By Kent Fry
Read: Romans 16:5; Acts 20:17-20
“Greet also the church in their house.” (Rom. 16:5)
The great medieval Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris reopened to the public in December 2024 after a devastating fire. Thanks to new techniques for removing smoke, reports are that the remodeled cathedral is spectacular. However, the earliest Christians met in much more humble places.
Paul recognizes that all the churches of the Gentiles were thankful for the Jewish couple Priscilla and Aquila, who were leaders of the Jewish church (Rom. 16:5). These churches were not cathedrals or even church buildings of 100 or more people but house churches.
We learn in Acts 20:17-20 that when Paul stayed in Ephesus he shared the gospel “house to house.” In Romans 16, Ampliatus, Julia, and Urbanus are Latin names listed, and may have been part of one of the Latin-speaking house churches.
Many other people listed have Greek names such as Tryphaena, Tryphosa, and Persis, who may have been leaders in a Greek-speaking house church. Greek most likely was the majority language among the house churches. Most Roman houses were large enough to accommodate 20 people, so that’s likely about the number of people in any given house church in that area.
It also seems likely that the church in Rome was made up of five or more house churches; thus Paul was writing to about 100 people! And yet their faithful love across languages and customs eventually led to the conversion of the empire.
When we get too concerned about numbers in our churches, let’s remember that Paul wrote to house churches, not cathedrals.
As you pray, ask that your love deepens for one another in your church.
—————
Kent Fry is a retired pastor and visiting research fellow at the Van Raalte Institute in Holland. He and his wife, Joyce, are active members of Second Reformed Church in Zeeland.
Read: Romans 16:5; Acts 20:17-20
“Greet also the church in their house.” (Rom. 16:5)
The great medieval Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris reopened to the public in December 2024 after a devastating fire. Thanks to new techniques for removing smoke, reports are that the remodeled cathedral is spectacular. However, the earliest Christians met in much more humble places.
Paul recognizes that all the churches of the Gentiles were thankful for the Jewish couple Priscilla and Aquila, who were leaders of the Jewish church (Rom. 16:5). These churches were not cathedrals or even church buildings of 100 or more people but house churches.
We learn in Acts 20:17-20 that when Paul stayed in Ephesus he shared the gospel “house to house.” In Romans 16, Ampliatus, Julia, and Urbanus are Latin names listed, and may have been part of one of the Latin-speaking house churches.
Many other people listed have Greek names such as Tryphaena, Tryphosa, and Persis, who may have been leaders in a Greek-speaking house church. Greek most likely was the majority language among the house churches. Most Roman houses were large enough to accommodate 20 people, so that’s likely about the number of people in any given house church in that area.
It also seems likely that the church in Rome was made up of five or more house churches; thus Paul was writing to about 100 people! And yet their faithful love across languages and customs eventually led to the conversion of the empire.
When we get too concerned about numbers in our churches, let’s remember that Paul wrote to house churches, not cathedrals.
As you pray, ask that your love deepens for one another in your church.
—————
Kent Fry is a retired pastor and visiting research fellow at the Van Raalte Institute in Holland. He and his wife, Joyce, are active members of Second Reformed Church in Zeeland.
