What Is a Biblical Church?
The term "the Church" is used so much that people pass right over it without thinking of what it really means. Whatever the average religious institution tells people it means, right or wrong, becomes the accepted meaning. As a result, many people form opinions about "the church" and churches based on an erroneous definition.
To explain all that that implies would be a digression from the purpose of this article, so I will get right to the point. I've entitled this article, "What Is a Biblical Church" because it is my intention to prove from the Bible what a church is, not give my opinion or the doctrine which I was taught in church or Bible college.
The Bible defines "the church" through its use of the phrase. I encourage you to do what I did and do a phrase search in a Bible software program for "the church". Be sure to set your search setting to exact phrase, and of course, use the Authorized Version, otherwise known as the King James Bible.
A principle of Bible study you should know is that the Bible always interprets itself and almost always defines its own terms. You do not need to know or study Hebrew or Greek. You just need a good grasp of the English language. A good book on etymology helps. Etymology is the study of the origin of words. If you know what a word really means, you can better understand what God meant when He oversaw the translation of His Word into English and guided the translators to decide on the word(s) God wanted them to use in each and every case. Of course, faith in God's Word is a prerequisite if you want the truth. And on this site the only Bible we use is the Authorized Version, commonly referred to as the King James Bible.
Understandably, for this article, I will not list all of the references to "the church" for brevity's sake, but will present those most essential to understanding step-by-step what a church is and the most important aspects related to it.
To explain all that that implies would be a digression from the purpose of this article, so I will get right to the point. I've entitled this article, "What Is a Biblical Church" because it is my intention to prove from the Bible what a church is, not give my opinion or the doctrine which I was taught in church or Bible college.
The Bible defines "the church" through its use of the phrase. I encourage you to do what I did and do a phrase search in a Bible software program for "the church". Be sure to set your search setting to exact phrase, and of course, use the Authorized Version, otherwise known as the King James Bible.
A principle of Bible study you should know is that the Bible always interprets itself and almost always defines its own terms. You do not need to know or study Hebrew or Greek. You just need a good grasp of the English language. A good book on etymology helps. Etymology is the study of the origin of words. If you know what a word really means, you can better understand what God meant when He oversaw the translation of His Word into English and guided the translators to decide on the word(s) God wanted them to use in each and every case. Of course, faith in God's Word is a prerequisite if you want the truth. And on this site the only Bible we use is the Authorized Version, commonly referred to as the King James Bible.
Understandably, for this article, I will not list all of the references to "the church" for brevity's sake, but will present those most essential to understanding step-by-step what a church is and the most important aspects related to it.
I. First Mention Proves "the church" to Be Local and Visible.
The first mention of the phrase, "the church", is found in Matthew 18:17 (The New Testament book of Matthew, chapter 18, verse 17).
Matthew 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
Here Jesus is instructing His disciples on what to do if someone will not admit a wrong they have done to a fellow believer. Without digressing into what Jesus is teaching them, we can see five important truths about "the church" which are made very clear.
1. The church must be a group that can be gathered together and told of an issue between members.
Why would Jesus tell his disciples to "tell it unto the church" if the church was not local or was invisible? That would be an impossibility.
2. The church as a group can be heard.
A church scattered all over the globe cannot be heard. They cannot give one voice or opinion about anything. Just look at all the thousands of different "churches" and denominations that are in the world, many of them vastly opposed to each other. That's proof that all cannot be combined into one "church" to hear any matter. So only a local church can give their voice and opinion of a matter and be heard.
3. The church is composed of "brothers" (verse 15, and it would necessarily follow - sisters).
The context of Chapter 18 tells us who Jesus was talking to. Verse 1 says, "At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying..." Jesus responds by using a child as an illustration, then He says in verse 15, "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee...", thus showing that He is still talking only to His disciples, who have been born again spiritually and are "brothers" (sons of God) in Christ. This tells us that a church is composed of born again believers, not just whoever "joins". This is confirmed by the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:47 where the Bible says, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." God only adds born again believers to the church. He adds visible people to a local assembly.
4. The church as a group is a lawful venue for settling private disputes among members.
A church is an assembly of born again, baptized believers (which I will prove later). As an assembly or body of people, there will be offenses committed between members. Any assembly, church or secular has the right to settle disputes among their own members. This is a basic, fundamental, natural law that is recognized universally. Without going into the details of what all that means right now and how it is done, I just want to point out that that would be impossible in those days if the church was not a local assembly or if it were invisible and composed of people all over the world.
5. The church as a group can give a verdict in a matter of dispute between members.
Jesus did not say tell it to the representatives of the church; nor did He say if he neglect to hear the representatives of the church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. So, again, the church is local and visible.
If the above facts are true, and they are, then why do most "churches" teach that "the Church" is composed of all believers? The false doctrine that the church is composed of all believers is blown away by the first mention of the phrase, "the church". They would never be able to assemble all believers in one place; nor could all believers hear matters of dispute between church members; nor could such a church render a verdict in any matter.
So, right away we can see that if a religious organization teaches that "the church" is composed of all believers, they are teaching false doctrine. This is a sign that they may not be all that biblical. Put this on the scale as one of the things to consider in determining (weighing) whether or not to stay in a church; or, if you don't attend one, what to look for in a church if you ever decide to attend one.
The first mention of the phrase, "the church", is found in Matthew 18:17 (The New Testament book of Matthew, chapter 18, verse 17).
Matthew 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
Here Jesus is instructing His disciples on what to do if someone will not admit a wrong they have done to a fellow believer. Without digressing into what Jesus is teaching them, we can see five important truths about "the church" which are made very clear.
1. The church must be a group that can be gathered together and told of an issue between members.
Why would Jesus tell his disciples to "tell it unto the church" if the church was not local or was invisible? That would be an impossibility.
2. The church as a group can be heard.
A church scattered all over the globe cannot be heard. They cannot give one voice or opinion about anything. Just look at all the thousands of different "churches" and denominations that are in the world, many of them vastly opposed to each other. That's proof that all cannot be combined into one "church" to hear any matter. So only a local church can give their voice and opinion of a matter and be heard.
3. The church is composed of "brothers" (verse 15, and it would necessarily follow - sisters).
The context of Chapter 18 tells us who Jesus was talking to. Verse 1 says, "At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying..." Jesus responds by using a child as an illustration, then He says in verse 15, "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee...", thus showing that He is still talking only to His disciples, who have been born again spiritually and are "brothers" (sons of God) in Christ. This tells us that a church is composed of born again believers, not just whoever "joins". This is confirmed by the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:47 where the Bible says, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." God only adds born again believers to the church. He adds visible people to a local assembly.
4. The church as a group is a lawful venue for settling private disputes among members.
A church is an assembly of born again, baptized believers (which I will prove later). As an assembly or body of people, there will be offenses committed between members. Any assembly, church or secular has the right to settle disputes among their own members. This is a basic, fundamental, natural law that is recognized universally. Without going into the details of what all that means right now and how it is done, I just want to point out that that would be impossible in those days if the church was not a local assembly or if it were invisible and composed of people all over the world.
5. The church as a group can give a verdict in a matter of dispute between members.
Jesus did not say tell it to the representatives of the church; nor did He say if he neglect to hear the representatives of the church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. So, again, the church is local and visible.
If the above facts are true, and they are, then why do most "churches" teach that "the Church" is composed of all believers? The false doctrine that the church is composed of all believers is blown away by the first mention of the phrase, "the church". They would never be able to assemble all believers in one place; nor could all believers hear matters of dispute between church members; nor could such a church render a verdict in any matter.
So, right away we can see that if a religious organization teaches that "the church" is composed of all believers, they are teaching false doctrine. This is a sign that they may not be all that biblical. Put this on the scale as one of the things to consider in determining (weighing) whether or not to stay in a church; or, if you don't attend one, what to look for in a church if you ever decide to attend one.
II. Second Mention Debunks Another Common False Doctrine.
The false doctrine that says the church was started on the Day of Pentecost is blown away by the second mention of the phrase, "the church", which is found in Acts 2:47.
Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
This is the last verse in the famous 2nd chapter of Acts. God used the disciples in a great way to reach many Jews from around the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter's famous message is recorded, as well as the reponse of the Jews who heard his message. In this verse, the Bible tells us that "the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Earlier in verse 41 it says, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."
Combining the facts in both verses, which refer to the same event we can clearly see the Bible is telling us that the Lord added to the church, which was composed of His disciples, about three thousand souls.
By the way, before I forget, I want to define disciples in this context lest someone think I am referring only to the twelve disciples. Jesus had more than twelve disciples as explained in Acts 1:15 - Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,).
So, back to the point at hand, Acts 2:41 and 47 teach us that the Lord added to the church (which was composed of one hundred and twenty of His disciples), about three thousand souls.
Several truths we can learn from this include:
1. The Lord does the adding, not some church clerk or secretary.
2. The church did not start on Pentecost (Pentecost was the name for the holy day on which this incident occurred).
3. The church was already in existence, they just got a big boost in membership!
This is not hard to understand as we already read where Jesus referred to "the church" in Matthew chapter 18. Beside that, common sense tells us that you cannot add to something unless it already exists.
So, if a church teaches that "the church" started on the Day of Pentecost, they are not a biblical church, or at the least, are very ignorant of a very basic doctrine regarding what it claims to be. Imagine a miner claiming that the discovery of a mother lode was the beginning of the mining industry. I wouldn't put a lot of trust in what he had to say about mining!
I would like to point out that the "them" mentioned in verse 41 refers to the "they" in verse 1, which refers to the disciples who were with Jesus when He ascended up into Heaven in chapter 1 (verses 6-26), who were later assembled in the upper room waiting for the promised enduement of "power from on high". As mentioned previously, Acts 1:15 gives us the number of disciples as being "about an hundred and twenty."
So clearly "the church" was already started and just increased mightily in Acts chapter 2. By the way, the religious organizations that get this wrong in Acts chapter 2, get a lot of other things wrong in this chapter!
Now the question comes: When was the church started?
The false doctrine that says the church was started on the Day of Pentecost is blown away by the second mention of the phrase, "the church", which is found in Acts 2:47.
Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
This is the last verse in the famous 2nd chapter of Acts. God used the disciples in a great way to reach many Jews from around the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter's famous message is recorded, as well as the reponse of the Jews who heard his message. In this verse, the Bible tells us that "the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Earlier in verse 41 it says, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."
Combining the facts in both verses, which refer to the same event we can clearly see the Bible is telling us that the Lord added to the church, which was composed of His disciples, about three thousand souls.
By the way, before I forget, I want to define disciples in this context lest someone think I am referring only to the twelve disciples. Jesus had more than twelve disciples as explained in Acts 1:15 - Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,).
So, back to the point at hand, Acts 2:41 and 47 teach us that the Lord added to the church (which was composed of one hundred and twenty of His disciples), about three thousand souls.
Several truths we can learn from this include:
1. The Lord does the adding, not some church clerk or secretary.
2. The church did not start on Pentecost (Pentecost was the name for the holy day on which this incident occurred).
3. The church was already in existence, they just got a big boost in membership!
This is not hard to understand as we already read where Jesus referred to "the church" in Matthew chapter 18. Beside that, common sense tells us that you cannot add to something unless it already exists.
So, if a church teaches that "the church" started on the Day of Pentecost, they are not a biblical church, or at the least, are very ignorant of a very basic doctrine regarding what it claims to be. Imagine a miner claiming that the discovery of a mother lode was the beginning of the mining industry. I wouldn't put a lot of trust in what he had to say about mining!
I would like to point out that the "them" mentioned in verse 41 refers to the "they" in verse 1, which refers to the disciples who were with Jesus when He ascended up into Heaven in chapter 1 (verses 6-26), who were later assembled in the upper room waiting for the promised enduement of "power from on high". As mentioned previously, Acts 1:15 gives us the number of disciples as being "about an hundred and twenty."
So clearly "the church" was already started and just increased mightily in Acts chapter 2. By the way, the religious organizations that get this wrong in Acts chapter 2, get a lot of other things wrong in this chapter!
Now the question comes: When was the church started?
III. When Did the Church start?
First, let's review.
On the day of Pentecost, the Lord added to the church about three thousand souls, so we know it started before then. In Matthew 16, Jesus instructs his disciples that if a brother will not hear you when you try to get him to admit to a wrong he has done you, to take witnesses with you and try to get him to confess; then, if he still will not hear, Jesus said, "Tell it unto the church." So we know the church was started before then, otherwise Jesus would have said, "Wait, I'm about to start a church, and when I do, you can tell the church then, but not now, okay?"
So, if the church had already been started at that point, who started it, and when was it started?
Believe it or not, the Bible answers all those questions quite readily.
1. Who Started the Church?
1Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Two important truths about "the church" are given here.
1) The house of God is the church, and it is "the church of the living God". It is His church - He owns it.
2) The house of God/church of God is the "pillar and ground of the truth".
If the church is the pillar and ground of the truth, doesn't it make sense that it would literally be closer to the ground than some ethereal, mystical, invisible "body"?
Furthermore, if the church is the pillar and ground of the truth, and it is, then man cannot be the starter of it, because man cannot be the pillar and ground of the truth because all men are liars. See my article on What Is Truth?
The devil can't be the starter of the church, because he is a liar also. Angels didn't start the church because angels are merely God's messengers. In fact, there is no evidence whatsoever that angels started the church. Angels are ministering spirits.
So, if man can't be the starter of "the church", and angels didn't start "the church", and the Devil didn't start "the church" - that only leaves God. So the answer is: Jesus started the church.
Speaking of ministering spirits (as a side note), isn't an elder (bishop, pastor) required to be blameless? Answer: Yes.
1Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
Jesus had to be tested to see if there could be any blame laid at his feet. So, before Jesus started "the church", he was led into the wilderness to be tempted. Notice what happened after his temptation and forty days without food.
Matthew 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Having been tempted without yielding, Jesus is blameless, thus fully meeting that qualification of elders.
The conclusion that Jesus started the church is complemented by Jesus' claim that "the church" is His. This claim is found in the famous Matthew 16 passage where Jesus asks a question of His disciples:
Matthew 16:15-18 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 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.
Jesus' claim that it was His church puts Him in agreement with 1 Timothy 3:15, which states that the church is the church of the living God.
Now that we know that Jesus started the church, let's look at when the church was started (we'll see even more conclusive proof that Jesus started it as we look at the when).
2. When Was the Church Started?
1Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Here the Bible says the first thing God set in the church was apostles. So all we have to do is find where apostles started, which is easily done, and we have our answer.
Luke 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
As mentioned earlier, Jesus had more than twelve disciples. He had many. One hundred and twenty were assembled in the upper room after His ascension back to heaven. So, earlier at the time of Luke chapter 6, He had somewhat less than 70, since He sends out 70 by two's in chapter 9.
So, of the disciples (a larger number) he chose twelve and called them apostles. This is when He officially started His local church. We find this assembly mentioned in Matthew 10:1-5, which, when compared to Luke 6:13-14 and Luke 9:1-2 assures us that it occurs chronologically prior to Jesus saying, "On this rock I will build my church" in Matthew 16.
He set the twelve as apostles. The word apostle means "set forth", "installed" or "one set fast in place". (Is it any wonder why churches today still have installation services for new pastors?) Sometimes the word means "delegate" or chosen one, which is why Jesus "chose twelve" and named them apostles.
Now when I say this is when Jesus started the church, I mean, this is when He started His local New Testament church. The reason I say that is because other churches had been started. One was in Old Testament days and another in New Testament days, but prior to Jesus starting the one He started with His disciples/apostles. Let me explain the Old Testament church first. (If I don't forget, I'll get to the other NT one later.)
Beginning with the last few verses of Acts chapter 6 and continuing in Acts chapter 7, we find Stephen preaching to a bunch of Jews. They hated him for preaching the truth and ended up stoning him to death. But the Bible says he was filled with the Holy Ghost while preaching (Acts 6:5, 8-9); therefore we can count on his preaching as being accurate in every detail. Let's look at what He said while rehearsing to the Jews assembled before him Old Testament history:
Acts 7:37-38 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Notice the phrase, "the church in the wilderness". Stephen says that Moses was in the church in the wilderness with the angel (messenger) which spake to him in mount Sina (Mt. Sinai, where God gave Moses the ten commandments). So, the Israelites who came out of Egypt under Moses' leadership and were assembled in the wilderness are called a church!
It may be helpful at this time to give the definition of the Greek word which is translated "church". The Greek word is ekklesia. Ek=out of; klesia from kaleo = to call, which gives us "called out". So, a church is an assembly of people who have been called out.
God called His people out of Egypt and set Moses as their leader (pastor). So God clearly set first in the church in the wilderness, apostles. He installed Moses and Aaron as the leaders (pastors), Moses being the "Senior Pastor". He also gave them His written Word - first the ten commandments, then a whole lot of other commandments.
Now for the other New Testament church that existed prior to the one Jesus started.
John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
John the Baptist was sent from God to preach the remission of sins (gospel, it is good news that your sins can be remitted), and to baptize those who receive the remission of sins. John preached about the coming Messiah and that faith in the coming Saviour is what God required of us in order to have your sins remitted. Many people followed John the Baptist. He was the pastor of many disciples. They were his church. This is why Jesus said, "...other sheep I have, which are not of this fold," in John 10:16. It is also why he told His disciples to not rebuke others who were casting out devils in His name who were not of His disciples. (Mark 9:38-40)
Jesus called people out to follow Him and set apostles over them, the twelve, thus preparing for when He would be leaving them. So Jesus' New Testament church was started at least by the time of Luke chapter 6, not on Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost, the Lord added about three thousand souls to the one hundred and twenty that they had at the time of Jesus' ascension into heaven.
3. Are There Any Other Churches Beside the One Jesus Started?
The short answer is, yes; but keep in mind, not every institution that calls itself a church is a church. Now for the long answer.
The simplest proof is the fact that the word "churches" appears 37 times in 36 verses! How can anyone claim that there is "one church" composed of all believers, when the Bible refers to churches in the plural 37 times? In fact, the phrase "one church" does not even appear once in the Bible!
The diligent Bible student will notice that just as Jesus commanded His disciples to be winesses unto Him "both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth", they did just that as evidenced by this verse:
Acts 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
The church at Jerusalem is the one Jesus started. They then branched out into Judaea and Samaria, quickly, just as Jesus had commanded them. They also got one started in Galilee, which was home to several of the disciples. That's a no-brainer!
More obvious evidence of the plurality of churches is the fact of the names or descriptions of them in Scripture. Here's a fairly comprehensive list:
The church at Jerusalem -
The churches in Judaea - Acts 9:31; Galatians 1:22
The churches in Galilee and Samaria (at least three) - Acts 9:31
The churches in Syria - Acts 15:41, Galatians 1:21
The churches in Cilicia - Acts 15:41, Galatians 1:21
The church of Derbe - Acts 16:1
The church of Lystra - Acts 16:1
The church of Iconium - Acts 16:2
The church(es) in Phrygia - Acts 16:6; 18:23
The churches of Galatia - Acts 16:6; 18:23; 1 Corinthians 16:1; Galatians 1:2
The church(es) of Macedonia - Acts 16:9-12; 18:5; 2 Corinthians 8:1
The church at Philippi - Acts 16:12-40
The church at Thessalonica - Acts 17:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 1:
The church at Berea - Acts 17:10-14
The church of God at Corinth - Acts 18:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:1,2
The church at Ephesus - Acts 18:19; 19:1-7; Ephesians 1:1; Revelation 2:1
The churches of Asia - Acts 19:10,22,26; 1 Corinthians 16:9; Revelation 1:4,11
The church at Troas - Acts 20:6-7
The church at Ptolemais - Acts 21:7
The church at Caesarea - Acts 21:8
The church in Smyrna - Revelation 2:8
The church in Pergamos - Revelation 2:12
The church in Thyatira - Revelation 2:18
The church in Sardis - Revelation 3:1
The church in Philadelphia - Revelation 3:7
The church of the Laodiceans - Revelation 3:14
All these are churches of Christ (Romans 16:16 ...The churches of Christ salute you.), meaning He owns them. He started them, in that He led men to preach the gospel, to baptize those who believed the gospel and to teach them to assemble together regularly and join in the work of spreading the gospel. He led men to pastor those churches that were started in new areas.
All these are churches of God (1 Corinthians 11:16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.), in that they belong to Him. He birthed them.
However, because they are pastored by men, and men are human, errors creep in, resulting in churches that are inferior to other churches.
2 Corinthians 12:13 For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? ...
Jesus Himself testifies that there is more than one church.
Revelations 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches...
And, of course, through the years, churches tend to deteriorate in purity of doctrine as a result of pastors who fail to stand strong for the Word of God and sound doctrine, and due to the infiltration of false teachers who are influenced by Satan or the pride of their own hearts.
Those in the churches who stand for truth often get out-numbered over time, and end up leaving and starting new churches... leaving the old buildings in the control of the liberals. This has been going on for centuries. I plan on covering more on this subject later.
Now that we know when the church was started and Who started it, let's take a look at how Jesus started the one at Jerusalem.
First, let's review.
On the day of Pentecost, the Lord added to the church about three thousand souls, so we know it started before then. In Matthew 16, Jesus instructs his disciples that if a brother will not hear you when you try to get him to admit to a wrong he has done you, to take witnesses with you and try to get him to confess; then, if he still will not hear, Jesus said, "Tell it unto the church." So we know the church was started before then, otherwise Jesus would have said, "Wait, I'm about to start a church, and when I do, you can tell the church then, but not now, okay?"
So, if the church had already been started at that point, who started it, and when was it started?
Believe it or not, the Bible answers all those questions quite readily.
1. Who Started the Church?
1Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Two important truths about "the church" are given here.
1) The house of God is the church, and it is "the church of the living God". It is His church - He owns it.
2) The house of God/church of God is the "pillar and ground of the truth".
If the church is the pillar and ground of the truth, doesn't it make sense that it would literally be closer to the ground than some ethereal, mystical, invisible "body"?
Furthermore, if the church is the pillar and ground of the truth, and it is, then man cannot be the starter of it, because man cannot be the pillar and ground of the truth because all men are liars. See my article on What Is Truth?
The devil can't be the starter of the church, because he is a liar also. Angels didn't start the church because angels are merely God's messengers. In fact, there is no evidence whatsoever that angels started the church. Angels are ministering spirits.
So, if man can't be the starter of "the church", and angels didn't start "the church", and the Devil didn't start "the church" - that only leaves God. So the answer is: Jesus started the church.
Speaking of ministering spirits (as a side note), isn't an elder (bishop, pastor) required to be blameless? Answer: Yes.
1Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
Jesus had to be tested to see if there could be any blame laid at his feet. So, before Jesus started "the church", he was led into the wilderness to be tempted. Notice what happened after his temptation and forty days without food.
Matthew 4:11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
Having been tempted without yielding, Jesus is blameless, thus fully meeting that qualification of elders.
The conclusion that Jesus started the church is complemented by Jesus' claim that "the church" is His. This claim is found in the famous Matthew 16 passage where Jesus asks a question of His disciples:
Matthew 16:15-18 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 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.
Jesus' claim that it was His church puts Him in agreement with 1 Timothy 3:15, which states that the church is the church of the living God.
Now that we know that Jesus started the church, let's look at when the church was started (we'll see even more conclusive proof that Jesus started it as we look at the when).
2. When Was the Church Started?
1Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Here the Bible says the first thing God set in the church was apostles. So all we have to do is find where apostles started, which is easily done, and we have our answer.
Luke 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
As mentioned earlier, Jesus had more than twelve disciples. He had many. One hundred and twenty were assembled in the upper room after His ascension back to heaven. So, earlier at the time of Luke chapter 6, He had somewhat less than 70, since He sends out 70 by two's in chapter 9.
So, of the disciples (a larger number) he chose twelve and called them apostles. This is when He officially started His local church. We find this assembly mentioned in Matthew 10:1-5, which, when compared to Luke 6:13-14 and Luke 9:1-2 assures us that it occurs chronologically prior to Jesus saying, "On this rock I will build my church" in Matthew 16.
He set the twelve as apostles. The word apostle means "set forth", "installed" or "one set fast in place". (Is it any wonder why churches today still have installation services for new pastors?) Sometimes the word means "delegate" or chosen one, which is why Jesus "chose twelve" and named them apostles.
Now when I say this is when Jesus started the church, I mean, this is when He started His local New Testament church. The reason I say that is because other churches had been started. One was in Old Testament days and another in New Testament days, but prior to Jesus starting the one He started with His disciples/apostles. Let me explain the Old Testament church first. (If I don't forget, I'll get to the other NT one later.)
Beginning with the last few verses of Acts chapter 6 and continuing in Acts chapter 7, we find Stephen preaching to a bunch of Jews. They hated him for preaching the truth and ended up stoning him to death. But the Bible says he was filled with the Holy Ghost while preaching (Acts 6:5, 8-9); therefore we can count on his preaching as being accurate in every detail. Let's look at what He said while rehearsing to the Jews assembled before him Old Testament history:
Acts 7:37-38 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Notice the phrase, "the church in the wilderness". Stephen says that Moses was in the church in the wilderness with the angel (messenger) which spake to him in mount Sina (Mt. Sinai, where God gave Moses the ten commandments). So, the Israelites who came out of Egypt under Moses' leadership and were assembled in the wilderness are called a church!
It may be helpful at this time to give the definition of the Greek word which is translated "church". The Greek word is ekklesia. Ek=out of; klesia from kaleo = to call, which gives us "called out". So, a church is an assembly of people who have been called out.
God called His people out of Egypt and set Moses as their leader (pastor). So God clearly set first in the church in the wilderness, apostles. He installed Moses and Aaron as the leaders (pastors), Moses being the "Senior Pastor". He also gave them His written Word - first the ten commandments, then a whole lot of other commandments.
Now for the other New Testament church that existed prior to the one Jesus started.
John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
John the Baptist was sent from God to preach the remission of sins (gospel, it is good news that your sins can be remitted), and to baptize those who receive the remission of sins. John preached about the coming Messiah and that faith in the coming Saviour is what God required of us in order to have your sins remitted. Many people followed John the Baptist. He was the pastor of many disciples. They were his church. This is why Jesus said, "...other sheep I have, which are not of this fold," in John 10:16. It is also why he told His disciples to not rebuke others who were casting out devils in His name who were not of His disciples. (Mark 9:38-40)
Jesus called people out to follow Him and set apostles over them, the twelve, thus preparing for when He would be leaving them. So Jesus' New Testament church was started at least by the time of Luke chapter 6, not on Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost, the Lord added about three thousand souls to the one hundred and twenty that they had at the time of Jesus' ascension into heaven.
3. Are There Any Other Churches Beside the One Jesus Started?
The short answer is, yes; but keep in mind, not every institution that calls itself a church is a church. Now for the long answer.
The simplest proof is the fact that the word "churches" appears 37 times in 36 verses! How can anyone claim that there is "one church" composed of all believers, when the Bible refers to churches in the plural 37 times? In fact, the phrase "one church" does not even appear once in the Bible!
The diligent Bible student will notice that just as Jesus commanded His disciples to be winesses unto Him "both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth", they did just that as evidenced by this verse:
Acts 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
The church at Jerusalem is the one Jesus started. They then branched out into Judaea and Samaria, quickly, just as Jesus had commanded them. They also got one started in Galilee, which was home to several of the disciples. That's a no-brainer!
More obvious evidence of the plurality of churches is the fact of the names or descriptions of them in Scripture. Here's a fairly comprehensive list:
The church at Jerusalem -
The churches in Judaea - Acts 9:31; Galatians 1:22
The churches in Galilee and Samaria (at least three) - Acts 9:31
The churches in Syria - Acts 15:41, Galatians 1:21
The churches in Cilicia - Acts 15:41, Galatians 1:21
The church of Derbe - Acts 16:1
The church of Lystra - Acts 16:1
The church of Iconium - Acts 16:2
The church(es) in Phrygia - Acts 16:6; 18:23
The churches of Galatia - Acts 16:6; 18:23; 1 Corinthians 16:1; Galatians 1:2
The church(es) of Macedonia - Acts 16:9-12; 18:5; 2 Corinthians 8:1
The church at Philippi - Acts 16:12-40
The church at Thessalonica - Acts 17:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 1:
The church at Berea - Acts 17:10-14
The church of God at Corinth - Acts 18:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:1,2
The church at Ephesus - Acts 18:19; 19:1-7; Ephesians 1:1; Revelation 2:1
The churches of Asia - Acts 19:10,22,26; 1 Corinthians 16:9; Revelation 1:4,11
The church at Troas - Acts 20:6-7
The church at Ptolemais - Acts 21:7
The church at Caesarea - Acts 21:8
The church in Smyrna - Revelation 2:8
The church in Pergamos - Revelation 2:12
The church in Thyatira - Revelation 2:18
The church in Sardis - Revelation 3:1
The church in Philadelphia - Revelation 3:7
The church of the Laodiceans - Revelation 3:14
All these are churches of Christ (Romans 16:16 ...The churches of Christ salute you.), meaning He owns them. He started them, in that He led men to preach the gospel, to baptize those who believed the gospel and to teach them to assemble together regularly and join in the work of spreading the gospel. He led men to pastor those churches that were started in new areas.
All these are churches of God (1 Corinthians 11:16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.), in that they belong to Him. He birthed them.
However, because they are pastored by men, and men are human, errors creep in, resulting in churches that are inferior to other churches.
2 Corinthians 12:13 For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? ...
Jesus Himself testifies that there is more than one church.
Revelations 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches...
And, of course, through the years, churches tend to deteriorate in purity of doctrine as a result of pastors who fail to stand strong for the Word of God and sound doctrine, and due to the infiltration of false teachers who are influenced by Satan or the pride of their own hearts.
Those in the churches who stand for truth often get out-numbered over time, and end up leaving and starting new churches... leaving the old buildings in the control of the liberals. This has been going on for centuries. I plan on covering more on this subject later.
Now that we know when the church was started and Who started it, let's take a look at how Jesus started the one at Jerusalem.
IV. How Was the Church Started?
There are many colleges and seminaries that train young men to start churches. There are many different philosophies and methods promoted. But, of course, we should only be interested in how churches were started in the New Testament and particularly, how Jesus started His local church. As always, the Word of God is our only source for how it should be done.
1. He (Jesus) sent an advance man to prepare the way.
John 1:6-8 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
John the Baptist was born six months before Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
When the religious leaders (Pharisees) asked John the Baptist if he was the Christ (Greek translation of the Hebrew word, Messiah), he said, "No." Then they asked him more questions.
John 1:25-27 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
Two verses later,
John 1:29-30 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
By the way, this last statement by John the Baptist, "a man sent from God" testifies to the deity of Jesus Christ for he says of Jesus, "He was before me." Jesus was born six months after John the Baptist was born, but Jesus was still before him because Jesus is the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, manifested in the flesh.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
What else did Jesus do in starting His local church?
2. He sought out believers to build a core of disciples whom He could then train and send out to preach to others.
He started off with a couple of John the Baptist's disciples.
John 1:35-37 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
These two, grew to three.
John 1:40-42 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
It is important to note here that when Andrew brought his brother Simon (Peter was his last name, Acts 10:5) to Jesus, he was not leading him to the Lord as in winning him to Christ as so many fundamental preachers wrongly preach to bolster their sermons on soulwinning; he merely brought him to Jesus because they had been looking for the Messiah. Andrew said, "We have found the Messias." (John 1:41) This implies they had been looking for him! And no wonder because the word had been spread, for some thirty years now, that the Messiah was alive and living in Israel ever since the shepherds had broadcast the word of His birth as recorded in Luke chapter 2.
Luke 2:8-17 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
So these shepherds had spread the word about what they had seen and what they heard the angel of the Lord say unto them. And apparently, Andrew and Simon Peter knew that Bethlehem was called the city of David, where the Old Testament king David was from, probably because they were familiar with the Old Testament scriptures, including what the prophet Micah prophecied in Micah 5:2, which says, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." So the word the shepherds spread was confirmed by scripture, and apparently Andrew and Simon Peter believed it and most of their lives had been wondering who he was and were excited that they had a chance to someday see him, if they could find him!
By the way, here's more evidence of the deity of Jesus Christ: His goings forth are described as having been "from of old, from everlasting." Only God is from everlasting. So Jesus is God manifested in the flesh and His goings forth have been from of old, from the everlasting past. Only an eternal God could have that said about Him.
So, now that we know that Jesus had attracted the followship of Andrew and Simon Peter, we see the beginning of a pattern. Jesus is building the core members of His church with believers, not with unbelievers; with disciples, not "curiosity seekers".
A disciple is a disciplined one. The men who followed Jesus exercised self-discipline in order to more successfully follow Christ. In some cases they left their businesses to follow Jesus.
This pattern continues with the recruitment of Philip and Nathaneal,
John 1:43-50 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
and with James and John:
Matthew 4:21,22 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
and lastly, with Matthew (also known as Levi, Matthew 10:3; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27,28):
Matthew 9:9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Thus we see that Scripture reveals in detail how over half of Jesus' disciples were recruited.
3. Jesus set the example of what pastors should do in starting a church.
First, He was baptized by someone ordained to baptize (John the Baptist, Matthew 3:13-17).
Second, He was tempted to prove that He was worthy to lead others without being derailed. This is where many "wannabe" preachers fail. They want the glory of being a "pastor" so they pursue it without waiting on God to test and prove them. The results are often disastrous, not only to the preacher, but also to the church he pastors.
Third, He was a personal soul-winner. See John chapter 3 and see how He dealt with Nicodemus who came to Him. See John chapter 4 to see how He went out of His way to win a woman to Himself, who would then bring many men to Christ.
Fourth, He preached in public venues (synagogues and open air meetings) and in people's homes.
Mark 1:36-39 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.
37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.
38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.
39 And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.
Mark 2:1,2 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.
2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.
He sought out believers who were willing to follow Him; then, He showed them how to do the same. He taught and trained them to preach the gospel.
Fifth, He ordained others to take His place and pastor His church or other churches after He is gone.
Mark 3:14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Scripture shows that His disciples followed His example.
First, they were all baptized by someone authorized to baptize (John the Baptist). This is made evident when they were choosing someone to replace Judas after Jesus went back to heaven. One of the criteria was someone who had been with them from John's baptism, i.e., baptized by John the Baptist.
Acts 1:21,22 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
Second, they were tested. For three years Jesus tested them and proved them to show the world that they were worthy to be followed. Unlike Christ, though, they failed many times, as we all do at times. Jesus had to correct their thinking on some issues (Mark 9:38-40; Matthew 18:1-7; Matthew 18:21,22), humble them by showing them that He was not above washing their dusty feet (John 13:4-15), put out flaring fires of jealousy (Mark 9:34,35) or undisciplined desires to exercise power (Luke 9:51-56), and remind them that salvation was more important than the power they were given to get the job done (Luke 10:19,20).
Third, they were personal soul-winners.
Peter won Cornelius to Christ (Acts 10:21-44).
Philip won the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ. (Acts 8:35-37)
Fourth, they preached in public venues (synagogues and open air meetings) and in people's homes.
Matthew 10:5-7,14 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Fifth, they ordained elders (pastors) to start more churches.
Acts 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
There are many colleges and seminaries that train young men to start churches. There are many different philosophies and methods promoted. But, of course, we should only be interested in how churches were started in the New Testament and particularly, how Jesus started His local church. As always, the Word of God is our only source for how it should be done.
1. He (Jesus) sent an advance man to prepare the way.
John 1:6-8 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
John the Baptist was born six months before Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
When the religious leaders (Pharisees) asked John the Baptist if he was the Christ (Greek translation of the Hebrew word, Messiah), he said, "No." Then they asked him more questions.
John 1:25-27 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
Two verses later,
John 1:29-30 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
By the way, this last statement by John the Baptist, "a man sent from God" testifies to the deity of Jesus Christ for he says of Jesus, "He was before me." Jesus was born six months after John the Baptist was born, but Jesus was still before him because Jesus is the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, manifested in the flesh.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
What else did Jesus do in starting His local church?
2. He sought out believers to build a core of disciples whom He could then train and send out to preach to others.
He started off with a couple of John the Baptist's disciples.
John 1:35-37 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
These two, grew to three.
John 1:40-42 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
It is important to note here that when Andrew brought his brother Simon (Peter was his last name, Acts 10:5) to Jesus, he was not leading him to the Lord as in winning him to Christ as so many fundamental preachers wrongly preach to bolster their sermons on soulwinning; he merely brought him to Jesus because they had been looking for the Messiah. Andrew said, "We have found the Messias." (John 1:41) This implies they had been looking for him! And no wonder because the word had been spread, for some thirty years now, that the Messiah was alive and living in Israel ever since the shepherds had broadcast the word of His birth as recorded in Luke chapter 2.
Luke 2:8-17 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
So these shepherds had spread the word about what they had seen and what they heard the angel of the Lord say unto them. And apparently, Andrew and Simon Peter knew that Bethlehem was called the city of David, where the Old Testament king David was from, probably because they were familiar with the Old Testament scriptures, including what the prophet Micah prophecied in Micah 5:2, which says, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." So the word the shepherds spread was confirmed by scripture, and apparently Andrew and Simon Peter believed it and most of their lives had been wondering who he was and were excited that they had a chance to someday see him, if they could find him!
By the way, here's more evidence of the deity of Jesus Christ: His goings forth are described as having been "from of old, from everlasting." Only God is from everlasting. So Jesus is God manifested in the flesh and His goings forth have been from of old, from the everlasting past. Only an eternal God could have that said about Him.
So, now that we know that Jesus had attracted the followship of Andrew and Simon Peter, we see the beginning of a pattern. Jesus is building the core members of His church with believers, not with unbelievers; with disciples, not "curiosity seekers".
A disciple is a disciplined one. The men who followed Jesus exercised self-discipline in order to more successfully follow Christ. In some cases they left their businesses to follow Jesus.
This pattern continues with the recruitment of Philip and Nathaneal,
John 1:43-50 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
and with James and John:
Matthew 4:21,22 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
and lastly, with Matthew (also known as Levi, Matthew 10:3; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27,28):
Matthew 9:9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Thus we see that Scripture reveals in detail how over half of Jesus' disciples were recruited.
3. Jesus set the example of what pastors should do in starting a church.
First, He was baptized by someone ordained to baptize (John the Baptist, Matthew 3:13-17).
Second, He was tempted to prove that He was worthy to lead others without being derailed. This is where many "wannabe" preachers fail. They want the glory of being a "pastor" so they pursue it without waiting on God to test and prove them. The results are often disastrous, not only to the preacher, but also to the church he pastors.
Third, He was a personal soul-winner. See John chapter 3 and see how He dealt with Nicodemus who came to Him. See John chapter 4 to see how He went out of His way to win a woman to Himself, who would then bring many men to Christ.
Fourth, He preached in public venues (synagogues and open air meetings) and in people's homes.
Mark 1:36-39 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.
37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.
38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.
39 And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.
Mark 2:1,2 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.
2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.
He sought out believers who were willing to follow Him; then, He showed them how to do the same. He taught and trained them to preach the gospel.
Fifth, He ordained others to take His place and pastor His church or other churches after He is gone.
Mark 3:14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Scripture shows that His disciples followed His example.
First, they were all baptized by someone authorized to baptize (John the Baptist). This is made evident when they were choosing someone to replace Judas after Jesus went back to heaven. One of the criteria was someone who had been with them from John's baptism, i.e., baptized by John the Baptist.
Acts 1:21,22 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
Second, they were tested. For three years Jesus tested them and proved them to show the world that they were worthy to be followed. Unlike Christ, though, they failed many times, as we all do at times. Jesus had to correct their thinking on some issues (Mark 9:38-40; Matthew 18:1-7; Matthew 18:21,22), humble them by showing them that He was not above washing their dusty feet (John 13:4-15), put out flaring fires of jealousy (Mark 9:34,35) or undisciplined desires to exercise power (Luke 9:51-56), and remind them that salvation was more important than the power they were given to get the job done (Luke 10:19,20).
Third, they were personal soul-winners.
Peter won Cornelius to Christ (Acts 10:21-44).
Philip won the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ. (Acts 8:35-37)
Fourth, they preached in public venues (synagogues and open air meetings) and in people's homes.
Matthew 10:5-7,14 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Fifth, they ordained elders (pastors) to start more churches.
Acts 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
V. Why Are Biblical Churches Established?
For several reasons, but the one main over-arching reason, which I will cover first.
1. The main reason for establishing a church is to get the gospel out to all the world.
This is proven by the fact that Jesus specifically met with His ordained apostles and gave them the command to go into all the world and preach the gospel.
Matthew 28:16-20 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
If a church is not preaching the gospel and making an effort to reach the world, it is not a biblical church. Churches are not just gathering places for people to "worship". They are training meetings. Jesus spent all His time training His disciples. Even when He was dealing with individuals alone, He was training those who would follow Him and read about it in His Word!
Preaching the gospel to the unsaved is the one thing that definitely separates biblical churches from non-biblical churches, or religious institutions, as I call them, since if they are not biblical, they are not a church!
For several reasons, but the one main over-arching reason, which I will cover first.
1. The main reason for establishing a church is to get the gospel out to all the world.
This is proven by the fact that Jesus specifically met with His ordained apostles and gave them the command to go into all the world and preach the gospel.
Matthew 28:16-20 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
If a church is not preaching the gospel and making an effort to reach the world, it is not a biblical church. Churches are not just gathering places for people to "worship". They are training meetings. Jesus spent all His time training His disciples. Even when He was dealing with individuals alone, He was training those who would follow Him and read about it in His Word!
Preaching the gospel to the unsaved is the one thing that definitely separates biblical churches from non-biblical churches, or religious institutions, as I call them, since if they are not biblical, they are not a church!
What is the gospel?
The gospel is the good news (good spiel) that God has made a way where sinful man can be reconciled to God through the suffering of death by Jesus Christ, God's Son, who took our place when judged by God for our sins, then rose from the dead, making it possible for God to offer to "whosoever believeth in Him" the gift of eternal life even though we all deserve the second death, which is the lake of fire and brimstone. |
Winning souls to Christ (persuading them of the truth of the gospel) is the first and primary reason for Jesus starting any church. So a church whose pastor and members are not actively involved in winning souls to Christ by the gospel is not a biblical church.
2. The second reason Jesus establishes churches is for the support of sound doctrine.
After the three thousand souls were saved on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), the Bible says they "continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine..."
2. The second reason Jesus establishes churches is for the support of sound doctrine.
After the three thousand souls were saved on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), the Bible says they "continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine..."
More to come, please check back.
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