International Bible Teaching Ministries
Establishment
Question 1: When did Jesus build His church?
ANSWER: In Matthew 16:18, at the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus said, "I will build my church." So, clearly, the church had not been built at that time. Ten days after Jesus ascended back to the Father, Peter on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), for the first time, told people how to get into the church that Christ had promised to build. On that day, three thousand people followed Peter's instructions and their sins were forgiven (Acts 2:38-41). These, who were thus saved, were by that same process, the first to be added by the Lord to His church (Acts 2:47). This particular Pentecost day, then, was the birthday of the Church of Christ! Religious organizations established by man AFTER this day must never be accepted or deemed equal to the Church of Christ, for in them is there no salvation (Matthew 15:13).
Question 2: On what date was the Church of Christ established? Some say that it was established only four years ago and that it is, therefore, not as old as the Catholic Church, Methodist Church, and others.
ANSWER:The exact date of the establishment of the church is uncertain. Most scholars, however, agree that it was established sometime during the period between 30AD and 33AD. Luke tells us in Chapter 3, Verse 23 that Jesus' public ministry began when He was about thirty years of age. The evidence in the Gospel accounts of Luke 22:15; John 2:13; John 5:1; and John 6:4 indicate that there were four yearly Passovers during Christ's public ministry. From the first to the fourth Passover (at which time He was crucified) would be three full years. It is reckoned from the events of His early ministry that a time period of approximately five months passed prior to His cleansing of the temple during the first Passover (John 2:13-17). There were fifty days between Passover and Pentecost. If we add the three full years, the five months, and the fifty days, we arrive at approximately three and one-half years. Adding this figure to Jesus' age of thirty years at the beginning of His public ministry, we have thirty-three and one-half years. Thus, it is determined that the church was established in 33AD on the first Pentecost following the crucifixion of Christ. Because a mistake of about three years was made in the Christian calendar when it replaced the Roman calendar in 526AD, some scholars hold to the 30AD date. It is certain, however, that the church of the Bible, the Church of Christ (Romans 16:16) was established no later than 33AD! So the Church of Christ was not established four years ago, but rather it was established more than two thousand years ago.
The Catholic Church was established in the year 606AD, almost 600 years AFTER the Church of Christ was established. The Methodist church did not have its beginning until 1739AD, 1700 years after the establishment of the church of Christ!
Question 3: As a Catholic, I would like to know about the church from a Protestant point of view. Did Jesus really establish the church through His apostles?
ANSWER:The question implies that the Church of Christ is a Protestant denomination. This is not so! The church of the Bible is neither Protestant, Catholic, nor Jewish. The church of the Bible is scripturally defined as the church(es) of Christ (Romans 16:16) and is made up only of Christians (Acts 11:26); nothing more; nothing less! All other names and classifications are of men and not of God! The Bible teaches that the one and only head of the church is Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22). It does not make provisions for two heads over the one body (church), i.e., an earthly head and a heavenly head, as claimed by the Catholic Church! Each congregation of the Lord's church is biblically shown to be self-ruling and overseen by a plurality of elders (I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Hebrews 13:7 & 17), with each congregation being independent of all other congregations (I Peter 5:1-2). By this we can be sure that there is no higher governing body on this earth! Deacons also are to serve the congregation under the oversight of the elders (I Timothy 3:8-13). Evangelists are to proclaim the Word (II Timothy 4:1-5). Any religious group without this scriptural organizational structure is of man, not of God!
It is absolutely true that Christ established His church (not Catholicism or Protestantism) through the apostles as they were directed through the Holy Spirit. Please read carefully Acts chapter two, an account of the birthday of Christ's church!
Question 4: When you say that Christ established His church in the last days, does this mean that the word “church” was not applied to earlier times?
ANSWER:The word church as used in the New Testament is from the Greek word “ekklesia.” This word means a “called-out people” or simply a religious congregation! It is used in this sense and applied to the congregation of the children of Israel who worshiped in the wilderness under Moses (Acts 7:38). However, this congregation of the nation of Israel under the Law of Moses is not to be confused with the church of the New Testament. When Christ was on the earth, long after Moses had died, He said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). According to Old Testament prophecy (Acts 2:16-21), that action was finalized in the “last days,” specifically on the Day of Pentecost following our Lord’s resurrection, as shown in Acts 2:22-47. This was the beginning of the “last days,” the Christian dispensation, that will continue until the end of time!
Question 5: Could you please explain what is meant by “the church was established in the last days?
ANSWER:As we read the second chapter of Acts, we read of a prophecy spoken by the Old Testament prophet Joel (Chapter 2). In Verse 17, we learn that the events that occurred on this day of Acts 2 (the day of Pentecost) were “that which was spoken by the prophet Joel (Verse 16).” In other words the events of that day, including the establishment of the church, were the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. The prophecy we are told, in Acts 2:17, was to “come to pass in the last days.” We can then know for certain that the church was established in the “last days,” since it was established at that time (Acts 2:47). The “last days” in the Bible refers to the Christian dispensation, i.e., from Pentecost until the general resurrection and judgment of all that have ever lived. Many places in the New Testament show that the “last days” included that first generation after Christ, e.g., II Timothy 3:1; Hebrews 1:2; I Peter 1:20; and I John 2:18 and must logically, therefore, include the days in which we live! There will be no days after these “last days,” otherwise these would not be the “last days!” One may, therefore safely and logically conclude, on the basis of this fact, that there will not be 365,000 days (1000 years) after the “last days!”
Question 6: If the Lord’s church is the true church, why is it not spreading very fast, and why is it not recognized?
ANSWER:The size and spreading of the church is not the standard by which we measure truth or verity. The only standard by which we measure such matters is the Word of the Almighty God (John 17:17). Christ said in the sermon on the mount in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads unto destruction and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and few there be that find it.” Indicated here, as compared with the total population, there would be relatively few that would enter the church, because they would perceive the life of a Christian as being difficult. This is not to say that this is the total reason why the church is not spreading rapidly. It may very well be that it should be growing faster than it is, but cannot grow because Christians are not doing what they are supposed to be doing, i.e., taking the Gospel to their neighbors (Mark 16:15-16). The church will grow as it is supposed to grow when Christians do their part in helping it to grow. Be assured when we plant the seed and water the seed (which is the Word of God – Luke 8:11) that God will give the increase (I Corinthians 3:6). We must avoid the temptation to do little or nothing and then announce that the church is not growing, as it should!