I often hear the argument that it’s ok for church to be about ministry by one person, because the Apostles taught before large gatherings at Solomon’s Portico outside the temple in Jerusalem.

The gatherings in Jerusalem at Solomon’s Portico after the day of Pentecost, however, only lasted for a short while. We also see no counterpart to them anywhere else in the unfolding history of the early church as revealed in Scripture.

Solomon’s Portico was unique and temporary because it served an important initial purpose in the life of the nascent church. That’s where the Apostles first laid the foundations of the church through their teachings. In Acts 2, it says that in conjunction with Solomon’s Portico, the people would then meet house to house to continue in the Apostles teachings.

We continue in the Apostles teachings today when we likewise gather house to house, but we don’t need to go to a large meeting at Solomon’s Portico because we now have those teachings available in the New Testament.

So Solomon’s Portico was descriptive rather than prescriptive. Otherwise, we would see it repeated in other towns and cities where the believers met from house to house in the New Testament, but we don’t.

I’m not against believers in a town or city coming together for a large gathering if that serves a specific, unique purpose. But I absolutely reject the contention that Solomon’s Portico serves as a justification for “church” as we’ve come to know it – where the few routinely do church for the many, who are herded into large buildings to sit as spectators below them.

We now have the Apostles teachings and are to continue in them as we meet house to house. But we don’t have Solomon’s Portico because we don’t have the original need for it anymore.

Nonetheless, we still need one another as we gather for participatory ministry to each other for the mutual building up of all. And that is the core purpose of the church and our gatherings even to this day.

Why are “pastors and teachers” all for being the “church” …

Until it gets Biblical?

You know, like gathering for participatory ministry by “one another” to mutually build up each other as the New Testament commands …

Rather than gathering for mono-ministry by “the one” from a podium above us?

For example, I’ve never met an evangelist who thinks only evangelists can exclusively share the gospel …

Or that they have some divine right to make our gatherings always revolve around them.

So why do “pastors and teachers” think only they can exclusively minister and teach …

And our gatherings must always revolve around them doing so?

Unfortunately for them, the New Testament says otherwise.

So yes, some have particular gifts when it comes to teaching and pastoring, but not exclusively so …

Even though they may have heightened leadership abilities in those areas.

Nonetheless, the New Testament says we all can teach and minister to each other as God directs …

As we participate together in building up one another through the diverse gifts God distributes among us.

So let’s affirm those that have a particular gift …

But don’t give them a monopoly on that gift or our gatherings – including “pastors and teachers.”

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“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom …” Col. 3:16

“I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.” Rom. 15:14

“What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.” 1 Cor. 14:26

Authentic church as commanded in the New Testament is simple and participatory …

But never easy.

In contrast, sitting in a “sanctuary” and enjoying a finely-scripted show and a carefully-crafted message – rooted in the “senior pastor’s” own vision and motivations – is easy.

Sitting in a living room and conforming to some “apostolic worker’s” own perceptions of Christ and His church – rooted in his own personality, sensibilities, likes, dislikes, and theological proclivities – also is easy.

But whether in a traditional “church” building or a gathering in someone’s home …

Is that what Christ wants?

Authentic church as commanded in the New Testament is simple and participatory …

But rare these days.

As Scripture repeatedly commands, we’re to gather for the primary purpose of mutually building up one another through ministry to each other using the diverse gifts God distributes between us …

With elders (plural) who emerge among us to watch over and humbly serve beside us.

Instead, however, “church” has become a building with spectator seating and a “senior pastor” who’s hired to monopolize our gatherings from a podium above us.

As for me, I think I’ll stick with the simplicity of church as the Bible actually defines it …

Rather than the self-serving, hierarchical, post-Biblical traditions of men. 

How about you?

I often hear from people frustrated because they can’t find or start a sustainable house church where they live.

As I talk with folks from around the country, here’s one of the main reasons (not the only reason, but certainly a big reason) I’ve seen for why house churches fail:

In one critical regard, they become just like the unbiblical institutional mono-churches they sought to leave.

A mono-church centers around one particularly gifted person’s vision and abilities, or focuses on one particular ministry or mission.

They are common these days, but can’t be found in the New Testament.

Over the last fifty years – going all the way back to my college days in the mid-1970s – God’s often used me to help relational participatory churches emerge.

Yet I can’t think of a single one of them that didn’t first start with discipleship.

Looking back, I guess that makes sense given that Jesus said He would build His church …

But we are to build disciples.

In contrast, I’ve seen many try to start a “church” first, but in my experience real discipleship seldom follows and things quickly begin falling apart. 

This has been a source of great frustration for many. 

Sitting among rows upon rows of spectator seating week after week …

Have nothing to do with church as the New Testament commands it.

So how do we help folks get out of this trap?

We need to boldly share our stories of relational participatory church as actually commanded in the New Testament, and what we’ve learned along theway …

To encourage others that they can indeed begin to be the church once again.

Otherwise, most people have no idea that it’s possible to leave spectator “church” behind …

And start gathering in living rooms and other places were life naturally happens, to minister one to another for the mutual building up of each other.

But how can you expect that to happen …

Unless we openly tell of our own journeys and experiences?

When someone’s salary is primarily about preaching sermons …

Is it any wonder that they make church primarily about them preaching sermons?

Yet where do you even find that in the New Testament?

You don’t.

Nope, not, nada …

Just ain’t there.

Why?

Because when we gather together, we are commanded to actively build up each other through ministry one to another …

Rather than passively listen to the one.

So why do we keep following the post-Biblical traditions of men …

Rather than the actual commands of God in Scripture?

What about mono-church, where our gatherings primarily revolve around ministry by one man …

Such as a so-called “Senior Pastor?”

You can’t find that anywhere in the New Testament (unless you count the warnings against Diotrephes, who wanted to be “preeminent” in his church) …

In fact, it explicitly violates the New Testament’s many commands about how we are to actually gather together – one to another – as the multi-gifted, multi-functional and multi-part Body of Christ.

For simple, participatory church to thrive, we need each other …

And our different God-given gifts, motivations and perceptions.

That’s because Christ, in His wisdom, does not want any one person, ability or ministry to dominate His church …

But distributes His many gifts among us instead.

Sure, institutional churches have great programs, services and staff. But have they produced mature disciples and a mature Body of Christ?

Isn’t this the nub of the matter?

No doubt, they can point to other measures of “success” – numbers, inspirational sermons, “decisions” made for Christ, feel good “worship” with great “worship” bands, buildings, etc.

But despite it all, are they actually making mature disciples and functioning as the mature Body of Christ?

Worship is not a “church service.”

There’s not a single such reference in the entire New Testament.

Nope, not, nada …

Just ain’t there.

Instead, we are to gather together to minister one to another for the mutual building up of each other out of the diverse gifts God distributes among us …

Just as God commands in the New Testament.

But that’s never called either “worship” or a “service” there.

And yes, we also are to congregationally sing praises to God in those gatherings, but again for the express purpose of mutually encouraging one another …

Which is the only reason given for singing together in the New Testament.

But neither is that ever called or referenced as “worship” there.

I’d rather gather together with a few in my living room and be the church, one with another …

Then sit in rowed seats with a thousand in some building called the “church” to watch a staged event.