A Church in the House

Matthew Henry's Commentary #5

by Matthew Henry

“The families of Christians should be little or, Wherever we have a house, God should have a Church in it.” The Rev. Matthew Henry is most well-known for the timeless and practical expositions found in his commentaries on the Old and New Testaments. What most people don’t know, however, is that Henry was a model husband and father who believed that a properly organized home life includes as a necessity a strong spiritual foundation. Henry believed that while the home is not meant to replace the church, it is meant by God to be a place of spiritual growth and renewal. In that vein, A Church in the House is a manual of sorts, showing us that effective ministry inside the home is just as important as ministry done on the outside.

Genres: Family, Parenting, Theology

38 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1880

About the author

Matthew Henry was an English non-conformist clergyman. Henry's well-known Exposition of the Old and New Testaments (1708–1710) is a commentary of a practical and devotional rather than of a critical kind, covering the whole of the Old Testament, and the Gospels and Acts in the New Testament.

Reviews

[Zachary Cowie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t find an audiobook for this, so I found the book in three parts on the purely Presbyterian website, (actually a sermon he preached) and listened to it via the Google app “read aloud” function. It worked incredibly well for a technological simpleton like me.

Very helpful content, especially enjoyed the first 1/3.

[Tim Zornes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Convicting and encouraging. Henry gives a hearty and compelling call to all christian households to be places where God is worshiped, adored, and obeyed. This is principally done by fathers leading their families in regular family worship. If you have not begun in this work, then start now, lest the enemy gain a foothold in your home.

[Allyson Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of Matthew Henry's sermons transcribed when he preached out of 1 Corinthians 16:19, published in full for free at https://purelypresbyterian.com/2019/1.... He argues from this text that throughout the early church and in the epistles when churches within house are referred to, it is meant to be understood as a gathering of a family along with a few guests for daily worship rather than a formal public worship gathering. If this is the case, then we are given an example to follow in turning our homes into "churches" and practicing family worship. I found his biblical evidence for this to be very convincing and his words on why family worship is important for every Christian family were convicting. It made me have a greater reverence for the practice. I appreciated the fact that he was mostly addressing men, as the heads of their households, to not shirk their duty to their families by being the prophet, priest, and king in the likeness of Christ and leading their families in piety and devotion. Some helpful excepts:
"Family religion will help to make our family relations comfortable to us, by promoting love, preventing quarrels, and extinguishing heats that may at any time happen. A family living in the fear of God, and joining daily in religious worship, truly enjoys itself. 'Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren' thus 'to dwell together;' it is not only like ointment and perfume which rejoice the heart, but like the holy ointment, the holy perfume, wherewith Aaron the saint of the Lord was consecrated; not only like the common dew to the grass, but like the dew which descends upon the mountains of Zion, the holy mountains (Ps. 133:1-3). The communion of saints in that which is the work of saints, is without doubt the most pleasant communion here on earth, and the liveliest representation, and surest pledge, of those everlasting joys which are the happiness of the spirits of just men made perfect, and the hopes of holy souls in this imperfect state."
"Family religion will make the affairs of the family successful; and though they may not in everything
issue to our mind, yet we may by faith foresee that they will at last issue to our good. If this beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and our families, it will prosper the work of our hands unto us, yea, the work of our hands it will establish; or however, it will establish our hearts in that comfort which makes everything that occurs easy (Ps. 90:17; 112:8)."
"When the wall was to be built about Jerusalem, it was presently done by this expedient, every one
undertook to repair over against his own house (cf. Neh. 3:10 ff). And if ever the decayed walls of the
gospel Jerusalem be built up, it must be by the same method. Every one must sweep before his own door, and then the street will be clean. If there were a church in every house, there would be such a church in our land as would make it a praise throughout the whole earth. We cannot better serve our country than by keeping up religion in our families."
"Let those who have a church in their house, be very careful to adorn and beautify it in their
conversation. If you pray in your families, and read the Scriptures, and sing Psalms, and yet are passionate and froward with your relations, quarrelsome and contentious with your neighbours, unjust and deceitful in your dealings, intemperate and given to tippling, or allow yourselves in any other sinful way, you pull down with one hand what you build up with the other. Your prayers will be an abomination to God, and to good men too, if they be thus polluted. "Be not deceived, God is not mocked (Gal. 6:7)."
"Let the example you set your families be throughout good, and by it teach them not only to read
and pray, for that is but half their work, but by it teach them to be meek and humble, sober and temperate, loving and peaceable, just and honest—so shall you adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour—and those who will not be won by the word, shall be won by your conversation (1 Pet. 3:1)."

[Ty Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would you like to read something difficult and challenging? Well, then do I have a little book just for your soul!

Matthew Henry's sermon on the importance of worship in the Christian household is not challenging for the soul of the reader. It is simply challenging to read. Now, I am simpleton. I like to work in the dirt farming, and understand a simpler way of life - so I am not scholar. Considering such, I had to re-read several paragraphs, sentences, and entire sections to get the thoughts to correctly align in my mind. Every time after doing such, I found myself staring off and contemplating the words. Expounding the thoughts and thinking of the actions it is driving me to.

I am certainly a fan of Henry overall, but just as much for this work exposition. While I would not say it is ground breaking profound, it is critically important in the days we find ourselves living in. The Holy Spirit certainly inspired such words to last, and last they have done so.

Although a difficult read, it is a great work.

[Michael Schmid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent little book on the importance of family worship with good practical advice.

[Seth Goodale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Daniel Rohde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't recommend enough.

[Joey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me a while to finish because I was not ready for it's truths and convictions. Excited to start a church in my house.

[Julian Seibel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Großartig! Tolles Büchlein mit wertvollen Gedanken, weshalb eine Familie Gott im Zentrum haben sollte. Erbauliche und ermutigende Zurechtweisungen, die anregen, über den geistlichen Zustand seiner eigenen Familie nachzudenken. Ein Buch, was man nicht einfach zur Seite legen kann. Man sollte immer wieder reinschauen, weil die Gedanken darin eine Nahrung für die Seele ist.

[Laura Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Henry's house was said to be like "unto The gates of heaven". He governed His house with an awe and reverence for God, filling his home with joy and peace.

This book portrays the blessedness and divine comfort that is sure to accompany the daily worship and prayer to God. I admired the reverence and esteem that Matthew Henry had for Christ and His work on the cross, and the great humility with which he spoke about the worship of God. I trust that any person, in having the pleasure of reading this book, will be as greatly blessed as I most certainly was.

"Wisdom's way are pleasantness and her paths peace. there is no reason to envy those that do not spend their day in carnal mirth, for you are acquainted with better pleasures then any of them can pretend to."- Matthew Henry

[M.G. Bianco · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book on how to set up family worship in your home.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by Matthew Henry in the 1700's, still an excellent sermon on how our daily home lives should be exalting our Lord Jesus.