We have relatively few precise details about the form of the meetings of the early Church in Jerusalem, but the Acts of the Apostles and a few allusions in the epistles allow us to reconstruct their main characteristics.
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Daily and very frequent meetings
The first Christians did not meet only once a week. Luke states that they persevered "every day" in their communal life (Acts 2.46) and that they gathered regularly for teaching, prayer and fellowship meals (Acts 2.42).
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Two places of gathering
The Temple
The believers continued to attend the Temple in Jerusalem:
"Day by day, attending the Temple together" (Acts 2.46).
Solomon's Portico seems to have been a favored place of gathering (Acts 3.11 ; Acts 5.12). These public meetings made possible the apostles' teaching and their witness to the people.
Private homes
At the same time, the disciples met in private homes:
"Breaking bread in their homes" (Acts 2.46).
The Church in Jerusalem was therefore probably not concentrated in a single building, but spread over several houses able to receive smaller groups. Later, the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, would serve as a meeting place for part of the Church (Acts 12.12).
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The essential elements of worship
Luke summarizes the main activities of the community:
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2.42).
We can therefore distinguish:
- the apostolic teaching;
- fellowship;
- the breaking of bread, probably accompanied by a common meal;
- the prayers.
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The prayers
The first Christians kept the traditional hours of prayer of Judaism (Acts 3.1) while developing their own prayer meetings (Acts 4.23-31 ; Acts 12.5). These meetings could be marked by songs, praise and thanksgiving (Ephesians 5.19 ; Colossians 3.16).
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The preaching of the apostles
The apostles held a central place. Their teaching constituted the doctrinal authority of the Church (Acts 2.42). Peter frequently appears as the main spokesman (Acts 2.14 ; Acts 3.12 ; Acts 5.29).
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The participation of the assembly
The believers prayed together, shared their possessions (Acts 2.44-45 ; Acts 4.32-35) and took part in important decisions (Acts 6.2-6). The meetings were therefore not centered solely on the apostles, but involved the whole community.
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A certain simplicity
There was no Christian building, no elaborate liturgy, no distinct clergy comparable to the one that would appear later. The meetings took place in a familial and fraternal atmosphere, inherited both from the Jewish and from the teachings of Jesus.
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The first day of the week
It is probable that the believers already attached particular importance to the first day of the week, in remembrance of the resurrection of Jesus (John 20.19, Acts 20.7, 1 Corinthians 16.2). However, in Jerusalem around AD 33, they still continued to take part in the religious life of the Temple and did not consider themselves separate from Judaism.
Conclusion
The meetings of the early Church in Jerusalem were characterized by their simplicity and their frequency. They combined public gatherings in the Temple with more intimate meetings in homes. The apostles' teaching, prayer, fellowship and the breaking of bread were their fundamental elements. This flexible and lively organization enabled nascent Christianity to grow rapidly while remaining deeply rooted in the Judaism of the first century.
From a historical point of view, the first Christian assemblies probably resembled large family and fraternal gatherings more than the more structured services that would develop over the following centuries.