--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We were the church. As the New Testament…" description: "\"“We were the church. As the New Testament instructed. When it was time for Sunday morning meeting, we convened in private homes. To raise a structure a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d19/michael-perry-14580_inspirational_we-were-the-church-as-the-new-testament_1653476.jpg" --- # We were the church. As the New Testament instructed. When… ![“We were the church. As the New Testament instructed. When it was time for Sunday morning meeting, we convened in private homes. To raise a structure and call it a church was the worldly way. A church made of hands was soon cluttered with altars and crucifixes, and was thereupon idolatrous. These…” quote by Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d19/michael-perry-14580_inspirational_we-were-the-church-as-the-new-testament_1653476.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d19/michael-perry-14580_inspirational_we-were-the-church-as-the-new-testament_1653476.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d19/michael-perry-14580_inspirational_we-were-the-church-as-the-new-testament_1653476.jpg) > ““We were the church. As the New Testament instructed. When it was time for Sunday morning meeting, we convened in private homes. To raise a structure and call it a church was the worldly way. A church made of hands was soon cluttered with altars and crucifixes, and was thereupon idolatrous. These false churches, they were not walking in Truth. They were whistling off to Hades. This was a shame, because I knew some real nice Lutherans.”” [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques institutional religion that replaces personal faith with physical buildings, suggesting true spirituality is lived, not housed in structures. **In simple terms:** Faith should be lived, not just housed in churches. Key Takeaway Prioritize personal practice over building worship spaces. Themes faith institution authenticity spirituality community Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - home worship - small group gatherings - personal study - community service Key Concepts theology idolatry personal devotion Questions to Reflect On - How can you embody your faith daily without relying on institutions? - What practices keep spirituality authentic? A Different Perspective Physical structures can become distractions from genuine belief. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Church Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-hands-265011/) [Church Worldly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-worldly-679731/) [False Churches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-churches-679733/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [New testament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-testament/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Structure Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure-church-679732/) [Sunday morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sunday-morning/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [The multitude of false churches accredits the true religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-multitude-of-false-churches-accredits-the-true-religion/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Is the leadership of the worldwide church in the hands of men and women who know how to lead others one by one to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-neill/is-the-leadership-of-the-worldwide-church-in-the-hands-of-men-and/) [Stephen Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-neill/) > [Maybe that is why there are not a whole lot of problems between the church and worldly culture today, because we are not confronting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-washer/maybe-that-is-why-there-are-not-a-whole-lot-of-problems-between-the/) [Paul Washer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-washer/) > [It appears likely that there was no normative pattern of church government in the apostolic age, and that the organizational structure of the church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eldon-ladd/it-appears-likely-that-there-was-no-normative-pattern-of-church/) [George Eldon Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eldon-ladd/) > [“The church is not a brick-and-mortar structure. The church is made of flesh & blood. Followers of #Christ are the church.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-samuel-timm/the-church-is-not-a-brick-and-mortar-structure-the-church-is-made-of/) [Eric Samuel Timm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-samuel-timm/) > [I don't think it has to be one religious structure, one church. 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Sitting on the rocks over the water with a jug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-p-donleavy/the-sun-of-sunday-morning-up-out-of-the-sleepless-sea-from-black/) [J.P. Donleavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-donleavy/) > [I grew up in Harlem. My grandmother was one of the best cooks around, but the first thing she did on Sunday mornings when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carmona/i-grew-up-in-harlem-my-grandmother-was-one-of-the-best-cooks-around/) [Richard Carmona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carmona/) ## More by Michael Perry > [“Over the years, I have developed a visceral reaction to families and victims expressing surprise at tragedy. Why are we surprised? Why do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/over-the-years-i-have-developed-a-visceral-reaction-to-families-and/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“In specific moments of ground-level clarity, I recognize the dumbing down of the nation for what it is: an act of charity committed specifically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/in-specific-moments-of-ground-level-clarity-i-recognize-the-dumbing/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“Inevitably, our children come to see us as we are. Not as we wish we were, or even as we should be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/inevitably-our-children-come-to-see-us-as-we-are-not-as-we-wish-we/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“... 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You’re not qualified to do it on your own,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/the-amateur-study-of-philosophy-is-like-taking-a-few-laps-with-a/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“If you had gone around the table last night ticking off the Ten Commandments and asking for a show of hands to indicate transgression,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/if-you-had-gone-around-the-table-last-night-ticking-off-the-ten/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“As usual, I overdreamed and underbudgeted. . . ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/as-usual-i-overdreamed-and-underbudgeted/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“Mom is a compulsive reader. She reads for pleasure, she reads to edify herself, but more often than not, she reads because she can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/mom-is-a-compulsive-reader-she-reads-for-pleasure-she-reads-to-edify/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“I understand that what you're doing when you call 911--it sounds so perfunctory--is announcing to strangers that you are losing the battle. I no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/i-understand-that-what-you-re-doing-when-you-call-911-it-sounds-so/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“The pesto and angel hair are warm in the bowl on my lap, the fragrances of olive oil and basil blending the exotic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-perry/the-pesto-and-angel-hair-are-warm-in-the-bowl-on-my-lap-the/) [Michael Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-perry/) > [“It’s hard to talk about guns without sounding defensive or blustery. 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Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Turn over the pages of history and read the damning record of the church's opposition to every advance in every field of science. . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/turn-over-the-pages-of-history-and-read-the-damning-record-of-the/) [Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/) [John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/) > [A beggarly people, A church and no steeple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/a-beggarly-people-a-church-and-no-steeple/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. 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