When And Where Christ Established His Church
By H. E. Phillips
Where and when did Christ establish his church? The WHERE and WHEN of anything
is certainly important in identifying it, for when these two things are determined,
any church that came into existence at any other place or time cannot be the
church of the New Testament.
The prophets spoke of the church and gave us some information as to the time
and place of its establishment. By reading the following prophetic references
to the church: Isaiah 2:2,3; 28:16; Luke 24:47-49; Daniel 2:35-45; 7:14,15; Joel
2:28; Mark 1:14,15; Matthew 14:10-12; 16:18; 9:1; Acts 1:8, we find the following
identifying marks we must look for in the establishing of it:
1. In the last days.
2. When all nations flow into it.
3. When the law goes forth from Jerusalem.
4. When the foundation is laid in Jerusalem.
5. In the days of the kings of the fourth empire -- The Roman Kings.
6. When the Spirit is poured out.
7. When the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient
of Days -- after Christ ascended in the clouds to God in heaven.
8. After the death of John the Baptist.
9. During the lifetime of some of the apostles.
10. When the Power comes.
On the Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ, Peter said it was then
the last days and the fulfillment of Joel 2:28 (Acts 2:17). The Spirit was poured
out on Pentecost morning, and that was the beginning of the last days (Acts 11:15).
All nations were promised admittance into it (Acts 2:39).
Men from every nation
under heaven were present at Pentecost (Acts 2:5). The law of Christ (Gal.
6:2; James 1:25) began in Jerusalem and spread to all nations (Acts 1:4,5;
2:16,17).
Christ died and arose in Jerusalem, thus the stone or foundation was laid
in Jerusa1cm (1 Cot. 3:11; Rom. 1:4). It was in the days of the Roman kings
-- the
kings of the fourth empire -- that Christ died. Christ ascended before Pentecost
(Acts 1:9-11) and was declared to be at the right hand of God at the time
Peter began preaching (Acts 2:33). John the Baptist had died before Pentecost
(Matt.
14:6-10; Mark 1:15; Matt. 16:18; Luke 22:18). It was during the life time
of some of the apostles that the events on Pentecost took place. The power
came
on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came (Mark 9:1; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4,5;
2:16,17).
All these prophecies were fulfilled on Pentecost, therefore, the church of Christ
began in Jerusalem on the first Pentecost morning after the resurrection of Christ,
at 9:00 am., being the first day of the week or Sunday in A.D. 33. No church
that came into existence at any other time or place can be the church that Christ
built. If the seed, which is the word of God (Luke 8:11), is planted at any other
place and at any other time, the result will be the same church as this which
began on Pentecost in Jerusalem. Paul forbids any gospel to be preached other
than that which he and the other apostles preached (Gal. 1:6-9).
- Preacher of the Word, June 30, 1996
Work While It Is Day
By H. E. Phillips
Work is an important word in Christianity as well as in any other endeavor.
Without work no progress is made and no goal is achieved. Jesus said: “I must work
the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man
can work” (John 9:4). Solomon wrote by the Spirit: “By much slothfulness
the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through” (Eccl.
10:18).
The word of God both commands work of the right kind and forbids idleness.
When one does not do the work that should be done as a child of God, he
disobeys two commands of God: the one which requires him to be busy in
the service
of his Master, and the one which forbids him to be idle and lazy. This
is applicable
to us today in worship and in preaching the gospel of Christ. How little
work we really do by comparison to what we could do and should do.
Usually when we speak of “working” for the Lord we have something
in mind that makes a big show before our brethren and the world. We think of
big ideas and the spending of large sums of money in a variety of places as doing
great “works” for the Lord. In reality much of this sort of
work is displeasing to the Lord because it is characterized by the spirit
of the
Pharisees who loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Take
away the personal
praise and vain glory and the works would stop.
What we need is individually converted workers who live and teach the truth of
God daily to all with whom they come in contact. Get busy and do the work of
God to His glory!
- Preacher of the Word, July 28, 1996