I am just wondering here. This is a tangent, but are you against Christians in countries that are not under severe persecution meeting in homes like the early church did? There isn't any evidence for a 'steeplehouse' style church building in the New Testament. There were churches that met in homes out of Jerusalem, in the house of Aquilla and Priscilla, in the house of Nympha, in the house of Philemon (or Arcchippus, depending on how one interprets the opening verses of Philemon.) Paul wrote from Corinth of 'Gaius mine host, and of the whole church'. It was the norm to have church meetings in homes back then. The Jerusalem church was quite large and met in Solomon's porch and from house to house.
Paul evangelized in synagogues, the marketplace, and the Aereopagos. But 'church' meetings outside of Jerusalem are associated with homes of individuals if the location is mentioned. Paul met with some men in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. It could have 'been' church or evangelistic outreach. James made a reference to his readers who had the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ having a 'synagogue' in James 2:2.
But generally, there were meetings in homes. The idea of a church building being built as sacred space-- holy ground-- isn't in the Bible. I wonder if some people treat these places like the high places in the Old Testament.
Paul evangelized in synagogues, the marketplace, and the Aereopagos. But 'church' meetings outside of Jerusalem are associated with homes of individuals if the location is mentioned. Paul met with some men in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. It could have 'been' church or evangelistic outreach. James made a reference to his readers who had the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ having a 'synagogue' in James 2:2.
But generally, there were meetings in homes. The idea of a church building being built as sacred space-- holy ground-- isn't in the Bible. I wonder if some people treat these places like the high places in the Old Testament.
What I am against is those folks who just do not want any organization to the church. An organized church is a witness and a testimony to the unsaved world. Driving down the street and encountering a building with a church design and name on the outside still causes men to consider that God exists and they are faced with the conviction of one day standing before Him and giving account for their lives.
I have attended store front churches and found great blessing fellowshipping with believers in those assemblies. 10-20 believers with a good bible teaching pastor can do great work and win many souls to Christ. That was 40 years ago but it was a great time that we would do well to see again.
For the cause of Christ
Roger