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Philemon 2 – Church in Your House
v.2 – Church in your house
Philemon possibly was wealthy for he owned slaves (unless Onesimus was the only one) and had a large enough house to serve as the assembly hall. It’s interesting to note there is no certain evidence of special church buildings for worship before the third century. Beforetime they had worshipped in houses, synagogues and catacombs. [WORD PICTURES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, v.IV., p.465. Cf.Rom.16:5; 1 Cor.16:19; Col.4:15; Jms.2:2; HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, Philip Schaff, v.I, pp.285ff.
The church (ekklesia) is alive, and not some inanimate building. Even in its secular usage, “ekklesia” referred to people. (SYNONYMS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, Richard C. Trench, p.1ff.) When Stephen referred to the ekklesia in the wilderness (Acts 7:38), he was not speaking of the Tabernacle. Metonymies are used in scripture, but not for the “church”.
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