Objection #1: The New Testament never explicitly commands us to do house church.
Answer: The New Testament provides many examples of the apostles doing house church (Rom. 16:5, 1 Cor. 16:19, Col. 4:15, Philemon 1:2). In fact house church is the only example we have of how the apostles did church in the NT. Apostolic commands about house church preceded NT examples of house church, for the NT churches were ordered by the apostles. On the other hand there are zero commands or examples of church buildings anywhere in the NT.
Objection #2: The New Testament gives other examples of meetings outside of houses. This means that the early church met in buildings.
Answer: We see other types of Christian meetings in the NT, like in the school of Tyrannus. However, these meetings were not recognized as churches by the apostles, for they are never called ‘churches’ in the Bible. For us to call such meetings churches when the Bible doesn’t call them churches is unwarranted.
Not every gathering of Christians is automatically a church. A Christian conference is not a church (even if it happens regularly). A seminary class is not a church. A Bible study or a prayer meeting is not a church. Such meetings can be a great blessing, but they are not church.
Many of the fundamental aspects of church simply cannot function apart from house church. Participative meetings, genuine community, intensive discipleship, eating together, and other essential functions of church become nearly impossible apart from house church. Meetings in the temple courts were never called church because it was impossible within that environment to fulfill basic church functions.
Objection #3: The New Testament never forbids the use of church buildings. If we want to use church buildings, we can still fulfill God’s desire for his church.
Answer: Outside a house, it is almost impossible to fulfill basic church functions like participative meetings, close relationships, bearing burdens, eating together, and building genuine community. In a house, these things are easy and natural. In a small building they become difficult; and in a large building, they become virtually impossible. For a church to meet together in an environment where basic church functions are impossible is problematic.
Objection #4: House churches are particularly susceptible to error.
Answer: House churches are no more prone to error than other types of gatherings.
Church buildings are certainly do not protect people from error. Throughout history, crowds of Christians have met in large church buildings and been completely deceived. They worshipped Mary and the Pope in medieval Europe, and they chase after money and wealth in contemporary America.
Christians can be deceived in buildings or in homes. In fact, the likelihood for deception in buildings might be greater because church buildings can facilitate hypocrisy and hinder many Biblical aspects of church from functioning (like healthy community) which are guardrails against deception.
Objection #5: House churches will become in-grown.
Answer: House churches are not necessarily in-grown. They certainly weren’t in-grown in the Bible.
Strong relationships within a healthy community are essential for healthy Christian life. Healthy house churches will be strong communities that support each member. At the same time they will be open to new people, reaching out to friends, family, and neighbors. They will seek to multiply into other house churches. House churches today should be healthy communities that are outward-looking – like they were in the Bible.
Bethel Cornerstone 