House Church Talk - "church in the house"

[David Anderson]

       Hi brother, hi church,

Thank you so much for the update, Cliff. Sounds like the Lord is truly at 
work out there in CA. Sounds like large home church with lots of 
interaction. I wanted also to thank you for helping the list to refocus 
several days ago - proof again that self-moderation can work. 

Speaking of the Corinthian letters, consider these passages:

1 Cor. 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I 
hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 

Were they the church before they came together?

1 Cor. 14:23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one 
place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are 
unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

Does the phrase "whole church" imply that the constituent pieces or 
persons were also the church?

I do not maintain that the mob mentioned in Acts 19 was an "assembly of 
the Lord" but was just noticing that the word "church" itself didn't have 
inherent "religious" connotations in every usage. Indeed, most always, we 
do read of THE church, which directs our focus to THE Lord's assembly.

It is, imo, similar to the ordinary word for meal, which is what the 
Lord's supper is called. Ditto for elder, the ordinary word for an old 
man, now used to describe an overseer in the church.

Many other Biblical words once thought to be exclusively "religious" have 
been found to be just ordinary if not taken in the biblical context. A. 
Deismann wrote an entire book on the subject after going through piles of 
papyri, preserved in the sands of Egypt since the time of Jesus. 1901 was 
the date of his book, Biblical Studies,btw.

Another interesting thing about 'church' is that though the word often 
means gathering - it frequently refers to the saints even when not 
gathered. Example: The church in such and such a locality. Today, as you 
know, the word is exclusively "religious" and even stands for the place 
where the saints meet even when not met. What an amazing word - an 
earthly body and a heavenly Head. The main thing is that we are it.... or 
her.

Praise the name of the Lord!

       David Anderson


>Hi David,
>
>It seems from 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 that people from more than one
>household were involved therefore the rebuke don't you have houses to eat
>and drink in.
>
>It seems that the nt usage of church/ assembly was defined by who was
>there and what they were about. Therefore the mob you mentioned was not
>an assembly of the Lord's. Therefore a local Lord's assembly would be
>made up of those who are the Lord's who have gathered together.
>
>Our assembly by the way has dropped to eight families and one single
>adult. 21 children if my counting of kids is right. The ninth family left
>the area to pursue an opportunity to improve their financial situation,
>and hope to come to visit on occassion.
>
>Cliff Silliman <cliffsilliman at juno.com>
>1 Corinthians 14:15