“The Acts of the Apostles makes it quite clear that the Christians built no temples or shrines and did not appropriate synagogues for their worship” (96)

“was this merely a practical approach in view of the small numbers of Christians and would special buildings be erected for worship as numbers increased?” (96). Jaenen says this hypothesis is “untenable” (97) because thousands of Jews would meet in small family homes to observe the Passover seder meal → is Jaenen suggesting that Christian worship was supposed to be identical to Jewish worship? That would negate the entire point of Christ’s coming. Did Jews have baptism? Did Jews worship Jesus? Did Jews develop the books that were eventually recognized as the New Testament?

J does acknowledge that there were large gatherings of “more than 500 brothers at one time” and that the “whole church” in a city would meet together, but he says there is no specific mention of where these meetings took place. → this is an argument from silence, it doesn’t take much imagination to realize that there probably weren’t any “private homes” where 500 people could meet at one time

see if there’s anything useful in William Durandus’ work Rationale divinorum officiorum about church buildings

“Then the houses were churches, but now the church has become a house.” (Saint John Chrysostom, Homily 32 on Matthew) https://hawk-smilodon-2lpf.squarespace.com/config/pages

Spiritualism goes both ways - if the Holy Spirit can be in a house, the Holy Spirit can also be in a church building:

We have partaken of a spiritual table, let us be partakers also of spiritual love. For if robbers, on partaking of salt, forget their character; what excuse shall we have, who are continually partaking of the Lord's body, and do not imitate even their gentleness? And yet to many, not one table only, but even to be of one city, has sufficed for friendship; but we, when we have the same city, and the same house, and table, and way, and door, and root, and life, and head, and the same shepherd, and king, and teacher, and judge, and maker, and father, and to whom all things are common; what indulgence can we deserve, if we be divided one from another? Homily 32

Translated by George Prevost and revised by M.B. Riddle. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 10. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1888.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.