There’s a great deal of confusion concerning the establishment of the church. Some claim the church was established: In the times of the Old Testament,

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Introduction

There’s a great deal of confusion concerning the establishment of the church.

Some claim the church was established: In the times of the Old Testament, or by John the Baptist.

Each of these claims is falsified by Jesus’ statement in Matthew 16:18: “…I will build My church.”

Absolutely critical to understand the truth about the establishment of Christ’s church to identify the one true church and eliminate imposters.

Part 5: The Establishment of the Church

Isaiah 2:2-3

The New Testament

Church

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The Church: Plan A, Not Plan B

Dispensationalists claim the Jews rejected Jesus and His kingdom (Plan A).

In response, God initiated Plan B, the church.

Kingdom yet to come with 1,000 yr. earthly reign.

One problem: not true! Church is “the fullness” of Christ:

Eph. 1:22-23

Salvation is only “in Christ”: Rom. 3:24; 2 Tim. 2:10

Jesus “is the Savior of the body” (Eph. 5:23; 4:4).

Establishment of the Church

To be “in Christ” and to be in His church are

synonymous; whatever the Bible says about one is

perfectly applicable to the other.

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The Church: Plan A, Not Plan B

Note what Paul says concerning salvation “in Christ”: Salvation “in Christ” was determined

before creation: Gen. 3:15; Eph. 1:3-12

But, the church is “according to the eternal purpose” of God “which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:10-12).

The church is not an “afterthought,” not Plan B.

This salvation was a “mystery” to be revealed: Eph. 1:4; 3:12; 1:9-10; Col. 1:26

Establishment of the Church

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The Church: It’s Establishment

House of God/Church: Isa. 2:2-3 (Micah 4:1-2) “mountain of the Lord’s house”: the

exaltation of God’s rule over His people.

“all nations” flowing into “the house of the God” is descriptive of the church: 1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pet. 2:5; Eph. 2:19

Church is for “all nations”: Eph. 2:14-19; Gal. 3:28

God’s rule: Psa. 2:6-9Acts 2:25; 13:33; Psa. 110:1-5Acts 2:32-33

Establishment of the Church

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The Church: It’s Establishment

Last days: Isa. 2:2-3 (Micah 4:1-2) Peter associates the “last days” with the

events on that first Pentecost: Acts 2:16-17; Joel 2:28-29

Events of Pentecost were the “beginning”: Acts 11:15 “last days” describe an “age.” The dispensation of the Messiah began at

Pentecost and ends at His second coming in judgment.

Law of Moses no longer separates mankind: Gal. 3:24; Eph. 2:14-15; Col. 2:14

The “beginning” of the church on Pentecost signaled the coming of the new covenant; the “beginning” of a new age: Matt. 26:26-28; Heb. 9:14-15; 12:24

Establishment of the Church

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The Church: It’s Establishment

Last days: Isa. 2:2-3 (Micah 4:1-2) When the Messiah returns to judge

the world it will be the “last day”: Jn. 6:44; Acts 17:31 All the dead will be raised, given an

immortal body and judged: Jn. 5:28-29; 1 Cor. 15:22, 51-55; Acts 17:31

On the “last day” the heavens and earth will be destroyed, the saints will meet the Lord “in the air”; the kingdom delivered back to the Father, and “then cometh the end”; time will be no more: 2 Pet. 3:9-10; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; 1 Cor. 15:24; Matt. 25:41

Establishment of the Church

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The Church: It’s Establishment

Last days: Isa. 2:2-3 (Micah 4:1-2)

The “last days” are the present age, the age of the Messiah:

Age in which God speaks by His Son: Heb. 1:1-2

Peter identifies the events of Pentecost as occurring in the “last days”: Acts 2:16-17; 1 Pet. 1:18-20

The Hebrew writer said the Messiah appeared “at the end of the ages…to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself”: Heb. 9:26

Establishment of the Church

The “last days” are the days Isaiah announced—the

days Christ would come, offer Himself as a perfect

sacrifice, and purchase the church with His blood (Acts

20:28).

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The Church: It’s Establishment

Days of the Roman Empire: Dan. 2:28

Daniel speaks of the church as a “kingdom”; the same body of people purchased with Christ’s blood: Rev. 5:9-10; Col. 1:13

Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream: Dan. 2:26-45

Image with a golden head, arms/breasts of silver, belly/ thighs of bronze, legs/feet of iron and clay.

Also, a stone “cut out without hands”: Dan. 2:34; Heb. 8:2

Establishment of the Church

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Image Daniel 2:26-45

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Iron

Iron/Clay

”after you [Babylon] shall arise another [kingdom]…then another”, etc. (v. 39)

Daniel 2:26-45

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Iron

Iron/Clay

”you are this head of gold” (v. 38)

Babylonian

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Image

Daniel 2:26-45

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Iron

Iron/Clay

Babylonian

Roman

”in the days of these kings” (v. 44)

Medo-Persian

Greek

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Image

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The Church: It’s Establishment

Days of the Roman Empire: Dan. 2:28

Times of the New Testament fits this time sequence: in the times “of these kings” (i.e., Roman): Lk. 3:1-3

Time agrees with preaching of John the Baptist and Jesus: Matt. 3:1-2; 4:17

John and Jesus both said “kingdom” was “at hand”; how close? Mk. 9:1

Some living when Jesus preached would see “the kingdom come with power.”

Establishment of the Church

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The Church: It’s Establishment

Days of the Roman Empire: Dan. 2:28

How was the kingdom to come? Lk. 24:47-49

Apostles to receive “the promise of my Father” in Jerusalem; when they were “endued with power from on high”; same as the kingdom coming “with power.”

Establishment of the Church

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The Church: It’s Establishment

Days of the Roman Empire: Dan. 2:28 How was the kingdom to come? Lk.

24:47-49 In Acts 1:4-8 we see Isaiah 2, Daniel 2,

Luke 24 and Mark 9:1 coming together. The “power”: “you shall receive

power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you”; one and the same as “the Promise of the Father” (cf. Jn. 14, 15, 16).

Thus, when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles was when they “receive[d] power”; received “the Promise of the Father” and “the kingdom of God come with power” (Mk. 9:1).

Establishment of the Church

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The Church: It’s Establishment

Days of the Roman Empire: Dan. 2:28

How was the kingdom to come? Lk. 24:47-49

When did the Holy Spirit come upon the apostles? Acts 2:1-4

Now the prophecies of Isaiah 2, Daniel 2, Luke 24, and Mark 9:1 are fulfilled; the kingdom/church has come!

Establishment of the Church

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The Church: It’s Establishment

Luke 24 Isaiah 2/Daniel 2/Mark 9

“repentance and remission of sins should be preached…among all nations”

“all nations shall flow to it”

“beginning at Jerusalem”

“For out of Zion…from Jerusalem”

“preached in His name”“shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD”

“I send the promise of My Father…tarry ye in…Jerusalem”

The right place for establish-ment of “the Lord’s house” and reception of “the Promise of My Father” (cf. Jn. 14, 15, 16)

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The Church: It’s Establishment

Luke 24 Isaiah 2/Daniel 2/Mark 9

Right time! In the days of the Roman empire (Lk. 3:1-3)

“in the days of these kings” when “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed”

Apostles to receive “power from on high”

Kingdom of God “at hand” would come “some standing here…will not taste of death” and would come “with power”

When the apostles received “power from on

high” (i.e., the Holy Spirit) THEN the kingdom of God would come “with

power”!

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 16:19 (NASU)

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The Church: It’s Establishment

Acts 1:4-8 Isaiah 2/Luke 24

Apostles are in the right place: “not to depart from Jerusalem” (v. 4)

“out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:3); “tarry in the city of Jerusalem” (Lk. 24:49)

Apostles: “you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (v. 5)

“I send the Promise of My Father upon you” (Lk. 24:49); “He will teach us His ways…out of Zion shall go forth the law” (Isa. 2:3; Jn. 14-16)

Apostles: “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (v. 9)

“tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Lk. 24:49)

All of these events converge at one

point!

Acts 2

All of these events are converging at one point.

The Church: Its Establishment

“…I will build My church…” Matthew 16:18

?”promise of the Father” or the ”power from on high” was the coming of the Holy Spirit on

the apostles

Events to take place in Jerusalem in ”latter days” (cf. Acts 2:16-17)

Some still alive ”not taste of

death…till…see kingdom of God…come with power”

”in the days of these kings”

”the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which

shall never be destroyed”

Rome Rules

Kingdom of God or house of God, the

church to be established!

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The Church: It’s Establishment

Right time in history Rome rules the world

Apostles are in the right place

Jerusalem

Apostles receive the “promise of the Father” with “power” the baptism of the Holy Spirit

vv. 1-4: “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit”

Peter identifies the time of these events

“This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days’” (vv. 16-17)

Right message“whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (v. 21)

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The Church: It’s Establishment

Jesus is sitting on God’s throne, ruling His kingdom

“This Jesus…being exalted to the right hand of God…has made this Jesus…both Lord and Christ” (vv. 29-33; cf. Acts 1:9-11; Dan. 7:13-14)

Church Jesus promised to build is now in existence (Matt. 16:18)

“the Lord added to the church…those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47)

Those obeying Christ enter His kingdom; His church

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1:13; Acts 2:47)

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Conclusion

Before Pentecost kingdom and church anticipated (Mk. 1:14-15; Matt. 16:18); after Pentecost kingdom and church a reality; Pentecost was the “beginning”: Acts 2:47; Col. 1:13; Acts 11:15

The Bible clearly teaches Jesus established only one church (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:4).

Recall the 33,000+ denominations: are any of them the church Jesus promised to build?

This is no trivial matter! Heb. 8:2; Psa. 127:1; Matt. 15:13

If any of them are the one true church they should pass these simple tests: 1) established by the right person, 2) at the right time, and 3) at the right place.

Establishment of the Church

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Conclusion

Church Time Place Founder

Roman Catholic 606 AD Rome Boniface III

Episcopal 1520 AD England Henry VIII

Presbyterian 1536 AD Switzerland John Calvin

Congregational 1550 AD England Robert Browne

Baptist 1607 AD Holland John Smythe

Methodist 1739 AD England John Wesley

Mormon 1830 AD America Joseph Smith

7th Day Adventist 1830 AD America William Miller

Christian Scientist 1866 AD America Mary Baker

Eddy

Jehovah’s Witness 1872 AD America Charles T.

Russell

“Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.”

Psalm 127:1