What is the household of faith?

TL;DR:

The household of faith is God’s spiritual family—believers united through Christ and called to love, serve, and build one another up. Being a believer means you become part of a family that reflects the heart of Jesus to the world.

what does the bible say?

The New Testament presents the Church as a spiritual household made up of all who belong to Christ through faith. Galatians 6:10 identifies believers as the “household of faith,” calling Christians to prioritize care for one another. Ephesians 2:19 describes Gentile believers as no longer strangers, but fellow citizens and members of God’s household, united in Christ. Jesus Himself redefined family in spiritual terms by identifying those who do the will of the Father as His true family (Matthew 12:48-50). This spiritual kinship became the norm in the early Church, which shared life together in close community (Acts 2:44-46). The apostles urged Christians to treat each other like family, encouraging mutual affection, respect, and accountability (Romans 12:10; 1 Timothy 5:1-2). Believers are called to bear each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and practice love and hospitality within the Church (1 Peter 4:8-10; Hebrews 13:1-2). All of this points to the reality that the Church is not just an organization or gathering—it is a spiritual family rooted in faith and transformed by the gospel.

from the old testament

The phrase, “household of faith,” is not found in the Old Testament.

from the new testament

The phrase, “household of faith” comes from Galatians 6:10. Paul was telling believers that they are to do good to everyone but especially to the “household of faith.” In short, the “household of faith” is another way of saying the body of believers, otherwise known as the church.
While Paul only used this phrase once, he used a similar one in Ephesians 2:19. Once again, speaking to believers, he said, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Believers are those who belong to God’s family, that is, His household.
In the letter to the Romans, Paul reminded those believers of their familial relationship to God (Romans 8:14-16). All believers are called children of God, having been adopted into the family (household) of God.
Paul’s use of the word “household” in Galatians 6:10 echoes Jesus’ teaching that after loving God, our second priority is loving others (our “neighbor”) (Matthew 22:37-39).
God particularly wants believers to love each other (John 15:12). By “one another” he means the other believers because, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). A Christian’s love for other believers despite cultural, demographic, political, and gender differences is the opposite of what the world thinks. In short, a believer’s unique love for other believers shows that their Master is Jesus, the one who demonstrated true love.
Believers are called to be “one body,” that is, in unity with one another (Ephesians 4:1-6). That unity is not based on inherent uniformity but by considering others as better than ourselves, treating one another with humility, patience, and love.While Paul uses “body” in this verse, it could just as easily be replaced with “household.” The whole body, that is the “household of faith,” the church, is to be joined together, unified, with the goal of being like Jesus who is the head of the church.
The New Testament provides examples of what being good to other believers is like. For example, we are to speak the truth to others (Ephesians 4:15, 25), work honestly and share with those in need (Ephesians 4:28; 1 John 3:17-18), and build one another up (Ephesians 4:29; Jude 1:20), among other things. Because we are members of the same household (family), we are to act in one another’s best interest so that God will be glorified by our lives.
Colossians 3:12-17 has helpful instructions for how to live in the household of faith: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

implications for today

The Bible uses various terms to refer to the collection of believers known as the church. “Household of faith” is one (Galatians 6:10) that builds on the idea that believers all belong to the same family. At the head of our family is Christ, our Exemplar.

As believers, then, our connection with other believers is to be more than skin deep. Regardless of cultural backgrounds, political affiliations, color of our skin, education, and age, we must strive to be unified in displaying the gospel to those around us. This does not mean pretending that we are all the same but loving one another despite our differences.

Because the world is quick to divide between groups of people at every possible opportunity, humbly loving Christian brothers and sisters who are different from us is shocking, demonstrating to the world just how great Jesus is.

Jesus, when teaching about the priority of love over worship in the context of the old sacrificial system, said that we should stop mid-worship if we remember that we are not reconciled to someone in our household (Matthew 5:23-24). God is not pleased with disunity among the family of believers. Consider the believers in your life and whether there are any with whom you need to make amends. God will be glorified by that, and Christ will be exalted among the world through believers acting like Him.

understand

The household of faith is God’s spiritual family, made up of all believers, united through faith in Jesus Christ.
Believers are called to treat one another like family—loving, serving, forgiving, and building each other up in unity.
The household of faith displays the gospel to the world.

reflect

How are you actively living as a member of God’s household in your relationships with other believers?
In what ways do you find it challenging to love and serve fellow Christians who are different from you, and what might Jesus be inviting you to change?
What steps can you take to restore unity with a brother or sister in Christ if there is unresolved tension or division?

engage

What does it look like for believers to reflect the unity and love described in the Bible’s vision of the household of faith?
How do cultural, political, or generational differences affect the way believers relate to one another as family, and how can the church grow through those differences rather than divide over them?
What are some practical ways we can prioritize care for one another in the household of faith without neglecting love for those outside the church?