The House Church:

[brotherjason]

Lol, sorry, I thought I had read your post all the way through but then I looked up and saw something I didn't address. And yes, I use a sermon format (guess that would be the word to use) but still leave room for interaction.

[TulsaGirl42]

Re house church movement: I recommend the book "Revolution" by George Barna for a logical, clearly-written and well-researched discussion of this phenomenon.

[TulsaGirl42]

Felicity, thank you for defining approbation. I always enjoy your remarks. However, I have a question. You say your surname was given to you by Jim Yohe. Since "surname" is the family name (i.e. Welch), and is usually the name of the father, I wonder if you mean your given name: Felicity. Just interested.

[ApostolicTexas]

Originally Posted by brotherjason

Lol, sorry, I thought I had read your post all the way through but then I looked up and saw something I didn't address. And yes, I use a sermon format (guess that would be the word to use) but still leave room for interaction.

Are you the brother Jason of Acts 18?

Originally Posted by Aquila

I have a question for some of you who house church that wasn't answered. I want to know how some of you do it so I'll ask again. When you preach the Word in a house church setting I assume it's more conversational as opposed to being "preachy". But when you teach do you deliver a "sermon" with a title, points, analogies and applications..... or do take a passage the Lord has laid upon your heart and then read and discuss it together?

I have heard of it done both ways. I mean, we know that Paul preached for hours on end.....people even fell asleep and fell out of the window and had to be brought back ;-)

But at the same time...

"How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
If any man speak in an [unknown] tongue, [let it be] by two, or at the most [by] three, and [that] by course; and let one interpret.
But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
If [any thing] be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."

So there has to be interaction as well, else how can those things happen?

[Bro-Larry]

Originally Posted by OP_Carl

[size="6"]
We live in a time where the Apostolic church paradigm is still influenced by the pushback against the Latter Rain movement a generation ago. People have found solace from Latter Rain's wreckage in structure, decorum, order, and properly vetted leadership.

OP_Carl,

I have no real knowledge of the "Latter Splatter" movement or the wreckage you referred to above. Would you give a brief description of what you mean?
tks, BL

I agree, I would like to hear about it as well. I have only been a Christian since 1996, and am a "first generation" one at that. I haven't heard anything about that before.

[scotty]

Originally Posted by Titus2Mom

I have heard of it done both ways. I mean, we know that Paul preached for hours on end.....people even fell asleep and fell out of the window and had to be brought back ;-)

Yeah but have you ever thought about what all he had to say?!?!? The gospels all say in the end that there was so much more Christ done that was not written. Can you imagine all the miracles and teachings the disciples experienced ?!?! Praise Jesus Name !!!!!!

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Titus2Mom

I have heard of it done both ways. I mean, we know that Paul preached for hours on end.....people even fell asleep and fell out of the window and had to be brought back ;-)

But at the same time...

"How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
If any man speak in an [unknown] tongue, [let it be] by two, or at the most [by] three, and [that] by course; and let one interpret.
But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
If [any thing] be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."

So there has to be interaction as well, else how can those things happen?

I don't think one example negates the other in any way. (And I'm not saying you do...just making a point.)

What was Paul? An apostle

What was an apostle?

A person who ministered to the elders of the various assemblies across the world.

When Paul came to town it would tend to not be a normal gathering. This is where you got your questions answered. This is where things that had been points of confusion and debate could be answered. After all that is why we have the majority of the NT because they asked these apostles questions to which they replied in letter form.

The young boy fell from the windows while Paul was long preaching.

The word translated preaching is dialegomia. Probably where we get the term dialogue. The term itself requires a minimum of 2 people taking part in the conversation.

The lexicon defines dialegomia as follows:

1) to think different things with one's self, mingle thought with thought
a) to ponder, revolve in mind
2) to converse, discourse with one, argue, discuss

So... in all probability the night the young boy fell from the window Paul was sitting with the brethren having a discusion, answering questions, giving direction & instruction & generally fellowshipping.

We are, often, so quick to place today's definition of a word onto descriptions of events that took place thousands of years ago. When we hear that someone was "long preaching" we tend to see images of Paul standing and preaching with red face (maybe even with a microphone LOL) when this was not necessarily (and most likely) was not the case.

What Paul was doing the night the young boy fell may well have fallen right in line with the picture that the scriptures you quoted in red spoke about the way they met day to day when they met house to house.

Thank you D4T, I hadn't actually fully delved into that scripture.