How did the early churches operate?

[CSLewis]

Luke 4:16 jesus himself "went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. "

elements of domestic and synagogue practice can be identified in the emerging worship patterns of the early church.

[leoxiii]

Luke 4:16 jesus himself "went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. "

elements of domestic and synagogue practice can be identified in the emerging worship patterns of the early church.

The Church was born on the day of Pentecost. Do you have a verse of Scripture that says the Christians assembled in synagogues after the day of Pentecost. Prior to that I would expect them to go there, as there was no Church for them to attend. But after that, the Scriptures indicate that they met at each other's houses for the breaking of bread. That is my understanding, and I know of no verse in Scripture which would make me think differently. If you have one, please provide it.

Can you link me to your source for "elements of domestic and synagogue practice can be identified in the emerging worship patterns of the early church."

[CSLewis]

Luke 4:16 jesus himself "went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. "

elements of domestic and synagogue practice can be identified in the emerging worship patterns of the early church.

The Church was born on the day of Pentecost. Do you have a verse of Scripture that says the Christians assembled in synagogues after the day of Pentecost. Prior to that I would expect them to go there, as there was no Church for them to attend. But after that, the Scriptures indicate that they met at each other's houses for the breaking of bread. That is my understanding, and I know of no verse in Scripture which would make me think differently. If you have one, please provide it.

Can you link me to your source for "elements of domestic and synagogue practice can be identified in the emerging worship patterns of the early church."

It's in a book "opening the prayer book" by Jeffrey Lee - he is a priest who served in indiana and wisconsin - and very active in the renewal of the dioconate.

[OneLight]

Acts 9:20

Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

Acts 13:5

And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.

Acts 13:15

And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying,

[Guest yod]

The worship they grew up with was going to Jerusalem every year to sacrifice animals to God for the atonement of their sins.

I think they stopped doing that after Pentecost.

then you would be wrong. The Apostles and disciples all continued regular worship in the Temple until it was destroyed.

"Synagogue" had no religious connotation at all in those days...it was closer to a jewish community center. The rabbis had no real authority either...the power was in the Temple priests. Rabbis were no more respected than your local school teacher in those days. That's why it's important to understand the context of where "church" comes from. But I tend to agree that what we have today doesn't resemble what the original was. For example, the modern idea of "church" can't be found in the scriptures at all. I'm not saying that "church" isn't valid for fellowship/teaching but it left the roots of the original faith handed down from Peter, James, Paul by the 2nd century when it was ethnically cleansed of jews.

There is a lot about that time that you seem unknowledgable about. I recommend "Copernicus & The Jews: The Separation of Church and Faith" by Dan Gruber.

[leoxiii]

when it was ethnically cleansed of jews.

Do you mean that those who were Jews by birth, whether raised Christian or convert, were put out of the churches?

I have never heard of such a thing.

[Jedi4Yahweh]

I am not trying to trick or trap anyone.

I am genuinely curious how you know how the early churches operated. I hear the claim all the time from many and divers groups that they operate exactly like the church in the Bible operated. Now I am told the Bible does not tell us how the early churches operated. So, I am curious as to how people know they are operating exactly as the early churches operated if they do not gather that information from the Bible.

There is a lot of first century church letters and documents out there where you can read about the operations of the early church...but you must also take this with with a grain of salt and not base our current church functions on early church operations unless they are in direct line with the word of God.

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/

I find it curious that Christians should take direction from the 1st century Jews and not the 1st century Christians. After all, both groups wrote outside the Scriptures. But why hold those who rejected Christ in more esteem than those who shed their blood for Him?

I agree, but like others have said much of our Christian heritage is founded in Judaism. Not saying the Judaism the model we should strive for, unless its in line with scripture, but we should understand that Christ, the Disciples, and much of the early church were Born-Again Jews. So yes a lot of the functions and operations are based on the Judaic synagogue model, but also based on Paul's writings and instructions who was a Born-Again Jew.

[leoxiii]

Acts 9:20

Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

Acts 13:5

And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.

Acts 13:15

And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying,

[Jedi4Yahweh]

Acts 9:20

Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

Acts 13:5

And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.

Acts 13:15

And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.”

Acts 13:42

So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

Acts 14:1

Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.

I could bring in more ...

Of course they preached in the synagogues. Christ sent them first to the lost sheep of Israel. But, after they converted the Jews in the synagogue, what indicates that they continued to meet in the synagogue and worship there? Did they merely change the name "synagogue" to "church", so that Paul, when writing to the Church in a particular place was actually addressing the an assembly in the synagogue? Were the uncircumcised Greeks allowed into the synagogue after the members of the synagogue were converted?

Church and Synagogue mean the same thing. They are synonymous to each other. Ekklēsia is the Greek word for Church and Synagogue. And yes there was still a lot of issues between Christian Jews and Gentiles as you can read in the letters of Paul but Paul says that both believing Jews and believing Gentiles have been brought together by Christ to form a new body.

[leoxiii]

Acts 9:20

Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

Acts 13:5

And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.

Acts 13:15

And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying,