home church

Home Churches In the Apostolic Church

The first Christian Church at the time of the apostles had no church buildings, schools, hospitals, or other visible structure. This early Church met in "home churches," and sometimes in the open by a river side. (Acts 16:13).

"Likewise greet the church that is in their house," the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans. "Salute my well beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ." (Romans 16:5, emphasis supplied).

"The churches of Asia salute you,"Paul wrote to the Corinthians. "Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house." (1 Cor. 16:19, emphasis supplied).

"Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea," Paul wrote to the church at Colosse , "and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house." (Colossians. 4:15, emphasis supplied).

"And to our beloved Apphia," Paul wrote to Philemon, "and Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in thy house." (Philemon. 1:2, emphasis supplied).

"But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God," Paul wrote to Timothy, "which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Tim. 3:15, emphasis supplied).

Notice that the apostle Paul does not identify the Christian Church as a cathedral, or denomination, but he saluted "Nymphas, and the church which is in his house." (ibid., Col.. 4:15b). Then Paul stated that the Church of the living God is "the pillar and ground of the truth." (ibid., 1 Tim. 3:15). Does the Spirit of Prophecy agree with Paul? Yes, indeed.

"God has a church, it is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations;" Ellen White wrote, "it is the people who love God and keep His commandments." (The Upward Look, page 315, emphasis supplied).