Hello brother,<\/p>\n
I have a question about the autonomy of the local church. I understand that there were many house congregations in the first century. So, if there were many house congregations in Jerusalem, how can they be considered the church in Jerusalem?<\/p>\n
Also, if there were many congregations in one city, it means the elders of the Jerusalem church were overseeing many congregations rather than just one.<\/p>\n
If that is so, then how will that compare to the church autonomy that we preach today?<\/p>\n
Can it then be said that elders can oversee many congregations in a city?<\/p>\n\t
You made a jump in your argument that has no supporting evidence. It is true that some of the early churches met in homes. The church in Rome met in Aquilla and Priscilla’s home (Romans 16:3-5). When they lived in Ephesus, the church met in their home there (I Corinthians 16:19). The church in Hierapolis met in Nymphas’ home. The church in Laodicia met in Philemon’s home (Philemon 1-2). These places were not in Jerusalem but scattered in various areas of the Roman Empire.<\/p>\n
Just because some churches met in homes, it does not mean all churches did so. There is no mention of any church overseeing other churches. There is no mention of house churches in Jerusalem.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: Hello brother, I have a question about the autonomy of the local church. I understand that there were many house congregations in the first century. So, if there were many house congregations in Jerusalem, how can they be considered the church in Jerusalem? Also, if there were many congregations in one city, it means…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[1289,448,667],"class_list":["post-95248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-autonomy","tag-church","tag-organization-of-the-church"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":83178,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-an-eldership-direct-multiple-congregations\/","url_meta":{"origin":95248,"position":0},"title":"Can an eldership direct multiple congregations?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: We teach that elders are appointed in local congregations and that no congregation oversees another congregation. Neither does the elder of one congregation have overseeing power or responsibility over another congregation. In Acts 15, we know that there were Jewish Christians who insisted that Gentile Christians must circumcise and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":33097,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-cant-all-the-elders-in-a-city-get-together-to-direct-all-the-churches-in-the-city\/","url_meta":{"origin":95248,"position":1},"title":"Why can’t all the elders in a city get together to direct all the churches in the city?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 4, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: First, I would like to say thank you for posting your informative studies. I currently attend a church that has dissolved the eldership and has been operating without elders. After reading Keith Sharp's article on Autonomy I still have a question about elders. Our biblical example is one church\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62367,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-sponsoring-church-arrangement-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":95248,"position":2},"title":"The Sponsoring Church Arrangement (Jennings)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 28, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ethan Jennings Not long after World War 2, members of the Lord's church decided they wanted to take the gospel overseas to the countries with whom we had been at war. This was a good attitude to have. Especially since we are supposed to spread the gospel to everyone.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25801,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-autonomy-of-the-local-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":95248,"position":3},"title":"The Autonomy of the Local Church (Sharp)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 8, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Keith Sharp Introduction Several years ago I spoke by phone to a preacher who works with a large congregation in South Texas. As we conversed he asked if I was \"anti-cooperation.\" I told him I knew what he was talking about, but that I advocated scriptural cooperation between churches\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/sharp1-300x150.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":61801,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-autonomy-of-the-local-church-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":95248,"position":4},"title":"The Autonomy of the Local Church (Hamilton)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 9, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0One area that sharply distinguishes the Lord\u2019s church from the various denominations is its organization \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The church is the organization through which God\u2019s wisdom is made known - Eph 3:9-11 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is a product of that wisdom and is organized by God. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The head of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16384,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-you-have-to-join-a-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":95248,"position":5},"title":"Do you have to join a church?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 15, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I would like to know do you believe in having to join to be a member of the \"Church of Christ\"? 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