I have heard it argued for years that there should only be "one church in one city." Yet I have found at least three biblical examples of multiple churches in a single city. Priscilla and Aquila had a church in their home in Rome (Romans 16:5). They also had a church in their home in Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:19). Nympha had a church in her home in Colossae (Colossians 4:15). Do these scriptures seem to suggest that there coexisted more than one church in some cities, or that perhaps there were multiple churches in the same city? -- Skip Gross (Tallahassee)
Yes indeed; the scriptures you mentioned do create problems for those who hold to the one-congregation doctrine. In fact, the New Testament does not give a whole lot of information about how churches are to be organized, either at the local level or at the regional level. (Not that there are no relevant passages, but it seems the Lord has left it for us to work out the implications of the principles the Spirit has left us.)
Part of the discussion of this issue must deal with definitions. What is a city? What is a church? Some questions for thought:
* Did Rome, at 1 million population in the first century (and as the largest city in the world) really have only a single congregation of believers? Or was it more of a network of house churches and possibly other sorts of informal gatherings?
* If the Roman Christians did not meet every week--say, they met only twice a year--would they still be a single "congregation"? Doesn't congregation suggest congregating? The N.T. Greek word ekklesia (church) means assembly.
* If we only assemble occasionally, are we functionally-speaking truly a church? Most denominations meet in multiple locations throughout a city. If any of them ever decided to call themselves "one congregation," then most cities would boast enormous "churches." How would others feel about this claim to being the "largest" church in a given area?
* With today's metropolises of 10, 20, and even 30 million souls, and land areas so vast that to motor across the face of some of them can take hours, in what sense are these "cities"?
* Who defines "city"? Is it a biblical term, or a municipally defined unit?
We have to agree on definitions before we can proceed very far in the discussion. At any rate, it is hard to derive the "one church, one city" doctrine out of the pages of the N.T. Not that this isn't a glorious ideal to strive for. In whatever constellation the body of Christ exists in a given locality, it is most certainly the Lord's will that all Christians be united in heart and purpose (John 17:22-23). For when we are, we will "shine like stars" (Philippians 2:15) as we hold out the word of life.
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