____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER ____________________________________________________ "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ April 17, 2005 ____________________________________________________ The Establishment of the Church (Part 2 of 2) by James P. Needham III. The Kingdom Was Still Future at the End of Christ's Personal Ministry: 1. In the year 31 A.D., Jesus preached that the "kingdom is at hand," just as John had done. It was sometime during this same year that he taught his disciples to pray: "Thy kingdom come...." A strange thing if it were already there! 2. In the year 32 A.D., Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matt. 16:18). Most any student of grammar will testify that "will build" is future tense and cannot possibly mean that the church had already been built. It was also in this same year that Jesus sent out the seventy on the limited commission and told them to preach "The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you" (Luke 10:9,10). It is also noteworthy that during this same year, Jesus promised that the kingdom would come in the lifetime of some then living: "...there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power" (Mark 9:1). Then in Matthew 18:3, in this same year, Jesus told his disciples they had not yet entered the kingdom, for he said, "Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." 3. Then as we move to the year 33 A.D. we note that Joseph of Arimathea "waited for the kingdom of God" (Mark 15:43), and Jesus promised his disciples as he instituted the Lord's supper that "I will not drink of this fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come" (Luke 22:18). During this same year Jesus said to a scribe, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God" (Mark 12:34). It was also in this same year, and while Jesus was hanging on the cross, that one of the thieves crucified with him requested, "Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom" (Luke 23:42). Strange that Jesus didn't correct him by telling him his kingdom had already come! Then following his resurrection (still in 33 A.D.) the Apostles still were inquiring about the establishment of the kingdom (Acts 1:8). Hence, up until Christ ascended to the Father, the kingdom had not come. Just previous to his ascension, Jesus told the Apostles to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father about which he had told them (Acts 1:4), having reference to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49), which was to bring "power" to them (Acts 1:8). But notice that Jesus had said in Mark 9:1 that the kingdom would "come with power." The power was to come when the Spirit came (Acts 1:8). The Spirit, which brought the power with which the kingdom was to come, came on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Therefore, the kingdom or church was established on Pentecost in Acts 2. The conclusion is irresistible! IV. All References to the Kingdom Following Pentecost Are Past Tense In Acts 2:47, (on the day of Pentecost still in 33 A.D.) it was said, "and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." As Matthew 16:18 is the first mention of the word church, Acts 2:47 is the first time people were said to be added to it. Notice also that Luke writes in the past tense: "added." Then, in the year 59 A.D., when defending his having gone to Gentiles, Peter referred to Pentecost as "the beginning" (Acts 11:15). In the year 64 A.D., Paul said that God "hath translated (past tense) us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Col. 1:13). It was also in this same year that the Hebrew writer said, "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved..." (Heb. 12:28). Now moving near the end of the era of inspiration, John said in 96 A.D., "I John, your brother and partaker...in the kingdom" (Rev. 1:9). V. Consequences if the Church Were Established Previous to Pentecost 1. It was established before the death of Christ. Therefore: (a) It was the New Testament church before there was a New Testament (Heb. 9:16,17). (b) It was the body of Christ (Col. 1:18) before the blood was shed (John 19:34), hence it was a body without blood. (c) It was under the Law of Moses, hence nobody in it was justified (Gal. 2:16; Heb. 10:1-4), nor was it the bride of Christ (Rom. 7:1-6). (d) Its members were without atonement for their sins because the blood of Christ had not been shed (Matt. 20:28; 26:28; Heb. 9:22). Hence nobody in it was saved. (e) It was established before it was purchased. It was not purchased until Christ shed his blood (Acts 20:28), but he shed his blood when he died (John 19:34). Thus if the church were established previous to his death, it was an unpurchased institution. 2. It was established before the resurrection of Christ. Therefore: (a) It was a building without a tried cornerstone (Isa. 28:16; Psa. 118:22,23, Cf. Acts 4:10,11). Christ was not a completely tried and proven cornerstone until his resurrection; hence if the church were established before his resurrection, it rested upon a foundation that was not tried and sure. (b) It was under the limited commission (Matt. 10:5). Under the limited commission, only Jews were to be preached to. But the kingdom was prophesied as being universal in scope (Isa. 2:2-4). Hence, if the church were established before the resurrection, it was not under the Great Commission; and therefore it contradicted Isaiah's prophecy (Isa. 2:2-4). (c) It could not preach the fullness of the gospel. The gospel consists of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (I Cor. 15:1-4). But these were not facts until after they occurred, therefore could not be preached as such. (d) It could not preach that Jesus is the Christ. According to Luke 9:18-22, Jesus asked the disciples who He was. Peter answered, "The Christ of God." The Lord then "straightly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day." Hence, if the church were established previous to the resurrection of Christ, it could not preach that Jesus is the Christ. 3. It was established before the ascension of Christ. Therefore: (a) It had no priest. Christ could not be a priest on earth, being from the wrong tribe according to the Law of Moses (Heb. 7:14; Cf. 8:4). Hence, if the church were established before his ascension, it had no priest, therefore no sacrifice, hence no remission of sins (Heb. 9:22). (b) It had no Apostles in it. According to Eph. 4:8-11, Apostles were not made in fact until Christ ascended. (c) It had no Holy Spirit in it. In John 7:39, we learn that the Spirit was not given until Jesus was glorified. He was not glorified until he ascended. Hence, if the church were established before the ascension, it was a Spiritless body. This is further confirmed by the fact that Jesus said, "...if I go not away, the Spirit will not come" (John 16:7). (d) It was a body without a head. In Ephesians 1:19-22, Paul shows that God did not give Christ to be head of the church until he "set him at His Own right hand," speaking of the ascension. Hence, if the church were established before the ascension of Christ, it was a body without a head. (e) It was a kingdom without a king. Peter argues that Christ did not take the throne until he ascended (Acts 2:30-33). Hence, if the church were set up before the ascension, it was a kingdom without a king. (f) It would have been in contradiction to Dan. 7:13,14. This prophecy says Christ received his kingdom when he went "To the Ancient of days," speaking of his ascension. If he received the kingdom before the ascension, he did so in contradiction to the prophet Daniel. (g) It could not pray in the name of Christ. In the 16th chapter of John, Jesus told the Apostles that he was going to his Father (v. 16). In v. 24 he said, "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name...." Then in v. 26, he says, "At that day ye shall ask in my name...." "At that day" refers to his ascension. Therefore, if the church were established before the ascension, it could not pray in the name of Christ. Conclusion Pentecost 33 A.D., therefore, is the only scriptural time, and Jerusalem the only scriptural place the church could have been established. This is one of the most important days in all of the history of the world, and yet so many are uninformed as to its great significance. People generally think of the origin of the church as a very trivial and unimportant matter; but, dear reader, it is most important that you know when, where and by whom the church you are a member of was founded. If it were founded by Luther, in the 16th century in Germany, or by Joseph Smith in the 18th century in the United States, it is very evident that you are a member of an unscriptural institution. Why not investigate the origin of the church of which you are a member; and if you find it was not established by Christ on the day of Pentecost, 33 A.D., then forsake it and become a member of the one you can read about in your Bible. -- Via Truth Magazine XI: 1, pp. 6-10, October 1966 ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________