Because of a common mental concept of what an authentic church place is, this page will help you see what the bible tells us.
In Acts 2: 46 it reads, "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,"
First lets examine that word "temple"; In the greek, it doesnt mean a main central building, it means: a sacred place, and , an entire precinct.
Now, look at "house to house"; That word "house" in the greek means: a family home, household, temple.
You see, in the beginning the authentic church was gathered in persons private homes; The family dwelling places of those who were consecrated to God through the Spirit of Jesus.
This is the same thing it says in Acts 5:42 "And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." Those same words used in Acts 2:46 are the same words in the greek used here in Acts 5:42, which do not mean a main central building temple, but they do mean the entire area or precinct which had become a sacred place; And in individual households of believers, which were reverenced as temples of Gods place to gather.
Let's not forget what the very word Church itself means in the greek. It means a community of members on earth or in heaven; it means an assembly. How did Jesus describe the constitution of an authentic gathering? In Matthew 18:20 Jesus said "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
Again, in Acts 20:20 it reads "And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house," Here Paul the apostle referred ministering in family households and in open public areas.
Notice what Paul wrote to the christians in Rome. Romans 16:5a "Likewise greet the church that is in their house." This word "house" is the same greek word meaning :a family home temple; And he said the "church" that was in that family home temple; It's that same word used just about every time for "church", (ekklesia) an assembly of members in the community. It by no means should be taken to mean a building that is built seperate from any persons private use like a home, which is what the whole world has become used to imagining what a church is; It's not a central seperate building, it's not a denomination, it's not at all what the world respects or expects a church to be.
In the United States of America, most every so called church has bowed their knee to the IRS and the government to gain tax exempt status. They are in very certain terms under the control of government, and will be the first to go down in the future when anti-christ power begins to take more control.
Our work, called to oporate out of homes, does not take money ; We give. We are free from the future crunch of fear that the common government controlled churchs will go through. The government will try to make registered churchs bow to their dictates of accepting practicing sinners to serve in their church, or else.
More times we see the actual "church" refered to as from a family household; 1st Corinthians 16:19 "The churchs of Aisa salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house"
In Colossians 4:15 "Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house." There was an authentic church that gathered in the family dwelling of a man named Nymphas.
Philemon 2 "And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in thy house:" An offical recognized church was one that gathered in the family dwelling of Philemon.
According to common agreement, and with scriptures; there must be at least 3 places of scripture that bear witness in order to develop sound doctrine. There is no scripture that argues against itself in this matter; The authenticity of Home Church is original and ordained of God.
One thing that should be reverenced and followed, is the order of any church in a home or any other type of gathering; To be established by the gift ordained only from God himself in Apostleship. Anyone called and chosen by God to the ministy gift of Apostle can begin church in homes, but needs to wait on God for sound leadership from God. Others with gifts and callings to Pastor or Teach in homes can gain ordainment from an office of Apostle. You do not need legal papers or schooling as most commonly assumed for by most denominations; Actually, you should not put yourself under the dirrections of worldly powers and limiting dictions of what most churchs do nowdays. Our work here at The Church Of No Condemnation; A Home Church ordained of God with signs of miracles; Our work is to see to it that each believer becomes properly instructed and personally empowered by the Spirit themselves, to serve in the capasity they are called, while ministering the power of the Gospel .
Lets bring things even more closer into view:
In Exodus 20:25 " And if thou wilt build me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it."
We are brought up to respect a building built to go to church in, instead of what the original church was. The verse above actually shows us our view is a polluted church. The bible says that WE are the church, not even a home setting that we live in; no structure should be concidered an authentic church. The only genuine church is people, we are the temple God created to live in, not those buildings people so often regard.
2nd Corinthians 4:18 "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
That's one point God was trying to make in Exodus 20:23a "Ye shall not make with me gods of silver," People didnt see that God was referring to things that people would actually make in respect to God himself, because he used the little "g", because it would be just that; having been made by man. There is no item we are suposed to make to generate respect unto God; God is an invisable Lord unless he chooses to reveal himself personally; even still, afterwards, he is invisable. People are the only visable church God created.
The only real structure we should make to try to call it a building unto God should not have been used with any tools of man.
