Have you ever noticed these verses in the Bible? “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” (Acts 2:46) Have you ever experienced this kind of life? The Early Church members went to church EVERY DAY!
i cannot go to church every day, for i have to work. my work place is far away from church. i think our heart is with God is ok
Yes, I go to church every day. I go to church every day to praise, pray and talk with people. Because I’m a full-time preacher, I have more time than others so I can go to church every day.
Amen, We should really close to church and united with church in Jesus Christ.
Yes, I do. Because I am a full-time missionary and I really appreciate this great blessing of being able to go to church daily.
Emphasis in bold, mine.
I think this topic is worth reviving because it is a question I’ve heard asked widely, and I have heard of many who have decided “home churches” are better than church building churches. Many of these cite the verse cited here (Acts 2:46) for their reasons. That, and trying to get to the purest form of church they see in the early days of the church.
If one reads through the book of Acts, it becomes apparent that this practice did not last even through that one book. Mostly due to the dispersion of the church due to persecution, but also because Gentiles became believers in their own countries. Context is always important: Acts 2:14, which comes before the verse quoted above, explains that this happened in Jerusalem.
However, perhaps the most telling would be found in Acts 8:1-3, right on the heels of Acts 7 where Stephen was stoned to death and people who did it laid their cloaks at the feet of Saul - showing the end to these intimate meetings:
Acts 8:1-3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
8 Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.
From the MacArthur Study Bible on Acts 8:1
MacArthur Study Bible (NKJV) [NOTE: These are study notes, not scripture, though they accurately point to scripture that upholds what is written here.]
Acts 8:1 consenting. Paul’s murderous hatred of all believers was manifested here in his attitude toward Stephen (1 Tim. 1:13–15). scattered. Led by a Jew named Saul of Tarsus, the persecution scattered the Jerusalem fellowship and led to the first missionary outreach of the church. Not all members of the Jerusalem church were forced to flee; the Hellenists, because Stephen was likely one, bore the brunt of the persecution (cf. Acts 11:19, 20). except the apostles. They remained because of their devotion to Christ, to care for those at Jerusalem, and to continue evangelizing the region (cf. Acts 9:26, 27).
So, this “every day gathering” as wonderful and beautiful as it was could not survive long in our fallen world. Just wanted to put in two cents on the topic as it is one that I have heard many wonder about.
One thing about house churches is that people usually (though, not always) try to set it up so that the “Spirit moves” from one person to another, rather than have elders. However Scripture is replete in the New Testament about the need, use, and credentials of elders:
The need for elders in the church:
Acts 14:23 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Acts 20:28 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
1 Timothy 3:2 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
And 1 Tim 3:1-16 (16 verses) spells out why, who, and how.
For more on Elders in the Church from Scripture, see