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No doubt you would get almost as many different answers as the number of people you ask. And therein lays a clue to the real answer for they have been taught that that is OK. The problems seen within Christendom are self-imposed because its adherents blindly follow those who claim to be shepherds but who in actuality are not. At Matthew 15:14 Jesus described the situation this way: Blind guides is what they are. If, then, a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit. Clearly Jesus puts the blame on both, the blind guiders and the blind guided. Jesus also aptly described the imitation shepherds of his and our day at John 10:12-13: The hired man, who is no shepherd and to whom the sheep do not belong as his own, beholds the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and fleesand the wolf snatches them and scatters them 13 because he is a hired man and does not care for the sheep. The resulting bad situations then and now are similar: On seeing the crowds he felt pity for them, because they were skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples: Yes, the harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest. (Matthew 9:36-38)Faint said:Hmmm...why do you think more and more religious people are choosing home churches? What are the benefits of this or what's wrong with the churches they've been going to? Anyone?
royol said:If everyone takes their own path, religion is in danger of fragmenting, different views and ideas come from isolation, interpretations change, in this case I think size matters, bigger is better.
Two old sayings spring to mind:
Divide and conquer.
Safety in numbers.
HOGCALLER said:When it comes to true worship bigger [IS NOT] better. Let me show you why:
(Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23) Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; 14 whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it. . . . Not everyone saying to me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name? 23 And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.
(Matthew 22:14) For there are many invited, but few chosen.
(Matthew 5:10-12) Happy are those who have been persecuted for righteousness sake, since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them. 11 Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against you for my sake. 12 Rejoice and leap for joy, since your reward is great in the heavens; for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to you.
Yes from a worldly point of view there is Safety in numbers but in the long run it is a false safety as the majority is never the subject of persecution and Jesus prophesied that his true followers would be persecuted. Jesus words are as true today as when he spoke them!.
The book of Acts gives us our best insight into the primitive church, but references to house churches are found throughout the NewHOGCALLER said:I am not being sarcastic when I say to the both of you I would like to hear more from you about the original church structure and perhaps the original spirituality and also about getting back to our primitive roots. I sincerely wouldI think it would be a very interesting discussion.
Amen... the primitive church was adamant about one thing only: Seeking and saving the lost. They did anything and everything to bring others the Gospel. Too often, we want to draw lines in the sand that were never meant to be drawn. Paul became all things to all men so that he might save some. This should be our driving force as well.HOGCALLER said:Yes they did meet in homes but not homes ONLY!
Religious freedom.Faint said:Hmmm...why do you think more and more religious people are choosing home churches? What are the benefits of this or what's wrong with the churches they've been going to? Anyone?
Please expound, did Paul mean he became an unrighteous person to those that practice unrighteousness, a thief to thieves, a drunk to drunkards, and so on? ([URL="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%206:9-11;&version=31;45;49;"]1 Corinthians 6:9-11)[/URL] Or did he mean that, like Jesus, he treated everybody with respect and discernment not overpowering the weak with his knowledge and faith but rather established common ground and talked to people at their level and about their interests?NetDoc said:Too often, we want to draw lines in the sand that were never meant to be drawn. Paul became all things to all men so that he might save some.
I was being facetious when I referred to Paul as being "heretical"... Let's look at what Paul has to say about "lines in the sand":HOGCALLER said:NetDoc,
Unlike yourself I do not consider the law of God, part of which is in fact the only part of the Bible written directly by God himself (Exodus 31:18), to be self righteous regulations. Nor do I view Paul as a heretic.
I believe it is true. When they were persecuted they hid. Sounds reasonable.Mystic-als said:Soooo.... about the home point of the OP. I was told by someone I trust to know about these things that the early church also had church meetings in the graveyards. Late at night. Perhaps 12 or 3 am. Is this true!?
NetDoc said:But maybe you should create a new thread to pursue this line of discussion. This is about home churches.