early church meetings??

[Guest]

Hi Steve,

See you tomorrow night. We are bringing two other couples,( at least that is the plan).
Steve, How would you characterize the early church meetings,(say to 150 ad) home churches,or,large building meetings? How early in church history did building projects, and the like become the standard quo?

[Guest]

Hi Don,
I am not sure we have the specific records from the early church to answer your question as to when "church buildings" were first built. We know they did not build them in the apostolic times, but I know some of the emperors before Constantine (in the second and third centuries) did give orders to destroy church buildings, which means that there were some by that time. During those centuries, meetings were often held underground in those caves called the Catacombs. I doubt that anything like the big cathedral-type buildings existed until post Constantine (early fourth century).

The first Christians met in the public-access areas of the temple in Jerusalem (Acts 2:46/ 5:42), in other accessible buildings (Acts 19:9) and in private homes (Acts 2:2, 46/ 5:42/ 12:12/ 18:7/ Rom.16:5/ 1 Cor.16:19/Col.4:15/ Philemon 2—and probably implied in Acts 8:3/16:15; etc.). There may have been towns where all the Jews were converted, meaning that the existing synagogue would become a de facto "church building." James uses the words "your synagogue" in James 2:2 (translated "your assembly" in NKJV). He is clearly writing to Christians, since he speaks of them holding the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ (v.1), and is not simply talking about the synagogue where they passively attend, but the one that they control to the point of deciding who may sit where (v.3). This suggests that some synagogues may have been turned into churches in some cases, or else that Christian Jews had at least risen to prominent positions in some Jewish synagogues.

While I cannot tell when the first building was erected for the sole purpose of having a place for Christians to worship, the practice of the early Christians seems to have been flexible, recognizing the truth of what Jesus had said: "Where two or three are gathered together in my Name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matt.18:20). This suggests that the possession of special meeting halls (or sanctuaries) was not an issue. In places where Christians were too numerous to meet in a home, or where permission to use public facilities could not be obtained, some Christians apparently, eventually, built special buildings for their meetings, though these were most likely functional, rather than elaborate and ornate, structures at first. Statues and stained glass came in during Medieval times. The electronic reader board on the front lawn and the big screen for the Powerpoint projection came considerably later.

[Guest]

Thanks Steve,

See you tomorrow