Editor's Note Before we get into Rolfe Barnard's sermon, I wanted to make this quick note. Not long ago, I spoke to two young men on this very topic of a church meeting in a home. One of them had spent time as a missionary in places such as Japan. He agreed that churches normally start out assembling in the home, but eventually once the church has grown “they have to build a building,” he claimed — although there is no Scripture basis for such a requirement found in the New Testament, no matter what the size of God's assembly. I do understand his position in this way: if the church has grown to a point where it needs a larger area to assemble, there is nothing wrong with that. But also, more churches could be formed in other homes as well if the church grows to that point.

The Church Has Always Met in the Home

It is a matter of history that for the first two hundred years after Christ the church never had special buildings of its own, and when at last they did, the art of exhortation degenerated into the issuing of commands. Many groups which began in homes and have now become well-known organisations have lost out in spiritual effectiveness since they moved into special buildings for their gatherings. This has not happened suddenly. A special building is not a sin but merely a sincere effort to glorify God, which may ultimately involve more drawbacks than advantages.

The Church in the Home in the New Testament

A study of the Acts of the Apostles and the epistles of the New Testament — especially the epistles of Paul — confronts us with the church in the home. Four times “the church in the home” is specifically mentioned. The apostles wrote letters to churches and to individuals and sent greetings to or from the church in such-and-such a house.

“Likewise greet the church that is in their house” (Romans 16:5 — the house of Aquila and Priscilla).
“The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house” (1 Corinthians 16:19).
“Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house” (Colossians 4:15).

And then in Philemon verse 2 Paul addresses himself to Philemon and the church in his house. Not one single instance can be found in the New Testament where the early Christians ever built what we call a house of worship.

Sometimes they met by the riverside — where Paul would preach and God would open Lydia's heart that she would attend upon the Word. In Jerusalem for a while the temple was used as a place of public testimony, but also in addition to that public testimony, every house of every believer was a place of meeting. We need to carefully note Acts 2:46 and then read Acts 5:42 with great care.

For a while, before the Jews really came to understand the issue, Jewish believers were welcome in the temple and were asked to speak. When the temple was denied the preachers, only the house remained. Then Paul and others journeyed into Gentile territory, and being Jewish believers were permitted for a while to preach in synagogues. Later, as the issue was more clearly defined and the Jewish people understood its implications, the synagogues were closed to the preachers of the Gospel — and then only the house, or “the church in the home,” remained. Over twenty times in the Acts of the Apostles and in the epistles we read of believers carrying out their united worship in the home of a believer.

What Is the Church?

The word “church” is of Latin origin. The Greek word translated “church” in our Authorised Version is ekklesia — meaning “the called out ones.” Ek means “out from”; kaleo means “to call.” This word is also translated “assembly.” The word “church” or “assembly” is found 115 times in the New Testament. It is used once for a town council (Acts 19:39), twice for a mob or unlawful council (Acts 19:32–41), and twice for Israel in the old covenant (Acts 7:38). But the word “church” is used 110 times for the body of Christ — believers.

The church is not:

(1) A building.   (2) A denomination.   (3) An organisation.   (4) Many bodies organised, such as synods, conventions, associations, or denominations.

The church is:

(1) A body of believers — read carefully Ephesians 4:4 and 1 Peter 2:5.   (2) A fellowship — one fellowship.   (3) A living organism, not a mere organisation.

The church as one body is clearly shown in such passages as 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Colossians 1:18, and Ephesians 1:22–23. Read Ephesians 2, especially verses 19 and 22. The church is a “building,” yes — but it is a building being built by the Holy Spirit, not with brick and mortar and hammer and nails. It is a building indwelt by God the Holy Spirit, with Christ as the Chief Cornerstone and Foundation, as to order, structure, and doctrine.

Let's review the assembly of called out ones. It is: the building of God; the household of God; the body of Christ; the pillar and ground of truth; a holy temple; the habitation of God; a heavenly colony sojourning here on earth, bearing witness in the power of the Holy Spirit to the risen, ascended, glorified Lord. That is the church.

Every Member a Minister

It is important to get fixed in our minds that the early church was taught to regard itself not merely as a collection of saved individuals but as active members of the body of Christ. Not only did all believers form the one body universal, but each group functioned as the body locally. In each of the three cases where these are mentioned — Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4 — there is no suggestion of only one man ministering to the whole group. Rather, each is shown as having the privilege of possessing some spiritual gift and the responsibility to minister this gift to the rest of the saints, so that every believer is looked on as a minister to the rest.

Modern research in education has shown that we learn little by merely listening — but when we try to impart what we know to others, we really begin to master our subject. This shows us the wisdom of God in planting the church, not as a vast congregation of listeners, but as a small body sharing with each other what they learn from the Holy Spirit.

The Simple Pattern of the Early Church

The picture we have of the early church is something very simple but very vital. Whenever two or three would gather together in the name of the Lord, there they would expect to find their once crucified, now risen Lord present in the midst of them. They would also expect the Holy Spirit to work in each of them as they shared with one another what was revealed.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… teaching and admonishing one another” (Colossians 3:16) — addressed to a whole congregation, not simply to one man called the pastor.

As each small group divided and grew into a number of groups, these continued in fellowship with each other. All of the small gatherings in one city would together form the church of God in Ephesus or wherever it might be. Yet each group would have no say in the way another was carried on. The Lord was the Head of each and worked in each as He saw fit — but they were free to exhort and admonish each other, though not to command.

We find that this true church did not usually get on well with organised religion — but if there was a division, it always came about by the organised religious group casting out the true believers. Until this happened, we find the position pictured in Acts 2:46:

“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart” (Acts 2:46).