why do you like church buildings for meetings?

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

I ask again. How do you have the church at that point in time being a "The House Church"?

????

The church was a house church, they met in a house -

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

Seems pretty obvious to me, Prax.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Esaias

????

The church was a house church, they met in a house -

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

Seems pretty obvious to me, Prax.

The word "house" could be used in a generic sense for any kind of building, even the Temple.

Here is the thing, whatever kind of building it was, it held at least 120 people not to mention the possibility those unbelieving Jews that confronted Peter. That is a very large room.

They were all sitting in that room when this happened

Act 2:2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

Then when those unbelievers spoke up about this event the Apostles all stood up to represent the new faith

Act 2:14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.

It also had to be located where all those visiting Jews, there for the day of Pentecost celebration, could hear of this event

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

The word "house" could be used in a generic sense for any kind of building, even the Temple.

Here is the thing, whatever kind of building it was, it held at least 120 people not to mention the possibility those unbelieving Jews that confronted Peter. That is a very large room.

They were all sitting in that room when this happened

Act 2:2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

Then when those unbelievers spoke up about this event the Apostles all stood up to represent the new faith

Act 2:14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.

It also had to be located where all those visiting Jews, there for the day of Pentecost celebration, could hear of this event

The word house means HOUSE.

Oikos - a house, a place where one dwells.

oikos
Pronunciation
oi'-kos (Key)
Part of Speech
masculine noun
Root Word (Etymology)
Of uncertain affinity
Dictionary Aids
Vine's Expository Dictionary: View Entry
TDNT Reference: 5:119,674
Outline of Biblical Usage
a house
an inhabited house, home
any building whatever
of a palace
the house of God, the tabernacle
any dwelling place
of the human body as the abode of demons that possess it
of tents, and huts, and later, of the nests, stalls, lairs, of animals
the place where one has fixed his residence, one's settled abode, domicile
the inmates of a house, all the persons forming one family, a household
the family of God, of the Christian Church, of the church of the Old and New Testaments
stock, family, descendants of one

I suppose you will seize upon the phrase 'any building whatever', however I challenge you to show me where oikos is used of anything other than a dwelling place. It is not used of a synagogue.

It is used of the Temple for that was the Old Covenant 'house of God'. According to the Lexicon is is distinguished from DOMOS, the actual BUILDING where a family lives. Thus, it means an 'inhabited house', a place where the 'oikos' (household) lived. It would not be used of a store for example (unless the store were located in someone's oikos, of course).

It is translated house, household, home, at home, home with.

They were at a house, in the upper room or 'guestchamber' (Luke 22:1).

They were a house church.

They were not incorporated under either Jewish law or Roman law (or US law for that matter).

They were not a denomination.

They were a HOUSEHOLD, the household of God, the family of God.

And they weren't doing a 'praise a thon' to raise money for a building so they could hurry up and get out of those pesky houses and into a lovely new testament TEMPLE building.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Esaias

The word house means HOUSE.

A house is a house

house

[n., adj. hous; v. houz] Show IPA noun, plural hous·es [hou-ziz] Show IPA , verb, housed, hous·ing, adjective
noun 1.a building in which people live; residence for human beings.
2.a household.
3.( often initial capital letter ) a family, including ancestors and descendants: the great houses of France; the House of Hapsburg.
4.a building for any purpose: a house of worship.
5.a theater, concert hall, or auditorium: a vaudeville house.


But of course we are discussing what I said...the word translated HOUSE means...

Let me start with what I said earlier about some places being set aside as Halls for use for special occasions.

Vincents Word Studies
Act 1:13
An upper room (τὸ ὑπερῷον)
With the article, denoting some well-known place of resort. It was the name given to the room directly under the flat roof. Such rooms were often set apart as halls for meetings. In such an apartment Paul delivered his farewell address at Troas (Act_20:8), and the body of Dorcas was laid (Act_9:37). Used by Luke only.

Zodhaites Wordstudy
(I) Generally (Mat_9:6-7; Mar_5:19; Luk_1:40; Joh_7:53; Act_10:22). With the preposition en (G1722) in, en oíkō, at home (1Co_11:34; 1Co_14:35; Sept.: Gen_39:2, Gen_39:16); with the prep. katá (G2596) with the acc., possessing a distributive meaning, kat’ oíkon, from house to house, in private houses (Act_2:46; Act_5:42; Act_8:3; Act_20:20; Rom_16:5, the church at a private home). Spoken of various kinds of houses or edifices, such as the house of the king or the chief priest, a palace (Mat_11:8; Luk_22:54; Sept.: Gen_12:15; 2Ki_20:18; Dan_1:4). A house of commerce, meaning a bazaar (Joh_2:16). Specifically, house of God, meaning the tabernacle or temple where the presence of God was manifested and where God was said to dwell, e.g., the tabernacle (Mat_12:4; Mar_2:26; Luk_6:4); the temple at Jerusalem (Mat_21:13; Joh_2:16-17; Act_7:47, Act_7:49); for ho naós, with a def. art. (Luk_11:51 [cf. Mat_23:35]); the house of prayer (Mat_21:13; Mar_11:17; Luk_19:46). A room or part of a house, e.g., the dining room (Luk_14:23), the upper room as a place of prayer (Act_2:2; Act_10:30; Act_11:13). Figuratively of persons, Christians as the spiritual house or temple of God (1Pe_2:5). Of those in whom evil spirits dwell (Mat_12:44; Luk_11:24).
(II) In a wider sense, a dwelling place, habitation, abode, as a city or country (Mat_23:38; Luk_13:35).
(III) Metonymically, a household, family, those who live together in a house (Luk_10:5; Act_10:2; Act_11:14; Act_16:15; 1Co_1:16; 2Ti_1:16; Tit_1:11). Including the idea of household affairs (Act_7:10; 1Ti_3:4-5, 1Ti_3:12; Sept.: Gen_7:1; Gen_12:17). Metaphorically, oíkos tou Theoú, the household of God, i.e., the Christian Church, Christians (1Ti_3:15; Heb_3:6; Heb_10:21; 1Pe_4:17); the Jewish assembly (Heb_3:2, Heb_3:5; Sept.: Num_12:7).
(IV) Metonymically, family, lineage, posterity, descended from one head or ancestor (Luk_1:27, Luk_1:69; Luk_2:4; Sept.: Exo_6:14; 1Ki_12:16, 1Ki_12:19). A whole people or nation as descended from one ancestor such as the house or people of Israel (Mat_10:6; Mat_15:24); the house of Jacob (Luk_1:33); the house of Judah (Heb_8:8; Sept.: Exo_19:3; Lev_10:6; Jdg_1:23; 1Ki_12:23; Jer_31:31).

7.2 οἶκοςa, ου m: a building consisting of one or more rooms and normally serving as a dwelling place (οἶκοςa also includes certain public buildings, for example, a temple)—‘house, temple, sanctuary.’ (The extension of οἶκοςa to include temples may be the result of speaking of a temple as the dwelling place of the deity.) ἠκούσθη ὅτι ἐν οἴκῳ ἐστίν ‘it was reported that he was at home’ Mk 2:1; τοῦ ἀπολομένου μεταξὺ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καὶ τοῦ οἴκου ‘who perished between the altar and the Temple’ Lk 11:51. For a discussion of certain translational problems related to οἶκοςa, see 7.3.

7.3 οἰκίαa, ας f: a building or place where one dwells—‘house, home, dwelling, residence.’ ἡ δὲ οἰκία ἐπληρώθη ἐκ τῆς ὀσμῆς τοῦ μύρου ‘the sweet smell of perfume filled the whole house’ Jn 12:3.
The size of an οἰκίαa or of an οἶκοςa (7.2) may differ greatly. For example, the house referred to in Lk 7:10 would no doubt have been relatively elaborate, and in Mt 11:8 οἶκοςa refers to the palace in which Herod lived. In a number of languages it is important to distinguish clearly between various types of dwellings depending upon their size and presumed importance. Accordingly, in rendering οἰκίαa or οἶκοςa it is necessary to use a number of different terms roughly equivalent to the English series ‘cottage,’ ‘house,’ ‘official residence,’ ‘palace,’ ‘temple,’ etc.
In a number of languages one must distinguish carefully between a house and a home. A term meaning ‘house’ would be used in referring to any dwelling as a construction, while a term meaning ‘home’ would be used in referring to the more or less permanent dwelling of a particular person. In Mk 2:1, for example, it is significant to indicate that Jesus was dwelling in the house through the roof of which the paralyzed man was let down.

Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (80). New York: United Bible Societies.

I suppose you will seize upon the phrase 'any building whatever', however I challenge you to show me where oikos is used of anything other than a dwelling place. It is not used of a synagogue.

See above. It may have been an upper chamber in the Temple...or it may have been the upper room of a wealthy person with a large guest quarters they let out to visitors for special occasions

It is used of the Temple for that was the Old Covenant 'house of God'. According to the Lexicon is is distinguished from DOMOS, the actual BUILDING where a family lives. Thus, it means an 'inhabited house', a place where the 'oikos' (household) lived. It would not be used of a store for example (unless the store were located in someone's oikos, of course).

It is translated house, household, home, at home, home with.

They were at a house, in the upper room or 'guestchamber' (Luke 22:1).

Right and as I said, this particular one held approximately 120 people. Many houses had areas they let out to guests for occasions.

They were a house church.

They were the church :-). They used whatever was available to them. In Jerusalem that often meant using someone elses hall or guest area

They were not incorporated under either Jewish law or Roman law (or US law for that matter).

That really has nothing to do with what we are discussing

They were not a denomination.

Nor that

God.

Nor that

And they weren't doing a 'praise a thon' to raise money for a building so they could hurry up and get out of those pesky houses and into a lovely new testament TEMPLE building.

and that

BTW the Greek word for "Inn" is the same word used for the guest chambers of people's homes, which was one of my points here and before

katáluma; gen. katalúmatos, neut. noun from katalúō (G2647), to unloose. A lodging place or inn. It was so-called because of the ancient travelers who on arrival loosened their own belts or girdles, sandals, and the saddles or harnesses of their animals. In the ancient Greek writings, the place of entertainment is called katáluma, where animals and burdens are loosened. See Sept.: Exo_4:24. Guests were highly regarded in biblical times (Jdg_19:9, Jdg_19:15). Katáluma was also a guest chamber (Mar_14:14; Luk_2:7; Luk_22:11), a dining room where the guests loosened their sandals before they sat down to eat. In the East it is called khan or caravanserai.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

BTW the Greek word for "Inn" is the same word used for the guest chambers of people's homes, which was one of my points here and before

katáluma; gen. katalúmatos, neut. noun from katalúō (G2647), to unloose. A lodging place or inn. It was so-called because of the ancient travelers who on arrival loosened their own belts or girdles, sandals, and the saddles or harnesses of their animals. In the ancient Greek writings, the place of entertainment is called katáluma, where animals and burdens are loosened. See Sept.: Exo_4:24. Guests were highly regarded in biblical times (Jdg_19:9, Jdg_19:15). Katáluma was also a guest chamber (Mar_14:14; Luk_2:7; Luk_22:11), a dining room where the guests loosened their sandals before they sat down to eat. In the East it is called khan or caravanserai.

Yes, the 'inn' was someone's 'guest chamber' or 'upper room' that was used for hospitality purposes.

In any event, the early church met in one another's homes, and the apostles seemed to be staying at someone's house, someone with a nice upper room large enough for a good sized meeting to take place.

I don't see how any of this is some kind of 'counterpoint' to house church ecclesiology.

I think, as I keep saying, that many of you guys are 'missing the point' about house churches.

Maybe it's a communication issue, perhaps I am just not able to communicate what I have been trying to say in a manner that can be easily understood.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Yes, the 'inn' was someone's 'guest chamber' or 'upper room' that was used for hospitality purposes.

In any event, the early church met in one another's homes, and the apostles seemed to be staying at someone's house, someone with a nice upper room large enough for a good sized meeting to take place.

I don't see how any of this is some kind of 'counterpoint' to house church ecclesiology.

I think, as I keep saying, that many of you guys are 'missing the point' about house churches.

Maybe it's a communication issue, perhaps I am just not able to communicate what I have been trying to say in a manner that can be easily understood.

We already settle the issue they often met in one specific home. Probably because it was a home with that large multipurpose guest chamber

The church is the church. It's not "The building church", nor "The Tent church", nor even "The house church".

It's just the Church and they MET where they could. They met at the Temple. They met in one specific Home/Guest chamber and they met from home to home

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

We already settle the issue they often met in one specific home. Probably because it was a home with that large multipurpose guest chamber

The church is the church. It's not "The building church", nor "The Tent church", nor even "The house church".

It's just the Church and they MET where they could. They met at the Temple. They met in one specific Home/Guest chamber and they met from home to home

Daily!