Can A Church Meet In A House?

There is no reference in the entire New Testament to a church building, as we know it today. The word church applies only to people.

MATTHEW 18:20 NKJ
20 "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

House Meetings

ACTS 8:3 NKJ
3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, . . .

ACTS 12:5,12 NKJ
5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
12 So, when he (Peter) had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.

ACTS 20:20 NKJ
20 "and how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,

ROMANS 16:5 NKJ
5a Likewise greet the church that is in their house.

1 CORINTHIANS 16:19 NKJ
19b Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

COLOSSIANS 4:15 NKJ
15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house.

PHILEMON 1:2 NKJ
2 to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

Must A Church Meet On Sunday?

ROMANS 14:5 NKJ
5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.

If there was only one correct day for the church to meet, would this verse be in the Bible?

"How frequently or on what days the church assembled is also unknown. The meeting at Troas `on the Saturday night' (Acts 20:7, NEB) may be a model, and if so would support the view that the use of `the first day of the week' for Christian assembly began simply by using the night hours which followed the close of the sabbath . . . ." (New Bible Dictionary)

With no directions in Scripture, early Christians possibly met Saturday night (which they considered the first day of the week), because it was convenient, following the Sabbath, which was a Jewish day off. Then later generations made meeting on the first day of the week into a sacred tradition.

We should not judge a church by tradition and our culture -- but by God's Word, the Bible.


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