Episode 132: Houses of Fire - an Ancient Strategy for a New Season (Part 1 - Acts 1-9 - AD30-40)

The Church Began in Houses
“When Christianity first started after the ascension of Jesus
[i.e. Pentecost], Christians did not gather in church buildings
but in people’s homes. These were known as "house churches." One
reason Christians…met in homes was monetary: the money collected
went to help poorer Christians and to support missionaries and
perhaps even clergy. As Christianity grew larger, the Roman
Empire began persecuting Christians. Therefore, Christians were
not able to build churches because that would be like putting on
a big target and saying, “Here we are.” So, Christians gathered
and held their meetings secretly in people’s homes.”

Part 1 - Acts 1-9 – AD 30-AD 40


 


BOOK OF ACTS TIMELINE/EVENTS - AD 30 (33) PENTECOST

How am I currently reading/studying ACTS? Personal ’House Church
Movement’ Disclaimer


 


ACTS 1:13 - 13 And when they
had entered, they went up to the upper room,
where they were staying


 


ACTS 2:1-4 - 1 When the day of Pentecost
arrived, they were all together in one place.
2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound
like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire
house where they were sitting. 3 And
divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and restedon each one
of them. 4 And they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit
gave them utterance.


 


Where did Stage 1 of Pentecost begin?


 


ACTS 2:6 - 5 Now there were
dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under
heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came
together (?)


 


ACTS 2:46-47 - 46 And day by day, attending the
temple together and breaking bread in their
homes, they received their food with glad and generous
hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with
all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day
those who were being saved.


 


Saved? Revival. 3000 on Pentecost. 


 


ACTS 4:4 – 4 But many of those
who had heard the word believed, and the number of the
men came to about five thousand. 


 


5000+ - including women and children
(10,000+???)


 


ACTS 4:23 - 23 When they were
released, they went to their friends and
reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.


 


ACTS 4:31 - 31 And when they
had prayed, the place in which they were
gathered together was shaken, and they
were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the
word of God with boldness.


 


Pentecost 2.0! Where does it happen?


 


BOOK OF ACTS TIMELINE/EVENTS - AD 34-35


 


By AD 34, possibly 15,000-20,000 new believers in the Jerusalem
church. 400+ House Churches would have been needed! Leadership
issues? 


 


What about bigger gatherings? – Temple (2:6?,
2:46, 3:1), Solomon’s Colonnade next to Temple (3:11, 5:12)


 


ACTS 4:1-2 - 1 And as they were speaking to the
people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the
Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were
teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection
from the dead


 


What doctrines will “greatly annoy” the authorities
today? Where? 


 


ACTS 5:17-18 - 17 But the high
priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of
the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they
arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.


 


ACTS 5:20-21 - 20 “Go and stand
in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this 


Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered
the temple at daybreak and began to teach.


 


ACTS 5:42 - 42 And every day,
in the temple and from house to house, they did
not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.


 


What are our “temples” today? Restaurants?
Malls? Stores? Parks? 


 


ACTS 8:3 - 3 But Saul was
ravaging the church, and entering house after
house, he dragged off men and women and committed them
to prison.


 


Does the “house” guarantee no persecution? 


 


ACTS 9:17-18 - 17 So Ananias
departed and entered the house. And laying his
hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared
to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may
regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18 And immediately something like scales fell
from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was
baptized;


 


ACTS 9:19b-20 – 19 …For some
days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20
And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the
synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.


 


What are our “synagogues”? Same as our
“temples”.


 


BOOK OF ACTS TIMELINE/EVENTS - AD 39-40


 


ACTS 9:32-34 - 32 Now as Peter went here and
there among them all, he came down also to the saints who
lived at Lydda. 33 There he found a man
named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed.
34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ
heals you; rise and make your bed.” 


 


ACTS 9:37, 39-42 - 37 In those
days she [Tabitha] became ill and died, and when they had washed
her, they laid her in an upper
room…39 So Peter rose and went with
them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper
room. 40 But Peter put them all
outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he
said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw
Peter she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand
and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he
presented her alive. 42 And it became
known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the
Lord.


 


What is the result of what happens in the house?

Source: The Book of Acts – The Timeline, History &
the Writings of the New Testament Letters, Bob
Emery

FINAL OBSERVATIONS/THOUGHTS
+ The Church BEGAN in a house 



+ No Church ‘buildings’ (earliest in the 200s, converted house)



+ Revival needed houses – evangelism/teaching/discipling



+ Public Meetings (i.e. Temple) often led to problems



+ First 10-year period involved ONLY Jews (2:5 - “devout Jews”,
  2:11   - “both Jews and converts to Judaism”)



+ House-sized churches are still the norm in many places



+ Fearful (masked) people won’t go to big meetings, but homes?



+ House meetings necessitate relational evangelism (vs. contact)