Where did the early Church meet?
Philemon 2
Romans 16:5
1 Corinthians 16:19
Colossians 4:15
Acts 2:46
Acts 4:31
While some early believers dedicated their homes to the work of the Lord, calling them “Houses of Prayer,” “church buildings” didn’t come into vogue until the time of Constantine. I’ll let others come to their own conclusions whether that was a good thing or not.
How often did the early Church meet?
Acts 2:42-47
What was the early Church like?
It was a people prepared to follow the Holy Ghost, wherever He led, even if it was through persecution (Acts 8:1). When an American “church” is “persecuted” today, do they follow the lead of the early church and the direction of Christ as well as the Apostle Paul (Matthew 10:23; Acts 13:50-51; 14:6-7, 19-20) or do they follow American tradition and hire lawyers to fight “city hall?”
What was the message the early Church preached?
Christ, of course (Acts 8:4-5)!
Not only was their preaching consistent but in it they found the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3; 1:12). A simplicity that Paul feared they would be corrupted from.
The early church had no earthly entanglements that kept them from following Christ. Like Abram when the Lord said, “Get up and go to a land I will show you” they went, not having anything to hold them back (Genesis 12:1-4).
What were Paul’s directions for a typical worship service?
He gives clear directions, particularly in 1 Corinthians 14. Yet what we see in this chapter is a far cry from what we see in most “churches” today. Why? Man-made tradition, period.
Where is the biblical justification for one man to be the “head” of a group of believers?
Ephesians 4:11-16 corrects the misunderstanding that is so prevalent within the institutional “church” these days. Paul correctly teaches that Christ alone is THE head of the body. The church consisted of a number of leaders that were charged with defending the flock.
When Paul wrote to Titus, he reminded him that he had appointed him to “ordain elders in every city” for the purpose of overseeing the flock (Titus 1:5). Peter himself declared that he was “also an elder” of the Body of Christ (1 Peter 5:1). The notion of a “head pastor” or “senior pastor” or any other derivative is not biblical but man made. As for laypersons, good luck finding any hint of that anywhere in the New Testament.
What about 501(c)(3)?
I’ve searched the Scriptures for this one but am unable to find it. I wonder why American churches seem so enamored with this (asked tongue in cheek).
How many people does it take to make a Church? And where is this Church?
Matthew 18:20
With all the hunger and need in the world, why do we pool our funds to own real estate and all of the various expenses that go with it?
The early Church was able to provide for one another because they didn’t have mortgages and property taxes, etc. to pay on “church property”. Romans 15:25-26; Acts 11:27-30; 2 Corinthians 8:1 – 9:15; Galatians 6:6-10 and many others. Imagine the number of Bibles and tracts that could be printed; the missionaries that could be sent; the poor and hungry that could be cared for if we’d stop wasting money on real estate and start living for the world to come. Instead, who profits most from our “tithes and offerings?” Lawyers, bankers, accountants, decorators; etc.
Does the western idea of “church” work world-wide?
Visit sites like www.persecution.com and www.persecution.org to get more information on this. What you will find is that in places like North Korea, Vietnam, China, all Islamic nations and anywhere else the Church is really being persecuted the believers follow the biblical model and in spite of incredible persecution the Church is thriving.
When our hearts are completely surrendered to Christ, Christ can use us any way He sees fit, even if at first glance we may think we haven’t heard Him right (Matthew 21:28-32; Genesis 12:1-4; Acts 8:1-4). But if our hearts are set on following man-made rules and doctrine then we’ll often miss the better gift of following Christ completely.
As a Believer who is actively involved in ahome-based fellowship I’m often asked why I feel the need “to do my own thing.” The truth is simply this: I’m not “doing my own thing” but following the Scriptures – particularly the New Testament – to the best of my God-given abilities. My desire is to follow His pattern rather than man’s pattern. Jesus says the Church is His so I believe it’s my responsibility to follow His pattern for the Church, even if it conflicts with what men are teaching (Matthew 16:18).
There’s no doubt it would be a lot easier to follow the man-made traditions of the western church; to be another face in the pew on Sunday and maybe a mid-week Bible study. But my desire is to please Him to the best of my ability and I never want to hear Jesus say to me, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with theirlips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.“ (Matthew 15: 7-9).
Maranatha!