Philippians 4:22

All the saints greet you, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household.

Instead of saying these were Christians, he called them saints. It is notable that Paul never used the term "Christian".

It was first used in Antioch to refer to believers (Acts 11:26), and it has since been the name that has stuck for millennia. It was a word that was specially coined that did not exist before. 

The words "saints" and "church" were borrowed, but "Christian" was not. It is a new word that occurs three times in the Bible, including Acts 26:28 and 1 Pet 4:16.

Believers were mostly called followers of the Way. But nobody uses that phrase now, though it was mentioned several times in the book of Acts: Acts 9:2, 19:9, 19:23, 22:4, 24:14, 24:22.

With that background, I want to say that the church's public presentation (for example, name) can evolve, but the message cannot. The message is Christ and His Word, or the gospel, or the word of His grace (Acts 20:32).  

Paul said it best.

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master-builder I laid a foundation, but someone else builds on it. And each one must be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than what is being laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:10-11)

As an aside, anyone who says something negative about Paul is wrong.

There are different structures, governance structures that can be built on it, different worship styles that can represent different nations, but there can only be one message. That is why we have the Holy Spirit.

When the Advocate comes, whom I will send you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me, (John 15:26)

Whether you join a house church or a mega church, whether you use drums or not, whether you stay in a cathedral or a storefront, we should not say that other people are not doing it the right way because of these externals.

The person using the storefront should not condemn (throw stones at) others for having beautiful buildings, and the one in the beautiful buildings should not condemn (throw stones at) those in the storefront, just because of those externals. 

According to scriptures, there are diversities of gifts, services, and ministries, but the same Lord, the same Spirit. For example, I believe the space you use is a gift from God (James 1:17), and that the people gathering in it represent different gifts from God.

Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different results, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. (1 Corinthians 12:5-6)

So, to cast stones at those doing things differently, to defend your own system as the right one, and to say it is because it is closer to the New Testament model when we are hundreds of years removed, I believe, is wrong.

No church is the New Testament church because, for starters, the New Testament church is not one thing, as Jesus' letters to the seven churches show (Revelation 2-3). 

I am using the origin of the word "Christian" as a metaphor here: it did not have a clear origin with any of the apostles, not even with Jesus, but rather emerged as a label without a clear, specific source.

And we cannot now start arguing against it and say we should not be called Christian, but something else. To what end? Are we just arguing for the sake of it? Are we nitpicking for the sake of nitpicking? And if so, to what end?

Hear Paul's words to both Timothy and Titus:

But reject foolish and ignorant controversies because you know they breed infighting. (2 Timothy 2:23)

But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, quarrels, and fights about the law because they are useless and empty. Reject a divisive person after one or two warnings. You know that such a person is twisted by sin and is conscious of it himself. (Titus 3:9-11)

CHRIST AND HOLINESS

Of necessity, there must be a difference between the New Testament church and the church today. But what we must be steadfast about has to be the centrality of Christ and the primacy of the life of holiness. 

The centrality of Christ is about the inner formation of the church, which is the bride of Christ, and the fact that her affection for her Lord must be nursed (2 Corinthians 11:2-3). And holiness at a basic level concerns the public presentation of the church. 

When Paul came hard on the man who was regularly sleeping with his father's wife in the church in Galatia, he said such a thing was not even mentioned among the Gentiles (1 Corinthians 5). 

He was concerned about the church's public presentation and encouraged that person to be disciplined.

The discipline is not for thought sins like looking at a woman to lust after her, as Jesus mentioned (Matthew 5:28). And the discipline is not corporal punishment (please understand that; no kneeling, flogging, shouting down, physical retribution, payment of fine, slapping, etc.) but a calling for the person not to join their meetings. That was such a glaring sin that was tolerated for a while. He also listed other sins in that chapter: sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler.

These are Paul's charges to everyone, and he said it is about how the church is perceived:

Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6)

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world by holding on to the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast: that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain. (Philippians 2:14-16)

This is a qualification for leadership, and it is also with an eye for the public presentation of the church:

And he must be well thought of by those outside the faith, so that he may not fall into disgrace and be caught by the devil’s trap. (1 Timothy 3:7)

The point is that behavior is important. The church has to be founded on the knowledge of Christ and the obedience of faith (Romans 5:1). 

When there was a problem with the knowledge of Christ in the church in Galatia, Paul said they had fallen from grace and had been alienated from Christ (Galatians 5:4). 

That is the most damning indictment, echoing the fall in the Garden of Eden. 

And in another place Paul said this:

However, God’s solid foundation remains standing, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from evil.” (2 Timothy 2:19)

The point is that we cannot have diversity in holiness commitment or in the message of Christ. 

What I am saying is that the church's practical presentation can and has changed over the century, but Christ is the same (Hebrews 13:8), and the charge toward holiness is as well.

And not every question about the church's presentation (outlook: structure and style) can be answered with "is it in the Bible?"

But every question about holiness and the knowledge of Christ can be answered that way. And, I repeat, the church's basic message and manners cannot change. 

The Bible does not tell you whether you should build a megachurch or a house church. Or to spend three hours in the church or one hour?

Because the first churches presented as house churches are not a commandment for house churches. There are elders, and they have responsibility for the local church. 

Paul told the church leaders of Ephesus to watch their message. He did not lament a possible change in style or structure, but rather in the message and manner of the leaders. 

Watch out for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after I am gone fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Even from among your own group men will arise, teaching perversions of the truth to draw the disciples away after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears. And now I entrust you to God and to the message of his grace. This message is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have desired no one’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me. (Acts 20:28-34)

And you can come up with 10 ways that the house church is good, but that does not make the person with the mega church wrong, and vice versa.

We can criticize the message preached if it is not aligned with the truth. But we must watch the spirit with which we do that. 

You can be in an old church, use a collar and a robe, and your message is the truth, and you can wear a tie and stay in a house/modern church, and the message is from hell, and sexual sin is permitted, and something like a cult is developing, and vice versa. 

Do you get?