Outside the Four Walls

Image from www.2belikechrist.com

There is a very interesting mention in the book of Acts about where the believers used to meet.

‘And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade.’ (Acts 5:12)

You might also have heard this as Solomon’s Porch. But where was this place and what was significant about it?

Well, in the temple in Jerusalem, there were four different courts. There was the court of priests where only the priests were allowed to go, then there was the court of Israel where the Jewish men could go, then the court of women where all the Jewish men and women could go, and finally there was the wider Gentile court that was open to everyone.

Solomon’s Colonnade was a row of columns right on the outside of the temple. This meant it was accessible to everyone – men, women, Jews and Gentiles! It was pretty big and could house thousands of people. It was covered overhead, but apart from the pillars, it wasn’t contained in four walls. It was a place where all sorts of people might meet, gather and walk through. 

It is so interesting that the place where the early church chose to gather was an open hub of activity with lots of people around. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why we read about thousands being added to their number, because they were so visible!

I think we as the 21st century Church can learn a lot from this. Meeting in church buildings and in homes is great, but we must forget about getting outside and in visible places. Maybe that’s on the streets, in shopping centres, in parks, or community hubs. Let’s make sure we are not just expecting people to stumble across us, but that we are actually going out to meet people where they are at.