The evidence is an argument from silence. Obviously the early churches began in homes because there was nothing else. It would be just as obvious that as thousands came to Christ homes would quickly have become too small. There is no biblical “proof” that only homes were used.
Another example: pulpits are “pagan.” According to Barna, all pulpits are “stagecraft borrowed from Greek culture.” (Has Barna not read Nehemiah 8:4 where we’re told that Ezra stood behind a “pulpit of wood” and expounded the Scriptures?)
And if the pulpit is “pagan” you can imagine what Barna thinks about the sermon. Yes, sermons are deemed “pagan” as well. Barna informs us that “preaching a sermon” came from “Greek sophists” of the late second century. I wonder what you would call it when Ezra expounded the Scripture, Moses declared the Law, Peter preached at Pentecost, Paul declared the truth on Mars Hill, etc.? Looks like a sermon, sounds like a sermon but Barna assures us that that the preaching of sermons has no place in today’s worship. (Given this, one wonders how Barna makes sense of biblical texts like Rom. 10:14-15.)
The list goes on and attacks most everything in the institutional church whether contemporary, traditional or progressive.
What has happened to George Barna and The Barna Group is anyone’s guess. We can only hope that his latest conclusions about the continued death of the Christian church will be ignored by the masses and he will do his dancing on the grave of the church—alone.
Bob Burney is Salem Communications’ award-winning host of Bob Burney Live, heard weekday afternoons on WRFD-AM 880 in Columbus, Ohio.