Terry wrote: > The Jerusalem Christians met on temple grounds, > but never inside the temple.
I'm not sure what you mean by "never inside the temple." Wasn't Jesus "in the Temple" when he cast out the money changers? When the angel of the Lord freed the apostles from prison, didn't he tell them to go speak "in the temple" (Acts 5:20)? Terry wrote: > As I understand it, they met in an area > that had a roof but no walls. I think you mean "walls but no roof"? It would be rather interesting to see a building with a roof but no walls, wouldn't it. :-) Yes, the bulk of the Temple were courts, meaning, walled areas without a roof. I'm not sure what distinction this makes in your mind. It was still a building that demarcated an area for religious worship. Jesus certainly considered it as such when he cast out the money changers, and the New Testament indicates that the early Christians used the Temple for this purpose, to praise and worship God, to pray, and to read and teach God's Word. One day, perhaps after I retire, I hope to write a book about the way the first century Christians participated in the religious institutions of their society and its implication for believers who meet in home churches today. Terry wrote: > I would assume that the Christians stayed away > from the temple proper in order not to incur > the wrath of the Priests and Pharisees. I think you underestimate the early Christians. They were not wimpy sissies like so many Christians in our society. They went into the Temple and preached, and yes, they did incur the wrath of priests and Pharisees. See Acts 5, Luke 24:53, Acts 2:46, etc. Also see how they followed the example of Jesus from John 7:28, Luke 21:37-38, Luke 22:53, Mat. 21:14-15. Terry wrote: > As to synagogues, I was under the impression that > they could only be such if they had ten Jewish men > meeting, and it was the group, not the building, > that bore the title in that time. Most of the apostles were Jewish men, and there were thousands upon thousands of Jewish men who believed in the Lord. The term synagogue is much like the word "church," which first has application to the assembly (and still does), then comes to refer also to the place where the assembly meets. We have excavated religious buildings that go back to the 3rd century B.C. and believe that they existed even before that time. Terry wrote: > The new KJV uses the word "assembly" rather > than Synagogue The old KJV translates it as "assembly" also, but look at the Greek and you will see that the word is synagogue. The synagogues were established hundreds of years before Christ. Terry wrote: > ... and that could well imply a group too large > for our dining room, but I doubt that it was > anything near what you find assembled in church > buildings today, but I thank you for the input. How then do you explain thousands being added to the church when Peter preached in the Temple? Many of these synagogues have been excavated and I have visited them in Israel. They were very much like our church buildings today, some of them with mikvahs (baptismal bathtubs). Terry wrote: > We just aren't in total agreement on this one. Why not? Is it because Frank Viola wrote that the first church building started with Constantine? Or is it because your view of first century Christianity is one where believers huddled secretly in homes for fear of persecution from unbelieving Jews? Peace be with you. David Miller, Beverly Hills, Florida USA ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
