The House-Church concept is different from modern churches
Consider that a house-church is the wonderful
New Testament model for doing church.
Why not have
church at home?
This page explores genuine differences between twenty first century churches and the house-church of the first century. It may be helpful for growing gay Christian congregations to adopt the New Testament model of churches which met in homes, yards, porches and apartments instead of continuing to duplicate the often impersonal, frequently unscriptural practices of so many postmodern churches. Perhaps now is the time for a return to our spiritual roots, where Christians were authentic, their testimony of faith in Jesus Christ and believing the Bible was real and they focused on teaching and learning the scriptures. If you cannot find a good Bible preaching, evangelistic, Jesus loving church where you live, why not start a Bible study in your home? A house church is better than dying on the vine and certainly it's better than going to a fun and games church where they don't teach or believe the Bible.
Modern Churches
vs. House Churches
- Modern churches meet in a dedicated building, often expensive to buy and maintain.
A New Testament house-church met mostly in homes. Acts 2:46-47; 5:42; 8:3; 12:12; 16:40; 20:7-8; 20:20; Rom 16:3-5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col.4:15; Philemon 2; 2 Jn 9-11 - New members are sought so that the modern church keeps getting bigger and bigger. Size seems to be the goal.
When the number of believers outgrew a home, another house church was formed. Rom. 16:3-5; 14-15; Acts 2:41-47 - The modern church is divided into denominations, many of which do not teach the Bible verse by verse.
In the New Testament, instead of denominations, there was a house-church in each city, meeting in small groups in homes, to teach the Bible and evangelize their city. Acts 8:1; 11:26; 18:22; Rom 16:1; 1 Cor 1:2; Rev.2:1; Col 4:16; 1 Thess 1:1; Rev 2:12; 3:7; 3:1; 2:8; 2:18 - Modern pastors are usually seminary trained. The people often have no real knowledge of their pastor’s life or character.
New Testament elders were local people who were trained in the house church. Their life and character were well known. Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5 - The Sunday worship service is a spectator event where the Pastor and a few leaders do most of the ministering.
Sunday worship was interactive. Each house church member could exercise his/her spiritual gifts in ministry. 1Cor 12:4-27; 14:26; Eph 4:15-16; Rom 12:3-8; 1 Pet 4:10-11; Heb 10:23-25; Rom 12:15; 1Cor 12:26 - Sunday church follows a formal, generally inflexible order of service.
Sunday worship in a house-church was informal, flexible and spontaneous. Acts 20:7-12; 1 Cor 14:26-31 - The goal is worship or passively listening to a sermon or sometimes, evangelism.
The goal of a house-church was mutual edification, prayer and teaching the scriptures. 1 Cor 14:3,4,5,12,17,26; Eph 4:11-12, 16; Heb 10:24-25 - Church is often led by a Pastor or a Board who are accountable to no one.
A house-church was led by spiritual Elders, trained in, known by and accountable to the local congregation. Acts 14:23; 20:28; Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 4:17; Heb 10:17; James 5:14; 1 Pet 5:1-2 - The Pastor is treated as if (s)he is better and more spiritual than the other Christians.
In a house-church, a team of spiritual elders taught scripture, led the church and were accountable to each other and to the local congregation. Acts 20:28; Titus 1:5-7; 1 Pet 5:1-2 - The Pastor is paid a salary and benefits and retirement by the church.
Some elders may have been financially supported but many house church elders were often self-employed, meaning they worked a job to pay their living expenses. 1 Tim.5:17-18; Acts 20:33-35 - Modern churches have a distinctive clergy/laity class system which divides the church.
First century house churches had almost no clergy/laity distinction. The members together formed a spiritual priesthood, all of them responsible to God. Heb 13:15-16; 1 Pet 2:5, 9; Rev 1:6 - The Lord’s Supper is observed every service or on a fixed schedule, usually with no admonition to get right with God before partaking and it is usually open to unsaved people.
The Lord’s Supper was observed as often as each local house-church desired, not necessarily every service and it was not offered to unsaved people. Acts 20:7; 1Cor 11:18-20, 33 - The Lord’s Supper is observed with a wafer and a dip or a sip of grape juice or wine.
In a house-church, the Lord’s Supper was observed as a meal, with the elements of the Lord's Supper (bread and wine or pure blood of the grape) offered after the meal, to saved people who got right with God before partaking. Acts 2:42, 46; 1 Cor 11:20-21; Jude 12 - The Lord’s Supper is often dull, solemn, almost funeral-like, open to lost and saved alike, sometimes emphasizing a vertical relationship with Christ, if that is mentioned at all.
The Lord’s Supper was observed with joyful hearts by saved participants who first judged their own sins, acknowledging the literal physical absence of the Lord, not His literal physical presence. The joyful celebration in a house church pointed to the marriage supper of the Lamb and emphasized the believer’s horizontal relationship with other believers. Acts 2:46; Luke 22:15-18,30; 1 Cor 11:26; Acts 2:42; 1 Cor 10:16 - A new member must go through membership and instructional classes before (s)he can be baptized.
New believers in a house church were baptized as soon as humanly possible to publicly demonstrate their death to the old pagan life and their joyful resolve to follow Jesus in new life. Acts 2:37-41; 8:12; 8:36-38; 9:17-18; 10:45-48; 16:31-34; 19:5 - Baptism or sprinkling are performed by the clergy.
Baptism in a house church was only by immersion, never by sprinkling in the New Testament and could be performed by any born again Christian. John 4:2; Acts 8:12; 8:36-39; 9:18; 22:16; 1 Cor 1:17 - The congregation must be present when someone is baptized.
The house church congregation was not always present when someone was baptized. Acts 8:12; 8:36-39; 16:31-34 - The preacher delivers (sometimes reads) a monologue sermon with little opportunity for questions and not much input from the congregation.
Spirit-filled teaching elders in a house church taught the scriptures and took time to answer questions. Teaching and learning scripture was the goal. Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 14:29-35 - The modern church spends most of its income to support the pastor and the building.
Since many house church pastors and teaching elders were self-supported and the church met in homes, the money people gave was used to help poor Christians, assist widows and send missionaries to unevangelized areas. First century churches had few administrative expenses. Acts 2:44-45; Gal 6:9-10; 1 Jn 3:17; 1 Tim 5:17-18; 1 Cor 9:6-14; 2 Cor 8:3; Phil 4:15-18; Lk 12:33-34; Eph 4:28; James 1:27 - Believers are urged to tithe, i.e., to give at least 10% of their income to the church, as if they are still under OT Law.
House church believers gave from willing hearts, as God had prospered them. Tithing is not taught as a Christian obligation after the resurrection of Christ because we are under grace, not Law. 2 Cor 8:3-4; 9:7, Romans 6:14
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