Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas.
Early Church life
I. The brethren at Laodicea. This salutation teaches us--
1. That brotherly love should flourish among all Christians. The philosophers of old said that “a wise man was a friend to a wise man, although unknown”; but we may say that a Christian is a brother, although unknown; yea, he is more united than any natural brother (Act_4:32).
2. This brotherly love is not only declared by words, but by services, as often as brethren, even they who live in remote churches, need our assistance. For to salute one by word as a brother, and not to promote the welfare of a brother, is the work of derision rather than of love.
II. The church which was in the house of Nymphas. Either the assembly of Christians meeting there or his private family, which, for its piety, merited the name of Church. There is no harm in understanding it in both senses.
1. Every collection of believers, although, on account of its smallness, may be included in the walls of a private house, and although, on account of their enemies, they meet in nocturnal assemblies, is a true Church, a member of the Church Universal.
2. The Papists therefore err who acknowledge no Church unless that which has the sovereignty, and is ever before the eyes of the world, for sometimes through persecution the Church cannot move in the public sight at all (Rev_12:6), So when the Arians ruled, Athanasius and the orthodox were compelled to retire into corners.
3. It is the duty of every head of a family so to train his children and servants that his house may deservedly obtain the name of a church (Gen_18:19; Jos_24:15), and those who neglect this are unworthy of the name of Christians. (Bishop Davenant.)
The Church in the house
Inthat the apostle calls this household a Church, we may note that a religious and well-ordered family is as it were a little Church. Now, do we learn from hence that our houses are Churches? Then these things will follow.
1. That God’s worship and piety must be set up in them. How can they be Churches of God if God be not served in them?
2. All must be done there in order, and quietness, and silence, for so it is or should be in the Church.
3. Evil persons that are incorrigible must not dwell there, but must be cast out (Psa_101:1-8.)
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4. The husband or master of the family must dwell there as a man of knowledge, and wives, children, and servants must obey as the Church doth Christ.
Conclusion:
1. Are our families Churches? Why, then, religious families are in a happy case, for then God Himself will dwell there; so as a stranger coming to such places may say, as Jacob did of Bethel, “Surely God is in this place.”
2. Should our families be Churches? Oh, then, woe unto the world of profane households. (N. Byfield.)
The Church in the house of Nymphas
We read that Priscilla and Aquila had such both in their house at Rome (Rom_16:5)
and in Ephesus (1Co_16:19), and that Philemon had one in his house at Colossae. This may have been the families, or small congregations meeting in these houses. The expression gives us a glimpse of the primitive elasticity of Church order and fluidity of ecclesiastical language. The word Church had not yet been fixed to its present technical sense. There was but one Church in Laodicea, and yet within it was this little Church--an imperium in imperio--as if the word had not yet come to mean more than an assembly, and as if all the arrangements of order and worship of later days were undreamed of yet. The life was there, but the forms which were to grow out of the life, and to protect it sometimes, and to stifle it often, were only beginning to show themselves, and were certainly not yet felt to be forms. If the Church in the house of Nymphas consisted of--
I. His own family and dependents, it stands for us as a lesson of what every family which has a Christian man or woman at its head ought to be. Little know ledge of so-called Christian households is needed to be sure that domestic religion is woefully neglected to-day. Family worship and instruction are disused, one fears, in many homes, the heads of which can remember both in their fathers’ houses; and the unspoken atmosphere of religion does not fill the house with its aroma as it ought to do. If a Christian householder have not “a Church in his house,” the family union is tending to become “a synagogue of Satan.” A like suggestion may be made if this Church--
II. Included more than family and dependents. It is a miserable thing when social intercourse plays freely round every other subject, and taboos all mention of religion; when Christian people choose society for worldly advantages, and for every reason under heaven--some times a long way under--except those of a common faith, and of the desire to increase it. It is not needful to lay down extravagant, impracticable restrictions, by insisting that we should limit our society to religious men, or our conversation to religious subjects. But it is a bad sign when our associates are chosen for every other reason but their religion, and when our talk flows copiously on all other subjects, and becomes a constrained driblet when religion comes to be spoken of. Let us strive to carry about with us an influence which shall permeate all social intercourse, and make it, if not directly religious, yet never antagonistic to religion, and always capable of passing easily and naturally into the highest regions. Our godly forefathers used to carve texts over their doors. Let us do the same in another fashion, so that all who cross our threshold may feel that they have come into a Christian household, where cheerful godliness sweetens and brightens the sanctities of home. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
Church duties at home
Two Christians met on a Monday morning. Both were parents. As was natural, the conversation turned upon the services of the previous day. The first speaker opened by saying, “ We had a sermon from our minister last night on the religious instruction of children. Why didn’t you come and hear it?” “Because,” said the other, “I wag at home doing it!” (Christian Treasury.)
Home example
It was a source of much trouble to some fishes to see a number of lobsters swimming back wards instead of forwards. They therefore called a meeting; and it was deter mined to open a class for their instruction, which was done, and a number of young lobsters came, for the fishes gravely argued that if they commenced with the young ones, as they grew up they would learn to swim aright. At first they did very well; but afterwards, when they returned home, and saw their fathers and mothers swimming in the old way, they soon forgot their lessons. So many a child well taught at school is drifted backwards by a bad home influence. (Bible Class Magazine.)
The Church anywhere
The Church of Jesus Christ is found wherever He is known, served, and adored according to His gospel; within the enclosure of the walls of a house, or in the very caverns of mountains, and coverts of the wilderness, whither the Holy Spirit expressly foretells us that the spouse of the Lamb shall be sometimes constrained to retire. (J. Daille.)
A prayerless home
I shall never forget the impression made upon me during the first year of my ministry by a mechanic whom I had visited, and on whom I urged the paramount duty of family prayer.. One day he entered my study, and bursting into tears, said, “You remember that girl, sir; she was my only child. She died suddenly this morning. She has gone, I hope, to God. But if so, she can tell Him what now breaks my heart--that she never heard a prayer in her father’s house or from her father’s lips! Oh that she were with me but one day again!” (Norman Macleod.)
