The Early Church

Lately, I've spent a great deal of time studying scripture for and thinking about church in houses. We know from scripture and reliable historical sources that the early church met in houses for the first 300 years. Yet, today when we think of "church" we think of the big building down on the corner. Now, before you shout me down, I want you to know that I was saved in one of those buildings and helped plant a traditional church back in 2001. I have nothing against churches that meet in buildings and there is not a question in my mind that God is using them mightily.

What I want to do in this blog message is to challenge you to a deeper understanding of the early church. The Greek word that is translated as "church" in the New Testament is Ecclesia. This was actually a governmental word that described a gathering. The early church adopted the term because it best fit their gatherings. Now, clearly I was not there, but I would like to piece together my view of those early days.

After three years of walking the earth with his disciples, Jesus was crucified, resurrected and appeared to many people for forty days. His last words to the disciples were to wait in Jerusalem for the promised comforter (the Holy Spirit) and that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came on them and they were to his witnesses in Jerusalem, all of Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

So, the confused disciples go to Jerusalem and begin to pray and talk. They figured that Jesus was going to set up a new Kingdom, overthrowing the Roman government. That didn't happen, so they began to wonder what was next. Jesus' followers met in the upper room for fifty days. I imagine that many became impatient and began questioning. Some probably gave up, but finally one day, the promised Holy Spirit arrived like a wind and flames of fire and everyone was changed.

Peter went from a bumbler who denounced Jesus three times to a mighty preacher and 3000 were saved. He and the disciples then sent those 3,000 down to the local mega-church, right? Actually, they dispersed to the marketplace and their houses and began talking about the hottest news in town - "Did you hear about what happened in the upper room? Man, at first we thought those crazy Jesus freaks were drunk, but it turned out that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and then WHAM we got it too. It's awesome! All you've got to do is acknowledge that you're a sinner, ask God to forgive you, and recognize Jesus as your Savior and Lord and not only will you receive the Holy Spirit, but you'll get to go to heaven when you die. Can you believe it? Sounds too good to be true, but it is!"

So, they start talking with each other in the marketplace and meeting from house to house. They had lots of questions and so the disciples spread out and began teaching them about Jesus and how to live life the way he instructed. Unlike today, they were meeting every night for communal meals and probably talked late into the night about Jesus. The Holy Spirit provided regular revelation and so everyone was expected to come prepared to deliver a song, teaching, revelation, tongue, or interpretation of a tongue (1 Cor. 14:26-28). All of this was to be done for the strenthening of the church body. Paul also gave instructions for orderly conduct at these gatherings in verses 27-33.

We learn in Acts 2:42 that the early church devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, breaking of bread (full meals like the last supper), and prayer. When we combine the scriptures, it's pretty easy to get a picture of these gatherings. The houses were stuffed with excited people who were eating, talking, singing, teaching, learning, and praying. They also gave generously. Those who had more, sold things and brought the funds to the apostles, so it could be used for the good of the church - to take care of the apostles and the poor - and no one was in lack.

The Open Door is our humble attempt to restore some of the early church. We live in a different culture, so we wouldn't even attempt to try to recreate the scene in exact details, but we do gather in houses. We eat and fellowship. We sing, teach, learn, and pray. We love God, love each other, and seek to serve in our community. It won't be right for everyone, but it is our hope that we can attract those who would not attend a traditional church, but are interested in learning more about God, Jesus, and the Bible. If you live in the Tacoma, WA area, let us know where you live and we'll connect you up with the nearest house church. If you would like to start a house church (even outside the Tacoma area), we would be happy to help you plant and oversee your gatherings.

For more about The Open Door, check out our web site at www.TheOpenDoor.us.