Lesson 29 June 25, 2003

IV. HISTORICAL BEGINNINGS OF THE CHURCH

A. False views

1. There are those that believe that it started with Adam. The concept is that Soteriology and Ecclesiology are one and the same. Story of Redemption.

- issue of continuity or discontinuity between the Testaments.

2. Abraham started the Church:

a. This is the position of covenant theology who see all the promises to Abraham being fulfilled in the Church.

b. They reject the historical development of ekklesia and the statement of Christ that the Church was still future. Mt 16:18.

3. The Church started with the public ministry of Christ. They fail to see the relationship of the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the historical beginning of the Church.

4. There are some ultra - dispensationalists who contend that the Apostle Paul founded the Church.

a. They distort a true doctrine of dispensations and many see two distinct churches in the New Testament. One founded in Acts and one founded by Paul teaching his mystery truths.

b. They fail to recognize the transition from Israel to the Church as illustrated by Peter's gradual perception of the change himself. Acts 10; (40AD) 15:7-9 (49AD)

c. Paul does not claim exclusive revelation - Eph 3:5.

B. The true beginning of the local Church at Pentecost defended.

1. Proved by the concept of the Church as a 'mystery'.

a. What is a mystery - a mystery is something revealed only to the initiates.

b. The doctrine of the Church is said to be a mystery previously hidden from man Col. 1:26-27; Eph. 3:1-10.

c. This mystery was hid in God and has been hid from the beginning of the ages which refers to eternity past.

1) Eph 3:9 has been hid - avpokru,ptw apokruptw (perfect passive participle) - hide, conceal, and keep secret .

2) Rom 16:25-26 was kept secret - siga,w sigaw (perfect passive participle) to be kept secret.

3) Col 1:25-26 - has been hidden - avpokru,ptw apokruptw (perfect passive participle)

d. The mystery specifics are given in Eph 3:6.

1) It centers in the Gentiles and consists of their equal position and privilege in Christ by means of the Gospel.

2) This truth is expressed by three descriptive nouns:

a) sunkleronomos - fellow heir, having equal inheritance.

b) sussomos - joint members of the body - part of the same organism.

c) summetochos - fellow patakers - in that inheritance your on the same plain with the Jews. (all one in Christ)

2. Proved by the Promise of Christ in Mt 16:18.

a. The ekklesia that Christ refers to is exclusive and He gave it.

- Context of 16:17-20 the rejected Messiah speaks of His future program.

- You know about the assembly, the ekklesia of Israel well I am going to build a new ekklesia with a purpose that's new.

b. It is a future project - predictive future indicative of oikodomeo, I will build.

c. Even the context also emphasizes that this ekklesia is future from the time of speaking.

3. Proved by the Death, Burial and Resurrection and Ascension of Christ.

a. It was the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ that forms the necessary foundation of the Church.

b. The work of Christ on the cross purchased the Church. Act 20:28;

- in Rom 6 we see the importance of our identification with Christ (RAPT).

c. Christ's resurrection not only guarantees our resurrection (1 Cor 15:20,23), but also this awesome power demonstrated in the resurrection of Christ is linked to the life of the believer and the power available to live and walk in newness of life. Rom 6:4; Eph 1:19-20

d. The ascension and glorification of Christ to a place of honor at God's right hand established Him as the head, over all things to the church - Eph 1:22,23.

e. Christ first had to ascend in order to provide gifts to the body - Eph 4:7-12.

- a body without gifts would be incapable of growth and would be incapable of accomplishing its God assigned objectives.

4. Proved by the necessity of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

- begins with the Holy Spirit with the ultimate purpose to glorify Christ, its head!

a. Paul explains that the entrance into the body of Christ is dependent upon the BHS. 1 Cor 12:13

b. This event had not yet occurred in John 7:39 "for the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified."

c. Jesus prophesied of a new relationship with the Holy Spirit in John 14:17.

d. Christ commanded the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Spirit - Acts 1:4. [the promise is the BHS]

e. Peter says in Acts 11:15 that this event had already taken place at the beginning.

f. The only possible event between Acts 1 and 11 then is found in Acts 2, the details of the events of the day of Pentecost.

g. Paul equates the body of Christ with the Church in Col 1:18,24 therefore the Church could not have begun until Pentecost.

C. Summary

The Church is not a continuation of Judaism, discontinuity, nor is it to be identified with Israel.

As we will see in Eph 3 the church is a mystery that was hidden from eternity past in the mind of God and is now being revealed in this age by His Holy Apostles and prophets.

Not only was the church unknown in the OT period, but it was also not in existence when Christ was living on the earth.

Jesus Christ stated very dramatically that He was in the future going to build "My church". A totally new and different ekklesia from anything that the Jews were familiar with.

The precise event that inaugurated the church was the advent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost when those in the upper chamber in Jerusalem, waiting as instructed for the promise of the Father, were baptized by the Holy Spirit and became members of the church.