Post by ambassador on Aug 22, 2009 0:47:14 GMT -5
Did the Church Begin in Acts 2?
[22 August 2009; rewritten and expanded 29 December 2009]
Nearly every person in Christendom is under the impression that Acts 2 is “the birthday of the Church.” I cannot agree with this position for several reasons. As a Pauline dispensationalist who recognizes the distinction between Peter’s ministry to Israel and Paul’s ministry to the Body of Christ, I see no reason why Acts 2 is the birthday of anything.
Remember, whenever you see the word “church” in the Bible, it does not necessarily refer to the Body of Christ. “Church” (Greek, “ecclesia”/“ekklesia”) simply means “a called-out assembly.” Our first example is Acts 7:38. Stephen refers to the Nation Israel as “the church in the wilderness,” because the LORD had just called out Israel from Egyptian bondage. Certainly, that “church” had nothing to do with the Body of Christ—it was the Nation Israel, a separate entity. This “church” in Acts 7:38 is the “Mosaic Church,” headed up by Moses.
This word “ecclesia” is correctly translated “assembly” in Acts 19:32. It was not a group of believers, and it was not a “church”; it was a mob of pagan worshippers angry Paul after he spoke against their mythological goddess Diana. Again, “ecclesia” does not always mean “a group of believers;” likewise, “church” in the Bible is not always the Body of Christ. There are three types of “churches” in Scripture: the Mosaic Church, the Messianic Church, and the Mystery Church.
Religious tradition has made such a mess of Matthew 16:18. Look at it as found in the King James Bible (Jesus Christ is speaking): “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Now, this is not the Roman Catholic Church, and it is not the Body of Christ. Continue reading in verse 19: “I will give unto thee [Peter] the keys of the kingdom of heaven….”
The Lord has just appointed Peter as the head of the “Messianic Church.” This is NOT the Body of Christ because the Messianic Church is comprised of those Jews who have accepted Jesus as their Messiah, Christ, the Son of the living God—this includes those believers from John the Baptist’s ministry and Christ’s earthly ministry. According to Luke 12:32, this church is also known as the “Little Flock,” the segment of the Nation Israel that will inherit the kingdom.
When the book of Acts opens, this Messianic Church is still operating. In Acts 2, Peter is the chief speaker (remember, he is the head of the Messianic Church). Do not be confused when Acts 2:47 says “the church.” This is NOT a reference to the Body of Christ—this is the Messianic Church.
Now, there are at least seven reasons why the “church” in Acts 2 is NOT the Body of Christ. We know that the Church, the Body of Christ did not start in Acts 2 for the following reasons:
1. The chief speaker of Acts 2 is Peter, a Jewish apostle. He was sent to the Nation Israel (Matthew 10:5-7). There is no doubt whatsoever that Peter’s audience in Acts 2 is indeed Jews ONLY, the Nation Israel (Acts 2:5, 14, 22, 29, 36). The Body of Christ is separate from the Nation of Israel, so this is our first piece of evidence that Acts 2 is NOT the Body of Christ.
2. Acts 2:1 says “when the day of Pentecost was fully come.” This is fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy—the Body of Christ is separate from the prophetic program. Also, Pentecost is one of the three major Jewish feasts, and the Body of Christ is not bound to observe any aspect of Judaism (Colossians 2:16). This is our second point that shows us the Body of Christ is not found in Acts 2.
3. Here is our third example. We find more proof in Acts 2:16-21 that the events of Acts 2 is fulfilled prophecy. The prophet Joel (2:28-31) prophesied the supernatural events of Acts 2—we do not have these signs, miracles, and wonders in the Body of Christ and the Dispensation of Grace. The Body of Christ has no relation to the Old Testament; the “revelation of the mystery” was kept secret from the Old Testament, and it was only revealed to the Apostle Paul (Romans 16:25-26; Ephesians 3:1-2).
4. Fourthly, according to the last few verses of Acts 2, these believers continue in “the apostles’ doctrine” and they were “with one accord in the temple” (verses 42 and 46). The “apostles” in this case are Peter, James, John, and the other eight apostles from Christ’s earthly ministry—they were never sent to Gentiles, and never sent to the Body of Christ (recall Matthew 10:5-7). Temple worship has nothing to do with the Body of Christ because we are not under the demands of the Mosaic Law (Romans 6:14-15; Galatians 5:1-5); moreover, the Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70, and we cannot observe Temple worship today anyway.
5. For a fifth example, Acts 2:41 says that those who were new believers were “added.” We see that there is a PRE-EXISTING group of believers. It is not a new Body of Christ; it is simply a continuation of the Messianic Church we discussed earlier. There is no “birthday” of anything involved.
6. Did you notice the communal living found in Acts 2:44-45? These believers sold everything they had and gave the money they received to the apostles! Do you know of any Christian today who has sold all his/her possessions and given the prices to a local church? I seriously doubt it, so this is our sixth example that Acts 2 has nothing to do with the Body of Christ.
7. For our final example, we go back to Acts 2:17. Notice the expression “in the last days.” It is not the first days of anything—there is no “church birthday.” The prophetic program was close to ending at this point in Acts 2, which is why God interrupted it to bring in the Dispensation of Grace.
SO WHEN DID THE BODY OF CHRIST BEGIN?
In order to determine when the Church, the Body of Christ began, we need determine what the Body of Christ is. We know that it is a spiritual, invisible body of believers in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile (1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:28). No one but the Apostle Paul makes reference to “the Body of Christ.” Not Peter, not James, not John; not even the Lord Jesus in His earthly ministry! This why the Bible calls the Body of Christ and the Dispensation of Grace a “mystery,” or “that which was kept secret since the world began” (Romans 16:25-26). Prior to Paul, no one knew of it but God: consequently, the Body of Christ is called the “Mystery Church.”
Paul claims that he ALONE received the revelations of the grace age doctrines (Ephesians 3:1-9). The Holy Spirit tells Paul to write that he ALONE was entrusted with “the Dispensation of the Grace of God.” In 1 Timothy 1:11, Paul wrote the Gospel of Grace “was committed to HIS TRUST.”
Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 KJV, where Paul writes: “10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
It is by faith in the Gospel of Grace that one enters into the Body of Christ. Who laid the foundation of the Christian faith in this Dispensation of Grace? PAUL! Christ is the Foundation, but Paul is the wise masterbuilder who laid the foundation—Jesus Christ and Him crucified, buried, and risen. Acts 9:15, Romans 11:13, and Romans 15:16 all make it abundantly clear that the Lord sent Paul to the Gentiles to call out the Body of Christ.
Paul was not converted until Acts 9, many years after the events of Acts 2; consequently, the Body of Christ could not begin in Acts 2. The Body of Christ began with the conversion of the Apostle Paul in Acts 9, then it “jumps” the next three chapters and continues again in chapter 13 when Paul heads out on his first missionary journey. The Body of Christ began when the Dispensation of Grace began, and both began with Paul’s conversion!
We need some more Scripture, so find 1 Timothy 1:15-16 KJV: “15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am CHIEF. 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in ME FIRST Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a PATTERN to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”
A PATTERN is the first, and Paul is our pattern. He was the first to get placed into the Body of Christ. That word “CHIEF” also implies he is the first, the primary one, the head of the line (“chief” in Acts 14:12, Luke 22:26, Acts 28:7 means “first, main”).
You can disagree, but the Bible is clear in that the Church, the Body of Christ did NOT begin in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost. To say otherwise would confuse the issue, like so many people have done today. Please get it straight—there is nothing difficult to understand as long as leave the Body of Christ SEPARATE from Acts 2. Quit mixing prophecy with mystery, and stop combining law with grace!
[22 August 2009; rewritten and expanded 29 December 2009]
Nearly every person in Christendom is under the impression that Acts 2 is “the birthday of the Church.” I cannot agree with this position for several reasons. As a Pauline dispensationalist who recognizes the distinction between Peter’s ministry to Israel and Paul’s ministry to the Body of Christ, I see no reason why Acts 2 is the birthday of anything.
Remember, whenever you see the word “church” in the Bible, it does not necessarily refer to the Body of Christ. “Church” (Greek, “ecclesia”/“ekklesia”) simply means “a called-out assembly.” Our first example is Acts 7:38. Stephen refers to the Nation Israel as “the church in the wilderness,” because the LORD had just called out Israel from Egyptian bondage. Certainly, that “church” had nothing to do with the Body of Christ—it was the Nation Israel, a separate entity. This “church” in Acts 7:38 is the “Mosaic Church,” headed up by Moses.
This word “ecclesia” is correctly translated “assembly” in Acts 19:32. It was not a group of believers, and it was not a “church”; it was a mob of pagan worshippers angry Paul after he spoke against their mythological goddess Diana. Again, “ecclesia” does not always mean “a group of believers;” likewise, “church” in the Bible is not always the Body of Christ. There are three types of “churches” in Scripture: the Mosaic Church, the Messianic Church, and the Mystery Church.
Religious tradition has made such a mess of Matthew 16:18. Look at it as found in the King James Bible (Jesus Christ is speaking): “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Now, this is not the Roman Catholic Church, and it is not the Body of Christ. Continue reading in verse 19: “I will give unto thee [Peter] the keys of the kingdom of heaven….”
The Lord has just appointed Peter as the head of the “Messianic Church.” This is NOT the Body of Christ because the Messianic Church is comprised of those Jews who have accepted Jesus as their Messiah, Christ, the Son of the living God—this includes those believers from John the Baptist’s ministry and Christ’s earthly ministry. According to Luke 12:32, this church is also known as the “Little Flock,” the segment of the Nation Israel that will inherit the kingdom.
When the book of Acts opens, this Messianic Church is still operating. In Acts 2, Peter is the chief speaker (remember, he is the head of the Messianic Church). Do not be confused when Acts 2:47 says “the church.” This is NOT a reference to the Body of Christ—this is the Messianic Church.
Now, there are at least seven reasons why the “church” in Acts 2 is NOT the Body of Christ. We know that the Church, the Body of Christ did not start in Acts 2 for the following reasons:
1. The chief speaker of Acts 2 is Peter, a Jewish apostle. He was sent to the Nation Israel (Matthew 10:5-7). There is no doubt whatsoever that Peter’s audience in Acts 2 is indeed Jews ONLY, the Nation Israel (Acts 2:5, 14, 22, 29, 36). The Body of Christ is separate from the Nation of Israel, so this is our first piece of evidence that Acts 2 is NOT the Body of Christ.
2. Acts 2:1 says “when the day of Pentecost was fully come.” This is fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy—the Body of Christ is separate from the prophetic program. Also, Pentecost is one of the three major Jewish feasts, and the Body of Christ is not bound to observe any aspect of Judaism (Colossians 2:16). This is our second point that shows us the Body of Christ is not found in Acts 2.
3. Here is our third example. We find more proof in Acts 2:16-21 that the events of Acts 2 is fulfilled prophecy. The prophet Joel (2:28-31) prophesied the supernatural events of Acts 2—we do not have these signs, miracles, and wonders in the Body of Christ and the Dispensation of Grace. The Body of Christ has no relation to the Old Testament; the “revelation of the mystery” was kept secret from the Old Testament, and it was only revealed to the Apostle Paul (Romans 16:25-26; Ephesians 3:1-2).
4. Fourthly, according to the last few verses of Acts 2, these believers continue in “the apostles’ doctrine” and they were “with one accord in the temple” (verses 42 and 46). The “apostles” in this case are Peter, James, John, and the other eight apostles from Christ’s earthly ministry—they were never sent to Gentiles, and never sent to the Body of Christ (recall Matthew 10:5-7). Temple worship has nothing to do with the Body of Christ because we are not under the demands of the Mosaic Law (Romans 6:14-15; Galatians 5:1-5); moreover, the Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70, and we cannot observe Temple worship today anyway.
5. For a fifth example, Acts 2:41 says that those who were new believers were “added.” We see that there is a PRE-EXISTING group of believers. It is not a new Body of Christ; it is simply a continuation of the Messianic Church we discussed earlier. There is no “birthday” of anything involved.
6. Did you notice the communal living found in Acts 2:44-45? These believers sold everything they had and gave the money they received to the apostles! Do you know of any Christian today who has sold all his/her possessions and given the prices to a local church? I seriously doubt it, so this is our sixth example that Acts 2 has nothing to do with the Body of Christ.
7. For our final example, we go back to Acts 2:17. Notice the expression “in the last days.” It is not the first days of anything—there is no “church birthday.” The prophetic program was close to ending at this point in Acts 2, which is why God interrupted it to bring in the Dispensation of Grace.
SO WHEN DID THE BODY OF CHRIST BEGIN?
In order to determine when the Church, the Body of Christ began, we need determine what the Body of Christ is. We know that it is a spiritual, invisible body of believers in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile (1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:28). No one but the Apostle Paul makes reference to “the Body of Christ.” Not Peter, not James, not John; not even the Lord Jesus in His earthly ministry! This why the Bible calls the Body of Christ and the Dispensation of Grace a “mystery,” or “that which was kept secret since the world began” (Romans 16:25-26). Prior to Paul, no one knew of it but God: consequently, the Body of Christ is called the “Mystery Church.”
Paul claims that he ALONE received the revelations of the grace age doctrines (Ephesians 3:1-9). The Holy Spirit tells Paul to write that he ALONE was entrusted with “the Dispensation of the Grace of God.” In 1 Timothy 1:11, Paul wrote the Gospel of Grace “was committed to HIS TRUST.”
Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 KJV, where Paul writes: “10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
It is by faith in the Gospel of Grace that one enters into the Body of Christ. Who laid the foundation of the Christian faith in this Dispensation of Grace? PAUL! Christ is the Foundation, but Paul is the wise masterbuilder who laid the foundation—Jesus Christ and Him crucified, buried, and risen. Acts 9:15, Romans 11:13, and Romans 15:16 all make it abundantly clear that the Lord sent Paul to the Gentiles to call out the Body of Christ.
Paul was not converted until Acts 9, many years after the events of Acts 2; consequently, the Body of Christ could not begin in Acts 2. The Body of Christ began with the conversion of the Apostle Paul in Acts 9, then it “jumps” the next three chapters and continues again in chapter 13 when Paul heads out on his first missionary journey. The Body of Christ began when the Dispensation of Grace began, and both began with Paul’s conversion!
We need some more Scripture, so find 1 Timothy 1:15-16 KJV: “15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am CHIEF. 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in ME FIRST Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a PATTERN to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”
A PATTERN is the first, and Paul is our pattern. He was the first to get placed into the Body of Christ. That word “CHIEF” also implies he is the first, the primary one, the head of the line (“chief” in Acts 14:12, Luke 22:26, Acts 28:7 means “first, main”).
You can disagree, but the Bible is clear in that the Church, the Body of Christ did NOT begin in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost. To say otherwise would confuse the issue, like so many people have done today. Please get it straight—there is nothing difficult to understand as long as leave the Body of Christ SEPARATE from Acts 2. Quit mixing prophecy with mystery, and stop combining law with grace!