Are Small Groups Biblical?

There is a difference between meeting corporately and meeting in small groups. In the early church we read how they were “attending the temple together” (Acts 2:46a) which spoke on the community aspect of meeting corporately. But not only that, we read that they were “breaking bread in their homes” (Acts 2:46b). There is biblical evidence of the distinguishing between church and small groups. “And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:42). We also read, “Teaching you in public and from house to house” (Acts 20:20). What is the purpose of Luke separating ‘the temple’ and ‘ in public’ from ‘house to house’, if they were the same thing? Small groups are a vital part of the practices of a healthy biblical church.

The early church quickly catapulted to a young, thriving, and healthy community of believers. Bill Hull affirms this when he says, “The infant church had many dynamic activities, which helps to explain its rapid growth and good health” (Hull, 2004). The author of Hebrews speaks to the importance of gathering together, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25). A few activities Hull attribute for success of the early church was eating together,  praying together, and singing together.

The first activity is eating together. We read in Acts 2:42, “they devoted themselves to the… breaking of bread.” Eating is obviously a crucial part to one’s physical well-being, but it also is a very important for the emotional and spiritual health. “Mealtimes offer people the opportunity to stop, to stand still psychologically, to reflect on their day and days ahead, and to listen to and interact with others” (Mental Health Foundation, 2019). Hull says, “Nothing knocks down barriers quicker than eating together” (Hull, 2004). Some ways that we could apply this to our 21st Century context is to enjoy breakfast with our family before work and school, eating lunch with people we are discipling, or having dinner with like-minded friends.

The second activity is praying together. Acts 2:42 continues, “they devoted themselves to… prayer.” We ought to pray together because when we do we approach God as a community of believers, we naturally grow closer to one another as well. We are encouraged by the faith of others and we are challenged by their deep dependence on Him. We read from Hull, “As we pray together, we build faith and cement our relationships” (Hull, 2004). Even in the language of, “build faith” and “cement our relationships”, they have such foundation themes to them. “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16). A couple ways we could apply this to our context is by corporate prayer during church or by praying with people before meals.

The third activity is singing together. We read in Acts 2:46-47, “And day by day… praising God.” When we lift up our praise to God alongside one another, it deepens our connection with our community. “There is a therapeutic nature to music, one that we should not neglect in our times of fellowship with God and with our brothers and sisters” (Hull, 2004,). It is good for the soul to sing with each other. The apostle Paul tells us, “Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,” (Ephesians 5:19). A couple ways we can apply to our 21st Century context is to lift up praise on a Sunday morning during church or even in the car while traveling with friends or family.

Praise the Lord for giving us the gift of Scripture to know how powerfully and explicitly God moved through the early church as our model to how to live and to lead and to love. We read in the Book of Acts, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers… And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42-47). Three activities the early church practiced that were so incredibly beneficial to the growth and health were observed in these verses from Acts 2 are eating together, praying together, and singing together.