"teaching you in public and from house to house"

[whatever]

And when they came to him, he said to them: "You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

- Acts 20:18-21

Anyone here have a pastor who teaches from house to house? Ever heard of one?

Baxter as Beethoven

 

[Seth&Mattsmom]

Sure...my pastor and his wife and other members from the church go door-to-door witnessing. Isn't that teaching?

 

[Ransom]

Anyone here have a pastor who teaches from house to house? Ever heard of one?

The first-century church met in homes. Paul went house to house because they didn't have one big building where they could fit the whole church like we have today.

 

[whatever]

Originally posted by Ransom:
Anyone here have a pastor who teaches from house to house? Ever heard of one?

The first-century church met in homes. Paul went house to house because they didn't have one big building where they could fit the whole church like we have today.

But it says "in public and from house to house". What was "in public" then?

 

[Ransom]

Well, sometimes the church met in the synagogues, and it's not unlikely that sometimes they would gather in a public place as well.

Paul could also be making a distinction between public teaching and private, in which he ministered personally instead of congregationally.

 

[whatever]

So you're thinking this was evangelism then? I took it for more than that.

 

[Ransom]

So you're thinking this was evangelism then?

Sorry, I reconsidered what I had written, and completely rewrote it.

No, I don't think Paul is telling the Ephesians about how he did evangelism. I think he's talking about his pastoral ministry to the church.

 

[genesis12]

"In public" was on the one hand outside, and on the other, before the public in an enclosure. Remember Paul's "unknown god" speech?

 

[mima]

To whatever: If you want to understand how truly difficult it is for most people to believe and follow what the Bible says about Paul's teaching in public and house to house. I suggest you ask some people to accompany you in witnessing and/or teaching house to house. Oh what wonderful elaborate excuses you are yet to hear.