing is believing,” we say, but in the logic of the Gospel of John, it works the other way around: Believing is seeing. It is true Peter and John did not believe Jesus had risen from the dead until they entered the tomb and saw the abandoned grave clothes (John 20:6-8). It is also true Mary Magdalene and 10 of the disciples were permitted to see the risen Lord. But was this a privilege all disciples should have? Thomas seemed to think so. He wanted the same experience the other disciples had, or an even greater
July 17, 2011
By Ethan Magness Despite our best efforts and fervent hopes, God cannot be fully known. Our questions will never be fully answered. God’s ways are higher then ours and so, in some ways, God will always be a mystery. But God does desire to be known. Christ came, in part, to make God known. In Christ, we know God is good and kind. We know God cares about the lost and confused, the sick and the poor. We know God is love, not because of an abstract theological declaration, but because his love has been demonstrated and incarnated in Christ.
July 12, 2009
 By Ethan Magness This article is no longer available online, but articles about the Lord’s Supper that appeared in the July 12/19, 2009, and June 10, 2007, issues of CHRISTIAN STANDARD–plus more–are available for purchase as a single, redisigned, easy-to-read and easy-to-use downloadable resource/pdf (a fuller explanation is below). The Lord’s Supper: A Memory and More Item D021535209 “¢Â $2.99    If you keep doing something often enough, long enough, it will change you. Take, for example, the Lord”s Supper. If we practice the Lord”s Supper in a meaningful way, week after week, it will change us for the better by
June 10, 2007
This article is no longer available online, but articles about the Lord’s Supper that appeared in the July 12/19, 2009, and June 10, 2007, issues of CHRISTIAN STANDARD–plus more–are available for purchase as a single, redisigned, easy-to-read and easy-to-use downloadable resource/pdf (a fuller explanation is below). The Lord’s Supper: A Memory and More Item D021535209 “¢Â $2.99 If you keep doing something often enough, long enough, it will change you. Take, for example, the Lord”s Supper. If we practice the Lord”s Supper in a meaningful way, week after week, it will change us for the better by helping us grow closer
December 31, 2006
By Mark A. Taylor Heroic New Year’s resolutions usually fail, but most of us could take at least one step toward a closer relationship with God. Here are a few possibilities, suggested by the first church’s vitality recorded in Acts 2:42: They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching . . . Choose a Bible reading goal that will work for you. Having trouble reading through the Bible in a year? Try reading through just the New Testament instead. Or read one of the Proverbs each day of each month throughout the year. Or read a few Psalms each evening, so
April 7, 2026
John B. Penrose Jr
April 7, 2026
David Faust
March 27, 2026
Rick Cherok