Are House Churches the Biblically Prescribed Model?
It is irrefutable that the early church met in homes. It is also irrefutable that apostolic epistles were written to groups of home churches designated by an area, primarily cities. The letters were written for specific purposes unique to those churches, which clearly demonstrates a fellowship and unity among them.
In Acts 20, Paul called for a meeting with the Ephesian elders. Those elders represented the home churches in Ephesus—this is evident. Churches were separated by geographies made up of home assemblies and led by a particular group of elders. Once you see this construct, massive amounts of biblical data begins to fall into place. And once again, we find that we have been fed a load of boloney on another issue by the institutionalized church: “New Testament church models are ambiguous.” Not so.
Question is, was this a transitional model or intended to be the norm? I think it was intended to be the norm for a couple of reasons. First, several of the home churches were hosted by believers with significant financial means. Even though the New Testament spans several years and the church was endowed with wealthy people to some degree, we see no other model in regard to a central meeting place. Secondly, according to my wife Susan who has studied Reformation history extensively, it was Augustine who normalized the central meeting place concept. That means the initial model was in practice for at least 300 years.
The New Testament describes the leadership, the worship, and general activities of the early church in detail. There is no ambiguity here, a prescribed model is apparent. But home church does not mean the organization thereof is loosey-goosey. Far from it. Structure and organization is described in detail. Key to a successful home church network like that of the early church is paid, fulltime leaders. It is a structure within a free atmosphere. Administration and procedure are critical. Things are to be done, “decently and in order.”
As you can see, I am only putting forth a general thesis here for the time being. But in the near future I will be writing a detailed explanation of the New Testament model. Basically, I think it is a model that combines the casual and free atmosphere of the home with sound administration.
Also, there is leadership, but no polity (government), and fellowship versus authority. Sound administration can be mutually exclusive from government and authority. Unity is the goal, not control. It’s a “household of faith” not an institution. Unity comes from following the one mind in Christ; i.e., TRUTH.
1. Leadership, not government.
2. Fellowship, not authority.
3. Unity, not control.
4. A household of faith, not an institution.
Time to think out of the box on this. Time to rethink all of our presuppositions.
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
James, I went to a major Church of Christ church, school and university for 7 years so I do have a little knowledge about it. it is still a institutional church even though it likes to say it isn’t. They also believe one can lose their salvation. They absolutely do have one pastor, are not house churches, and it is still run like a modern American church. However, COC are one of the better denom. because they do not seem to have all the abuse issues Reformed churches do.
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T4H
True that. I have extensive experience with COC. You are dead on.
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“My unwanted two cents: Where do you see that the early church had paid fulltime leaders? Paul occasionally argues that he ought to be paid, but he was a missionary not a fulltime leader.”
I don’t see this scenario either. Maybe Paul will expound as he studies the issue of elders in the early church.
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Bridget and others:
I will indeed expound on this in detail as I am working on a detailed treatise on this. Paul didn’t want to toot his own horn on this so he worked while preaching that lay elders needed to be supported full-time. He warned the Galatians that not paying the teachers there was mocking God. This is why Paul worked, so that he could preach hard that the others be paid. Please understand this: ELDERS WHO DON’T HAVE TIME TO RESEARCH AND STUDY THE WORD FOR THEMSELVES IS EXACTLY WHY ORTHODOXY RULES THE CHURCH TODAY.
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T4H, to you comment that the CoC “is a institutional church even though it likes to say it isn’t.” The one I attended back in the day used the phrase “blood purchased institution” to refer to the church more times than I can count in sermons. I always hated that phrase, but its a big one with them.
I guess maybe my use of the phrase “non-institutional church of Christ” threw you. All that is meant by that is they are not the mainstream church of Christ that supports the Christian colleges like Abilene from the “church treasury” and hires fulltime preachers/pastors who graduated from there. It means they believe the “church treasury” can only be spent on new carpet, new buildings, paying travelling preachers, and having some illegals mow the lawn, but not on a fulltime pastor or on funding para-church institutions. They certainly do treat the church as an institution, however. And like I said, I’m not endorsing them.
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“ELDERS WHO DON’T HAVE TIME TO RESEARCH AND STUDY THE WORD FOR THEMSELVES IS EXACTLY WHY ORTHODOXY RULES THE CHURCH TODAY.”
I would say that “believers who don’t take time to think through the life and actions of Jesus Christ FOR THEMSELVES are EXACTLY WHY ORTHODOXY RULES THE CHURCH TODAY.”
This is not to imply that elders (which needs to be defined) don’t have a purpose, but to place the importance of thinking and reasoning on all believers. Afterall, God created man (humankind) in His image – not just leaders/pastors/elders. Jesus told the early believers to make disciples. This means being like Jesus — yes?
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Bridget,
Believers must study for themselves, and men must be the pastors of their home, but in fact, they wear too many hats to compete with with the professional orthodox clergy. Why do you think churches are being taken over left and right and the laity is powerless against it? They know it’s error, but they don’t have the information to launch a formidable argument against it. All they can do is stand by and watch. We see this daily.
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Well who is the pastor of the home when say, the man is drafted to go to war. Were many homes in America during WW2 “pastorless” and therefore wanting because of the situation. I don’t understand this “pastor of the home” thing. Where exactly do grown adult women who love Jesus and study to show themselves approved, fit in?
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Lydia,
That’s where they fit in, when the husband isn’t there for some reason. And I use “pastor” in a manner of speaking regarding leadership in the home. Pastors are not to meddle in the home period. That’s why I phrase it that way in regard to the husband. Elders are nowhere to be found in Ephesians 5. My comments in no way were meant to downplay the wife’s spiritual contribution to a home.
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James- yeh you are right there on the church treasury. My sister still goes to a COC, but it is a little more “liberal” then some. No I did not think you were endorsing them- 🙂
Like Paul stated, I disagree with many of the things you say, but I do believe I have a brain to figure things out for myself and have confidence in the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to me, so I do not mind whatsoever your coming here and presenting your own beliefs. The issue of the book of life is a good one and again, like Paul said these things are rarely discussed anymore in the church.
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