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CHRIST SAID:

“Upon this rock I will build My church…”

~ Matt. 16:18 ~

A history of the church as revealed in the Bible.

Part 1 December 21, 2007

Why this study??

To learn how & why there are so many different churches. Why do we need to know that? Because in the Bible we read that there is only ONE true church. History is for us to learn from. (see Romans 15:4 concerning the Old Testament, and 1 Cor. 10:1-11 concerning the children of Israel ). We will see in many of these churches that their origin and practices are from men and NOT according to the Bible. In the beginning of the gospel age, there was but one church, and now according to some reports, there are over 1,200. How did this happen? Many people simply have no idea where they all came from. Did Christ desire for believers to be segregated in their convictions? Is God pleased with the division of denominations that teach conflicting doctrines? Let's examine this situation to see just what the Bible teaches on this matter. It is a matter of utmost importance that ought to demand our careful attention.

The church in prophecy and its infancy

In Matt. 16:18, Christ promised: "…upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." Consider two aspects of this statement. First, the church would belong to Christ. It is His (Jesus) church, and He (Jesus) has the right to direct its affairs. He (Jesus) is its head and king. It is not a democracy governed by the will of the people. Christ was given "all authority" (Matt. 28:18), and the apostle Paul said that God "…hath put all things under His (Christ's) feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:22-23). Later in this same epistle, we read in Eph. 5:23-24, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.” In Col. 1:18, we read, “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Secondly, Christ's claim is singular- “MY church.” He did not say he was going to build "a" church or "the church of your choice" or "500 churches."

Just before Christ was arrested and crucified, he spent some hours in prayer. A part of his prayer is in John 17:20-21: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” Christ prayed that all who believe in Him might be one--united, even as He and His Father were one. This one-ness is seen from the marriage relationship. The Scriptures tell us that, in marriage, a husband and wife are no longer two, but one (Matt. 19:6). Obviously there are still two people, but in the relationship that God intends, there is harmony and unity--oneness. This is the unity for which Jesus prayed.

Christ's promise to build his church was fulfilled on the first Pentecost following His ascension in Jerusalem . This is found in Acts 2, and it was according to the promises Christ had made before His death. In Mark 9: 1, He said that some then living would not die “…until they had seen the kingdom of God come with power.” In Acts 1:3-8, just before ascending to heaven, He instructed the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the appointed time, and then in Acts 2 it all happened, as the Holy Spirit's power came on the apostles. Peter's sermon on that day cited the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32 concerning the beginning of the church or kingdom of God . That which belongs to Christ is a kingdom in the sense of His authority as King, and is a church in the sense that those who belong to Christ are "called out" of the world to be a separate people.

Now, look at the religious world. Do we see the unity for which Christ prayed? Do we see the harmony that is in heaven? Can we picture the Father being a Pentecostal, Christ a Lutheran and the Holy Spirit a Mormon? Or can we imagine Paul establishing the Methodist Church while Peter is working to begin the Baptist Church , and at the same time John is planning to establish the Presbyterian Church across town? That gives us the picture of one believing that baptism is by immersion, another believing it is by sprinkling water, and the third not even practicing baptism at all. That's a far cry from what Christ prayed for. What we have in the religious world is the opposite of what Christ prayed for. Yet we have people who thank God for all the denominations. Are they thankful for the division and confusion that denominationalism has brought to the world? But division is not from God, “…for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” (1 Cor. 14:33). Furthermore, in Christ's prayer for unity, we note that He stated that if his followers are "one," the result will be “…that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me” (Jo. 17:21). Now, if unity promotes belief, then what does the division and disunity that is prevalent produce? Multitudes have been “turned off” by the division that exists, and have turned away from God in disbelief.

The point is that in the beginning, there were no denominations. It didn't matter whether you were in Jerusalem , Rome , Philippi or Corinth , the church was the same. Oh, there were problems in the local churches, but when Paul was traveling and went into a town looking for Christians with whom to worship, he didn't have 75 denominations to have to choose from. There were not even two denominations. There was only the one body, which was not a denomination. They all followed the same creed, the Word of God, as it was proclaimed by men inspired of God, and as it was being recorded for future generations. The foundation of their faith was in this Word, for “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10: 17).

Salvation in Christ was planned before the creation of the world. In Eph. 1:3-5, we read, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will…” This being so, we know that the church was in God’s plans from before the foundation of the world. After the fall of man, we find in Genesis 3:15 a promise which is the beginning of God’s plan being implemented through which our sins could be forgiven. In Genesis 12:1-3, the Lord makes a promise to Abraham in which he says, “In you all families of the earth shall be blessed.” God is beginning to implement His plan… a plan which included His church. Ephesians 3:11 notes this as it states it was according to His “eternal purpose”, and this was ‘purposed’ in Christ Jesus.

Part 2 December 28, 2007

We have begun a study of why there are so many different churches. Our goal in this study is to understand how we have come to the point of so many different churches all professing to follow Jesus, and yet are so divided doctrinally and often bitterly (not to mention the many other religions in the world that do not follow the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament).

Last week, we closed with a statement by the apostle Paul as he spoke of Christ’s church as being according to the eternal purpose of God. He said in Ephesians 3:9-11, “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord…”

Notice, God’s intention to provide salvation for all nations and to unite the saved into one body was this ‘mystery’ referred to here in Ephesians. The writings of the New Testament epistles clarified this ‘mystery’ that had been hid for centuries. The church, which is the spiritual body of Christ, is composed of those who, regardless of their nationality, have “called upon the name of the Lord” just as those on the day of Pentecost did (Acts 2:38). Christ is the ‘head’ of His spiritual body (Eph. 1:22-23). Those who make up Christ’s church followed one creed…the doctrine of Christ, as preached first by Christ and then by the apostles thru the divine inspiration of the Holy Ghost. The apostle Paul spoke of this in Eph. 3:2-8 as follows: “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ…”

The ‘mystery’ of how the Gentiles could be fellowheirs with the Jews in the same body is the subject of the gospel message and thus we find it mentioned repeatedly in the New Testament epistles. In Romans 11, the discussion of the natural olive branch and the wild olive branch is to show how that the Jews, who had become God’s people in fulfillment of an oath made to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3) had been rejected due to their unbelief (v.20) and how that this ‘casting away’ had resulted in the reconciling of the world (v.15). The Jews being moved to jealousy by the preaching of salvation to any and all who will “call upon the name of the Lord” (v.14), could be grafted in again if they will “abide not still in unbelief” (v.23). That is what Paul meant in Rom. 10:12-13 when he wrote, “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The apostles were shown this ‘mystery’ in the book of Acts as we see from Peter’s vision concerning clean and unclean beasts (Acts 10:9-17; 28; 11:2-18). Notice 1 Cor. 12:12-13 says, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

This message of uniting from all nations, those who would acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, regardless of ethnic background in Christ, was called a ‘mystery’, simply because it had not been revealed until the Christ came. That it was a previously hidden message is also seen in other New Testament epistles:

Col. 1:26-27: “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory…”

2 Tim. 1:10-11: “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”

Eph. 1:9-10: “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him…”

Gal. 3:23: “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.”

The Old Testament prophets were given a glimpse of the salvation of which they prophesied, yet they did not understand as clear as the apostles whom the Holy Ghost guided. The apostle Peter so states this in 1 Pet. 1:10-12: “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which thing the angels desire to look into.”

We also see this from the preaching of Philip to the eunuch in Acts 8. The eunuch was reading from the prophet Isaiah, yet Isaiah only knew of the certainty of the coming of the Messiah, not who the Messiah would be. By the time of Philip, Jesus had come, claiming to be the Messiah, and had been crucified and raised from the dead. Philip explained how that the things that had befallen Jesus, were exactly what had been prophesied of the Messiah, and thus Philip, “…began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35). After hearing the evidence concerning Jesus and comparing it to the prophecies from Isaiah, the eunuch recognized that Jesus was the promised Messiah of which Isaiah wrote.

Notice: “Philip…preached unto him Jesus…” (v.35). After they, “…went on their way;, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized’?” (v.36). Jesus is preached and the eunuch asks to be baptized…from whom did the eunuch learn about baptism, Isaiah or Philip?

Part 3 January 4, 2008

We have begun a study of why there are so many different churches. Our goal in this study is to understand how we have come to the point of so many different churches all professing to follow Jesus, and yet are so divided doctrinally. We noticed in Part 1 that the church was spoken of as being according to the eternal purpose of God (Eph. 3:9-11). The gradual unfolding of events were likened to a mystery that had been hidden for ages, and then revealed when Jesus came, fulfilling the prophecies made by the prophets in the Old Testament. We are told that God planned the church before the foundation of the world in Eph. 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” Also in Rom. 8:28-30 this eternal purpose is described as follows: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

That salvation was pre-planned to be thru Jesus is seen from many other passages:

Eph. 2:10 - “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Eph. 3:11 – “According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord”

Phil. 1:29 – “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ”

Phil. 3:20 – “for our conversation is in heaven” (‘conversation’ here means that as Christians, we are citizens of heaven because of Christ)

Phil. 4:19 – “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Col. 3:12 – “Put on therefore, as the elect of God…bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering…” (Christians are to exhibit this type of behavior because it was the same type of behavior that Christ exhibited; this was preplanned before man existed)

1 Thess. 1:4 – “Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God”

2 Thess. 2:13 – “But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth”

2 Tim. 1:9 – “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began…”

Tit. 1:2 – “…in hope of eternal life, which God…promised before the world began”

James 1:18 – “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (God ‘willed’ or planned salvation for man, before man existed)

1 Pet. 1:2 – “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ…”

2 Pet. 1:10 – “…your calling and election…”

All these passages are a declaration that the eternal purpose of God was to provide salvation to all humanity through Jesus. Notice that this eternal purpose is mentioned in every epistle of the New Testament from Romans thru 2 Thessalonians, Titus, James, 1 & 2 Peter, & Jude. Even in the book of Revelation the eternal purpose is mentioned Jesus was referred to as the Lamb slain, “...from the foundation of the world” (13:8). This is the theme of the Bible. It is one large story of the unfolding of this grand plan of salvation in Christ. Even in Jude 4, we see that opposition to Christ was foreknown as we see from the statement “…who were before of old ordained to this condemnation.” This was the mystery that God chose to make known thru the preaching of the gospel. This message began to be preached after the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus, and tied all the prophecies of the Old Testament to Jesus, thus proving Jesus to be the Christ.

It is needful to understand this because it is related to the statement made by Jesus in Matt. 16:18, “I will build My church”. The church, which is the spiritual body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23) is composed of all the saved on the earth. The church is therefore according to God’s eternal purpose as God’s eternal purpose was to save man. But there is more to this eternal purpose as forgiveness of past sins was not the end that God eternally purposed for man. Re-read the passages given above and you will see that there is more to salvation than being ‘born again’. This is just the beginning as a physical birth is only the beginning for physical life. There is a growth with a view to maturity. So is it spiritually for the Christian. After being born again (John 3:3-5), there is to be spiritual growth. The gospel message is to be shared by those who have learned of the Father (John 6:45), with those who “know not God”, and who have not yet obeyed “the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:8).

This is why maturity is a part of the gospel message. This is likewise mentioned in every New Testament epistle from Romans thru Revelation. A particular type of life for those who would be Christians was pre-planned by God. It would be patterned after the type of life that Jesus exemplified while here on earth. This is seen in Col. 3:12 and Jam. 1:18 above. Some other passages that teach this are Rom. 12:2, “and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Christians are to hold up the life of Christ before others in this life, and thus lead them to follow Christ. This is the definition of the word ‘Christian’- CHRIST-LIKE. God eternally planned for those who have learned of Christ to exemplify the type of life He lived before the world. Christians are to be pure and godly in their living so as to not cause Christ or the church for which He died, to be spoken evil of. Consider the text of Tit. 2 as evidence of this:

“But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.”

Part 4 January 11, 2008

There were several prophecies made about the Lord’s church in the Old Testament and we will now examine some of them. Taking them in the order that they are found in the bible, we will begin with the book of Isaiah. We find that the Israelites of Isaiah’s day were divided into two separate kingdoms. There was the northern kingdom of Israel , with Samaria as its capital and the southern kingdom of Judah , with Jerusalem as capital. Isaiah prophesied to the southern kingdom. The kings during this time were not just involved in political affairs but also religion as we shall see. The Israelites had become very idolatrous and thus displeasing to God for many years. Moses had warned them of the consequences for disobedience during his writings. Deuteronomy chapter 28 provides a detailed account of the blessings that would come upon them and their descendants if they would be faithful to God, as well as warnings of their destruction as a nation if they became idolatrous. By the time of the prophets, God’s wrath had reached its brim and captivity was imminent. The prophets spoke as God commanded, warning of this captivity as punishment for their disobedience. They foretold of the harsh times of the captivity but more importantly of the end of captivity and how that a remnant of people would be brought back to the land of Canaan . This was in keeping with the promise made to Abraham years earlier that in Abraham’s seed “all families of the earth would be blessed” (Gen. 12:1-3). It was not to restore them as a nation in the land of Canaan that God would return this remnant, but to bring the long promised Messiah into the world through them. They also foretold of the days when God would set up a kingdom to which all nations would come. This kingdom was to be the church of which Christ spoke of in Matt. 16:18-19. Jesus here stated to Peter these words, “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.” These words were in response to Jesus’ question to his disciples as to who the people thought He was (Matt. 16:13-17).

From this text, we learn what is to be confessed in connection with the new birth (John 3). We are to confess Jesus to be “…the Christ, the Son of the living God”. We see this exemplified in the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. In verses 35-38, we read, “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” Christ’s church is made up of people who acknowledge His authority. Jesus was given all authority, both in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18) by his Father. His will must be submitted to as seen from such passages as Eph. 1:22-23, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”

Let us now notice some of the prophecies concerning the coming of Christ’s kingdom or church. In Isa. 1:1, we read, “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah .” This first verse tells us the time frame of when Isaiah prophesied. It was during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The summary of their reigns are found in the books of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Uzziah’s reign is recorded in 2 Kings 15:3-4 and 2 Chron. 26:3-23. Jotham’s reign is found in 2 Kings 15:33-3-38 and 2 Chron. 27:1-9. The reign of Ahaz is found in 2 Kings 16:2-5, 18 and 2 Chron. 28:1-4. Hezekiah’s reign is recorded in 2 Kings 18: 1-6 and in 2 Chron. 29:1-2; 31:1. The end of both kingdoms is recorded in 2 Kings 17. God’s use of the prophets and the reaction to their message is mentioned in verses 13-14 as follows: “Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.” In verses 18-20 we read, “Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel , and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel , and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.”

Thus, Isaiah speaks to them words of rebuke for their disobedience. In Isaiah 1:2-9 we read, “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom , and we should have been like unto Gomorrah .”

It was to this remnant of people (Isa. 1:9), that Isaiah prophesied and foretold of the establishment of Christ’s church. We read in Isaiah 2:2-4, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, ‘Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths’; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” This passage notes several things. 1) It describes a ‘house’ that will be available to all nations (Jew & Gentile). 2) It will begin in Jerusalem , and 3) It makes reference to its spiritual nature (“…he will teach us of his ways…”; think also of what Jesus said in John 18:36 as He stood before Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world…”)

As Israel was once a physical nation, God’s people, the church are now a spiritual people. Of Christians, the apostle Peter wrote in 1 Pet. 2:5-10, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

Part 5 January 18, 2008

There were several prophecies made about the Lord’s church in the Old Testament. Last week we began with the prophet Isaiah, and now we will notice the writings from other prophets about the church as promised by Jesus in Matt. 16:18. As previously noted, the church was in the mind of God before the creation. We see this from such passages as Rom. 8:29 and Eph. 1:3-5, 9-10. Christ was ‘fore-ordained’ before the foundation of the world and salvation thru Him was ‘pre-determined’. The unfolding of this plan is the story of the Bible. God chose Abraham, made of him a great nation, thru whom Christ would come, and “when the fulness of times was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Gal. 4:4-5) 1 Peter 1:20 says, “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…” Those who are redeemed from sin, make up Christ’s body, the church, thus to be “in Christ” is to be in Christ’s body, the church (1 Cor. 12:12-14, 20-27).

We closed last week’s article with Isaiah 2:2-4, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, ‘Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths’; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” We noted from this text that: 1) It described a ‘house’ that will be available to all nations (Jew & Gentile). 2) It would begin in Jerusalem , and 3) It would be spiritual in nature (“…he will teach us of his ways…”; remember Jesus said in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world.”)

Isaiah spoke of the beginning of the Lord’s house as occurring in “the ‘last days’; so did another prophet…Joel. In Joel 2:28-32 we read, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.”

Peter tells us exactly when this prophecy of Joel was fulfilled. In Acts 2:17-21 we read, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Peter said in Acts 2:16, “THIS IS THAT WHICH WAS SPOKEN BY THE PROPHET JOEL”. Joel’s prophecy of the day when men would ‘call on the name of the Lord’, had now been fulfilled. Peter was the first to preach how to do so. Redemption and adoption as sons was now possible in Jesus for all who would ‘call upon’ His name. This, incidentally, is the ‘new birth’ of John 3. Peter was the first to ‘open the door’ to the kingdom of God , thus He was given the “keys to the kingdom” as Jesus had earlier stated in Matt. 16:19. He preached the terms of admission into the kingdom when, in Acts 2:38 he said, “Repent and be baptized…for the remission of sins…”. We then read in Acts 2:47, “…and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Those who are saved are in Christ’s church or His kingdom. They have been taught “of his ways” (Isa. 2). They have undergone spiritual cleansing as Isaiah foretold in Isa. 4:2-4 with these words, “In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel . And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.”

The ‘branch of the Lord’ here is referring to those who would make up the kingdom or church of the Messiah. They are those referred to as the “fruit of the earth”. They are said to be ‘excellent’, ‘comely’, and ‘holy’ due to their spiritual cleansing, or forgiveness. Isaiah here speaks of their cleansing by the phrase, “washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion , and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem ”.

This “law” and “word of the Lord” (Isa. 2:3), that would go out from Jerusalem , refers to the commands given to the apostles by Jesus. They preached what Jesus commanded them to preach (Acts 1:2). This began in Jerusalem . Thus ‘truth’ was said to have come by Jesus (John 1:17). The truth or government of the Messiah would be spiritual not political in nature. The territory would be the heart of the individual, not a geographical location, for “whosoever” would “call upon the name of the Lord” could “be saved” (Rom. 10:13). Regardless of physical locality, whosoever will come to Jesus upon His terms as revealed in the gospel, can be cleansed, and thus restored to fellowship with God. It is this type of restoration that the Old Testament prophets wrote, not a physical restoration to a physical land.

The physical descendants of Abraham (the nation of Israel of the Old Testament) were “cast out” by God due to their unbelief. This in part was the preaching of the apostles to the Jews of their day. God was going to provoke them to jealousy by His acceptance of the Gentiles. The offer of salvation thru the Christ (Jesus) would have a two fold result. It would save the Gentiles as well as the Jews, for both would have to accept the government or law of the Messiah. It would unite them into one body, the church of which Christ would be head. He would be king, and the church would be His kingdom. They are the saved today. They are the Christians, wherever they live. They make up the church of which Jesus spoke in Matt. 16:18, “I will build…and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The gates of hell tried to prevent the establishment of the church by the killing of Jesus. However God raised Him from the dead and in so doing, destroyed, “…him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb. 2:14-15)

As the physical nation of Israel was once God’s people, Christians are God’s people today. Compare the statements made by Moses of physical Israel and then by Peter of Christians. Ex. 19:5-6 – “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel .”

1 Pet. 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”

Part 6 January 25, 2008

The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel all foretold in their writings of the beginning of Christ’s church. In Matt. 16:18 the statement of Jesus was that He would ‘build’ His church. He then says that the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. This meant that even though Satan would succeed in having Jesus put to death, death would not prevent Jesus ‘building’ His church. The meaning is that Christ’s church would be established here on earth in spite of Satan’s efforts. Jesus was raised from the dead by His Father and, being the first to rise from the dead, never to die again, he destroyed “…him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Heb. 2:14-15) Jesus here also stated to Peter that he would give Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatsoever Peter would bind on earth “…shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever would be loosed on earth would be loosed in heaven.” This had reference to the things that Peter would preach about salvation thru Jesus as recorded for us in Acts 2. The things that Peter preached were no more and no less than what Jesus had commanded to be preached as we see from Acts 1:2. Included in these commands are how to respond to the gospel call, and thus we see from these statements how all (Jews and Gentiles) are to “call upon the name of the Lord”. Obedience to Jesus’ commands as preached by the apostles in the book of Acts are how one “works righteousness” regardless of nationality today. Peter had so stated this to the household of Cornelius in Acts 10:34-35, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” Peter then mentions several times in Acts 10:36-43 of how God ‘foreordained’ salvation in or through Jesus. We read, “The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all); that word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree; him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever beliveth in him shall receive remission of sins.”

How to call upon Jesus for salvation is found in the New Testament. There are specific things to believe and specific commands to be obeyed. These statements and commands are found at the end of each of the four gospels. Matthew 28:19-20 reads as follows: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). Mark 16:15-16 says, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:15-16). Luke’s gospel reads as follows: “…repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem ” (Lk. 24:47). John simply says in John 17:18, “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” Jesus further stated to the apostles in Luke 24:49, “And, 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.” Acts 1:3-5 is a continuation of Luke 24:47-49 as Luke wrote both epistles. Acts 1:3-5 says of this conversation between Jesus and the apostles, “…to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God; and, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” This statement here in Acts 1:4-5 that they should wait for the promise of the Father and that they would be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence was what Luke was referring to Luke 24:47, 49.

This “promise of my Father upon you” in Luke 24:49 was the same as “the promise of the Father” in Acts 1:4. The mention of the “power from on high” in Luke 24:49 was again mentioned by Luke in Acts 1:8 as follows: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” This explains why the Holy Ghost was to come upon the apostles. It was to give them “power”, but power for what purpose? What were they to do once they received this power? We need only to read what they did after receiving this “power”. Acts 2 tells us. This power came and it was somehow connected with Peter being given the keys to the kingdom and to the building of Christ’s church. This “power” came when the Holy Ghost came upon them. The ‘power’ was to preach salvation thru Jesus in languages other than the Galilean tongue. Notice this observation is made by those who heard the apostles speak in Acts 2:8, 11. To be able to speak in a foreign language was a miracle indeed, but if there were any other miraculous works performed by the apostles in Acts 2, what verse so states? Please observe also that the things spoken in “other tongues” were understood by the audience and this audience was not yet saved. So sinners heard preaching in an unknown tongue, and understood how to call upon the name of the Lord. Is this what we find today in preaching?

But let us note something else unique to the building of Christ’s church. What was the ‘rock’ upon which Christ’s church was to be built? Look again carefully at the conversation between Peter and Jesus in Matt. 16:16. (See also Mark 8:29 and Luke 9:20) What had Peter stated just prior to Jesus’ statement that “upon this rock I will build my church”? What ever Peter said there, would be the ‘rock’ upon which the church would be built. We find that John records Peter’s words in John 6:68-69 as follows, “Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” To recognize Jesus as the Christ is to recognize that He has “words of eternal life”. This has reference to His teaching. Jesus had earlier stated in this same chapter of John in verse 63, “…the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Jesus’ teachings are the words of eternal life because they contain instructions of how to call upon Him. Our mere hearing them without compliance is to make his sacrifice in vain. Jesus died for all mankind, yet all are not saved are they? If so, then why are there still pleas going out for people to accept Him? Those who gladly received Peter’s words in Acts 2 were baptized and added to Christ’s church by the Lord. Have you done as they did? If not, what have you done and why? Were you told the same response as Peter gave?

Part 7 February 1, 2008

We have noticed a few of the prophecies made by Isaiah about the days when the Messiah and His government would come. As we have seen, all these references to the coming of the Messiah and His rule or government, were referring to Christ’s kingdom or church. This is what Jesus spoke of in Matt. 16:18. The establishment of Christ’s church was in connection with, and in fulfillment of the prophecies made about a “restoration” of God’s people Israel . Those who are in the church or the body of Christ today are the people or “ Israel ” of God. There is no clearer text that shows this than Romans chapter 11. The restoration of which the prophets spoke was to be a spiritual restoration, not a physical one. It was spiritual in that the restoration would be a restoring of fellowship to God thru the sacrifice of Christ. Forgiveness of iniquities would characterize this restoration as man would be restored to fellowship with his Creator thru Christ. All who would come to Christ upon the terms laid out in His new covenant would enjoy this ‘peace’ of which the Old Testament prophets wrote. Being made ‘right’ with God because of this forgiveness is what the gospel message is about. It is a new covenant, a new people, wherein dwelleth righteousness due to the nature of the government of Christ. Again, the territory of the kingdom is not a geographical territory, but is found in the heart of the individual who submits to Christ’s authority or government. The blessing of ‘peace’ that is mentioned so often in the writings of the Old Testament prophets is not a physical or political peace, but a reference to the peace made between man and God due to the restoration of fellowship thru Christ because of the forgiveness of sins. Thus we find Jeremiah describing the new covenant that would be made as follows, “…their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more…” (Jer. 31:34). Forgiveness of sins was not obtained thru the animal sacrifices as commanded under Moses’ covenant (Heb. 10:1-3).

The prophets who preached to the rebellious physical nation of Israel did not have as clear a picture of the church as did the apostles. We see this from one of Peter’s writings. In 1 Peter 1:10-12, Peter explained, “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”

Let us now examine the text of Romans 11 as we find the apostle Paul explaining clearly the salvation of which the Old Testament prophets foretold. Rom. 11:1-27 says, “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”

It is clear from this that due to the disobedience of the descendants of Abraham (the physical nation of Israel ); God ultimately punished them with captivity and they were destroyed as a nation. They were thus cast out of the land that God promised Abraham that he would give them, and scattered among the nations. It is important to understand that Israel was given the land for an inheritance. God fulfilled this promise. However, remaining in the land was conditioned upon their faithfulness to the law given from Mt. Sinai . THEY WERE NOT FAITHFUL! Thus, they were cast out of the land, dispersed among the nations and destroyed as a nation. However, God kept His oath to Abraham and from this ‘scattering’, He returned a remnant, from which His Son was born, that thru His Son all nations can be returned to Him in righteousness by their obedience to the gospel. Thru the ‘falling away’, of physical Israel , salvation has come to the Gentiles; thus, we find the apostles preaching that, regardless of nationality, salvation is available thru the Messiah. Those who “call upon the name of the Lord” (Rom. 10:13); those who “fear…and worketh righteousness” (Acts 10:34-35), can be saved. It is these who make up the church of which Christ built. We will continue this study next week, God willing.

Part 8 February 8, 2008

Thus far, we have been dealing primarily with the predictions made about the church by the Old Testament prophets. By comparing their prophecies about Christ’s kingdom or church with the things preached by Christ and the apostles in the New Testament, we can understand how and why the church was according to God’s eternal purpose as stated in Eph. 3:10-11. We have noticed Isaiah’s statements concerning the Messiah and His kingdom that it would occur in the “last days” (Isa. 2:2). The new law or covenant would go forth from Jerusalem (Isa. 2:3). This corresponded to what Jesus told the apostles about the beginning of His church. It harmonizes with what Peter also said in Acts 2. It is from a comparison of Isaiah’s prophecy with both Jesus’ and Peter’s statements that we learn of what Isaiah meant in his book. The church would begin in Jerusalem would be in the “last days”. It would be associated with the pouring out of God’s spirit upon all flesh and this occurred when the Holy Ghost came upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost. Peter quoted the prophet Joel and explained that the miraculous speaking of other languages was what Joel was referring to (compare Joel 2:28-32 with Acts 2:14-21). Joel mentioned that “deliverance…would be in Jerusalem ”; Joel mentioned that this was connected with ‘calling upon the name of the Lord’. When we read of what happened in Acts 2, we then can know of what Joel foretold. The ‘deliverance’ mentioned by Joel was the forgiveness of sins. The ‘calling upon the name of the Lord’ was how man responded to the preaching of salvation thru Jesus, who was set forth as the long promised Messiah of prophecy. Those who heard the ‘law and the word’ go forth from Jerusalem , believed that Jesus was the Messiah, and repented and was immersed in water for the remission of their sins. Thus we find the church no longer in the future but in existence as these who “gladly received” Peter’s words, were “added to the church”. Thereafter we read of the church as being in existence, not in the future. The new testament books from Romans thru Revelation were written to local churches or to individual Christians containing instructions of how to live as ‘salt in the earth and lights in the world’ so that others may see Christ thru their lives.

Thus the church, which had been according to God’s eternal purpose, was now in existence and this was purposed in Christ Jesus. The old testament prophets did not have the eye-witness testimony as did the chosen apostles. Their prophecies are clarified thru the eye-witness testimonies of those who saw Jesus following His resurrection from the dead. This was what Peter meant by his statement in 1 Pet. 1:10-12, “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”

Isaiah gives us an in-depth description of God’s dealings with the physical nation Israel as it relates both to the terms of the covenant made with Abraham and the establishment of Christ’s kingdom or church. In the first two chapters of Isaiah, he tells us of the terms of the covenant with Abraham’s descendants (the physical nation of Israel ). God promised protection and blessings if they would obey His voice (Exodus 23:20-33), but destruction if they did not (Deuteronomy 8:19-20). But by the time of Isaiah, this nation of people had repeatedly turned away from God, thus rejecting the terms of the covenant. So Isaiah predicted a day of reckoning that would soon come. He said, "Your country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire" (Isa. 1:7). Isaiah was very clear regarding the impending doom of this rebellious nation. The entire nation was full of wickedness. Isaiah said, "Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers..." (Isa. 1:4). They did not know their own master (Isa. 1:3). The Israelites were in a despicable state. Numerous efforts were made through Isaiah and the other prophets to turn the nation back to God, but to no avail. God’s patience ran out. God said, "Why will ye be still stricken, that ye revolt more and more?" (Isa. 1:5). The chastening of God was of no value. God's people turned their back on Him (Isa. 1:4). Fulfilling the terms of the covenant, God finally turned His back on Israel and brought destruction upon them. Israel had broken the covenant, but despite this, the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 22:17-18) were fulfilled. In connection with the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was the promises made to David. God spoke to David as follows in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 – “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with they fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” The ‘seed’ that was to be set up after David was referring to Christ and the kingdom that would be established was the church. The church will never be destroyed and this was what Jesus meant in Matt. 16:18 when He said that Satan (the gates of Hell) would not prevail against the church. It was in this sense that the throne of David would be established forever.

Isaiah's prophecies about Israel 's restitution or restoration were in connection with this. God had made an unconditional covenant with Abraham and with the nation that came from Abraham’s loins, and He kept His promise. As Paul says, "…if we are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself" (2 Tim. 2:13). The surrounding nations mocked the God of Israel and Judah as they overthrew their walls. They thought the God of the Israelites had been rendered powerless. But God used the unfaithfulness of His people as another opportunity to prove His sovereignty. The establishment of God's kingdom, spoken of in Isaiah 2:1-4, not only fulfilled promises to Abraham and David, it also humbled arrogant nations. God’s plans are too powerful to be thwarted by man. The Psalmist wrote, “Why do the nations rage, And the peoples meditate a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their bonds asunder, And cast away their cords from us’. He that sitteth in the heavens will laugh: The Lord will have them in derision” (Psalms 2:1-4).

The Jews were punished with captivity because of their evil ways. God could no longer stand idly by while they openly disobeyed Him. He sought them out, but they would not return to Him. He was forced to bring judgment upon them; however, God restored a remnant back to Himself. This remnant was going to be the church. Thus Isaiah said, “And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” (Isa. 2:2). Spiritual Israel consists of those who are obedient to God. God’s children are all those who obediently follow the only begotten Son of God.

Part 9 February 15, 2008

Christ and the church are inseparable. The church is His “body” (Rom. 12:4; 1 Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 1:22-23); He is the “head” of that body (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:23; Col. 1:18) and there is one body ( Rom. 12:4; Eph. 4:4). The church or the kingdom is Christ’s “body”. When one “calls upon the name of the Lord”, as in the examples of those from the book of Acts, he is ‘translated’ out of Satan’s kingdom and into Christ’s kingdom wherein there is redemption or forgiveness. Speaking of the Father, the apostle Paul said in Col. 1:13-14, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” We see from this wording that man’s salvation from sin is likened to being delivered from the kingdom of Satan and being translated into the kingdom of Christ . Notice that in this kingdom there is redemption, “through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” Thus, to be in the kingdom of “His dear Son” is to be redeemed; to be redeemed is to have forgiveness of sins, and thus to be saved. The saved comprise Christ’s church here on earth. To be “in Christ” is to be in His body…the church, hence salvation is associated with the church. It is why we read in Acts 2:47 that the saved are “added” to the church. So when we read in Eph 1:4 that salvation was preplanned (foreordained) to be in Christ; we know that the church was in the mind of God prior to creation. The reason being that, to be ‘in Christ’ is to be in Christ’s body…the church.

When did God first make known to man this concept of salvation in or thru Christ? How was it going to occur? This is essential in studying the history of Christ’s church in order to know when the church came into existence and its purpose for existing, but equally important, to recognize what happened to Christ’s church after it began on Pentecost in Acts 2 and to trace it thru history up to the present. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, Christ was not sent immediately to die upon the cross was He? We know that it was several thousand years before Christ came. We are told in such passages as Gal. 4:4 and Eph. 1:10 that Christ did not come until “the fulness of the time”. Why not? Why did God see fit to unfold his plan gradually?

What happened between the transgression committed in the garden and the establishment of Christ’s church as He stated in Matt. 16:18? This is the story found in the Old Testament and the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the first chapter of Acts. Let us notice the references to Christ and the church beginning with the first mention of Christ following the fall of Adam and Eve. In Gen. 3:15, God said to the serpent, “…I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” This was the first reference to Christ in the Bible. Christ was this ‘seed’ of woman and His ‘heel’ was “bruised” in the sense that Satan wounded Him thru crucifixion. Yet Christ recovered from this wound as seen in His resurrection from the dead by His Father (Acts 2:36), and thus inflicted a bruise to Satan’s head. The Hebrew writer best defines for us what the significance of this is in Heb. 2:14. Speaking there of Christ we read, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that, is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Satan tried to destroy Christ when He had him put to death on the cross, but Christ overcame that wound and dealt a blow to Satan from which Satan will never recover. Christ was the first to rise from the dead, never to die again and the ‘power of death’ that Satan had held up to that time, will never again be his.

After this reference in Genesis 3, when do we next find a reference to the blessing of salvation thru Christ? It is in the promise made to Abram in Genesis 12:1-3. We read there, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. How was it that in Abram, all families of the earth would be blessed? Let us trace this unfolding of God’s plan of redemption in Christ from the garden of Eden to the day of Pentecost thru the Bible.