QUESTION: On what date was the church of Christ established? Some say that it was established only four years ago and is, therefore, not as old as the Catholic Church, Methodist, and others.

ANSWER: The exact date of the establishment of the church is uncertain. Most scholars, however, agree that it was established sometime during the periodbetween 30AD and 33AD. Luke tells us in Chapter 3, verse 23 that Jesus’ public ministry began when He was about thirty years of age. The evidence in the gospel accounts of Luke 22:15; John 2:13; John 5:1; and John 6:4 indicates that there were four yearly Passovers during Christ’s public ministry. From the first to the fourth Passover (at which time He was crucified) would be three full years. It is reckoned from the events of His early ministry that a time period of approximately five months passed prior to His cleansing of the temple during the first Passover (John 2:13-17). There were fifty days between Passover and Pentecost. If we add the three full years, the five months, and the fifty days, we arrive at approximately three and one-half years. Adding this figure to Jesus’ age of thirty years at the beginning of His public ministry, we have thirty-three and one-half years. Thus, it is determined that the church was established in 33AD on the first Pentecost following the crucifixion of Christ. Because a mistake of about three years was made in the Christian calendar when it replaced the Roman calendar in 526AD, some scholars hold to the 30AD date. It is certain, however, that the church of the Bible, the church of Christ (Roman 16:16) was established no later than 33AD! So the church of Christ was not established four years ago, but rather it was established more than two thousand years ago. The Catholic Church was established in the year 606AD, almost 600 years after the church of the Bible was established. The Methodist church did not have its beginning until 1739AD, 1700 years after the church of Christ!