"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man." Acts 17:24
"And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting." Acts 2:2
"And day by day, ... breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts." Acts 2:46
"And every day, ... from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus." Acts 5:42
"And after [Lydia] was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.' And she prevailed upon us. ... So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed." Acts 16:15, 40
"How I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house." Acts 20:20
"Greet also the church in their house." Rom. 16:5b
"The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, greet you warmly in the Lord." 1 Cor. 16:19
"Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house." Col. 4:15
"And Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house." Phile. 1:2
"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." Matt. 18:20
"For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, 'I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.'" 2 Corinthians 6:16b
If you believe that the early Christians did not meet in homes “because they were being persecuted,” either because your preachers or professors spoon fed you this information, or because your “reasoning” concluded this, allow me to rip the band-aid off quickly: YOU ARE WRONG!!! Persecution of Christians was both greater and lesser at various times throughout the first three centuries.
If you were told by your preachers or professors that they used to meet in the synagogues or the temple, you were lied to. I suggest you go read the verses that pertain to this and pay attention to the context. The reason they went to synagogues or the temple was to evangelize. Anything beyond this and that person is attempting to impose their experience of “church” upon the Scriptures in order to find proof texts. If you profess to be a Bible-believing Christian, then perhaps you should start by believing the Bible!
"The historical and archaeological background is also put to effective use, as in his observation that 'Christians did not build churches until after the Edict of Toleration in 313 A.D.' and that earlier Christian assemblies were held in private homes that were only later enlarged and remodeled, such as Peter's house in Capernaum and the house church in Dura Europas." —Ministry, July/August, 2010, p. 60.
Early Christians did not build temples like the Jews or those in pagan religions because they believed that the presence of God was no longer confined to a physical structure or space; instead, they viewed themselves as the temple of the Holy Spirit, emphasizing that their bodies and community were sacred. This belief was rooted in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, emphasizing the importance of the heart and spirit in worship over physical locations and that worship could occur anywhere, as the community of believers gathered in homes and private spaces rather than dedicated buildings. This practice reflected their belief that the Ekklesia (assembly, congregation) was the community of believers—not a building. Because of this, they emphasized community and personal faith. They focused on living out their faith daily rather than adhering to formal rituals in designated places. The writings from this period highlight that worship included reading Scripture, prayer, communal meals, and the singing of songs, which could occur anywhere believers gathered.
Tertullian, an early Christian writer, noted that Christians were often criticized for not having temples, but he argued that their gatherings were centered on love and mutual support rather than physical locations. Tertullian argued that Christians do not build temples for worship because their bodies are considered the temple of God, emphasizing that God cannot be contained in lifeless structures. He stated, "We refuse to build lifeless temples to the Giver of all life," highlighting the belief that true worship occurs within the individual rather than in a physical location. And yet, today, that is exactly what we do: build lifeless temples that are not conducive to spiritual transformation or growth. Our lifeless temples stifle spiritual transformation because the Ekklesia cannot benefit from the gifts, knowledge, and experience of the entire Body of Christ the way it is supposed to.
Allow me to educate your obvious ignorance by quoting several of the early Christians, and even a few latter ones:
1st CENTURY
"Assemble on the Lord's Day and break bread; but do not name a place as a temple, for the Church is the gathering of the people." —The Didache, Chapter 14.
"No man shall be able to do aught upon entering the sanctuary, except he be a Christian baptized in the name of Jesus and abide in Christ." —Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Magnesians, Chapter 6.
2nd CENTURY
“For we do not worship stones and temples, but we worship God in Spirit and in truth, as He Himself has commanded.” —Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus, Book 1, Chapter 14
"We have been taught that the reason for this [not having temples] is that God does not dwell in houses built by human hands..." —Justin Martyr, First Apology, Chapter 13.
“For where the Spirit of God is, there the Church is, and there is no need for material temples.” —Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, Book 3, Chapter 24
"The Church is not of stone but of those who have faith; our faith is the temple that god desires.” —Hermas, The Shepherd, Vision 1.
"We acknowledge only one God, who is not confined to temples made with hands." —Athenagoras, A Plea for the Christians, Chapter 9.
3rd CENTURY
"The Church is the temple of God, not made by hands, and the altar is the heart of the believers." —Hippolytus of Rome, Refutation of All Heresies, Book 10.
"The Christians, however, have not temples, but they are in the world as a temple; they have the Church for their temple." —Tertullian, Apologeticus, Chapter 16.
"We meet in the houses of believers, for we are the temples of the Holy Spirit." —Tertullian, Apologeticus, Chapter 24
"We do not worship in temples made with hands, nor do we offer prayers in temples—perhaps that will appear madness to some; but we are a spiritual temple." —Tertullian, De Idololatria, Chapter 1.
"In the spirit of our faith, we have no need for temples or priests; God Himself is our priest, and our hearts our altar." —Tertullian, On Exhortation to Chastity, Chapter 8.
“We are a spiritual people, not circumscribed by walls; our altars are not confined to a stone structure.” —Tertullian, Against Marcion, Book 3, Chapter 14
"He [God] does not dwell in places made with human hands; He dwells in the soul of man, which is His true temple." —Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, Book 3, Chapter 10.
"Each one of us is a temple of God and a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit; we do not approach the temples of stone." —Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, Book 5, Chapter 8.
"The Word, prohibiting all sacrifices and the building of temples, indicates that the Almighty is not contained in anything." —Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, Book 5, Chapter 14
"The spiritual temple, or the true temple, is the soul, wherein the fullness of Christ dwells." —Origen, Homilies on Jeremiah, Homily 2.
"The Church is a holy house, a holy place, and within her the sacrifice of the flesh and the blood of the Lord is offered." —Cyprian of Carthage, On the Unity of the Ekklesia, Section 4.
“We do not approach the altar of God established in earthly places nor with offerings of flesh, but with the spiritual sacrifice of a pure heart.” —Novatian, On the Trinity, Chapter 6
4th CENTURY
"You say that we build no temples to [the gods] and do not worship their images. . . . Well, what greater honour or dignity could we ascribe to them than that we put them in the same position as the Head and Lord of the universe! . . . Do we honour Him with shrines and by building temples?" —Arnobius, Against the Pagans, Book 2, Chapter 43.
"The assembly of the faithful is the temple; wherever the faithful are gathered, there our God is." —Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book 2, Chapter 17.
"...we ourselves are temples of God, for He has said, 'I will dwell in them and walk among them.' We do not need a temple built of stone." —Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit, Chapter 11.
“The true temple is the assembly of the elect; where two or three are gathered, there He is in the midst.” —Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit, Chapter 25
"The divine essence is not contained within walls, nor can it be captured by the limitations of a material temple." —Gregory of Nyssa, On the Holy Spirit, Section 8.
“The Church, together with her altar, is an assembly of the faithful, who are themselves the living stones of God’s temple.” —Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, Lecture 18
"We are the temple of God; our communion with Him is what unites us, rather than any physical building." —Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts, Homily 25.
"Do not establish temples in the name of God; rather, let the gatherings be where the faithful assemble." —Apostolic Constitutions, Book 2, Section 7.