Originally posted by SouthernBoy:
DHK,
"There were no church buildings until 250 years after the death of the Apostles."
This is not a true statement. I have been researching this recently. It turns out there where quite a few "church buildings" before that time frame.
Perhaps I should clarify that statement before we go splitting hairs over something that is really irrelevant. Concerning, 'the "250" years quote,' I cannot specifically remember where I got the quote from, but I have read it many times. However the statement may have read, "There were no church buildings until about 250 A.D. which would go along with the accuracy of your research. It really doesn't matter to me. I am ready to concede that point to you.
For example,
The recent finding of the Early Church at Aqaba. You can read about at Archaeology Magazine:
http://www.archaeology.org/9811/newsbriefs/aqaba.html
"The remains of the oldest known structure designed and built as a church have been found at the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba. Pottery, such as Tunisian red-slipped tableware, from the building's foundations dates the church to the late third or beginning of the fourth century, according to its excavator, North Carolina State University archaeologist S. Thomas Parker. That the building was a church is indicated by its eastward orientation, overall plan (a basilica with a central nave flanked by side aisles), and artifacts, such as glass oil lamp fragments."
I believe from other sites it was dated around 240 AD.
This verifies what I said above, that church buildings came into existence around 250 A.D., which the quote probably said.
Also, if you count the catacombs in Rome as "churches" then the frescos date back to 100 AD. Again Archaeology Magazine has the story:
http://www.archaeology.org/online/news/peter.html
Totally inaccurate. That is like saying that that "Ichers" (sp) was a church building just waiting for its congregation (inmates). A graveyard was not built to be a church. That is just ludicrous. It was built to bury the dead, not to be a structure for the saints to meet in. Your suggetion is ludicrous. We are speaking of church structures--buildings that were built specifically for the church to meet in. That did not happen until at least 250 A.D.
I was surprised to learn how ancient some of the monasteries have dated in Egypt. For example, St. Antony's Monastery dates to around 250 AD I believe.
That date would seem to be correct.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/antony.htm
There has been recent findings Dura Europos, Syria which date to around 230 AD. A Christian House Church was discovered complete with Christian Frescos.
The University of Pittsburgh has a good link on the findings.
http://www.pitt.edu/~tokerism/0040/syl/christian.html
There are many more findings but I think you get the point and I don’t feel like stating them here. One thing that struck me was the fact that these Churches all had Frescos or Icons and altars. Most where aligned to face east (Jerusalem)
I have no quarrel with most of which you wrote. Like I said, the only mistake I may have made is in saying that it was 250 years "after the apostles," instead of about "250 A.D." But what difference does that make. The point remains the same. From the day of Pentecost (ca. 30 A.D.) to 250 A.D., a period of more than 200 years, the early Christians never met in buildings specifically built for Christians. In the Greek the word used for church is ekklesia. It means assembly or congregation, and always refers to the believers that gather together. It always refers to the local church, never to a church building. There is a different Greek word for church building. I believe it is kuriokon, rarely used, if at all, in the New Testament. The New Testament church was a gathering or congregation of believers that had some organizaton and purpose to it. They never had a specific building built for the sole purpose of the "church" until the middle of the third century.
DHK
I think that if the preachers sell their products (books and tapes) it should not be in the church (not unless they intend it to go into the church?) even then arn't they buying and selling in the temple? They should take it to a book store.
