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| Painting depicting St. Peter preaching in catacombs |
The earliest description of church gatherings comes from Pliny the Younger (ca. AD 112). Writing with concern about the growing number of Christians in Bithynia in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), Pliny relates to the Emperor Trajan the following about the church meetings:
"They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food--but ordinary and innocent food." (Pliny, Letters 10.96-97)
As an aside, it is interesting to note that, even though Christianity is spreading, he has confidence that pressure from the government will be able to stop its growth:
"I therefore postponed the investigation and hastened to consult you. For the matter seemed to me to warrant consulting you, especially because of the number involved. For many persons of every age, every rank, and also of both sexes are and will be endangered. For the contagion of this superstition has spread not only to the cities but also to the villages and farms. But it seems possible to check and cure it."
Full letter and Trajan's response here.
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| Justin Martyr |
"And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits. Then, when the reader has ceased, the president [Gr. proestos, "one who leads"] verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things.
"Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying, 'Amen.' And there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons." (First Apology, Sec. 67)
Early Christians usually met in homes, especially when it was not safe to meet in public (Acts 5:42). One of the oldest churches excavated is in Dura-Europos (in present-day Syria), which was a house church converted to a meeting place for worship in the early 3rd century AD. There were rooms for instruction, prayer, and baptisms. Murals of biblical scenes were painted on the walls. Read more here and here.
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| Baptistery at Dura-Europos |
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