The Church: It's Distinctive Nature
The Church's Beginning
All institutions have a beginning. The establishment of any institution possesses certain characteristics which in themselvesset that institution apart from all others. By reviewing thebeginning characteristics of the church, as we find in the scriptures,then we can compare these with institutions that make the claim ofbeing the Lord's. Remember, if the beginning characteristics of thechurch you belong to match that of the church found within thescriptures, then this is the first step in establishing the scripturalChurch of our Lord.
The first characteristic is that the church belongs to the Lord. It is the Lord's Church, not someone else's. It belongs to Christ. Far too many religious institutions (churches) claim to follow Christ, but wear another's name, or follow another's ideas. We distinguish such institutions by their names. By way of example only, we know that the Lutherans follow the teachings of Martin Luther; the Baptist have their name by the manner or mode of baptism; the Methodist by their method of teaching; and we could continue this example on and on. The point is that these institutions think more of another name or title than they do the name of the Lord. If the church belongs to the Lord, then it should bear His name, not another's.
Christ said that He would "build his church," not the church of someone else. Notice His own words: "upon this rock I will build my church" (Matt. 16:18). This fact is established by the words of the apostle Paul in writing to the Roman's: "The churches of Christ salute you." (Rom. 16:16) This characteristic is distinctive with the Lord's church, and it sets it apart from all those who bear the name of other men or ideas. If any institution, claiming to belong to the Lord's, fails to wear His name, then they are unworthy to call upon the very name that they fail to be called by.
The beginning of the Lord's church also sets it apart from all the others. There exist a set pattern for the establishment of the Lord's church. In our Lord's first statements about the establishment of the church we find the first clue to this pattern.
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"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. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matt. 16:18-19).
Here the Lord equates the church with the kingdom. Granted, the word church and kingdom do not mean the same thing, yet the Lord's words makes them refer to the same people or institution. In brief, the Lord is saying that whenever the church is established, so too the kingdom.
The next clue is found in Mark 9:1
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"Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power."
Some who heard the Lord that day would be witnesses of the establishment of the kingdom. Also, the kingdom, when established, would be established with power. This power is the next clue, for in Luke 24:49 the Lord says:
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"Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."
The promise mentioned here is that of the Holy Spirit found in John 14-16. This Holy Spirit would be the power that would accompany the establishment of the kingdom, and it would come in the city of Jerusalem where the apostles would be assembled.
The final clue is found in the first four verses of Acts chapter two.
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Acts 2:1-4 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Here we have the day of Pentecost; the apostles assembled together; the Spirit coming with power. At the close of this chapter we find the following:
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"And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (v. 47)
All things had come together and the church was established just as the Lord had said. The following chart puts these clues together.
Church -- Kingdom (Matt. 16:18-19)
Kingdom -- Power (Mark 9:1 the Holy Spirit)
Power -- Jerusalem (Luke 24:49)
Jerusalem -- Power Came (Acts 2:1-4)
Church Established Kingdom Brought Forth
Taking all of this information together we can set forth some of the chief characteristics about the establishment of the Lord's church. Compare these with the church that you belong to, and see if it is the Lord's.
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The year was 33 AD when the church was established.
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It was on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of the Lord, which was about the month of June, or the end of the grain harvest.
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It was on the first day of the week, or what we call Sunday.
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It was at 9 a.m. - the meaning of the third hour of the day.
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There were 3,000 who were added to the church that day (Acts 2:41)
There can only be one institution that can claim all of this for its beginning -- the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. All other institutions have different beginnings with different characteristics. Thus, they cannot belong to the Lord.
Friend, as you read these characteristics, search the scriptures and compare them with the beginnings of the church you belong to. If you love the Lord and the church that He purchased with His own blood, then seek that which the Lord built and not man.