March 1, 1986 Issue
by Barney Owens

One cup and sanitation. All the debating and talking about the New Testament authorizing individual cups would cease (in this writer's opinion) if it were not for the sanitation or lack of supposed sanitation connected with it. There was a little instance which was amusing this summer I wish to have you think about. As some will recall a public debate was reported in Old Paths Advocate between Irvin Barnes and James Wilson. One evening Brother Wilson was acknowledging some of the brethren present who believed in following Christ by communing with one cup, men he had known for sometime. Among these was Bro. Clovis Cook. After calling his name Bro. Wilson said "...a fine specimen of a man." Isn't that interesting? Here is a fine man by Bro. Wilson's own testimony, a man who has been a member of the church for better than 55 yrs. And upon inquiry I discovered that all of these except 3 Lord's Days Bro. Clovis has communed out of one cup, which means he has drunk as Jesus commanded in excess of 2,860 times. Add to this the circumstance of this country five decades ago it makes one think of how silly our brethren are becoming. They preach "faith" but lack the very thing they proclaim. I was just thinking about our relationship to the denominations who preach "faith without works." Now I think of my digressive brethren who have neither "faith or works." Which is the worse? I was just thinking aloud.

Other OPA Article Links:

Innovations - Multiple Cups

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