The Biblical Precedent for House Church
Why We Do Home Church (Part 1)
I am writing a three part series on Why We Do Home Church. To start the series I want us to get on the same page regarding the biblical context for church. We will discuss what church is, the differences and similarities between church and synagogue, while touching on some overarching benefits of home church. I’ve tried to include most of the background context to our conversation in this article so that I can focus on my personal reasons for doing home church in the next. The last article will specifically explain why we do not participate in a building church
What is Church?
We must define our terms. The primary word for church in the New Testament is ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia) means gathering, assembly, or church (used 113/117 times to represent church). “While the word ‘church’ conjures up for most people today a negative image of musty buildings, legal structures and clerics, for the early communities the word ‘church’ (ekklēsia) would still have echoed its literal meaning: the ‘assembly’ of the Lord’s people.”1 In our New Testament ekklesia is first used by Jesus within the context of protecting its community and holding the community accountable by taking them before the church or assembly (Math 18:17).
The New Testament uses various metaphors to represent the church, such as the gathering, assembly, people of God, household of God, flock, body, temple, plant/vine, and bride of Christ.2 These metaphors convey the multifaceted nature of the church. There are two aspects to the full meaning of church – the universal church plus the local visible church. The local church being communal gatherings of Christ-followers and the universal being the body which unites us all through our relationship to Christ. There are several ways in which the local body of believers can express itself, home church being the most biblical recognized manifestation.
Temple vs Synagogue vs Home Church
When the New Testament uses the word temple or synagogue, we should NOT be picturing the modern, Western-European influenced building churches. We would be wrong to assume that the way we Americans do church is the way it was always done. A brief overview of the correlation between temple and synagogue versus home church will be clarifying.
Temple
The Temple was located in Jerusalem, as the center of Jewish religious and civil life. It was the concentration of worship for the theocracy of Judaism, the place where God dwelled (a theology deriving its expression from the tabernacle tradition). The Temple was a sign of God’s covenant relationship and blessing upon the people of Israel. It was the holy place of animal sacrifices, partitioned between courts becoming more exclusive the closer one gets to the inner sanctuary. The Temple was destroyed multiple times, and finally in 70AD never to be rebuilt again. Each time being a devastating, life altering event for God’s people. However, God emphasizes to the Jews in exile that they will be able to experience His presence in more places than previously determined (Ezek 11:16).3
The New Testament doubles down on the importance of God’s presence being in places where His believers are gathered in Jesus’ name (or even indwelling His people)! Thus, the Temple has very few parallels to what we identify as ‘church’ today and is not a precedent. “The Temple was not the corollary of today’s church. Instead, the Temple was a place of witness for the people of the Way. … The Temple was a place filled with people from all over the world. For the people of the Way to spend time in the Temple would be the equivalent today of spending time in gathering places and public spaces such as malls, city halls, public squares, and farmers’ markets. The Temple was where the world was. And at home, the people of the Way became like family to one another. They broke bread together with joy and generosity. All of this was being a witness, providence evidence of Jesus and the Kingdom.”4
Synagogue
The church is said to be modeled from Jewish synagogues; however, ‘there is limited source material regarding the liturgy (religious rituals) of the synagogue.’5 A synagogue is a building where the people of Israel met often, translated in English as a ‘meeting or ‘meeting place’. Synagogue is a transliteration of “Greek – συναγωγή, “gathering” (Acts 13:43), “gathering-place” (Lk 7:5)… [It] was the name applied to the Jewish place of worship in later Judaism in and outside of Palestine.”67 The manner and the time-of-origin of synagogues is unknown. Nonetheless, they were commonplace by Jesus’ day. He taught there frequently (Mt 4:23; 9:35; John 18:20) and healed there as well (Mark (1:23, 39; 3:1). Paul visited synagogues first on his missions’ trips (Acts 17:2).
Synagogues would have been a natural gathering for the early Jewish converts to Christianity. Many concepts of worship would naturally occur – the reading of the scriptures, an explanation, as well as praise and prayers.8 Church and synagogues are both organized with offices that serve as judicial and logistical administration function in their lives.9 However, there are a few key differences:
As tensions rose between Jews and Christians, synagogues remained distinctly Jewish and were often the place where early Christians were persecuted. As Gentile-Christians were added to the body of believers, Roman persecution of Christianity simultaneously increased. Thus home churches the dominant place of worship. House church was a radical rejection of the overt social, religious, and cultural overtones of paganism and Roman authority.
Synagogues were primarily houses of instruction on Sabbaths (Saturday) and feast days.10 They also served as places to administer justice (Mark 13:9; John 9:22; 16:2; Acts 9:2; 22:19) and a public place for the news and serious discussion (Acts 18:26; 19:8). The word synagogue is mentioned 59 times in the NT, 56 of them belonging to the gospels and book of Acts. The other 3 references to synagogue are in James 2:2 and the ‘synagogue of Satan’ referenced in Revelations 2:9; 3:9. Only James 2:2 uses synagogue to refer to a Christian assembly! However, James wrote to those who were persecuted and dispersed; thus, they were likely meeting in people’s homes. There is not a biblical precedent for western-European style building churches in the Bible. Conversely, the New Testament is full of explicit references to home churches.
The Home Church Biblical Precedent
There is a precedent for home or house church in the NT (emphasis mine):
Philemon 1-2 “To Philemon our dear friend and coworker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your home.”
Acts 16:40 “After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house, where they saw and encouraged the brothers and sisters, and departed.”
Romans 16:5 “Greet also the church that meets in their home. Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.”
1 Corinthians 16:19 “The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla send you greetings warmly in the Lord, along with the church that meets in their home.”
Acts 18:7 “So he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.”
Colossians 4:15 “Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her home.”
Acts 2:42-47 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”
Acts 20:20 “You know that I did not hesitate to proclaim anything to you that was profitable and to teach you publicly and from house to house.”
Acts 16:15 “After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.”
Acts 12:5, 12 “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying fervently to God for him. … As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark, where many had assembled and were praying.”
2 John 10 “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home, and do not greet him.” John writes to ‘the elect lady and her children,’ most likely a metaphor for a local church, as the context of 2 John would suggest. Thus when John instructs them on church discipline, he is referring to home church.
House church not only has a biblical precedent, it is also a metaphor for the church itself! John Hammett, author of Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches, agrees that ‘Paul’s description of the church assumes a small-group family-like aspect of the church.’11
There are several images used to describe or represent church in the NT that correlate to the household: household of God, household of faith, brothers and sisters of the faith, and family to name a few. Of note, when Paul writes addresses his letters, he often refers to all believers in the city as a single church (1 Cor 1:2; 1 Thess 1:1; Eph 1:1; Rom 1:7 cf Gal 1:2). Thus, Paul’s understands the church to be a unified body of believers within each city, regardless of where they met specifically, which was most likely a collection of house churches.
Ephesians 2:19 “So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household.”
John 8:35–36 “A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.”
Galatians 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.”
1 Timothy 3:15 “But if I should be delayed, I have written so that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.”
Hebrews 2:11 “For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.”
1 Peter 2:17 “Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”
1 Peter 4:17 “For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?”
Ephesians 3:14-15 “For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.”
1 Cor 1:16 “I did, in fact, baptize the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t recall if I baptized anyone else.”
In the same way we need to re-imagine ‘church’, we also need to re-imagine the household differently. A typical Hebrew household included 12-15 people that spanned 3-4 generations. The household was a central place for activity, including teaching, discipleship, worship, and fellowship, among other things.12 Ernest Martin summarizes major observations of the house church in his commentary on Colossians and Philemon:
The church adopted house churches even prior to the time when they needed a low profile because of persecution.
Both men and women are named with houses or households.
Not all believers were poor. Some were able to provide houses of adequate size for gatherings.
Large cities, such as Corinth and Rome, had more than one house church. This may account in part for the divisions at Corinth. Larger assemblies came together, made up of the smaller groups (Rom. 16:23).
The pattern facilitated the primary group nature of the church in its essence, providing for intimacy, accountability, worship, and fellowship.
The pattern allowed for the flexibility that mobility requires. It fitted well with the emphasis on hospitality.
The pattern assumed diversities of age and socioeconomic standing and turned them into opportunities.
The house-church phenomenon explains the spread of Christian faith and the vitality of churches in the early centuries.
Conclusion
The household and household church was fertile soil for disciple-making and community! There is no precedent for the Western-European style building churches we see today in the New Testament. When the New Testament uses the word temple or synagogue, we should NOT be picturing the modern-day American church. I hope this brief overview of the correlation between temple and synagogue versus home church has been clarifying. I also hope it has led to more questions and conversation.
Next I will dive into the practicalities of why house church is beneficial, while contrasting it with our Western-European style of institionalized church.
If you want more right now, check out his podcast with a brother in Christ, as we discuss the way we do church:
What questions do you have about the biblical foundation for what church is?
After reading this article do you view church in a different context? If so, how?
Thomas O’Loughlin, The Didache: A Window on the Earliest Christians (London; Grand Rapids, MI: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; Baker Academic, 2010), 46.
“The church is the people called by God, who are united by their faith in Christ and by their common life in him. Various descriptions and metaphors emphasize the continuity between the people of God in the OT and NT. NT images of the church:
The body of Christ Ro 12:4-5 See also 1Co 12:12,27; Eph 3:6; 5:23; Col 1:18,24; 2:19; 3:15
God’s building or temple 1Co 3:16-17 See also 1Co 3:10; 2Co 6:16; Eph 2:21-22; Heb 3:6; 10:21; 1Pe 2:5
A plant or vine Jn 15:1-8 See also Ro 11:17-24; 1Co 3:6-8
Jesus Christ’s flock Jn 10:14-16 See also Mt 25:33; Lk 12:32; Ac 20:28-29; 1Pe 5:2-4
The bride of Christ Rev 21:2 See also Eph 5:25-27,31-32; Rev 19:7; 22:17
God’s household or family Eph 2:19 See also Jn 8:35-36; Gal 6:10; Eph 3:15; 1Ti 3:15; Heb 2:11; 1Pe 2:17; 4:17”
Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies (London: Martin Manser, 2009).
R. J. McKelvey, “Temple,” in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, ed. T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner, electronic ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000).
Lisa Sharon Harper, “The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong Can Be Made Right.” (New York: Waterbrook 2016) 185.
Matthew E. Gordley, “Synagogue,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
Paul Levertoff, “Synagogue,” ed. James Orr et al., The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915), 2877–2878.
The Septuagint translates two different Hebrew words to synagogue. “The LXX always uses συναγωγή to translate Heb. ‘ēḏâ (a more recent term is keneseṯ; Aram. keništā’), whereas qāhāl (qehal yhwh) is rendered both with συναγωγή and ἐκκλησία.” Horst Robert Balz and Gerhard Schneider, Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1990–), 294.
Joseph L. Trafton, “Synagogue,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, electronic ed., Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996), 752.
Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Synagogue,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 2008.
The ruler of the synagogue, accordingly, was not a worship leader or a professionally trained scribe or rabbi but a lay member of a synagogue who was entrusted by the elders of the community with general oversight of the synagogue and orthodoxy of teaching. His responsibilities included building maintenance and security, procuring of scrolls for Scripture reading, and arranging of Sabbath worship by designating Scripture readers, prayers, and preachers.
James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Mark, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2002), 161.
Paul Levertoff, “Synagogue,” ed. James Orr et al., The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915), 2878.
Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology. By John S. Hammett. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2005. 319.
A list from Ernest D. Martin commentary on Colossians and Philemon illustrates a few overlapping associations between household and house church:
Mark 9:28; 10:10—house as a place for teaching disciples
Acts 2:46; 5:42—houses as settings for life of the new community
Acts 12:12—gathering in Mary’s house for prayer
Acts 16:14–15—household of Lydia baptized, house made available
Acts 16:34—household of jailer (Philippi)
Acts 18:7–8—house of Titius Justus, household of Crispus (Corinth)
Acts 20:8–11—meeting in upper-floor room (Troas)
Acts 20:20—proclaiming/teaching from house to house (Ephesus)
Rom. 16:3–5—church in the house of Prisca and Aquila (Rome)
Rom. 16:23—Gaius, host of the whole church
1 Cor. 16:15—household of Stephanas
1 Tim. 3:15—household of God
Titus 1:11—leading astray whole households
In several texts the idea is present without the word house/household:
Rom. 16:10–11—those of (the household of) Aristobulus, Narcissus
Ernest D. Martin, Colossians, Philemon, Believers Church Bible Commentary (Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1993), 297.