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| To the church that meets in your home (Philemon 1:2) |
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| New Testament House Church References | |
| Reference | Contextual Comments |
| Acts 2:46 | In Jerusalem, the early churches celebrated “daily” their salvation. They were “breaking bread from house to house” in a common meal which was probably the main meal of the day. |
| Acts 5:42 | Here in Jerusalem, the early churches were “daily in the temple, and in every house” teaching and preaching that Jesus, the Messiah, has come. |
| Acts 20:20 | Paul taught “from house to house” in Ephesus for about 3 years (v.31). |
| Romans 16:5 | Paul sends greetings to Aquila and Priscilla who are in Rome, where a church met “in their house”. |
| 1 Corinthians 16:19 | Aquila and Priscilla, and the rest of their house church in Ephesus, send greetings to the churches in Corinth. This is probably one of the house churches (among many, Ac.20:20) Paul taught in for 3 years. This same couple, later on had a house church in Rome (Ro.16:3-5). |
| Colossians 4:15 | The Colossians were to “salute the brethren which are in Laodicea” and especially Nymphas, in whose home the church met. |
| Philemon 2 | Paul writing to Philemon, in or near Colosse, mentions “the church in thy [Philemon's] house.” Paul writes on behalf of Onesimus, a runaway slave who since received Christ as Savior. |
| 2 John 10 | The “house” here is a house church. John, writing to Christians in Asia Minor, does not want the false teacher to have any opportunity to propagate his errors. Thus, he is saying not to allow them to enter your congregation. |
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SUMMARY NOTES There are in the introductory verses to the following books (1 & 2 Corinthians; Galatians; 1 & 2 Thessalonians) references to churches collectively situated in a certain geographic area or city that alludes to many churches. Also there are the epistles addressed to Christians in various regions, who assumedly met in homes (Romans; Ephesians; Colossians; James; 1 & 2 Peter). Passages such as Romans 16:14-15 seem to be referring to particular house churches in Rome. And some see 1 Corinthians 1:11 “them which are of the house of Chloe” as one particular house church in Corinth. But this reference is not as clear as those mentioned above. Some understand Acts 12:12 “where many gathered together praying” in “the house of Mary” in Jerusalem as another example of a house church. |
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Tom Elseroad
1990
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