The Beginning of the Church

Let us study the beginning of the church, which does include its birth and revelation.

Regarding what bible verse that says when the church began, there is no one verse in the bible which states when. However, precisely we can pinpoint the time of the birth of the church by comparing Scripture with Scripture.

I – THE CHURCH COULD NOT BE EXISTED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

The revelation of a marvelous mystery concerning the church was given to Paul according to his testimony in Ephesians 3:1-6 "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, ² If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, ⁴ Whereby when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ ⁵Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; ⁶That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”

According to what Paul said in verses 1-3 “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, ²If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: ³How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,”, that is a new dispensation was revealed to him about mystery of the church, which Paul calls it the dispensation of the grace of God.

According to what Paul said in verse 4 “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),” he is saying that God bestowed upon him knowledge in the mystery because Paul could never have found or discovered knowledge of this truth on his own ability (I Corinthians 2:7-10 “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: ⁸Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. ¹⁰But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” In other words, God need to reveal this new truth or if the Lord will not reveal this truth, no one could know this truth mystery of the church. In order to reveal this new truth relating to the church, Paul becomes a chosen vessel by God.

According to what Paul said in verse 5 “Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;”, he says that these truths concerning this mystery of the church were not made known unto the sons of men in other ages. Paul stated very clearly that in the past, there have been several “ages”, or dispensations, however, Paul does not name all those dispensations. It means this mystery truth relating to the church was not made known to those dispensations or to those other past ages. So, men of the Old Testaments like Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, or Jeremiah knew nothing about the coming of a church which is the Body of Christ. This truth about the church according to verse 5 is now revealed by the apostles and prophets in the New Testament.

According to what Paul said in verse 6 “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:” this means Paul records the central part of this mystery truth, namely that Jews and Gentiles are now equal members of the same body, both of them are members of the body of Christ, which is the church. The gentiles could come to the Light and be saved as the Old Testament revealed that fact in Isaiah 60:3 “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising” and these gentiles could even participate in the Millennial Kingdom reign of Christ. However, this verse 6 is referring to an entirely new and previously unrevealed plan and program of God. This revelation of the mystery of the church was made known to Paul has to do with a new entity which is called “one new man” mentioned in Ephesians 2:15 “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;” This so called “one new man” which is the church, consisting of both Jew and Gentiles came into being as a result of the work of reconciliation of God through Christ at the cross. Reconciling all sinners to God through faith on the precious blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Therefore, this one new man, which is the church, consisting of both Jew and Gentile could not have existed before the reconciling work of the cross of Christ, and was not even revealed in the Old Testament. This glorious plan of God was hidden in the mind and heart of God that is why no one knew about it throughout the Old Testament.

Paul said that this new truth which is called a mystery (Ephesians 3:1-6, I Corinthians 2:7-10) had been hidden from ages and from generations.

Paul in his labor for the church had said that this new truth which is called a mystery had been hidden from past ages and from previous generations according his epistle in Colossians 1:26 “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people.” In fact, no one knew in all those previous ages that one day God would form a new entity, a new man, a new race of men which are called new creatures in Christ Jesus and in His body, which is the Church. Why no one knew about it? Because this verse says, they mystery had been hidden. So, it is wrong for someone to assume that this truth called a mystery was revealed in the Old Testament, but that those Old Testament saints do not understand that new truth about the church not even discerning enough about the mystery of the church. It was hidden from previous ages because it was hidden in the mind of God means it was not revealed in the Old Testament, so no one could possibly find the church in the Old Testament, because they could not find it, the church was not there, it was not only unknown, it was unknowable. The church was not revealed in the Old Testament.

The church was not just hidden from the Old Testament people but the truth about the mystery of the church was hidden also from the entire time period of past ages and generations. So, it is very clear that it would not be precise and correct to teach and think that the truth about the existence of the church is found in the Old Testament period of time, for it written in Colossians 1:26, it was hidden from the understanding of Old Testament saints for the entire age and those past ages or previous generations had no such revelation concerning the new truth of mystery concerning the church, the body of Christ.

II – THE CHURCH COULD NOT BE EXISTED IN THE GOSPELS

Jesus mentioned the church in Matthew 16:18 but the Lord Jesus never revealed what the church was. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 “I will build my church.” Notice the word “I will”, it indicates that during gospels time period the church is still future. In Matthew 13 we find the parables of the kingdom. The parables in Matthew 13 describes the character of the age or time period between the two comings of Jesus Christ which encompasses Christ’s first coming that is the time when Christ dwelt in the flesh until His second coming. In other words, the church age does fall within that time period. But so do the period of the gospel and the period of tribulation. Generally, there was a description of professing believers, and the character of the age between the two coming of Christ are revealed here, but there is no truth directly relating about the establishment of the church, and there is nothing mentioned about the nature of the church. The mystery of the church is hidden until that truth revealed to Paul (Ephesians 3:1-6; I Corinthians 2:7-10).

Some theologians, bible teachers, and Pastors of some churches believed and teaches that the church started during the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, because according from their arguments, the church must have their leader and Christ was the leader of the apostles and some disciples, then their church should practice Lord” supper and so Christ and the apostles performed the supper, and then they argued that since Judas was a treasurer therefore the church was existing.

Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry to Israel did not gave the great heavenly truths regarding the present church dispensation, and but mentioned the church, giving no explanation, He did not give vital truths of the church to the twelve apostles. During the period of the gospel books from Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, the twelve apostles knew nothing of an intervening program called the church which is the body of Christ because the church was not yet existing during the period of the gospels. Then at the end of the gospel period, the apostles were still anticipating the redemption of Israel and the Kingdom, so this is clear evidence that the church is not yet existing during the gospel period (Luke 24:19-21 “And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: ²⁰And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. ²¹But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done.”). John the Baptist and the apostles spoke not a word about a church, throughout the gospel period, so this is an evident that the church is not yet existing during the gospel period. Why? Because the ministry of the apostles was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel exclusively (Matthew 10:5-7 “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: ⁶But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The message of the apostles to the house of Israel was “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Twelve apostles in Matthew 10:7 “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”; Jesus in Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”; John the Baptist in Matthew 3:1-2 “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, ²And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”). That is why we do not see the church revealed in the gospels. The church was still future from the point of the earthly ministry of Christ. We can say that those who teaches that the church begins at the earthly ministry of Christ, during the gospel period is not the right doctrine regarding the beginning of the church. There was no revelation of the church in the gospels, for the church was still future.

III – THE CHURCH COULD NOT BE EXISTED BEFORE THE CROSS – Ephesians 2:13-16

Notice in Ephesians 2:15 that the church is referred here as “one new man”

Ephesians 2:15 “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;”

This church which is the “new man” consists of the Jews and Gentile people that has been reconciled into God in one body through the redemption work of Christ at the cross.

Ephesians 2:16 “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”

It was the Cross of Jesus Christ that reconciled the Jews and Gentiles and made both one by breaking down the middle wall of partition which is the law of Moses that formerly separated the two.

Ephesians 2:14-15 “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; ¹⁵Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;" Since the Jews and Gentiles were reconciled into one Body by the cross of Jesus Christ, therefore the church which is called the "new man" could not exist before the cross of Christ.

Again, there was no church in the Old Testament, there was no church in the period of the gospel and there was no church before the cross.

IV – THE CHURCH COULD NOT BE EXISTED DURING THE LORD’S POST-RESURRECTION MINISTRY

When the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to the disciples and continued to teach His disciples the things concerning the Kingdom of God that is after His resurrection (Acts 1:3).

Acts 1:3 “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:”

Notice, that Jesus did not reveal or say anything about the church to His disciples.

Concerning when the occurrence of the Spirit of Baptism, the Apostles have no idea, they did not know when. Jesus only mentioned that they will be baptize with the Holy Spirit but does not mention when (Acts 1:5).

Acts 1:5 “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”

According to this verse, the Apostles knew that the Baptism of the Spirit would occur soon, but it is clear that the Spirit of Baptism had not yet begun. So, the question is when the Spirit of Baptism did occur? We can see that Peter giving his sermon and the only way to explain when the Spirit of Baptism would occur is in terms of prophecies concerning the coming kingdom (Acts 2:16-21).

Acts 2:16-21 “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; ¹⁷And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: ¹⁸And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: ¹⁹And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: ²⁰The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: ²¹And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The only thing that Peter only knew similar to that which was described by the Prophet Joel is the outpouring of the Spirit which he and other disciples had just witnessed during the day of Pentecost. The outpouring of the Spirit in the day of Pentecost witnessed by the apostles and that outpouring which was described prophetically by Joel were both outpourings of the Spirit. As Peter was explaining he did not say that Pentecost was a fulfillment of that prophecy or even a partial fulfillment of that prophecy of Joel. But instead, Peter said in Acts 2:16 “this is that” same sort of thing referring to a same supernatural outpouring of the Spirit of God. In Acts 1:6 we can see that the Apostles were still expecting at any time the kingdom is to begin.

Acts 1:6 “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”

It shows that the Apostles had no idea at all that there is an intervening church age would occur during the post-resurrection ministry of the Lord Jesus. There church of God was not revealed before the resurrection ministry of Jesus Christ.

V – THE CHURCH COULD NOT BE EXISTED BEFORE ASCENSION AND GLORIFICATION OF CHRIST

The Holy Spirit was sent by the risen and ascended Christ to begin the work of Spirit baptism of the believers into the body of Christ (Acts 2:38).

Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

According to the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:20-23, Christ was risen by God from the dead and then God the Father seated Christ at His own right hand in the heavenly places and then made Him the Head of the body which is the church.

Ephesians 1:20-23 “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: ²²And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,²³Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.“

Therefore, there is no church that was formed until after Christ was risen and ascended into heaven, then Christ was seated at the right hand of the Father. Now, if the church (body of Christ) had begun before the ascension of Christ (the Head), then we have the body (the church) without the Head.

The spiritual gifts were given unto men by the risen and ascended Christ, it refers to the gifted men that might function as part of the body of Christ which is the church (Ephesians 4:8-12).

Ephesians 4:8-12 “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. ⁹(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) ¹¹And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; ¹²For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”

The church cannot grow or function as members of the body of Christ apart from its head (Colossians 2:19; Ephesians 4:15-16).

Colossians 2:19 “And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.”

Ephesians 4:15-16 “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: ¹⁶From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

Since the risen and ascended Christ gave gifts unto every Believers in the body of Christ, so it is a doctrinally precise that the church would have been a non-functional body, if the church could have begun before the ascension of Jesus Christ, because there was no yet distribution of Spiritual gifts to every believer before Christ ascension.

Some religious groups doctrinally trying to place the beginning of the church before the ascension of Christ, so this will end up with a body with no head and with no functioning parts. It is impossible, inconceivable.

Not only the church, the body of Christ could not had begun before the ascension of Christ but also the new relationship of the Spirit to the believers, the body of Christ (church) could not begin until Christ was glorified (John 7:39).

John7:39 “(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”

VI – THE CHURCH WAS BUILT UPON THE FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT – Ephesians 2:19-22

In the context of Ephesians 2:13-18 Paul was talking about both Jew and Gentile as having been reconciled in one new man.

Ephesians 2:13-18 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; ¹⁵Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; ¹⁶And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: ¹⁷And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. ¹⁸For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

In this age, the Jew and the Gentile, together constitute the household of God (Ephesians 2:19).

Ephesians 2:19 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”

Now, it is very important to know that the household of God is the church, the body of Christ (I Timothy 3:15).

I Timothy 3:15 “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

As Paul continue describing the church, he said that the church is a “house” or a “temple” built upon a foundation (Ephesians 2:20).

Ephesians 2:20 “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;”

That foundation where the church was built upon consists of the New Testament apostles and prophets. Obviously, nobody can build a temple without first the laid down foundation. Therefore, it was not until the time of the New Testament apostles and prophets that the church was built. However, some theologians insist that the apostles and prophets mentioned here refers to the New Testament apostles and the Old Testament prophets. Hence, these religious bible false teachers assume that the mystery which is the church revealed to the Old Testament prophets. But in contradiction for that view Paul in Ephesians 3:5 used the word “now” that indicates that what is in the mind of Paul is the New Testament prophets. Paul clearly writes that “now” is the time of the revealing of the mystery which is the church. Read Ephesians 3:5 to support this biblical fact.

Ephesians 3:5 “Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;”

- - - - - - TO BE CONTINUED - - - - - - -

VII – THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH BEGAN BY MEANS OF SPIRIT BAPTISM ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST – I Corinthians 12:13

In our study, we clearly seen that the church could not have existed in the Old Testament, could not have existed in the gospels, could not have existed before the cross, could not have existed during the post-resurrection ministry of Christ, could not have existed before the ascension and glorification of Christ as Head of the Body.

The Apostle Paul stated that a person becomes a member of the Body of Christ (the church) by means of Spirit Baptism. In this church age, at the moment a person got saved by repenting from sins and faith toward the Lord Jesus as Savior and becomes a believer, he or she was placed by the Spirit of God into Christ’s body. There is no other way for someone to get into Christ, or to be in Christ.

According to Acts 1:5, the Spirit baptism was still future.

Acts 1:5 “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”

But the Spirit baptism had already taken place by the time of Acts 11:15-16.

Acts 11:15-16 “And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. ¹⁶Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.”

As the Jewish believers in Christ had received at the beginning, likewise the Gentiles also received the gift of the Spirit of God according to what Peter said. The word “beginning” in Peter’s statement refers back to the beginning of the church found in Acts 2. The beginning that Peter was talking about was the beginning of the baptizing work of the Spirit of God.

That is why we have pinpointed exactly the beginning of the church on the day of Pentecost that was recorded in Acts 2:1-4.

Acts 2:1-4 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ²And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ³And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

These verses refer to the work of the Spirit in baptizing the believing Jews and Gentiles in the body of Christ. This record is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that was occurred for the very first time in the history of mankind.

Some theologians strongly believed that nowhere in the bible the so-called Spirit baptism, according to these bible teachers, there is only one baptism in the bible, and that is water baptism. According to them, when Paul said “baptized by one Spirit in one body” it refers to unity of the believers of that certain local church. That is not the right interpretation. There is truly, evidently outpouring of the Spirit placing believer into one body, the church.

Author of numerous books and bible teacher Dr. Renald Showers said, “Although the church was an essential part of God’s plan for history which He determined in eternity past, God did not put that part of His plan into effect until ten days after His Son ascended from earth to heaven.” Does it really matter or is it a big deal to know and learn when the church began? Yes, of course, it is very essential, that we need to rightly divide the Word of truth. We need to make distinction and separate the plan of God for Israel from the plan of God for the church.

There is a dangerous thing that is taking place in our generation because some bible teachers are blurring the truth or making the truth dim. There is dangerous attempt to merge the dispensational truth with reformed theology because that will result in legalistic living. The doctrine of the reformed theology teaches justification by faith, however reformed theology also teaches the doctrine that sanctification by self-discipline and law. The believer will become frustrated and defeated because of the erroneous beliefs about the church of the reformed theology (Romans 7:14-25). We need to search and study the sound doctrine of the Bible about the new man or the church in order to have a right concept of the church and what is not the right concept of the church. A right understanding of the church will help us to avoid confusion about the church with the earthly Israel. A right understanding of the church: will protect us from the errors of the ritualistic kind of churches, will protects us from errors of the reconstructionist movement, will protects us from the errors of the moral majority type movements, and will protects us from others dangerous and deceiving errors. Since the doctrines affects practice, so it is very important to have a right understanding of the church because our function in the world as a Christian ought to manifest the life of the risen and glorified Savior Jesus Christ who indwells us.