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INCEPTION OF THE CHURCH

A) INTRODUCTION

Even though a number of the basic elements of the church were there at the beginning of our Lord's three year ministry, especially the twelve disciples, these elements, however, could not constitute the church at that time. For just as one cannot describe the ingredients of a recipe a cake before they are combined and baked in the proper manner; so one cannot describe the elements of the body of Christ the church until the final steps of making those elements into the church occur: especially the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of our Lord and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in every church age believer.

B)THE KINGDOM WAS PROCLAIMED TO ISRAEL DURING OUR LORD'S EARTHLY MINISTRY - PRECEEDING THE INCEPTION OF THE CHURCH

During our Lord's earthly ministry, before His death, burial and resurrection, the message proclaiming the kingdom was preached, indicating that if Israel trusted in their Messiah Jesus, our Lord would straight away bring in the kingdom as promised. At this time the church was not yet in view, yet in the future. The disciples themselves were Jews at this time and not Christians. They were not yet part of the church. Note that the church never consisted of Jew or Gentile but consists exclusively of and always has consisted exclusively of individuals who have trusted alone in Christ alone as Savior, (Jn 3:16, Eph 2:8-9), and who were then baptized with God the Holy Spirit, (I Cor 12:13; Gal 3:28, Col 3:11). So at the time of our Lord's early earthly ministry, the nation Israel, which included the disciples were given the opportunity of trusting in the Messiah Jesus Christ which would have resulted in the commencement at that time of the millennial kingdom:

[Mt 3:1-2, 6-8]:

(v. 1) "In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the desert in Judea and saying,

(v. 2) 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven, [the eternal rule of God in heaven over the earth, Dan 2:34-36, 44-45] is at hand [is imminent.

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" ?

"at hand" = imminently ready to begin]

(v. 6) Confessing their sins, they [the Jewish people, (vv. 3:1-5)] were baptized by him [John the Baptist] in the Jordan River.

(v. 7) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them, 'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

[At the inception of the millennial kingdom, only believers will remain alive. The rest will perish, (Mt 25:31-46).

(v. 8) Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.' "

These passages are speaking about the Jewish people, (compare Isa 40:1-3 & Mt 3:3), who came to John the Baptist in order to come to a point of repentance relative to faith in the coming Messiah for their entrance into the kingdom of God.

[Compare Jn 1:29-34]:

(v. 29) '''The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!

[Had the nation Israel accepted our Lord as Messiah and Savior, then the cross and the kingdom would have been imminent & without 2000 years of church age. But this is not what the Bible predicts would happen: The offer to Israel of the Kingdom through faith alone unto salvation in the Messiah was made and rejected. Our Lord then changed the direction of His gospel of eternal life, included both Jews AND Gentiles and began to establish the foundation of the church. The Mosaic Law Age was thereby abruptly interrupted in its 383rd year with 7 years left to be fulfilled in the future, (Dan 9:24-27). The once for all time sacrifice for sins was then made - the basis for eternal life for both Jew and Gentile - followed by 2000 years of the church age.

After the rapture of the church there will be a resumed period of time when Israel will finally accept their Messiah: the last 7 years of the Age of the Mosaic Law - the Tribulation period, (Dan 7:25, 12all, Rev 12all)]

[Jn 1:29-34 cont.]:

[So John the Baptist continues to describe Israel's Messiah to the nation Israel]:

(v. 30) This is the One I meant when I said, 'A Man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.'

[A GodMan Who comes after me in time -has surpassed me because He was before me - being God, He is eternal]

(v. 31) I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel."

[Notice that John's water baptism ministry focused on the nation Israel. And John testified that his water baptism had something to do with the revelation to Israel of the Messiah Jesus Christ - that He was the Lamb of God Who came to take away the sin of the world.

So what did water represent in the case of John's baptism? It represented identification with the Jewish Messianic Kingdom. It represented the fact that the person was ready to receive the Messiah promised to the Jewish people and that he was ready to receive the kingdom that the King of the Jews was to bring in. The believer was put under the water identifying him with the Messiah kingdom - he comes up out of the water ready to enter the Messianic Kingdom.

Dr. John Danish, pastor-teacher of Berean Memorial Church in Irving, Texas states, (Romans 6 audio tape on the subject of the baptism):

"The King is here, the messianic promises of a kingdom where the Jews are to be the ruling nation of the world is imminently ready to be fulfilled. Finally, our Messiah Savior is here and the basis upon which He will come to His authority and lead us into

the position that God through the prophets of old has promised to us is national repentance which begins on an individual basis.

Everywhere in Israel there were Jews who said, 'Praise God, in our day we will see the promises to Abraham fulfilled, [Gen 12:1-3; 13:14-18; 15:1-21; 17:4-8; 22:15-24; 26:1-5; 28:10-15] the promises expanded later in the Palestinian Covenant, [Dt chapters 29 and 30] relative to possessing the land, and the promises of the Davidic Covenant, [II Sam 7:5-16; I Chr 17:3-15] relative to the throne and a world ruling authority from Israel, and the promises of the New Covenant relative to the Holy Spirit descending upon the people of Israel, [Jer 31:27-40; 50:4-5; Ez 34:25-30; 36:all; 37:21-28; Isa 59:20-21]. John the Baptist is saying that all of this is to be fulfilled in our day and I am ready to receive it by repentance, [changing my mind about faith] in the Messiah Who is now here.'

Every Jew in the nation of Israel who had trusted in the Messiah to come at that time indicated this trust by going to John the Baptist and receiving John's water baptism. So what were those people who were baptized in John's baptism saying then? That they had been united to Christ? Obviously not! That wasn't the issue! What they were saying with the Baptism of John was that they were ready to be identified with the Messiah Savior and the offer of His Kingdom - His earthly Kingdom. In other words, the Millennium was ready to be inaugurated right then 2000 years ago! It was only waiting upon the acceptance of the Jewish people of the King which God had provided: God Himself, God the Son, the One Who was born on that first Christmas day and Who now had grown to Manhood and had just begun His ministry... ...John's baptism was...... a religious rite for Jews only, signifying confession of sin and commitment to a holy life in the anticipation of the coming Messiah [Mt 3:6-8]. It never occurred outside of Israel! No one hearing John preach asked him what he was talking about relative to the kingdom of heaven, for the concept of Messiah's rule over the kingdom of earth was a common thread in Old Testament prophesy. The requirement for the Messiah's coming was that the nation Israel repent.. [i.e., trust in the Messiah for eternal life and not in their heritage through Abraham: Mt 3:1-2, 8-10]"

When Christ appeared to the Jewish people, the next event in prophesy as they understood it should have been the setting up of the Davidic kingdom with the Messiah as King. Even our Lord's disciples understood it this way, (Mt 24:3).

John's baptism was no innovation since Jews required Gentiles wanting to be admitted into Judaism to be baptized by self-immersion as a symbol of their new identification with the faith of Abraham and the nation Israel. The startling new element was John's baptism for God's covenant people, the Jews, and it required their repentance, (believing in the Messiah unto eternal life), in view of the coming Messiah.

Compare Acts 19:1-6 which describes Paul's meeting with a number of believers who had undergone John's water baptism.

[Acts 19:1-6]:

(v. 1) "And it came about that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found some disciples,

(v. 2) and he said to them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' And they said to him, 'No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.'

(v. 3) And he said, 'Into what then were you baptitized?' And they said, 'Into John's baptism.'

(v. 4) And Paul said, 'John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.'

(v. 5) And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

(v. 6) And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying."

Paul notices that there is something incomplete with them with respect to their not being church age believers - members of the body of Christ. Paul notices that these people have not transitioned over from the Old Testament era to the New Testament church era. Paul says, 'Didn't you receive God the Holy Spirit when you were baptized?' And they said, 'No'. Then Paul says, 'What baptism have you had then.' They say, 'The baptism of John', which symbolized that these men had trusted in the Messiah for their eternal life Who would bring in the kingdom. Thus they were identified with the Messianic Kingdom Age as part of Israel and not as part of the body of Christ, the church. So Paul proceeded to have them baptized with the Holy Spirit by laying his hands on them. This was an actual baptism which identified them with Christ as members of His body, the church. Note that this was a unique circumstance at the time - not to be done later on in the church age when there were no longer any Jewish age believers to be transitioned over into the Church age as members of the body of Christ.

At the time of John the Baptist the Lord Jesus Christ also baptized Israelites in the Jordan River and preached the same message as John the Baptist: the message of the good news of the kingdom of heaven for Israel for those who trust in Him as Mesiah for eternal life in the kingdom:

[Mt 4:17]:

"From that time on [from the time when John the Baptist was imprisoned, Mt 4:12-16] Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ' " Cp. Mt 9:35-38; Mk 1:14; Lk 4:43-44.

[Mk 6:6b-12]:

(v. 6b) "Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.

(v. 7) Calling the Twelve to Him, He sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.

(v. 8) These were His instructions: 'Take nothing for the journey except a staff - no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.

(v. 9) Wear sandals but not an extra tunic.

[Notice that the context of this passage indicates local towns - within Judea, within Israel]

(v. 10) Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.

(v. 11) And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.'

(v. 12) They went out and preached that people should repent."

And in the parallel passage in Matthew, our Lord issues the following instructions to His disciples:

[Mt 10:5-6]:

(v. 5) '''These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.

(v. 6) Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

(v. 7) As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' " '''

Notice that our Lord commanded His disciples NOT to preach the gospel of the kingdom to Gentiles. The message was exclusively for the nation Israel - if they accept Him as their Messiah our Lord was ready, right then, to bring in the millennial kingdom. So the water baptisms that our Lord had His disciples perform were for the same symbollic purpose as the baptisms that John the Baptist performed: identification by each individual Jew with the nation Israel and with the bringing in of the kingdom by repentence and trusting in the Messiah Jesus Christ:

[Jn 4:1-2]:

(v. 1) "The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John,

(v. 2) although in fact it was not Jesus Who baptized, but His disciples."

[Jn 3:22-36]:

(22) '''After this, Jesus and His disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where He spent some time with them, and baptized.

(v. 23) Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized.

(v. 26) They [some of John's disciples] came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man Who was with you on the other side of the Jordan - the One you testified about - well, He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him."

(v. 27) To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given Him from heaven.

(v. 28) You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of Him.'

(v. 29) The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for Him, and is full of joy when he he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.

(v. 30) He must become greater; I must become less." '''

So John the Baptist testifies here that the Messiah, Whom he announced as the "Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world", (Jn 1:29), is here, ready to usher in His kingdom. Our Lord also preaches to and water baptizes individuals of Israel so that they would "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand". Messiah's kingdom is imminent and only awaits Israel's changing its mind and accepting Christ as Savior and Messiah.

The church was not in view in any of these passages, nor could it have had an inception at this time. The disciples and all of the followers of our Lord would have to have been ushered into the kingdom as Jew or Gentile, not the church, in fulfillment of

Old Testament prophecy. This is precisely what will occur 2,000+ years later, at the end of the 7 year tribulation period: The millennial kingdom will be ushered in, with all mortal believers being either Jew or Gentile - no church in view amongst those in mortal bodies since they went up in the Rapture, (I Thes 4:13-18).

[Lewis Sperry Chafer states, in Systematic Theology, vol. 2, Victor Books, Wheaton, Ill., 1988, p. 208]:

"When the church is called to heaven at the time of the Rapture of the church, God will resume His program for Israel, including the time of Great Tribulation and suffering, and then will rescue the godly remnant of Israel at the time of Christ's second coming."

If the church's inception was to be before the time of Pentecost, the question as to why our Lord did not explain the disciples' role in it must be asked.

[Chafer, op. cit., p. 208]

"In His earthly life Christ did not deal with the subject of the church in any detail until the Upper Room Discourse the night before His crucifixion. The apostles only slowly understood the dramatic difference between the present age and the previous dealings of God with Israel."

C) THE CHURCH WAS A YET FUTURE EVENT - TO BEGIN AFTER THE TIME OF OUR LORD'S MINISTRY

[Mt 16:18]:

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock [the Rock, the foundational truth that Jesus is the Christ is the Son of the living God, v. 16] I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it."

"I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it." =

Notice that the verb is in the future tense. Our Lord is stating that, at some time in the future from the time he made the statement to Peter, He would commence building His church.

[Chafer, op. cit., p. 237]:

"Each of the five words, 'I will build My church' has great doctrinal significance, and the phrase could be quoted each time emphasizing a different word.

In referring to Himself as 'I,' Christ stated that the building of the church is something He undertakes. It is Christ who is calling out, saving, and perfecting this specific company. The word 'will' shows a prophetic aspect to Jesus' statement, and implies that the church was not in existence at that time and was not the work of Christ while He was on earth but would be realized in the future. This contradicts the thought that the church existed throughout the Old Testament. The word 'build' suggests that this is a slow process continuing throughout the present age (Eph. 2:20; Heb. 3:6). Though God will use human instruments to proclaim the Gospel, the calling of the church to salvation and the forming of the church into the body of Christ is a work of God not of man. The expression 'My church' points to the distinction between God's work for Israel and His work for the Gentile world. Though God loved Israel (Jer. 31:3), it does not complicate the fact that God also loved the church to an infinite degree (John 13:1; Eph. 5:25). This introductory word of Christ amplified in the Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17) points to the conclusion that the church was a future undertaking to be fulfilled in the present age."

D) OUR LORD'S DEATH HAD TO PRECEDE THE CHURCH

[Chafer, op. cit., pp. 238-239:

"Though many theologians do not recognize the distinctive use of ekklesia for the body of Christ in the present age, good reasons are advanced in Scripture to indicate that the church began at Pentecost.

1. CHRIST'S DEATH. There could be no church in the world constituted as she is and distinctive in all her features until Christ's death (Acts 20:28: Rom. 3:24-26; Col. 1:13-14). The death of Christ is more than a mere anticipation, but the church, the body of Christ, is based wholly on His finished work, and she must be purified by His precious blood."

[Jn 10:7-18]:

(v. 7) "Therefore Jesus said again, 'I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.

[Our Lord is speaking of the sheep of Israel since this is the time before the cross. Our Lord went first to the lost house of Israel, (Mt 10:5-6)

(v. 14) "I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep [believers in Israel - Jews, cp "other sheep" ? Gentiles (v.16)] and My sheep know Me -

(v. 15) just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father - and I lay down My life for the sheep.[ref: Christ dying for the sins of Israel]

(v. 16) I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock [the church] and one Shepherd.

[So here in the Gospel of John, our Lord is speaking of a single flock, i.e., group of believers who follow Him composed of Jew and Gentile: the church. And this single group it indicates will be such AFTER our Lord's death. Cp Isa 56:8; Jn 17:20; Acts 15:7-9; Eph 2:11-19]

E) OUR LORD'S RESURRECTION HAD TO PRECEDE THE CHURCH

[Chafer, op. cit., p. 238-239]

"2. CHRIST'S RESURRECTION. There could be no church until Christ rose from the dead to provide her with a resurrection life (Rom. 4:24; Col 3:1-3). This is a new feature that had not been introduced before."

F) OUR LORD'S ASCENSION HAD TO PRECEDE THE CHURCH

[Chafer, op. cit., p. 238-239]:

"3. CHRIST'S ASCENSION. There could be no church until Christ ascended on high to become the Head of the church (Eph. 1:19-23; Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1). The church is a new creation with a new Head in the resurrected Christ. As such, He is also the Head of the body of Christ which is the church. The church in the present age could not survive if it were not for Christ's intercession and advocacy in heaven."

G) THE CHURCH BEGAN AT PENTECOST AT THE HOLY SPIRIT'S ADVENT

The Bible speaks of a unique group of people all united into one body: the body of Christ, the Church. Scripture indicates in numerous places that this body did not become an entity until the Holy Spirit united Jewish and Gentile believers at that 'first' Pentecost.

Dr John Walvoord wrote, ("The Millennial Kingdom", Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, Mi; 1971, p.226):

"...saved Israelites under the old economy [under the Mosaic Law system] were placed into the body of Christ at Pentecost."

[Chafer, op. cit., p. 238-239]:

"4. HOLY SPIRIT'S ADVENT. There could be no church on earth until the advent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5; I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:30). The coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost to indwell and seal the church made the church a temple or habitation of God. Saints had been regenerated before Pentecost but only at Pentecost was the church baptized by the Spirit onto one body. Inasmuch as these important works essential to the character of the church did not occur before Pentecost, the church could not begin until that date. A church without the finished work on which to stand, a church without resurrection position of life, a church which is a new humanity but lacking a Head, a church without Pentecost or what Pentecost contributed is only a figment of theological fancy and is not the teaching of the New Testament."

Now that Holy Spirit baptism was inaugurated, a new creation has come out of the mass of Jews and Gentiles that inhabit the earth, (cp. Gal 6:15, 2 Cor 5:17):

[Compare Gal 3:28]:

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

[Eph 2:14-15]:

(v. 14) "For He Himself is our peace, Who has made both groups [Jew & Gentile, vv.11-13] .................

(v. 14 cont.) "For He Himself is our peace, Who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,

(v. 15 N.A.S.) by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two [kinds of people] into one new man, [into one new and unique kind of man - a member of the Body of Christ] thus establishing peace,"

And this is precisely what happened, for example, when a group Israelite believers who were water baptized by John came upon the Apostle Paul. Paul thereupon layed hands on the Israelite believers and they were at that moment baptized by God the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ - the church (Acts 19:1-6).

[Charles C Ryrie states in "Biblical Theology of the New Testament", Moody Press, 1959, p. 120]:

"Although it is not expressly recorded in Acts 2 that the baptism of the Spirit occurred on the Day of Pentecost, it is said in Acts 11:15-16 that it did happen then in fulfillment of the promise of the Lord. However, it is Paul who explains that this baptism places people in the Body of Christ (I Cor. 12:13). In other words, on the Day of Pentecost men were first put into the Body of Christ. Since the Church is the Body of Christ (Col 1:18) the Church could not have begun until Pentecost and had to begin on that day."

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