333 WORDS….
There is one chapter in the entire New Testament detailing the suitable order of house church gatherings. Because there is one only, it makes no sense to avoid 1Cor14 when determining the Lord’s will regarding house church management. The most pointed verse in 14 is 26. So let’s look at 1Cor14:26….
How is it then brethren?
How is this thing supposed to work?
Whenever you come together…
Probably they had “come together” in houses. (Perhaps they invented the house church.)
each of you has a psalm,…
The word “each” is used elsewhere when referring to one-another ministry. A sampling: “the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all”, “distributing (gifts) to each one individually as He wills”, “as each one has received a gift, minister it to each other”.
has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue,
Seems like those Corinthians were tongue-talkers. Paul speaks of public tongues which requires an interpretation. Incidentally, not all tongues are for that purpose. When Paul said, “I speak with tongues more than you all” he was referring to personal prayer. (“I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding.”)
has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation.
Of high importance, everyone was to be involved in ministering to everyone. Verse 31: “You can all prophesy one by one.”
Let all things be done for edification.
That’s “for edification” of the hc. “All things” include “a teaching” and “a revelation”. By whom? By whosoever the Holy Spirit chooses.
But where is the elder most say is required to steer this thing? Not only can’t the guy be found in the entire chapter, but the entire letter, and…. both letters to the Corinthians, and…. the letters to the Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians.
Though elders were there, Paul never mentioned them. Not once. Perhaps painful to ‘leaders’ and perhaps freedom to non-‘leaders’, elders did not officiate.
The hc people managed themselves by consensus.