What Is Housechurch?

A biblically-based housechurch is an assembly of Christians who have chosen to meet in a home, rather than a building. They may meet at the same location each week, or rotate their meetings from house to house. The purpose of their gatherings is to build each other up in the faith as they worship God in spirit and truth.

Most Christians who meet in homes do so for one of three reasons: some because of negative experiences in mainstream churches; others as a matter of personal preference; and yet others as a matter of conviction--based on the pattern set by the founding apostles and New Testament church. I fall into the third category, having taken a three-year time-out following seminary to rethink "church" from biblical scratch, then build a theology of church based on commands and principles that transcend time and culture.

While I am convinced that church in the home is to be preferred for stewardship reasons, I fully accept brothers and sisters in Christ who continue meeting in buildings. Where, how, and when we do church are largely all matters of conscience and stewardship. As one whose heart's desire is to be as a faithful steward, I believe that housechurch yields the greatest return for that to which we have been entrusted.

This does not address the issue of denominationalism, I realize. For discussion on that topic, scroll down to How to be Non-Denominational.

For an extensive discussion on the subject of house churches, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_church

The Need for Unity

The night of His arrest, Jesus offered this supplication to His Father:

"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me." --John 17:20-23

Our Lord prayed not only for his immediate disciples, but also those who would believe in Him through their word. That, by extension, applies to us. That we would be "one", perfected in unity as was He and the Father. Upon seeing this unity, the world may come to realize that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the anointed one of God.

That prayer was initially answered the day of Pentecost, when some three thousand souls came to believe as a result of the apostle's teaching. Through the work of the Holy Spirit in their midst, and the unity of the new believers, others came to believe in Jesus day after day:

"So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."

--Acts 2:41-47

A few chapters later, we read:

"At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico. But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number." --Acts 5:12-14

Over time, breaches in that unity occurred, as seen in Paul's address to the Corinthians:

"...I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ." Has Christ been divided?..." --1 Corinthians 1:11-13

Paul acknowledges their tendency toward division and reveals unrepentant sin as the cause:

"...in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you." --11:18-19

The cure? Repent and prevent!

"Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment." --1:10

"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all."

--Ephesians 4:1-6

And let us not forget these words by Paul:

"If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment. But if anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized." --1 Corinthians 14:37-38

Remember, the world is watching, and can recognize division for what it is, as seen even in its own dictionaries:

division - n. 1.a. The act or process of dividing. b. The state of having been divided. 2. The proportional distribution of a quantity or entity. 3. Something, such as a boundary or partition, that serves to divide or keep separate.... 9.a. Variance of opinion; disagreement. b. A splitting into factions; disunion. denominationalism -n. 1. The tendency to separate into religious denominations. 2. Advocacy of separation into religious denominations. 3. Strict adherence to a denomination; sectarianism. --The American Heritage Dict.

In Paul's time, the church was considered to be in a state of sin if it became complacent toward division.

Is this not true today?

Is it not time to repent and prevent?

How to be Non-Denominational

It is one thing to say you are non-denominational; it's another thing to be non-denominational. Many challenge whether it is even possible. "As a church, you will have a body of beliefs, won't you?" Yes. "Then you will, in effect, be a denomination, right?"

Wrong. That may sound like good reasoning, but it does not hold true in light of church history and Scripture. The churches in Paul's day, for example, could in no way be considered "denominational," though they clung to an (albeit informal) body of beliefs (teachings, traditions) handed down to them by Paul (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:2; 15:1-4). What characterizes a church as denominational is not whether it has a body of beliefs, but whether those beliefs contain one or more non-essentials of the faith that are used to separate believers from believers.

Scripture does not give us the authority to make into an issue that which it does not. Nor does it allow us to separate from other believers on the basis of our identification with a favored teacher, whether he be Apollos, Peter, Paul...Martin Luther, John Calvin...or even Christ! (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:10-13).

To be truly non-denominational requires being so both in name and character.

What About Doctrine?

God never intended that truth be turned into an altar upon which love and unity are sacrificed.... Neither did He intend that love and unity be turned into an altar upon which to sacrifice truth!
 
In holding these principles, we must address the question of doctrinal statements. Should churches adhere to doctrines, and if so, to what degree should adherence to them be expected? For some, "doctrine" is one of the most politically incorrect subjects to bring up, let alone forge into a creed. Still, we must face this issue, and commit to what Scripture has to say about it.

Let us begin by considering Paul's instruction to the Thessalonians, to "...stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us" (2 Thess. 2:15). The apostle had himself been the recipient of Christian "traditions" (viz., teachings, doctrines) that had been handed down to him following his conversion (e.g., 1 Cor 15:3-6). Through divine revelation, he supplemented those traditions (e.g., 1 Thess. 4:15-17), adding to them by "letter," or by "word of mouth." He would a decade later--his passing imminent--hand the responsibility for those traditions over to the church as "the pillar and support of the truth." (1 Tim. 3:15).

In the closing decade of the apostolic era, Jude exhorts Christians to "...contend earnestly for the faith, once for all handed down to the saints." "The faith" refers here to the body of truth passed on to all believers. As with God's completed provision for salvation, it could no longer be added to or subtracted from (Rom. 6:10; Heb. 7:27; 9:12; 10:10; 1 Pet. 3:18). It could now only be sincerely and fervently defended over centuries of attacks that would follow.

That task now belongs to us.

Doctrine, when improperly handled, only serves to divide. God's intent is that it unite us. Without common beliefs, we have no unity. Christianity is a belief system. We believe in the person and salvific work of Jesus Christ. We also believe in that which He taught, both in person and through His apostles via the Holy Spirit.

Now, the early church was not commanded to draft formal statements of doctrine; neither are we. We have our doctrine in the Bible. Whether we choose to do so is a matter of stewardship, acknowledging that there are practical considerations for placing them in writing. But if we do, may it be in a biblically responsible fashion: speaking loudly and clearly only where Scripture speaks loudly and clearly; majoring only on the majors, not the minors; using doctrine not to divide, but as a means for uniting us around the sacred and undeniable tenets of the faith.

...Got doctrine?

What About Church Membership?

Here is what the Bible has to say about church membership:

"...so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." --Romans 12:5

Yep, that's it.

Let us be careful not to exceed what is written.

A Call to Be of the Same Mind and Judgment

"Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree (speak the same thing) and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment (opinion, purpose)." --1 Corinthians 1:10

How on earth do you get a variety of believers from an assortment of backgrounds to agree on a host of issues with any degree of consistency? Is Paul nuts? Has his great learning and zeal  made him crazy? Is he asking us to again put up with a "little foolishness," only this time through hyperbole on steroids? Good grief, I can hardly stand Joe so-and-so. Now I'm told I have to be of the same mind as him?!


Not exactly. That is, we are not to have the mind of Joe, nor he the mind of us. Rather, we are all to have the mind of Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 2:16). He is the head of the church, not in a mere figurative leadership sense, but one which is very real. We are to be "...holding fast to the head" (Col. 2:19), allowing His thoughts and ways to be incarnated into our own. This is made possible through His Spirit and word which indwell us. They are the means by which the body connects with the head, that we may know the things freely given to us by God and speak in words taught to us by His Spirit (1 Cor. 2:12-13). As such, we really can stand in agreement, speaking the same words and being of the opinion, judgment, and purpose.


Such a high concept of unity did not originate with Paul. Remember it was Christ who prayed at Gethsemane that all generations of believers would be as He and the Father were--one (John 17:20-21). We may be tempted to give up on this call, thinking that such unity is reserved only for heaven, not possible in the here-and-now. Yet, Jesus' call was that it be exactly in the here-and-now, as implicit in the purpose statement, "...so that the world may know that You [the Father] have sent Me" (v.23). Jesus was not talking positional pie-in-the-sky unity, but a practical unity that reflects both the character of God and an evangelical purpose.


Yes, Christ commands us to do things that are impossible for people, then adds "...but with God all things are possible" (Matt 19:26).

Same-Mindedness, not Mind-Numbness

The biblical call to being of the same mind and judgment does not mean that others think for us. Nor does it suggest that we cannot enter into discussion with a strong viewpoint on a particular issue.

A great example of this is found in Acts 15. Here we find strong disagreement taking place between Paul, Barnabas, and some "men from Judea." (v.1-2). Now if there was ever someone qualified to think for us, I would think it to be Paul. Yet, his attitude was that of a servant, not a spiritual superior (1 Cor. 3:5,21-23). When a judgment was made by the Antioch assembly that they take the issue to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, he readily submitted. Much debate ensued upon their arrival. At the conclusion, James offered--not imposed--a judgment on the matter, one involving the abstention of (mostly) certain freedoms by gentile converts (v.20-21). James' recommendation found favor not only with the entire congregation there, but in Antioch as well. The oneness of mind that was achieved bore evidence that the Holy Spirit had blessed their efforts (v.22-28).

Still, how much better it would be if only God would provide others to do the thinking for us! Imagine, no possibility of dissension, quarrels, back-biting, or factions. No having to show patience, forbearance, perseverence, and long-suffering. No having to put on faith, hope, and love ...right?

But, think about it. Neither would there be growth in Christ.

...ooh, not good!

Sin Nature vs Same-Mindedness

What was true in the first century still is today. Conflict within the body of Christ is inevitable; prophesied first by Christ in the parable of the wheat and tares (Matt. 13:24-30), then later by His apostles (e.g., 1 Cor. 1:19).

Conflict can be brought to the church by outsiders (e.g., Acts 20:28-29; Jude 4), or arise within as we struggle toward spiritual maturity (1 Cor. 3:1-3). The source of the former is Satan, who seeks to destroy the bride of Christ. The source of the latter is each individual's sin nature which "...sets its desire against the Spirit" (Gal. 5:16-17):

"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." --Gal. 5:19-21

Take note that Paul lumps such sins as jealousy and disputes together with the more repulsive offensives of immorality and carousing. We need to take all sin seriously, acknowledging that the practice of any sin can lead to corruption and division within the church. Therefore, when feelings of anger and resentment enter our hearts toward one another, we should view their destructive import the same as we would feelings of lust and immorality.

Note also that the "deeds" of the flesh are the manifestations of conflict, not their source. "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?" then, asks James. "Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?" (James 4:1). The source is our ungodly desires that flow from the sin nature we inherited from Adam (Gen 3; 5:1-3). Desires that are ungodly are those which run counter to the character of Christ and the purposes of God. They favor expediency and pragmatism over patience and forbearance. They reflect unbelief, not trust. They honor human wisdom, not the mind of Christ. Until we realize this and deal with it according to God's word, we will be treating the symptoms of the problem and not its root cause.

More on this in a future posting: How to Be of the Same Mind.

World Influences vs Same-Mindedness

The first man, Adam, freely and consciously chose to disobey God. In doing so, his nature was transformed from sinless to sinful, with his ability to reason, act, and believe greatly impaired (Gen. 3; 5:1-6:5; cf. Rom. 5:12-21; 1:18-3:20). Today all people, believers included, struggle with the impairments passed on through Adam (Gen. 5-6; Eph. 4:17-18). They are reflected in the way we think about life's issues, be it culture, philosophy, morals, roles, education, etc.

Believers are not without hope, however, for salvation in Christ brings not only right standing with God, but an increasing ability to properly interpret the world around us and life's important questions (1 Cor. 8; Eph. 1:17-18; Phil. 1:9; Heb. 5:14). Still, discernment develops with practice, which happens over time (Heb. 5:14). Along the way we can be mislead by worldly influences as revealed throughout Scripture. Consider how this is intimated in the following passages:

"But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."
--Hebrews 5:14

"...do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
--Romans 12:2

"See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." --Colossians 2:8

Our culture impacts us more than we might imagine. Thinking that we have examined and ridded ourselves of such influences, we later find that other strongholds still exist. We can inadvertently carry these influences to church, where discussion on particular issues makes them surface.

Here is a partial list of influences on the church that we have seen in recent decades:

1. Influence: THE "GAY RIGHTS" AGENDA
   Effect: Homosexuals in ordained ministry.
2. Influence: HOLLYWOOD'S MODELING
   Effect: Increased divorce rate; dysfunctionality in the home; immodest dress and "excuse my French" language.
3. Influence: POP MUSIC
   Effect: Sensuous and often effeminate singing style in contemporary Christian music. High noise-to-music ratio.
4. Influence: THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT
   Effect: Little more than lip service given to the husband-wife dynamic that is meant to mirror the relationship between Christ and His church; women in positions of authority over men in the church, and rivaling their authority in the home.
5. Influence: SECULAR PSYCHOLOGY
   Effect: An admixture of Scripture and world psychology into what is falsely called "Christian" counseling. G.K. Chesterton noted, "Psychoanalysis is confession without absolution."
6. Influence: ADVERTISING AND MARKETING
   Effect: A watered-down gospel in which the offense of the cross has been removed; often presented in a way that is designed to maximize appeal and (when involving youth) be entertaining.
7. Influence: BUSINESS
   Effect: Committees galore; elders that work at managing a church, but not pastoring it.
8. Influence: DEMOCRACY
   Effect: Issues decided upon by taking a vote rather than building consensus.
9. Influence: PRAGMATISM
   Effect: Issues handled through human wisdom, rather than careful study and application of God's word.

Influences such as the above pose tremendous challenges to same-mindedness. Between the sin nature, false teachers, and cultural influences, Christians must remain vigilant on three fronts.

False Teachers vs Same-Mindedness

Maintaining unity in the church body is difficult. Impossible would be more like it, were it not for the fact that God is bigger than our problems. That is why sameness of mind must begin with prayer. We cannot establish and maintain God's standard for consensus on our own. The Lord must grant it and His Spirit must work to bring it about. Consider this oft-overlooked benediction:

"Now may the God who gives perseverance and encourage-ment grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." --Romans 15:5-6

Of first importance, then, we must recognize our dependence upon God in granting us oneness. Through the privilege and responsibility of prayer, we must ask--that it would be given (Lit., "Keep on asking) (Matt. 7:7). James says that we do not have because we do not ask (James 4:2b).

Second, we must recognize that the cause of conflict stems from inappropriate desires on the part of one or more parties (James 4:1). Thus, we may pray for oneness, yet do not receive it, because we ask with wrong motives. This may not be apparent at the start, which is why we need to examine ourselves for motives generated by the flesh. Remember that "All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives" (Prov. 16:2).

Third, we must recognize that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Other believers are not the enemy, and ought not be treated as such. Our adversary is the "god" of this world and the "forces of the darkness" inherent therein (Eph 6:11-12; 2 Cor. 4:4). We must therefore with all diligence continue our resolve to be one, tempering our attitudes with a sense of humility and seasoning our responses with gentleness, patience, and tolerance. Paul wrote:

"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. --Ephesians. 4:1-3

And again,

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kind-ness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another." --Galatians 5:19-26

Finally, we must pursue truth and love within the church body (1 Pet. 1:22). We cannot sustain unity if either are missing. Truth without love causes a church body to wither into legalism (1 Cor. 13:2). Love without truth causes the body to vacillate into liberalism (Eph. 4:14-15). May each of us remain steadfast in our commitment to both.

"Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love."--2 John 1:3

How to Be of the Same Mind & Judgment

Maintaining unity in the church body is difficult. Impossible would be more like it, were it not for the fact that God is bigger than our problems. That is why sameness of mind must begin with prayer. We cannot establish and maintain God's standard for consensus on our own. The Lord must grant it and His Spirit must work to bring it about. Consider this oft-overlooked benediction:

"Now may the God who gives perseverance and encourage-ment grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." --Romans 15:5-6

Of first importance, then, we must recognize our dependence upon God in granting us oneness. Through the privilege and responsibility of prayer, we must ask--that it would be given (Lit., "Keep on asking) (Matt. 7:7). James says that we do not have because we do not ask (James 4:2b).

Second, we must recognize that the cause of conflict stems from inappropriate desires on the part of one or more parties (James 4:1). Thus, we may pray for oneness, yet do not receive it, because we ask with wrong motives. This may not be apparent at the start, which is why we need to examine ourselves for motives generated by the flesh. Remember that "All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives" (Prov. 16:2).

Third, we must recognize that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Other believers are not the enemy, and ought not be treated as such. Our adversary is the "god" of this world and the "forces of the darkness" inherent therein (Eph 6:11-12; 2 Cor. 4:4). We must therefore with all diligence continue our resolve to be one, tempering our attitudes with a sense of humility and seasoning our responses with gentleness, patience, and tolerance. Paul wrote:

"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. --Ephesians. 4:1-3

And again,

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kind-ness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another." --Galatians 5:19-26

Finally, we must pursue truth and love within the church body (1 Pet. 1:22). We cannot sustain unity if either are missing. Truth without love causes a church body to wither into legalism (1 Cor. 13:2). Love without truth causes the body to vacillate into liberalism (Eph. 4:14-15). May each of us remain steadfast in our commitment to both.

"Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love."--2 John 1:3