AN EXEMPLARY HOUSE CHURCH: PRISCILLA AND AQUILA

Key Verse: 16:5a

“Greet also the church that meets at their house.”

House Church means a church in a house. House doesn’t only means the building, but more especially a family or a small unity of Christians. House church is when a family serves a church in is home. In a so Christianized continent as Europe, where there are churches even in the most postponed villages, to serve the church in a house or an apartment seems very strange for many people. When I was invited the first time to the Sunday worship service and that I realized that it took place in a very small apartment, I thought that I was going to strangle myself. I told myself that I had fallen in a cult. However, the house church is not something new. It is even the model of the first Christian churches. But is it the model of church the best adapted for the Europeans in 21th century? I think that the answer is “yes”.

I have a friend Pastor who serves a local church in Nantes. His church began some years ago in his garage. During years he prayed with his coworkers to have a big assembly. God blessed their prayer and another local church joined them, until their assembly counts more than 200 members. But division and difficulties began appearing. The Pastor then said: « What is really my purpose? If my purpose is to have a big church with many members, I missed my purpose! » Then he changed his strategy. He encouraged the other church to become again independent; he sold their big “centre” and decided to emphases on biblical meetings in families. Now, every week, a different family serves meeting in his home. They invite their friends, their parents for a time of Bible study and prayer, and God blesses them.

Following this example, it seems that the resurgence of the church in Europe passes by the house church. The young peoples hated cold and too rigid religious traditionalism. They search a more personal and living way to meet God. The house church can bring them it. But how to serve a house church? Is it enough to have some religious activities in an apartment to be a house church? Through the example of Pricilla and Aquila, whom we are going to study today, we can learn what is a house church and how to serve the Gospel efficiently in our house churches in Europe.

First, Pricilla and Aquila collaborated the one with other one for the Gospel. Who were Pricilla and Aquila? According to Acts 18.1-3 Pricilla and Aquila was tentmakers. At the time of Roman Empire, tents were used for the Roman army and for the slaves. It was a very profitable business. We say that it is difficult for a couple to be together in business, because private and professional life gets involved constantly. For example, if the woman forgets to send a very important bill and that her husband gets angry against her, there is not enough chance that he makes her compliments on his kitchen in the evening at table. Rather he risks sulking and eating without speaking. Then how Pricilla and Aquila could they collaborate so intimately and so effectively? Look verse 3. Because they were « in Christ-Jesus. » It means that both Pricilla than Aquila had a personal relation with Jesus (Jn 15.5). They both experienced the love of God personally. They both knew the love of God personally. So they could love each other, they could embrace each other, support each other, pray for each other, encourage each other and be strong for each other, with the same purpose: serve the Gospel. They were ready to overcome all their difficulties because they kept looks fixed on their spiritual purpose. By serving a company, it is easy to be crush by difficulties or pressure. But Pricilla and Aquilas could overcome difficulties because their company was not one purpose a means for them, but there only to serve the Gospel and to support the people of God. Every day they worked diligently for their material needs, and in the evening, they served God together with a lot of joy and grace. One of the secrets of a successful house church ministry seems to be for the husband and wife to have a beautiful love relationship in Christ and the same purpose for the Gospel.

Second, Pricilla and Aquila collaborated with Apostle Paul for the Gospel. Let us read verse 3 once again. Here Paul does not call them “my sheep”, but « my fellow workers in Christ-Jesus. » We do not know if Pricilla and Aquila were already Christians when Paul met them. Anyway, when Paul met them in Corinth, « he stayed and worked with them” (Ac 18.3b) At the beginning, they made tents together. By common life with the apostle Paul, Pricilla and Aquila grew spiritually and became his close collaborators. When Paul devoted himself full-time to the ministry of Corinth (Ac18.5), Pricilla and Aquila continued supporting him financially and spiritually. In Corinth, the Gospel faith of Paul was controversial, so that Paul was frightened himself and wanted to leave the city. But the Lord appeared to him in dream and encouraged him to stay (Ac 18.6-10). Pricilla and Aquila continued supporting Paul and encouraged him in practice. When Paul left Corinth finally, Pricilla and Aquila went with him (Ac18.18). It was not easy for them to leave and to start again their business elsewhere. It would be necessary to find a new workshop, new purveyors and new customers. There was an important financial risk. But Pricilla and Aquila did not calculate as it. They were ready to leave everything to follow and to collaborate with the servant of God. Later, when Paul came back to Ephesus, Pricilla and Aquila were there, ready to cowork with him and to support him once again. We learn from Pricilla and Aquila that good house church leaders do not isolate themselves; but that they learn how to collaborate closely and to support the servant that God established.

Third, Pricilla and Aquila risked their lives for the Gospel. Let us read verse 4a. We do not know exactly about which event Paul speaks here. But what is true is that Pricilla and Aquila supported Paul not only by giving him a room in their house or meal, or a small financial support from time to time, but because they risked their own lives to protect and defend Paul. It was not because of their human fidelity, but this shows the depth of their commitment for the Gospel. Pricilla and Aquila realized how much Apostle Paul was important for the Gospel and especially, how much his ministry among the Gentiles was important. Therefore they protected Paul by risking their own lives, so that the Gospel of Jesus can continue spreading to the Gentiles. According to verse 4b, even the churches of the Gentiles was grateful to them. Their audacious and sacrificial faith became a source of encouragement and force for many brothers who faced up intense persecutions. Their practical life to open their house always to the Gentiles was also a good example and gave a good influence to the Gentiles churches. It is always risked to serve a house church ministry. Even invite a foreigner in our home can be risked. Our basic instinct encourages us to protect and to preserve our house and our family. But good house church leaders know how to sacrifice and even to risk their lives for the Gospel.

Fourth, Pricilla and Aquila shares the vision of God with Paul. In Acts we see that Pricilla and Aquila preceded Paul in Rome. It is wholly probable that they were come back in Rome not only because the roman emperor had allowed the Jews to come back there, but also because they knew Paul’s vision: « I must visit Rome also.” (Ac 19.21) In Ephesus, Paul had receives the vision of God to evangelize the whole world from Rome. However he did not go there directly. He continued first encouraging churches and dedicated himself to gather the offering of the Gentile’s churches for the church of Jerusalem. During this time, it seems that Pricilla and Aquila went to Rome to open it a shop. Paul prayed for Pricilla and Aquila a lot, because they shared his vision for world mission. They were good coworkers, not because they tried to follow Paul humanly, but because they shared his vision for world mission. Their purpose was to spread the Gospel of Jesus by their house church ministry. They put their hope in the kingdom of heaven. It was hard for them to go back in Rome, where from they had before been hunted. But they were ready to move anywhere, to make anything, if this can help the Gospel of Jesus to spread. This vision for world mission and this mind are essential for the house church leaders. Good house church leaders share God’s great vision for the whole world. They are not jealous of other Christians but are delighted to see the work of God growing, wherever it is.

Fifth, Pricilla and Aquila were excellent Bible teachers who helped people to have clear gospel faith. In Acts 18.24-26 we read how Pricilla and Aquila helped Apollos. Apollos was a man with a learned heart and a deep knowledge of Scriptures. He was also a good public speaker. But when they heard him, Pricilla and Aquila recognized immediately that something missed in his message. They did not publicly embarrass him. Instead, they invited him to their home and explained him the way of God “more adequately”. They helped him to understand the deep meaning of the death and the resurrection of Jesus, the work of Holy Spirit, the hope in the kingdom of heaven, the second coming of Jesus and the plan of God for the salvation of the world. This young intellectual very able did not intimidate them; rather, they saw him from the point of view of God, based Gospel faith. Through their house church they could take a personal time to help him practically. After being helped by them, Apollos went on to become an effective gospel worker, helping those who by grace had already believed. Good house church leaders not only share common life; they also are excellent Bible teachers who share their gospel faith with even one person deeply in their home.

Sixth, Pricilla and Aquila opens their home for church meetings. Let us read verse 5a. It seems that Pricilla and Aquila used their house for the meetings of the church. They made it in Corinth, in Ephesus and now, they made it in Rome. It is not always easy to open our house for church meetings : the house need to be clean and put away all the time, we need to be always ready to welcome people, etc… This asks denying and sacrificial mind. But Pricilla and Aquila never got tired of doing so. Their hearts were always opened towards the people of God. God blessed them financially so that they was able to give to the others. They used it to show hospitality and serve God’s needy people in many ways. Their home was a place of God’s peace, where God’s troubled people could come and find rest. Their home was a place where believers could gather to sing hymns and a place full of God’s word. It was a place to remember God’s amazing grace in Jesus and to give thanks. In mega-churches, people can easily be ignored or lost. But in a house church, they can be cared and each can participate freely. They can receive love and feel as in their family.

Today we learnt the principles of a fruitful house church ministry. They are: 1) To love each one other in Christ and to share the same purpose; 2) To cowork with the servants of God; 3) To be ready to risk our life for the Gospel; 4) To share the vision of God for the world; 5) To plant a clear gospel faith in young intellectuals; 6) To build a spiritually healthy environment based on the peace of Christ and the word of Christ. May God strengthen our UBF house churches in Europe and in the world according to these principles and be used preciously by him for his kingdom work.