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Gentile Church
Some of the early converts to Christianity were gentile God-fearers who were attracted to Judaism but had not become full proselytes. In Palestine, we have the example of Cornelius, a Gentile Roman centurion stationed in Caesarea, whom Luke describes as "a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God."1 As a result of Peter's vision and proclamation of the gospel2 a number of Gentiles, including Cornelius' household, were saved and baptized,3 as Peter opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. Luke appears to reinforce the significance of this event by repeating it to the Jewish believers and. leaders in Jerusalem4 and alluding to it again at the Jerusalem Council.
Peter reminded the council members that God had obliterated certain legal distinctions between Jews and Gentiles and that salvation was by faith and not by keeping the law.5 Given Cornelius's piety, generosity and financial means, he no doubt opened his house to the Gentile believers in Caesarea. One wonders whether Philip's house in Caesarea was used in this way as well.6 Other house churches are mentioned in the New Testament, with the names of the people in whose houses they met, e.g. at Philippi,7 Corinth,8 Rome,9 Ephesus,10 Laodicea,11 Colossae.12 Such phrases as "the brethren who are with them," "the saints" (i.e. fellow Christians) "who are with them" seem to mean "who are in their house church."
1Acts 10:2 1Acts 10:44-48 3Acts 11:1-18, esp. v. 14 4Acts 11:1-18 5Acts 15:7-11 6Acts 21:8-107Acts 16.40 8Acts 18.7 9Romans 16.5; 16.14; 16.15 101 Corinthians 16.19 11Colossians 4.15 12Philemon 1 and 2
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