In recent years, the concept of house churches has gained popularity, especially among those who seek a more intimate, organic form of Christian fellowship outside of traditional ecclesial structures. While these gatherings may provide Christian teaching, prayer, and community, the fundamental question remains: Are house churches truly churches?
The answer, from a historical and theological perspective, is no—and for two primary reasons: they lack apostolic authority to administer the sacraments and they are not equipped to exercise proper church discipline.
1. The Authority to Administer the Sacraments
A true church is one that is authorized to administer the sacraments—namely, Baptism and the Eucharist—in accordance with Christ’s institution. Sacraments are not mere symbolic acts but divine ordinances entrusted to the Church through the apostles and their successors.
Apostolic Succession and the Sacraments
- Christ established His Church through the apostles, who in turn ordained successors to continue their mission (Acts 1:20-26; 2 Timothy 2:2).
- The early Church Fathers, such as Ignatius of Antioch (c. 110 AD), affirmed that the sacraments must be administered by those in valid apostolic succession:
“Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is administered either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it.” (Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 8)
Without apostolic succession, house churches lack the proper ordination required for administering sacraments validly. This means their practice of the Lord’s Supper or Baptism, while well-intended, lacks the authority and efficacy Christ instituted.
Christ Himself tied church authority to the apostles when He said:
“As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.’” (John 20:21-23)
Without this God-given authority, house churches fail to be part of the historic, apostolic Church and instead become self-ordained communities with no divine mandate.
2. The Absence of Proper Church Discipline
Another defining mark of a true church is its ability to exercise church discipline—the biblical mechanism by which unrepentant sin is addressed within the Body of Christ.
Biblical Mandate for Church Discipline
Christ explicitly entrusted the power of binding and loosing to His apostles and their successors:
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you… If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17)
Who is ‘the church’ here? It is not a loose gathering of believers, but the structured, apostolically governed Church that has the authority to pronounce judgment.
House churches, lacking a recognized episcopate or ordained leadership, do not possess this binding authority to discipline members biblically. This leads to:
- Doctrinal instability—without ordained leadership, false teaching often goes unchecked.
- Moral laxity—without formal discipline, sin can persist unaddressed.
- No clear accountability—without higher ecclesial authority, church discipline often results in factional splits rather than genuine reconciliation.
Conclusion: House Churches Lack the Marks of a True Church
A true church is one that:
- Administers the sacraments with apostolic authority.
- Exercises proper church discipline as commanded by Christ.
House churches, though well-intended, do not meet these biblical and historical criteria. They lack the divine authorization to administer sacraments and the ecclesial structure to exercise biblical discipline. While they may serve as informal gatherings for prayer and fellowship, they do not fulfill the function of a true, historic, and apostolic Church.
Thus, Christians seeking a biblical and historic expression of faith should seek communion in a church that is part of the apostolic tradition, governed by ordained leadership, and faithful to the teachings and practices of the Church Christ established.
