Where did the old social barriers break down at the coming of Christianity? In homes. Where did practice join theology to break down the division between rich and poor or Jew and Greek, so that they ate together? In the hospitality of house church hosts and hostesses. What happened to the barrier between slave and free? Gone when they prayed together. The intense reserve between men and women? Dissolved as hosts and hostesses served the friends who entered their door. Paul saw this, admired and praised the house church leaders, and planned on homes to grow the gospel. ""Sometimes when we read the Bible we look at the men and women in its pages as little more than stick figures. In her book, Dr. Wood wraps them in flesh and blood and we see the people Paul admired for what they were, real people who lived ordinary lives for an extraordinary cause."" -Haddon Robinson Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary ""For those who know the Bible too little or too well here is a useful resource to engage both the text and the mind in a creative process of reimagining. The book reaffirms what Christians too often forget: the home is the hearth where the fire of Christian community burns brightest."" -Chris Hancock The Institute for Religion and Society in Asia ""These delightful first-person narratives give readers and hearers a great sense of place . . . One early church incident after another comes alive for you, as if you were there. This painstakingly researched book is a marvelous way to increase your Bible knowledge."" -William David Spencer Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary ""A great series, interesting, informative, earthy, provoking group discussion and personal growth. Beulah Wood has made the early church come alive, and shown us how the kingdom affects every part of life."" -Ian Kemp Baptist Tabernacle, Auckland, New Zealand ""This book will help readers see not only the people Beulah portrays, but insights into their culture and daily existence . . . For many of us, story is a profound way to teach and learn and Beulah has done a great job of presenting informative detail in highly digestible form."" -Sid S. Buzzell Colorado Christian University Beulah Wood, BD (Melbourne), DMin (Gordon-Conwell), has published over thirty books in New Zealand, India, and the UK. She now divides her time between writing in New Zealand and teaching half of each year at South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies, Bangalore, India.
